Is it safe to UP Abilene's insulin dosage?

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Danielle Hrubiak

Danielle Hrubiak

Member Since 2015
Abby has been on the 1.5 unit dosage for many cycles now and her numbers are still quite awful for a good portion of my tests. I do get a few exciting readings here and there but nothing is consistent. Would it be safe to bump her up .25-.5 units and see how she does? And to be honest, I say I give 1.5 but using the U40 syringes and having to eyeball the dosage, it could be anywhere between 1.25-1.75 that she actually gets. I do try to make sure the stopper is at the same spot each time, but without an actual line to draw to, it could slightly vary each time.
Is it safe to up her dose to 1.75-2 units twice daily?

She's also started to gain weight. She's gotten to the point of eating 4-4.5 cans of FF per day. Since her last vet visit about a week and a half ago, she's gained a pound. The past few days, I have noticed her appetite has slightly decreased which I hope is a good thing. Normally she would inhale a can each time...now she has been walking away without finishing it and she's no longer begging and scrounging for food.
Now I just need to work on getting better numbers consistently...

What do you guys think?
 
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It's an interesting spreadsheet, Danielle. She does seem to drop lower overnight so I am guessing the food keeps her up a little during the day. (Does she eat less at night) The fact that she is not scarfing down every meal is very good news. As her body learns to use the insulin, she should feel less hungry.

I think a little more insulin for your pinks and reds is a good idea. Would a 1.8 be easier to measure? I don't think I would not give that much on a yellow Pre shot as the 1.5 sometimes brought those down fine. Be sure you raise the dose on a cycle you can monitor.
 
She does eat less at night. She will normally eat her last snack at anywhere between 11pm and 1230am and then wont eat breakfast until 645 am. As she begins to utilize her food better, I do plan to get her eating less times throughout the day. Reason being, once I head back to doing my dental hygiene work, I will not be home throughout the day to feed like I am now. So it works out currently that I can feed many times throughout the day while her body has been starving, but eventually that wont be feasible.

And I was actually wrong on the syringe I use--I use the u40, not the u100. So maybe the u100 would be easier to draw up an odd dose? I would certainly never increase her dosage without being home to monitor her... Ill probably try the increase starting tomorrow morning... So you think I should give the increase dose on a red or pink PS, but if yellow PS, stick with 1.5?
 
Danielle Hrubiak said:
And I was actually wrong on the syringe I use--I use the u40, not the u100. So maybe the u100 would be easier to draw up an odd dose? I would certainly never increase her dosage without being home to monitor her... Ill probably try the increase starting tomorrow morning... So you think I should give the increase dose on a red or pink PS, but if yellow PS, stick with 1.5?
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The U100 needles can sometimes be easier to use, especially when making small changes. You can dose 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, etc. BUT you have to use the conversion chart, as you are using U100 needles with U 40 insulin.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/insulin-conversions.htm

Yes, I would up your dose on the higher ranges but stick with the lower dose on the lower pre shots. My thinking is that the 1.5 is bringing down a yellow to often a blue and sometimes a green. A higher dose might take her lower than you want. It's a process. If you find 1.5 is too little for the lower pre shots, you can always up it a smidge.
 
I just went to pick up some U-100 syringes. I've been using the U-40 29 gauge as that is what came with my kit. The pharmacy only had 30 gauge in the U-100. So the syringes are 30G, 1/2 inch length, with 3/10 ml/cc up to 30 units. Is this a pretty standard U-100 syringe? I am still having to eyeball the dosage in this syringe which I was hoping to have a specific line to draw to. I guess I will look online to see if I can find a syringe that holds smaller doses so maybe there will be specific lines for the smaller units.
Can you recommend a good online site for supplies?
 
Perfect. That is exactly what I wanted! Thank you.

BTW- Abby just dropped to 47 from 303 at PM+2... I guess I can expect some bouncing for the next few days... Will this affect me increasing her dose starting tomorrow morning?
 
Guess she heard us talking about an increase.

Did you try a second test? (I'm hoping it's wrong) That is an awfully low number for +2. If it's that low, you need to give her some gravy off high carb andretest in 20 minutes. You'll need to feed to keep her up until +6 or so. Yes, she'll probably bounce sky high, but for now, you need to get her numbers up,
 
I had not rechecked at that moment, but I was preparing her a snack then anyhow. So she ate about 3/4 can of her normal low carb FF after that 47 reading. I just retested her now, so roughly an hour later, and she's up to 68. Should I still give her some gravy right now, or retest her in another hour and see where she is at?
 
I'd hold off on the gravy, but still watch her carefully. Maybe another test in 20-30 minutes. It's possible that the food brought her up and she could drop again.

I'd sure wait on the increase now.. Wonder why she dropped this cycle.
 
Okay will do.
I have no idea why the huge drop? After dinner and post PM injection we were outside and I got her up and running around chasing after a stick then we relaxed briefly and watched the birds and the sun go down... Maybe a silly question, but, can exercise lower BG?
 
And now 439 1 more hour later! So obviously she is going to be high for AM preshot--can I go ahead and start her on the increased dose tomorrow morning or do I have to wait until the bounce is over in several days?

Yes, very true. Better high than too low...but even better to be in normal range :(. I pray the day comes soon!
 
If she's still really high at AMPS, you can do what we call "shoot through the bounce" and give her ONE more dose at 1.5....then tomorrow at PMPS, you'd take the reduction she earned today down to 1.25 no matter where she was by PMPS tomorrow

Maybe a silly question, but, can exercise lower BG?
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Yes it can!! Exercise can make the cells more receptive to the insulin, so if she got more exercise tonight that she usually would, that could help explain the lower numbers
 
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