Little Roo super low AMPS

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LittleRoo

LittleRoo

Member Since 2017
Little Roo's AMPS was super low!! 55!! Will NOT shoot on that! She ate great though and seems normal & fine. Currently drinking out of the water in bathroom sink as her usual self. I will BG test again before I leave for work, leave out extra food for everyone, and come home around lunch (eat in car) and BG test again just to monitor her and head back to work. It sure is Monday isn't it?!!!!!!!!:blackeye:
 
LittleRoo said:
Little Roo's AMPS was super low!! 55!! Will NOT shoot on that! She ate great though and seems normal & fine. Currently drinking out of the water in bathroom sink as her usual self. I will BG test again before I leave for work, leave out extra food for everyone, and come home around lunch (eat in car) and BG test again just to monitor her and head back to work. It sure is Monday isn't it?!!!!!!!!:blackeye:
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Goodness!! Little Roo is making your Monday stress free, huh?! :cat: If she is acting OK that is a great sign. Moxie looooves drinking out of the sink... any sink. We had to buy her a fountain water bowl. But she doesn't like that. Hahaha keep us posted on her lunch time BG. I hope you have a great day! It is for sure Monday! :banghead:
 
Retest BG 1 hour later and she's 87. For some reason, that number feels better! Still no shoot though. Makes me nervous cause I won't be home and we're still early in the game here. Mostly likely thinking I'll shoot tonight though. I'll still prob run home for lunch anyway - just be be safe.
 
Hizzoze said:
Goodness!! Little Roo is making your Monday stress free, huh?! :cat: If she is acting OK that is a great sign. Moxie looooves drinking out of the sink... any sink. We had to buy her a fountain water bowl. But she doesn't like that. Hahaha keep us posted on her lunch time BG. I hope you have a great day! It is for sure Monday! :banghead:
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I bought my cats a water fountain too - yrs ago and of course they don't like that lol! Has to be the sink or nothing ;)
 
LittleRoo said:
Retest BG 1 hour later and she's 87. For some reason, that number feels better! Still no shoot though. Makes me nervous cause I won't be home and we're still early in the game here. Mostly likely thinking I'll shoot tonight though. I'll still prob run home for lunch anyway - just be be safe.
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Good idea! 87 is definitely better. I know this is stressful. What time do you take lunch?
 
Little Roo is telling you that 1 u is too high a dose right now. I'd back it off to 0.5 u immediately - eyeball it if you don't have syringes with half unit marks. I know your vet has told you to give 1 u but that could put her at risk of hypo. I also wouldn't give insulin on any BG under 180 at this point in time. That could change once you have a lot more data on your SS.

If you see mostly yellow after 3 to 4 cycles at 0.5 u then you can eyeball 0.75 u. A slow, careful increase in dose is safer.
 
I totally agree. I think this is a sign that 1 is too much. Since the 55 happened at what should be her highest point in the cycle, who knows if she went lower earlier? I'd guess it's very possible.

Side note, she'll likely be high tonight due to the skipped shot. That's okay and expected. Don't let it freak you out...she clearly responds to insulin and the high number is just due to no shot. I'd still decrease no matter what, especially as cats can become extra sensitive to insulin after a low number like that.
 
6PM PMBG 273. Will shoot tonight our regularly scheduled time slot of 9pm with high numbers like that. I'd wanted to start Roo on 1/2 dose but the vet was having none of that no matter what I said. I know we can always increase (as well as decrease.) I'll just have to see if that happens again tomorrow morning. I don't have 1/2 unit needles - I can sort of eyeball it but numbers that are that low (55) I don't even want to chance it or shoot. Esp when I am not home.

I also mistakenly left a whole bunch of wet food out last night when I went to bed. Perhaps Little Roo got to it and ate some right before our first AMBG test? I know they're not supposed to eat 2 hours prior to test/shoot. Could the food have brought on that 55 low level? Gotta take the dishes up before bed!

Also just picked up some FF Delights: Grilled Tuna & Cheddar Cheese Feast in Gravy for my emergency hypo go-to 'junk' high carb food. Also have temptations and some dry left over, plus the Karo. Too bad there wasn't something pet owners could shoot safely for hypo as well - being we're sticking them with so many other things.

Thanks for all the feedback(s), once again!! Roo purrs for you all :)
 
Eating food within the 2 hours before a shot will make the numbers go UP, not down. So that shouldn't have caused the 55...could be what kept it from turning into a hypo though!

Yes, even if you could shoot lower doses, I would NEVER shoot on a 55. I'm pretty sure you'll find no one would...that's a normal number for a cat, and if insulin is on board, it is right there at the start watching number to see if a hypo is coming on.

You could eyeball 0.5. A lot of people do...just do the best you can.

If you do decide to give 1 again tonight, please try to make sure to grab a +3 or later if you can. I know you've been really great at that, so I'm sure you will. I totally get that you want to stick with what your vet suggested, but I am worried about that low number you got this morning...it showed that the insulin was too much last night. Did you by chance call your vet and let her know? You might do that (especially if you get another like that tomorrow!) and just ask about lowering the dose due to those low numbers.

As for your hypo kit, may I suggest 2 additions? Go ahead and print out the Hypo Instructions so that you have them if it happens and don't have to hunt it down. Also, a bar of your favorite chocolate...you'll need a treat if it happens! :)
 
Rachel said:
If you do decide to give 1 again tonight, please try to make sure to grab a +3 or later if you can. I know you've been really great at that, so I'm sure you will. I totally get that you want to stick with what your vet suggested, but I am worried about that low number you got this morning...it showed that the insulin was too much last night. Did you by chance call your vet and let her know? You might do that (especially if you get another like that tomorrow!) and just ask about lowering the dose due to those low numbers.

As for your hypo kit, may I suggest 2 additions? Go ahead and print out the Hypo Instructions so that you have them if it happens and don't have to hunt it down. Also, a bar of your favorite chocolate...you'll need a treat if it happens! :)
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I will probably give Roo 1 unit tonight - unless the number is really low again (which I doubt.) I will def get the +3 before bed too. I'm assuming that +3 number should be going down.. I haven't called my vet yet - although if I go through the same thing tomorrow morning, (hopefully not,) I will call him. But with hesitation because he really stressed the '1 unit twice a day' thing and I don't think he was too keen on me doing BG tests and recommended the pet one. He's a really great vet, I like and trust him very much. I'm just nervous to tell him "I didn't shoot Roo before work - 2 days in a row now (if that happens tomorrow) because her BG was 55 and I had to go to work and didn't want hypo." I get it. I'm doing all I can and I am being a pro-active cat mom in all this. I already know he would say, "trust the process, slow and steady, 1 unit." He also didn't want me chasing it he said and/or changing her dose. It's a little frustrating. I mean, he's the vet and I'm the layman. Everything everyone says here makes sense too. But I will call him and again, ask for a lower dose to start if I have too. Just wish I had that AT2 meter - which is coming either tomorrow or Wednesday. One day at a time. Off to test & feed.
 
I totally get it! It's really hard to go against vet advice (I've been there) and it's hard to trust folks on the internet. I definitely don't want to stress you out or frustrate you with this! In the end, you gotta do what you think is best. :) You've got your hypo kit ready just in case (hope you grab that chocolate for it too!) and if you do run into any problems, there's almost always someone around here to help out. And hopefully you'll never need it!

Definitely don't call your vet if you're not ready to...I was just curious as to what he said. I can totally understand if you decided to wait and call after you got the AT. If you feel you should call, though, please do let us know how it goes! I'm mostly just curious because he sounds pretty knowledgeable and I wonder what he'd say. :)

Again, I am so sorry if I stressed you out in any way! Surely wasn't my intention. I am looking forward to seeing how Roo does...she's already doing wonderful and you're doing great too!
 
Okay, so just did my PMPS - came back 245. I'll give Roo the 1 unit as it's a high number and then see what happens, again, tomorrow morning. If it's low (again, like this morning's 55 etc.) I won't shoot her. I will call my vet and see what he says. (although I'm pretty sure what he'll say.) I can the consider the 1/2 dose (eye-balling it) and see how Wednesday morning will be.
 
Rachel said:
I totally get it! It's really hard to go against vet advice (I've been there) and it's hard to trust folks on the internet. I definitely don't want to stress you out or frustrate you with this! In the end, you gotta do what you think is best. :) You've got your hypo kit ready just in case (hope you grab that chocolate for it too!) and if you do run into any problems, there's almost always someone around here to help out. And hopefully you'll never need it!

Definitely don't call your vet if you're not ready to...I was just curious as to what he said. I can totally understand if you decided to wait and call after you got the AT. If you feel you should call, though, please do let us know how it goes! I'm mostly just curious because he sounds pretty knowledgeable and I wonder what he'd say. :)

Again, I am so sorry if I stressed you out in any way! Surely wasn't my intention. I am looking forward to seeing how Roo does...she's already doing wonderful and you're doing great too!
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You're def not stressing me out lol. The vet and those crazy numbers are!! I thank everyone here for great advice and lots to think about. It's quite a lot to learn and if it were our human child, we'd be questioning and doing the same! I'm gonna administer the 1 unit now, and see how it all goes tomorrow...

Thank you for chiming in!!! :kiss:
 
Have a general BG testing question: what about cats eating right before a + # BG test? Does eating effect the BG numbers; either up or down? Like if I know I am going to do a +1 or +3 or +7 etc. should I wait to feed or snack until after the BG or is it generally okay for a cat to eat before the testing. I ask because I'm still figuring out the new eating times for 3 cats. They were so used to dry food whenever they wanted. Now I have one finicky cat - who sometimes doesn't like a 'flavor' and won't eat. But come - 2 hours later, there she is looking up at me by the cabinet, meowing. Then the other two catch on to all the fuss and then all vocalize & want something - so I have to give them all a treat.

Or should I start being firm and only give them breakfast and dinner at the new allotted times: 9 AM then 9 PM? Thoughts?

TIA, 3 hungry cats: Little Roo, Cora Bella, and Jakey :cat::cat::cat:
 
The only time it's really important that they not eat is for the 2 hours immediately prior to Pre-shot tests....other than that, it depends a lot on the cat.

Most cats do better with multiple small meals instead of 2 big ones. It can also make a difference to some cats if they eat after nadir (the low point in the cycle).....after nadir, the insulin is already starting to wear off, so by adding carbs at that point, it can act like slamming the brakes on any remaining acting the insulin has left....but some cats can eat all the way to +10 without any problem.

Good record keeping on your spreadsheet will help determine which is best for Roo....you can put what you feed and when in the "Remarks" or some people put an * in the cells when they feed
 
Chris & China said:
The only time it's really important that they not eat is for the 2 hours immediately prior to Pre-shot tests....other than that, it depends a lot on the cat.

Most cats do better with multiple small meals instead of 2 big ones. It can also make a difference to some cats if they eat after nadir (the low point in the cycle).....after nadir, the insulin is already starting to wear off, so by adding carbs at that point, it can act like slamming the brakes on any remaining acting the insulin has left....but some cats can eat all the way to +10 without any problem.

Good record keeping on your spreadsheet will help determine which is best for Roo....you can put what you feed and when in the "Remarks" or some people put an * in the cells when they feed
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Thank you! One more BG +4 before bed. Hope tomorrow is a better day!
 
Little Roo was higher this morning AMPS=253. Going to give 1 unit and test before I leave. Home for lunch again too to monitor.
 
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