Low blood sugar?

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Tina and Gracie (GA)

Tina and Gracie (GA)

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I arrived home from school and I had a weird feeling to check Gracie's blood sugar. She was at 40.
I suspect she didn't feel well, or something to that nature, as usually when I arrive home she greets me, or I can find her on my bed or the couch. She was in neither spot. After calling her name she came out of hiding.

She was at 40. I checked again and she was at 45. Is this considered a hypo? She had no insulin this morning--so I'm guessing no. Do I need to retest soon? I'll be home for another 4 hours.
I gave her fresh food after I tested. She ate some, but not much.

I had this scare recently too, but extra reassurance and double checking makes me feel better.

@Djamila @Kris & Teasel @Critter Mom @Rachel @Chris & China
Gracie. Dx'd 12/14/17. DOB Unknown. Approx 2008 (9 YO). Medication: ProZinc 1u BID
 
I just responded to this on your other thread. I typed so slow I didn't see you had posted this one. :rolleyes::facepalm:
 
Human meter.

See, I think that is where I'm mixing it up. There is insulin induced hypo and just regular hypo right? I'm the Nursing student I should know, but I don't. :nailbiting:

I noted what food she ate. Retesting now.
 
Also some kitties in good numbers actually drift downwards a bit after suspension of insulin treatment.


Mogs
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Chris & China said:
I'd retest her about 30 minutes to an hour after she ate just to make sure she ate enough to bring her up a little

Since she didn't have any insulin this morning, she's probably not going to drop any lower, but it's better to be overly- cautious especially if your gut is telling you that she's "a little off"
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I would rather be over cautious. Even if it means she's pissed off at me for testing again. Sorry Gracie
 
Teenuh said:
I mean . . . do we give insulin for too low of a BS?
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Oh, nooooooo!!!! :eek: :nailbiting: Definitely no insulin!!!!!!!!

Carbs are the thing to give. (NB: might just be a low carb food needed to bring a cat up.) If BG is low in a cat on insulin you'd keep checking every 15 minutes to make sure levels were staying up. How low the cat is and how far along it is in the cycle influences the decision to feed low/medium/high carb food or to give honey/glucose/karo. For example, if a kitty on insulin is low but in fairly safe numbers (c. 50 human meter/68 Alphatrak) then low carb food may be all that's needed. If the BG in the kitty on insulin is lower than that you'd be looking at initially giving honey/karo to give a quick boost to BG plus some medium or high carb gravy, and possibly some med/high carb food thereafter to keep numbers up (the usual insulin hypo drill).


Mogs
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No insulin as insulin only works to lower BG, not raise it. And I would not give her carbs. She is low naturally right now, and as Chris said, cats can naturally run lower than 50 and be safe. There is no need to intervene right now other than feeding her as you normally would.
 
Djamila said:
No insulin as insulin only works to lower BG, not raise it. And I would not give her carbs. She is low naturally right now, and as Chris said, cats can naturally run lower than 50 and be safe. There is no need to intervene right now other than feeding her as you normally would.
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Got it! Thanks for the reassurance.
 
Ughhhh. I so didn't want to test her tonight before I leave, but I did. She's at 65.Guess she's hanging low tonight. She just ate a little more.

I'll stop on my way home tomorrow and buy a few different options. Any questions? Not FF.
 
Djamila said:
Friskies pate is cheap and low carb. My kitties like mixed grill flavor the best. They are also big fans of primal raw - it’s more expensive though.
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Teasel gets Friskies mixed in with low carb wet from the vet. I do that to keep the average carb % a bit lower (vet DM is a bit lower than Friskies pates) but change up the flavour with the Friskies. The ingredients on the Friskies can aren't much different than the DM. We all have our own feeding methods that seem to work.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Teasel gets Friskies mixed in with low carb wet from the vet. I do that to keep the average carb % a bit lower (vet DM is a bit lower than Friskies pates) but change up the flavour with the Friskies. The ingredients on the Friskies can aren't much different than the DM. We all have our own feeding methods that seem to work.
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I thought DM was 6% too? Is the list wrong on that one?
 
I went to the Pet store, but came home, as I wanted to ask a few things first.

Does it have to be Pate? (Friskies Pate)? Or can be shreds, or flaked? I know gravy is a no-no. Unless she is on insulin and goes hypo.
 
If you click on the link in my signature for “food list” it will take you to the searchable list, then you can just find the brand and style and see the carb content. It looks like a couple of the Friskies shreds are okay (tuna and tuna/egg) not sure which flaked you’re looking at ... the list has a few options for that.
 
Djamila said:
I thought DM was 6% too? Is the list wrong on that one?
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The DM pate is about 6%. I'm guessing the Friskies pates I get here are closer to 8-10%. So 1/3 Friskies to 2/3 DM gives me a middling carb% and changes the flavour for Teasel. I don't seek out the ultra low carb foods for him - happy medium as usual. ;)

ETA: I checked Dr. P.'s list again and I was wrong - most of the Friskies I buy are similar to DM or very slightly lower. However there are a couple I get here that aren't on her list anywhere (and vice versa) and somewhere along the line I got the idea they're a little higher in carbs. I'm referring to the pates only and I'm not giving any of the indoor cat varieties.
 
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