Low Reading ...First time

[oreosmom]

Hi There,

Oreo had a low reading of 88 (Alpha Trak 2) and then 90 for the first time ever!!! He is on Landus. We had been giving him 3 units twice daily but last week our vet wanted to increase it. So for one week he has been on 3.5 units. Today is our "curve day". His readings were as follows: 5:00 AM: 293 (before food or insulin)
11:00 AM: 202
5:30 PM : 202 (no food yet or insulin)
10:30 PM 88-99 !!!

I gave him a can of grilled Fancy Feast Mornings. He downed the entire can! At 11:30 PM I checked again and the readings was 159. Phewww!!!!

I don't think I made a mistake giving the shot, but the syringes do not have half unit measures. Does anyone have any idea why such a drop?
Can I go to bed or do I need to test him all night? Doesnt the insulin have a high point? I gave the insulin at 6:30 PM. When does it decrease it's affect?
Do I give insulin tomorrow or call the vet at 9:00? I hope someone is reading this since I am pretty tired and scared. Thanks, Oreo's Mom

 

[sueandsamwise]

Don't panic! 88-90 is a normal reading. A very good reading in fact. Cats are normally between 40-100. So, it was not a low reading. I'm sorry I didn't see this last night to reassure you. 3.5 is an awfully high dose to start your cat out on. I would decrease his dose to 1 unit and see how he does on that. Do test before each shot and it would be helpful to you and the board to test him at least every 3 hours since he is just starting out. I would switch his food to Fancy Feast classics that have no wheat gluten or grain in them. I think the one you fed him has wheat gluten which is not good for diabetics. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they need meat, not grain. Dry food is very bad for diabetic cats. Diet can bring him down and a lot of cats get off the juice, (insulin) with diet only. You might want to move over to tight regulation as there are more "eyes" over there for help. Good luck with Oreo.