lowest BG reading yet do I inject?

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stacysclass

Member Since 2014
So I just tested Sweetie tonight at 7:45pm and his BG is 143. He is due for a Vetsulin injection at 8:00pm. His last injection was at 8:00am today at 1.25 units. His levels have never been this low before. So I am just nervous as to what to do.... does he get the Vetsulin injection at 8:00pm or no it is not safe? Could he possibly be in remission? I know.... I know there is a sheet to follow (and I will look for it now) but I'm just shocked because any other time I test him before his shot it is always somewhere between 308 - 360. I know that Vetsulin is not long acting. Any advice?????? Thank you!!!!!!
 
Did he already eat? If not, take another test 20 minutes or so adter the first to see if he is rising and nearer 200 (the cutoff number we usually give to newbies for a preshot)

If he is at 143 12 hours after his last shot, especially with Vetsulin which usually has a shorter cycle than that, I would definitely plan to reduce the dose moving forward.
 
Whenever you get an unexpected value, re-test.
Also, look for anything that could affect the numbers - lack of appetite, furballs, constipation, dehydration, infection, etc. See my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools for tips on checking dehydration, plus other assessments you may wish to make.

And I might reduce to 1 unit.
 
So Sweetie has no other symptoms like constipation, dehydration, infection...etc. He is acting great and he looks great. I did NOT give him his injection last night due to his reading of 143.

8:00am today = BG 334 I gave him Vetsulin 1.25 unit
4:30pm today = BG 73
8:00pm tonight = BG 177 (I won't do his injection because of it being under 200)

So at this point maybe I should reduce the insulin to 1 unit twice a day and see what happens with his numbers. Would this be a smart move? Also, how exactly does food play a part in BG? Sweetie is eating and it has been the same (Friskies pate twice a day) with his eating habits. I did buy a large pack of Friskies pate can food and some he will eat the whole plate I put down and others there is some left over..... but I have 2 cats and I notice if I do just a half can twice a day they act like they are starved (the other cat is obese) but if I do a whole can twice a day they eat a lot of it but there is still some on the plate. They can both be picky.
Also, what exactly is the perfect BG reading (range) for a cat with a human glucose meter?
 
Yes, I would reduce the dose to one unit. You want to have 2 numbers 12 hours apart that are safe to shoot; skipping is problematic as the next cycle is usually too high. Tonight, if he goes above 200 without food in the next 30 minutes or so, you could shoot - as long as it doesn't mess up your schedule.

Generally we consider a cat regulated if he is in the mid 200s at preshot and double digits at midcycle, but not below 50, which is approaching hypo territory. So you first goal is usually regulation.
 
[Glucose reference ranges are unsubstantiated and have been removed by Moderator]

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Examples of using the chart:

Ex. You are a new insulin user and you test your cat before giving insulin. The test is 300. It probably is safe to give insulin.

Ex. You are an established user of Lantus, following the Tight Regulation protocol. You've tested around +5 to +7 to spot the nadir. It is 200 mg/dL. You probably need to increase the dose, following the instructions for the protocol.

Ex. Your cat is acting funny. The eyes are a bit dilated. You are concerned and test the glucose. The number is 35 mg/dL. ACK! The cat may be in a hypoglycemic state. You quickly follow the HYPO protocol linked in the glucose reference values chart. (which we really, really, suggest you print out and post on your refrigerator.)
 
If your schedule allows I would try and get more mid day tests. You need to know how low the dose is taking him. Under 50 implies the dose is too high. If you can't get them during the day, try one a few hours after the nighttime test.. Just before bed and at weekends. This will give you a better picture of how the dose is really working.
 
Thank you all for the feed back. I am putting all of Sweetie's numbers on his chart. I plan to test as much as possible during the day. I did reduce the Vetsulin to 1 unit twice a day and I will see how that goes.
 
Great! I looked at the chart and today was a nice curve. Now many cats go lower at night so if you can get a PMPS +3 tonite I think it would be a good idea.. If this number is less than the pre shot test number you may want to set the alarm for a test a few hours later as this implies an active cycle.

Wendy
 
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