Lucy still loves to dive and bounce

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kalyv

kalyv

Member Since 2011
Hi everyone!

Sorry I have not been around for a few days. Work is kicking my ass right now and scheduling has become a bit of an issue with Lucy.

It all started on Saturday when her AMPS was at 99, which on the one hand -- great, on the other hand -- nailbite_smile over shooting. Anyway, I decided to delay the shot and ended up waiting three hours. But that threw my whole day out of wack and I had an event that evening that I could not skip or show up late for. Networking is a job requirement for me so completely dropping out of my life means less work which means less money for those ridiculously expensive test strips. Anyway, I ended up shooting at +10. I probably should have shot a lower dose but it didn't really occur to me.

Anyway, there were no ill effects, thank the Gods. But I have been trying to move our shooting schedule back to the usual 7:30 slots. That just works better for a couple of reasons. Firstly I feel like it is better to feed and shoot closer together and Lucy wants her food at 7:10 a.m. come hell or high water. The other is that from next week I will be working out of an office again which means I am out the door by 8:15 am.

Anyway, all of that is somewhat incidental so pardon my rambling, but it may give a bit more background as to where we are at right now.

I am think of lowering Lucy's dose from 2.75 back to 2.5.

Yesterday, when I checked her at +5 she was at a lovely green 85. By +6 she had dropped to 65. After feeding her some low carb wet, she had barely budged by +7 so I fed her some more. I know the green numbers are what we ultimately want but I was concerned that she kept dropping and I did not know where it would end. She, of course, then bounced into black by her PMPS.

This morning, her +12 was 193 and after feeding, her AMPS was 241. I shot her with 2.5 u this morning and will watch her today but I am not sure what to make of her numbers. I know part of the problem may have been the change of schedule but I am thinking that 2.75 is a tad high and if I am not here to check her often (as I won't be from next week) I am worried that she could go hypo and I won't be around to feed her out of it.

Anyway, I would appreciate it if someone took a look at my numbers, and had any suggestions.

Also what preferences do people have with regards to shooting lower doses vs. delaying shots when the PS numbers are below 200?
 
Hi there!
Looks like she's still not used to green numbers yet but you're getting her there! I'd recommend not waiting 3 hours to shoot, unless she just kept on dropping. Sometimes hindsight is 20-20 LOL
Sometimes you have to do what you can, and make the best decision you can, so if you have to skip one day, just skip. You'll get it right back and you'll know better next time. I like this dose reduction, and soon the lower numbers won't bother you to shoot. Just take it one day at a time, and one preshot at a time, I think you've got a cat who's starting to like this insulin a lot and you're going to be presented with a lot more of these numbers. You did the feeding thing just right, and while that black is disheartening, it is a sign of progress so take the time to pat yourself on the back!
 
Thanks Carolyn. Yeah I think in hindsight, I would prefer to reduce the dosage than wait that long. I do think Lucy is responding well to the Lantus. Even though her numbers are all over the place, she started putting her weight back on almost right away and doesn't have the crazy thirst/pee thing going on. Really the only FD symptom she has is the ravenous hunger. It does seem like she would just keep eating no matter what I fed her but I am not sure if that is an emotional response to the trauma of the undiagnosed FD or genuine hunger. But I am getting better at resisting her pleas so that is good.
 
Patience grasshopper :) When you switch a cat from dry to wet, they often still think they are hungry because they are used to consuming a lot of bulk to get a meager amount of protein. Especially if they were on those diet dry cat foods! So she'll soon realize she is getting enough protein and that appetite will wane. If in doubt, read Dr. Lisa's site over and over again. A HEALTHY adult cat should get 6-8oz canned food a day. You do not currently have a healthy cat, so a couple more ounces a day is not going to do her harm.

On the other hand, double the recommended intake will be a hindrance for you, and for her health, so now you have opposite ends of the spectrum to weigh when making your feeding decisions. Also, I don't know how many times a day you're feeding, but it's recommended to feed multiple times a day. I feed 4-5 mini meals if I am home more and once every 8 hours if I'm working a typical day. It often helps to break up the hunger. Another thing is if you're not going to be home, you can freeze some food and toss out a "frozen hockey puck" of food for her to eat as it thaws :)
 
For being at this less than a month? I think you & Lucy are doing GREAT :smile: !! I agree with Carolyn, a pat on the back is definitely in order for YOU ... and some head scratches for Lucy!!

She is responding well to the insulin and once her body gets used to those lovely green & blue numbers, her pre-shots won't zoom up so high anymore. I know we all want results ASAP for our fur babies because we want them to feel better and get out of those pink, red & black numbers. However, it's important to remember, that our cats have been living with undiagnosed diabetes for a long time before we start to see the symptoms (excessive hunger, peeing, thirst, loss of muscle strength in the legs, etc.). So their bodies get used to those higher numbers and kind of forget what "normal" numbers feel like. When we start giving them the insulin they need, we are literally "forcing" their body into numbers that at first it isn't comfortable being at (blues & greens). Have patience, stick with it ... and don't under value the results you are already seeing when you look at "the whole cat". As you are seeing, less drinking and peeing, some weight coming back on. These are all great signs :) !! Stick with it and you will soon have a happy, healthy kitty living with diabetes OR, who knows, she may decide to go off the juice, you never know, ;).
 
Thanks guys.

Carolyn, that is good to know about the constant hunger. It does make sense that her little brain thinks it needs to constantly graze in order to get the nutrition it needs.

Right now she is getting about 10 oz a day, give or take depending her mood and when I am home, I give her a larger meal in the morning and two or three smaller ones throughout the day. But I think I will try this frozen thing to see how it works. That might actually work because she may think she is grazing if she has to weight for it to thaw before eating.

Jenn, yeah I am relatively happy with the way we are both progressing. I guess my main concern is for when I got back to working out of the home. I would like to feel a little more secure about dosing safely when I am not around to constantly check on her. But I am learning a little more every day so that is cool.
 
You can also use warm water to soup up her food and make her think she's eating more than she's eating ;) I will use anywhere from 1/4-1/3 can of water to every can of food. Good for the dehydration diabetes causes too!
 
Kaly ... Don't worry, as you continue to treat Lucy, see patterns in her numbers, etc., you will feel more comfortable and won't worry as much as you are now. We have all been in the "worry phase" too, so I completely understand. But, I eventually learned enough about how Lantus worked for Sabrina that I could get an AMPS of 85, shoot her regular dose and feel fine walking out the door for the day. Now I'm not saying you ever HAVE to be comfortable shooting a number like that? But you will find what works for you & Lucy and have confidence that she will be just fine, even when you aren't home :).
 
the water is a great idea and after putting water into my cats' food for so long, I get funny looks from Oliver if there is not enough water and the odd time, he laps up the water and I have to add more to the foods.
 
Another great tip Carolyn. I will try that today and see how it works.

Hiya Gayle! How are you?

Jenn, right now I can't imagine ever feeling that comfortable shooting low, but I am sure you are right and I will get there eventually.

I just checked her +5 and she was at 178. She was begging for food again, so I gave her tablespoon. She usually nadirs (yes I know that is not a verb) at about +6.5 so we will see how she does.

Thanks again for the advice and support C, J and G :dizcat . That smiley still makes me laugh everytime I see it. That is so my headspace right now. :-D
 
Lucy's +6.5 is 131 and she didn't ask for food so I will be interested to see how she does without me manipulating her levels with food.
 
Hiya Kaly,
Great to see you here and posting!
It looks like Lucy is doing just fine and that 131 is quite nice to see.
I hope she likes the souped up food and it fills her up well!
 
Both Lucy and Jasper slurped up the "soup" so great tip.

Gayle I took your advice and bought the freeze dried chicken doggy treats instead of the cat treats. You are right, they are almost half the price for the exact same thing. Crazy.

Lucy's +7 was 148 without any kind of food spike. So it definitely looks like her nadir is about +6.5 which is good to have confirmed.

I will keep her on the 2.5 for a while and see how she does. Thanks all!
 
Should I post today's update in a separate condo? Or is it better to keep it all in one thread?

Also, I am thinking that Lucy needs a shot somewhere between 2.5 and 2.75? Any idea how I should go about measuring that on the syringe? :? :dizcat
 
kalyv said:
Should I post today's update in a separate condo? Or is it better to keep it all in one thread?

Also, I am thinking that Lucy needs a shot somewhere between 2.5 and 2.75? Any idea how I should go about measuring that on the syringe? :? :dizcat
Click to expand...

OK it's up to you what you want to do with your condo; what you can do is if you are keeping this one, just change the Subject on the first post to your updated question, like how do I fine tune dose.

Take an old syringe and fill to the .5u mark with water.
Now, twist the plunger to push out one drop of water out. Repeat to see how many drops of water you get in that .5u. See if you get 4 or 5 drops and then you can do adjusting by filling more than you want, then just twist out how many drops to get down to the dose you wanted.

Say 3u was too much and 2.75 was not enough.... fill to 3u and then twist out 1drop or 2 and try that dose.
 
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