Martha's Spreadsheet
- Thread starter Hosanna
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Hosanna
Member Since 2012
Re: Martha's Spreadsheet now Food question
A question on food. What does everyone think about Hill's M/D--low carb diabetic food? Martha loves both dry and wet M/D and they each are supposed to have 15% carbs. Is this food okay to feed Martha? I am having one awful time during the night giving her wet food every three hours, then making sure she eats NOTHING four hours prior to her next test and shot.
A question on food. What does everyone think about Hill's M/D--low carb diabetic food? Martha loves both dry and wet M/D and they each are supposed to have 15% carbs. Is this food okay to feed Martha? I am having one awful time during the night giving her wet food every three hours, then making sure she eats NOTHING four hours prior to her next test and shot.
Pumbaa
Member Since 2012
15% is still too high for diabetic cats.
Have you considered getting a timed feeder? I don't use one, but many people do and have referenced what type they use.
Also, Stella & Chewy's Freeze dried raw is rather pricy, but you can leave that out in lieu of dry food. My cats love it as a treat.
Suze
Have you considered getting a timed feeder? I don't use one, but many people do and have referenced what type they use.
Also, Stella & Chewy's Freeze dried raw is rather pricy, but you can leave that out in lieu of dry food. My cats love it as a treat.
Suze
Ry & Scooter
Member Since 2011
It is too high in carbs.
You can freeze canned food in an ice cube tray and put a cube or two in her food dish before bed. It will thaw out over the next 6 hours or so and she can munch on it through the night.
You can freeze canned food in an ice cube tray and put a cube or two in her food dish before bed. It will thaw out over the next 6 hours or so and she can munch on it through the night.
C
Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)
Yes, Hill's M/D is really too high in carbs for a diabetic. You can save lots of money using Fancy Feast classic flavors or Friskees Pate flavors which are much lower in cost and in carbohyrdates. And if possible, you want to stay away from any dry food, because there isn't one that is really good for a diabetic cat (or any cat for that matter). Here's a great link with nutritional info that belongs to a vet who occasionally posts on the board.
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=felinediabetes
The spreadsheet is working, good job getting it up and running!
Carl
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=felinediabetes
The spreadsheet is working, good job getting it up and running!
Carl
Pumbaa
Member Since 2012
The more you test, the better you know how your cat is reacting to the insulin. And that makes your life easier because dosing is based mostly on the nadir (lowest reading of the cycle). The nadirs can fluctuate on cats, as every cat is different (ECID), so it always a good idea to test enough to get to know your cat, and look for patterns in the spreadsheet that will help you with dosing.
Since I work for myself at home, I normally get a "mini curve" every day, which means at +3/+6/+9. At night, I will do at least a +3 and +6 because my guy is a diver, and I never know when his numbers are going to drop. If he's still dropping at +6 pm, I stay up later and test more.
As long as you are testing at home, and are using a meter where the test strips are affordable, the more you test, the more knowledge you will have.
Hope this helps!
Suze
Since I work for myself at home, I normally get a "mini curve" every day, which means at +3/+6/+9. At night, I will do at least a +3 and +6 because my guy is a diver, and I never know when his numbers are going to drop. If he's still dropping at +6 pm, I stay up later and test more.
As long as you are testing at home, and are using a meter where the test strips are affordable, the more you test, the more knowledge you will have.
Hope this helps!
Suze
Hosanna
Member Since 2012
Suze, is the nadir the lowest reading of that day? Or a week? Not sure.
About the dose being based on it...... If I have a middle of the day reading say of 150, and a PMPS of 250.....which would I go by? If I go by the 150, I would not give her insulin at all. But the most recent reading of 250 would call for insulin. Is this right?
About the dose being based on it...... If I have a middle of the day reading say of 150, and a PMPS of 250.....which would I go by? If I go by the 150, I would not give her insulin at all. But the most recent reading of 250 would call for insulin. Is this right?
Pumbaa
Member Since 2012
Nadir = lowest reading of the cycle. So there's one in the morning cycle, and one in the evening cycle.
The nadir reading helps you determine dosing, based on whichever protocol you follow. With Levemir and Lantus, which are shed/depot insulins, you don't adjust the dosage every injection time. Dosages are usually increased after 3 - 7 days (depending on how your cat is reacting to the insulin), and decreased as the cat earns a reduction.
The AM and PM PS (preshot) numbers tell you whether it's safe to shoot or not.
In your example, if the PMPS is 250, you are safe to shoot. The middle-of-the-day reading of 150 tells you that, when the insulin is working at it's peak, at the current dose, your cat is at a healthy level of BG (below the renal threshold).
Hope that helps, and that someone else will chime in and explain it better. It also helps to read the following:
Information on "the curve" and some Tight Regulation information: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=55696&p=603248&hilit=third+eyelid#p617289
Start Low and Go Slow: http://felinediabetes.com/start-low-go-slow.htm
This entire thread is about the insulin shed/depot: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=72214&p=788057#p783383
Suze
The nadir reading helps you determine dosing, based on whichever protocol you follow. With Levemir and Lantus, which are shed/depot insulins, you don't adjust the dosage every injection time. Dosages are usually increased after 3 - 7 days (depending on how your cat is reacting to the insulin), and decreased as the cat earns a reduction.
The AM and PM PS (preshot) numbers tell you whether it's safe to shoot or not.
In your example, if the PMPS is 250, you are safe to shoot. The middle-of-the-day reading of 150 tells you that, when the insulin is working at it's peak, at the current dose, your cat is at a healthy level of BG (below the renal threshold).
Hope that helps, and that someone else will chime in and explain it better. It also helps to read the following:
Information on "the curve" and some Tight Regulation information: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=55696&p=603248&hilit=third+eyelid#p617289
Start Low and Go Slow: http://felinediabetes.com/start-low-go-slow.htm
This entire thread is about the insulin shed/depot: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=72214&p=788057#p783383
Suze
C
Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)
A cycle is the twelve hour long period from one shot to the next.
renal threshold -
the blood glucose concentration at which the kidneys start to excrete glucose into the urine.
Usually between 220-250, I think.
Carl
This link might help with words or terms you might see here:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/dictionary/diabetic-pet-dictionary.htm#A
renal threshold -
the blood glucose concentration at which the kidneys start to excrete glucose into the urine.
Usually between 220-250, I think.
Carl
This link might help with words or terms you might see here:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/dictionary/diabetic-pet-dictionary.htm#A
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