? Microdosing

[AbyResq]

I guess I need to bite the bullet and do more shooting when Oliver and Callie are under 200. Both of them are surfing along between 150 and 200. They are rising so slowly that stalling isn't an option. A couple of questions:

1. What is the lowest number I should ever consider shooting?
2. Will I need to shoot an amount lower than .2 and how do I draw it up? I see posts that say a drop or .1 and I'm trying to figure out how to accurately do that.
3. With the human meter what is the max blood sugar considered as normal when they are OTJ? I know we aren't quite there yet.

Oliver and Callie are teetering on going into remission and I want to do whatever I can to help guide them there.

I know not to shoot if I can't monitor. I will be out most of today so I didn't shoot Callie's 184.

 

[Sarah Smith]

I've seen Sue say to draw some water in the syringe at the .2 mark and slowly let it out counting the drops. Then draw the insulin at the same mark and let out all but 1 of the drops you counted I eyeballed a .1 on Cooter once on a U100 syringe, went halfway between the 0 and .2 mark. It wound up being a drop when I did it with water. Hope this gets those 2 over the point to remission

Edit: The numbers on a OTJ trial is between 30 and 120 on a human meter, so that may be the norms?

 

[Ruby&Baco]

Hi!

I will try to give you some feedback here.

1. When I asked that question, they told me to never go below 150 (unless you got enough data, but in your case just like mine was) it's not enough yet so 150 is the max for now. (And that number needs to be a rising one.

2. That is something you should ask when the time comes, I always did 0.20 and even a time 0.10 but never gave drops.

3. I think what Sarah is saying is correct, but ECID so some cats may go beyond 120 (say 125-130) but that doesn't mean a cat has lost the remission 'battle'

Hope that answered your questions!
And what you are saying about monitoring that is correct. If you are home and Oliver and Callie are surfing around those numbers it's a option (I also did that with Baco) to help them and give them a little insulin to help the pancreas out. And if you are around you can watch them like a hawk .
Do you know what to do when they drop too low? (I think you know right) so if you do, then there is nothing to worry about.

You are doing sooooo great!

 

[Rachel]

Hmmm...yeah Callie has some low numbers and since you don't have much data (since you just got her!) it's hard to say what to do. I would definitely make sure your number is rising and not falling and be willing and able to monitor and steer with food as necessary.

And dang, Oliver is doing the same! I think I'd drop the no shoot level for Oliver to 180 or so. A bit under that is fine. Then get some good data for when you shoot that number and let's see what happens? We can drop further if it turns out that this helps keep Oliver in even lower numbers...

Ruby is correct that we never suggest shooting under 150. However, we don't even usually suggest that low at first...we like to lower that no shoot level slowly so we don't cause any problems.

What do you think? What kind of no shoot number were you thinking of?

 

[AbyResq]

I was thinking the same for Oliver, @Rachel. Approx 180.

Callie is a quandary. Not a lot of data but she also has such nice gentle curves it's tempting to think I could shoot her lower.

Tonight Oliver was 199 so I gave him .2
Callie was 245 and I gave her .4

If I'd been home today I would've caught Callie rising sooner but such is life!

Thanks everyone for the thoughts and advice. Tuck went through this in the beginning and then lost the pattern. I read an article yesterday outlining which cats are more likely to go into remission. Oliver and Callie met the criteria discussed. I was surprised to read that cats who develop diabetes when they are older tend to go into remission. Oliver he is 13 1/2. Callie had a steroid shot which we all know can cause transient or permanent diabetes.

 

[Ruby&Baco]

Steroid shots are the 'best' to handle (that what my vet also told me)
Baco also had them and is overweight so that together, I think, causes Mr. P to stop working for a while.
Hope Callie and Oliver are heading to .....
Fingers crossed !