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MisMelzy

MisMelzy

Member Since 2013
Last night I got up at 3am and gave her a little snack. only 1/2 of the ff can. got up at 6 :45 am and took her blood. Took one take all though I almost didn't get enough blood because she moved. But got it. I looked at the meter started freaking out, and then cried. She was at 134! In the morning! still in shock. Can't believe it! :-D
 
Thats great, her pancreas seems to be working intermittently. Might just need a small amount of insulin for a short time to support it! She is scared you are starting insulin on her ;)

FYI I calculated a lantus start dose is 1 unit but again given her low numbers I think you want 0.5 unit at most (see prior post:http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=103457#p1101943)


Also I wouldnt be giving it to her unless she is over 200 for now. Anyway get the insulin and before you shoot we can advise more.

Wendy
 
I planned on still getting insulin and giving it to her. Wasn't sure if I could afford the latnus, and it looks like DCIN may be able to help me with it. Feeling relieved. Though I think that giving her small snacks throughout the day has helped though even if just a little. Just so happy to see those numbers! Hopefully many more to come :)
 
Mel,
Thank you for the smile this morning :smile: I remember being thrilled the first time I got a number under 300, so a 134 is fantastic to see!
Great that you may be getting some help on the Lantus too. The folks at DCIN are amazing.
Small snacks throughout the day are a good idea, even after you start insulin. It can help keep the numbers more level when you spread out the food.
Always great to start a Monday with a smile :-D
 
You're welcome! I'm glad I could give a smile :) I've been so happy all day. I almost don't want to take a reading tomorrow am. Afraid the number might go up. I know it will fluctuate. Just afraid of seeing over 200. I'd love to see a 110 or even better a 102. But I'm wishful thinking I know. I may get there but won't be over night. Prayers please that I get an even better number tomorrow!
 
Sending prayers but dont worry if she does have to go on insulin. its easy to do and not the end of the world. If she does go on then she might not be on it that long either - especially if you follow a good protocol :)
Wendy
 
This am her number jumped back up to 193. But she did have a hairball shortly after I took the food dish up so most of the food came back out. :-| Better though than over 200 but too close.
 
Last night I tested her and she was at 178, and this morning MUCH better at 155! That meal three hours prior to testing really makes a difference! So far so good with the small meals through out the day! :)
 
I hope to have some by Thursday hopefully. Otherwise I may not have it until Monday. DCIN is helping with insulin so I won't have it until they send it out. All though I'm wondering at what number range should I not give insulin? If it's under 200 then so far she has not needed it. Only twice has she tested really high and that was when she was getting 2 cans a day and no snacks in between. As long as I feed her small meals throughout the day she has been good. I just don't want her to go two low that's all. And not sure when I should actually give it to her and when I may need to hold off. Also the vet said he wanted her on 2 units so what is that?
 
2 units is way way way too much to start given she is so low. I wouldn't start her more than 0.5unit but then you can work up slowly and safely,. Given she isn't over 200, I am going to recommend a few things

1. We gotta get you set up with a spreadsheet to track her readings .. Don't know if we have asked for that before but here's how you do it (let me know if you need help with it) we also might as well fill in the readings you have been getting up till now as baseline data . http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207

2. Once you get set up with a sheet, You go straight to start posting on the lantus board. They are very experienced and we will need their help with dosing tweaks etc since she barely needs insulin right now


Wendy
 
Got it! How often does this sheet need to be update. It's just with having to feed her 3 hours before testing it's a pain in the tush. I'm usually working 9 hours a day. I have about an hour and a half to get everything I need to get done in the AM. I usually get up between 2 or 3am depending on when she needs to be tested and I go in for work. Then have to get ready. As soon as I get home, some time's it's later if I have erands. Then I have to go to bed shortly there after because I work in day care and you get caught sleeping on the job you're fired. So need to get to bed early and set an alarm to get up and test her (yeah I should have been to bed at 7:30 and haven't gotten around to it. Too much to do ) then got back to bed, and sent an alrm for 3 hours before I need to get up and feed her, and then go back to bed, and then get up and test her in the am and I start the whole procedure over again. If I don't feed her frequently her bloodsugar gets too high. So she needs snacks. If i have an hour lunch I can try to update it then, and that's if a computer is available. Usually if both directors are working on them, it's not available. :( I will print a spreadsheet out and write the information on it, and then when I get time update it online. Is that okay. Is it easier once they are on insulin? Can I not get up so many times at night? I know I have to test, but maybe I won't have to get up early to feed etc before testing. I'm so drained. I'm sure everyone here can relate to that. I have dishes in my sink from yesterday (rinsed off of course but not cleaned) that are in my sink. House hasn't been cleaned since monday of last week. dust balls all over. It's sad. I've been so busy with Lucky that my life has litterally stopped and revolved around her. Tomorrow i have to be up at 7am which means up at 5 for her testing, and up at 2am. Tonight I'm pushing it but had emailing to do to get info to DCIN. She needs to be tested at 8:45 then I'm crashing. Just thankful I"m in the baby room tomorrow when I have another person to talk to! Keep me awake. Oh and the crying babies will help. LOL
 
You can fill in the sheet when you get a chance, every few days is fine so we can see what's going on.

For testing I usually recommend 4 tests a day

- always before the shot - this is mandatory as you don't want to shoot when too low. As a newbie this too low number is 200 but is reduced over time once you have the data to know if its safe.
- mid cycle - 5-7 hours after morning shot depending on your schedule. This is to see how low he is going. The low point "nadir" is what you base dose changes on since you don't want him dropping too low (under 50).
- before bed (2-3hours after Pm shot) to get an idea of what his overnight plans are. 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.

The last two really depend on your schedule...

Wendy
 
Wow! :o :shock: :o I think we need to work on simplifying your routine.

If I don't feed her frequently her bloodsugar gets too high. So she needs snacks.
Click to expand...
Food raises the BG (blood glucose), insulin lowers it. If you don't feed her, I would expect the BG to go lower, not higher.

Here are a couple of ideas on the feeding issue.
1. Have you tried making cat food 'cicles? Plop can of wet food into a non-stick muffin pan, freeze, pop out and store in the freezer. Take one out and put in her food dish to defrost slowly overnight or when you are at work.

2. Timed feeder. To automatically open and give food at set times.
 
She's a weird cat. Never does anything the way she's supposed to. But if I do not feed her three hours before testing her numbers are higher almost in the 200 range. When I was only feeding her three a day and testing twice a day her numbers were not very good. But if I leave a plate of food out with water in it so it doesn't dry out during the day it's pretty much all gone by the time I come home. I have noticed by the numbers and my notes of when she was fed and not fed before tests. She actually has lower better numbers if she's eaten 3 hours prior to eating. And eats frequen meals through out the day. I think it's because she doesn't eat one cat at a sitting more like 1/2 a can of FF. Then I leave a can out during the day with water in it so it doesn't dry out. And then When I get home I start with just a 1/4 of a can to see if she'll eat that. Sometimes she only eats 1/2 of that which tells me she ate recently or isn't that hungry. So I test her 3 hours after her last meal. And then I have to get up and feed her in the AM and feed her 3 hours prior to testing. The numbers have been better when I've fed her more frequent meals throughout the day. Don't know why, but that's just the way her body is working. I guess it would be my cat! I'm the same way. I can take a medication and have a side effect that no one else has with the meds! So we are a lot a like! I'll have to get a link to her blood glucose chart I started when I first started testing her. I wrote when she ate and how much.
 
Here is the spreadsheet I made. When her numbers started to lower to under 200 is when I gave her a plate to eat during the day, and started feeding 3 hours before a testing and then gave her a little after testing (what she didn't eat when I fed her before). Her highest number was when she went 12 hours without food. That's when I started feeding her more frequently and I changed to FF (makes no sense since it was higher in carbs than FF).

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... sp=sharing
 
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