My 2 Cents

[Airway]

I'm an EMT and vet tech student. I've had 2 diabetics-one on Lantus now OTJ and one currently on Prozinc. Just thought I'd share some thoughts.

This board is awesome! The support and help here is wonderful. However, this is just a general observation I've made. People here tend to react more to numbers and results than to the patient. Every cat handles diabetes differently. Today I am doing a curve on Orion and his +4 is 56. Some of you might be pulling out the Karo and panicking right now. I'm not going to touch him. He ate a half can of food between hours 3-4 and is acting completely normal. If you tested every hour every day you're bound to get some odd numbers, and you could drive yourself crazy with numbers. If you reacted to every odd number by treating regardless of symptoms, you'd never get your cat regulated.

Treat the patient not the disease. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

Understood .
Like I said, I am still new to feline diabetes. I'm thinking it might be because all we get to know are each others kitty's numbers and it is what we have to react to. Kind of like a new doctor just seeing someone's lab results and reacting based on them without knowing the patient . Maybe not a good analogy but I hope it makes a little sense lol.

 

[Airway]

The analogy makes total sense. The only difference is the species.

Understood .
Like I said, I am still new to feline diabetes. I'm thinking it might be because all we get to know are each others kitty's numbers and it is what we have to react to. Kind of like a new doctor just seeing someone's lab results and reacting based on them without knowing the patient . Maybe not a good analogy but I hope it makes a little sense lol.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Total agreement. I was once obsessed with averages. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday; 330, 330 and 510; average is 390 which means nothing! Yesterday and today is what matters. The cat eats one hour off schedule, so what! So do I. I wake up cranky so why can't a cat? You cannot plug these numbers into a formula and come up with a hard and fast solution. I sometimes sign posts N2CATS. No two cats are the same! My vet insists on curves and dosages before I get a new vial of insulin. After 5+ years and two diabetic cats I really wish they had a little faith in what I was doing. Very frustrating!!!

 

[JanetNJ]

No one said give him Karo... we said watch the number because at +4 there's still 2-3 hours until the lowest time for prozinc and 56 is pretty low. I am definitely a more aggressive doser than many on this board and am all for getting those numbers low... I always aimed for the greens and dosed even when in the low 100's... but if my number was low and I wasn't at the time my insulin usually hit the lowest i'd keep an eye on it.

I just want him low... but safe. we nag because we care.

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

In my view this is where "know thy cat" comes into play....
It took me a long time to learn when to intervene and when to let it be....
Great subject!

 

[Squeaky and KT (GA)]

Hi Angela! That's a good point you bring up but there are other reasons for not allowing glucose to go too low other than a 'hypo' situation.

* The body requires glucose and potassium together to be used at cellular level. If there isn't enough glucose, potassium cannot enter the cells causing muscle weakness. The potassium is wasted driving down that level a bit the longer the glucose is low.
* When a person is fairly new, the lowest 10 points creates a bit of concern for some as no one knows how the cat will react at that lower range.
* Many cats show no symptoms of a hypo situation until suddenly it hits and becomes critical all at the same time. There's no 'cat ambulance' to bring EMTs to you. The person STILL has to get the cat to the vet. Waiting for symptoms is very dangerous.
* Many don't have your experience to understand those things you know by instinct concerning the food, timing use, numbers, all that 'ball'.

Remember - ECID/N2CA - what applies to Orion doesn't necessarily apply to others.

HUGS too!

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Not joking when I say I Cut & Paste this stuff into my little binder. There's no end of knowledge here, a compliment to all and meant with total sincerity. Caring for your cat means more than just words.

 

[Airway]

Remember - ECID/N2CA - what applies to Orion doesn't necessarily apply to others.

HUGS too!

Yup, that's why we never copy dosing here! Like @jayla-n-Drevon says know thy cat which is impossible to know with a new diagnosis. When all you have are numbers and no other experience you have to react to the numbers.

 

[Airway]

Orion's vet has told me to get the Karo below 60 which I think is a bit ridiculous.

No one said give him Karo... we said watch the number because at +4 there's still 2-3 hours until the lowest time for prozinc and 56 is pretty low. I am definitely a more aggressive doser than many on this board and am all for getting those numbers low... I always aimed for the greens and dosed even when in the low 100's... but if my number was low and I wasn't at the time my insulin usually hit the lowest i'd keep an eye on it.

I just want him low... but safe. we nag because we care.

 

[Squeaky and KT (GA)]

Orion's vet has told me to get the Karo below 60 which I think is a bit ridiculous.

Vet is likely using Alphatrak numbers so yes, below 68 on an AT needs Karo. Human meter equivalent would be below 50. That's the biggest reason we ask people to put their meter type in their signature, unconfuses old people like me...