My Cat's readings out of control

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mistykat56

Member Since 2013
Hi my name is Gwen & we live in Southern California. Our cat, Harrison, is 11 years old & was diagnosed with diabetes a year ago in May, 2012. I fed him Hills w/d dry mixed with w/d wet & gave insulin 1 unit twice/daily after his meals per vet’s instructions. On 6/6/13, my husband & I took Harrison to his vet because he wasn't eating. We could not afford the cost to keep him at the vets so we asked him to do the blood tests to see what was wrong. Vet called the next morning to say that Harrison's sugar reading was high (can't remember exact reading but it was over 800). So after such heartbreak, I decided that we would have to put Harrison down & I let his vet know. My husband wanted our kids to have time to say good-bye & he wanted to go with me that Sunday when he returned from his trip. So to help Harrison get thru the weekend, I started hand feeding him baby food (chicken) along with giving him pediatlye thru a syringe after each feeding. I did this every 1-1/2 - 2 hours. I also increased his insulin to 2 units instead of the normal 1 line. By Monday, he was doing a bit better though I knew we were not out of any danger by no means. My husband had asked the vet if readings could be done at home & vet said there were machines but did not go into detail. I am a diabetic also and we learned online that we could use my machine to do the readings. It was such a struggle at first but we are able to do them. First reading on 6/12 registered over 600 Hi (my reader doesn’t go any higher). Finally from 6/13 evening to 6/18 the readings were between 157 & 228. He was still on baby food (b/f) but I had added tuna to it and bits of his wet Hill’s w/d food which he didn’t want when I tried to add it in, so it was mostly b/f with tuna. I have been giving him a high calorie nutritional supplement (fingertip size) twice daily since 6/12. I was starting to feel a little bit better that maybe we could make it until I could afford to take him to a new vet. The existing vet did not bother to inquiry about Harrison until 10 days later when the office call on 6/17 to see why I hadn’t come in to put Harrison down. Then disaster hit. On Wednesday morning, 6/19, I gave Harrison just his Hill’s dry w/d food (I thought he might be able to go back to his regular food). He ate 1/3 cup like he was starving. The rest of the day I fed him what I had been feeding him the prior days. Well that night his reading was over 600 on reader. Since then his readings have been “all over the board” with readings as high as 450 & as low as 27. I am so out of my league here & afraid I’m doing him more harm by trying to figure this out with his insulin. This evening he didn’t want the b/f just the tuna (which I want to get him off of) but I want him to eat something. Any feed-back would be very much appreciated. I have been going on line to find out what I could about cats with diabetes & so surprised to find this website. This morning (6/23) I am calmer than the past few days. Harrison was hungry so I fed him 1/3C of Hills w/d dry with 1/8 tsp of Friskies indoor wet. I gave him 1-1/2 units of Insulin because of the dry c/f. His reading 2hrs later was 60. I just gave him more 1/8C dry w/wet.
 
Hello and welcome to the FDMB, the best place you never expected to be.

That Hill's W/d dry and wet is very high in carbs, 37% and 25%. Carbs make the BG (blood Glucose) readings higher.

We recommend low carb canned wet food like the Friskies pates, Fancy Feast classic pate and Wellness. Those are <10% carbs and can get the BG's to drop significantly. You do not want to switch food with out home testing because the BG's can sometimes drop dramatically.

Will he eat the Friskies?

What other dry food do you give him?

ETA: Which insulin are you using?
What meter are you using?
Your name is Gwen and the cat is Harrison.
 
Welcome to the best place to help you help Harrison. I cant give advice but wanted to welcome you and this willbump up your thread at the same time..Glad you gave Harrison a second chance. I'm sure there will be others here who can help with the Lantus. Hang on help is coming.
jeanne
 
Hi Deb & Wink
I am so unknowledgeable about the dry cat food. This morning I did give him the Hills w/d dry but added some Friskies Indoor wet cat food the first feeding this am. After his low reading, I gave him more Hills w/d dry with Friskies Special Diet Ocean Whitefish Dinner classic pate (for urinary tract health which my other cats eat). He ate everything at both feedings so I believe he will eat the Friskies wet by itself. I haven't given him any other dry cat food since he was first diagnosed. The insulin he is taking is Novolin N U-100. The vet switch Harrison to this when there was a shortage of ProZinc in September, 2012. I stayed with the Novolin N because I had to buy different needles when the ProZinc was unavailable. My reader is OneTouch Ultra 2.

Thanks
Gwen
 
Hi Gwen,

I gave him 1-1/2 units of Insulin because of the dry c/f. His reading 2hrs later was 60. I just gave him more 1/8C dry w/wet.
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Do you know what his BG was when you gave him the shot?
 
...and if you see this soon, can you test again?
Great that you gave more food when you saw the 60. You don't want it going too much lower than that.
 
mistykat56 said:
Hi Deb & Wink
I am so unknowledgeable about the dry cat food. This morning I did give him the Hills w/d dry but added some Friskies Indoor wet cat food the first feeding this am. After his low reading, I gave him more Hills w/d dry with Friskies Special Diet Ocean Whitefish Dinner classic pate (for urinary tract health which my other cats eat). He ate everything at both feedings so I believe he will eat the Friskies wet by itself. I haven't given him any other dry cat food since he was first diagnosed. The insulin he is taking is Novolin N U-100. The vet switch Harrison to this when there was a shortage of ProZinc in September, 2012. I stayed with the Novolin N because I had to buy different needles when the ProZinc was unavailable. My reader is OneTouch Ultra 2.

Thanks
Gwen
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Hi Gwen,
First thing is to say I am so glad you have a good meter and can test your cat... that's a huge advantage for you. Keep testing because when you change the food, you may find your cat needs very little or no insulin.

The insulin you are using is far from great, and it cause a big fast drop at the start of the cycle, so that dose of 1.5u N may be too much for him. Dropping to the 27 is very likely the cause of the bounce up to the 500s, or the insulin just ran out because it does not last a full 12hours, and your cat will have no insulin in him for the last 3hrs or so.

I would suggest that if you need to give insulin, then go with Lantus or Levemir. You said you are a diabetic; what insulin are you using, if any? I would not go with PZI as you would be better with a human insulin and can share with you

So you want to be home testing, then switch to a low carb wet food, something like fancy feast or friskies pate flavors, drop the dose and wait for the numbers to level off. It should not take long at all.

Gayle
 
Hi Gwen,
Looks like you are getting plenty of help. I just wanted to say Hi and Welcome aboard!!
This is the best place you can be!!
Terriy
 
First of all I want to say thank you to everyone for their support. I have been flying blind this month.

Carl & Bob, no I did not test his BG before I gave him the insulin shot. That is one of my problems; I don't know when to test him i.e. before feeding, before insulin shot or wait 2 hrs after shot. During the past year, I fed him twice daily (6am & 6pm) with a 1U shot after feeding. I wasn't aware of the home testing then. Vet tested him in February & he was fine. He was scheduled for a blood test late June when this happened. Since going online I've been trying to see where I can obtain that info.

Blue, Even though I am a diabetic, don’t take insulin rather I am on take metformin & use the reading to monitor my sugar levels. I also don't know the difference on insulin as I was following the vet’s instructions. I will look into Lantus or Levemir.

I just got home from a family function & Harrison's reading is 199 at 4:15pm. I know I have to feed him but so worried of it increasing. He is sleeping right now. Also in my original post I did not mention that he has had foam in his urine. When I showed the vet (took pic). He did not address that when he told me the results of the blood work. I do have the Friskies special diet pate, I will give him. My question is do I test him again before the insulin or do I give him the insulin and then test. If so how long should I wait until I test him? Currently I have been waiting 2 hours after giving him the insulin.
 
My question is do I test him again before the insulin or do I give him the insulin and then test. If so how long should I wait until I test him? Currently I have been waiting 2 hours after giving him the insulin.
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It is better to test before you give him the insulin.

Also, with the NPH type insulins like the Novolin N, it is important to make sure your cat has eaten before you give the insulin shot. This is because this insulin starts to work very quickly. You want him to have food in his stomach before the insulin starts to take effect.

Recommendations are for the cat to be fed 30-45 minutes before you give the NPH type insulins.

Testing after the shot can provide important data also. Knowing how far your cat drops on this dose will let you know if the insulin dose is correct or needs to be changed. Tests around the +4 to +6 time frame may help us to see when your cat nadirs.

The lowest point in the cycle is called the nadir.

It is also important to know how long your cat is being controlled, when the numbers start to rise, to find the duration of the insulin. Few cats get a full 12 hours duration out of Novolin N. Testing later, in the +8 -+10 timeframe can yield some useful data.

ECID means every cat is different. You need to find the nadir and duration for your own cat with testing.
 
Ok here are the results of Sunday evening (6/23) readings. Cat food is Friskies Special Diet (F S/D) 5.5 oz can (Urinary Tract maintenance).
1) Fed Harrison at 5:30pm 1/8 can F S/D
2) Reading at 7:05pm was 209; ( 7:08pm given small amt. of F S/D for treat)
3) Insulin shot of 1U at 7:15 pm
4) Reading at 9:26pm was 33; fed 1/8 can of F S/D at 9:29pm
5) Reading at 11:23pm was 37; fed 1/4 can of F S/D at 11:25pm
6) Reading at 1:30 am was 78; fed 1/8 can of F S/D
Monday morning (6/24):
1) No reading (accidently took reader with me to am appt)
2) Harrison was fed ¼ can of F S/D at 7:55 am
3) Reading at 8:52 am was 157; tsp c/f treat; no insulin at this time
4) Reading at 12:05 pm was 82; ¼ can of F SD at 12:07 pm
Harrison is a cool kick-back cat but he is starting to meow & move around more when I have to test him. Since I haven’t given him an insulin shot, should I wait 4 hrs to test again? Am I not giving him enough to eat? Prior to this, I would give 1/3 c of Hills w/d dry with a 1/8 of Hills w/d wet mix twice a day.
 
mistykat56 said:
Cat food is Friskies Special Diet (F S/D) 5.5 oz can (Urinary Tract maintenance).
Harrison is a cool kick-back cat but he is starting to meow & move around more when I have to test him. Since I haven’t given him an insulin shot, should I wait 4 hrs to test again?
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I would recommend that you wait until PMPS to test next. Since you did not give any insulin this morning, wait to test until PMPS. That is , this evenings pre-shot test time.

Putting your BG test numbers in our + hour format I get:

6/23 AMPS n/a +10.5 Fed Harrison at 5:30pm 1/8 can F S/D
PMPS 209; 1U given small amt. of F S/D for treat)
+2.5 33; fed 1/8 can of F S/D at 9:29pm
+4.5 37; fed 1/4 can of F S/D at 11:25pm
+6.5 78; fed 1/8 can of F S/D
6/24 AMPS n/a No reading (accidently took reader with me to am appt)
Harrison was fed ¼ can of F S/D at 7:55 am
+2 157; 0U tsp c/f treat
+5 82; ¼ can of F SD at 12:07 pm

He dropped really low, into the 30's. Did Harrison show any hypo symptoms when that happened?

Am I not giving him enough to eat? Prior to this, I would give 1/3 c of Hills w/d dry with a 1/8 of Hills w/d wet mix twice a day.
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Looks like over the course of 24 hours, Harrison is getting 5/8 of a can of Friskies? Is that correct? Or did I miss a food portion somewhere?

How much does Harrison weigh? That may not be enough food and I want to calculate based on his weight.

With the food change you are doing, the 1U of Novolin N is too much for Harrison. Lets wait and test his numbers without insulin and just the food change. I did not realize you were going to switch directly to low carb wet food from higher carb food. The difference in the carb content is likely to lower the BG numbers. It looks like it happened really fast with Harrison and you should hold off on giving any insulin until we see how the food change is helping the BG numbers.
 
Hi Deb & Wink,

The only possible symptom of hypo that Harrison seemed to display was that he was hungry. He has had about a little over a can (5.5oz) of the Friskies Special Diet in the past 24hrs. His current weight is 9lbs, he has gone down about 3.5lbs since June 6th. I was giving him 1/3 c of Hills w/d dry with a 1/8 of Hills w/d wet mix twice a day prior to June 6th. After that I gave him a mixture of baby food & tuna because that was all he would really eat, he stop eating the Hills. I made the mistake of giving him some Hills w/d dry last Thursday (6/20) morning and that is when his BG went out of control. I fed him ¼ can of F s/d this evening and his reading 45 minutes later was 118. So far he has not had any insulin today. When should I do another reading?
 
When should I do another reading?
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1. Testing
I want you to test once in the AM, once in the PM, roughly 12 hours apart, before you have fed any food. No food for at least 2 hours before you do these tests.

Think you can do that?

We want to see if Harrison can be diet controlled.
He has had about a little over a can (5.5oz) of the Friskies Special Diet in the past 24hrs. His current weight is 9lbs, he has gone down about 3.5lbs since June 6th.
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2. Food amounts
Cats that are diabetic can need up to 50% more food. I'm concerned with that rapid weight loss. A weight loss that rapid can lead to hepatic lipadosis. What did your vet say? If you haven't already talked to them about the weight loss, I suggest you do that ASAP.

I think Harrison needs more food. (9 pounds * 15 calories ) + 70 = 205 calories. 205 calories + 50% more = 308 calories minimum

The cans of Friskies special diet range from about 150-180 calories a 5.5 ounce can. 300 /150 = 2 cans

is he hungry enough to eat 2 cans a day? Spread out into the mini-meals like you are doing is great.

6/23 AMPS n/a +10.5 Fed Harrison at 5:30pm 1/8 can F S/D
PMPS 209; 1U given small amt. of F S/D for treat)
+2.5 33; fed 1/8 can of F S/D at 9:29pm
+4.5 37; fed 1/4 can of F S/D at 11:25pm
+6.5 78; fed 1/8 can of F S/D
6/24 AMPS n/a No reading (accidently took reader with me to am appt)
Harrison was fed ¼ can of F S/D at 7:55 am
+2 157; 0U tsp c/f treat
+5 82; ¼ can of F SD at 12:07 pm
PMPS ? no insulin
+1 118
Click to expand...
 
Hi there! You've gotten some great advice already. I just wanted to pop in and say welcome from one SoCal to another (Orange County here). :YMHUG:
 
I just tested him and his reading was 131 at 8:36 pm pst. I will test him again in the AM before I feed him.

I believe the weight lost is due to him being on a baby food diet for about 2 weeks. As I said before he wouldn't eat any of his Hills food and I didn't know that Friskies was an option to give him. He seems to be happy with the Friskies right now.

In regard to his vet, my husband and I have decided not to go back to him. He didn't seem to really care after we said we couldn't afford keep him overnight for treatment at a cost of over $400 plus the initial cost of $245 for blood work. He didn't give us any other options when I said I would have to put Harrison down and as I mention in my original post he didn't bother to inquiry about Harrison until 10 days later when the office call on 6/17 to see why I hadn't come in to put Harrison down. We are looking for a new vet that can treat Harrison within our means.

Once again thank you so much for all your help. This site has given me hope for something I thought was once a hopeless situation.
 
Okay, I just PM'd a member who lives in Riverside to see if she knew of some vets in your area.
 
Hi there, from another So Cal member :-)

KPassa pm'd me to see if I had any vet recommendations for you out this way. I actually don't unfortunately. I used to live in Orange County and still work there so I continue to go to a vet there. Seriously though, she's awesome. And worth the drive if you can do it but it looks to be 40-45 miles from San Bernardino. She's on the outskirts of Yorba Linda and has Saturday hours so what I tend to do is schedule the first appointment on Saturday mornings so I don't have to deal with weekend traffic. It literally takes me 10 minutes to get there on Saturday mornings and maybe 15 to get home after the appointment. If you want to see about going down there it's All About Cats Health and Wellness Center. Dr. Ankone is the main vet and she recently brought in a second vet that seems pretty good too, Dr. Panza. Their number is 714-692-8228

There's another member on here in Riverside. Her kitty went into remission so she's not on here too much anymore but I see her on facebook all the time. I'll send her a message there, pointing her here, to see if she has a good vet. :-)
 
We can also help you with a lot of the day to day management of feline diabetes here. Lots of experience among our various members. We still like you to be seeing a vet for other reasons, but some people have decided to manage the diabetes mostly on their own with suggestions from the members here. Just a thought.

You are starting to collect more test data with Harrison. For those people home testing, we have a wonderful way to keep track of the test data and shots. There is a google spreadsheet template you can use so you don’t have to start from scratch and figure out what you want it to look like. We have instructions on how to set one up. The color coding is helpful to see trends over time in how the insulin is working.

Having a SS set up and linked to your signature is a great way to get some suggestions from the experienced people on FDMB. You can even share the spreadsheet with your vet, by email. Well, that is when you find a new one you can trust.

We have instructions on how to set one up. Please ask if you are interested. We even help set them up for people that may be technology challenged.

It's totally optional but it can get you some great advice on how to manage Harrison with his BG numbers.
 
Hi Deb & Wink
Ok here is what has happened within the past 24 hrs.
1) Monday: 8:46 pm - reading 131
2) 9:00pm ¼ can f-s/d
3) 11:15 pm ¼ can f-s/d
4) Tuesday: 6:39am ¼ can f-s/d
5) 8:54am - reading 126
6) 11:15 am 1/8 can f-s/d (did not finish the ¼ serving)
7) 3:00 pm 1/8 can (finished food from earlier feeding)
8) 6:00pm 1/8 can (did not finish the ¼ serving)
9) 8:55pm – reading 86
10) 8:56pm – fingertip of high calorie Nutritional Supplement
11) 9:00pm – 1/8 can f-s/d (hardly touch)
12) 2-1/2 tsp of pediltye
So within a 24 hr period, Harrison a little over a can of Friskies cat food. While he just jumped onto a chair to sit, he is moving a little slower than usual. I did give him 2-1/2 tsp of pediltye.

Yes I would be interested in the spread sheet, anything that can help me keep track would be great.
 
No I have not given him any insulin since 6/23 at 7:17pm.

Thank you for the link. I will work with my daughter on putting Harrison's Spreadsheet together and will let you know if I have any issues.
 
So he has been 50-130 for 3 days? If he can keep that up for 14 days then we consider him in remission.

hows his blood today?

Wendy
 
Harrison’s reading this morning was 104 at 8:57 a.m. Well I am glad is it a good reading, he is still nibbling at his wet food (since last night) so I gave him another fingertip of vitamins after his reading. He is still drinking a lot of water. I’m concerned is nibbling at his food. I offered him food at 9:30 am & he just turn his nose away & went to drink more water. Any suggestions? It will be 72 hours tonight since I last gave him an insulin shot at 7:15pm on Sunday.
 
roughly how much is he eating?

If he isnt eating enough it could be the reason for his low BG. I also wonder why he is still drinking a lot.. was he tested for kidney problems when you were at the vets?

Wendy
 
I would say since last night about 1/8 can of Friskies. I don't know if vet tested for kidney problems. All the vet told me was his BG was over 800. He didn't tell me anything else, the blood work was taken on 6/6. I just tried to offer him food w/o success.

Gwen
 
Since I haven't been able to get Harrison to eat this morning, I took his reading again at 12:00 & it was 64. I offered him some can tuna & he ate almost 1 tsp on his own. I also put some Karo on my fingertip & gave him that. Good or bad? My only comfort is I just started my 2 week vacation & I'm able to be here for him. Will check him again in 2 hours as I need to leave to take my mother lunch (92 yrs old & diabetic). Gwen
 
Since you haven't given him any insulin for quite a while, you do not have to worry about him going hypo, so no need for the Karo. It's good that he ate a little bit. You might want to try sprinkling a little parmesan or oregano on top of his food as both of those have been known to entice cats to eat (who doesn't like Italian? :lol: )
 
i think you should have a quick chat with the vet - explain that he is getting these low (normal!) readings yet isnt eating. Ask about the blood work that was done and how his kidneys and thyroid levels were.
 
If he is eating that little, he is in danger of developing hepatic lipidosis. You need to get answers back from a vet soon. maybe an appetite stimulant to get him to eat. You should probably take him back to the vet to see if there is another issue.
 
Hi Wendy &Twiggy
Thank you so much for asking about Harrison. He is doing better though I don’t feel we are on “solid ground" yet. Numbers are really down since I stopped feeding him the w/d food. Actually he has not had an insulin shot since 6/23/13. I am working on putting a spread sheet together for him so I can post, but other family matters have been priority to my working on it. I keep testing him twice/daily 12 hours apart. I actually went to Walmart today to get him his own meter because I can only get my strips monthly (50/monthly) and when using my meter I find that I am not doing my own readings. I will try to post my spreadsheet prior to end of week. Again thank you so much for asking.
Gwen & Harrison
 
If he makes it 14 days with no insulin and glucose values in the 40 - 130 mg/dL on a human glucometer, he will be Off The Juice (OTJ) and we'll have a party. {anti-jinx}
 
Twiggy!! lol. I wish Tiggy was Twiggy - he is a big boy - big boned and maybe a pound overweight.

Has Harrison been under 130 consistently since the 23rd?
 
Wendy&Tiggy: LOL so sorry for naming Tiggy as Twiggy. My min-pin is name Twiggy so I just automatically typed the name. I am so slow on putting the info onto the spreadsheet!! I've started my log as to when I started using the meter which was 6/12/13 which was prior to my signing on FDMB (6/23). Harrison's readings have been on the low side consistently since Thursday night (6/27) ranging from high of 65 to low of 36. Today's readings were 50 in am & 55 in pm. Last time over 100 was 6/27 am at 115.
 
That's great! Ok so today is day 7? I think of an OTJ trial. If he stays low for another week then he will officially be in remission! Let us know and I will give you tips then for how to keep him there,,
 
Good morning - Thanks, I'm happy that Harrison is having these readings, but I know anything can change at "the drop of a dime". Actually this evening will be considered the 10th full day since Harrison's last insulin shot. This morning's reading was 54. So I can only hope & pray that he continues his good reading. I look forward to any tips I can get to keep him on track. Hoping to finish & post his spreadsheet tonight. Gwen & Harrison
 
Happy 4th of July to those in the United States. I have attached my spread sheet regarding Harrison readings. I did not include his feeding schedule as I continue to feed him small amounts of Friskies cat food with tuna every 2 – 3 hrs. I’m trying to expand his feeding time to 3x/day since I will be going back to work on 7/8. I am also trying to wing him off tuna completely by giving him more Friskies cat food. I have stopped giving him pedialtye with a syringe. I do continue to give him Nutri-Cal (high calorie nutritional supplement) twice/daily plus I also give him Vetri-DMG liquid (8-10 drops daily) with his food. This has help tremendously as Harrison is back up to his weight of 12 lbs. He had dropped to 8 pounds during this time. He is also not drinking water as much as he was before & I have tested him twice with Ketrone strips and have gotten a negative result both times. I do want to test him again but I can’t seem to catch him when he pees as he is not going as often as before.
 
Yeah! Harrison is back to his normal weight. Keep an eye on him, because obesity in cats can lead to insulin resistance.

My 3 cats rarely drink from their water bowls anymore. Since they have been eating the canned food, they get all their water needs from the wet food.

I need to add Miralax to 2 of my cats food because of constipation issues. They all get extra water added to each food serving, maybe a tablespoon of extra water, until the food is applesauce consistency. Yesterday was the first time in 3 months I saw one of my cats actually take a couple of sips from a water dish.

When you go back to work, you can add some extra water to Harrison's wet food to keep it from drying out. Or make cat food 'cicles. Take food out of the can, mix with a bit of water, freeze in a non-stick muffin pan, pop out and store in a Ziploc, take out to defrost and leave out for Harrison to eat when you are away. As it slowly thaws, he will have food to nibble on during the day. You might try it now to see if he likes it.
 
Hey there

Day 10 of OTJ trial - four more to go! nice to see his SS.

You dont need to worry about ketones at such good blood levels.

Is he still only getting the ocean whitefish friskies pates? Fish isnt great to give every day due to mercury but you also want to be sure any other flavours you give are under 10% calories from carbs.

Not a surprise he isnt drinking as much - he doesnt have to work to clear all that excess sugar out his system any more!

Wendy
 
Hi Everyone – First of all I want to thank everyone for their advice and support, you have all been incredibly helpful. I want to update all of you on Harrison’s progress; Harrison has not had insulin shot since June 23rd. Woohoo!! He is “OTJ” for 21 days now. I am still taking his readings 2x/day and have updated his spread sheets. While I am glad his readings are low, should I be concerned that they are on the lower side than not? I went back to work on the 8th and so far it is going good on his feedings though I can’t seem to get him away from wanting the salmon pate & ocean whitefish pate instead of beef/chicken & mixed grill. He just nibbles on the later choices. I am now wondering how long I should continue with the 2x/day testing?
 
That's great news! You can probably godown to testing once every week or two.

Tips to stay OTJ
- test blood once every week or two
- if you change food, be 100% sure it's low carb incl treats
- before giving meds, double check with vet there are no steroids or sugar in them
- watch eating and drinking amounts
- monitor pee patch sizes
- weigh him once a month
- regular vet checkup to watch for infection ie dental, ear, uti

That way you should be able to catch any issues early.
Good luck!

Wendy
 
While I am glad his readings are low, should I be concerned that they are on the lower side than not?
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No, you should not be concerned with those number being on the low end of the scale. Those numbers are perfectly fine. Many members here would be envious of Harrison's SS.

Good job in getting Harrison OTJ. Hope he stays there. Wendy gave you her excellent list of tips to keep him OTJ.

:RAHCAT Congratulations Harrison on being OTJ! Enjoy your life at the falls. :RAHCAT
How about a little cake, low carb of course, to celebrate.
I am now wondering how long I should continue with the 2x/day testing?
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I test Wink once a week. He's been OTJ for 4 months now and has slightly higher numbers than your Harrison does. It's up to you on the frequency of testing. I decided I wanted to catch any rise in numbers as quickly as possible. Also, I had an opened bottle of test strips to use up. ;-) I still keep Wink's SS up-to-date with his weekly readings.

On the food, you could try mixing small, 1 teaspoon, quantities of the less preferred food into his favorites. Slowly increase the quantity of the one food and decrease the quantity of the other.
 

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Woohoo! otj_icon for Harrison!

As to food, what I do when my cats are being finicky is I sprinkle a little of the "dust" from their freeze-dried chicken treats onto their food. They start eating the dust, then proceed on to the food they had previously turned up their noses at. :lol:
 
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