Need advice Asap

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MeltyCat

MeltyCat

Member Since 2015
Melty was 22 PMPS. We are at +3 and levels still dropping. Just tested at 6.2...

Should I be giving something to bring levels up???

I'm not comfortable here... :(
 
No, you don't need high carb yet.

Those numbers are mmol/L so multiply by 18 to get 111 mg/dL.

The nadir can be around +3 to +4 for Vetsulin/Caninsulin.
 
Gave a couple of treats at 10:20 after 9.8 reading.

10:40 dropped to 6.2.

He's still snuggly and purring but that seems like a drastic drop for 20 minutes.

Testing again in 5.
 
I figured. Its OK. Slowing the drop a bit is good as it may reduce bouncing.

Its better to test, feed, wait 30 minutes, then shoot to help buffer that severe Vetsulin/Caninsulin drop. Adding a mini-meal at +2 is probably a good idea, too.
 
Couldn't interest him in regular dry food. Gave a few temptations and tested again at 11:05.

Thank god he's such a docile cat and will let me keep testing.

How do I avoid this in the morning. I have to work...

I gave low carb wet food at 7:00pm.
Gave 2u at 7:30pm.
Gave dry meal at 8:30pm.
Any suggestion on what I could be doing differently here?
 
Do you have a timed feeder?
Or, can you get up earlier to shoot, so you can feed about +2 before leaving?
Or, depending on the test data, give less insulin but every 8 hours (TID).
Or get a different insulin like BCP PZI.
 
I did order an automatic feeder, but won't be here til next week.

I can get up earlier to shoot, that's not really a problem. If I shoot an hour earlier, do you think he'll drop lower because of the overlap?

Can't shoot every 8 because of my work schedule.
 
If you can snag a test or two in the +10, +11 hour range, you'll see if it is wearing off before 12 hours. If yes, it would support getting a different insulin. And, there wouldn't be any overlap of concern.

You might reduce the dose by 0.25 units when you can't monitor; he is still in safe numbers so long as he is above 2.7 mmol/L (50 mg/dL).

There is a 3rd option, but you might give this a good 2 weeks of consistency to see what the patterns are first.
 
I've just tested again and he is steady at 5.4. That's a really good number, I know. It's the crazy variance that throws me. AMPS was 28 this morning and now he's at 5?? It doesn't make any sense.

It was almost easier when I didn't know the levels, and had to go entirely off of his mood...
 
That's Caninsulin - hard, fast drop; a bit of time lower; and often zoom up. Some cats do OK on it, though.
 
The vet mentioned possibly switching to Glargine (?) If we can't even him out a bit. Ever heard of it?

I will try to "feed the curve" a little better.

Melty feels great at 5.4, I can tell. I wish I felt better at 5.4 hah.
 
Yes, that is Lantus - tons better than Caninsulin in terms of gentle, long lasting insulin.
You're up in Canada, so you can actually get it without a prescription. It is a U-100 or 100 units per mL, so you need u-100 syringes to give it, even if you get the pen, as we dose in finer increments than full units.
 
May have to go that route if he continues to bounce the way he is. I've been told it's quite a bit more expensive, though. :/
 
Since you're in Canada, you can get Lantus at any human pharmacy and I believe it's only about $75-90 for a vial (but the pens are a better buy because you can use every drop of insulin instead of having to throw away half a vial when it start to lose it's punch)

A vial contains 1000 units (and 5 pens contain 1500...300 units per pen) and most of our cats are on 1 to 2 units twice a day, so a vial would last 250-500 days!! (except it will lose efficacy at around 6 months)

When you break it down, it's really not that expensive, but the up front cost can be hard on us. I don't know how much the pens would be, but since they're like little vials of only 300 units each (which will last 75-150 days for cats on 1 to 2 units) they're the best choice. There are 5 pens in a box and they're good until the expiration date on the box...usually at least 2 years away

Call around and get some prices!
 
Well, I spent $68 upfront for a whole box of Caninsulin. It probably won't break me to spend another $100 or so. That seems certainly doable.

Thanks for the info. Your sugar kitty is gorgeous.
 
@BJM

Thanks so much for talking me through my "emergency". I'm well aware that it wasn't so much so, but my anxiety was making it seem so.

I really appreciate your time.
 
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