? Need advice on whether to shoot or not to shoot?

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Nikko

Nikko

Member Since 2015
Greetings

Nikko is a newly diagnosed and has been bit all over the place in the last couple of days....I have skipped the last to shots because of low numbers and wondering if I should now give full 2 units...lower dose, if so what or none at all and wait to see in the morning?

His spreadsheet is up to date as of a few minutes ago....He is on Vetsulin
 
Hi there, can you stall 20 minutes without feeding and then retest. I am imagining that your no shoot number as a newly diabetic cat would be 200. If after a 20 minute stall you get 200 or more, then go ahead and shoot, otherwise, give it another 20 minutes and retest and see if the numbers come up to at least 200
 
Thanks for the quick reply......I have already went with our routine of giving him 1.5oz of FF prior to a typical 20 minute wait to shoot.
 
Nikko said:
Thanks for the quick reply......I have already went with our routine of giving him 1.5oz of FF prior to a typical 20 minute wait to shoot.
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Hi, Nikko's human! Since Nikko is newly diagnosed and you are both new to this I would not recommend giving a shot if BG is below 200. If I understand correctly, you have already given dinner, in which case a test at this point would reflect the effect the food on the BG level, rather than a true level. Better to err on the side of caution and have him be a little high for the night than to risk hypoglycemia! :)
 
Thanks Squalliesmom......That was kinda what i was thinking.....Not entirely new at this...just a bit rusty. We had another sugar cat about 5 years ago that was on Lantus and we diet controlled him within a month with FF diet....Just not sure of Vetsulin yet and how it reacts differently.

Trevor
 
Nikko said:
Thanks Squalliesmom......That was kinda what i was thinking.....Not entirely new at this...just a bit rusty. We had another sugar cat about 5 years ago that was on Lantus and we diet controlled him with a month with FF diet....Just not sure of Vetsulin yet and how it reacts differently.

Trevor
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You're welcome, Trevor!

Vetsulin tends to be a little harsher than some of the other insulins; it frequently will bring on a fast, sharp drop in BG around the +3 to +4 range, and then another, gentler drop around the +7 to +9 hours. In some cases it appears to not last a full 12 hours, although in my case I have not experienced this.

Lucy
 
Thanks!!!!! Squallies is a cutie as well!!!!! What are your general thoughts on the 2 units regimen that he is is on from the vet. I have been thinking that it is to much and taking him down to much at a time and a smaller dose may regulate him better and possibly get him in a more stable curve so to speak.....just a thought and I may be completely off base. I was planning on doing a every 2 hour curve this past Saturday that I was off, but then he decided he didn't want to be pricked all day and cam in low Saturday morning and skipped dose........

Trevor
 
Are you able to get some mid-day tests in, every once in a while? It's hard to advise on dosing without more information. Do you know when his nadir (lowest part of cycle) is? It would be good to get some tests in around that time to see how low he is dropping. I know that can be hard if you work away from home. I'm lucky because I'm here all day with Squallie.
 
I will get at +6 or +7 reading on the next time I give him his insulin.... During the week while I am at work 45 minutes away Nikko's mom gives him his AM shot on our 8/8 schedule... I am usually home around 3pm or +7........

Trevor
 
Nikko said:
I will get at +6 or +7 reading on the next time I give him his insulin.... During the week while I am at work 45 minutes away Nikko's mom gives him his AM shot on our 8/8 schedule... I am usually home around 3pm or +7........

Trevor
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You need to get several mid-cycle tests in when you can, to be able to really see where his BG is going. You may be able to reduce his dose a little bit. What kind of food is he eating, and how much does he weigh?
 
Update:

Sorry so late getting back....but sometimes work gets in the way!

So we have how gone 3 1/2 days with no juice!!!! His numbers are still between a high of 172 to a low of 96 at the start of this little vacation. I am planning on doing a 12 hour curve on Saturday when I will be home all day or plan my day around it to see what is going on during the day while he is eating.

@Squalliesmom He is eating all Fancy Feast (Turkey & Giblets - Tender Beef Feast - Savory Salmon Feast - Chicken Feast - Chopped Grill Feast) I think he is sneaking a little bit of the other cats Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain-Free Indoor Mature-Chicken Recipe, which I found out today from them is 35.54% as-fed...WOW That is going away tomorrow and we are going back to EVO that we have feed in the past. Their website promotes that it is: Carbohydrates NFE (Max) 12.0 % He is not eating much dry food at all now with the 9 oz. daily feeding of Fancy Feast, So this has to be better if he sneaks a bit I assume.

He is now approx. 10#

Fingers Crossed!!!!!

Trevor
 
I am also wonder how much of a effect both the ear infection, UTI and ketoacidosis(very high amount) he has had in the last month or so? He was also given .4cc Convenia on 9/29 by the vet that I am now reading can have a side effect of transient diabetes.....Thoughts?

I have a feeling that he has been borderline diabetic for the past year or so based on thinking back on how he has been during this time frame....excessive drinking and eating the "low carb - grain free" diet of 34%+ carb.....arrrgggghhhhhhh. Then the UTI put him over the edge......Now that he is on a true low carb I can hope he will level out with time and be OTJ!!!!!

Thanks
 
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In my opinion, Convenia is a horrible risk to the health, and life, of cats. I am not sure about it causing transient diabetes, don't think that's one of it's side effects, but it has plenty of other, potentially deadly side effects! My kitties' vet files all say "NO CONVENIA" even though, at the current time, my vet does not use it. My former vet used it, and gave it, unbeknownst to me, twice in less than two months to Squallie. I thank my lucky stars that he didn't have a reaction to it, and I will make darn sure he never gets Convenia ever again.

Any illness can cause a rise in BG. Now that you have all of that cleared up, keeping him on a low carb diet may be all he needs to stay in good numbers. We recommend carbs be kept to 10% or less. I would definitely not let him eat any of the 12% carb dry food! Fingers and paws crossed for you that he stays OTJ!!! :)
 
CJ got Convenia when she was very ill with lymphoma and it helped save her life and put her in remission along with other treatments. So, I guess in certain cases, you need to weigh the pros and cons.
 
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