Need Help withPZI Dosing and Feeding..Again

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Kacie and Sadie

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Hi Everyone-
I posted this in the PZI forum as well (I don't know if I am allowed to do so). I need your help again-


Need Help with Dosing and Feeding

Postby kCinLB » Sat Jan 30, 2010 4:41 pm
Hi Everyone,

I need some advice. We've only been testing since the evening of January 15th so we don't have a lot of data. Sadie started out, after being in the hospital over Christmas, at 3 units (vet started her at 1 unit 2x a day and went up from there). Info that I found on this website made me change her food to all Fancy Feast using the low carb choices. That's when her numbers started to change. The vet said to go with 2 units twice a day but after testing, she only needed it once a day. Now her numbers are changing again. We are using 2 units twice a day. I don't know if we are feeding her too much and that could be the reason. We start with 1 can of Fancy Feast in the AM. We have been giving her a small snack 4 hours later (about 1/4 of a can) and then again 3-4 hrs later. The reason we were doing this is because some of the advice I was given since her numbers on some days were very low and she hadn't eaten for a long period of time. Am I doing something horribly wrong? Do you think she isn't getting enough insulin now? Will it ever get easier?

By the way, she is acting normal and happy :)

Thanks so much for your help-
Kacie and Sadie
 
Based on the data 2 units seems to be too much. This is because your data shows the very frequently you only give one shot a day since one of the preshots is too low to shoot.
 
If you switched foods to a low carb diet but not have changed the dose. IT can be scary. Everyone here has told me that if you lower the carb intake you have to lower the insulin dosage. And with pzi it is best to free feed.

When did you switch the food to fancy feast and what flavor are giving Sadie. If you are concerned about if she has had enough food. Do you hometest? If so I would monitor Sadie Closely and watch the numbers especial around 6-8 hours after the insulin was given. That should be the lowest point in the readings or the nadir, from what i understand.

Yes it will get easier.
David
 
Kacie,
I absolutely agree with Larry that you need to reduce the insulin dose. Hopefully, reducing the dose will allow you to shoot both AM and PM ( both at a reduced dose). The goal of reducing the dose is to be able to shoot 2x/day.
If you are able to give PZI every 12 hours, Sadie will have less drastic ups and downs, and she will feel better.

This is copied from your last thread on Jan 19:
Re: Help -need dosing advice on PZI
by Sue and Oliver » Tue Jan 19, 2010 11:08 pm
Agree you need to lower the dose. You are giving insulin only once a day because it is taking her too low - but then overnight, she is without insulin for 12 hours. In the morning she is high again. Rollercoasters don't feel very good - going from highs to lows. Much better to give less, twice a day. How about the 1 unit twice a day we suggested?
Click to expand...

Also, since you work (earlybirds at Disneyland wasn't it?) have you considered getting Sadie a timed feeder so she has 1-2 small meals while you are gone and while you are sleeping? (for feeders check out PetSafe.com, they have 2)
FYI- It does not sound to me like you are feeding her too much.

And yes you can post in PZI and /or here. You may get a faster answer on 'health' in case you need help right away
 
and Kacie, I would try to get more tests during the cycle whenever you can. It is the only way to really know what her numbers are doing between pre-shots.

If you need more strips, try pricing them at Hocks.com (green box on the top of this webpage). It saved me a lot.
 
Thanks so much! How much is a small meal? We're not sure how much to feed as a snack/small meal. After she eats a can of fancy feast, about 3-4 hours later she eats about 1/4 of a can - sometimes 1/3. Then again before bed. There's 2 days when someone is not home because of work. Someone suggested 1 and 1/2 cans. We give her the one can and then before the last person leaves, leave the 1/2 can. Was thinking about an auto feeder...
 
Kacie,
How much does she weigh? If I'm reading this right you are only feeding 1 1/2 cans of FF every day (about 4.5 ounces). I know every cat is different, but that sounds like not nearly enough food. I remember suggesting 1 1/2 cans, but I meant at both meals, (3 cans / 24 hours)

Just to compare,
my 10-11 lb sugarcat gets 11+ ounces per 24 hrs, split up into 6 meals (every 4 hours around the clock).

My civie cat gets 6 ounces FF plus ~1/2 cup of dry (which has more condensed calories)

FYI-They are old and sleep all day

The auto feeder is pretty cool. I bought one 2 days ago and love it. It's also available online at PetSafe.com
check them out at :
http://petsafe.thepetstoreonline.com/ca ... eders.html

I got the 2 meal feeder, which was about $30, but many here seem to use the 5 meal feeder which is more.
 
Oh I might have written it wrong. She gets a whole can of FF in the AM. Then another 1/4 or so 4 hrs later and 4 hours after that. Then for dinner a whole can again then 4 hrs later a 1/4 and then before bed a little more than a 1/4 since we are asleep. Then we wake up at 430am do it again. I guess all together it comes to about 3 cans a day of fancy feast. She weighs between 11-12lbs.
 
If she seems hungry you could probably add another can/day (at least according to the suggestions on the can). Keep an eye on her weight and go by that. ( and BG of course also, keep trying to get some mid day #'s)

If you wanted to add some variety you could add canned DM (silver top cans new recipe, not gold top-old recipe). There is lots of debate over food but I like it. Read about it if you want to:
http://www.petfooddirect.com/Product/58 ... d-Cat-Food
 
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