Neo the Newbie has been within range since Sat Night

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swandiver

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This is within range with no Prozinc injections. I'm a little stymied. Saturday morning he came in at 328 pre-feeding, so he got his usual .5 injection.

Sat AM: 328 - shot
Sat PM: 205
Sun AM - 135
Sun PM - 155
Mon AM - 110

He is being fed consistently every 6 hours and testing is prior to eating.

I don't know if this is good or bad. I'm expecting a high reading tonight. Is the basis of giving insulin shots to keep them on an even keel (no highs, no lows), or is it okay I haven't given him a shot for a while. I have sent the number to our vet for her take on it. I waited until this morning because I didn't know if my DD had given him a shot at 135 (and was praying she hadn't -- she didn't).
 
It could be that if you have changed his diet recently that you are well on your way to a diet controlled diabetic. Usually we say a cat is diet controlled if a cat can maintain normal blood sugar levels (between 40-120 on a human meter or 70-150 on pet only meter) for 14 days without insulin and the majority of those numbers in the double digits.

I don't know your insulin because if I remember correctly you are using PZI and my girl is a Levemir cat, so I'm not sure how your particular insulin works at the lower doses, I know with the two L insulin we would still be giving insulin at hose numbers but only a small micro-dose even if it was a tiny little thing like a .1u or .2u just enough to help support the pancreas so that they can stay in those double digits as much as possible.

This might be a good time to post over in your insulin specific ISG and have those with experience with your insulin help guide you a little further down the path, but it looks like you have a kitty that would like to go into remission. :-D

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
Then I am screwed because we use a human meter (Relion)????? His 328 on a human meter would be off the charts? I thought a glucose reading was a glucose reading?
 
What did you get the other readings from if not from his meter? Where did the the sunday and this morning's readings come from?

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
It's fine to use the relion meter. Is that what you used to get the readings you posted?

Are you able to get any other tests in - at different times during the cycles?

We typically don't base or make decisions just on the pre-shot numbers alone. It's helpful to see how his BG is during the cycle, as BG's fluctuate and it's important to know if he can maintain the lower numbers.

Don't get discouraged, you are home testing and that's a huge first step. Diet change will influence the numbers and this is very encouraging that you may not have to use insulin for long.

Take a look at Maui's chart and you will see that I tested more than twice a day. I didn't go crazy testing, but I did get good data to really see patterns and to determine when and if to change insulin dose.
 
Sorry, freaking-out newbie here.

We have consistently tested on the Relion -- I was afraid that maybe the numbers weren't "correct" since they were on a human meter.

I think someone asked me about DD injecting/testing. She's been adult for about 3 decades, so she's trust-worthy. :smile: We've kept track in a tracker on the cabinet with the meter/needles, etc.
 
Human meters are fine, most of us use them. The Relion is an especially popular meter here. Mel was mentioning the range for the pet meter just in case you were using one--they run a little higher, so you have to use a different point of reference for those.

Can you get some mid-cycle checks? Some good tests to get to see if the pancreas is working is to get would normally be your pre shot test, a test 2 hrs after that, and then another test 2 hrs after that. If the pancreas is working the way it should, you should see a small rise from the pre-shot number at +2, and then a lower number at +4.
 
I had been looking at everyone's spreadsheets and just created my own using yours as a template (now I see that the template has been posted -- I may just take that over). ;-)

We can probably get an in-between feeding reading or two on the weekend when both my DD are home and able to do more draws. He is her cat and he is definitely a mama's boy. He's a grandma's boy when mama ain't around. As soon as she gets home, he's done with me.
 
Is it possible to get some in the evening after his dinner? That's what I used to do when Bandit was on insulin because I was at work all day.
 
That's possible, too. He gets fed between 7:45-8:00 usually, so we could do a 10:00 stick. I'm wondering how soon it will be when he high-tails it away when he knows what's going on -- he has already learned the "If I fold my ears down really tight ..." move.
 
Actually both of my diabetic cats look forward to their testing because it means tasty treats that they only get when it is test time. Maxwell has been OTJ now for almost a year and a half, but still comes running when he hears me turn on Musette's meter because he wants his treats. Musette comes looking for me if I'm late on her test times. Now neither of these cats knew me from a hole in the wall when I first started testing them as I adopted them both after they became diabetic. Musette lived with the smae family for over 11 years yet she still adores me and comes to look for me at test time.

It just takes patiences and lots of yummy treats and Neo will also look forward to his test times, I'm sure of it.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
swandiver said:
That's possible, too. He gets fed between 7:45-8:00 usually, so we could do a 10:00 stick. I'm wondering how soon it will be when he high-tails it away when he knows what's going on -- he has already learned the "If I fold my ears down really tight ..." move.
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Are you giving him a treat after each test? Bandit fought the testing for about two weeks, until he suddenly realized that if he was a good kitty that held still, he got his treat faster. :-D Now he jumps in his testing basket (I always test him in the same place, a basket lined with fleece blankets because I used to have to burrito him in the blankets), lies down and starts purring when he hears the meter beep on.
 
We have not been, so that may be a good step. He actually takes the testing well -- doesn't fight us. We've been feeding him shortly after testing, but maybe a treat right afterwards would be a good deal.

He tested at 163 tonight, so I'm on the fence about shooting. He was 110 this morning and hasn't had insulin since Saturday morning. I may see about testing in 2 hours and if he's higher, then give him his .5.
 
We re-tested and he came in at 79. This was about an hour and a half after eating. I'm glad now I didn't give him any insulin.

So, what happens now is between feedings his blood level will drop, then rise closer to eating time for him?
 
His bloodsugar will rise with food and then if his pancreas has taken over again it will drop shortly after eating and then 'should' remain fairly level ( a few ups and downs) through out the day. But if he can remain in that 40-120 range for 2 weeks without insulin then you can officially declare him OTJ or off the juice and in remission. If you look at Maxwell's spreadsheet in my signature you will see what a diabetic in remission looks like, Maxwell was one of the lucky ones that it took only a couple of weeks of insulin and a diet change to get him into remission.

Now that isn't to say Neo is cured by any means for once a diabetic, always a diabetic, so if you are lucky enough to have him already in remission that simply means he is a diet controlled diabetic, he will never be able to go back to eating the high carb dry foods or anything with gravy etc, because if he does he will go right back to being an active diabetic again and will need to go back on insulin again.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
Color me amazed, because Neo tested in at 128 this morning prior "breakfast" (last Prozinc was Saturday pre-dinner). I don't want to declare OTJ just yet as we've only just started this trip for less than 2 weeks.
 
What a wonderful read! and sooo glad you found this forum of a great furry family!

My sugar Bean was dx in mid April of last yr. I found this forum, took the advice from here: changed foods, tested and tested (eeks - soo scared of that), micro dosed, did NOT listen to my vet (he increased from 1 unit to 2 units - after 1 wk of insulin and 1 office visit curve). Bean's last shot was in May.
WE are almost 1 yr in remission (OTJ) HURRRAY! :dizcat

I would not suggest your party hat yet, but you might want to get it out and get that dust off of it!

Bean still gets tested about once every 2-3 weeks. Please view her s sheet if you would like.

When we started testing, I took the advice from here, got some frz dried treats: duck, lamb, fish, & petco bonita flakes. She would only get the bonita flakes when we tested. We would get into the same chair, pull out the pokie poke basket and get our supplies out on the table. Kitty in lap, lovin, treat - test...then we treat again. Please make sure you are adding a bit of pressure to the new pokie spot as that helps with bruising. Something else that I used as does many here, is the neosporin w/ pain ointment- small amount applied to the area of testing.
Even today, I get out that basket and head for the chair, she knows and is trying to get in my lap before I can get out the supplies! lol

What a goood mommabean & bean family - Neo is in goood hands! :-D
 
Yes, looks like Neo is on his way! I wouldn't get too worried about that 168. As long as most of the numbers are close to normal, I wouldn't shoot insulin. If all of the numbers were in 150-200 range, then I would say you would probably want to start microdosing, but that 75 after eating without insulin indicates that his pancreas is indeed kicking in. Bandit's numbers went slightly highish like that during the beginning of both his OTJ trials, but then leveled out to be all completely in the normal range after a week or two.
 
Another good day -- 128 pre-breakfast and 136 pre-dinner, so no shots today.

He's feeling fiesty enough I had to separate him from smacking our "low man on the totem pole" cat around. dancing_cat
 
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