New diagnosis, new diet?

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Hi all,
Tessie has been getting 2 units twice daily and has been transitioning over last 13 days to 100% Purina DM canned diet. She has been on 100% Purina since 12/30.

I did my first test on Tessie Lou at 6:30pm tonight (+8), and it was only 166. I checked her again at 10:20pm and she was at 226, but DH and I had a hard time testing her and she was really stressed. So we decided not to shoot tonight and check her in the a.m. Does this sound like the right decision?

Thanks,
Sandy

Tessie Lou
Black/orange/gray tabby
approx. 4 years old
16.2 lbs (down from 17.8 in July 2010)
Starting BG at diagnosis on 11/25/10 was 450
Started on ProZinc 2 units bid;
BG at vet's office 12/13/10 was 365; changed to 3 units bid
Reduced to 2 units bid and started 13-day transitioning to Purina DM canned on 12/17
Started 100% Purina DM canned on 12/30/10
 
Yes that was the right decision. You don't want to shoot 2 units with a lower bg like that.

Congratulations on getting some tests in. Aren't you glad that you tested and knew that she was too low to give insulin to?

When you get more comfortable with this process and have more data you will be able to give a token dose (a smaller amount of insulin) at a bg of 150 to 200.

Come back and post your AMPS for us.

Robin
 
Thanks for the confirmation, Robin. Yes, I was glad to have the 166 and know it was too low for insulin.
Tessie's AMPS was 352 this morning, shortly after feeding her 3 oz of Purina DM. So, I gave her 2 units. The testing is still a struggle, but I know it must be done.
I'm going to start a new thread once I get my spreadsheet ready. This one is getting too long.

Also, Robin, I was curious why you switched from Lantus to ProZinc? I read somewhere that Lantus has more remission successes than ProZinc?

Sandy
 
Those are pretty good #s though - 166 at +8 is nice for a nadir, and a PS of 226 at +12 is pretty ideal at this stage. Interesting that she didn't go up higher than 352 overnight.

The only concern I have is if you don't have much data, it's hard to know if the 2u is a good dose or not. I'd say it is fairly close by the #s you have, but if you have just finished a transition to lower carb food you may see the #s coming down more over the next few days, and that could change the picture. I can't remember how much carb the DM is - I'm thinking there are over-the-counter foods that are lower carb (and hopefully cheaper) if you are interested. Many of us feed Wellness or certain Fancy Feast flavors, at around 4% carbs. Some also have had really good results with Sophisticat (PetSmart?) or Special Kitty (WalMart?) if I recall.

Testing will definitely get easier as you get more practice, and as she learns it's not so bad afterall. Keep getting those PSs and if you can maybe one mid-cycle spot check a day (and vary the times if you can), and that will give you a better picture for evaluating the dose and knowing whether or not you can shoot that dose on the lower PSs like that when you see them again. Usually we recommend to people that it's ok to stick with the regular dose on anything 200 or above, but again until you have a little more data it makes sense to me to be cautious like you were.
 
Sandy, I'm late to this thread but wanted to offer you some encouragement anyway. You seem to be doing better with the testing and such now, but your earlier posts rang very familiar with me - I was the same way! Crying through failed tests, thinking I was never going to get the hang of things, etc. There's a steep learning curve in the beginning, that's for sure. My Sam is now back to his old self (maybe better!) even though his ps numbers hover in the 2-300's. He's on 2 units of Prozinc also and despite us switching to a LC diet, his dosage hasn't come down yet. I'm at peace with how he's doing though and you should try to feel the same about Tessie. You're doing a great job. Things will get better as you get more comfortable with this whole process. It's a tough disease, but with the amazing support and help here, it's definitely manageable!
 
Sandy...... Hi there from another newbie!

O ya... been there hon! (still there ;-) But testing is so very important and it really does get easier. I might have lost Bud (Bud's a girl) had I not been testing.

DH puts a flashlight under her ear and lances her over the flashlight. I put a very smooth emory board end under her ear. *shrug* whatevah works. And the ears will 'learn' to bleed. I find it's easier if I sit on the sofa and put her beside my thigh and lean over. Rubbing all her favorite spots and rubbing her ears for a few minutes until she's purring helps. I keep all the supplies in a little basket on the table and make sure that the meter is loaded before I lance her. Still, on a bad day, I sometimes have to poke her 3 times.

If food price is an issue, I've found 6 SophistiCats (Petsmart) with 0-4 carbs that she (and our other cat, Itty Bitty, both like) and it's about 40 cents a can. Gator told me to put some water over it and they love the 'juice' also.

Do you have Tessie's spread sheet up yet? I found it a bit hard to get it going (someone on here actually did it for me) but it is really easy to use. And the different colors for different BGs really help you 'see' what's going on.

Keep up the good work!

As for the great advice and the great folks in here... They really are angels.
 
Thanks for the input everyone! It is comforting to know I'm not alone in this.

Tessie's AMPS was 396 immediately following her breakfast of 1/2 can Purina DM (4.5 carbs), and so I gave her 1 unit. I'm planning to get a midpoint reading today around 3 or 4pm and then if she is in the 200s again tonight, I think I will give her another 1 unit. I skipped shot last night as she was only 210. I think it would be better to give two doses a day than just one, agreed?

Another looming problem: I am very curious about how everyone works (or doesn't work) with their vets. I think I am going to have to change vets because mine is opposed to home testing w/human glucometers, U-100 syringes, and even fought me on changing diet from dry Royal Canin High Fiber to lc Purina DM canned. That's the only concession she has made since Tessie's diagnosis. I have an appointment w/vet on Wed. for a BG blood draw and expect fireworks. My question is, are there a lot of vets out there who go along with home testing? Is my vet in the minority? Any input is appreciated. I plan to call some other vet clinics today. I don't want to change vets. She is close proximity, has inhouse lab and latest equipment. I thought she was progressive until this diagnosis. I'm going to post this question on the main forum as well.

Thanks again,
Sandy
 
Yes 2 shots a day are generally better than one. If you get something like the 210 again, instead of skipping the shot you can try a lower dose, that will usually help you stay on schedule, and also keep the #s from going as high overnight.

Good luck today! It will be interesting to see what data you get.

For vets, that is tough if your vet is fighting with you. My vet and I have had some disagreements, but she has been supportive and was the one who initially suggested I try home testing. I think that's a little uncommon though. Some things of course I just don't tell her, like she freaked out at the idea of the U100 syringes, so I just don't tell her now that I do that.

You could try printing out some things that are sort-of official and drop those off. For instance Dr. Rand discusses using human meters - if you go here: http://www.uq.edu.au/ccah/index.html?page=41544 and then click on the Link to Article in the 2nd entry (Cats: Information on Use of NPH and Lente....), there is a paragraph on the 1st page discussing how to interpret the numbers from human meters vs. lab or animal meters. I'm sure there are other things around (there used to be a "How to Convince your Vet!" section, but I'm not sure where it is these days - maybe poke around in Health Links and the stickies on the L forums and you may find useful things). I'm thinking that most vets will probably respond better to something that's been written by another vet.

Ultimately though you are hiring the vet to give you advice & treatment. If they are fighting with you, that seems out of place to me (I mean, you're not paying them to ADD to your stress!!! ohmygod_smile ). I think it's good that you are calling some other vets - who knows, maybe you will stumble on one you really like.
 
Joanna... I read that article. So, using my ReliOn, if I get a 60, Bud's BG is really more like 90?
 
Oh gosh, sorry for the can of worms aspect. Don't even think about it frankly (if that's possible!). The majority here use human meters so all reference #s are in that respect. There is no consensus that I have seen on exactly what the #s are - some meters appear to run lower than others, not all human meters do that though necessarily, dual-meter testing has produced mixed results, etc. etc. If the thinking helps your vet, then it's useful, otherwise I wouldn't worry about it. There is debate, for instance, on whether something like a 50 is actually a good and valid #, or it's really an 80 in disguise due to the meters. Who knows really, I am not a scientist, so I just have a viewpoint that works for me and keeps me sane, and I think that's what most people do - just pick a meter you like, stick with it, and go with the published guidelines for #s, and then don't worry about it beyond that.
 
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