New here, and very nervous.

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Viktoria

Viktoria

Member Since 2018
Hello wonderful community! I've been reading through a lot of the posts here, and that has been such a tremendous help already. You all are wonderful.

Ninja, my lovely Siamese, has been diagnosed with FD almost two weeks ago. I'm still trying to get the hang of this whole process, so I come to you with many questions:

1. Is it better to feed him several times through out the day? Or is it better if he has two set meals? (He is eating Sheeba perfect portions Pates - is that an acceptable food? Based on his weight, he should be eating about 7 portions according to their calorie info, however the portions say to feed double that on the labels.. Any thoughts there?)

2. Here is his spreadsheet - I feel like I'm not making much progress with his BG coming down. Do I need to increase the dose? Be more patient? (He is on Lantus) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nGvS_up1FvVzm2qERIM6KjnvbRxvqOI_ub8Gx8sVMNY/edit?usp=sharing

3. Saturday morning I will have to be leaving the house VERY early (around 4-4:30am). I normally give his injections around 6-6:30am. Should I skip it? Or move the dose 30 mins each day until we get to the 4am mark? Or alternatively, do I board him/get a sitter? (I'm concerned that boarding will cause a lot of stress on him)

4. Brings me to my next question. How do you travel? Do you have a petsitter? Do you board? How do you keep yourself from worrying about you sugar kitty the entire time?

Thank you all so much for your help!
 
Welcome to the best place you never wanted to be! You are already doing an amazing job testing and setting up your spreadsheet!

1. This totally depends on Ninja, but most of us feed smaller meals multiple times a day. I feed my buddy Lou 4 times per 12-hour cycle. The Sheba perfect portions pates are definitely acceptable food, we have some for Lou although we mostly feed Fancy Feast. You want low carb wet foods under 10% carbs, I try to stay under 6%. I have a link to a food chart in my signature if you'd like to find other options that are under the 10% carbs. I'd feed based on weight and their calories instead of their instructions. No real logic there, just my thought, haha.

2. Lantus is what we call a depot insulin, which means you cannot rush the process. I started using Vetsulin, which is an in-and-out insulin, so I dosed and saw immediate results. It was such a hard thing to get used to when we switched to glargine (we're on Basaglar, which is similar in action to Lantus). Be prepared to have some patience pants with this insulin, since can take some time to see some action as the depot stabilizes. The initial dose is held for 5-7 days before increasing, although someone more experienced with dosing might give you the go ahead to increase since Ninja is staying so high. You are currently on your 8th cycle.

3. Since Ninja is so high, I think I'd rather make sure he gets his insulin. I'd probably move the shot time up if you can. You can certainly board him or have someone come in. I haven't yet gone that route, so I can't really comment. I do know plenty of people who have someone they can trust give insulin when they can't. My husband is my backup, but it was many months before he started helping.

4. We really haven't traveled much since Lou was diagnosed. However, that's been our choice and not a statement for all diabetic parents. We are taking him on his first vacation with us in a couple of weeks, so we'll see how that goes. :) I know plenty of people to take their diabetic with them when they travel. There was even a gal who took her kitty camping. It can be done, it's just a matter of how far you're willing to go. You're going to worry. It's what you do when you care about someone. After a while, when you have more experience, you'll be better equipped with confidence to handle time away. It's all a learning process. You'll get there eventually.:bighug:
 
Thank you Amanda and Lou! :)

Out of curiosity, are you using a human meter? Or AT? (I'm using AT, though I'm not sure how much that matter in terms of how high the numbers are).

I'm getting increasingly more anxious about his high numbers, but I'm also scared to increase his dose too much, too fast. The vet wanted to start him on 2 units at first, and that seemed very high based on what I've read here + with switching him to a low carb, canned food diet. But I also don't want to wait to long and risk DKA :/ Is it possible that it will take the full 5 days for the levels to come down more? Or is it likely that I just need to increase the dose?
 
Welcome Viktoria!! Glad to see you finally made it over here from the Facebook group (and all the trouble getting signed onto the board!)

We know it's so hard to be patient when we want our kitties to be cured yesterday, but there's really no rushing it.

Hold that 1U dose for a couple more cycles and if he's still running too high, we'll be the first ones to tell you to increase to 1.25

Have you looked at the two different dosing methods? Tight Regulation is the more aggressive, but it also gives the best chance at remission. It requires a little more testing, but you're doing great at that! It's also been published in a veterinary journal so it's got science behind it. The good part is that you can change the dose as often as every 3 days if they're not getting where you want them. (once the depot is full which is what you're doing now..."filling the depot")

Start Low, Go Slow works better for some people though.....we've had some success with cats going into remission using it too, but TR has better statistics for remission. It doesn't require quite as much testing, but you also have to hold the dose for 7 days, even if you see numbers you don't like.

It'll also be helpful if you'll go ahead and add some more information to your signature. Mostly we like to see things like:

Your name/cats name, age, sex, date of diagnosis, type of insulin, type of meter, type of food, any other health issues or medications? and a general location (and when you decide on a dosing method, add that too) Then the link to your spreadsheet (like you have there now)

It just keeps us from asking the same questions over and over again and helps us to get to know you and your sweet kitty better!
 
Thank you so much for all of your help, Chris! Your persistence and follow up is appreciated tremendously!

Do you think tomorrow evening would be an acceptable time to increase the dose? (I'm home the rest of the evening after the injection, where in the AM, I get a +1 and I'm out the door) That would mean that I have this evening's cycle to see how it's going, tomorrow morning and then increase it tomorrow night. Or give it until Wednesday night?

I did read about the two dosing methods. I love the idea of a remission for my sweet Ninja, but I'm worried that I am not around enough to increase his dose so quickly, and I am unsure how often I can do the curves (looks like they need to be done weekly for the TR?). I work M-F, leaving the house at 7-7:30am and not being back until 6pm or so. My husband can help with a test in the evening when he gets home (around 4:30pm) but that is a long day for Ninj without supervision should anything go wrong. What are your thoughts?

Added the info the my signature :) Thank you for the tip!
 
Viktoria said:
Do you think tomorrow evening would be an acceptable time to increase the dose?
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yes

Viktoria said:
I am unsure how often I can do the curves (looks like they need to be done weekly for the TR?)
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You actually don't need to do a "curve" at all on TR....as long as you can get tests sprinkled around, you don't need an actual curve.....on SLGS you do.

Viktoria said:
I work M-F, leaving the house at 7-7:30am and not being back until 6pm or so.
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Have you read the thread on "Is TR possible with a full time job? Yes!" ? Lots of good ideas from people who've done it!!

Is your husband willing to give shots too? You might consider shooting at 5:30/5:30.....that would let you get a +2 before you leave in the morning so you'd have a better idea of what kind of food to leave out.

An auto-feeder like this PetSafe 5 can be your best friend!!
 
Hello and welcome. Good for you for home testing and asking questions. It shows how much you care about Ninja.

Weekly curves are part of Start Low Go Slow (SLGS). For TR (Tight Regulation) we get at least two tests per cycle, the preshot and one other somewhere in the middle. No matter which dosing method you start with, you hold the dose a minimum of 5 days. When did you start giving insulin?

Many of us use automatic feeders to help manage numbers when we are away.
 
Viktoria said:
Thank you Amanda and Lou! :)

Out of curiosity, are you using a human meter? Or AT? (I'm using AT, though I'm not sure how much that matter in terms of how high the numbers are).

I'm getting increasingly more anxious about his high numbers, but I'm also scared to increase his dose too much, too fast. The vet wanted to start him on 2 units at first, and that seemed very high based on what I've read here + with switching him to a low carb, canned food diet. But I also don't want to wait to long and risk DKA :/ Is it possible that it will take the full 5 days for the levels to come down more? Or is it likely that I just need to increase the dose?
Click to expand...

We are using a human meter, the Contour Next meter. I know the Relion brand (Confirm or Micro) from Walmart is a popular choice around here because it's inexpensive and generally easily accessible. The human meters run a bit lower than the AlphaTrak meter. The take action number with a human meter is 50, and 68 with the AT. Just keep in mind the protocols are written for human meters, so your cutoff numbers would be a bit different.

I completely understand about the numbers. I get twitchy when Lou spends too much time in high numbers as well. While I've really wanted to jump ahead in this FD dance, I've learned that can be counter-intuitive with Lantus. The first cycle is the most nerve-wracking I think, but you're almost to the increasing point. I'm not sure how much a kitty can shoot down after so many cycles, but I imagine it is a possibility, which is why the initial dose is held longer.
 
Just wanted to say hello & tell you you found the right place to be. The people here have lots of experience & will tell you the right information to help your Ninja ( Love his name :) )

Can I ask if you fed him dry food? Some of the people I met here stopped the dry food & their kitty went into remission. It doesn't always happen but sometimes it does!

I'll check on you & Ninja once in a while. Best of Luck! It will get easier! :) :bighug:
 
Chris & China said:
yes


Chris & China said:
yes



You actually don't need to do a "curve" at all on TR....as long as you can get tests sprinkled around, you don't need an actual curve.....on SLGS you do.



Have you read the thread on "Is TR possible with a full time job? Yes!" ? Lots of good ideas from people who've done it!!

Is your husband willing to give shots too? You might consider shooting at 5:30/5:30.....that would let you get a +2 before you leave in the morning so you'd have a better idea of what kind of food to leave out.

An auto-feeder like this PetSafe 5 can be your best friend!!
Click to expand...

You actually don't need to do a "curve" at all on TR....as long as you can get tests sprinkled around, you don't need an actual curve.....on SLGS you do.



Have you read the thread on "Is TR possible with a full time job? Yes!" ? Lots of good ideas from people who've done it!!

Is your husband willing to give shots too? You might consider shooting at 5:30/5:30.....that would let you get a +2 before you leave in the morning so you'd have a better idea of what kind of food to leave out.

An auto-feeder like this PetSafe 5 can be your best friend!!
Click to expand...

My husband is willing to do shots, for sure. So we may move up the time as you suggested. Thank you!

I did just order a feeder like that on amazon! I’m hoping that helps our feeding process.

As far as the dose - I’m looking to move it up soon, but should I increase it by .25 or .5 since we aren’t seeing any improvement really with 1 unit? In fact, I feel like his numbers were better at first than they are now. Is this normal?
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Hello and welcome. Good for you for home testing and asking questions. It shows how much you care about Ninja.

Weekly curves are part of Start Low Go Slow (SLGS). For TR (Tight Regulation) we get at least two tests per cycle, the preshot and one other somewhere in the middle. No matter which dosing method you start with, you hold the dose a minimum of 5 days. When did you start giving insulin?

Many of us use automatic feeders to help manage numbers when we are away.
Click to expand...

I started him on insulin on morning of 07.27. I’m just worried that I’m not really seeing much improvement on 1 unit... when and how much do I increase the dose?

Which method do you prefer/recommend?
 
Amanda and a Loudogg said:
We are using a human meter, the Contour Next meter. I know the Relion brand (Confirm or Micro) from Walmart is a popular choice around here because it's inexpensive and generally easily accessible. The human meters run a bit lower than the AlphaTrak meter. The take action number with a human meter is 50, and 68 with the AT. Just keep in mind the protocols are written for human meters, so your cutoff numbers would be a bit different.

I completely understand about the numbers. I get twitchy when Lou spends too much time in high numbers as well. While I've really wanted to jump ahead in this FD dance, I've learned that can be counter-intuitive with Lantus. The first cycle is the most nerve-wracking I think, but you're almost to the increasing point. I'm not sure how much a kitty can shoot down after so many cycles, but I imagine it is a possibility, which is why the initial dose is held longer.
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Thank you!

Any tips on how to switch from AT to a human meter? The strip costs are getting to be rather expensive...
 
JoyBee&Ravan said:
Just wanted to say hello & tell you you found the right place to be. The people here have lots of experience & will tell you the right information to help your Ninja ( Love his name :) )

Can I ask if you fed him dry food? Some of the people I met here stopped the dry food & their kitty went into remission. It doesn't always happen but sometimes it does!

I'll check on you & Ninja once in a while. Best of Luck! It will get easier! :) :bighug:
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Thank you so much for the warm welcome! ❤️ I was feeding him dry food, but he’s been on canned, LC for almost a week and a half now. Without much improvement it seems. This is so nerve wrecking especially since I can’t ask him how he’s doing :/
 
If you are following SLGS, you hold the dose for 7 days, looks like day 5 on the spreadsheet, then increase by 0.25 units. If you are following TR, you hold the dose 5-7 days, then increase by 0.25 units. Which dosing method you choose depends on your lifestyle and what suits you. Read the Sticky Notes for each and see what would work for you. You test enough for TR, but it includes faster increases and a lower reduction point. You also need to test at least 2 times per cycle, the preshot and one other somewhere in the middle of the cycle. However, if there is any dry food still in the picture, you have to use SLGS.
Viktoria said:
Any tips on how to switch from AT to a human meter? The strip costs are getting to be rather expensive...
Click to expand...
Go out and buy a human meter with strips and just start using it. Many people used the Relion Confirm/Micro from Walmart if in the US. The strips are cheaper and it takes the same amount of blood as the AT. You can also buy the Glucocard01 online at ADW - same manufacturer. If you do switch, we have people who can make the appropriate changes to your spreadsheet.
 
Viktoria said:
As far as the dose - I’m looking to move it up soon, but should I increase it by .25 or .5 since we aren’t seeing any improvement really with 1 unit? In fact, I feel like his numbers were better at first than they are now. Is this normal?
Click to expand...

First of all Welcome!!

And you need to be super patient trying to raise the dose too quickly won't help it can actually slow the process, we know is awful to see his numbers appear to not improve, but they will on the right time.

Specially on a newly diagnosed cat you need to give him the time to adapt to getting insulin that's why you need to wait and we always increase the dose by 0.25 u to avoid missing the right dose and also so that he doesn't go to low or start bouncing
 
Hello and welcome to the best forum on the web!:woot: I'm sure you've read enough of our posts by now to know this is a life-saving experience. You're just getting started so don't be nervous and don't be shy about asking lots and lots of questions.:D Soon you'll come to recognize this 'family' of helpers give so much of themselves to help save another kitty in this world from a needless euthansia (what my vet suggested right away!!!)...:mad::mad:

You CAN do this! :cat: And your Ninja is worth every minute, every penny - we can already tell how much you love him or you wouldn't be here in the first place! It's a great group...enjoy your journey!:D:D
 
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Welcome to the board. You are definitely in the right place to learn, get advice and support. Many members here have been caring for the fur kids 24/7, for years. They know what they are talking about. Please be at ease and trust that you are doing the best for Ninja. :cat:
 
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