New Members - Jack, Samantha and Dad

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Thebudster77

Thebudster77

Member Since 2014
Hello Everyone,
This is an introduction of who we are and what we have gone through over the past 30 days. It may get long but I want to provide as much information I can in hopes of getting some good responses as well as to describe what I have been through should it help anyone else (the goal of the this message board).

Jack is the main character (for now). Male 10 years old, 9.24 lbs. and DX 8/9/14 with BG of 634. Diabetic neuropathy in front and hind legs.
- Vet prescribed 1u Lantus bid and change of diet to Purina DM wet ½ can 2x and 1/16 cup DM chows.
- I am also giving 4 drops Blood Sugar Gold (anybody else use this ?) and 3 mg AM/1.5 mg (PM) of Zobaline for the Diabetic Neuropathy.

Samantha is female, 14 years old and 14.9 lbs. She is “Big Boned” but could stand to lose a lb or 2. She was DX on 8/28 with BG of 305 (I knew the numbers using Jack’s AlphaTrak 270-388, ). After research, I am going to try Blood Sugar Gold (8 drops for 15 lbs.) for a month to see if I can get her numbers down without insulin. The vet prescribed .5u bid, should I not see an improvement. She would like to see under 200 at peak (+4 hours after feeding).
At this point, I am so close to that edge that appeared out of nowhere on 8/9 that, with 2 cats to monitor and 2 cats to shoot, that it might just push me over the proverbial cliff.

Both cats are on the same diet. ½ can DM + 1/16 cup DM chows at 6 AM and 6 PM and that’s it. Jack has to have it and Samantha could use to lose a little weight and help with her numbers. Both are used to feeding at 4 PM and free range of chows. Well my Furry Feline Children, things have changed.

The Saga….
After 8 days @ 1u and strict diet (no peace, 2 hours before 6 PM feeding) and (no sleep, 2 hours before 6 AM feeding) his numbers were still in the high 600’s.
I increased to 1.5u and the numbers started to come down got 424 @ +3 and 487 @ +5.
A couple of days later I got in contact with my vet and agreed to go to 2u. Still low 500’s.
Contacted Vet and agreed to go to 3 u. Got +5 280 and PMPS of 326. Headed in the right direction.

At my first curve (in more ways than 1), I got an AMPS of 150 (never been here before). I thought this was too low to give the 3u and opted for NO INSULIN. After consulting with my Vet later in the day, she said that @150 + 3u + food would probably been ok. A PMPS of 434 with no insulin and 3u’s it is.

5 days @ 3u’s and I am 1 day away from my 2nd curve. I am ready or so I thought.
I get an AMPS of 76. I am panicked. That’s too low to give 3u’s so I give just the food and within an hour it is 110, 2 hours 126, 4 hours 165.
I relayed a message to the Other Vet, as my regular one was not available, that maybe I should go to 2u.
She emailed me and said to continue 3u’s and next curve if I get a PS of <80 to call and discuss treatment. That is all that was said. I said to myself, Say what?
She gave me nothing to go on to continue 3u’s, possibly wind up @76 or worse again and to consult with her and reduce dosage. Those were my thoughts right, wrong or indifferent.

A quote that I have seen here (yes I was a lurker) came to mind. “Would you give your child Insulin without knowing what the BG numbers were?” Well I will NOT give MY children Insulin (or the same amount) if I think there is even a slight possibility of going Hypo. Not on my watch!

By PMPS it is 498 with having no AM shot, figures.
After further research and looking at a few posts here, I decided to decrease the dosage to 2u. The next day PMPS was 133. I thought back to the “3u @150 + food would have probably been ok” and said 2u at 133 + food sounds right.
Turns out it was wrong. I believe the logic to be correct. The 3u @ 150 + Food may not have been correct because ECID and things change. But just how different and what changed, are the real questions that yield few answers.

This is where things get a little hairy.

9/3/14 PM- Another 2u’s PM. I decide to test @ peak.
At +4 I get 69 (panic attack (Dad), shows no symptoms of Hypo (Jack). Fed a couple chows, he eats and is alert.
At +5 and 65, Dad reaches for the Karo (thank you for the tip about knowing where it is before you need to use it), Jack licks about 1 tsp. and eats a couple more chows.
At +6 it is 102. We are out of the woods for tonight. Dad needs rest and sleep if possible.
AMPS is 185. I am reducing to 1u based upon last night’s episode.
At +5 it is 171. PMPS is 158 (didn’t expect lower but ok within limits of the tester (AlphaTrak 2). Gave 1u. Tested @ +4 and got 101. Gave a tsp of wet DM and a couple of chows. Right now I am not sure why I fed him but those are my notes.

9/5 AMPS 220 (probably because of the extra food). Gave 1u. I had a recheck appointment at the Vet that day. He is walking better, grooming good, standing/squatting to urinate) and is vocal. He does say Hello when I say it to him, he is also saying Bless you when either my wife or I sneeze (normal sign). The Vet wanted to change to 2u’s. I negotiated 1.5u. The orders are take PS and peak (+4). If PS is between 70 and 100 only give 1u. If below 70 no insulin.
Tested at + 4.5 got 413. Huh? I swore I gave him the shot. Or Did I ? My mind is mush at this point. If I did give him the shot did I miss? I have shaved the area to ensure that I am confident that I get it all in. I dunno..
477 @ +8. Is showing a number that I would only expect had he gotten no shot. Like I said. Not sure and now I am beginning to second guess my every action. A reason why I am posting. Has anybody seen this? (Without the doubt about the shot of course).

I start the 1.5u in PM. At +3 (I peeked before the peak), it was 109. At +4 it was 90. Ok good.

Which brings us to today. Is anyone still with me here? I maybe providing too much information, too quickly and was, I thought, getting to a good place with Jack’s numbers and was seeking affirmation from the group here. And…….BAM!

AMPS 75. Ok the orders are, if between 100 and 70 reduce to 1u. I gave him 1u and will test at peak (+4).
Tested at +4 and got 39. I said NO WAY! I took another test on the other ear. 40 !!!!! HELP! What is going on here?

I gave him a tsp. of Karo and 1tblsp. Wet DM. He ate fine, is alert and grooming himself. Normal signs right!
Waited 1 hour and @ +5 (10 minutes ago) I got 78..ok..back to a safe number.

A bullet review and questions/concerns. ANY input would be greatly appreciated.
- Started out 8/9 @ 1u and getting high 500’s over 8 days.
- Changed to 2u’s. Numbers came down to mid-400’s over 6 days.
- Changed to 3u’s on 8/23. Did not test for a few days as both the Vet and my wife were like “Give him a break”. Got +5 280, PMPS of 326, then the 150 PS that I thought was too low but in hindsight was ok.
- After 2 more days of 3u’s, no testing. I did an AMPS to get ready for the next day’s curve. I got 76. Reduced dosage to 2u with nothing to go on to continue 3. Got the 69 and 65 at +4.
- Reduced to 1u for a day until Vet appt. and agreed to do 1.5u
- AM and PM PS’s in the 100-150 range.
- TODAY AMPS 75. Per orders if between 100 and 70 then only 1 unit. Gave 1 unit.
- +4 got 39, Re-tested in other ear. Got 40. Gave 1 tsp Karo and 1 tblsp. DM wet.

I really do not know what to think or do. I have no idea why a decrease in the dosage has gotten him this low. 1u with an AMPS of 75 and food…he ate it all! And at +4 I get 40!

I have no clue what to do now. It appears that even 1u is too much today. What about tomorrow? I suppose I can do ½ u.

Any input/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

This Is just not what I was expecting.. To say the least.

I have attached a spreadsheet (multiple tabs), the vet gave me and I am keeping it up-to-date from the complete set of data I have in the AlphaTracker Software.

Anyway, I want to thank the owner of this board for this board, the information it provides and to the members that it has connected with and the shared advice/experiences that they have had.

My best to all you “Sugar Dancers” out there. May all your dances be short and not too stressful!
 
Hi and welcome to FDMB.

So far you are off to a great start with a good insulin and hometesting. I have never heard of Blood Sugar Gold so I am not sure how effective it is. Usually we recommend managing FD with a low carb/high protein canned or raw food diet, insulin and hometesting.

Increases of insulin should be done over a period of weeks with allowing at least one week between increases. If your dose needs to be increased, we suggest only increasing it by 1/4 to 1/2 unit and wait at least one more week before determining if it still needs to be increased more. In your spreadsheet, it looks like you may have increased the insulin every 3 days. It takes at least one week for a cat's body to adjust to the new dose.

What also may be contributing to the high numbers is the DM dry food. Almost all dry foods are high in carbs, including DM. A better diet would be a high protein/low carb canned or raw food diet. It also does not need to be prescription food either. Most cats quickly stop eating it anyway. Many of us feed our cats Friskies or Fancy Feast canned foods. Avoid flavors with gravy in them, pate flavors are lower in carbs. One caution though: Do not remove the dry food until you also lower your insulin dose. Your cats could become hypoglycemic. My suggestion is to start over at 1 unit and gradually increase if needed.

For the neuropathy, the Zobaline is a good choice for the methyl B12. Many people on FDMB use it for their cats. Once you start getting Jacks BG levels under control, you should start to see significant improvement in the neuropathy. When I adopted Spot, she was not on insulin and had severe neuropathy. She could barely walk. Within a month of the proper care, she was walking. In about two months, jumping on furniture and within 6 months, you would have never realized that at one time she could barely walk. It will take time.
 
Hello Lisa,

Thank you for the welcome.

I do understand about waiting for week on each dosage but did run into some unfamiliar numbers. I am more educated now.

What I really do not understand is how he could get to 40 on a reduction of dosage from 1.5 to 1. When he was 90 the night before with 1.5u it just does not make sense. Unless his body is just now reacting to the 3 units? I was under the impression that every 12 hours, the insulin is used. In some cases I read that it may be 14 hours but I thought with reducing to 1u, that I was in no danger of having it be 40

Each time I get the low numbers and didnot give him a shot, his numbers go into the 400's. That is an expected result. I am sure this is playing into this scenario. Just how I am not so sure.

I plan on doing a PMPS. Not sure what I am going to get with having given him karo and extra food. ALL other times, unless noted, he was on a strict 1/2 can wet DM AM and PM and 10 chows after his shot for being a good boy. Every time he ate everything.

I guess I will have to play it by ear after the PMPS in 4 hours. I figure 1u if 125 - 150. .5u if 100-124 and nothing if less than that.

Does that sound like a reasonable approach? There is nothing else I can really think of to do. I have been here before on what I thought was a lark. Being here for a 2nd and most likely a 3rd time (if I had given him the 3u @ 150), I am questioning everything because the numbers just do not make sense based upon what I have done.

Thank you in advance for any light you might be able to shed on this.
 
Welcome extra sweet Jack, Samantha and DadBean!

Those sudden high numbers may be a bounce from the low numbers....as a defense mechanism, the liver releases hormones to increase the glucose when it senses danger - ie: extra low numbers. It takes 24-72 hours for a bounce to clear. Looks like his pancreas is possibly working at times, that's a good thing but will make your sugar dance a 'Fast Step'.

Hugs!
 
Also, for newbies, we usually recommend using a BG reading lower than 200 as your "don't shoot" number. Once you learn how your cats respond to their dose, then you can gradually lower the BG don't shoot level. At the time I had sugar kitties, my don't shoot number was 125. It is better to skip a dose and have them high at the next reading than drop too low for even a moment.
 
Another reason the numbers seem wonky is how Lantus works. When Lantus is injected, it forms small crystals under the skin. These slowly dissolve and take effect. When you shoot on a schedule of every 12 hours, some of those crystals have yet to finish dissolving. This is called the depot. It takes about 3 to 5 full days ( 6 to 10 shot cycles) on the same dose to reach a stable dosing pattern.

When you change the dosing, the full impact may not be seen for 3 to 5 days, and the most critical time to test is around the nadir, or lowest glucose level between shots. This is often between +5 to +7 hours after the shot. You want that to stay safely above 50 mg/dL on a human glucometer and about 65 mg/dL on a pet glucometer.
 
Hi Jack, Samantha, & Dad!

My name is Shelly; my cat, Jersey, is one of the many success stories of FDMB. After being on Lantus for about two months, she is now in remission. While we were here, we followed what's called the "Tight Regulation (TR)" protocol. There are other approaches to using Lantus, but I'll just briefly describe how TR works since that's what I'm most familiar with.

With TR, we always test before each shot (AM and PM). We also get tests in during each cycle. Every 3 days (6 cycles), we re-evaluate the numbers to see if the dose may need to be changed. For newly diagnosed cats (i.e., less than a year), we generally recommend a .25 unit reduction if they fall below 50 on a human meter.

Like BJ mentioned, we can change the dose, but it takes time for that change to be seen in the kitty's body. For example, if I reduce from 1.5 to 1.0 unit, I may not see that change until two cycles later. That's because of the way Lantus is stored in the body. I kind of think of it like a cup. When first starting out, you give an injection. Some of the insulin goes into the cup and some goes right to work. Over several cycles, the cup gets full and starts spilling over into the bloodstream. So....you now have some of the insulin you're injecting and some of the insulin from the cup that are now working together. If you decrease a dose, your cup may still be full and may still be spilling some insulin over into the bloodstream. It will take a little while for the cup to get to the right levels that you want it be at. It's not a great analogy - but that's how I've always had to think of it. ohmygod_smile

With Lantus, we try to shoot 12 hours apart and dosing is based (mostly) on the nadir (low point of the cycle) - not the pre-shot number. Most vets don't understand that this is how it works. They are used to insulins in which the dose is based on that pre-shot number. We just mainly use the pre-shot number in TR to determine if it is safe to shoot or not. (Obviously, you wouldn't want to give insulin if the pre-shot number is 43!) Anyway....we look at how low a given dose is taking a cat. If it's below 50, it's too much. If you give varying doses (e.g., 1 unit at AM and 2 units at PM), you'll end up getting some crazy numbers. That's because the cup doesn't know whether it needs to drain or fill up. (Again - that weird cup analogy.)

Okay....so I'll stop there before I confuse you - and myself- with my cup analogy! :lol: What questions do you have?

I'm glad you find this site. There are tons of knowledgeable people who can help you with this difficult dance.

:YMHUG:
Shelly
 
It looks like my reply to BJM didn't make it.

What I wrote was:

AH HA!

That is the first response that I have gotten to why low numbers with and even lower dosage. Thank you , Thank you, THANK YOU!

It all makes sense now. I shoot some, some dissolve some crystalize. Thus higher numbers than expected. Shoot some more, some get in, some crystalize.

At some point, (currently ranks in my upper top 10 in "Worst Moments in My Life). the cup runneth over and along with my current dose, wham! LOW, LOW LOW

I get it.

So getting to Shelly's response.

My name is Kevin, nice to meet you.

So happy to hear that your Jersey is in remission. Congrats!

I have read that we have to be somewhat aggressive if a better outcome is desired. I have been aggressive and to the point that the vet thinks I may be sticking him too much but I need to understand this to the best of my ability. For my Jack and a little bit for my sanity or what little there is left of it.

I have stopped the Blood Sugar Gold until I can get some consistent numbers. BJM's explanation helps me understand that the Blood Sugar Gold may not be inhibiting the readings but none the less, I am going to eliminate a possible source of his way low numbers.

I have been tracking what I thought was nadir @ +4 hours. Looked at the Action Curve for Lantus and ok 4 -6 is in the range of 5 to 7 (ECID)

I gave only 1u tonight with a PMPS of 143. Will test at +4, +5. If +5 is higher than +4 then nadir has been reached.. right? Unless those crystals are dissolving later in the game ?

Your cup analogy is very good. I understand it. Knowing when and how it all works is most likely not an exact science thus the Sugar Dance.

I will get the nadir tonight and rely on that for dosage but at 1 for a while, I am willing to see 200's rather than face the 40. I will also use the PS to determine shoot or not.

Thank you for your help.
 
It's nice to meet you, Kevin!

Oh - the Blood Sugar Gold - I forgot to mention that one. I've seen it mentioned on here several times, but I haven't actually ever read about anyone having success with it. You're right; taking it out eliminates one more variable.

If you think you might like to stick around and let us help you, you might want to consider using the spreadsheet that we use. (You can see an example at the bottom of our posts.) We have lots of experienced users here who can help you with dosing adjustments you may need to make. Using the "standard" spreadsheet that everyone is used to seeing might make it easier for them to read the numbers. If you're interested, let me know and I'll send you some instructions for setting one up.

It's fantastic that you're home testing! :-D It helps so much to be able to see those numbers on a day-to-day basis rather than just a few times every week or two at the vet's office. Some cats actually do reach nadir at +4; some reach nadir at +7 or even later. Ya know - that ECID thing! ;-) When you're testing, I would let the numbers guide you. For example, if you get a +4 of 53 and a +5 of 54, you might want to go ahead in that case and get another test at +6 just to be safe. If you get a +4 of 53 and a +5 of 78, it's probably safe to say that nadir has been reached for the night. But.....that depends on a lot of variables (e.g., when and what you feed last). To confuse use even more, nadirs can change. For example, kitty's nadir may have been at +6 for a week and then changed to +4. That's why mixing up your test times can be helpful. For instance, you might get a +4 one day but a +5 check the next.

Any time you are in doubt, just post here and ask for help. Someone will be able to help you out.

Shelly
 
Hi Shelly,

I am interested in the spreadsheet. If you would.....I would greatly appreciate it.

My vet had one and I filled that out with data from the AlphaTraker software. I will take a look at yours and as long as I can understand it and it looks like what the vet can use, then the vet will have to get used to it. It is important for me to utilize the expertise here on this message board to help me care for Jack. If the vet has questions, I can answer them without even looking at a spreadsheet.

The nadir information was very helpful, right up to the point where you said kitty's nadir can change. Ah well.......That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.

1.5 hours till +4.Hoping for a good number.

Thanks again,
Kevin
 
Not a problem at all! You are located in the U.S., right? I'm including the instructions below for the U.S. (mg/dl) spreadsheet, but we actually have one for world numbers (mmol), too.

One more question - are you using a human meter to check Jack's levels or a pet-specific meter like AlphaTrak? Sorry if I missed that somewhere in your post. Most people here use human meters, and the numbers read differently on the AlphaTrak than on the human meters. Which meter you're using will be important when it comes time to interpreting the numbers/dose.

Here are steps for setting up the spreadsheet we use:

1. First of all, you’ll need to set up a Google account if you don’t have one already. Here’s the link for it: https://accounts.google.com/SignUp?continue=https://accounts.google.com/ManageAccount

2. Once you set up your account, make sure you are signed in to it. Then click on this link: https://drive.google.com/previewtem...U5BVEdyU1dGZmx5bnRvdG10OWc&mode=public&pli=1#

3. This will bring up the template that you can use. In the upper, left-hand corner of the page, it says “Use this template.” Click on that.

4. Now you have your own copy of the template. At the top, left-hand corner of the page, click on “File” and then choose “Rename.” You can now change the name of your spreadsheet (e.g., “Jack's SS”).

5. Once you finish entering the date, numbers, etc., you will need to publish your spreadsheet. Click on “File” again and then click on “publish to the web.” A little pop-up box will appear. You will want to make sure that the box that says “automatically republish when changes are made” has a check mark next to it. Then click on “start publishing.”

6. Now, you need to make sure other people can see your spreadsheet. Click on the blue “share” button on the upper right-hand corner of the page. A pop-up box will appear. Where it says “private,” change that to “anyone with the link can see” and click save at the bottom of the box.

7. Now you have to add the spreadsheet to your FDMB account. First copy the web address that appears in the address bar on your spreadsheet. Come back to FDMB and click on “User Control Panel” at the top left-hand side of the page. Then click on the tab that says “Profile” Next, click on the tab that says “Edit Signature.” There’s a little “url” button at the top of the box where you write. Click on it. This is what will show up in the box:



Click in between the middle brackets and paste the web address for the spreadsheet that you created.

In the end, it will look something like this: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/.....[url] If you run into problems, just yell!
 
Hi Kevin, and welcome to you and your sugar kids. You are not the only one with two extra sweet kitties here, thankfully it's just one for me. Great job on all the testing you've done so far. You'll really be able to help the people here help you, if you can publish your spreadsheet in your signature. This post tells you how. Another thing you might want to put in your signature in big bold print is that you are using the Alphatrak meter. Most of us here use the human blood glucose meters, but for the Alphatrak, if you read anything below 68 it means a dose reduction (50 if using a human meter).

Lantus also likes consistent dosing, so you dose the same morning and night, unless you get a nadir (low point) that tells you otherwise. We don't dose based on the preshot numbers, although we do tell new people not to shoot if the preshot is below 200 (human meter) or 270 (Alphatrak), until they have more data to do so safely. If you find you are skipping too many shots because it's falling below the no shot number, then it's best to reduce the insulin dose a bit. If that happens, you'd want to reduce by .25U. Yes, you have to eyeball that. :roll:

If you haven't done so already, there are a number of starred Sticky Notes about Lantus at the top of this forum. If your vet hasn't seen it already, he/she may be interested in the latest research on dosing diabetic cats. Go to the note on Tight Regulation, about 5 paragraphs down is a PDF on Management of Diabetic Cats. That explains the research behind the protocol that a number of us use here.

If you want to help Samantha go that extra step so she doesn't need insulin, you could try removing all dry food from her diet. As others mentioned here, low carb wet food is best. Check out the http://www.catinfo.org website, developed by a vet specializing in nutrition. On that website, there is also a food chart showing a lot of the commercially available pet foods and their carb %. You want something under 10%.
 
I will be using the spreadsheet and publishing. Thank you Shelly.....

I am using an AlphaTrak 2. Recommended by the vet. Now you have me scared with the difference between Human and Animal meters. But with the whole don't shoot below 270 I am confused.

In my original very wordy post, the vet had said 3u @ AMPA of 150 would have probably been ok. It wasn't nor was 2u @ AMPS of 143. The only time I skipped was the first 150 because I really did not know if this was too low and the subsequent 76. Both times his numbers went up as a reflection of no shot.

Well tonight my PMPS of 143 with 1u will tell a story at +4, +5 or +6. Only 1u tonight but if his body still has Lantus Crystals dissolving then I may not see the increase in numbers until 5 days or so.

As far as food is concerned, both Jack and Samantha are on Purina DM. Both eat it just fine.

Looks like by some posts here that I may have lucked out in the food category. Jack was, for the first 8 years, a very fussy eater. Meow mix, salmon or tuna PERIOD. Even then sometimes he would eat it and sometime not. Chows were always available and he was at a good weight.

Samantha would and still does, eat anything you put in front of her, the cat next to her, the other cat next to that one..Get the picture? Although with the high protein I have seen her walk away with 2 bites left. Not long after, she comes back and finishes..but that is something new. I have heard that you can get filled up on protein.

A couple months ago, Jack started eating more and started hawking Samantha's dish (pay back is a *****) and eating just about anything that we put in front of him. I wished I had known that this was a sign of DM.

I am good with Purina DM for both. I also have the DM chows and while I have heard basically any dry food is no good, I feel it is better than off the shelf and yes they can survive without dry but what to give Jack for being a good boy when I give him his shot?

Thank you for all your help.
 
Many of us here will give the cat insulin with lower preshot numbers, over 50 on a human meter. However, we use a guideline of no shot over 200 (human meter) for new members. If you do shoot at lower numbers you'll often get nice shallow blood glucose curves and you are starting to gather data on what Jack will do if you do shoot lower numbers. Many new people are too worried to shoot low, so we start at that no shoot number and work them down over time.

For test treats, you can get freeze dried pure meat treats. Many kitties here go crazy for freeze dried chicken breast (or turkey, shrimp, etc.). You can get the best bargain in the dog sections at pet food stores. Pure Bites are one such brand.
 
Hi Kevin,

Freeze-dried protein treats go down well after testing. And you're correct about your mog reaching satiety on less food with the higher protein diet.
 
Hello Shelly,

Jack's # @ +4 is 44. I gave him karo and some chows. He is alert and active and ate and licked just fine. Grooming and going in the liter box like nothing is wrong.

I will check in another hour but it should be about 70 and I will let that go until morning.

As far a what to do tomorrow morning, I am in the dark.

Certainly not 1u. Maybe 1/2 ? I need to keep it to where I can get some decent readings at nadir. Wherever that may be tomorrow.

Good night all and thank you!
 
Okay, so you have a 44 on the alphatrak. We need to get that number up above 68. Please recheck in no more than about 20 minutes. If the numbers aren't above 68, give more syrup.
 
This information comes from our sticky in Lantus about low numbers. Be aware that the 50 listed in the quote is for the human meter. We have to get Jack up above 68 since you're using the AlphaTrak meter. Right now, we're in hypo territory, and it's still pretty early in the cycle.

Depending on how carbohydrate sensitive your cat is, feed approximately a teaspoon or less of gravy from high carb food or high carb food only.
(If you have a cat with GI issues, using a couple of drops of syrup plus low carb food is an alternative.)
Test again in 15 – 20 min. Depending on the numbers, give more HC food.
Repeat the above steps every 15 – 20 min. until your cat tests in the 50 mg/dL (2.8 mmol/L) or above range for 2 consecutive tests. Continue to feed in small amounts to keep numbers in a safe range.
Test in 30 - 40 min. and repeat the test and feed process until there are 2 consecutive tests where numbers are stable or rising.
Test in an hour and follow the same steps.

DO NOT become complacent. If number have risen after one or two tests, it’s important to continue testing. Numbers may bobble up and down as the HC food and/or Karo wear off. DO NOT get one test where your
Click to expand...
 
Hi Shelly,

We are at 117. I had given him a little more karo than in the past so I am learning.

Got to get some sleep now.

I will start a new thread in the am. I am thinking that I will do .5u in the AM. I figure he will be maybe 250.

I work from home (Thank you Lord) so I can test at +4, +5 etc. Will see how that goes.

Thank you and have a good evening.
 
The karo can wear off quickly, so I really would encourage you to get in another test or two. Perhaps set an alarm if you need to? If you absolutely can't stay up/check again, try leaving some food out. Many cats will eat when their levels drop too low.
 
Hi Shelly,

I did give him some chows...initially and on the 117 test for being a good boy.

I am comfortable for now.

I need some rest in order to face tomorrow with enough physical and mental energy to start this whole merry go round again.

Thank you for being here..Really appreciate it.
 
Hope all goes well tonight. Wendy (& Neko), who responded to you earlier, is one of our very experienced users. I'm hoping she'll check in later and offer you some suggestions on the dose. If not, you can always make a post asking for dosing help.

Just keep in mind that with the alphatrak, any number under 68 is your take action/feed high-carb number.
 
Lantus is a depot type insulin. What this means is that you could still be seeing some of the effects of the 1.5U you shot last night. However, Jack went pretty low tonight. You could try the .5U dose in the morning if you want, but if you could eyeball half way between .5 and 1U, you'd get a .75U dose which is what Jack earned tonight. Whether you decide to go with the .5U or .75U dose, try to keep giving that same dose for a total of at least 6 cycles (3 days), even if you see high numbers, as he could bounce for a while from the low tonight. If you see numbers below 68, then let us know and we can decide if he needs to go lower still.
 
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