New to FDMB Needing Help W/Dosage

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Chester05

Chester05

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Hello Everyone,
We are not new to Feline Diabetes since Chester was diagnosed diabetic in June 2013. Sad to say though I just only found this Great & Wonderful Forum which has given us renewed hope on managing & hopefully remission.

I did research the net to be able at least to properly manage his condition but from what I read here and applying it I see that I was going about this wrong. Chester seems to be getting stable now and I believe he still has more to go. It looks like I have been giving him too much insulin (PZI-Prozinca U-40). From what I see it seems that this error on my part (over dosing) is not having any long term effects on him.

What I would like is for someone to look at Chester's Spreadsheet and tell me what they think, am I going about this the right way? Am I correct in believing that I should not worry about any long term effects from over dosing? I also would like more information on BG Testing, Testing times, Dosing and the Protocol for managing & remission.

I do thank God that I was able to find this Forum when just recently I was thinking that the battle was hopeless. Seeing Chester's BG #s change so quickly within a day has given us renewed hope that Chester is on his way to becoming well.

Again I would like to thank you all for this wonderful Forum I only wish I could have found it sooner but we are here now and things are looking Good :-)
 
He has some lovely numbers but yes, I think you are being quite aggressive with his dosing. The lowest pre shot most people here shoot is in the 150-180 range. Shooting a pre shot of 60 is liable to set off a situation where his body panics and releases extra sugar to combat the low levels.

What meter are you using? I'll assume a human one. (alphaTrek reads lower). In that case, any time he got below 40, he "earned" a decrease in insulin.

If he were mine, I'd try 2 units for pre shots over 230 or so, monitor and see how low he goes. If under 40, then reduce some more. There are two ways to give ProZinc - a constant dose or sliding scale. If you look in my signature, in blue, there is a protocol we put together for ProZinc. It will explain more about how to dose.

I'm glad you found the forum and hope we can help you help Chester.
 
First thank you for your quick reply Sue & Oliver!
Yes I am using the AlphaTRAK meter with the human test strips which with my comparing are about the same when the BG are in the dark green colored range. As the count goes higher the difference is greater.

So is a PS of 1.5U ok for 170 mg/dl which was where he was at this morning, should I have given a higher or lower PS?

I did read your post that you have linked, I will have to read it a few more to start understanding the information.
 
Chester05 said:
First thank you for your quick reply Sue & Oliver!
Yes I am using the AlphaTRAK meter with the human test strips which with my comparing are about the same when the BG are in the dark green colored range. As the count goes higher the difference is greater.

So is a PS of 1.5U ok for 170 mg/dl which was where he was at this morning, should I have given a higher or lower PS?

I did read your post that you have linked, I will have to read it a few more to start understanding the information.
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While it's true that the difference is less at lower ranges, I'd still be cautious when he goes down anywhere below 50. Do you feed him when he drops that low?

I think 1.5 is a good choice for your pre shot of 170. If you can get a number or two in the +5-7 range to see where it takes him, you can use that info to help you decide what dose for that range in the future.

When you get a low pre shot, test again in 20-30 minutes, without feeding, to be sure he is rising, not falling. (You were fine this am because you had overnight numbers and knew he was on the way up). You don't want to shoot a falling number as you are adding insulin when the previous shot is still working. That can set up a bouncing situation (that release of extra glucose by the body) or a dangerously low number later in that cycle.
 
Yes I have been feeding him when he has dropped below a BG of 60 mg/dl and I would check him again say .5 - 1 hr later and fed him more if needed.

I will test his BG @+2 in like 15mins and test him every 2 hrs. I will surely follow the instructions you have posted.

Thank you again for your time in helping us manage Chester's diabetes.
 
Looks like he is going to be high and flat. It could be that he needs more insulin, or it could be that it'll take awhile for his body to adjust from too much insulin. If I were you, I'd stick with the lower dose a few more cycles and see how things look.

Do you test for ketones? It would be a good idea while you are trying to figure out his dose. You get the ketone strips that human use to test urine and stick it into his stream. (If he won't let you do this - and Oliver absolutely would not - we have alternate ways. :p
 
Do you mean keep him at 1.5 units or 2 units which is what he had yesterday which what seem to currently work for him?

No I have not tested for ketones. Where can I get the test strips and do I need a script for them? Are they caused by a high BG count?
Thx
 
Chester05 said:
Do you mean keep him at 1.5 units or 2 units which is what he had yesterday which what seem to currently work for him?

No I have not tested for ketones. Where can I get the test strips and do I need a script for them? Are they caused by a high BG count?
Thx
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I think keep at 1.5. When I look at his spreadsheet the last two cycles, he drops low at night And the next day he is higher. I could be wrong, but I think the higher cycle is a reaction to the low cycle. So, lowering the dose for a couple cycles might stop this pattern. But you hold the syringe. So if you are more comfortable with 2 units, try that.

No script needed. You just ask the druggist for ketone strips. Here is some info

http://www.felinediabetes.com/ketones.htm
 
So keep him at 1.5 for tonight & see where he is in the morning and change it tomorrow if need be? I did just go to walmart and picked up a box of ketones strips. I will test his urine if I get a chance while he is in the litter box, I just got to keep an eye on him.
Thx
 
Well I passed a test strip thru the stream of his urine, I should have read the instructions first. I think it should get darker as time passes since it has to be compared to the chart at 15 seconds. Even after a few minutes it looks like a new strip the only difference is that it's a slight shade darker since it's wet. I'm not sure if I did it correctly or if it has to be done very precisely but I think it was good enough.
 
See my signature link Glucometer Notes for reference ranges.
The Secondary Monitoring Tools there, also have some tips on urine testing and some other assessments you may find helpful in assessing him.
 
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Glad to hear you were able to get a ketone test in! I'm not 100% but I think that it probably does get darker as time goes by. It's been awhile since I used them though (no current sugar cats in the house). Either way, it's good to grab those when you can, just to make sure everything's good.
 
Next time I test for ketones I will do my best to follow the instructions so that I can be confident with the results I get.
Thanks Rachel
 
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