New user Prozinc, Sara and Tom, low AM test?

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sarasa

sarasa

Member Since 2014
Hello,
Thanks for existing! Been reading all week, started self testing and raw food.
My numbers are all over the map right now. He's been as high as 900 at the vet, and today pre-test he's 72. What a week!
Mostly I work from home, so I've been testing a fair amount the last couple of days.

I've decided no shot if pre test is below 200. He's been getting pretty low in the nadir too.
In the last day I've had to substitute Freestyle Lite strips in the AT meter, but the control came out good and I've had no reason not to trust the numbers.
I've switched him to raw diet, he loves, but he's been breaking into the dehydrated chicken the last few nights. Last night was the first time he had no midnight snacks which may account for his low AM numbers today?
I guess I just need some confirmation that feed/test/wait/test till his numbers are above 200 would be the right thing to do today. Then shoot and adjust the next shot to 12 hours from then? Or some other plan?

Even when he's low, he doesn't look Hypo or anything. He's had a few vomit incidents, but not near the nadir in the last few days.
 
Welcome!

You are on a great track! Good, mild insulin, home testing, low carb food, spreadsheet up and going. Fantastic.

Have you seen our protocol for ProZinc?

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=109077

Did he start on 5 units? Were there other health issues? We usually suggest starting at one unit and then slowly increasing as home testing suggests, as it is easier to increase by a little at a time rather than trying to figure out how much to reduce.

I would definitely reduce the dose. You are getting lowish nadirs, which I think are then causing a bounce up to a higher pre shot. (a bounce is when their body senses a lower blood glucose level than it is used to and it releases extra glucose to bring that low number up. So the next number can be a high that is not really connected to the dose of insulin given.) And you are getting pre shots too low to shoot. Your goal is to have two shootable preshots a day.

So the question is how much to reduce and that is hard to figure out. I think I would be tempted to lower by half (down to 2.5 units) and plan to monitor heavily - before each shot, +3 to see how the cycle is shaping up and then between +5-7 to catch that lowest point. If he still drops low, then lower the dose again. If he is tending high and flat after 3 full cycles, then increase up by .25 units.

For reference, we consider a cat regulated if they are in the mid to lower 200s at preshot and double digits at mid cycle, but not below 40 which is hypo territory. Here is a chart BJ put together to compare AlphaTrak and regular human meters:

[Glucose reference ranges are unsubstantiated and have been removed by Moderator]


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I am wondering about your freestyle strips. Are they the butterfly style? Generally, people here feel the Freestyle meters test low overall and the butterfly style strips are notoriously bad. I didn't know you could use those strips in the AlphaTrak.
 
Thanks!

He started at 1 unit, and was raised to 2 then 4 now 5 by the vet doing curves the last few weeks, also before we switched from dry (blue buffalo, wilderness) to the raw food.
Vet is not into raw diets, but didn't expand on why, but I wanted to try, got a lot of advise from actual experienced people that raw is a good thing to do.
Would love to lower dose, so thanks for that advise.
I have the chart you posted printed and taped above my "kitty hospital" station.
The freestyle strips were a desperate choice in the moment, new user, ran out of AT strips, did some internet research and found some experienced users recommending somewhat. The AT strips look exactly the same (butterfly), made by the same company. I did use an AT strip and then a Freestyle within two hours of each other yesterday, and the results were within range. I have more AT strips arriving very soon and will be doing a more elaborate comparison test. I also have a human meter arriving soon, so that will also be another thing to try!

He is on Clavamox for this bladder infection. I have about 5 more days on this. I'm thinking his vomit reactions are to this, and not any Hypo incidents. He's also on Hyperthyroid meds, but he's been doing that since last year, and his T4 levels are good right now.

I'll keep checking his levels through the day.

He may be really food reactive. Even on high insulin, when he was on kibble he was always high for his vet curves, his nadir being just below 300 usually. I'm liking the raw food, and so is he, so if I can stick with that, and lower his dose it would balance out financially (and emotionally) for sure.
 
He's at 233 now. I didn't give an am shot, should I wait to PM or shoot to keep him from rising? Or keep testing and watching?
AT meter.
 
You could him what we call a chicken ?$5@ dose - a small amount that will keep his level lower until his next preshot. But you'd need at least 8 hours left in the cycle for that. (I don't know your schedule.). You could give him the regular dose shot (2.5?) if you can plan to shoot again 12 hours from now. Or you can just wait until the regular time tonight (he is likely to be high as it will have been 24 hours since his last shot)
 
I'm a late-nighter, his usual dose is 9am, 9pm, so giving a 2.5u now at noon won't be too much trouble to adjust him to 12pm/12am for some time. I'll try that. Thanks!

You guys are awesome.
 
Hello,
just want to welcome a fellow Californian to the forum. You're on a good insulin, a couple of years ago my Pudge went into remission on ProZinc. He led me quite a dance until then. Sue (& Oliver) gives solid advice. Remember to check often for ketones and that NOT all kitties are lethargic when in a hypo. Some, a few, act normally. It's so important to check BGs. That darn ECID or every cat is different!
Best wishes,
Sophie
 
Welcome Sara and Tom to the FDMB. So glad you found this site. It is the best place to be for help. You are doing a great job in testing. Merlin is on ProZinc too. We have learned so much here. So nothing else to add other than welcome.
 
Hi all!

Tom's at 358 right now at 8pm, which strikes me he's bouncing up pretty fast - maybe Somogyi? He had 2.5u at noon, so we're only at +8. Should I give him is PM shot of 2.5u sooner than +12 (midnight?). He was super duper low at +3 after shot 3pm at 52.

I'm excited this new lower dose plus better diet might level him off in a day or so. But I've read I may have a few days of this bounce.
S
:?
 
We have something here called patience pants :mrgreen: they come in lovely colors.

It takes awhile for the insulin and diet to work together. I'd give it time - just figure you are data gathering and don't worry about any specific number or cycle. Yes, it looks like he definitely bounced from the greens and the nadir was early. But the 2.5 definitely worked and lowered his number. I wouldn't shoot early.
 
Sara, tell me your favorite color and I'll send you a pair of beautiful patience pants from my extensive lending closet.

These will have to do for now.
 

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