Newbie: Pre-dinner BG Level was 158

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

swandiver

Member
I just bought a Relion Micro and successful stuck poor Neo. He really hadn't eaten much of his 2 PM feeding. It is now 7:00 and his first ever blood draw from me read out at 158.

Question: Do I give him insulin after his meal or not?

We are on .5 unit of Prozinc, last administered at 7:45. Thanks!
 
normally if you don't have a lot of data to know if it's safe or not to shoot lower numbers, it is best to err on the side of caution and not shoot insulin on a number under 200.

let me see if i can get some prozinc users over from the pzi forum to see what they say. hold off on doing anything just yet ok
 
We've been on ProZinc for 2 months and I don't shoot under 200. There are some more experienced people, who have been at this dance a while, and they may shoot those lower numbers. But, it's not recommended for us newbies :smile:
 
Good job on getting a successful test!!

Here's what we've been told and have done so far - If it's shot time and he's not at a shooting number, but close - hold the food (because it can give a spike and give you an artificial testing number) and wait for him to rise enough to shoot. I wait say 20 - 30 minutes and test, again. If he's still not at a shootable number, I hold the food, but at least it gives you an idea of how fast he's rising.

I'm sorry; I don't know your name. It may be that .5u it too much for him, right now. We went through that with Hershey. He started on 1 u but didn't stay there long! (Now, we're up and down, but that's another thread ;-) ) I'm certainly no dosing expert, I depend heavily on Robin. (I think several of us do.)

Libby
 
Okay, here's my thought - you make your own decision. It seems, to me, that the .5u may be too much for now. If it were me, next time he's at a shootable number and I got ready to resume shots, I'd go with something lower, maybe even .3u to see how he does. What kind of syringes are you using? Our vet sold us the U-40's to go with the ProZinc. You can eyeball the smaller numbers (That's what we used to do.) or make one or more marks as extra divisions between the units. Whatever works for you. The main thing is to be consistent. For those smaller doses, we now use U-100 syringes, but with them you must use the conversion chart.

I'm going to be quiet now and wait for you to respond. :smile:

Libby
 
Hi,
Given that you just recently dropped the dose to .5 and you still don't have a large amount of data, I would skip the shot if under 200. That might give you a higher number later, and tomorrow morning, but it's better to be too high for a few hours than too low for a minute.
Other than the most recent 2PM meal, which he didn't eat much of, has he been eating well?

.5u is a low dose, but it might be a bit too high right now. The goal is to find a dose that will give you a shootable number both AM and PM, and it could be that the "right dose" is somewhere under the .5. It could be that you have gotten very positive results from the diet change to just canned food, which is a great thing!

Carl
 
Well, of course, I fed him before I came back and read this. :-(

We are lucky -- he hasn't ever acted like he is sick or feels bad. He ate most of the 1/4 can of Friskies now. He has been on the .5 unit since Tuesday evening as 1 unit dropped it way too much.

I guess I'll hold now until tomorrow morning to dose him (I will check him first). I appreciate all your kind help. BTW, my name is Patt, the cat is my "grandcat" Neo (my daughter usually doses him in the morning and works some evenings).
 
Hi Patt & Neo. welcome to FDMB. You're a good grandMeowy to be helping your daughter out & posting questions about dosing. Way to go!!
I'm not going to give you any dosing advice because you already got good advice.

We are always here to help if you need it,
Jenn & Baxter :YMHUG:
 
Hi Patt,
Question - how much does Neo weigh? Does he get 1/4 can at each meal (you feed 4 times a day, right?). I'm wondering if he would eat more if you let him. If he's maintaining his weight, then it's enough food, so not a problem. I have a cat named Mullet, who isn't diabetic, that eats Friskees too, and he's around 11 pounds. He eats about a can and a half of Friskees Pates a day. My diabetic, Bob, eats two cans of FF classsic, and the other half of the Friskees can. He's about 14 pounds. It isn't really the "ounces" that matter, it's the total calories a day. The one can a day, depending on which flavor(s) might be enough calories for Neo. But a diabetic cat tends to eat more at first, because they can't get the same amount of "bang for the buck" as a non-diabetic does. They don't metabolize the food as efficiently.
Good call on not shooting. Like I said earlier, you'll probably get a higher number in the morning due to no insulin for 24 hours, but don't worry about it. The higher number would be expected. If it isn't higher, that's even better! It means his body is trying to regulate itself by producing some insulin on its own. That would be a very positive sign.

Carl
 
Hi Patt -

My boy Grayson started out about 2.5 months ago on 1u. He ran several extra long cycles, similar to what you're experiencing, which typically indicates too large of a dose, so we cut him back, eventually reaching .2u. Feb 23rd, however, he had a ketone scare, so we've since elevated his dose to keep him from going DKA.

It's very important that you keep an eye on Neo's ketones - test strips that you hold in his urine or dip into collected urine. This is especially important if he has high numbers, but it's a good thing to keep an eye on, regardless. A nice insurance policy in a little $6 bottle.

Be sure to post after you do your testing, so you can have some eyes to offer their collective wisdom & experience. I've seen a LOT of good advice and helpful assistance in the time we've been here. I'm sure you'll benefit form the help as well.

Lu-Ann
 
How do you people even see a .3 or less dose? We are using the Ulticare Kit with U40 needles (?) They are so thin and little that is is hard to see the half unit line (which seems to be the smallest dosage with this syringe.

Neo weighs 16 pounds. I'm not sure if it's the fact the 1/4 can of Friskies is not in his usual bowl (now in the timer feeder during the night) or what, but it's something we'll work out. The vet recommended a whole can a day for him. We have never fed him this much at one time prior to his diagnosis (usually just 1/6 can in the a.m. and free graze on hard food).

It all is a mystery.

Be sure I will go get the pee sticks tomorrow -- I had meant to get them tonight when I got the meter.
 
Patt,
When people get to what we call mini- or micro- doses, what they do is use U100 syringes and a conversion chart. Other insulins like Lantus and Levemir come in a different concentration, which is called "U100". It is actually two and a half times as concentrated or "potent" (for lack of a better word) an insulin as Prozinc or PZI or any other U40 insulin. So they require a different syringe. That helps out users of U40 insulin like you and me. There is a conversion chart that you can print out, and what it does is tell you how much U40 insulin to draw up into a U100 syringe to shoot the right dose.

Basically the conversion factor is 2.5. So if you wanted to shoot 1 unit of your insulin using a U100 syringe, you'd draw up to the 2.5 mark.

So, in order to shoot a tiny dose of U40 insulin like Lu mentioned (.2u), she uses a U100 syringe and draws up to the .5 mark, which is easy to see since there's a mark for each half unit on the syringe. THAT is how she can accurately measure a dose that small.

I understand your difficulty perfectly. I only used U40 needles with Bob, and they didn't have 1/2 unit marks, so everything other than even units was eyeballing for me. It was hard with bifocals!

Carl
 
The timer feeder is filled for the 2 AM feeding -- I'm wondering about wrangling him for a blood stick tomorrow AM by myself. I may have to make DD up to help -- she's working tonight and I told her I'd do the morning stick/feeding shot and she could take Sunday AM.

Neo's laying right by my feet now, stretching himself out and cleaning.
 
Neo checked in at 328 this morning, so gave him his shot after he ate (he ate most of his 2 AM feeding).

The sticking, however, wasn't as good as last night. Thought I could do it by myself, but that didn't work so had to get DD up to hold him and cuddle him. He didn't fight me or anything, I just couldn't coordinate well. I'm sure with time this will become easier.
 
Indeed, it will get easier. We have a green rocker/recliner, beside a table with a LAMP! that we use to test Hershey. I found it easier for me to put him in my lap and cross my leg ('man-style,' if you will) - it just kind of reminds him that he needs to stay there. When I turn the lamp off, he knows he can get down and will be getting a treat and/or food. So, I'm sure that gives him incentive, too. ;-) Kitties are like kids and like routine, so testing in the same place can help make it easier.

You're doing great!

Libby (and Hershey, too!)
 
Hershey is a *very* smart cat!!

I got up to see if DD needed help with drawing Neo's blood this morning ,but she'd done it herself (he is her cat, so I figure he'll stay still better for her).

He was at 205 last night, so I did give him a shot. He tested at 135 this morning, and I don't *think* she gave him a shot but I need to check. He tested 155 tonight. I didn't give him a shot. She is out so I'll need to check with her when she gets home to see if she actually shot him this a.m. or not.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top