Newly diabetic cat - BG 30?

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Cheeserball

Cheeserball

Member Since 2019
7:30 PM: BG 235 with ReliOn Prime just purchased today.

8 PM: Can of FF Classic (with added water) and 2.5 units of ProZinc.

10:30 PM: BG 30

11:00 PM: BG 30

A little maple syrup on bonito flakes. A little gravy from Friskies. Some Royal Canin SO dry. A couple of SO treats. Lots more bonito flakes as bribery for a blood test. Keep getting 30.

Currently: 12:30 AM. BG 38 a few minutes ago.

Any other suggestions? No lethargy. No walking oddly. The only confusion he has right now is why his mom keeps poking his ears.
 
Retest again in 20 minutes to see if that dry SO has started to hit his system. Need to get his BG up at least to 50 and preferably to 70. I'll wait for the reading and we'll go from there.
 
Dry food and treats were around 11:30. After he tested 38 at 12:30, I scooped a big scoop of SO into a dish and he ran for it (along with siblings). Testing in a few.
 
@MrWorfMen's Mom
Hi Linda, have been watching for Cheeserball to post again. She mentioned the BG 30 on her other thread and it concerned me. She is wondering about the accuracy of her new meter, and I think maybe if she tested herself to see what she comes up with might tell us that? What do you think?
 
I think if Bruce just ran for that food the meter is probably fine given how much food he's eaten in the last little while but testing yourself is always a good way to check. That is of course if we know roughly what our BG should be. :)
 
The Relion Prime meter is known to test a bit low but that doesn't mean you can become complacent. That is still a low BG that needs to be increased. Nadir with ProZinc is usually in the +4 to +7 time frame so Bruce dropped early and is going to need to be watched for awhile yet. He definitely needs his dose reduced.
 
kibitzing on this pajama party while waiting to test Catcat again -- sending vines right along with you guys, thinking also I should have been more blunt about the dosage she was about to give, she had the right idea to give a smaller dose but we now know it should have been smaller yet
 
I tested myself earlier... I figured it wouldn’t hurt. I am not diabetic.

I ate dinner around 9, with a string cheese at 10 pm. After that, just water.
118 at midnight
157 at 1 am.

Bruce is up to 40 at 1 am.
 
That's interesting. Your numbers are running a tad high given nothing to eat for last 3 hours. Have you ever been told your glucose was high?

As for Bruce, the dry food will take a bit longer to get into his system so retest him again in 20 minutes. In the meantime put a little karo on his gums. Sorry Bruce!
 
They seemed a little high to me, too. Maybe I should get that looked into. I’ve never been told my glucose was high, but I’m under a decent amount of stress, even without the Bruce situation.

In the mean time, I tested his sister (Dr. Love). Her BG is 66. Did syrup on him. Testing him in a few.
 
Dr. Love is PURRRRFECT! Stress may be elevating your BG somewhat and THIS is definitely a stressful situation of any of us. Maybe a good idea just to keep an eye on it for a few days.
 
Ok so you are +6 hours post shot now correct? Bruce is safe but I'd still like to see that number coming up without any further food influence so no more food and retest him again in 30 minutes. If his BG is holding or up more I think we can safely assume he is past nadir (lowest point) and you can call it a night. If he drops off again, well, we wash repeat. ;)
 
Yes, we are at 6 hours post shot right now. Definitely not giving him the 3 units (or even 2.5 u) tomorrow. Testing him pre-breakfast.

I told him he needs to get his BG higher than his sister. As they are litter mates that absolutely hate each other, I think this might be the motivation he needs. Nothing that a little sibling rivalry can’t fix, you know?

I’m wondering if he’s been dropping low frequently. I love our vet, but I don’t feel that anybody can just look at numbers on a curve and assign a higher dosage without considering other factors, like lower carb food and stress. He hates going to the vet, and honestly, with his history, I don’t blame him.
 
my DH is also Bruce, he sends greetings

I expected a fight out of Catcat for a test this late, but he was still slightly blissed out from the catnip I gave him a couple of hours ago

pretty flat curve at +4, probably because of the extra food I gave him, he may go lower but not THAT low

cheers to you, was very glad to see the numbers come up, mad cat :mad::cat:, or not ...

:bighug::bighug::bighug:

and NOW you see why we are so committed to home testing, pre shot testing, why we are so grateful for the experienced members here who help, support, advise, inform, and occasionally admonish us
 
Well my maiden name is Bruce so does that make us all connected in some weird way? :pTalk about coincidences!

I just read through all your history and noticed a couple of other seasoned members had suggested dropping back to 1u and then slowly increasing by 0.25u if needed. I am inclined to agree with them. It doesn't look to me like 1u was given much of a chance to work, the dose was increased to 2u based on one quick BG test and then to 3u based on a curve in the vet's office on a very stressed cat. A recipe for too high a dose resulting in the drama of tonight.

There are lots of great vets out there that just don't understand diabetes and end up overdosing cats. We see this all too often. Taking control of the situation with home testing is the best decision you'll ever make for Bruce.
 
It's been almost an hour since the last reading? Have you got another test yet? Want to be sure Bruce's BG is staying up on it's own. :)
 
You could enter these BG testing numbers from tonight into the spreadsheet for documentation. Recording the data provides information to advising members going forward.
 
@Idjit's mom are you going to be around for a bit yet to keep an eye on Bruce? It's 3am here and I am fading quickly and need to hit the sack. I think Bruce will be fine now but I'd love to know he was holding following that 59. Just worries me a bit that he didn't come up more after eating the SO food.
@Idjit's mom
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
@Idjit's mom are you going to be around for a bit yet to keep an eye on Bruce? It's 3am here and I am fading quickly and need to hit the sack. I think Bruce will be fine now but I'd love to know he was holding following that 59. Just worries me a bit that he didn't come up more after eating the SO food.
@Idjit's mom
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I was just telling DH that you had planned to make an early night of it after your outdoor labors today. I had a nap today, and can stick around. I don't see her online anymore though, concerning.
 
Oh she was there a few minutes ago. I guess she signed off. Bruce should be at or past nadir now but with what looks like too high a dose, those low numbers can sometimes last longer.
I was planning to hit the sack hours ago. I saw that 30 and was kind of hoping it was a metric reading and someone worried about a HIGH rather than low number HAHAHAHA! ....like that happens much. I hate seeing anyone get a reading like that but on the first night of testing....gees....talk about baptism by fire.
Thanks for keeping an eye on them. I am off to hug my pillow after I feed one very hungry cat screaming her head off at me! :rolleyes:
 
@Bron and Sheba It's almost 1 AM here and I think I'm going to call it a night. I think Cheeserball logged off to get some much needed rest and since Bruce's BG was rising, and it was near mid-cycle nadir time, trusted that he would be ok. Hopefully we will be in contact with her tomorrow and she can make her decision about lowering that insulin dose. Just please keep an eye out if you can. Thanks.
 
Hi Lou, I just saw this thread as I was helping someone else. I saw earlier on another thread that @Cheeserball had got a low number but I was just going out the door to collect kids from school at that point and saw there were two of your there.
I'll be around so will keep an eye out for her. I hope she reduces to 1 unit tomorrow. Nightie night....sweet dreams.
 
Thank you to all who talked me through this! We both crashed as his numbers started to climb. At 7 AM (about an hour before his am shot), his BG is 239. I will be adding the results to his spreadsheet and definitely will not be giving him 2.5 units this morning.
 
I hate to bust in on a thread but just read through all of this. I’m just amazed at the help folks are giving others of us dealing with taking care of our diabetic cats. It makes you feel blessed to see the kindness out there with so much negativity in the world. A sincere thanks to all of you. What is the best way for me to give something back?
 
Cheeserball said:
Thank you to all who talked me through this! We both crashed as his numbers started to climb. At 7 AM (about an hour before his am shot), his BG is 239. I will be adding the results to his spreadsheet and definitely will not be giving him 2.5 units this morning.
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How much insulin did you give ?
 
SO happy all is well this morning. I think the sibling rivalry may have helped :)!

I also just want to echo what Robert said as far as being thankful for the time, passion & love from all those who have taken the time to help me, my little man & all the others on this journey :bighug:! Please do let us know how we can give back/support this forum.
 
Happy to see that 239 this AM. Thought he might bounce to the moon after those lows last night so that is a pleasant surprise. I'm sorry you had to deal with those scary readings on your first night of testing but you handled it beautifully. Bruce is in good hands! :)
 
Robert Vittetoe said:
I hate to bust in on a thread but just read through all of this. I’m just amazed at the help folks are giving others of us dealing with taking care of our diabetic cats. It makes you feel blessed to see the kindness out there with so much negativity in the world. A sincere thanks to all of you. What is the best way for me to give something back?
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Robert @Robert Vittetoe and @Amy47 you are still very new and just learning the ropes, but how kind of you to think of what you can offer, give back or pay forward. If you are able and willing, a $$ donation to support FDMB would be appreciated, or if you order from Amazon, you can go to smile.amazon.com and choose FDMB as your donation designation. Amazon charitably donates 0.5 % of your eligible purchase.
Beyond that, you can visit the Introduction forum and offer support and encouragement to a new member. Just say Hi, we are new too and this is a good place to learn. Keep an eye out as you are visiting other forums, for people that have posted but not received a response in awhile. You can visit that thread and post a "bump" which will bring the post up to the top so it won't remain unnoticed. You might not have answers to respond with yet, but in time you will be able to provide a link to the appropriate forum or information, or offer what worked for you when you were learning.
You will find various ways to help out while on your own journey. :cat:
 
big sigh of relief from this family too :joyful: -- that's a good AMPS to work with going forward when you're just starting on your journey with us

by the way, it's okay to shoot while he's eating, if that works for both of you -- that's what I normally do -- nice technique is to ruffle his fur before the shot, then afterwards ..

my technique can be clumsy so part of the fur-ruffle is to check that I didn't do a fur shot -- the Vetsulin he's on doesn't have a distinctive odor, so I look for dampness that isn't caused by my sweaty palms (have a longstanding needle phobia, go figure! ) :facepalm:

so glad you were able to make it through all this -- wise move to believe what you read here, most vets have little training nor knowledge of feline diabetic management -- some have a tendency to treat cats just like dogs, and their metabolism is quite different -- what works for dogs or humans, mostly does not work for cats
 
Idjit's mom said:
Robert @Robert Vittetoe and @Amy47 you are still very new and just learning the ropes, but how kind of you to think of what you can offer, give back or pay forward. If you are able and willing, a $$ donation to support FDMB would be appreciated, or if you order from Amazon, you can go to smile.amazon.com and choose FDMB as your donation designation. Amazon charitably donates 0.5 % of your eligible purchase.
Beyond that, you can visit the Introduction forum and offer support and encouragement to a new member. Just say Hi, we are new too and this is a good place to learn. Keep an eye out as you are visiting other forums, for people that have posted but not received a response in awhile. You can visit that thread and post a "bump" which will bring the post up to the top so it won't remain unnoticed. You might not have answers to respond with yet, but in time you will be able to provide a link to the appropriate forum or information, or offer what worked for you when you were learning.
You will find various ways to help out while on your own journey. :cat:
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Thank you! I discovered the donation tab & set up a monthly donation :cat:. I'll also try to remember about Amazon next time I order!
 
SS is updated. Four hours after 1 unit of ProZinc this am, he was at 189. Yeah! Way better than 30! Actually I'm not even sure that is good, but compared to last night, anything about 30 feels great.
 
I'd say that is looking a lot more promising. The numbers today may be a bit elevated due to that low last night so I'm glad you reduced the dose to 1u. Obviously the 2.5u was way too high. :D
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
I'd say that is looking a lot more promising. The numbers today may be a bit elevated due to that low last night so I'm glad you reduced the dose to 1u. Obviously the 2.5u was way too high. :D
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I didn't feel comfortable with the 3u the vet suggested last week. After sitting on it and giving him 2u during the weekend (after seeing him with 3u Friday night), I called on Monday to ask if he maybe was running a little high on Friday at the vet due to stress and a breakfast of SO. The message from the vet during the call back from the tech was that it wouldn't influence things that much and stick to one food or the other. I'm not a doctor, but I do know that anybody who is diabetic will run higher numbers with higher carbs, so I'm not sure if my question was correctly relayed to the vet or not. In any case, I'm going to check the 1u numbers for a day or two, and do incremental adjustments as needed.
 
Perfect plan. I always hate relayed messages but it also wouldn't surprise me if the vet didn't think about the carb difference in the 2 foods. I went looking for unique protein food for my extra sweet girl and the vet recommended some extraordinarily high carb food because she had no idea how to calculate carbs. She was assuming it was appropriate food because it was a so called prescription diet. And this from vets I have found to be pretty up to speed on feline diabetes. They can't know it all and we shouldn't expect them to but it would be nice if they would at least get us off to a good start! :rolleyes:
 
Thanks! Just made a small one time donation and hope to do this from time to time. I live on Amazon so will try and setup smile FDMB. Does anyone know if this can be done through the Amazon app. Most my activity is on an iPad and shopping is done on the Amazon app. I did an initial look and didn’t see anything. Also thanks for the other ideas and explaining bumb. I had no idea.
 
I access Amazon via my Fire Tablet, you can just search for Amazon Smile. My log on stayed the same, just when I purchase qualifying products, the donation gets made. You could set it up and then instead of using the regular Amazon app, just bookmark the Smile site. If I am looking at products, and click on what Amazon has, I get a notification asking me if i want to order via Smile so that the contribution will count. Hope that helps.
 
On my phone so I need to download the app to update his SS... but PMPS of 239 (or 236–I have to check the meter, it’s not near me and Bruce is cuddling with me at the moment so I don’t want to disturb him). I gave him 1u of ProZinc. I told him that there are some humans that were up late, including his favorite one, so if he could not drop so low tonight, that would be great. Hope he listens! ;-) I’m trying not to be overly confident and complacent that all will be well tonight, but I feel a lot better giving him a low dose. He did well with it this morning, so let’s rock and roll, Bruce Stringsteen!
 
Cheeserball said:
How many hours post insulin would you suggest?
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For during the day a +4 to a +6 is very helpful. We are trying to find the lowest point in the cycle. In the PM cycle getting a before bed test will tell you if Bruce is going to drop lower. If the before bed test is much lower than the Preshot then you might need to get up and test later. If you are not sure post and ask for help.
 
Tried to wait as long as I could; +4 BG 227. I feel like it should be lower by now, but also happy we aren’t in the low low lows tonight. I’m also taking last night’s weird readings into consideration. I’ll test AMPS and then probably 1u shot before work. Fortunately, I have a decently flexible schedule and pet lovers as coworkers. Unfortunately, I have low to no flexibility these past few workdays. I’ll see if I can come home and test somewhere between +4 and +6 tomorrow.
 
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