Newly diagnosed, (M) 12yrs tabby, Tigger

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J

Jbell

Member Since 2013
:oops: My name is Jeanette, yesturday my handsome, sweet as can be orange tabby Tigger was diagnosed with Diabetes and still is at the vets while they manage his sugar levels.... It was ( if I recall correctly ) around 160s? The vet said this was pretty bad, they wanted to keep him over night to keep an eye on him while the figure out his insulin needs. :(. Tigger is a loving happy indoor/outdoor guy but very shy, non traveling cat. So this whole- vet, leaving him in a scary new loud place I worry is gonna stress him out so much I wonder how accurate/well the insulin treatment will work there. All his other tests came back very good! No other issues than the diabetes. Something to be very grateful for.

Its been unusually warm here in Seattle, hes never liked the heat so when he slowed down I did not think too much about it. He had thrown up what looked like not well chewed dry food and was not really eating much wet either. But this week he peed on the bed, thenon some clothes ( atleast he kept it to places not directly on the floor!) then I knew something was up :( Poor guy.

Im only on my first day of looking over sites, talking to peeps in pets stores etc. I will get both my cats on a raw food meal plan. There seem to be some great frozen raw food options at my local indi-pet stores. Any suggestions would be helpful.

This is a new vet for us and I am a little nervous but they seemed very nice. I was thinking to bring my vet the food labels from the food he was getting. Then my vet will be very aware of what kind of diet change a new food regiment in concert with .... amount of insulin Tigger should get, small amount? or if at all. I have two cats. Daisy is fine. Both are picky eaters to a degree but they will adjust to a healthier, non kibble diet I am confident. Im calm now but it comes and goes. Yesturday was not a fun one worrying about leaving Tigger with a new vet. Hes been at the vets since Friday morning and I am supposed to call the Vet at 4pm today (Sat) for a update. I am not sure what they are doing that they need him most the day except that they need to monitor him to get his insulin lowered? Any thoughts anyone has might be helpful.

I can handle needles, gilving meds and all that. I've been there before many years earlier when my Sealpoint Siamese was sick and eventually passed away at 22yrs old ! Arg... The waiting to get Tigger back is hard.... I want to let him know I've not abandonede him... that feeling is really is the worst. Thanx for reading- Jeanette, Seattle Wa
 
Welcome. yo can get a lot of help here.
You said "t was ( if I recall correctly ) around 160s? The vet said this was pretty bad, they wanted to keep him over night to keep an eye on him while the figure out his insulin needs. ". A BG of 160 is not abnornal for being at at the vet since stress can elevate the BG.
Did the vent do other tests? Maybe an urine analysis. The urinating could be due to a urinary tract infection since that can also elevate the BG.
Unles there are complications. there is not need to have the cat at the vet to determine the insulin dosage. Most users here test their cat's BG using a human meter.
 
Hi Jeanette!

So sorry for your kitty scare. :(

I am by no means an expert, my kitty has had diabetes for about 4 years, but I have only taken control the last month. I'll let the experts guide you. :)
Why am I posting here then?

Well as Larry said, I'm curious about the 160 as well, but with that said, and it turns out you want to see how I manage feedings and giving shots to my kitty, I'm in your area. I'll keep an eye on your thread.
 
Jbell said:
:oops: My name is Jeanette, yesturday my handsome, sweet as can be orange tabby Tigger was diagnosed with Diabetes and still is at the vets while they manage his sugar levels.... It was ( if I recall correctly ) around 160s? The vet said this was pretty bad, they wanted to keep him over night to keep an eye on him while the figure out his insulin needs. :(. Tigger is a loving happy indoor/outdoor guy but very shy, non traveling cat. So this whole- vet, leaving him in a scary new loud place I worry is gonna stress him out so much I wonder how accurate/well the insulin treatment will work there. All his other tests came back very good! No other issues than the diabetes. Something to be very grateful for.

Its been unusually warm here in Seattle, hes never liked the heat so when he slowed down I did not think too much about it. He had thrown up what looked like not well chewed dry food and was not really eating much wet either. But this week he peed on the bed, thenon some clothes ( atleast he kept it to places not directly on the floor!) then I knew something was up :( Poor guy.

Im only on my first day of looking over sites, talking to peeps in pets stores etc. I will get both my cats on a raw food meal plan. There seem to be some great frozen raw food options at my local indi-pet stores. Any suggestions would be helpful.

This is a new vet for us and I am a little nervous but they seemed very nice. I was thinking to bring my vet the food labels from the food he was getting. Then my vet will be very aware of what kind of diet change a new food regiment in concert with .... amount of insulin Tigger should get, small amount? or if at all. I have two cats. Daisy is fine. Both are picky eaters to a degree but they will adjust to a healthier, non kibble diet I am confident. Im calm now but it comes and goes. Yesturday was not a fun one worrying about leaving Tigger with a new vet. Hes been at the vets since Friday morning and I am supposed to call the Vet at 4pm today (Sat) for a update. I am not sure what they are doing that they need him most the day except that they need to monitor him to get his insulin lowered? Any thoughts anyone has might be helpful.

I can handle needles, gilving meds and all that. I've been there before many years earlier when my Sealpoint Siamese was sick and eventually passed away at 22yrs old ! Arg... The waiting to get Tigger back is hard.... I want to let him know I've not abandonede him... that feeling is really is the worst. Thanx for reading- Jeanette, Seattle Wa
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Hi Jeanette,
You can call the vet and let them know you are picking up Tigger. As has been said, there is absolutely no reason at all for your cat to stay at the vet to 'be regulated' or whatever the vet told you, and here's why.

The first thing is stress. Your cat and most others will register higher BG numbers while at the vet so the vet's testing won't mean much at all. Can you double check on the numbers the vet said Tigger had.... 160 is not a bad number at all!

The second thing is the length of time your cat's been diabetic. Do you know how long? Nope. Does your vet have a way of knowing? Nope. So going with that fact, how is the vet going to 'manage/handle/regulate' the cat in a day or more, if the cat's been diabetic for months? Not gonna happen. And never mind how expensive it will be to keep Tigger in a place where he is unhappy and you are not getting any results worth your money.

How was Tigger diagnosed as diabetic? Did the vet do a fructosamine test which is an average of Tigger's numbers over the last couple weeks, or did the vet just poke Tigger and get a 160, then declare he was diabetic?

If you have not started any insulin yet, it's a good idea to address the diet first. Way too many people waste money on an expensive pet meter and insulin and supplies, then they switch their cats to low carb wet food or a raw diet, and the cats are fine again.

If you have not done so, go to catinfo.org and read Dr. List Pierson's data on cat nutrition. She even has recipes for raw food, plus a list of foods with their carb %.

You can go to Walmart and pick up a Relion meter, test strips, lancets and also a container of KETOSTIX from the pharmacy. Test Tigger at home, and change his diet. After a week of diet change, your testing at home will let you know if he needs insulin or not.

Call your vet and get copies of all the test results. Ask for info on how Tigger was diagnosed, and bring Tigger home. Tell the vet you want a prescription for Lantus or Levemir, and you will fill it ONLY if Tigger's numbers remain high after you change his diet. Insulin is expensive, so there is no need for you to spend alot of money if it is not needed.

Gayle
 
Hi Jeanette and sugarkitty Tigger and welcome to the FDMB. Lots of experience here to help you with your newly diagnosed sugarkitty.

I suggest you check with your vet and find out for sure what the BG (blood glucose) reading was. Readings over 300, over 400, over 500, over 600 are high, but that 160 is just over normal range.

Normal range on a human glucometer is 40-130. Normal range on a pet specific glucometer like an Alphatrak is 70-150.

Being at the vet can raise the BG's 100-180 points just from the stress of the ride there and the unfamiliar surroundings.

If Tigger is truly at a 160 BG reading, it may be possible to control the diabetes with a diet change alone to low carb food. This can be either commercial canned or raw food or make your own raw food. All good choices for diabetic kitties. We use this food list by vet Dr. Lisa Pierson and look for foods that are <10% carbs.

Has Tigger been drinking a lot of water? Really hungry and begging for food but losing weight? Peeing huge puddles in the litter box and peeing much more frequently? Walking funny on the back legs, down on the hocks? These are some of the clinical signs that your cat may have diabetes. Would you let us know if you are seeing these signs with Tigger?

Did you get an update this afternoon from the vet?
 
Oh, goodness. First thank you for the replies and support! Tigger was in the 600's ( not 160 i quoted earlier)

Reason I brought him to the Vet was He was urinating places other than the box was the flag for me. He did have other symptoms but I did not recognize them till after the fact.

His level have been between 212 and 260's with out insulin. Sunday morning it his 308 but it hasnt happened since. the meds Are pretty pricy so Im having a time finding it in the portion I can pay.. But today I will get some one way or another. If his levels are between 200-300 Im not sure whats best to do next? Im still reading and learning. Suggestions welcome! I am talking with my vet.

Last night 214 BG. ( I fed him at 2:30 am. I likely should jot have fed him ). he has lost 1lb while at the vets and hoped the extremely low Carb food would be ok for a snack) This morning before breakfast BG 248. I have him eating Raw food with 96% protein can mixed in to get him to eat the Raw food. Very low calorie meals. No vegi or fruit in the canned foods I selected. I had to leave for work before I could take his after BG.

Thank you for your replies! J. And Tigger
 
Hello and welcome to the board!

I am a little confused.. is he still at the vet or is he home now? Are you testing at home? Are you giving insulin?

Sorry for all the questions but need more info in order to be able to help you better..

Wendy
 
Sorry Wendy :),
Im posting when I should be working so my attention is being pulled at. Bare with me.

Tigger is at home now. He's been since Saturday 5:30pm. I had been checking his BG level about every 2-3 hours the rest of the weekend. ( there are apps for this !)

I had started my research while he was at the vets. So Saturday when I picked him up i already had purchased a glucose meter, I had raw food samples and canned 95 & 96% protein cat food to give him. Thats what hes been given since I got him home. His level remain above 240's often. Im on my way home from work shortly to take BG. I just got a message from home, tiggered peed next to the box, not in it :( not good news. Hopefully his BG is ok and its because we have a child partntime that makes him a little nervous being shy in nature.... My main concern is how much insulin to hive since I have changed his food.

I'll be reading posting again likely when I get home from work in a few hours.... Uhg.
 
Thats great you are home testing!!. Are you currently giving insulin or do you have it at home? What kind? We can advise dose if we know this and what his weight is.

Did you pick up urine ketone strips? Those are important to test for ketones whenever he is high (over 340) since a life threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis can develop and its hard to treat and expensive. The strips are like $7 in walmart.

We have a spreadsheet you can use that we find handy - its in google docs and there is an app you can use to input data. It helps track trends and you can share it with us and your vet if you want more help heres how: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207

Wendy
 
Ok... Home from work.

Note- i am using the ReliOn people BG meter. So while I assume the numbers are the same whether it be a people or pet meter. I think I saw a post on a site that my assumption may not be exactly correct.

I have not got the insulin yet- working on it.
- hes eaton about a 1/2 cup of food = raw w/ canned food (96% protein) so he must be hungry?
- Tiggers weight is at 10.5. ( lost a whole pound in about 24hrs at the vets )
- we were prescribed Lantus? I can get a bottle good for a month $190 at a nearby drug store. I think I should get it...i have needles. Just no meds. The vets was having trouble getting it from their source so I need to get it from a pharmacy.

- At 4:38pm PST his BG was at 359. Took it again at 5:30pm and it went down to on,y 357. Im still learning...not sure what to do to get it back down.

I feel stupid. Whats best to do when its high? And I know hes not likely eaton enough. Suggestions.

I will check out your chart and use it! Right now Im using a app for people but there is also a VCA APP for cats and dogs to I will keep on my phone.

I think part of the rise is ever so slightly due to stress of having my step son here. Elliot my step son is a Good kid but he is only 8. Lots of energy. Both the cats seem to disappear when he's here on his short weekly visits. Unfortunately we have him all week for the first time this week. Great to have him a week...but it Just hard on shy little Tigger at this tender moment of hid diabetes hitting him.

Thank you so much Wendy!
 
A bottle of 10ml Lantus will literally last you up to six months if you keep it in the fridge and dont shake or roll it.

I think you will need to start it soon given his blood sugar readings so I would go out and get some asap. 359 is quite high. we can work on dose once you get it. What kind of syringes do you have?

- hes eaton about a 1/2 cup of food = raw w/ canned food (96% protein) so he must be hungry?
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He will eat more when he is unregulated. Keep feeding him.. he needs the calories because diabetes prevents him from processing food properly. Raw food may bring him down over the next few days since he isnt getting high carb any more. when did he last have dry? Also maybe it will drop when your step son is gone but we will see that with testing.

Wendy
 
ok you don't need to spend $190 for a bottle (vial) of insulin, - instead, ask the vet to write or call in a scrip for solostar pens - with the coupon you can get each pen for $25 - it is sold in a box of 5 pens - some pharmacies will sell you one pen at a time - you just have to call and ask.

when you fill out the lantus coupon card - be sure to put your cat's name and your last name and list the cat's age as 18 (otherwise you won't get the coupon).

http://www.lantus.com/starting/save-on- ... d=58228314

typically we recommend a starting dose of 1 unit or 1/2 unit.

please tell us what kind of food you are using and we can tell you if it's under the 10% carb requirement -- here is the link to the food chart we use -- www.catinfo.org - right side of page - click on food comparison chart
 
Dang! Thank you so much for the coupon link. I have printed it, verified my local Bartell Drug has it, called my vet for the perscription to be set up for the pen there. (originally they gave me that perscription but then changed it for me to bottle... To lower my upfront cost). I will share the link with them.

Food- the raw food brand is Rad Cat, Free-Range Chicken flavor
Canned - Evo, the Ancestral Diet, 95% chicken & turkey. This maks it easier to get both my cats to switch over to raw. I mix the Evo in and then have to sprinkle a little DentaTreat on it. That seems to work pretty good.

How am I doing?
 
:(. I fed Tigger, wished I hadnt. Took his BG and its up to 370! Im heading to the Pharmacy to see if my purscription has been called in, and wait for it. I dont know what to do to bring his BG down.
 
Yeah. Well I should be able to give Tigger his 1st shot in the next 20 minutes. On my way home now with pens!
 
Jbell said:
Yeah. Well I should be able to give Tigger his 1st shot in the next 20 minutes. On my way home now with pens!
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Don't be surprised if you don't get quick results from the insulin. As I've been told here before, I'll pass along to you, Patience is key! Put all the pieces together regarding food, testing, insulin, and see where your baby leads you. ECID = Every Cat Is Different

You've had a great start so far, and I know your kitty is in the best hands possible to take care of him!

Keep up the good work!
 
To all who have chimed in and posted... You have REALLY help me keep cool, get what needs done- done! And saved me a huge chunk of cash for the insulin. THANK you so much. If I could bake you a apple pie I would! I might just make one for me for keeping my little guy alie and seemingly happy! This new reality would of been much harder to adjust too if not for all who took time to offer guidence.

Thank you, thank you :) Below is where we are at after insulin was introduced since last night. I stayed home to monitor hus morning progress. But will leave for a few hours. I think he'll be ok?

At about 9pm last night he got his 1st insulin shot from me. (since Friday at the vets.)

Last night
9pm lantis insulan given BG 374. Gave him .02 Lantus insulan pen. ( just to "2" on pen) not sure what that measurement means)

3:51 am Tigger woke me up- hungary. (little turkey) his BG 54. Fed him and he drank water.

8:25 am before eating BG 87. He little eat again ( not quite 1/2 cup of the raw mix I note in prior post)

12:04pm has not had lunch yet BG is 124. He does not seem hungry. So I will wiat till I get home 4ish to feed him again.

Hes being lazy and sleeping. I plan to put him outside to watch birds and mozy around. His stress goes up a bit for reasons in previous post. So I will test when I get home from working to see where he is at. I gave him the lantis in the evening due to high BG. I am hoping to be able to wait till tomorrow morning to give him insulin to a AM schedule for shots when needed? Should I give him just .01 if his BG is back over 200 but below 300 before I feed him his dinner? I do have suringes, so I can do a 1/2 instead of a whole number.

I have not gotten the google sheet loaed to fill in. I did try the link but it did not seem to work? Kept coming up with an ERROR for page. I was on a ipad so maybe that was a issue? If someone can copy and paste a fresh link. Or if this web page HTML wont post it cleanly-? I have used google sheets for work on the ipad but sometime the links need adjusting.

Hope you all are having a great day. Thank you for reading and caring.
Jeanette and Tigger!
 
Are you using the pen needle tips with the insulin pen? We have found those not accurate enough for those tiny doses that our cats get. We strongly recommend always using an insulin syringe to draw the dose.

I think that .2 you said might be 2Units. That looks like too much for Tigger, based on how low it brought his numbers. Since the depot takes time to fill up, if you continue to give that dose, Tigger may go too low.

My suggestion is to use the insulin syringe to draw up the dose and decrease the dose to 0.5U.
 
You want a dose that is safe to give twice a day. Glad you didn't shoot on that 87! I would probably lower his dose to 1u .5u the next time he's over 200. He will probably be high tonight from the skipped dose and the lower numbers (than he's used to).

ETA: I agree with Deb that it's better to start with .5u since he dropped so low already on the first dose.
 
And great job on already getting a handle on the testing! :thumbup And the switch to the pens and dealing with a new vet and your stepson visiting. All of this since just Saturday?! :o :RAHCAT If you haven't already, take a moment to pat yourself on the back (my favorite kind of "pat" is some wine :lol: ).
 
Thank you! I am still home. Havent got out the door. Since his BG ever so slowly mirgating up. When I give him his dinner around 6pm, where do you think his numbers would be to know he should get a 1/2 unit shot with his meal? Im geussing you are right and tis bg will continue to climb a little.i just gave him a anibiotic orally. I am to give that 14 days total until gone.... I dont know if that will have any ingredients to affect BG levels ? I could give him a 1/2 unit now & feed him before I leave now?
 
Ok. good to know. I have syringes. I can use those too. But I do have the pen tips which were used for first dose last night.


Deb & Wink said:
Are you using the pen needle tips with the insulin pen? We have found those not accurate enough for those tiny doses that our cats get. We strongly recommend always using an insulin syringe to draw the dose.

I think that .2 you said might be 2Units. That looks like too much for Tigger, based on how low it brought his numbers. Since the depot takes time to fill up, if you continue to give that dose, Tigger may go too low.

My suggestion is to use the insulin syringe to draw up the dose and decrease the dose to 0.5U.
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You want to give each shot as close to 12 hours apart as possible (+/- 30 minutes a day). If you give him his shot now, you have to make sure to give his next shot 12 hours from now. If his regular shot times are going to be 6 am/pm, however, then I would wait till then to give him his shot.

Usually antiboitics don't affect BGs, depending on what's in them (i.e. sugar). What's the antibiotic? Clavamox for a UTI? If so, this shouldn't normally affect BGs.
 
Jbell said:
I have not gotten the google sheet loaed to fill in. I did try the link but it did not seem to work? Kept coming up with an ERROR for page. I was on a ipad so maybe that was a issue? If someone can copy and paste a fresh link. Or if this web page HTML wont post it cleanly-? email the link to. [email address removed] I have used google sheets for work on the ipad but sometime the links need adjusting.
Click to expand...

Try this link to the spreadsheet template and see if that works. Click on the button on the top of the page to "Use this template" and it will be saved to your Google Drive. You might have to log into Google first.

Also, please edit your previous post to remove your email address (spam-bots and such). ;-)
 
Doh!
Ok, we can adjust to fix my error.... :shock: I decided to stay home and work. For one more day I could keep an eye on my little guy. So, I fed and shot him. ( 1/2 unit insulin! Lol ). He really has bounced back in personality since the first shot last night. But I will be very careful, I wont give more, so I dont let his levels get too low!!

We will ride out the night and start fresh 6am to 6pm. that is a good fit for our house hold. This gentle 1/2 unit approach will likely compliment new food adjustment. Thank you for the good suggestions. Between work and family Its hard to find the quiet time to read up and digest all the many details. One wrong move and the worst could happen. The advice has been priceless. The graditude I have for the help is huge- anything that keeps my sanity intact under stress is a WONDERFUL Gift. drinking24

KPassa said:
You want to give each shot as close to 12 hours apart as possible (+/- 30 minutes a day). If you give him his shot now, you have to make sure to give his next shot 12 hours from now. If his regular shot times are going to be 6 am/pm, however, then I would wait till then to give him his shot.

Usually antiboitics don't affect BGs, depending on what's in them (i.e. sugar). What's the antibiotic? Clavamox for a UTI? If so, this shouldn't normally affect BGs.
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You're still learning so there's bound to be mistakes. ;-) When that happens, we're here to catch you and help you out. Someone somewhere on this board has made a similar mistake in the past so we know how to deal with practically anything that happens. :lol:

Jbell said:
Ok, we can adjust to fix my error.... We will ride out the night and start fresh 6am to 6pm. that is a good fit for our house hold. This gentle 1/2 unit approach will likely compliment new food adjustment.
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Good plan, especially with the food change. "Better high for a day than low for a moment!"
 
Great that you got the insulin! And its good you reduced the dose - any time you go under 50 it means a dose decrease ....and in this case it showed your starting dose was too much. 0.5IU is a safer starting dose and we can work the dose up gradually.

Also as a newbie you dont want to shoot yet unless he is over 200. We will work on shooting lower later once you have more data

let us know if you need help with the spreadsheet!
Wendy
 
Now that you are home testing, the following may be helpful:

Here are some glucose reference ranges used for decision making using glucometers. Human glucometer numbers are given first (mg/dL). Numbers in parentheses are for non-US meters (mmol/L). Numbers in curly braces are estimates for an AlphaTrak.

< 40 mg/dL (2.2 mmol/L) {< 70 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- Treat as if HYPO if on insulin
- At nadir (lowest point between shots) in a long term diabetic (more than a year), may earn a reduction.

< 50 mg/dL (2.8 mmol/L) {< 80 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- If before nadir, steer with food, ie, give modest amounts of medium carb food to keep from going below 50 (2.8).
- At nadir, often indicates dose reduction is earned.

50 - 130 mg/dL (2.8 - 7.2 mmol/L) {80 - 160 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- On insulin - great control when following a tight regulation protocol.
- Off insulin - normal numbers. (May even go as low as the upper 30s (1.7 mmol/L){60s for an AlphaTrak}; if not on insulin, this can be safe.

> 150 mg/dL (8.3 mmol/L) {> 180 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- At nadir, indicates a dose increase may be needed when following a tight regulation protocol.

200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) {230 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- no shot level for beginners; may slowly reduce to 150 mg/dL (8.3 mmol/L) {180 mg/dL} for long-acting insulins (Lantus, Levemir, and ProZinc) as data collection shows it is safe

180 - 280 mg/dL (10 - 15.6 mmol/L) {may be 210 - 310 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- Any time - The renal threshold (depending on data source and cat's renal function) where glucose spills into the urine.
- Test for ketones, glucose is too high.

>= 280 mg/dL (15.6 mmol/L) {may be >=310 mf/dL for an AlphaTrak}, if for most of the cycle between shots
- Uncontrolled diabetes and thus at risk for diabetic ketoacidosis and hepatic lipidosis
- Follow your insulin protocol for dose adjustments
- Test for ketones; if more than a trace level of ketones, go to vet ASAP.
 
Thank you BgM for the large amount of info :)

I use a ReliOn, Confirm Blood Glucose monitoring unit for Tigger. I use a syringe now to give him his shot- since I'm giving him a half unit now to see how he responds. If you could help me- by deleting from your post the info I dont need (other units etc) for give the request to use words I will quickly grasp until I get more up to speed on my reading... Yur wonderful post will be more user friendly for me. :oops:

I dont have have the language learned, but Im getting there. I have not yet gotten the pee test kit. Its next to get, the one item I've missed. FDMB peeps mention Walmart will have them so I will get one tomorrow!

Today 5:50 am before food. BG 174. I gave him his morning shot of 1/2 unit while he ate.

3:06pm got home BG 113. Then.... I made the mistake of forgetting my other cats food out and tigger aet it at around 5pm. This was a Evo 95% protein wet food that I switched both cats to. Very low cal. Suggested for Diabetic cats. Since he was diagnosed Tigger gets this food with 1/2 raw food mixed in.... (( Note- He usually eats about 1/4 cup waits a bit then eats the rest. I have been giving about 1/2 cup food at a time ))

6pm checked BG 304 :( Oh.... %?!$&. So, I Gave Tigger only 1/2 unit per most peeps suggestion. I will check his BG before I go to bed 10pm ish to see where that puts him but even its a bit high, I wont give him a shot again until 6am tomorrow.

Since I only found out last Friday I pretty much test, when i get up- before he eats. When I get home from work 3-4 ish and then before he eats 6pm and then before I got to bed. 4-5 times a day just from paranoia... Not quite having a full grasp of his ups and downs. I think had I not let him get to Daisys dinner and gave him a 1/2 unit with his dinner he might of stayed nearer to lower than 113 after he ate?
Does anyone think Im totally lost or my assumption is about right?

I will get my chart filled in by end of weekend I hope. i am using an app to keep a record of everything, so all I need to do is transfer into to the spread sheet. Its been a hectic week. My wonderful Tigger is feeling better. ( All be it a little up and down) He now is back to waking me at 5am ish, clawing playfully, burring like a lawn mower and biting my hair!! To get me up to feed him. It was a normal (if not a little annoying.. ;-) funny thing he is starting to do again. Good for him. Less sleep for me :lol:
As always, much gratitude for the continued words of wisdom from you all... As this green newby gets it together :mrgreen: :YMPEACE: cat_pet_icon
 
Good job on testing. Heres the readings put in our format for the last few days which might help you when you are doing the sheet and get used to our nomenclature.

08/26
PMPS 374 2IU (PMPS = p.m.Pre Shot)
+7 54

08/27
AMBG 87 skip (its AMBG because you didnt shoot = a.m. Blood Glucose)
+4 124
PMPS ?dont know what the reading was here 0.5IU

08/28
AMPS 174 0.5IU
+9.5 113
PMPS 304 0.5IU

At the weekend you might want to get a +6 test because Lantus has a nadir ( low point) around 5-7 hours after your shot yesterday and I wonder if he went lower than the 113. Very likely. Question is how low did he go?

Its no problem if he is eating the Evo - its low carb too (2-6%).

You arent using the pen tips any more are you? they are very inaccurate,

Wendy
 
Thank you Wendy for the language break down.

Just to touch on numbers before I get to work
Continueing from my last post...

Wed 3:06 pm he was at 113
.. After he at small amount of food I mistakenly left with in his reach.
6pm BG up to 304 I gave 1/2 unit....
9:38pm BG dropped to 46- no symptoms. :? Ack..I emediately fed him after reading the info sheet on how to handle low BG.
10:17pm- BG 51,
10:40pm -BG 56. I gave him a little more food and he ate that.
Thur 2:08am - BG 80
6:36am - BG 166 and I gave him food. He ate a good amount. No shot. If he goes a bit high before I get home, better than too low. Right?

I was surprised his BG dropped so dramatically after only 3 hrs. I think this was because he did not eat very much. I should of followed him around or took him to a quiet spot outside to eat. Peace. He has been feeling better but seems a little more nervous than usual with my step son visiting. ( Tiggers always been pretty shy though, when its more than me & my husband around ).

My learning curve... My little guys doing good over all. Uhg. I hope everyone has a great day. I will be able to use the keystone test tonight.
Thank you. This weekend will be just me and the cats so I look forward to getting in some study & spreadsheet time. Hug of thank you for the awesome encouragement-from Seattle!
 
do your syringes have half unit markings? We are going to have to reduce his dose since he dropped under 50.. reduce to 0.25. Here's what that looks like..

025unit-1.jpg


I wouldn't shoot at all unless he goes over 200 for now though..

Wendy
 
I dont think my syringe looks like the picture? I gave 1/2 between the 1st two lines. Each space between the line on mine i think is a unit. Maybe i miss read my needle? Hmm. But that would mean I only gave him .25 yesterday. I have tried to attach photos to the post but they dont show. Maybe due to the ipad? Ill take a good look at the syringe and see if Im reading it incorrectly? Or need a different kind from my Vet to see a .5 easier.


Thank you Wendy!
 
What kind of syringes do you have? Brand etc? maybe they dont have half unit markings on them.. you will need them ie Relion 3/10cc 30 & 31 gauge short, BD Ultra fine 3/10cc short, Terumo Thinpro Insulin Syringe 31G 3/10cc, Kroger 0.3cc 8mm, 31 gauge all should have 1/2 unit markings on them.
 
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