Not eating shot or no shot

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Terri&Kit

Terri&Kit

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Kit hasn't eaten but maybe 4 tablespoons of food all day. I just fed him 2 tbsp off of my fingers about 15 minutes ago. Here's his #s:
AMPS: 304
+6: 63
+10: 119
+12: 189
I didn't give him his shot.
+13.5: 212

We've only been doing this for 2 days, 1U. He didn't get his shot last night because he wouldn't eat and was at 134 at shot time last night. So we don't have a lot of numbers to look at but it seems as if the insulin drops his BG radically, so I'm not sure what to do. Thoughts?
 
Oh hi, I haven't been following along so far, but welcome! Those numbers today were with a shot of 1u this morning, and low eating? I would definitely lower the dose. If those numbers are without eating though, I think it will be safe to give him some insulin. On a PS like this morning's I might try something like 0.75. With a PS like tonight's I might do something like 0.5u. I think he is high enough to shoot and you don't want him to go all night without insulin, it's just a choice of how much. Definitely less than 1u, and I wouldn't go any lower than 0.5.

I haven't followed the full saga though and I'm too tired to catch up right now, so I don't feel too comfortable making suggestions. If others don't chime in here, you might post on Health for more suggestions.

I'm concerned though with him not eating much. Do you already know why he isn't eating? Are you testing for ketones? I am signing off for the night, but will try to check in tomorrow! Hopefully some others will be along soon with suggestions.
 
Thanks. Some people have suggested nausea, so I'm going to try some pepcid. I've tried sprinkling several things on his wet food. I finally cracked and put out a bowl of his prescription food (13% carbs). I'm not sure what the problem is. Stress, not liking the wet food anymore, nausea, just being a pain, I'm working on the food issue. But just not sure how much I should shoot him or if I should at all. He has eaten a little in the last hour, so I'm leaning towards the shot, I just don't know how much. I'm going to check his BG again.
 
Terri,
Did you get a chance to read the link about no food-no insulin?
I gathered from the consensus that is is not a good idea to hold off on the insulin even though Kitty isn't eating.
But in your case, with only having been on insulin 2 days, we can already see that 1 unit is causing kitty to drop fast and has very long duration. To long, imo.
So with the no food factored in and with the fact that Kit is over 200 now, I would shoot like .5
But that's just me.
GO with what you are comfortable with.
But Kit needs insulin.
 
That's great he is eating some, hope that trend continues! If he is still not eating well tomorrow I would take him to the vet if you haven't already. Hopefully it's nothing big, but not eating is never right! and scarier with diabetics.

If he is eating kibble that will probably send his BG up so that should give you a better comfort level with the dose. If he has gone up a lot since you last tested you might try 0.75. Maybe post on Health though if you haven't already for suggestions?
 
Yes, I read it. And that may apply when your cat's BG is 400. But he was at 134 last night at shot time, you couldn't have paid me to give him insulin then. And the way it's making his BG plummet terrifies me. Missing a shot or two until we get some numbers is much better than finding him dead on my bedroom floor in the morning.

His BG is 234
 
Since he's still rising, I gave him .5U and I'll just leave the kitty crack out tonight and keep waking up to check him. Man I hope this gets easier.
 
Terri,

I just have a few observations I would like to make.

First, Kit just moved. You didn't specify how far... but in a weeks time you've had him to the vet, moved him, changed his diet, and are now stabbing him. He doesn't understand any of this. Could any of these factors be an issue with him? Even missing mom?

He's been on at least 3 medications in this time. That's a lot for even the veteran sick person, let alone cat.

It sounds like you quick switched food diets on him, this can cause problems. I think you need to stop offering him a smorgasboard of food and settle on just one or slow switching to just one. Treats should be offered as needed, of course.

If you're not comfortable shooting, don't do it. Don't let anyone here talk you into something you are uncomfortable with, regardless of data or opinions (ESPECIALLY MINE!!!!!). High BG kills slow, low BG kills instantly. I have overdosed my cat on PZ. It is possible, and it's the scariest thing you will ever go through.

I'd also like you to try to consider his previous food patterns. If you were free feeding before, and are now time feeding, he thinks you're starving him. It's as simple as that. I had to stop time feeding on insulin, because my cat refused to eat. She's almost starved to death in the past. Animals will go without food if they feel the need to.

Also, your actions are going to terrify him. If you're stressed out because of the insulin, he will be stressed out. Take a breath. Let him take a breath.
 
Terri&Kit said:
Since he's still rising, I gave him .5U and I'll just leave the kitty crack out tonight and keep waking up to check him. Man I hope this gets easier.
Click to expand...

terri,
I promise you - this will get easier. Great advice from Michele. Take a breath. Maybe two. And please read the stickied note on the board titled "Newbies - a message from your cat" when you have a minute.

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=33671

I'm a big bad former US Marine, and when I read it, it made me choke up and shed a couple tears. I've gone back and read it more than once in the past 2 months. It resets me. Hope it does the same for you.
Carl
 
Thanks Michelle. I'm trying to breathe, I really am, and as far as checking BG and giving him shots, I can handle that. And he has been so great about it, surprisingly. But you're absolutely right. He's been through a lot in a short amount of time. We're from WV originally, so he moved about 500 miles (8 hours). I really don't think he misses my mom. I'm the only person he really likes lol. I bought an auto feeder a long time ago for his dry food, so he has always been fed 3 times a day and he just eats as he wants until it's gone. I haven't changed that. I read somewhere that it's ok to leave wet food out for as much as 12 hours so I feed him before work and again when I come check his +6 and then I'm home by the time he's +10. Every time I've given him fresh food even though he always has some left. Since he seems to be eating the kibble tonight, I'm going to keep giving it to him and slowly ween him off of it instead of the cold turkey. He was doing great for a few days, but we will start over slowly this time. At least he'll be eating and hopefully him not liking the wet food is the only problem. Even though he hasn't been eating the treats, I still give them to him. And I may have bought him new toys today...

I'm only terrified over the insulin because he isn't eating. I think if he was eating, his BG wouldn't be plummeting like it is. It would have something to work with and I wouldn't have to worry as much.
 
Oh Terri,
I hope you didn't misunderstand and think I was suggesting you give Kit insulin when he was only 134! :o

I was only concerned with when Kit was on the rise and in the 180's. And I was only wanting to stress that even if he had been in the 300's, I wouldn't shoot a full unit. If you thought I was saying Kit should have insulin when he is that low, I need to practice my writing style.
My apologies if it came across that way.

Here's to hoping Kit has good numbers today. I have a meeting at work this am, but will be back in the afternoon to hopefully see Kit surfin' right along! :-D
 
Oh no, I knew most people here wouldn't give at 134 and no one would ever suggest a newbie even think about it. I was a little on edge and if I sounded harsh, I do apologize. I'm so stressed about this but I don't mean to be harsh to the only people that are trying to help me.

On a more positive note...
He ate 1/4 cup of kibble last night (the bag says he should eat 1/2 cup a day) and when my alarm went off this morning, I could hear him picking at the wet with the dry mixed in and he ate all of that too. (It was about a tbsp of wet and maybe 15 pieces of kibble.) I don't understand him lol. I swear he only eats at night lol. I set 2 alarms to check him over night and turns out I set the alarms for PM, so I got no numbers on his .5U last night. I know he had just eaten, but his BG was at 349 that was right around +9. I'll have to go home at lunch to give him his shot since his schedule is out of whack now.
 
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