Not hypo again, but low -- No shot tonight?

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heidi

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Hi, everyone.
I posted this at the end of my "going forward from hypo" post, but then I thought I should start another thread.
Thankfully testing went a little better today. Frodo's BG is on the low side again. Definitely not hypo, but too low to give a shot I believe. Also, I had something bizarre happen during the pre-shot test. The first reading I got was 65. That seemed really low again and I really had expected to get an error message for too little blood or movement (he was flinging his head around). He was still bleeding, so I tested again on a drop that fell on the floor and got 110 (yes, I overcompensated my poke!). I entered the 110 in my spreadsheet because I feel it was probably more accurate than the 65, but is this common to get two numbers that different? Also, I assume 110 is too low for a shot . . . and 65 definitely is. The test was at 12 hours and 5 min. past the last shot, so I'm right on time -- not early. How high should it be before you give a shot? 200? This is really bizarre. Should I test again after feeding him? Just skip the shot for sure and try again tomorrow? I will be home tomorrow at least part of the day and can try to test more often.

Thanks,
Heidi
 
If you are going to stall the shot you want to test again in 30 minutes without feeding...or you can skip the shot altogether, whichever you are more comfortable with.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
If you're not going to be around to keep an eye on him and since you are new at this I would be tempted to skip the shot. It will probably mean he is really high again at PS tomorrow but until you have collected enough data to know how Frodo reacts it might be better to take the safe option. You mention hypo but I am wondering whether you mean it, did Frodo have any symptoms of hypo or just the low BG numbers? If he did have an actual hypo episode my understanding is that he will be more sensitive to insulin for a while so you need to take extra care.
 
I guess I was under the impression that any number under 50 was considered hypo. No he never had symptoms. His only strange behavior was that he was ravenously hungry all afternoon and evening.
I didn't give the shot tonight. I would have worried too much to sleep. We'll try again tomorrow . . .
Thanks,
Heidi
 
Heidi,
Technically, any number below a normal number would be "hypoglycemic", but when "we" say "hypo", we often think "symptoms". My cat Bob went into the low 40's a couple of times, but never displayed any of the classic symptoms. His BG just happened to be below the bottom of the normal 50-120 range.
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=15887

SYMPTOMS
Some cats may have NO symptoms whatsoever, but here are the most common ones:

MILD HYPOGLYCEMIA
Sudden ravenous hunger
Shivering
Weak or lethargic

MODERATE HYPOGLYCEMIA
Disorientation
Trouble with vision... bumps into furniture
Poor coordination, such as staggering, walking in circles or acting drunk
Changes in head or neck movements
Restlessness
Urgent meowing
Behavioral changes, such as aggressiveness

SEVERE HYPOGLYCEMIA
Convulsions or seizures
Unconsciousness

Carl
 
Ah! Thanks, Carl. I guess Frodo did have symptoms of mild hypoglycemia because that cat would have eaten me if he could have (actually he did bite me a couple of times during the testing . . .). :smile: I only remembered the more severe symptoms.
Heidi
 
I'm sorry I'm not a little closer, Columbia is a 3 hour drive for me as I live east of Quincy a ways.

I'm glad to read your "we'll try again tomorrow." That's a great attitude to have at this time. Missing one shot or one test is not a disaster and tomorrow is another day.
 
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