PLEASE HELP! DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!

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Nemosmomma said:
I have to be really honest, and please give me your honest opinion, I would rather Nemo have alittle dry food at those 2 times that have a blood sugar that takes a nose dive
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Dry food can only make him worse because it works against everything we're trying to do. There's no reason you can't feed him more often than twice a day no matter what that tech tells you. The people here have been treating diabetic cats since 1996....that's a LOT of real life experience and we know that it's fine to feed multiple small meals

I took about a month for my cats to get used to being fed on a schedule instead of having dry available to them all the time, but it was worth it in the end. They get fed at 6am, noon, 6pm and midnight.....and if they really want an extra snack, they can have it (that's my civvies)

My diabetic gets fed about every 3-4 hours. Her last meal is usually around 1am and then we start over at 6 the next morning.

You can add water to canned food and put it into ice cube trays too. Most cats won't eat it when it's frozen, but a few hours later when it's melted, it offers them a "fresh" meal without you having to get up to feed.
 
Chris & China said:
Dry food can only make him worse because it works against everything we're trying to do. There's no reason you can't feed him more often than twice a day no matter what that tech tells you. The people here have been treating diabetic cats since 1996....that's a LOT of real life experience and we know that it's fine to feed multiple small meals

I took about a month for my cats to get used to being fed on a schedule instead of having dry available to them all the time, but it was worth it in the end. They get fed at 6am, noon, 6pm and midnight.....and if they really want an extra snack, they can have it (that's my civvies)

My diabetic gets fed about every 3-4 hours. Her last meal is usually around 1am and then we start over at 6 the next morning.

You can add water to canned food and put it into ice cube trays too. Most cats won't eat it when it's frozen, but a few hours later when it's melted, it offers them a "fresh" meal without you having to get up to feed.
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Thank you for being patient with me. As i was readying your post i remembered yoi telling me some of the stuff you do with feeding before. That plan you have sounds awesome, and by using your time table my younger kids won't be jumping on my head in the middle of the night because they want food! Yay! I also feel so much better knowing I can feed nemo multiple small meals instead of 2 big ones, that he never finishes! After what meals do you give her insulin? I've been feeding him at 11am and 11pm and then depending on how long it takes him to eat 20-25 min after he gets insulin. So I could do 5am,11am, 5pm, 11pm and give him some smaller meals in between...all canned food. Does that sound right? Maybe he'd put on alittle weight, if he loses any more...Well he's got nothing left to lose. So I've been weaning them down on the dry food, when should it be ok to do all canned? I know the sooner the better bit I think the first day all canned would have to be Wed when I'm gonna be home all day. That way I'll be here if his sugar drops to low..
 
MERRY CHRISTMAS! I know it's almost over but wanted to send wishes anyway!
Also an IMPORTANT update! I decided to lower Nemo's insulin to .75 like you suggested and before I talked to the vet. I've done this the last 2 days and he's actually been acting better!! Not that I doubted You! I also haven't given him sub q fluids in the last 2 days and he hasn't been acting off at all, knock on wood. I'm thinking it's been the diabetes the whole time. I'm also making a plan to get everyone on canned food by the end of the week. I think I've weaned them down enough from the dry. Anyway that's the update for now. Talk more later today! Thank you for helping me help my baby boy!!! I know we're just at the begining, but having so much support and a plan I feel so much better! :):cat:
 
Merry Christmas.
Can you get your spreadsheet up and running please. It will make it much easier to help you. Without a SS we are an able to really help with dosing. Thanks.
 
Hi ! I apologize for not getting on here yesterday and not having my spreadsheet up yet...I've been sick.
Anyway, Nemo has been acting good, more like himself. I have to admit I haven't been able to get out to get all my canned food so he has had alittle dry, which I know makes his numbers higher. I have enough canned that I'm gonna leave that out tonight instead of any dry because his numbers have been high since last night. Please don't think I'm procrastinating or don't care about him or all of your advice. I really am doing the best I can with my body not cooperating.
Anyway until I can get his spreadsheet up here are the numbers since last night.
12/26- 11:50pm - 686
12/27- 12:50am- 642 (after food and Insulin)
11:45am- 684
12:55pm- 587
10:57pm- HI- According to AlphaTRAK book means over 750!
He finished eating his canned and I'm gonna give him his insulin at 11:30. Should I bump it back up to 1 unit?
 
Those are very high numbers. You'd lowered his dose to 0.75 u, right? I don't really know what to suggest. He could be high because the dose is too low but that doesn't fit with what you've said in your posts, because he still eats some kibble or because the dose is too high and he’s rebounded to high numbers and is "stuck" there. Please try to get that spreadsheet up and running as soon as you can and enter all the BG numbers you have on it.

I would NOT increase the dose to 1 u at this point. We need to see that spread sheet to figure things out.
 
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Kris & Teasel said:
Those are very high numbers. You'd lowered his dose to 0.75 u, right? I don't really know what to suggest. He could be high because the dose is too low, because he still eats some kibble or because the dose is too high and his rebounded to high numbers and is "stuck" there. Please try to get that spreadsheet up and running as soon as you can and enter all the BG numbers you have on it.
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Hi. Yes I had dropped him to .75 unit. I'm giving him 1 unit now so I can recheck his BG. I should so that in 20 min right?
 
Kris & Teasel said:
I think 1 unit is probably too high based on how low he went on it in your earlier posts.
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I just gave it to him. Ugh. I'm wondering if I didn't get all his insulin in this morning..Anyway I'll check him in 20 min and see where we're at. I'm checking before food and insulin and then after food and Insulin. Should I be doing random testing during the day? I'm also gonna do another curve once he's on just all canned food foe a couple days to see what the difference is.
 
Testing isn't really random. You are looking for certain information. You'll test before each shot and for an average shoot, you are looking to see where he is at when the insulin peaks, something called nadir. I forget when that is for Lantus, but it should tell you in one of the stickies in the Lantus forum. As far as what you should do in this case, I am going to let someone who is more familiar with your insulin tell you about that.

When they go lower than normal, there is always a chance their bodies will react by sending out a bunch of sugar. Then you end up with high numbers in the following cycle. Being high for one cycle is not even as close to being as dangerous as going too low. High is not good but low can put your cat in a state they cannot come back from. So, you need to reduce based on how low he goes and observe through the cycle, even if it is high.
 
Ok so I've been doing things wrong again...not surprised. :facepalm: So I'm a little glad he's high rather than too low. I'll test him again in a bit just to make sure he's still going down. Man was he pissy during the last test, not that I blame him! I know I'll get this eventually.
 
Kris - Gotcha.

Amy - I have been here off and on since 2013. I've always had help when it was urgent. These people know their stuff and they are here to help. You'll will get it. And then you'll still have an off day here and there. I'm up late with low BG due to a wrong call -- and I did this for about three years with another cat.
 
Fatina Marie said:
Kris - Gotcha.

Amy - I have been here off and on since 2013. I've always had help when it was urgent. These people know their stuff and they are here to help. You'll will get it. And then you'll still have an off day here and there. I'm up late with low BG due to a wrong call -- and I did this for about three years with another cat.
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Thank you so much for that reassurance! I don't know what I would do without the people on here! Knowing I'm not alone in this means more than words can express!
 
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I have water bowls all over the house for kitty. He has Diabetes & stage 2 kidney disease. I don't give sub Q. His KD hasn't progressed to that point yet.

Hope this helps a little :)
 
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JoyBee&Ravan said:
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I have water bowls all over the house for kitty. He has Diabetes & stage 2 kidney disease. I don't give sub Q. His KD hasn't progressed to that point yet.

Hope this helps a little :)
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Yes that does help! Thank you! I have large water bowls and a cup in the sink that's always full for him..although he likes it better when I turn the faucet on so he can get water that way. He does have the right name because he loves the water! Lol
 
Something I read about Cats with KD. It's best to give them Distilled Water, no fluoride or Chlorine in it ,just pure clean water. I buy a few gallons at the grocery store. And only use Glass bowls never any plastic.
 
Hi everyone.
We are starting day 3 of all canned food and later this afternoon I'll be posting his spreadsheet with his BG numbers up until today.
I have a question before that though. At 2:35am he was 161 and at 7:35am he's 163. He's due for his next BG reading before food and insulin at 11am. If he hasn't gone up at all do I NOT give him insulin ? He's been very hungry, ravenous even, and finishes any canned I give him plus what's out for my other 4 cats. I'll look for your replies before i do anything at 11am, 3 hours from now for anyone not in the states. Thank you!
 
Nemosmomma said:
Hi everyone.
We are starting day 3 of all canned food and later this afternoon I'll be posting his spreadsheet with his BG numbers up until today.
I have a question before that though. At 2:35am he was 161 and at 7:35am he's 163. He's due for his next BG reading before food and insulin at 11am. If he hasn't gone up at all do I NOT give him insulin ? He's been very hungry, ravenous even, and finishes any canned I give him plus what's out for my other 4 cats. I'll look for your replies before i do anything at 11am, 3 hours from now for anyone not in the states. Thank you!
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If you don't have a lot of experience giving insulin on that range of BG you might want to skip. You use an AT meter and it reads higher than the human meters most of us use, Please consider setting up the spreadsheet we use here. It's the only way we can give safe and useful advice. :)
 
Kris & Teasel said:
If you don't have a lot of experience giving insulin on that range of BG you might want to skip. You use an AT meter and it reads higher than the human meters most of us use, Please consider setting up the spreadsheet we use here. It's the only way we can give safe and useful advice. :)
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Ok. That spreadsheet will be up by today. Hopefully you'll still be able to help me figure things out while I'm using this AlphaTRAK 2. Once I get some money I'll be getting a human monitor so I can save the AlphaTRAK test strips for curves. Thank you
Ps. He went up to 305 so I'm gonna give him his insulin.
 
Nemosmomma said:
Ok. That spreadsheet will be up by today. Hopefully you'll still be able to help me figure things out while I'm using this AlphaTRAK 2. Once I get some money I'll be getting a human monitor so I can save the AlphaTRAK test strips for curves. Thank you
Ps. He went up to 305 so I'm gonna give him his insulin.
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To save money with the Alphatrak you can use Freestyle Insulinx strips with it. $38 for 100 strips on amazon. You can also get good deals on eBay.
 
Hello all! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!...Early or late! Lol.
Anyway, last night I was gonna do the spreadsheet and my computer wasn't working. Finally got it working and now I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong cause it won't let me make a copy. I juat hit Google signup and I'm still waiting for something to happen. I hate computers!
 
Nemosmomma said:
Hello all! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!...Early or late! Lol.
Anyway, last night I was gonna do the spreadsheet and my computer wasn't working. Finally got it working and now I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong cause it won't let me make a copy. I juat hit Google signup and I'm still waiting for something to happen. I hate computers!
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I got your PM and I’ll help you with the SS.

I absolutely would not use Freestyle human strips in the AT regardless of anyone’s data. They are no longer made by the same company and I would not take the risk. I always ask if you were diabetic would you test your own BG using a human meter with test strips meant for a cat because that is the exact analogy of using human strips in a pet meter.
 
I MESSED UP! I forgot to take a BG reading before his dinner and insulin! I just took it like I normally do before we go to bed and he's 56! I gave him 2 large handfuls of dry food I had left, he's been on canned since the 28th, and I'll retake his BG in 15 min. Now I know from the last time he went really low he bounced for a couple days. Am I missing anything. I can't believe I screwed up.this bad!
 
Nemosmomma said:
I MESSED UP! I forgot to take a BG reading before his dinner and insulin! I just took it like I normally do before we go to bed and he's 56! I gave him 2 large handfuls of dry food I had left, he's been on canned since the 28th, and I'll retake his BG in 15 min. Now I know from the last time he went really low he bounced for a couple days. Am I missing anything. I can't believe I screwed up.this bad!
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I would give a couple of drops of honey to get him up over 68. And retest in 15 mins please. I will wait for the retest
 
I gave him honey right after I typed ok. Then i retested cause it had been 20 min. He read 37! So I gave him more honey and dry food he's eating dry now. It's what I gave him before that put him into 200 but he hadn't had insulin when he was that low.
 
Be sure you reduce the dose by 0.25u next shot unless he bounces up over 300. If he bounces that high or higher at next preshot, you can shoot through the bounce once with the current dose and then reduce by 0.25u.

Bron and Sheba said:
I would give a couple of drops of honey to get him up over 68. And retest in 15 mins please. I will wait for the retest
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Thanks for catching this, Bron. Happy New Year, my friend, to you, Rob, Harry and the family!:bighug::bighug:
 
Nemosmomma said:
I gave him honey right after I typed ok. Then i retested cause it had been 20 min. He read 37! So I gave him more honey and dry food he's eating dry now. It's what I gave him before that put him into 200 but he hadn't had insulin when he was that low.
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That is awfully low. I think you should take him to the ER because he may need a glucose drip. Do you have an ER near you?
In the meantime get him to eat more honey. If necessary rub it on his gums.
 
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Nemosmomma said:
I gave him honey right after I typed ok. Then i retested cause it had been 20 min. He read 37! So I gave him more honey and dry food he's eating dry now. It's what I gave him before that put him into 200 but he hadn't had insulin when he was that low.
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Please retest in 15 mins and if his BG is not climbing, I would give more honey, take it with you, and head to the ER. That BG is low on a human meter but way too low on an AT.
 
:banghead:
Marje and Gracie said:
Be sure you reduce the dose by 0.25u next shot unless he bounces up over 300. If he bounces that high or higher at next preshot, you can shoot through the bounce once with the current dose and then reduce by 0.25u.


Thanks for catching this, Bron. Happy New Year, my friend, to you, Rob, Harry and the family!:bighug::bighug:
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Thanks Marje. Happy New Year to you and all your lovely family:bighug:
Marje I am really concerned with this. The BSL has dropped to 37
ETA I see you have answered above, thank you
 
Bron and Sheba said:
That is awfully low. I think you should take him to the ER because he may need a glucose drop. Do you have an ER near you?
In the meantime get him to eat more honey. If necessary rub it on his gums.
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I gave him a second dose of honey and he's still eating the dry. Do i do a third dose of honey and how long to retest? I have an er near me but no money. Ill call and see if they can help me.
 
Bron and Sheba said:
:banghead:
Thanks Marje. Happy New Year to you and all your lovely family:bighug:
Marje I am really concerned with this. The BSL has dropped to 37!
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I agree.....Amy....we both think he needs to go to the ER. I don’t know how long since you gave insulin but it’s still likely early in his cycle and this can go on a long time. Honey and syrup wear off fast. Dry takes a while to kick in.
 
Marje and Gracie said:
I agree.....Amy....we both think he needs to go to the ER. I don’t know how long since you gave insulin but it’s still likely early in his cycle and this can go on a long time. Honey and syrup wear off fast. Dry takes a while to kick in.
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I gave him insulin at 1130pm, 3 and a half hours ago
 
What if the ER won't help me? Do I just test him all night and how often? I'm referring him now, it's been 15 min since the last. Then I'll call the ER and see if they'll help
 
Nemosmomma said:
He's at 56 now
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Ok that is a bit better but still too low. Give him some more honey. Is he eating it willingly? We don't want to make him sick. Do you have any other high carb food except dry?
After giving the honey, Please ring the ER and see if they will help you. The insulin is only just kicking in and his BSL could drop again. The honey doesn't last long. Retest in 15 mins
 
Nemosmomma said:
He's at 56 now
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Bron is spot on. If you have any HC wet food with gravy, it’s a good option to alternate gravy with food so he doesn’t get too full or vomit.

I’m glad he’s up but you need to stay on top of the BG and you might as well put on the coffee. It’s after 1 am here; Bron is in Australia so it’s daytime for her so I’m headed to bed.

I am certain the ER will tell you to bring him in; they won’t take chances with numbers that low...even a 56. If he doesn’t keep coming up a lot or if he drops back down, you really need to take him to the ER.
 
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