? Question about Interpreting Spreadsheet

[Mazi's Mom]

Hello!

Could someone with experience analyzing spreadsheets take a look at Mazi's data for me please?

Sorry I'm only a month and a half into Mazi's diabetes diagnosis and still have a lot to learn.

I'm starting to notice that Mazi's peak time is changing. Mazi used to have his AM peak about +2 to +5 of his 1st half of his 12 hour cycle. However, the past couple days, I'm noticing he is now experiencing his peak in the second half of his cycle around +9.

My question is, is a change from a early peak to a late peak normal?

Also, my 2nd question is, any clue why he is experiencing higher glucose levels in the AM recently?

The only thing I changed was giving Mazi a late PM snack at pm +4 of a 1/4 can of Friskies pate so I can sleep at night and not worry about him going hypoglycemic. Based on previous feeding pattern from early this month, he is not sensitive to carbs and usually doesn't have a big glucose spike after eating. So I'm not sure why he's testing higher in the AM or why his peak switched from the early part of the cycle to the 2nd half of the cycle.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to view Mr. Mazi's spreadsheet and offering your thoughts!

Theresa and Mr. Mazi

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Theresa -

It can take a considerable period of time to make sense out of a spreadsheet! It's great to see that you are working at interpreting Mazi's results.

One of the bits of information that I try to impress on caregivers is that the nadir can and does move around. It's not a fixed point that is going to stay the same every single cycle. There's a great deal that can influence numbers not the least of which is that cats do not like to be predictable. When I use my cat's spreadsheet as an example, I would point out that Gabby's nadir was at +2 or +3 except for those times when it wasn't. I think there's variability with respect to when Mazi's nadir is occurring.

I'd also encourage you to get a before bed test every, single night. Without a test in the PM cycle, you're missing half of your data and you may not know if you need to reduce Mazi's dose.

 

[Mazi's Mom]

@Sienne and Gabby (GA) thank you very much for your feedback!

Thank you for confirming that Mazi's nadir can vary day to day or week by week for many reasons and that is to be expected. Don't we all in this community wish our kitties could be predictable! Haha!

Yes, I have just started checking Mazi's PM BG's at +4 for the past few days, and will continue to do so moving forward. Wendy suggested I do the same as well.

I can't thank you and the community enough for your very valuable wealth of experience and knowledge. This community has made our family's "new normal" way of living so much less stressful and will be forever grateful!

Thank you for all that you do and have a wonderful weekend!

 

[Mazi's Mom]

@Sienne and Gabby (GA) @Wendy&Neko Good Evening!

I have a question. Mazi was a little fussy tonight and wanted to graze his food instead of eating the entire meal when fed.

I'm trying to get him away from the habit of grazing since his diagnosis. Ideally, our routine is to check BG, eat entire 3/4 can of Friskies Pate and then give his insulin within 30 to 40 mins for the entire routine.

He doesn't appear to be feeling unwell. But what would I do in this situation when its the morning and I have to leave for work?

For example, if he doesn't eat at all or only takes a few bites, i understand wouldn't give the dose at all.Then hope for the best for the evening.

However, what if he only eats 50% of his 3/4 can of friskies and I have to leave for work? Would I not give the dose or would I only give half a dose?

I'm trying to think and ask questions ahead of time instead of waiting till that moment comes and then I'm frantically thinking of what i should do.

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

A lot of cats are grazers and don’t want to eat all the meal at once. That’s fine. As long as you know he will eat all his food it is fine to go ahead and give the insulin. A lot of us give the dose as our kitty is eating. I would not wait 30 or 40 minutes while he eats it all. I would give it soon after you put the food down and you can see he will eat.
Lantus onset is around 2 hours so he has plenty of time to eat the food before it is needed at the onset on insulin.

Ate you leaving food out for him while you go to work? A timed automatic feeder is a godsend to diabetic caregivers.

If he is unwell and not eating … well that is a different story and you would need to post and ask for advice on the day.

BTW I’ve just looked at his SS and he is doing so well for a newly diagnosed kitty.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

I always gave Gabby her shot when she was eating. The difference may have been that she got her meals in 3 installments at both AMPS and PMPS. She didn't get all of her food at once. To be honest, I now have 2 non-diabetic cats and they get fed the same way -- in several installments. There's no problem with a cat grazing.

With Lantus, you typically do not see onset until 2 hours after a shot. It's fine if Mazi wants to graze. In fact, we often recommend several smaller meals since it puts less of a load on a healing pancreas.

 

[Mazi's Mom]

A lot of cats are grazers and don’t want to eat all the meal at once. That’s fine. As long as you know he will eat all his food it is fine to go ahead and give the insulin. A lot of us give the dose as our kitty is eating. I would not wait 30 or 40 minutes while he eats it all. I would give it soon after you put the food down and you can see he will eat.
Lantus onset is around 2 hours so he has plenty of time to eat the food before it is needed at the onset on insulin.

Ate you leaving food out for him while you go to work? A timed automatic feeder is a godsend to diabetic caregivers.

If he is unwell and not eating … well that is a different story and you would need to post and ask for advice on the day.

BTW I’ve just looked at his SS and he is doing so well for a newly diagnosed kitty.

Thanks @Bron and Sheba (GA) for reassuring Mr. Mazi is doing good for being newly diagnosed. We are very lucky to have him and I'm very lucky that he tolerates his BG checks and injections like a champ.

Right now I am currently off of work but I will be back to work in June. That said, im just thinking of every possible scenario and asking questions early instead of when and if the time comes.

I do plan on feeding him snacks during the first half of the cycle when I am back to work. Right now, we are lucky to have my father living with us, so he will be responsible for giving a small snack ( a tablespoon or 2 of his friskies pate) at about +3 after his injection and a smaller snack at about (A teaspoon of pate) at +5.5/6 post injection.

I do plan on also investing in an automatic feeder as well to make everyone's life a little easier. Any suggestions on an automatic feeder? Have you used an certain brand or product that you had good luck with?

 

[Mazi's Mom]

I always gave Gabby her shot when she was eating. The difference may have been that she got her meals in 3 installments at both AMPS and PMPS. She didn't get all of her food at once. To be honest, I now have 2 non-diabetic cats and they get fed the same way -- in several installments. There's no problem with a cat grazing.

With Lantus, you typically do not see onset until 2 hours after a shot. It's fine if Mazi wants to graze. In fact, we often recommend several smaller meals since it puts less of a load on a healing pancreas.

Thanks for your feedback @Sienne and Gabby (GA). My vet isn't on team grazing, but too bad. Grazing is what I need Mazi to do to be comfortable going back to work and knowing Mazi is safe while I am gone. I am lucky enough to have my father available to give him small snacks at +3 & +5.5/6 post injection while I'm at work. But I am going to also invest in an automatic feeder as well before I am back to work in June.

I agree that smaller meals more often makes the most sense for allowing the pancreas to rest and heal. Before diagnosis, he ate 1/2 can of friskies pate 3 times a day. Now the vet wants him to eat 3/4 of a can twice a day 12 hours apart. 3/4 of a can seems to me alot of food at once and I dont honestly blame Mazi for walking away after only eating half. Both ways he is only eat 1.5 cans a day but to make him eat more at each meal time than normal (in the past) can be a challenge.

I'm also wondering if I should only feed him 1/2 a 5.5oz can of the friskies pate per meal and save the 1/4 for his snacks in between?

That way he is still getting his 1.5 cans a day. As of now, im making him eat 3/4 can per meal and 1/4 for a snack twice a day in, which comes out to be 2.25 cans a day (more than the 1.5 b4 his diagnosis) Right now he is 13 lbs, technically he's 1 lb over weight according to the vet, so im not worried about not feeding him enough. What are your thoughts?

So from what I am taking from both yours and @Bron and Sheba (GA) feedback is, if he looks well, and appears that he wants to eat, go ahead and give him his shot, let him graze on the rest, and then give him a small snack mid 1st half of AM cycle and mid 2nd half of AM cycle.

However, if he seems ill and uninterested in his food at all, then that would be a sign to hold the dose.

Hope I understood that correctly.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

However, if he seems ill and uninterested in his food at all, then that would be a sign to hold the dose.

Not necessarily but you would need to post and ask advice. It’s not always a good idea to skip dose if a kitty is sick.
I’m not in the US but I think the petsafe feeders are good.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

@Mazi's Mom
Let me explain it here about linking your previous posts
We link it in case members need to go back to it and re read something , so they can just tap on the link and won't have to go searching for it, I put your previous post at the end of my post

I really stink at explaining things lol
Your previous days post will always be in the URL all the way up top ignore where it says insert or cancel I'm just trying to show you where your previous days post will be





Like I said
your previous days post it will be the one all the way up top, above the pic of that cat and the picture of a bottle of insulin there, let me know if you understand it

So when you do your post on the Lantus forum tonight (4-30)
Date Mazi AMPS# additional tests and PMPS# and any other tests
You are going to go all the way to the top of this post which was Fridays I see ,where I showed you it is and you will copy that and then paste it to your post for tonight , then you can continue to write what you want to.
Please let me know if you understand this
You can then type You are new to posting on the lantus ,have been posting in the Feline Health Board
This will be your previous post that you will link if you want to do it tonight
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/question-about-interpreting-spreadsheet.289304/#post-3174803

@Mazi's Mom

So when you post tomorrow you will link the post you just did today on the lantus board to your post for tomorrow

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

I do plan on also investing in an automatic feeder as well to make everyone's life a little easier. Any suggestions on an automatic feeder? Have you used an certain brand or product that you had good luck with?

some info on auto feeders always add a little water to the wet food
Here is an auto feeder that hold 5 slots and comes with 2 ice packs for wet food
https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Mate-C500-Digital-Automatic/dp/B01AUYLVU8/ref=sr_1_6?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuM_y2p79_AIVDvrICh1_xAy6EAAYASAAEgJBDfD_BwE&hvadid=178540036693&hvdev=t&hvlocphy=9003521&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6990619631848479728&hvtargid=kwd-12652445711&hydadcr=10635_9894649&keywords=petsafe 5-meal automatic pet feeder&qid=1675560889&sr=8-6

Extra ice packs so you can keep them in the freezer ready to go
https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Mate-Rep...5c-bd5c-e23f6094563c&pd_rd_i=B091HTXNHR&psc=1

This one has 3 slots with one ice pack
https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Mate-Automatic-Feeder-Digital/dp/B01MXDFB28

Extra ice pack
https://www.amazon.com/Mate-Replace...cb-974a-deec2fb8a80c&pd_rd_i=B07KFP7PRG&psc=1

You can even order the stainless steel inserts for the 5 slot if you don't like your kitty eating out of plastic, from what I have heard plastic could cause acne on some cats
https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Mate-Sta...36-830d-6cc20f385409&pd_rd_i=B0B3MS1MWR&psc=1

@Mazi's Mom