? Rennie ProZinc -- bg #s staying at 250 even with insulin increases

La and Rennie

La and Rennie

Member Since 2026
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@Suzanne & Darcy
Rennie is mostly living in the 235 to 300 range, going up at feeding time 7am/7pm EST. Currently 1 unit. It has been 7 days. What dosing should I give my sweet girl next? Thank you!!!
 
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La and Rennie said:
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@Suzanne & Darcy
Rennie is mostly living in the 235 to 300 range, going up at feeding time 7am/7pm EST. Currently 1 unit. It has been 7 days. What dosing should I give my sweet girl next? Thank you!!!
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Good job! It looks like you are ready to go to 1.25 units at your next shot time. Let’s hope for some lower numbers. How is Rennie?

I have been so tied up with sick cats and cats at the ER this whole weekend … sorry for the delay in replying.
 
@Suzanne & Darcy
Oh wow. Hoping your cats are getting better, and back on their toebeans. ER visits are gut renching experiences. Are your cats okay? ....are you??

Thank you so very much for the dose review!! No worries on review response, Suzanne! Rennie is doing the slow drift south to lower numbers, not a rush. Rennie sleeps a lot. Does not overdrink, etc.

Hear me out ... Now, I'm running a little experment with Rennie based on my past knowledge of her. Plus, her recent response to the last 0.25 increase was stronger than I had expected. So this time, I am going to manage it differently as I did successfully last month.

It may seem counter intuitive, but I'm going to gradually build up to the 1.25. In other words, take 2 to 3 days to increase to 1.25 depending on her reactions.

Now, last night I gave her 1.08 units (eyeballed the "1/3" of 0.25). And, Rennie had a fantastic response!!! She went down to 182!! She broke the 250 wall, and went down a couple of times too to the 180 level. I repeated what I did last night for today as I want to see her response.

She may return to her old pattern. Trying to sneak by her liver's response....

*********
UPDATE Weds 6/24: The gradual, micro-dosing 0.08 prozinc gradual build IS WORKING to not trigger Rennie's system. It is keeping her calm, and there are lower numbers! The 0.25 overnight increase was toooooo much for her last time and I lost lower #s. This time I am doing the 1.08 for a day, and now I will do 1.16 for 2 days to make sure she is stable with it. Then, it will go to the 1.25.

Yes, I am eyeballing 0.08 and I use the black tick mark as a measure (visualizing 2 or 3 of them). I am doing 0.08 x 3 = 0.24 (1.08, then 1.16, then 1.25)
 
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@Suzanne & Darcy
This is today's Libre 3 CGM which is fairly common these days. She eats at 6:45 am to 7:15 am with the shot at 7am. Ditto for the 7pm. She eats 1.5 to 2 cans of Fancy Feast pate, senior. She is less "starved" these days so I have to coax food into her after 1 can now. Rennie is 7.4 lbs.

You can see that around 1pm the jaggediness of the line appears and around 5pm, she will shoot up to above 350 prior to feeding.

1) is this a normal curve for Prozinc?

2) I am wondering if Rennie has a fast metabolism and the insulin stops being effective from 1 to 5pm timeframe (jagged line). In other words, lasting 8 hours... OR is this what 10-14 hours of Prozinc is supposed to look like? The 8 hours would be harmful to Rennie long term, BUT I do not know what it looks like!!! (help.....) Maybe she has 10 hours... 7 am to 5pm (5pm is 249 and will start shooting up soon to 330 or over 350)

3) Rennie needs dosing advice. She is going lower for the nadir with each increase, but notice how she still returns to that "250" range

Thank you and I so hope your kitties are doing well, Suzanne. Thank you for your help!!!!!

P.S. -- In Rennie's Spreadsheet also notice how my couple of day 1.08 and 1.16 buildup stopped her system from having a strong response. The 0.75 to 1.00 was too abrupt for Rennie. No "400" this time, or the abundance of pink as last time had.

UPDATE: it is now 5 pm and the "277" in the pic is a false pressure curve. The reading is actually 249 right now
 
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It’s good to see less pink and more yellow and especially the blue on her spreadsheet. The overall trend is better. She should stay at the 1.25 dose for two more days and then increase to 1.5 units. I would like to see a lot more blue on her spreadsheet and no pink at all.

She’s definitely not getting enough insulin yet. I don’t think that overall her curve is that unusual. She is nadiring a bit early, which I would love to see go later to around +6. I hope her preshots will come down as she gets closer to an optimal dose.
 
Being less ravenous is a good sign of improved health as her body is better able (with the help of the insulin) to make use of the food she’s taking in.

I see that the vet is applying the Libre sensors for you. Many people apply them to their cats on their own (without glue and usually putting a little shirt on the kitty.) If you’re interested in learning more about that @Staci & Ivy is extremely knowledgeable and helpful to our members who want to apply their own Libres.
 
Hello, I see you are using the Libre 3 and have data 24/7 which is great.
I’ve read your prior post and I think you’ve been applying the sensors yourself in the past. Correct??

Do you have any questions about installing them yourself? It’s much better for both of you if you are able to do that at home. Less stress and less costs involved than at the vet.

If the vet is installing them, please make sure they are not using any kind of glue as that can shut down the sensor prematurely (or screw up the readings) and can also harm kitty’s sensitive, and fragile skin.

I believe you noted that you read our document on using Libres. If you have questions, I can attach it again for you.

Just one comment, I personally don’t necessarily feel that day one of the Libre is inaccurate.
I have tested my cat with a blood test (with an ear poke) and generally find that it is consistent with what the Libre is showing me, so I tend to follow what the Libre is reading unless something looks very “off” and then I will blood test.

I also highly recommend joining the Facebook group “Freestyle Libres for Dogs and Cats” as they have a great amount of information there on using a Libre for your cat.
There are many people on that group who can answer questions you may have.

Are you using a reader or using a phone to scan the sensor?
If you aren’t using a phone (can be an older one dedicated just to your kitty, you leave it home with her), you may want to consider it and have the data sent to your personal phone.
It makes it much easier to receive the data on your phone 24/7 instead of having to physically go look at a reader to get data.
Please let me know if you have any questions, I’m happy to help 😻
 
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Thank you sooooooo much, Suzanne ❤️ @Suzanne & Darcy
Above is last night's readings and almost all are below 250 which she has seemed not break through her "250 wall" until lately!! I'm thrilled and hopeful. She got down to 125 last night!!!!!!!! 🎉🎆🎈

So you know, for the time being, I am not doing the +2, +4 feedings (I know, you prefer it).

The vet's office does not charge me for installing a Libre 3 sensor every two weeks (so far). The current med tech has been extremely helpful so I have an advantage of meeting with her. She is also training me on installing the sensor ....gradually. Today, I am going to ask for a B12 test to see if Rennie has a deficiency.

I will keep Rennie on 1.25u for 2 more days. Then, I will do that VERY gradual increase to not panick her system. It was successful last time! I'll actually do an extra day of micro-dose increases this time

Thank you for letting me know that these Libre 3 curves are normal for where Rennie is at. She does nadir at +6 at night, but +4 usually during the day.

Doing this slow series of changes with Rennie has it "stick" as I did the TR in the past while reducing her carbs, and got her way down but it came with WIDE swings that did not stabilize. I would rather be a turtle to win this race. In other words, I had "green and blue" numbers, and even down to 70, but it would also swing up to 400 in that same day. Not good....

Once Rennie is at her optimal dose, I plan to visit another doctor in the same vet practice who has an internal medicine background. I want to see if Rennie still has inflamation in her bloodwork, or if it has resolved.

There is still an appointment I have booked with a local vet school, but now I do NOT think it is needed. Rennie simply needed to be taken off her high carb diet, and implementing dosage as you have guided me. So, I will likely cancel the vet school appointment. And sadly, the local vet school no longer has a nutrionist!!!

Thanks again, Suzanne!!!!!!
 
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Staci & Ivy said:
Hello, I see you are using the Libre 3 and have data 24/7 which is great.
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@Staci & Ivy

Hi Staci! Thank you for your wonderful post and assistence on the Libre 3!

My vet is not charging for the sensor install and the med tech that is currently helping me is wonderful. She's helping me a lot navigate the situation. She is gradually showing me how to place the sensor, as I know it will eventually be mine to do. But, right now, the focus is getting Renne to the optimal dose.

She does use glue with a tiny dot at an imaginary clock near the edge. Intially, we did not use glue, but the sensor detached after a couple of days. The glue is far from the sensor, and it is a tiny amount. Of course, we switch sides each week for her prior week to recover.

It does seem the sensor is accurate the first day. A new one will be placed in a couple of hours.

Do the images of my Libre 3 for the past day look "normal" to you? The "smile" -- but do you happen to know why the line gets jagged around 2 to 4pm/am? Is that what happens when Prozinc is losing its effectiveness?

I do not use Facebook, social media, but thank you for the suggestion. My phone is very old, but I will get a new one soon. The reader does a good job. Thinking about your suggestion. Maybe I should purchase two phones 🤔 as it would be great to have real time data when I am away from home.

I realllllllllly appreciate your reading posts, giving suggestions, Staci. I feel safe, and that Rennie is safer being here!
 
La and Rennie said:
@Staci & Ivy

Hi Staci! Thank you for your wonderful post and assistence on the Libre 3!

My vet is not charging for the sensor install and the med tech that is currently helping me is wonderful. She's helping me a lot navigate the situation. She is gradually showing me how to place the sensor, as I know it will eventually be mine to do. But, right now, the focus is getting Renne to the optimal dose.

She does use glue with a tiny dot at an imaginary clock near the edge. Intially, we did not use glue, but the sensor detached after a couple of days. The glue is far from the sensor, and it is a tiny amount. Of course, we switch sides each week for her prior week to recover.

It does seem the sensor is accurate the first day. A new one will be placed in a couple of hours.

Do the images of my Libre 3 for the past day look "normal" to you? The "smile" -- but do you happen to know why the line gets jagged around 2 to 4pm/am? Is that what happens when Prozinc is losing its effectiveness?

I do not use Facebook, social media, but thank you for the suggestion. My phone is very old, but I will get a new one soon. The reader does a good job. Thinking about your suggestion. Maybe I should purchase two phones 🤔 as it would be great to have real time data when I am away from home.

I realllllllllly appreciate your reading posts, giving suggestions, Staci. I feel safe, and that Rennie is safer being here!
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Hi La,
I’m very glad your vet’s office isn’t charging you to install the sensor.
And glad they are teaching you how to install them.
I learned from doing a lot of searching online and I eventually found the Facebook group, which was instrumental in my education.

I’m not thrilled to hear about using surgical glue even though it’s a small amount. It can really do damage to their skin. But that’s your decision. I just recommend against it as I’ve seen some pretty awful pictures of what can happen if the cat pulls the sensor off and rips the skin. I don’t want to scare you, but I just also want you to be aware of the danger. Do you keep a little top on her to keep her away from the sensor?

As far as getting a phone to scan the sensor and send the readings through the cloud to your phone, you can get an older phone and you don’t need any service on it so it’s not like you’re paying for a plan. I recently bought an iPhone 12 for around $100 on eBay and I’m very happy with the phone.
(I upgraded from using an old iPhone 8 just because I felt like eventually it was so old it would become not as trustworthy and updates were not possible).

Anyway, maybe someone you know has an older phone from several years ago that they no longer need. Many people are willing to just give you an old phone they have lying around.
Or maybe you have one in a drawer. Or, you could use your phone that you’re about to upgrade and just use that as the phone that stays at home with your girl. You can just verify on the Abbott website if it is a compatible phone.

Since I use Lantus, I’m not familiar with how prozinc and it cycles work.
Suzanne would be the best person to answer those questions about cycles and when the insulin.

It sounds like things are going well and I’m really glad all the pieces are coming together for you and Rennie 😻🥰
 
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@Staci & Ivy

Hi Staci!

I very much appreciate your concern on the surgical glue. Rennie does have a basketball themed shirt which is in her photo to the left. This particular style has been perfect to cover the sensor, and not restrict her. And, she looks cute in it too 🤣

Rennie dislodged the unglued earlier sensor within a day or so even with this shirt. But, she cannot remove the sensor now.

Carefully looked at the spot right after the sensor was removed today with 70% isopropyl alcohol, and saw it slowly peeling it off. Rennie did not respond at all. Tomorrow, I will check that spot to see the prior sensor spot to see if there is irritation, etc.

As to phone, I will deal with it. Usually, I am home to see the reader. I'm caretaking a 95 year old familly member in hospice. There is only so much I can handle in a day.

I loved the gift of your ideas on phones, which I'll refer to later!

This is such an amazing group here!!!! I cannot brag enough on all of you to any one vaguely interested 😄
 
@Suzanne & Darcy

Hi Suzanne,

I hope you are your furr family are doing well. Rennie's numbers have not improved, maybe less, than before with the increase to 1.5u

Are her numbers what you would expect at this point? It's like Rennie is determined to keep her numbers around 250. So bizarre, and kind of scary.

I need to decide soon whether to put her through extensive testing at the local vet school, or delay the appointment.

Should I continue to be patient with Rennie's numbers? Have you seen this happen before with #s staying at 250?

Oddly, her diabetic symptoms have subsided (ie, not over drinking/over peeing, not famished at meal time) She weighs slightly less as she's on wet food solely now. But, she cannot continue with mostly 250 numbers without harming her. Is that correct?

Trivia: if Rennie is asleep, then her numbers can briefly go way down to 204, 150. Once she wakes up, they go back up to the 250 range.

Thanks!
 
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Hello! Rennie is still on a very small dose of insulin at this point. We definitely don’t recommend testing for high dose conditions until a cat is on a higher dose of insulin (6 units.) I see a lot of cats who just haven’t found a breakthrough dose and aren’t budging yet. Also, before assuming something like Acromegaly or IAA other more obvious things should be ruled out like tooth problems, ear problems, any other inflammatory conditions. Do you have Rennie’s bloodwork? That might give some clues. More in a little while….
 
@Suzanne & Darcy

Thank you, Suzanne!! Of all things, Rennie just dropped to 191, but went back up.

**** So Suzanne, you are saying you see this a lot with Rennie "parked" on the 250 range? And, as the insulin increases, there IS a breakthrough that finally pushes her numbers down?? ***

I will go find her last bloodwork and I'll have new bloodwork done in August with a different vet at the same clinic.
 
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