? ROCKY HAD HYPO LAST NIGHT - I DON'T KNOW WHY

[Marlena]

It was a difficult night - Rocky decided to go very low.
In recent days I have noticed that my 8 drops dose was working very well and his numbers were good. When I tried a slightly smaller dose of 6 drops when his BG was just a bit lower it did not work so I thought I better stick with a dose of 8 drops feeling that it is a very safe and small dose to use. I had previous record (eg. 23 November) telling me that this is a good dose.
Last night Rocky did not settled down after a meal and kept meowing for more food. As I test a lot and recently I tested often at +3 to see where the dose would take him, I discovered that his BG was in HYPO range (3.3 on AT)! So I gave him a nice meal and tested again in half an hour and to my total shock he was even lower at 2.5.
I started to worry but Rocky behaves normally and just gives me a look to say "what's up, I'm fine". I gave him some more food which he was very happy to eat and glucose and his BG started to go up a little.
So now I'm a bit surprised that he went hypo but what really hit me was the fact that he did not improve after first lot of food and he actually went lower. That really scared me, I was almost at the phone to the vet's.
Rocky had hypo before and he always improved quickly.
I'm sure you might think (rightly so) that I gave a much larger dose but I'm almost 100 percent sure I did not make a mistake although it is always possible.
I would appreciate your thoughts on this, maybe I'm still learning.

 

[Critter Mom]

Holy moly! Thank the gods for home testing!

I discovered that his BG was in HYPO range (3.3 on AT)! So I gave him a nice meal and tested again in half an hour and to my total shock he was even lower at 2.5.

I'm assuming that you fed his normal low-carb grub after the 3.3 reading, Marlena. Can you confirm this, please?

I would not rule out a postprandial pancreas-assisted drop after that meal (the pancreas normally produces bolus pulses of insulin at mealtimes). Other members with Prozinc experience may have a different take. If Rocky's pancreas is sputtering you could try doing more post-food checks mid-cycle to determine whether this is the case.

BTW if I saw 3.3 or lower on an Alphatrak I'd be reaching for the honey or the glucose straight away to get BG back into the safe range pronto! Then I'd be looking at some carby gravy food to help hold the numbers up.

Great save, Marlena. Glad that Rocky's safe. His numbers have been really good (anti-jinx!). How is he doing in himself generally?




Mogs
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[Diana&Tom]

I too wondered about a bit of sputtering so Mogs's suggestion for more post-food checks sounds a great plan! Keep us posted, Marlena.

 

[Marlena]

Holy moly! Thank the gods for home testing!


I'm assuming that you fed his normal low-carb grub after the 3.3 reading, Marlena. Can you confirm this, please?

I would not rule out a postprandial pancreas-assisted drop after that meal (the pancreas normally produces bolus pulses of insulin at mealtimes). Other members with Prozinc experience may have a different take. If Rocky's pancreas is sputtering you could try doing more post-food checks mid-cycle to determine whether this is the case.

BTW if I saw 3.3 or lower on an Alphatrak I'd be reaching for the honey or the glucose to get BG back into the safe range pronto! Then I'd be looking at some carby gravy food to help hold the numbers up.

Great save, Marlena. Glad that Rocky's safe. His numbers have been really good (anti-jinx!). How is he doing in himself generally?




Mogs
.

Mogs, thank you so much.

Yes, he had his normal LC food. After 2.5 BG there was more food (which he was very happy about) and some glucose. I did not have any carby food, I could prepare some but there was no time so I just gave him more food and glucose.
I have been doing a lot of testing to check his postprandial numbers and had different results on different days! Very frustrating.
Rocky is feeling fine, everything seems normal apart from the morning when after his food he seemed a bit off.

 

[Critter Mom]

had different results on different days!

It could be sputtering, Marlena; he's generally in very good numbers so maybe the beta cells might be recovering a bit.




Mogs
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[Critter Mom]

PS ... Very glad to hear that Rocky's better in himself now (anti-jinx!). I know how very worried you were about him a little while back. I hope that his improvements are helping you to feel better in yourself, too.




Mogs
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[Marlena]

PS ... Very glad to hear that Rocky's better in himself now (anti-jinx!). I know how very worried you were about him a little while back. I hope that his improvements are helping you to feel better in yourself, too.




Mogs
.

Thank you dear Mogs.
Rocky seems well in himself but he does not want to play anymore which is a shame.
I can not believe how beautifully soft his coat is because when he was younger his fur was always thick and slightly rough to touch!

 

[Critter Mom]

he does not want to play anymore which is a shame.

Oh, Marlena; I know how much that can make a loving mama's heart sink ...

It's good that his coat is so soft; he's getting good nourishment from his grub. Helps to put most focus on all the positives.


Mogs
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[Squalliesmom]

Good catch on the hypo, glad he is safe now!

 

[Marlena]

Mogs,
I keep giving him the best supplements I can think of in his raw diet.
The latest addition is krill oil (it has vanilla flavour!) and organic spirulina and barley grass powder ha ha ha!
And of course he loves it - silly cat! I'm so lucky that he likes absolutely everything including curry! And no, I did not feed him curry (sic!), I know because I found him in the kitchen licking saucepans and plates!

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

I agree that it might be the pancreas sputtering. It can also be that 8 drops is just suddenly too much. (It always amazes me how just a little more/less can make a difference) And unfortunately, every kitty's reaction to low levels are different. It might be wise to try some high carb food at those levels or some low carb with a little honey added.

Good job dealing with a scary situation - so glad you tested!

 

[Marlena]

I agree that it might be the pancreas sputtering. It can also be that 8 drops is just suddenly too much. (It always amazes me how just a little more/less can make a difference) And unfortunately, every kitty's reaction to low levels are different. It might be wise to try some high carb food at those levels or some low carb with a little honey added.

Good job dealing with a scary situation - so glad you tested!

Dear Sue, thank you very much, I'm still learning.
I have a summary of thoughts in my head after what happened so I will post tomorrow because I think that might be important for others who are dealing with FD.