Seeing better numbers but still not feeling confident I am doing this right...

[SaraBear]

Hi All,

My sugar kitty Rod Stewart has been on prozinc since late last year. I have been hesitant to raise his dose after getting up to 4u in December. I think I let my vet scare me from this after getting lectured for adjusting doses on my own at a vet visit that I had to go to to get his prescription refilled. I should know better than to let that get to me I tried to slightly lower doses for a while to see if he improved, if maybe I was giving him too much, but that does not seem to be the case. Starting mid feb I started increasing more quickly than before as I have been able to test more through the day and I feel like I am seeing better numbers, perhaps with some bouncing? He is also continuing to act more energetic and playful, though I don't think I am seeing neuropathy improve despite giving zobaline. We have never detected ketones. I still worry that I am doing this wrong or I might be missing something. If anyone could look at my buddy's chart and offer any advice I'd appreciate it.

 

[Rachel]

It's HARD to go against your vet! I totally get that. I had a tough time following the advice here when I first arrived because it seems like the vet should know best. But remember that insulin is a hormone, not a medicine. Kitties simply need what they need, and that's okay. Just like people. I'm sure they need different amounts of insulin, and that's okay. We need whatever we need.

I think it's very likely you're seeing some bouncing. That 106 the other day was lower than Rod Stewart is used to, and he bounced back up afterwards. Can I ask why you're increasing in .4 unit increments? Are you using u100 needles to get those doses?

 

[JanetNJ]

Hi All,

My sugar kitty Rod Stewart has been on prozinc since late last year. I have been hesitant to raise his dose after getting up to 4u in December. I think I let my vet scare me from this after getting lectured for adjusting doses on my own at a vet visit that I had to go to to get his prescription refilled. I should know better than to let that get to me I tried to slightly lower doses for a while to see if he improved, if maybe I was giving him too much, but that does not seem to be the case. Starting mid feb I started increasing more quickly than before as I have been able to test more through the day and I feel like I am seeing better numbers, perhaps with some bouncing? He is also continuing to act more energetic and playful, though I don't think I am seeing neuropathy improve despite giving zobaline. We have never detected ketones. I still worry that I am doing this wrong or I might be missing something. If anyone could look at my buddy's chart and offer any advice I'd appreciate it.

Neuropathy can take months to clear. Just keep giving the zobaline and working on keeping the bg down.

 

[SaraBear]

It's HARD to go against your vet! I totally get that. I had a tough time following the advice here when I first arrived because it seems like the vet should know best. But remember that insulin is a hormone, not a medicine. Kitties simply need what they need, and that's okay. Just like people. I'm sure they need different amounts of insulin, and that's okay. We need whatever we need.

I think it's very likely you're seeing some bouncing. That 106 the other day was lower than Rod Stewart is used to, and he bounced back up afterwards. Can I ask why you're increasing in .4 unit increments? Are you using u100 needles to get those doses?

Yes I am using u100 needles. So drawing up to 12 units on those syringes. Should we try 11.5 (4.6 actual units?) or keep this current dose? I want to do a full curve this sat.

 

[Djamila]

Hi Sara, and welcome back! It is hard to go against the vet, but you are right that Rod Stewart needs more insulin. It looks like he is going to be a higher dose kitty, at least for a little while. We've seen some cats around here need some crazy high doses. As Rachel said, a cat needs what it needs. Don't worry that it's more than you're used to seeing around here.

You are seeing a little bouncing, which can sometimes be a good sign that the insulin is getting some traction. I would go ahead with the next increase and then do the curve. The 0.4u increases have been okay since your mid-cycle values are still so high, but with the emergence of those blues, you might need to start making smaller increases of 0.2u at a time to temper the bouncing a little. See what happens with this next increase and then go from there.

Also, when you get a PS number that is lower than usual (like you saw on 2/28), you can stall for 20-30 minutes and re-test. If the number is rising, you can go ahead with the regular dose instead of decreasing. The more consistent you can be, the better.

 

[SaraBear]

Hi Sara, and welcome back! It is hard to go against the vet, but you are right that Rod Stewart needs more insulin. It looks like he is going to be a higher dose kitty, at least for a little while. We've seen some cats around here need some crazy high doses. As Rachel said, a cat needs what it needs. Don't worry that it's more than you're used to seeing around here.

You are seeing a little bouncing, which can sometimes be a good sign that the insulin is getting some traction. I would go ahead with the next increase and then do the curve. The 0.4u increases have been okay since your mid-cycle values are still so high, but with the emergence of those blues, you might need to start making smaller increases of 0.2u at a time to temper the bouncing a little. See what happens with this next increase and then go from there.

Also, when you get a PS number that is lower than usual (like you saw on 2/28), you can stall for 20-30 minutes and re-test. If the number is rising, you can go ahead with the regular dose instead of decreasing. The more consistent you can be, the better.

Thank you!! Very helpful.