We've had our 13yo on PZI just over a year. Finally got him regulated at 270 or under at each shot time but then all of a sudden he seemed to start getting high 300's all the time so we're in the middle of a food change & alternating the old food with the new. This morning he had old & his BS was 369 tonight. I shot him .8 & fed him turkey to get it down. He looks glazed over to me (he's never looked this off to me before) so I just checked his BS 5hrs post shot he's at 400. I know it's a bounce but should I give him a token dose to regulate that a lil better till morning? Thanks!
Shoot for a bounce?
- Thread starter myboo99
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Sue and Oliver (GA)
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Do you have ketone strips? I would test immediately for ketones. If he has any, he needs to go the vet. They are not treatable at home.
Do you test him around 5-7 hours after the shot? That is really the only way to tell whether he is bouncing - to see a lower number and a bounce to a higher one later in that cycle or the next.
Do you test him around 5-7 hours after the shot? That is really the only way to tell whether he is bouncing - to see a lower number and a bounce to a higher one later in that cycle or the next.
Yes I have ketone strips but I've never figured out how to test him with them. We have 4 cats & when I separate him in a different room he freaks out & howls the entire time which only causes his sugar to go up. Or if I stay in with him he won't use the box. Any suggestions?
I didn't test him beforehand last night but I've done several sheds on him after turkey & it usually gets him headed down within 3hrs post shot so I've never seen it go up before unless it was a bounce. However I am also trying digestive enzyme supplement as well that seems to help him process better & keep his BS lower overall. I had ran out for a week waiting on them to come back in stock so he started back up last night.
I did shoot him with an additional .2 last night & he was 303 this morning.
I didn't test him beforehand last night but I've done several sheds on him after turkey & it usually gets him headed down within 3hrs post shot so I've never seen it go up before unless it was a bounce. However I am also trying digestive enzyme supplement as well that seems to help him process better & keep his BS lower overall. I had ran out for a week waiting on them to come back in stock so he started back up last night.
I did shoot him with an additional .2 last night & he was 303 this morning.
Grayson & Lu
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My guys have a hard time resisting a scooped and replennished litter box!
Maybe if you try that, then just hang out close so you can get the strip into the urine stream. Sometimes, especially if they pee a lot, there's a little "pond" on top of the litter you can dip the strip into. Grayson also used to pee out to the side of the box (I use Rubbermaid tubs now). If Boo does that, you can put the strip into the urine on the side of the box/tub. Initially he never peed when I was in the room. Once we started testing, he lost all vanity and I just held the ketone strip in the stream.
With high numbers, not enough insulin, and an infection, ketones can pop up in no time. It's REALLY important to test for them regularly, AND when there's a blip in kitty's numbers or any other change, to be especially focused on testing. If you catch it early you can avoid DKA. When Grayson had a ketone scare last year, I called the emergency room at NC State Vet School. They said if I brought him up there, it would be $3-4,000. Mind you, most of the cases they see, the cat hasn't eaten for 4 days, can't shoot, etc... G was just on the tip... and I was able to give him fluids and get more insulin into him. Fortunately, he was eating ravenously, so he had food on board. That's probably what kept him out of going DKA!
Do what you have to do to get the tests. For a while, I moved his litter box up to table height so I didn't have to bend over to catch him... strips were next to the box. That made it much easier!
Good luck!
Maybe if you try that, then just hang out close so you can get the strip into the urine stream. Sometimes, especially if they pee a lot, there's a little "pond" on top of the litter you can dip the strip into. Grayson also used to pee out to the side of the box (I use Rubbermaid tubs now). If Boo does that, you can put the strip into the urine on the side of the box/tub. Initially he never peed when I was in the room. Once we started testing, he lost all vanity and I just held the ketone strip in the stream.
With high numbers, not enough insulin, and an infection, ketones can pop up in no time. It's REALLY important to test for them regularly, AND when there's a blip in kitty's numbers or any other change, to be especially focused on testing. If you catch it early you can avoid DKA. When Grayson had a ketone scare last year, I called the emergency room at NC State Vet School. They said if I brought him up there, it would be $3-4,000. Mind you, most of the cases they see, the cat hasn't eaten for 4 days, can't shoot, etc... G was just on the tip... and I was able to give him fluids and get more insulin into him. Fortunately, he was eating ravenously, so he had food on board. That's probably what kept him out of going DKA!
Do what you have to do to get the tests. For a while, I moved his litter box up to table height so I didn't have to bend over to catch him... strips were next to the box. That made it much easier!
Good luck!
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Very Active Member
The only way we could get a test from Oliver was to leave him alone with a box of aquarium gravel. He had to christen it, and we could get the sample because the gravel wouldn't absorb the urine.
Rob & Harley (GA)
Very Active Member
Hi and welcome to our group.
The spreadsheet that is attached is for Feb of last year, can you update it a little bit with numbers from the last week or two? That would help us see how the insulin is working now.
As for your original question, no we never give extra insulin after the initial shot, you can run into trouble later in the cycle with the insulin starts to work 2 to 3 hours later. It's best to wait until the next scheduled shot. It's better to be too high for a day than too low for a minute.
The spreadsheet that is attached is for Feb of last year, can you update it a little bit with numbers from the last week or two? That would help us see how the insulin is working now.
As for your original question, no we never give extra insulin after the initial shot, you can run into trouble later in the cycle with the insulin starts to work 2 to 3 hours later. It's best to wait until the next scheduled shot. It's better to be too high for a day than too low for a minute.
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