Shoot question

ranman

ranman

Member
just started home testing today and got a reading of 37. I thought my guy seemed a bit off when I gave him his shot last night. He just ate and seems great right now but with that #, it is a definite no shoot tonight, right? I updated all my info on the profile. Thank you
 
ranman said:
just started home testing today and got a reading of 37. I thought my guy seemed a bit off when I gave him his shot last night. He just ate and seems great right now but with that #, it is a definite no shoot tonight, right? I updated all my info on the profile. Thank you
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Wow... Ok so clearly that dose is WAYYYYY too high. I'd go back to 1 unit until you have more data. How did your arrive at that number of 2.5 units?

You need to test before every shot, and try to get a mid cycle number as well. Please start a spreadsheet so we can help with dosing.
 
Thanks for the response. That is what the vet prescribed. He was at 496 when diagnosed. Is there a specific number to look for when testing before giving his next shot at the lower dose?
 
When we are first starting out, we use the number 200 as the "Okay to shoot" number. Until you start to get more data on how Dipper reacts to ProZinc, if he reads under 200 we skip the dose. When you start to feel more comfortable with testing and understanding when his nadir is (lowest point in his cycle) and are discussing his numbers with another experienced ProZinc user, you'll be able to shoot under 200. But for now, 200 is your magic number to look for. Look into getting your spreadsheet set up because it is such a valuable tool to have in order for experienced users to help you make decisions about what is right for your cat.

Dipper dropping to 37 (how long after his shot did you get the reading?) is serious and definitely a cause for concern. If it even happens again, feed him some high carb wet food or honey/karo syrup to bring his blood glucose levels back up as quick as possible. Dry high carb is iffy because it doesn't get into his system as fast as the syrup or wet food and you NEED to get them out of hypoglycemic ranges. After hes eaten the high carb food, wait 20 minutes and then test him again, if his levels are rising then give him more high carb food, wait 30 minutes and then test again to make sure hes at least starting to rise to safe levels of >70.

Please take a look at this thread (http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/) for help getting your spreadsheet set up and also this thread (http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216680/) for more information about a hypo kit to have on hand.

As for the dose, I would definitely decrease from 2.5u to 2u and possibly even a further decrease from there once we see how he reads in the morning. If at AMPS he reads lower than 200 or borders 200 DO NOT give insulin and create another thread titled "Need help with dose, under no shoot number" asking how to proceed. It might take some time get a response, but don't worry someone will get to you and its better to be safe than sorry by skipping his shot.
 
Thank you. I tested him this morning and he was 114. When I tested yesterday, it was around 10 hours after his shot. I printed the hypo shopping list and will stock up today.
 
ranman said:
Thank you. I tested him this morning and he was 114. When I tested yesterday, it was around 10 hours after his shot. I printed the hypo shopping list and will stock up today.
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No problem! And oh my goodness that's really scary.. Dipper should not be that low 10 hours after the shot especially considering that ProZinc is most potent at +3 to +7 hours in. Did you just recently switch to a low carb wet food? Some cats blood glucose numbers drop dramatically when switched from dry food to wet food.

And that AMPS number is totally okay! So glad he's back at safe numbers. Unfortunately, not every cat displays hypoglycemia symptoms until it is too late and will need emergency medical intervention.
Great job skipping the shot this morning, that was a good call. If it's possible, can you test him again at +3 time? Getting in tests in the middle of the day helps us determine when he is most likely to be at his lowest (nadir) and also allows us to curb a hypo incident from taking place. Awesome that you're getting a hypo kit set up! I had to use mine a couple of times when my cat dropped low too.
So here's my proposed game plan for today:
  • Try to get in a midday test (just one from +3 to +5 time, we will slowly collect the data over a couple of days to a week)
  • Test again at PMPS to see where he's at since he didn't get his shot this morning. Again, if he's under 200, SKIP the shot! Comment again updating us on what he read for PMPS. If for some reason he is above 200, DO NOT give 2.5u! Hearing how Dipper was at 37 10 hours after getting his shot is kind of shocking and something I've never heard of before, not to scare you, I'm just not as experienced as others on this forum on what that means. Honestly if he reads well above 200 tonight, try giving him 1 unit of ProZinc. That is a very conservative dose because he reacted so drastically to 2.5u and we don't want him dropping that low again.
 
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Harukyo said:
No problem! And oh my goodness that's really scary.. Dipper should not be that low 10 hours after the shot especially considering that ProZinc is most potent at +3 to +7 hours in. Did you just recently switch to a low carb wet food? Some cats blood glucose numbers drop dramatically when switched from dry food to wet food.

And that AMPS number is totally okay! So glad he's back at safe numbers. Unfortunately, not every cat displays hyperglycemia symptoms until it is too late and will need emergency medical intervention.
Great job skipping the shot this morning, that was a good call. If it's possible, can you test him again at +3 time? Getting in tests in the middle of the day helps us determine when he is most likely to be at his lowest (nadir) and also allows us to curb a hypo incident from taking place. Awesome that you're getting a hypo kit set up! I had to use mine a couple of times when my cat dropped low too.
So here's my proposed game plan for today:
  • Try to get in a midday test (just one from +3 to +5 time, we will slowly collect the data over a couple of days to a week)
  • Test again at PMPS to see where he's at since he didn't get his shot this morning. Again, if he's under 200, SKIP the shot! Comment again updating us on what he read for PMPS. If for some reason he is above 200, DO NOT give 2.5u! Hearing how Dipper was at 37 10 hours after getting his shot is kind of shocking and something I've never heard of before, not to scare you, I'm just not as experienced as others on this forum on what that means. Honestly if he reads well above 200 tonight, try giving him 1 unit of ProZinc. That is a very conservative dose because he reacted so drastically to 2.5u and we don't want him dropping that low again.
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We sure don’t want that again. Glad I decided to try to do the test yesterday. I will do a couple tests today and let you know where he’s at. He is acting so much more like himself today playing and picking on his brothers.
 
I'm so glad to hear that! Cats are quite resilient creatures :cat:

Sounds great! What time does he get his PM shot? I'll try to make sure I'm around at that time if you have any questions
 
Home testing is what saved my own cats life and what led us to getting her into diabetic remission! It was so scary and daunting to think about having to draw blood from her ears everyday. Then, because she got a yummy diabetic safe treat afterwards, and then fed, it became her favorite time of day and she would even purr during it! Sounds like you've already got the testing down which is really half the battle!
 
He eats at 7:00. He doesn’t seem to mind any poking or shots. He is pretty chill. He just purrs. I got him some freeze dried treats for after. I just can’t wait until I can be really quick with getting the blood.
 
Ok so gave shot yesterday at 6:30 am, tested blood later in day before giving next shot (didn’t give). That was when he was reading 37. This am no shot and tested at 6:30-114 (fed), 9:30-70, 11:30-59, 1:30 85.

No shots since yesterday morning at 6:30
 
He actually seems great. He is alert, waking around the house not just napping, being social and seems very happy. I offered him some fancy feast wet when his number got to 59 and he didn’t really want it. He may have ate a little after a while. (I noticed some eaten but I have 2 other cats so who knows. Lol)
 
All of Dipper's readings today are in the normal range. If Dipper has not had insulin and BG is low, it's not a problem so you don't HAVE to offer food but it's OK to do so if kitty is hungry. Normal for a cat on a human meter is 50 to 120 and some non-diabetic cats will sometimes have BG in the 40s. You can stop testing now until the usual PM pre-shot. We don't deal in clock times here because we are all spread across the globe. What time zone are you in?
 
Wow, Dipper looked liked he had a very nice curve all on his own! Yay!! Also so glad @MrWorfMen's Mom is here (she is one of the very experienced users I was talking about)! You and Dipper are in really good hands :D
 
Hi again

I have been doing blood testing every AM and PM before feeding and his levels are still amazing and really consistent. I haven’t given any insulin since last Friday morning and he is acting like his old self.
Do I just keep testing or can I scale back a little to once a day or every other day? How long does it take to be in remission and what is considered remission? I attached my spreadsheet on my signature too (I think I did it right.. ha)

Thank you :)
 
Wow that's great! His numbers look amazing :D here on the forum we consider a cat to be in remission after 14 consecutive days without insulin! So keep up the AMPS/PMPS testing at least for that long and they you can start slowly scaling it back! I'm so happy for you and Dipper! Keep up the great work :woot:
 
WHoo HOo! Go Dipper! Keep us posted. We love success stories and it appears Dipper is indeed on a mission to reach that ultimate goal of remission!:joyful:
 
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