Smiffy July update

Status
Not open for further replies.
Looby & Smiffy

Looby & Smiffy

Member Since 2016
@MrWorfMen's Mom @Bonzo @Elizabeth and Bertie @Diana&Tom @Tuxedo Mom

Smiffy has been on one unit Caninsulin twice a day for about a month and her numbers have been in the 13s and 14s more or less throughout the day .....

So Roberta her Vet suggested that we up the evening dose to one and a half units so that we could get her numbers to between 4 and 12.

That was a few days ago and her numbers have still been in the 13s and 14s at +5 and +7 (see spreadsheet).

Today she didn't eat much this morning but I gave her her one unit shot.

She is behaving and has been behaving as if she is much better and is back to her normal self.

However just took a +7 today and she was 8.6 - suddenly really low for the time of the day.

So I have given her some high carb treats and food just in case .....

8.6 is a good number but it is low for the time of the day all of a sudden ... called the Nurse and they told me to give her some food.

Do you think that she just didn't eat enough this morning?

Need some help and advice pretty quick as I am going to be off line soon ...
 
Looby, a reading of 8.6 is terrific and does not require giving any high carb food. It really doesn't need any intervention on your part at all because it's a good safe number. It is odd admittedly that this lower reading occurred so late in her cycle but Smiffy is just being Smiffy because every cat is different. My understanding is that Caninsulin is a combination insulin. One of the components usually brings the BG down fairly fast near the beginning of the cycle (around +3 to +4) and then the second component can cause another drop but usually not as much as the first.

I also am not sure why the vet would suggest upping the evening dose. I would think if you were going to up the dose it would be better to do so on a day cycle when you can test to make sure Smiffy stays safe. It's also common for cats to run lower at night than during the day so I'm really curious as to the rationale behind that advice.

Are you having any better luck testing Smiffy now? I think that is key and I'd start checking around +3 or +4 instead of waiting till later to test. Perhaps Smiffy is getting some better numbers early, coming up a bit and then dropping again in which case she may be doing a bit better than you think she is.
 
Echoing all that Linda has said above - 8 is a very good number and not one at which you need to be stuffing Smiffy with high carbs. She could well be a little lower because of eating less - the opposite of a spike might be a surprisingly low number. BUT 8.6 is not "low", it's a nice number to see and not in the danger zone at all. If you're ever worried though all you need to do is test again in an hour, and then again in another hour, just to get a picture of where she's heading - if she was going down and down, THEN might be the time to give carbs, but not from the information you've provided above.

Diana
 
Looby,
totally agree with both girls.
I would not feed high carb food until the cat is really low and upping the PM dose does not seem to be right.
Hugs,
Marlena
 
Echo what the others say, 8.6 is a blue - a good number, and she may have been in the blues for a few hours. It would really help if you could get some pre-shot numbers the next few days and some a bit earlier in the cycle as well. (Cappuccino gave me an unexpected +4 of 3.2 yesterday - that did need a bit of attention, but 8.6 I would have been happy with)
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Looby, a reading of 8.6 is terrific and does not require giving any high carb food. It really doesn't need any intervention on your part at all because it's a good safe number. It is odd admittedly that this lower reading occurred so late in her cycle but Smiffy is just being Smiffy because every cat is different. My understanding is that Caninsulin is a combination insulin. One of the components usually brings the BG down fairly fast near the beginning of the cycle (around +3 to +4) and then the second component can cause another drop but usually not as much as the first.

I also am not sure why the vet would suggest upping the evening dose. I would think if you were going to up the dose it would be better to do so on a day cycle when you can test to make sure Smiffy stays safe. It's also common for cats to run lower at night than during the day so I'm really curious as to the rationale behind that advice.

Are you having any better luck testing Smiffy now? I think that is key and I'd start checking around +3 or +4 instead of waiting till later to test. Perhaps Smiffy is getting some better numbers early, coming up a bit and then dropping again in which case she may be doing a bit better than you think she is.
Click to expand...
Thanks Linda ....

I know 8.6 is a food number but I was so surprised to get it as all her equivalent numbers at that time have been in the 13s and 14s for so many weeks so to be on the safe side (in case she had fone into hypo and bounced for lack of eating) I have her carbs ...... An hour later she was 9 and preshot to nite she was 10.8 but she wouldn't eat so foe peace of mind and her safety I didn't give her a shot .....she went upstairs under the chair for the rest of the evening so I couldn't test her again but came down briefly to eat it seems when I was dosing.

If her numbers are that low now because she isbefinning to respond better to the insulin then I am thrilled so will check her BG as much as I cam tomorrow

She was one one unit am and pm for a while as she had had two hypos on two units twice per day so I reduced the dose. I suggested to her Vet Roberta just under a week ago that as her numbers were stuck around the 13s and 14s (if you look at her mini curves shape seems not to have a low Nadir at any point of the day but seems to be fairly level throughout the day) we needed to up her dose to help get her in the 4 to 12 range but both felt that 2 units or one and a half twice a day might be too high so I suggested one dose of one unit and one of one and a half. Roberta agreed and told me to make sure that I tested her at her at about +3 or +4 to make sure she was not going too low .....

As I am not around for her morning +3 or +4 usually because of my illness, we agreed that it would be safest to give her the one and a half unit dose in the evening so that I would be around to test ther at her possible Nadir.

I will test her as much as I can over the next few days to see if she IS coming down and getting better numbers - that would be so brilliant if she is responding now! The earliest I can usually do her day cycle is +5 ..... I can test more in the evening provided she stays downstairs ...

She is so much better in herself these days and back to her old ways that I am hopeful she is just now responding better to the insulin .......it was just so sudden for her to have a reading that low at that point of the day! Can their numbers suddenly start to get better so suddenly? I was expecting it to be more gradual ....

Thanks for your help .... Let's see what happens tomorrow
 
Diana&Tom said:
Echoing all that Linda has said above - 8 is a very good number and not one at which you need to be stuffing Smiffy with high carbs. She could well be a little lower because of eating less - the opposite of a spike might be a surprisingly low number. BUT 8.6 is not "low", it's a nice number to see and not in the danger zone at all. If you're ever worried though all you need to do is test again in an hour, and then again in another hour, just to get a picture of where she's heading - if she was going down and down, THEN might be the time to give carbs, but not from the information you've provided above.

Diana
Click to expand...
Thanks Diana ...... have a read of my reply to Linda above ....I was just so surprised to see her number so low at that time - l was assuming any improvement overall in her numbers would be more gradual and not suddenly better one day! If she is indeed now responding better to the insulin then I am of course thrilled and can give myself a pat on the pat for doing well for her .....I will test as much as I can tomorrow and update her spreadsheet for you all to see .....
 
Marlena said:
Looby,
totally agree with both girls.
I would not feed high carb food until the cat is really low and upping the PM dose does not seem to be right.
Hugs,
Marlena[/QUOT
Thanks Marlena

Please read my response to Linda to see why I have upped her pm dose recently
Click to expand...
 
Alexi said:
Echo what the others say, 8.6 is a blue - a good number, and she may have been in the blues for a few hours. It would really help if you could get some pre-shot numbers the next few days and some a bit earlier in the cycle as well. (Cappuccino gave me an unexpected +4 of 3.2 yesterday - that did need a bit of attention, but 8.6 I would have been happy with)
Click to expand...
Thanks Alexi

Please read my reply to Linda above ..... the earliest day reading I can do is at +5 and preshot readings are hard For reasons I have explained on many occasions but I know I have to try to see if I can get the little tinker .....she stands on the stairs to be fed or goes into the bathroom or runs away and eats later and I really MUST get food in her before I give a Caninsulin shot or she runs the risk of hypo which is not an option especially for the am shot as I am not around at +3 and +4

Wish me luck tomorrow - l will do my very best to get preshot and as many readings as I can or that she will allow
 
:bighug:Good luck Looby with all the testing!
You're making such progress, I have to praise you for that, well done!
Smiffy just sent me a message to say how much she loves her mummy!
Hugs from
Marlena&Rocky :cat::cat::cat:
 
Marlena said:
:bighug:Good luck Looby with all the testing!
You're making such progress, I have to praise you for that, well done!
Smiffy just sent me a message to say how much she loves her mummy!
Hugs from
Marlena&Rocky :cat::cat::cat:
Click to expand...
Thank you ...... 13.7 preshot number this morning which is not at all bad and she is eating all her food ....... Smiffy sends love to you and Rocky purrrrr style (:
 
Looby, thanks for explaining the reason for the evening increase. I scanned some previous posts but didn't put 2 and 2 together so now it makes sense. :)

Is it possible for you to get a pre-shot test before each shot? It's great to get readings later in the cycle but without knowing where she started the cycle it's hard to see exactly how much Smiffy is dropping on any given dose. With those lower numbers on the 6th, it may be that Smiffy's pancreas is starting to work a little bit which would be great but it's also one factor you can't control so I think to keep Smiffy safe, a pre-shot test is advisable to make sure it's safe to give her insulin and to be able to see how much she is dropping each cycle.

Believe me, I understand all too well how scary that blue number must have been for you especially since Smiffy has gone too low in the past. It took me almost a year to see a blue number with my girl and I darn near fainted and went into a bit of a panic too. But those blue numbers are exactly what you are aiming for. The trick is to not overeact to them but to do that, you need to be testing at the right times to make sure that Smiffy stays safe.

At a reading of 10.8, instead of totally skipping the dose, you could given her a reduced shot if you are able to test her at +3 to see how much she is dropping. The aim is to keep Smiffy's BG readings in the range of 4-12 for as many hours as possible each day. If you can test before shots and again at +3 when you are able, or at +4 or +5 otherwise, you should get a good idea of how much she drops.

Now all that said, you have to decide what works for you and what you are comfortable doing because you and Smiffy are a team so you have to find a happy medium that keeps both of you happy and healthy! :bighug:
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Looby, thanks for explaining the reason for the evening increase. I scanned some previous posts but didn't put 2 and 2 together so now it makes sense. :)

Is it possible for you to get a pre-shot test before each shot? It's great to get readings later in the cycle but without knowing where she started the cycle it's hard to see exactly how much Smiffy is dropping on any given dose. With those lower numbers on the 6th, it may be that Smiffy's pancreas is starting to work a little bit which would be great but it's also one factor you can't control so I think to keep Smiffy safe, a pre-shot test is advisable to make sure it's safe to give her insulin and to be able to see how much she is dropping each cycle.

Believe me, I understand all too well how scary that blue number must have been for you especially since Smiffy has gone too low in the past. It took me almost a year to see a blue number with my girl and I darn near fainted and went into a bit of a panic too. But those blue numbers are exactly what you are aiming for. The trick is to not overeact to them but to do that, you need to be testing at the right times to make sure that Smiffy stays safe.

At a reading of 10.8, instead of totally skipping the dose, you could given her a reduced shot if you are able to test her at +3 to see how much she is dropping. The aim is to keep Smiffy's BG readings in the range of 4-12 for as many hours as possible each day. If you can test before shots and again at +3 when you are able, or at +4 or +5 otherwise, you should get a good idea of how much she drops.

Now all that said, you have to decide what works for you and what you are comfortable doing because you and Smiffy are a team so you have to find a happy medium that keeps both of you happy and healthy! :bighug:
Click to expand...
Please see my post just now .... I am in a panic ... her preshot this morning was 13.something so I gave her the one unit and now .... she is 6.7 at +5 ..... and now she is eating wet food ... what the hec?
 
Alexi said:
Echo what the others say, 8.6 is a blue - a good number, and she may have been in the blues for a few hours. It would really help if you could get some pre-shot numbers the next few days and some a bit earlier in the cycle as well. (Cappuccino gave me an unexpected +4 of 3.2 yesterday - that did need a bit of attention, but 8.6 I would have been happy with)
Click to expand...
Smiffy was 13.something preshot this morning and now +5 she is 6.7 so I am more than a bit worried - even though that is a good number ....+5 was the earliest I can do on a morning shot .... maybe I should reduce the morning shot to 1 1/2 unit?
 
6.7 is ok at +5, probably her lowest point. If she is fine try another test in an hour to check she is coming back up, keep checking those numbers.
 
This is a brilliant number, you just need to test her again in half hour to one hour to see if she's dropping further.
 
Alexi said:
6.7 is ok at +5, probably her lowest point. If she is fine try another test in an hour to check she is coming back up, keep checking those numbers.
Click to expand...
OK thanks .... she is not eating though .... did a urine test this moring and she was negative for keytones and low on glucose .... she has just done another peee ...
 
No worries Looby. 6.7 is a normal number and still gives you lots of wiggle room before you need to be feeding her. Quite honestly though, with Caninsulin, the lowest point in the cycle could be at +3 or +4 so I am wondering if she could have been a bit lower than that earlier. Not dangerously low but just nicely lower. If that were the case, this would be an even more beautiful cycle for her. She may be eating the wet food because she is not used to being in such good numbers and her body is thinking her BG is low making her hungry enough to eat anything! Good news for you that she will eat wet food when she perceives the need for some grub! She will get used to lower numbers the more time she spends in them so hopefully her trend of blues will continue. Both of you need to adjust to that new blue colour on her spreadsheet and that can be tough on us beans at the beginning too!
Looby & Smiify said:
maybe I should reduce the morning shot to 1 1/2 unit?
Click to expand...
Now just to clarify.....what dose did you give her this morning? Your spreadsheet says 1u so I am a bit confused by your comment above. :)
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
No worries Looby. 6.7 is a normal number and still gives you lots of wiggle room before you need to be feeding her. Quite honestly though, with Caninsulin, the lowest point in the cycle could be at +3 or +4 so I am wondering if she could have been a bit lower than that earlier. Not dangerously low but just nicely lower. If that were the case, this would be an even more beautiful cycle for her. She may be eating the wet food because she is not used to being in such good numbers and her body is thinking her BG is low making her hungry enough to eat anything! Good news for you that she will eat wet food when she perceives the need for some grub! She will get used to lower numbers the more time she spends in them so hopefully her trend of blues will continue. Both of you need to adjust to that new blue colour on her spreadsheet and that can be tough on us beans at the beginning too!

Now just to clarify.....what dose did you give her this morning? Your spreadsheet says 1u so I am a bit confused by your comment above. :)
Click to expand...
Sorry her preshot reading was 13.7 this morning and she ate a fair amount so I gave her the usual one unit ...... I am due to give her one and a half in the evening but if she is only 10.7 tonight as she was last night then I won't shoot her at all ......... I was told somewhere here I think not to shoot Caninsulin if the preshot number is 10 or below plus she woulnd't eat last night - the other reason I didn't shoot her ... does that clarify?
 
Yes that does clarify things . As for not shooting at a 10, that's fine but if she is just a bit above that (say 10.7 which is almost 11), you could try giving her a reduced dose ? 0.5u if she is eating and then test her at +3 to see how low that takes her from her pre-shot. This would help her to stay in lower numbers so she gets used to them. Remember you have to do what you are comfortable with and if you feel better withholding at 10.7 then do that.
 
Alexi said:
She is heading up again and still plenty of time before the next shot, why not post the pre shot number and we'll see how she is doing at that point and if you need to change the dose.
Click to expand...
I willl try to post the preshot number tonight ...... I am still finding this site difficult to work with .... don't get a ping or icon on my computer when there is a new message here as I do with Facebook ....... have to keep checking ...... minor issue .... good job I ordered some more test strips yesterday for the next few weeks!!! She has not been better in herself for ages .... and does things she hasn't done for ages ..... just not eating much .... thought she had gone off her diabetic biscuits but she ate them this morning as I didn't put her arthritis pill on the top disguised with treats ..... so I am hoping she will eat a bit more tonight .....
 
I am filling out Smiffy's spreadsheet as we go if you all want to have a look later ... doing hourly readings if I can now .... she is now 9 at +7 so rising slowly ......
 
The numbers look fine. Try not to panic and end up giving carbs when there is absolutely no need. Now you're testing you can find out how low she is going and give carbs if she really is low. These numbers you're getting ARE NOT LOW - they are lower than you're used to, that's all. Remember that she will be feeling so much better on lower numbers and it's up to you as care giver to try to maintain those and not push her up again. Erratic BGs can make a cat feel quite poorly so the longer you can keep her in decent numbers that aren't swinging too wildly up and down, the better. She may be quite flat for some of the day but that's not a bad thing if the numbers are under renal threshold.

Diana
 
Also if you want to get alerts to responses to your messages, go up to the upper right screen and hover over your user name. This brings down a menu. Select Alert Preferences and tick off the boxes in there that apply. This will cause a little red number to pop up when there is a response to one of your threads or any thread you have participated in or decided to watch. If you have any trouble setting the alerts, let us know and we'll help.
 
Me again .... spoken to Smiffy's Vet Roberta and she is thrilled with Smiffy's results and says that if her preshot is less than 10 not to shoot, 10 - 14 to give one unit and over that 1.5 units ..... know that if she has not eaten much to reduce that dose if necessary .....
 
Diana&Tom said:
The numbers look fine. Try not to panic and end up giving carbs when there is absolutely no need. Now you're testing you can find out how low she is going and give carbs if she really is low. These numbers you're getting ARE NOT LOW - they are lower than you're used to, that's all. Remember that she will be feeling so much better on lower numbers and it's up to you as care giver to try to maintain those and not push her up again. Erratic BGs can make a cat feel quite poorly so the longer you can keep her in decent numbers that aren't swinging too wildly up and down, the better. She may be quite flat for some of the day but that's not a bad thing if the numbers are under renal threshold.

Diana
Click to expand...
Thanks Diana ...... have spoken to the Vet and we are all agreed now you, me and the Vet that her numbers are to be celebrated ..... I am over the intial panic of seeing such a dramatic change in numbers and have a smile on my face I will not give her high carbs don't worry .. only if she is under 4 ......Vet has given me a dose plan that is still flexible and I think I can trust my instincts now thanks to all the help here and knowing my Smiffy Smiff .......
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Also if you want to get alerts to responses to your messages, go up to the upper right screen and hover over your user name. This brings down a menu. Select Alert Preferences and tick off the boxes in there that apply. This will cause a little red number to pop up when there is a response to one of your threads or any thread you have participated in or decided to watch. If you have any trouble setting the alerts, let us know and we'll help.
Click to expand...
I have done that already thanks and get the little red alert but only if I come onto the site ... I keep the site as a tab on my computer and would like to have an alert on that as I do for Facebook but it doesn't do that so I have to keep checking on the site if that makes sense?!

I am going to stop testing her now but she has been as good as gold with it and is getting used to it as am I .... I now kneel down with her between my legs and fuss her head and ears before I give her a test .... she doesn't even need a treat now .... things are getting better .... hope I can keep this up when husband is around - he tends to makes things more difficult not understanding what I am doing and lettting her out at crucial times ..... his head can't take in the information that I have been trying to teach him bit by bit but it goes straight over his head!!!
 
just did a +9 reading and her numbers are going down - she is now 8.4 .... form +7 at 9 ... thought she would be going steadily up .... that is odd isn't it?
 
That's not odd Looby. Those numbers are essentially the same when you take meter variance allowance of 15-20% into account (not sure exactly what meter variance allowance is in the UK.)
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
That's not odd Looby. Those numbers are essentially the same when you take meter variance allowance of 15-20% into account (not sure exactly what meter variance allowance is in the UK.)
Click to expand...
Oh Ok - no nor am I? I use the Alphatrak Aviva Clickeasy ........ so each meter varies a bit so she could still be rising a tad really .... I see ......
 
Looby, are you alternating meters to get readings? The Alphatrak meter will read higher than the Aviva. I thought you were using a human meter based on your spreadsheet. It's important to pick one meter and stick with it because going back and forth isn't going to give you a consistent picture of how Smiffy is doing and will confuse you and us.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Looby, are you alternating meters to get readings? The Alphatrak meter will read higher than the Aviva. I thought you were using a human meter based on your spreadsheet. It's important to pick one meter and stick with it because going back and forth isn't going to give you a consistent picture of how Smiffy is doing and will confuse you and us.
Click to expand...
Yes Looby, it's very important to use the same meter to get consistent readings, especially now that Smiffy is dropping from the teens into single figures... I know it's scary when numbers suddenly go lower than what you're used to but you have to develop a different mindset now. As I said earlier, she will be feeling a lot better now she's in lower numbers and you want to keep her there, within a certain comfort zone (ie not too low). This is why we've said all along how important it is to home test - you know this yourself now. It may be that the numbers are better because as her pancreas is starting to heal, she is producing some insulin herself (what's called a sputtering pancreas) so it is STILL important to test because if she's in single figures and producing some endogenous insulin, you really need to test before every shot just in case she's lower than you expect. As you know, we don't give dosing advice as such but if these numbers continue you may end up reducing the dose to once a day or even less... It will keep you on your toes!

Good luck
Diana
 
Cappuccino does a small dip at +9, then back up for PMPS - so don't worry, I think it is just what Caninsulin does. You are doing great with all the testing, you just have to be patient, all the testing helps to fill in the jigsaw. Wait on the PMPS number.
 
Looby, I think perhaps a little more clarification of meter variance is needed here.

The AlphaTrak is a pet meter and it will read higher than any human meter 99.9% of the time. That 0.1% would be very rare circumstances in numbers much lower than you are dealing with and really don't want to see. The difference in readings between pet and human meters is NOT a straight forward percentage. There is no direct way to convert a pet meter reading to a human meter reading or vice versa. The difference is partially because cat blood and human blood are different and the pet meter is coded to read cat blood according to the composition of cat blood. The human meter is reading the cat blood as if it were human blood so the readings are lower.

All human and pet meters have a 15-20% variance allowance which means if you did two tests on the same drop of blood even with the same meter, it must produce a reading within that variance range to be approved for use. This variance has nothing to do with the difference between your Alphatrak meter and your Aviva meter.
 
Smiffy is very passive and sleepy on her new low numbers .... is that her body just getting used to them? She is not as lively as she was a few days ago on higher numbers ......
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Looby, I think perhaps a little more clarification of meter variance is needed here.

The AlphaTrak is a pet meter and it will read higher than any human meter 99.9% of the time. That 0.1% would be very rare circumstances in numbers much lower than you are dealing with and really don't want to see. The difference in readings between pet and human meters is NOT a straight forward percentage. There is no direct way to convert a pet meter reading to a human meter reading or vice versa. The difference is partially because cat blood and human blood are different and the pet meter is coded to read cat blood according to the composition of cat blood. The human meter is reading the cat blood as if it were human blood so the readings are lower.

All human and pet meters have a 15-20% variance allowance which means if you did two tests on the same drop of blood even with the same meter, it must produce a reading within that variance range to be approved for use. This variance has nothing to do with the difference between your Alphatrak meter and your Aviva meter.
Click to expand...
I know that ...... sorry yes I understood that but worded it badly .. thanks (:
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Looby, I think perhaps a little more clarification of meter variance is needed here.

The AlphaTrak is a pet meter and it will read higher than any human meter 99.9% of the time. That 0.1% would be very rare circumstances in numbers much lower than you are dealing with and really don't want to see. The difference in readings between pet and human meters is NOT a straight forward percentage. There is no direct way to convert a pet meter reading to a human meter reading or vice versa. The difference is partially because cat blood and human blood are different and the pet meter is coded to read cat blood according to the composition of cat blood. The human meter is reading the cat blood as if it were human blood so the readings are lower.

All human and pet meters have a 15-20% variance allowance which means if you did two tests on the same drop of blood even with the same meter, it must produce a reading within that variance range to be approved for use. This variance has nothing to do with the difference between your Alphatrak meter and your Aviva meter.
Click to expand...
Diana&Tom said:
Yes Looby, it's very important to use the same meter to get consistent readings, especially now that Smiffy is dropping from the teens into single figures... I know it's scary when numbers suddenly go lower than what you're used to but you have to develop a different mindset now. As I said earlier, she will be feeling a lot better now she's in lower numbers and you want to keep her there, within a certain comfort zone (ie not too low). This is why we've said all along how important it is to home test - you know this yourself now. It may be that the numbers are better because as her pancreas is starting to heal, she is producing some insulin herself (what's called a sputtering pancreas) so it is STILL important to test because if she's in single figures and producing some endogenous insulin, you really need to test before every shot just in case she's lower than you expect. As you know, we don't give dosing advice as such but if these numbers continue you may end up reducing the dose to once a day or even less... It will keep you on your toes!

Good luck
Diana
Click to expand...
I understand completely and she is getting used to being tested now ..... I have good instincts now about how much to dose or when not to ..... there is just one thing: She seems less lively on her new low numbers and a bit passive and sleepy .... I am wondering if that is her getting used to the change in her body chemistry?
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Looby, are you alternating meters to get readings? The Alphatrak meter will read higher than the Aviva. I thought you were using a human meter based on your spreadsheet. It's important to pick one meter and stick with it because going back and forth isn't going to give you a consistent picture of how Smiffy is doing and will confuse you and us.
Click to expand...
No I am just using the AlphaTrak (:
 
Ok Looby. Knowing those readings are being done with the AlphaTrak is a very important piece of information and your spreadsheet should reflect that. Do you know how to add a row to the top of your spreadsheet? If so, you really should put a row there and type in ALPHATRAK METER. If people are giving you advice about whether to shoot or not especially with Smiffy's numbers coming down, you don't want ANY confusion to cause someone to give you any bad advice. Given you are now getting some "normal" readings on the AT meter, it's REALLY important to make sure you get those pre-shot readings to make sure it's safe to give insulin and some +3/+4 tests to see just how low Smiffy is going.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Ok Looby. Knowing those readings are being done with the AlphaTrak is a very important piece of information and your spreadsheet should reflect that. Do you know how to add a row to the top of your spreadsheet? If so, you really should put a row there and type in ALPHATRAK METER. If people are giving you advice about whether to shoot or not especially with Smiffy's numbers coming down, you don't want ANY confusion to cause someone to give you any bad advice. Given you are now getting some "normal" readings on the AT meter, it's REALLY important to make sure you get those pre-shot readings to make sure it's safe to give insulin and some +3/+4 tests to see just how low Smiffy is going.
Click to expand...
@MrWorfMen's Mom @Alexi No sorry it is not the Alphatrak - it is the AccuChek Aviva that I am using (always get the names mixed up) ...... just taken a preshot evening number of 8.8 so I am not giving insulin at all tonight ... she is very passive and sleep today - not the bright cat she had become in recent weeks when she was on higher numbers ... why could that be? Is her body just getting used to the lower numbers? She doesn't want to eat either (think she thinks I am going to inject her) will just leave the biscuits out for her to graze on .....
 
Last edited:
Looby, That is terrific news. :D Smiffy's little pancreas may have just needed a little extra shot of insulin to "wake" up and start working a bit more. Don't be concerned...celebrate. This is good news. And even if Smiffy is a bit less lively than she was, it likely is just her body adjusting. My little one can be more active when her numbers are high sometimes than she is when she is in better numbers so I don't think that is a concern. Like us our cats are going to have more and less active days.
 
We cross posted. Even if that is the Aviva meter, it's still a good number. It's fine to skip the shot tonight as the vet suggested because she is well below 10.It will be interesting to see what she does tomorrow as she's been slowly coming down the last few days.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top