Testing advice? -- tested low, +3.5 49

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Yes - 1 teaspoon gravy; 1 teaspoon regular food.

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I haven't been doing gravy with Rosa once she's above 60, but she usually keeps coming up once she hits 60. BJM has more experience than I do so please go with her advice on this.
 
I'm having her mix a teaspoon of each - low carb to continue boosting the immediate numbers and regular to help build some stability to them. Its basically like feeding medium carb by itself.

An option, if you are not able to stay up monitoring, is to abort the cycle, basically fill her up with high carb and then some, so you won't worry.
 
BJM said:
Yes - 1 teaspoon gravy; 1 teaspoon regular food.

Be sure to refresh your browser to catch all the posts.
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Sorry, I meant more than the 1 tsp! I'm stuck using my mobile browser so refreshing is all over the place. The roommate who's moving out decided to cancel the Internet before my new installation kit arrived, so no laptop for me.

I have a few more hours left in me. The thing that worries me is I cannot monitor tomorrow basically from +2 to +11 (if I'm lucky). The AM shot is making me nervous.
 
My Android has a button that will let me refresh; what are you using?

And if Noodle is hungry enough, maybe make it 1 teaspoon of high carb to 2 teaspoons low carb.
 
+3.5 ~ 49
+4.5 ~ 52
+5.0 ~ 54
+5.5 ~ 61
+6.0 ~ 69

Good - around a 40% increase over 50 mg/dL. We want that sustained, so continue with the low carb at this point, but keep checking at 30 minute intervals.
 
Should be safe to drop the gravy at this point. Plus you want to make sure she can sustain the increase without it too.
 
Noodle is up 40% and we don't want her glucose to skyrocket, so low carb should help maintain the glucose without totally boosting.
If she drops at the next test, then boost again with some gravy.

I've got to crash for the night; I'll check in the morning to see how it went.
 
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+6.5 - 81

She is so, so mad at me right now. So much yelling when I tried to test on her back paws again. I tried the front and got a sample. Is there anything I can do to soothe her right now? I just feel awful. First night testing and we have to go every half hour.

@BJM thank you so much for all your help.
 
OK, she's doing well. 81 is a good number :) She's doing fine without the high carb now. Rosa gets mad with that much testing too - unfortunately, it just has to be done. I usually talk to Rosa the whole time I'm doing the test - just nonsense in a soothing voice. And afterwards I let her run off and hide if she wants to until the next test time. I test on whichever paw or ear I can get to at the time - and I try changing it around every 2 or 3 tests too so I'm not hitting the exact same spot every 30 minutes. As long as she keeps coming up, you're getting closer to the end of the tests she's going to need tonight now.

One more in another half hour (I know, it's upsetting when they're hating the testing, but better that than her drop back down and you not know about it).
 
Chris & China said:
Does she like catnip??
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She definitely does. I just got her some new catnip toys yesterday to make her bedroom prison less miserable. I just thought about putting some more on her cardboard scratcher. I'm getting the silent treatment right now, though.
 

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She will come around, really she will. Rosa hates the testing when it's really frequent, but now after a few days of it, she'll come and sit on my lap or behind me on the chair in between tests. It's probably a shock to her system - she has no idea what you're doing or why. Catnip would help for sure as she likes it though.
 
sounds like she just needs time and some reconditioning, whether you use her ears or her paw pads

What most cats object to is that you're touching their ears (or paws)....not the actual poke, so what we've found to work with almost every cat is to choose a "testing spot" (I chose my kitchen counter because it already had 2 ways of escape blocked off...the wall and the backsplash) but a spot on the floor or a towel on a couch...something that says "this is it" is fine. As many times a day as you can, take Noodle there and just give his ears (or paws...or both) a quick rub and then he gets a yummy snack. China loved a little piece of boiled chicken...some cats love freeze dried meats of some kind, but whatever works for her is fine

The more you take her there and get her used to having you rub, push, pat and otherwise "manipulate" her ears/paws, (with that treat coming immediately after) the more she's going to associate that spot with the yummy treats and will start ignoring what you're doing with her ears/paws
 
Chris & China said:
sounds like she just needs time and some reconditioning, whether you use her ears or her paw pads

What most cats object to is that you're touching their ears (or paws)....not the actual poke, so what we've found to work with almost every cat is to choose a "testing spot" (I chose my kitchen counter because it already had 2 ways of escape blocked off...the wall and the backsplash) but a spot on the floor or a towel on a couch...something that says "this is it" is fine. As many times a day as you can, take Noodle there and just give his ears (or paws...or both) a quick rub and then he gets a yummy snack. China loved a little piece of boiled chicken...some cats love freeze dried meats of some kind, but whatever works for her is fine

The more you take her there and get her used to having you rub, push, pat and otherwise "manipulate" her ears/paws, (with that treat coming immediately after) the more she's going to associate that spot with the yummy treats and will start ignoring what you're doing with her ears/paws
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I understand! The situation is a little tough right now being confined in the bedroom. Thankfully, within the next week she will have free reign again and I'll be able to find a testing spot that's not so close to her relaxing/cuddle spot and the transition will hopefully be less traumatic going forward.

She didn't want to come and eat between shots this time (but she's eating some now), so this reading is all on her own:

+7 - 84
 
That's good. Now you know she's holding at a decent level without food. Can you get one more test in an hour just to make sure she's still rising?

I agree, it'll be easier once she can go back to having the run of the place - most cats don't much like being confined even though it's necessary sometimes.
 
I'll set an alarm to make sure I don't doze.

Question about the morning, she's due her AM shot at 6am, so +11.5 from her last shot (was a bit late tonight due to work + making sure she ate enough after she threw up).

I'll test before and probably post in the Lantus forum for advice, but I definitely won't be able to monitor her beyond +2.5 and until +11 (if I'm lucky). I'm just not sure how to handle the dose or if I should even think about shooting.
 
If you can doze with an alarm set, I would do. You might as well get as much sleep as you can.

I'd post for advice before shooting - I've not been doing this long enough to be sure and I won't advise if I'm going to tell you something that's wrong. I've just had to ask for dosing advice for Rosa myself in the Lantus forum. I do understand your concern - I've been pretty much tied to the house for the last 4 days as Rosa's numbers have been dropping low and quickly so with having to be out of the house for a lot of the cycle, getting some advice is definitely a good idea.
 
What's going to be REALLY important is to get your spreadsheet up and working

That spreadsheet is every bit as valuable as a tool as the correct food and insulin. Here's "Getting your spreadsheet set up and link into your signature"

If you have trouble with it, let us know. We have several people who will be happy to set them up for you and teach you how to use them

And with that, it's time for this old lady to get some well deserved Zzzzzzz's!
 
well in the meantime, make sure you're writing down any tests you get so when you get the program working, you'll have those numbers to put into it
 
Doesn't sound like a bad idea as she's down from where she was. If you have to sleep, you could give her a lot of carbs to make sure she doesn't keep dropping. Or you can go back to monitoring her, but you might have to do a 30 minute test next to make sure she isn't going to go lower.
 
I know exactly how you feel - even when I know Rosa's up enough for the night for me to sleep, it usually takes me a while to actually get to sleep. I think about 'what ifs' too much!
 
No worries - we're all in this together one way or another. And don't forget to breathe...some very good advice I was given the first time this happened to Rosa! You're going to be fine, and Noodle's going to be fine. You're doing really well here and right now she's not at any risk with numbers in the 70's. So although you need to test her again, she's doing fine overall. :bighug:
 
Now that's looking good. I suspect a bounce starting there! She's most likely safe, but you might want to get one more test in an hour just to make sure.
 
I've been watching but not stepped in until now. In the last half of the cycle, the insulin is waning and it doesn't take as many calories to get kitty up. You could test again in 1/2 hour. April said one hour, but I like to maximize sleep. If she's up a lot in 1/2 hour you can safely sleep.
 
I tried to test myself a couple times just to check the meter and three error messages later I have a real appreciation for what I've been doing to poor Noodle all night. No wonder she's hiding from me!
 
Wendy&Neko said:
I've been watching but not stepped in until now. In the last half of the cycle, the insulin is waning and it doesn't take as many calories to get kitty up. You could test again in 1/2 hour. April said one hour, but I like to maximize sleep. If she's up a lot in 1/2 hour you can safely sleep.
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Thanks, Wendy. I think I'll check at +9 to get a better idea of what I'm working with here. If she hasn't permanently attached herself to the carpet with her nails....
 
Thanks for stepping in - I was erring on the side of extreme caution being fairly new to this myself. I really appreciate the help :)
 
I accidentally got myself with the lancet just once - it did sting a little, but there are more nerve endings in fingertips than anywhere we usually test on cats. It's most likely more the change to her routine and wondering why you're holding her still and doing 'weird things' than it being overly painful for her.
 
She is yelping a bit with the prick, but she's always been very vocal even when I clip her nails--which I know doesn't cause agonizing pain! I guess that's why the paw testing is easier, I have the strategy down from nail trims.
 
When Rosa's feeling feisty, I find her paw easier too. My vet told me they prefer people to use the paw, but that was mostly because they weren't happy with me changing doses and monitoring at home anyway - they had to try and come up with something I was doing wrong!! I usually start getting growled at when I start having to test every 30 minutes, but in between times she's fine now (she wasn't the first night though). They do get used to it even if they don't understand it. And yes, both of my 2 make such a fuss when they get their nails clipped that you'd think they were having their feet cut off - and we all know nail clipping doesn't hurt. Cats just like to complain sometimes!
 
At +9 she should be fine, but I'm not 100% sure as she keeps going lower as soon as she's not getting the higher carb food. She's safe at 117 but I'd expect her to be rising towards her next shot by now - I'm not sure why she keeps going that bit lower, or at the very least is level, between tests. Let me shout out on the thread in the Lantus forum and see if we can get more eyes on this one as she's not reacting quite how I'd expect at this point.
 
The effects of gravy can wear off after a couple of hours, so some of the gravy you gave her two hours ago is starting to wear off and consequently the numbers are dropping a bit. You last gave her gravy 1 hour ago I think? Honestly, she's high enough now, that if you want you can give her a couple of tsp more of low carb food and go to sleep. I wouldn't feed her anything more after this as you want to with hold food for 2 hours before the next preshot time as it can impact the preshot value.
 
Thanks Wendy - I was pretty sure she should be safe, but wanted a second opinion before I said she could be left for the night.
 
Ok, her next shot is due at 6. I'll give her a little food and try to get some rest.

Honestly, I am anticipating skipping her next shot since I'll have to be working for most of the cycle tomorrow. I'm in outside sales and have a higher up riding with me, so I can't pop home at all. I'm already pushing it by saying I need to be home at 5 for her Denamarin.
 
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