Ugh! I have to vent.

[Peppersmom72]

I feel like I'm never going to get the hang of this.
Peppers numbers were lower than usual this morning at PS. She kept going lower after she ate. So I did not give her a shot because I had to go to work and hubby was sleeping.
Well, he just called me and her numbers are through the roof. Serves me right for thinking positive this morning. I was so afraid to give her insulin because her BG kept going lower. (Remark section on SS).

Plus, Pepper has NEVER been on dry food, so the issue must lye in the pate. Maybe its a possibility that she is carb sensitive. I don't know what else to think right now.

Sorry had to vent.

 

[Tracey&Jones (GA)]

Rant away! Here is the one place you can rant and get support while doing it!

Some points to consider.

• This marathon called feline FD just started for you, so be patient.
• That high number is most likely due to a bounce from that low number - which is progress believe it or not. On top of the missed shot.
• The skipped shot was for her safety - don't ever get mad or apologize for that.
• As you get more comfortable with her and have a chance to gather data - you will get more comfortable shooting these lower numbers. Just post and someone will stick around with you to keep company when you feel like you maybe ready to shoot a lower number.
• You Always Get a Do Over with this. You will get her back on track.

And

 

[Jena4277]

Rant away! Here is the one place you can rant and get support while doing it!

Some points to consider.

• This marathon called feline FD just started for you, so be patient.
• That high number is most likely due to a bounce from that low number - which is progress believe it or not. On top of the missed shot.
• The skipped shot was for her safety - don't ever get mad or apologize for that.
• As you get more comfortable with her and have a chance to gather data - you will get more comfortable shooting these lower numbers. Just post and someone will stick around with you to keep company when you feel like you maybe ready to shoot a lower number.
• You Always Get a Do Over with this. You will get her back on track.

And

When you shoot at lower numbers, you obviously have to reduce the dosage, no? I’m trying to figure that part out.

 

[Tracey&Jones (GA)]

When you shoot at lower numbers, you obviously have to reduce the dosage, no? I’m trying to figure that part out.

I don't use Prozinc so I don't know the dosing works for that particular insulin. If in doubt, just post a thread with a ? and say looking for dosing advice. That said, most people will give advice without being able to look at the spreadsheet we use here.

Just going through the sticky though:

CHANGING THE DOSE
Changing the dose will depend on both the pre shot levels and the nadir (lowest point of the cycle, usually 5-7 hours after the shot.) During this initial period, especially if wet low carb food is replacing higher carb dry, monitoring is very important. Insulin plus a diet change can result in sudden low numbers, or in a gradual lowering of numbers overall, depending on the cat.
When adjusting the dose, it is wise to check with your vet and with forum members for guidance. In general, the following guidelines can be used. Be cognizant of the over riding principle for ProZinc/PZI : Every Cat is Different (ECID)

If the cat is in the 250+ range at pre shot and does not drop 50% or more for nadir, a small adjustment could be considered, if monitoring is possible. A small adjustment is likely to be 0.25 units per shot.
If the cat is in the 250+ range(or higher) at pre shot and drops below 50% at nadir, bouncing is a possibility.
Bouncing is simply a natural reaction to what the cat's system perceives as a BG value that is "too low". "Too low" is relative. If a cat is used to BGs in the 200's, 300's, or higher for a long time, then even a BG that drops to 150 can trigger a "bounce". Bouncing can also be triggered if the blood glucose drops too low and/or too fast.The pancreas, then the liver, releases glycogen and counter-regulatory hormones. The end result is a dumping of "sugar" into the bloodstream to save the cat from going hypoglycemic from a perceived low. The action is often referred to as "liver panic" or "panicky liver". (Adapted from the Lantus sticky by Jill)

If bouncing is suspected, any increases in dose should be tiny and monitored carefully.

If the cat is high and flat during the entire cycle, the dose could be raised by 0.5 units, as long as monitoring if possible.
Doses are best held at least 3 cycles, unless the nadir is too low. In that case, it should be adjusted down. NOTE: A cycle is 12 hours. So, when we say 3 cycles, we mean (3) 12 hour cycles.

 

[Djamila]

When you shoot at lower numbers, you obviously have to reduce the dosage, no? I’m trying to figure that part out.

No, you don't have to reduce the dose if you can monitor the cycle. If a cat is on all low carb food, then a lower-than-normal PS number can often still take the regular dose. However, you would not want to do that unless you could monitor a few cycles like that and collect the data to show that your cat can handle it. There are cats that require more of a sliding scale approach, particularly cats who are still getting too many carbs in their diet, as that can cause the BG to dive and spike and in those cases greater caution is needed. Or cats that have tried and monitored the full dose and found that it just doesn't work safely for a particular cat. However, whenever possible, holding a consistent dose is best as it helps to reduce bouncing.

ETA: I want to re-emphasize the monitoring part of all of that. If the bean isn't going to be home for the cycle, and doesn't have sufficient data to be confident that their kitty will hold steady, then reducing or skipping the dose is the best option.