Vetsulin: to dose or no dose?

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Mary Cornelsen

Mary Cornelsen

Member Since 2021
I’m doing a curve today and am just baffled by Paddington’s numbers. I’m at the 12h mark for the curve but he is still below 200 having no insulin since last night’s PM dose.

should I stall and keep the curve going or should I feed him and see what his numbers do? I’m so lost on how to interpret the numbers today!
 
It looks like you tested at +1.75 and numbers are rising.

This is from the Beginner's Guide to Vetsulin about a low pre-shot: You had a couple of options.


Q: It’s time for my cat’s shot, but the BG is a little too low. What now?

  • If your cat’s BG is a bit below 200 mg/dL [11 mmol/L] on a human meter, consider ‘stalling’.
    • Stalling is waiting - without feeding your cat - for 20+ minutes, then retesting to see if the BG has risen to a suitable level.
    • You are looking for a number that is rising, not falling, and is high enough to give insulin.
    • If you have time, you can repeat the stalling process to see if the cat’s BG reaches a number you can shoot.
  • If you cannot stall do to time constraints, if numbers are continuing to drop or if you do not have a supply of strips and high carb food on hand, it will be safer if you skip the shot.
  • Note: As you gain experience with home testing and have gathered data to show how your cat responds to insulin, you will become more confident and better able to shoot progressively lower numbers.
  • Ask for help on the forum before giving insulin if you are unsure, as you can never ‘un-shoot’ insulin.
  • If your cat has history of ketones or DKA, or other health issues, or you are concerned, DO post on the Main Health forum for further advice.
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Given the nature of Vetsulin, I'd strongly encourage you to do more testing. Vetsulin is a harsh insulin that can drop numbers hard and fast. Without data that tells you when your cat's onset and nadir is or how low the dose is taking Paddington, I'm concerned that you may be missing dose reductions. To be blunt, testing only at reshot is especially dangerous with Vetsulin. Is there any way you can get more tests?
 
Mary Cornelsen said:
I’m doing a curve today and am just baffled by Paddington’s numbers. I’m at the 12h mark for the curve but he is still below 200 having no insulin since last night’s PM dose.

should I stall and keep the curve going or should I feed him and see what his numbers do? I’m so lost on how to interpret the numbers today!
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Hi Mary
How is Paddington today?
Hugs,
 
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-member-intro-mary-paddington.252279/

Previous post for continuity
I see you said you work and going to look into an auto feeder , I would suggest
that so Paddington can have a few meals while your at work. Can you get more tests in when you get home especially after his PM Dose, cats usually drop lower at night ,at least get a +1 or +2 to see if he dropped lower than his pre shot, if so you would want to test further
 
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Mary Cornelsen said:
He seems great. Playful, a bit mischievous, his typical self. His number still confuse me. So I am hopeful the vet can provide some guidance instead of just guessing on things. Thank you for asking!
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Good to hear, Mary.
Good to see him in blues and greens...

Hugs,
 
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