What could cause sudden erratic BG levels?

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Cindy & T

Cindy & T

Member Since 2013
T has been so well regulated and stable for over 6 years until recently... I'm trying to figure out what is going on. I am absolutely broke but I start a new job in a couple of weeks and will be able to get him in then for some tests. Any ideas what a vet would be looking for? What tests she might do?
 
Infection can wreak havoc with glucose levels.
- Check his mouth for tartar, redness, and swelling around the teeth.
- Check urination - Frequency? Volume? Glucose or ketones? Odor?
- Check eyes and nose for mucus

Infection needs to be treated quickly so it doesn't invade the whole body and cause sepsis and organ shut down.
 
Thanks, this is good to know. He's not showing any signs of urinary or nose/eye infections (and he doesn't have any teeth), but it could be internal, so I will keep this in mind as I move forward.
 
Hi,

My Bert has erratic jumps in numbers occasionally (sometimes interspersed with sudden drops in numbers too), and I've never known what causes them. I wonder if it may be something as simple as a furball or constipation, or something he's eaten that's given him tummy ache, or something he's scavenged that was high carb. Then again I wonder if my injecting technique has got lazy; or whether his body is - for some unknown reason - processing the insulin differently; or whether it's because his pancreas is having an off day and producing a bit less insulin (so the injected insulin on it's own isn't enough).

I see that T's BG levels settled down yesterday afternoon. :smile:
Here's hoping those whacky high numbers were just a teensy weensy glitch.
Fingers crossed!

Eliz
 
Thanks, Eliz! He has been struggling with constipation the past week -- I've been giving him petromalt this week and that's helping (this happens every now and then when him -- furballs when I get lax, no pun intended, with giving him his petromalt regularly).

I skipped his shot last night and his BG spiked again this morning. I wrote to his vet and had her look at his SS -- she's wondering if it could possibly be a Somogyii reaction (which I was reading up on last night but am still trying to grasp). That perhaps his pancreas has healed a bit and is able to put out some insulin on its own. She suggested we drop him down to 1 unit 2x a day (I had been giving him 1.5) and to test 5-6 hours post-shot for a while to see where he is...
 
The Petromalt has barley malt syrup in it as one of the ingredients. That syrup is a unrefined sweetener so the sugar content in the Petromalt may be impacting the BG levels you are getting. barley malt syrup

Some people use other methods to help with the hairballs, such as virgin cocoanut oil. You might want to try that instead of the Petromalt.

Some people have success with plain canned pumpkin, psyllium fiber, or Miralax added to the food to help with the constipation.
 
Thanks for pointing that out, Deb. He's not using actual Petromalt (I use that in the same way someone would say Kleenex for tissue), BUT: the stuff he is using has molasses in the ingredients!! :sad:

But I don't think that's the entire cause -- this started before I gave him a dollop on Saturday and another on Monday (and that was it). Still -- I am certainly going to find another way to treat his hairballs/constipation.
 
I use vaseline dabbed on the paw - the cats lick it off and its supposed to help with fur balls. I posted my ideas on his BG btw in your other post.
 
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