Hi from me and Molly, any advice please

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Sue Hammond, Oct 4, 2017.

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  1. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    I'm Sue, my Molly, recently diagnosed with Diabetes and on Caninsulin twice day....Her BG results are up and down, and it's still very overwhelming to me ...Sometimes her BG is as low as +6 2.8, sometimes as high as 27 ( early morning pre insulin test) my Vet says she should be having 2u morning and night, despite the up and down figures...she was fairly steady a while back with BG of 10 throughout the day and being on 1.5u twice a day...she went for a curve test last week and since then has gone haywire again, that's when I was told to give 2u...TO be honest, m not sure what I'm doing, I phoned the vet yesterday as was worried, and he still says give her 2u twice a day...She is on low carb food (Mac's)...I use a Acutest human meter, and record results on a spreadsheet..I'm in the UK
    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...ExtuhRdrjON9odPpZtFXhoN7DNk/edit?usp=drivesdk
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2017
  2. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    Hi Sue.... I'm responding to your question on the welcome forum here. If it were my cat I would reduce to 1 or 1.5. You mentioned you were keeping a spreadsheet. Can you post a link to it please?
     
  3. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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  4. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    I feed her Mac's,
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2017
    Reason for edit: It's the lowest carb content hi found after lots of research
  5. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    I gave Molly 1.5 u last night, her BG this morning was 24.8, so wasn't sure if I should give her 2 or 1.5, so erred in the side of caution and gave 1.5
     
  6. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    I'm glad you went back to 1.5 units. 2 was brOught her down to 2.8. If 1.5 isn't enough you could try 1.75. How many carbs is Mac's food?
     
  7. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    Do you think you could set in a signature? That way people can easily see basic information without asking it over and over.

    Just click on your name at the top right corner and choose signature. Add info such as your pets name, date diagnosed, insulin type and dose, food you're feeding,and anything else you want. Also add the link to your spreadsheet.
     
  8. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    Out have a different color coding in your chart than most of us.... Where is the dark greens? When people look at your chart and see the lime green we assume it's a hypo number. It looks like she really only went too low one time. Still you would want to lower that dose to 1.5-1.75 to try to stop the bouncing.
     
  9. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Mac's is 2.5% carbs
     
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  10. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Last edited: Oct 5, 2017
  11. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    Ah I see. Ok then I'd do 1.5. I believe you CAN use a syringe with the pens though if it becomes necessary to do fractional doses, especially if you start getting into low doses.
     
  12. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    There is no dark green on the sheet, should I do a new one, but have no idea how to, this current one was done for me
     
  13. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    I have syringes, but the measurement only also goes up in 0.5u
     
  14. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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  15. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    yes but that's drop 24.8 this morning and just started dropping. Canisilun doesn't really start working until two hours after the shot. It's falling........
     
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  16. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    @Yong @Chris & China

    Can one of you guys help here.... She's missing the dark greens on her spreadsheet
     
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  17. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    This is what I mean her +6 is 23.7, so rising
     
  18. Yong & Maury GA

    Yong & Maury GA Well-Known Member

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    You can use syringes to draw from a pen, it's what the majority of us Lantus users do :). If you can get some syringes with half unit markings, it makes it easier to draw those 0.25U and 0.75U doses. Sue, who setup your SS for you? I can help but it's probably easier if you contact the member that initially set it up since they probably still have access. If not, I'll request permission this weekend :). Looks like there's a little bouncing today, can you try to get those before bed tests again? They help show where a kitty is going overnight, especially since most run lower overnight for an idiopathic reason :cat:
     
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  19. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Hi yes I can can do a pm before shot test at 9pm...A lady in a group I used to be in did the spreadsheet, I have since left that group after her having a go at me about dosing etc...she wasn't a very patient person with a lot of us, when she said I could end up killing Molly, id had enough and left....her name is Gayle Charambura, she runs a group called Feline Diabetic support group on Facebook... she does still have access
     
  20. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    Sorry you had such a negative experience. I hope you find here to be a helpful, positive place.
     
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  21. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    I think it's just her way Janet, I just can't deal with comments like that, made me feel really upset....This is a very helpful place to be
     
  22. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Pre pm insulin her bg is 24.1
     
  23. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    It seems like it's out of control and I don't know what to do, my vet still says give her n2u
     
  24. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    If it makes you feel better, my cat was diagnosed may 19, 2016. I didn't even see a number below 300 (about 17 your numbers) until July 22nd. So two months. You are already ahead of where I was! She went into remission for a year after 4 months. (Unfortunately out of remission now.... I think from dental issues.... Hopefully she'll get off the insulin again! We are working on it. )
     
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  25. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    She's still unregulated but sometimes it takes a while.... It's a marathon. It took me three months to get my cat regulated.... For some it takes less time, for many it takes much longer then that. I know we want our babies to be all better right away and it's frustrating. Some cats take along time to regulate. It may be that a longer acting insulin would be beneficial in the future. For some cats canisilun doesn't last long.
     
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  26. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    I had some goodish results a while back, but now it's all gone haywire again...My Vet won't prescribe Prozinc
     
  27. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    Ok so out of curiosity I joined that group... And you're right! Frankly she came off as a know it all asshat lecturing me right off the bat. Lmao I'm glad that wasn't the first group I turned to for help. Yeah, you're definitely in a better place now. Lol
     
  28. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    I'm really worried about Molly's BG results the last couple of days.. She's having 1.5u after being advised to not give 2u, but now her levels are remains high throughout the day, pre insulin test 25.2, +2 24 and +5 24.2 should I go back to giving 2u .. It's hardly falling at all the last 2 days, surely if they this high, she will become very sick, and can't these constant high result, damage her organs, like human diabetics, which my husband was ?
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2017
  29. Yong & Maury GA

    Yong & Maury GA Well-Known Member

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    Sorry you had such an unpleasant experience with the other group :bighug:. We are pretty patient here and if anyone ever says you might kill your cat, there's explanations to explain why it was said and it's not typically directed at the owner. Mostly to help teach people, if you do this than this can happen sort of statements. I should be around a little more tomorrow, it's my only day off again :rolleyes: to help with your SS. If you can, you should post the link in your Signature so it's readily available for us to look at :).

    If you're worried about giving 2.0U, you could try drawing up 1.75U :).
     
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  30. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    The other day when she had that 2.8.... Was she eating less? Anything else different? I agree I would Go back to 2 as long as you can do spot checks and steer if need be.
     
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  31. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    As far as organ damage, I don't think you have to worry too much... That's over a long length of time untreated.
     
  32. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    I can't give. 1.75 as I use a Vetpen, which only goes up in .5u...My spreadsheet link is already on my signature, thanks a lot for your help
     
  33. Yong & Maury GA

    Yong & Maury GA Well-Known Member

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    Right, that's why I suggested you can buy syringes with half unit markings. Then use the pen cartridge as a mini vial :). Oh I don't see the link in the Signature... am I missing something? :smuggrin: I have to run so I will check in later :bighug:
     
  34. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    No she was eating the same, that drop 2.8bg was +4, then it rose to +6 4.6, then +9 was 11.1bg, then it shot up to to 21.3bg pm shot time ...
     
  35. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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  36. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    It wouldn't let me add the spreadsheet link, that explains it, as I tried to add it yesterday, too many characters apparently
     
  37. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    I just tried to edit signature, but it wouldn't let me add the link to Mollys spreadsheet
     
  38. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Hi Sue and Molly. It's nice to be here isn't it? What happened to you on Facebook is no surprise, another member bailed on that group after having a strip torn off of him for not conforming to some idiotic protocol. We don't care about the socks people wear or concert tickets, we try to help diabetic cats and the people that care for them. That kind of abuse doesn't fly here.
     
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  39. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Hi, what a beautiful cat you have, this is indeed a lovely friendly place to be, I wish I'd found it when Molly was first diagnosed around 5 weeks ago....I was told by that woman in question that I would do irreprepal damage to Molly if I didn't get things right...
     
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  40. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    If you take off the last sentence in your signature it will probably let you.
     
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  41. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Molly's BG still remains high, should I now be giving her 2u instead of 1.5u..., I can't give 1.75 as I don't have the syringes with .25 markings...I really don't understand why they have started being so high, I have been giving her the same food, she's not drinking like she was, so something good I guess...The last time I gave 2u she dropped to 2.8 at +4
     
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  42. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

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    That's why we promote syringes. From 1.5 to 2.0 is a 33% increase which can sound drastic. When I get Noah almost where I want him I'll change his dose by 5 or 10%, just fine tuning the old yellow cat. What is Molly's body weight?
     
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  43. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    I would go Back to 2
     
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  44. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    She weighs 5.5 kg....What I don't understand is why her results have dramatically risen so suddenly, I haven't changed her feeding or anything...On the plus side, she's stopped the endless drinking, her coat has improved ( the dandruff has cleared up) and she seems very happy in herself, playing , grooming, and being generally interested in everything....I just don't understand why we are getting such high bg tests
    I will give her 2u tomorrow morning, when I will be home all day to keep my eye on her, I'll be too afraid to give it tonight, as can't watch her all night
     
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  45. Diana&Tom

    Diana&Tom Well-Known Member

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    You're certainly getting some very steep drops on 2u yet 1.5 isn't doing much - it's impossible to say what's best at this point but it would certainly be worth investigating syringes so you can draw up other doses... the difference of half a unit doesn't seem much but when you look at it in percentage terms it is!

    You mention improved clinical signs which is a sign that the diabetes is better controlled so the high numbers are a mystery, I agree, but other factors such as infection can cause raised BGs so there might just be something else at play. It might be worth a quick vet visit to get Molly checked out... even a bad tooth, for example, could be the culprit. Not saying this is the case but a sudden change in pattern might warrant some investigation.
     
  46. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    Well glad she's feeling better. Good plan to wait until tomorrow. Maybe the lower dose will have helped with the bouncing anyway.
     
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  47. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Now you know what "Part science, part art" applies to. She's boinking around the house with her tail in the air but a machine says something else. Like Diana&Tom say, investigate, never discount anything, never panic. Well they didn't say all that! Just for now enjoy your Saturday together with your cat-of-mystery!
     
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  48. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    She had a thorough check up at the last visit, dental check, full bloods, urine test, everything came back normal
     
  49. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    I can't really enjoy anything at the moment, I'm too worried , she had a full health check, a few days ago, full set of bloods, dental exam, urine, everything was normal,
     
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  50. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    She's going to be fine. it takes a while. She'll get there. You said she seems to be feeling better so that's great!

    Tell us about her food schedule. Just making sure, you aren't allowing her to eat at least 2 hours prior to the preshot test, correct?
     
  51. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    No I take the food up when I'm here, but sometimes in the morning there is food left in the bowl, should I stop leaving food out overnight, my worry if I do that is she'll go low and have no food to bring her back up, she eats a little at a time throughout the day, she has never been a big eater and only ever has a few mouthfuls at any one time....
     
  52. Diana&Tom

    Diana&Tom Well-Known Member

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    Sometimes all you can do is be watchful and ride out the "strange" numbers and hope they settle. Molly does have an interesting response to insulin though - you gave 1u on a BG of 5.1 and 2u on a BG of 10.2 and she doesn't appear to have hypo'd or bounced noticeably. We don't usually recommend shooting on a pre-shot number of around 10 so I'd be wary of dosing at anything around that, and certainly lower than that, in the future. It's hard I know, because if you don't dose and she's rising fast and you're not there to test and shoot late, she could go sky-high without insulin and then you're back at square one.

    I'm trying to think who the Caninsulin/Vetsulin experts are here, as well as Janet, just in case we can get another perspective. @JanetNJ do you know???
     
  53. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    It's probably fine. I was just making sure
     
  54. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Thank you for your help, my Vet didn't say anything about not injecting on a low bg, he just said give 2u if she eats and 1 if she doesn't, he also said there's no need to test at home, but I didn't agree and I have tested regularly from day 1....
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2017
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  55. Diana&Tom

    Diana&Tom Well-Known Member

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    I think you're discovering that vets don't actually know that much about FD treatment! I'm not suggesting that you completely disbelieve everything they say, but the fact is that they have very little training in what is actually an increasingly common disease, and rather too often they are not right. Ideally you would listen to what they have to say and ask questions here of people around the world who have collectively many many years of treating diabetic cats and all the nuances that come into play... then you make up your own mind what to do.

    Anyway well done for disagreeing on the testing issue - it really is vital and the one single thing you can do to keep Molly safe. I don't want to alarm you but giving insulin on a bg of 5.1 was really quite risky and I would seriously advise against that in the future. Caninsulin is a fast-acting insulin and you really wouldn't want her to be dropping any lower than that early into the cycle.

    You are definitely in the right place here to learn all you can about FD and read about others' experiences. FD is far from straightforward to manage but the more you read and understand, the better the chances of getting Molly better. Don't despair - we've all been there and share your frustration. But it can easily take months, not weeks, to get where you want to be. Keep coming back and asking questions. This board is a real encyclopaedia of feline diabetes knowledge and its members are vastly experienced and willing to help.
     
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  56. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Thanks for helping me, this thread has helped me understand more than my Vet ever could....Can you tell me please what is the lowest her bg can be before I give insulin, I really had no idea, that I shouldn't have given any at all that morning...I still am feeling pretty rotten about the whole thing tbh, it's still all very overwhelming to me. Her latest bg at +9 was still high at 24.4...its been 23/24 the last couple of days....A couple of weeks ago as you can see on her spreadsheet we were at 10/12, so I thought we had begun to get somewhere, but since then it's been all over the place ☹️
     
  57. Diana&Tom

    Diana&Tom Well-Known Member

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    Yes I do understand how rotten you feel, we have all been there and know exactly what it's like. We try so hard and when we don't get the results we want it's very disheartening. But it does get better - you just have to be prepared for it to take time.

    OK so we normally say no insulin at a scheduled pre-shot number of 10 or lower, on Caninsulin at least, because this insulin is fast acting and can drop blood glucose fast and steep, possibly too fast and steep thereby taking the cat into hypo numbers. Having said that, if you get a pre-shot 10 and don't give insulin, the cat may be rising quite quickly so ideally you would test again an hour later and make a judgement call then... if the bg has risen you might want to give a reduced dose. If you can't test again an hour later and have to go out, you may feel safer skipping the shot altogether - there would be no knowing if she was still dropping so any dose of insulin might not be safe. When in doubt it is always better not to give insulin. It is a powerful substance, and even if 1u doesn't sound much it can be TOO much. Better to be too high for a few hours rather than risk going too low.

    As to why numbers are all over the place, other than my earlier suggestions of infection etc which you've discounted, I can only say that this is not unusual in the early days when the cat's system is adjusting to exogenous insulin. It's a matter of monitoring as closely as possible and being aware of anything else that might be affecting blood glucose at a given time. Different food, stress, even the weather can affect sensitive cats.

    My best suggestion really is that you hang out on this board as much as possible, read other threads and gain more knowledge. Slowly you will begin to understand how it all works, and gain more confidence.

    I'm going to tag fellow UKer @Monica Lewis at this point - she is in a not dissimilar situation to you, frustrated at how things are going with her kitty. Maybe for both of you, knowing you're not alone in feeling like that, will make you both feel a little better while you're waiting for things to improve - which they will!
     
  58. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Thank you so much for your encouraging words, I will definitely be hanging out here, and no doubt posting more questions and query's as time goes on x
     
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  59. Elizabeth and Bertie

    Elizabeth and Bertie Well-Known Member

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    Hi Sue, (waving from the UK :bighug: )...
    It looks to me like the very steep blood glucose drop - and the 2.8 low number from that 2 unit dose - triggered Molly's blood glucose to rise sharply as a defense mechanism (what we call a 'bounce') and she may not have dropped out of that yet. ....If it were my cat I would not raise the dose above 1.5 units at this point. There is a strong likelihood that her blood glucose will drop in the near future....

    And, for safety's sake, we strongly recommend that newcomers to diabetes don't give insulin at all if the pre-shot blood glucose is below 11.

    Sue, you are doing absolutely brilliantly. In just a short time you've learned to hometest and to keep the test data on a spreasheet. Well done, you!

    Eliz
     
  60. Elizabeth and Bertie

    Elizabeth and Bertie Well-Known Member

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    Sue @Sue Hammond , does Molly have any history of ketones or DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis)?
     
  61. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Someone on here said to give 2u tomorrow, so that's what I was going to do, but reading your post, you advise me not to, I'm getting so confused with what to give, I'll give 1.5 u then, and see how tomorrow goes, thank you for your help, much appreciated ....She had urine tests done a few days ago, which came back normal
     
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  62. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    I was just wondering if you're with the same vet as me as just seen where you're from...I think there is a practice near you
     
  63. Diana&Tom

    Diana&Tom Well-Known Member

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    Where are you Sue? There are a few of us in Surrey.
     
  64. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Just done a pmps test and it's 24.6
     
  65. Elizabeth and Bertie

    Elizabeth and Bertie Well-Known Member

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    Hi again, Sue,
    You need to be comfortable with the insulin dose that you give. And your 'comfort zone' may depend on how much you're able to test, and on your ability to raise low blood glucose numbers if you need to.
    So, you have options to think about...
    If Molly's numbers are still high in the morning you could stick with the same dose, and see if her numbers drop. Or, you could give 2 units to try to get the numbers down - if you are able to monitor and are able to raise the blood glucose if it looks like dropping a bit low. ...There are very few 'absolutes' in feline diabetes. So, it's really a matter of making a choice that you're comfortable with.... In a nutshell, you're trying to balance the need to get the high numbers down, and at the same time trying to not have Molly's blood glucose drop too low...
    I know it probably sounds very complicated at this point. But it does get easier, honestly... :bighug:
     
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  66. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    I'm not comfortable with any of it, I've no clue how to balance anything, when it all seems to be going so wrong...I can't even give injections, it . terrifies me, my daughter does it, and I do the bg tests x
     
  67. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    I'm in Chertsey Diana&Tom x
     
  68. Diana&Tom

    Diana&Tom Well-Known Member

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    Sue, really, it does get easier... it seems tough atm but try to stay calm and focus on what you need to do... read here as much as you can, it will really help, remember knowledge is power!
    I don't know any vets in Chertsey but if you're not happy with how your current vet is treating Molly's FD you are always free to look for another more clued-up one... a good few of us have done just that!
     
  69. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    I can't really get to any other Vet, as I don't drive, but have to say he's listening and taking what I have to say n board a lot more now, xx
     
  70. Diana&Tom

    Diana&Tom Well-Known Member

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    Good! Sounds like a keeper - a good vet should listen to you and be prepared to work WITH you and acknowledge that he/she may not know everything. You'll learn a lot from this board and maybe your vet will be impressed with your knowledge and respect all the queries you have.
     
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  71. Monica & Josie

    Monica & Josie Member

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    Hi Sue and Molly,
    I'm glad @Diana&Tom tagged me, I can totally relate to your Caninsulin journey with the odd numbers all over the place being unable to work out a pattern. Some days Josie's BG went right down in mid cycle like it's supposed to and somedays did not move at all. Some days got high red preshot readings some days low yellows and she responded pretty much the same to 0.5u and 1u.. Your SS looks awfully familiar and just like you I couldn't make sense of it all..:banghead: So you are definitely not alone!

    We just changed from Caninsulin to ProZinc a week ago so still trying to get used to it and work out the dosage ( current 1u not doing much but with an increase hoping to see some better results soon..)
    I'm curious to find out why your vet wouldn't want to prescribe ProZinc??

    Our first vet was very ignorant and abrupt, just told us to dose Josie blindly with 3u as starting dose without testing at home:mad: Thinking back I am mortified we actually followed his advice ..
    Our new vet is great, she listens to my requests and works together with me. If you don't feel you are getting enough support and compassion from your current vet don't be afraid to change.

    I'm also in the UK, also using Accu Chek and we also tried out Mac's which was really good choice but settled for Ropocat at the end.
    As for feeding Molly you say she's not a big eater so maybe she would benefit from setting up an automatic pet feeder for overnight which you can also set empty to 'take the food away' 2 hours prior testing in the morning so you will know that the preshot numbers are definitely accurate with no overnight food influence.. We have one and it's been brilliant and a real life saver for us. Now I can actually sleep my 7 hours in one go without worry about her food intake.
    How is Molly doing otherwise? Is she eating well, happy playful, alert?

    You are doing a brilliant job so far, learned so much already and your spreadsheet looks great! Wish I could test Josie as often as you do!
    A little suggestion you might find useful, maybe use the right side of your spreadsheet to make some side notes of anything important or out of the ordinary, any observations you might have. I use it as a little diary and find it useful to refer to when looking back to remind me things and when I'm trying to make sense of it all...
    Don't you worry eventually you will get to the bottom of Molly's mystery and get those numbers down. You are at the best place to get brilliant support here from the Feline Diabetes Gurus:cat:
     
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  72. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2017
    Hi
    Hi Monica, thanks for your message, I have another cat, thankfully not Diabetic, so could be difficult to have a automatic feeder....I've only been leaving food out in case she drops a bit low overnight and needs to eat.....should I possibly stop that?.... Molly's behaviour, eating pattern, playing etc, hasn't changed at all, she seems very happy just like she's always been....We took her to the Vet because she was beginning to drink a lot and weeing also, and she had dandruff, now the dandruff has gone and she isn't constantly looking for water, so something must be going in the right direction, I hope so anyway x
     
  73. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2017
    I know how to raise blood sugars f I need to, I have honey on standby just in case...I'm ok doing the blood tests, but i just can't do the injections yet, my daughter does them, no problem, I've been reduced to tears over it. I get it all ready, get Molly in the right position, have the pen primed and ready, but I just can't inject, it's stupid as I know I should be doing it by now, my vet showed us and I did it in front of him when he was teaching us both...I feel like a failure in that respect to be honest x
     
  74. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2016
    Maybe practice on an orange! :)
     
  75. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Dec 3, 2016
    Oh that's all wrong! You feel rotten if you back over your cat with the car. What you're feeling Sue is the frustration of not getting a decent education from the vet. We love ours but our neighbor's dog still pees on a strip of paper because her vet is stuck in another century. Pretty soon he'll be jumping into your arms. Don't laugh, I had a miracle cat like that. And don't cry either, somewhere in the middle is good.
    :rolleyes:
     
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  76. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2017
    I have Janet, but a Orange feels a lot different to my Molly but I'll keep trying xx
     
  77. Monica & Josie

    Monica & Josie Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2017
    Oh I see. The only issue with leaving food out overnight that you can't be sure whether it was eaten before or within the 2 hour window when no food should be given..
    Glad to hear she's not drinking water so excessively and coat looking better, that means she's responding to the insulin and you must be doing something right.

    As for not injecting Molly yourself, guess what? I still can't do it myself either, my husband does it every single time. I can do pretty much everything else. You have to be comfortable with what you are doing ( unless you have no choice or other options, then you gotta do it yourself! )
    It's been months and I am getting closer and closer to do it myself step by steep by watching, assisting, practising and waiting to reach that point when I'm just going to get on with it and still stay within my comfort zone.
    I used to feel like a failure for being unable to do it but then I always think 'Blimey I have come such a long way, learned and able to do so much more than an ordinary person with a boring healthy cat could! :)
    I am proud of my achievements and being able to get on with things as well as I do compared to my overwhelming freaked out early days! With all the online reading and questions I asked here soon I could probably get a degree in Feline Diabetes Nutrition!
    So take your time to learn all the ropes and look at all the challenging things you are already able to do and the rest will follow I am sure of.
    I'm still learning and my cat is far from remission or even being regulated but she is happy, looking healthy and must be laughing at me every day for giving me such a tricky kitty case to crack!:cat:
     
  78. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2017
     
  79. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2017
    I really don't know what to do about overnight food, should I leave it out, or not, I have no idea what to do for the best.... Hopefully one day we will both overcome the fear of injecting, I hope so anyway ....These kitties are hard work on us humans, but so worth it x
     
  80. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2016
    My last post, promise! The Cynthia I keep referring to is very real and very brave but from the very beginning I did everything. I think the alleged "pain" she was inflicting turned her off so I did what men do and took over. That was a MISTAKE. I could do Nigel then and Noah now with a cast on my arm and a screaming migraine but I should have gotten Cynthia more involved. It has nothing to do with her not caring, she's as invested as I am. One day our helpers won't be there because of something as simple as a flat tire (tyre) so my advice is to slowly get more involved, less squeamish. Sue, I think I confused your vet and situation with another, sorry if I slagged the wrong person. What about a peach instead of an orange? Goodnight all, Saturday is Haggis night! :rolleyes: :confused:
     
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  81. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Oct 4, 2017
    I'm not squeamish, it's just I'm afraid of doing it wrong and hurting Molly, that's my fear, not the needle itself, I'm managing to do the blood tests without any problems, ....I've used oranges but there's a big difference between a piece of fruit and a live cat... Hopefully I'll get there eventually .....x
     
  82. Monica & Josie

    Monica & Josie Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2017
    I don't think it's the food left out overnight that's causing the high preshot numbers as it's been high in the evenings as well.. If you are concerned just leave a small snack out for her before going to bed. Honestly don't worry too much about it.
    Also we are all different so people here will probably give you different opinions and views. Take it all in, weigh in all options and try to make a decision based on whatever feels right, safe and sensible to you.
    Not that straightforward at times I admit but you will get the hang of it!
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2017
  83. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Oct 4, 2017
    It definitely isn't, the trouble is I don't know which cat has eaten the food during the night anyway, during the day I can keep my eye on it, but night time is a different story..x
     
  84. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2017
    Just done a 9pm +4 and it's now 12.4, so maybe it was best to stick to 1.5u, just wondering if I should stay up and test in a couple of hours ?
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2017
  85. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2016
    I do all the tests, my partner does all the injections. I think I've done it maybe 5 times. I can do it, I'm not scared to do it.... But it's nice to share the responsibility of the care.
     
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  86. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 18, 2016
    Could be that Molly is breaking the bounce. If you can get another test in to see if she's still going down and how fast.

    Try practicing on a stuffed animal.
     
  87. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Oct 4, 2017
    I'll try and stay awake, but it's already 1.50am here..
     
  88. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2016
    12.4 is not low, but if you want to get more tests, go for it. The more data the better.
     
  89. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2016
    Oh geeze, go to bed. She's not in danger. Go sleep. Lol


    Wouldn't hurt to keep her at 1.5 a few more days and see what happens.
     
  90. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Oct 4, 2017
    I hope I've done the right thing Molly's BG this morning was 5.4, so no insulin given , her bg +4 last night was 12.4
     
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  91. Diana&Tom

    Diana&Tom Well-Known Member

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    Dec 29, 2009
    Def no insulin! Maybe she is coming out of her bounce. Do what tests you can today, it will be interesting to see if she shoots up or stays in nice numbers. 5.4 is a lovely normal non diabetic number and to get that at pre shot is great - the trick now will be to try to keep her going sky high again!
     
  92. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Oct 4, 2017
    I'll do random tests throughout the day...Let's hope it stays low....You see, now I queried this with the nurse last week when she had a reading of 5 a while back, and she said to still give her Insulin because when she's fed her BG will start to rise...I'm now going to stand my ground and do what I've learnt from being n this group...x
     
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  93. Diana&Tom

    Diana&Tom Well-Known Member

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    Dec 29, 2009
    Yes her bg will rise after food, but in a non- diabetic it wouldn't go as high as the numbers you've recorded after giving insulin. It's always possible that Molly doesn't need much insulin at all, so you could be giving her more than she needs, but we just don't know until you try the different doses. It's equally possible that you just need to find the exact dose that will keep her glucose under control whilst not causing her to bounce... this is why we suggested getting a syringe yesterday, so you can give different doses if necessary. As we said, 0.5u or 0.25u may not seem much at all but it could make all the difference.
     
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  94. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    Jun 8, 2016
    Very true. Sometimes too much insulin can look like not enough.
     
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  95. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Oct 4, 2017
    When would be the ideal time to test again
     
  96. Sue Hammond

    Sue Hammond Member

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    Oct 4, 2017
    So by giving her too much insulin, more than she actually needs, that could give her high BG results?
     
  97. Monica & Josie

    Monica & Josie Member

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    Apr 16, 2017
    5.4 preshot number, looks like this kitty does enjoy throwing you yet another curveball!:)
    Great call on no shoot Sue, I’m interested to see where these numbers will be going today..
     
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  98. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    Jun 8, 2016
    Yes... It's her body's way of keeping her safe. I say get a few tests today (no need to worry about a hypo this morning. The insulin is worn off by now so just test whenever curiosity strikes). and then maybe start all over at 1 unit tonight depending on the preshot.
     
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  99. Elizabeth and Bertie

    Elizabeth and Bertie Well-Known Member

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    Sep 6, 2010
    Molly has dropped out of the bounce. Great. It'll be interesting to see how the numbers settle out now...
    .
     
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  100. Diana&Tom

    Diana&Tom Well-Known Member

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    Dec 29, 2009
    I think the same... start again at 1u.
     
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