? 12/13/19 AMPS 400 - Help fine tuning dose for Ori

After Ori’s first green numbers I was advised to lower her dose, but I’ve seen no evidence that she is bouncing. I’m wanting to move her back up to 2 units.

Thoughts or suggestions welcomed. She did vomit this AM but is sleeping now. Hopefully it’s just a one time thing.

I’m not unfamiliar with insulin or diabetes.

How can I best get her numbers down?

 

Whoever gave you the advice to reduce from 2.5 to 1.5 didn't do you any favors. You started at a reasonable dose and went up at a reasonable rate.

If you're still feeding the Dr. Elsey's dry food, you are restricted to the Start Low, Go Slow dosing method and with that, when she dropped below 90, you should reduce by .25 and then hold that dose for 7 days before changing the dose again. (unless she dropped below 90 again)

If you get the dry out of the picture, you could do Tight Regulation which would mean she didn't actually earn a reduction at all from the 2.5 dose.

On TR, you hold the dose for at least 3 days and then re-access unless she drops below 50 (which she didn't do)

If she were my cat, I'd go back up to 2U.

Also, it's important to get at least a "before bed" test on each PM cycle. Most cats go lower at night so it's really important for her safety (as well as possibly catching a reduction number). You've got some tests on the PM cycle, but you need one on every PM cycle

 

Hi Erica! Is this your first post to this forum? If so, welcome!

A little housekeeping item for starters - if you could please update your title to say the date, kitty name and AMPS - like this 12/3 Ori AMPS ###. We have so many posts each day on this forum, it gets pretty confusing for those of us reading them to know what's what...that would be very helpful! Thank you!

So, it look like you're getting a lot of tests - great job!

On 11/23 I'm wondering why you'd give karo syrup at 59. That's not an alarming number unless you're using an ALpha-Trak meter OR there are circumstances where you're unable to monitor further. So with that said, you can feed a little medium carb and test again in an hour to make sure Ori is coming up. The only trick with food is that it only lasts for an hour or two...and then it's possible Ori will go back down. But that was a really nice number - although a tad on the low side, certainly not alarming by any means.

As Chris mentioned above it looks like you reduced a bit early...you may want to rethink that and go back up since Ori hasn't seen any good numbers lately. And to add to Chris' comment - PLEASE get a test every night - at least one before you go to bed...possibly more if Ori is going down. They love to go down at night...it's no time to be taking your eyes off of them...especially after a couple of hours of getting Lantus.

Welcome aboard!

 

• I only use the Dr. Elsey's (like 1/8 cup occasionally at night and it does not seem to make much difference if I give it or not. I thought the Dr. Elsey's dry was one of the two lo-carb foods that could be used. Please advise.
• I am going to go back to the 2 units.
• Yes, I can do a before bed test

 

• Thank you! I updated the title
• I gave syrup because I worried after 3 lowish numbers. I have a type 1 family member and I guess I forgot that this is not a fast-acting insulin. The other board on which I posted had me worried.
• The reason I backed off was the huge drop the next day with her normal bolus. It was suggested that she had been bouncing - but I am not certain that I agree. That said, I am happy to do a bedtime check. I did a middle of the night check on a person for many, many years.
• My feeling is she needs more insulin and y'all have confirmed it.
• I was trying to follow one of the printed protocols so I was just thrown off at the suggestion to back her way off.

 

It's a lot to take in...

Ori is an adorable little girl! Love her pic!

I hope you'll keep posting here and asking questions - personally I think it's so much easier to ask a lot of questions and get opinions and comments than to try to memorize and discern everything that is written in the printed protocols - not saying not to read or try to understand them...but I also feel there's so much to be absorbed that it's more challenging than the discussions that various members will have with you here. I guess both ways are helpful - I found it very helpful to look at other people's condos and their spreadsheets to see what was going on with them and how they handled the numbers - lots of people shoot greens daily! Impressive I thought...and I've aspired to get there myself -Luci rarely cooperates with that idea...but she's getting better.

At any rate, just keep posting and commenting and lots of experienced forum members will help guide you along the way.

Have a great evening Erica!

 

Dr. Elsey's is low carb. The glitch is that if you opt to follow the Tight Regulation Protocol as. your dosing method, the approach stipulates that your cat needs to be eating an exclusively low carb, canned food diet.

I'd suggest you read through the sticky on the two dosing methods and decide which is a better fit for you. I'm a big fan of TR but it is a more aggressive approach.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

 

Thank you - as I mentioned I am not new to diabetes (have a type 1 family member) so a lot of that applies. I really want to get her down and I just got worried about a perceived low - that was maybe just a normal-ish number to watch, and not treat. I am encouraged by this board and I think I will ask my questions here, in this forum. Thank you!

 

Yes - thank you - I've read them both. Perhaps I will make the change to the 2 units and then cut the dry again at night and see where we go. I know that I need to get her down enough to have some hope of her pancreas producing insulin, and we are not there. Plus she will feel better. Maybe I need to just return the Dr. Elsey's - it's a huge bag, and so I'd rather buy their wet food which I know is good for her.

 

Welcome Erica and Ori!

 

Aw - thank you!