6/8/18 New Question/Answered- Dose (jaxa)

Discussion in 'Prozinc / PZI' started by Glassgoblin, May 16, 2018.

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  1. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    She eats bugs. She does beg for food, but it is usually an hour after the food has gone up and an hour before her regular shot time.
     
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  2. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Lol...that sounds like the same routine here! :rolleyes::cat::cat::cat:
     
  3. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    And like yesterday... tonight we are at 108 at PMPS time, so I am feeding, will test again in 30-60. She wants to go outside so I'm sure she would rather it be sooner than later.

    So, question, should I go down to 2.75 tomorrow AM? I hate not knowing what her numbers are like all day long, but my mother has refused to test unless I am away and it is for the shot. I tried to tell her it would be good practice, but she wasn't having it. I can't wait for the weekend when I can try for more daytime numbers again.
     
  4. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    The PMPS numbers the past two nights have been pretty low. I might even drop to 2.5u tomorrow. Let's see if @Kris & Teasel @Rachel or @StephG have any thoughts on that.
     
  5. Rachel

    Rachel Well-Known Member

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    Wow! Your numbers have been pretty low at night...I agree that I'd drop to 2.5. With numbers that low, Jaxa is probably going low during the day (not saying too low necessarily) and isn't rising enough for a shot at night...which is nice! But inconvenient. :)
     
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  6. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Tested again at about 45min, and she had gone to 121mg/dl, but I still think that is too low to shoot. The first test was 108/114 so it hasn't really changed too much. Will go down to 2.5 tomorrow AM, and send my spreadsheet to the vet to see if he wants to talk when I get our insulin and needles tomorrow. I have this fear that if I brought her to the vet for a test now she would go super high and then have a giant bounce, so I want to avoid that.
     
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  7. Kris & Teasel

    Kris & Teasel Well-Known Member

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    I agree with Djamila and Rachel - 2.5 u is a good dose to try. Your girl is on a mission!
     
  8. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    I guess her low carb food is helping? The 121 seems to be her spike from eating because she went outside for about 90 minutes, ate and was tested again and is at 88 for what would have been the +3 if we had a shot tonight. And she is eating again, lol. She does love to eat in the evenings.
     
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  9. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    A little higher this AM (funny how a number in the 200s is suddenly high after all those 300s before); stuck with the 2.5u and I hope she will level out later so we can have a shot tonight. I have to stop for her supplies after work so I will be late, but her shot is usually an hour after I get home so that can still be on time. Our new bottle of b12 should be getting here too- I want her to stay on that as long as we can since it seems to be helping.
     
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  10. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Nice to see that little dip last night after dinner! And it is funny how quickly we get used to the lower number ranges. At the beginning of the journey the first green numbers make us panic, and later in the journey the yellows suddenly become what worry us.

    I'll be curious what your vet says if you get to talk to him. :)
     
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  11. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    No talk with the vet this time; but no worries, if he wants to talk to me they call me at work all the time too.

    Still at decent numbers; high enough for a shot tonight so I gave her a straight 2u on her 180 PMPS. I've given 3 on less, but I am hoping we can get her to even out a little and see what tonight will bring.
     
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  12. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    And now we are too low- +3 at 38! She just ate some of her usual food and I gave her some treats, will test again shortly. She doesn't seem off in any way.
     
  13. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Oops. :D

    38 at +3 is a little on the low side. Nothing a few Temptations shouldn't take care of! But you might have a loooong night keeping her numbers up since it's still so early in the cycle.

    Hopefully though, she just dropped early and will start to rise early too.

    Tomorrow, if she's high enough to shoot, I would lower to one unit.
     
  14. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    She isn't rising very much so far; I've been testing but she was 38-41-48, with some temptations and half a spoon of bisque. And of course I was going to get more test strips tonight but thought I had enough through Saturday, so am lower than I would like to be on those at the moment. Always happens that way it seems.
     
  15. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Make sure you save one for morning!

    It looks like you're about at your bedtime, aren't you? Does she ever wake you up during the night if she's hungry?
     
  16. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Her food is out all night- right next to me on the bed; I have two strips set aside for AMPS in case of an E-7, and we have a few more to test at +5, and beyond if we need them. I just want to see a number above 55-60 in the next test (+5 in about 4-7 minutes). I haven't let her leave the room yet so I could make sure she wasn't hiding under a chair when I wanted to test. She is drinking and sleeping - which is typical for this time of night- and ignoring me because of all the pokes.

    *+5 is 56, so I will let her run around the house, but if I am awake I want a +6 too.
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2018
  17. Rachel

    Rachel Well-Known Member

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    Wow what a cycle! She might be high in the morning..that's normal after such low numbers.

    Do you have a hypo kit? Something good to add to it would be a vial of strips. And just replace them every now and then so they don't expire. That way, you always have extras in case of a hypo. Also...I suggest coffee ground and chocolate!
     
  18. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    I think she is bouncing a little- higher today than we have been for several days. Stuck with the 1u that was suggested above anyway. Not super interested in food either though she ate a little of her regular and a bit of the bisque/B12. The higher carb treat last night probably is another cause. What I want and what she does are often different it seems- she is very stubborn.

    I need to stop getting the strips in 50's and get a 100 ct, and then put a 20 ct away in the drawer with her other stuff.

    Right now I mostly want her to finish the bisque so she gets all the b12- I have been starting to suspect that she is getting bored with it (they only carry one flavor at our local store) because she eats less at one time each day. I haven't been able to find any liver locally to make the liver soup yet though- they often only have it out at thanksgiving for people to make stuffing, so I need to ask an actual butcher. And then order one of the other soupy foods to have on hand also.
     
  19. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Okay, so she tested at 184 tonight, and last night when she was at 180 and I gave her 2u she went down to 38 by +3. So Now I am a little gun-shy- not sure if I should give 1u as I did this AM, or skip the shot. I kinda hate skipping, but I also don't want to go down that low again tonight.

    At the moment I am thinking about just feeding and doing the test after 30-60 to see if she can have 1 u then.
     
  20. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    I think shooting a little late is a good idea if your schedule will allow it in the morning.

    It's hard to be sure if one unit is okay since we don't have data from today, although my hunch is that it will be safe. Jaxa is certainly hard to predict at this stage, but I would avoid skipping if you can. Giving something is better than nothing. She is making great progress and you don't want to leave her pancreas with no support until it's ready to really go on its own.
     
  21. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    She is such a weirdo- 45 min after first test she is at 161. I think I will try 1u and just keep watch. She is eating again right now.
     
  22. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Knock on wood she lets you get a good night's sleep tonight!
     
  23. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    At least we are stocked up for the moment. I'm never sure how to fill in my spreadsheet when I test, feed, test and then shoot- tonight I just put the first test as +11 so the PMPS would be the number we actually shot on.
     
  24. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Whatever works for you is fine. What I would usually do is put the number that I actually shot on in the PMPS box, and then the earlier numbers in a note - click on the PMPS square, then right click and scroll down to "insert note" then you can type the earlier numbers (and if you want, an explanation to help you remember what happened) in the box that pops up.

    I've also seen people put the number they shot on in the PMPS, and any earlier numbers in the +11 square.

    Or some people put them all in the PMPS square and then just manually set the color for the square to whatever it should be.

    So again, whatever works best for you is fine. :) There is a lot of variety around here for those things.
     
  25. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    In the world of things that confuse me... she actually is higher now at +3. I don't think we got a fur shot- I felt after the shot and nothing wet/no insulin smell. She has eaten her normal food a couple times, but not an unusual amount. We are having a thunderstorm but she doesn't seem freaked out by it, at least not that I can tell from looking at her, though she jumped onto a chair and almost fell off I don't think that would affect her # much. Better higher than too low like last night I suppose. She just loves to be contrary. I might go to bed soon and not worry too much until I see her AMPS. So 2 was too much, and 1 was not enough- maybe she needs different doses for AM and PM?

    I have two thoughts for tomorrow. One, I give 1u and do a curve, or do 1.5 and do a curve. (or modified one anyway since I will be out at her +3 in the AM). If I can get some numbers between +5 through+9 it would be nice.
     
  26. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    See what her AMPS looks like. I think if you can safely give 1.5 I would lean that way, but if she isn’t high enough to feel good about that, go with what seems safe.
     
  27. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    She was at 169mg/dl this morning, so I decided to stick with 1u, and see what her tests look like later in the day. She had been grazing last night before her +3, but I hate to guess what her numbers were like without the tests. She did end pretty close to where she started last night.

    Right now she is bring a brat- using me as a bridge, grabbing me with her claws for attention, getting her tail into her bisque. And she stole the dog's toys again last night.
     
  28. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Sounds like she's feeling pretty good today! It's fun when they start getting into mischief again :cat:
     
  29. Rachel

    Rachel Well-Known Member

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    Haha it's good to hear that she's running around having fun!
     
  30. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Not such a bad day so far- compare the numbers she had on 6-2 and it is a little funny how far she has come in dosing. She seems to be enjoying herself too- raining this morning so now it is damp, but she had a few hours outside when I got home, after her +4, and just came in for the +6, food and now she is napping under her favorite quilt/overhang.

    I love how every cat has such a different personality. Every single cat I've ever had is different from all of the others, and yet we always come to appreciate their little quirks and love them all no matter what.

    I want to get at least a +8/9 before PMPS, but if we can shoot 1u tonight, I am really tempted to see if I gave her 1.25u tomorrow if it would be just the right balance to get just a touch lower without going too far. Other than mowing the lawn, I should be around to test and watch her all day.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2018
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  31. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    I think 1.25u is a great idea. I might encourage you to do it tonight, but of course go with whatever is comfortable to you. Sleep is important too. ;)

    I've only had two cats (my current two), but I agree they both have very very different temperaments and quirks, and that's part of what makes them so much fun. It's also interesting to read everyone's posts about their cats. Each one on here is unique (and well loved!)
     
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  32. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    I stuck with 1u tonight; at 155 it was so close to yesterday's PMPS I thought we would see if she reacted the same tonight as she did last night. If she goes lower on the 1.25 I will have more time to watch for the full 12 hours tomorrow, but will wait to see how her AMPS is also. This morning was the first time we had a blue AMPS, so that was a little exciting.
     
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  33. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Oh that's right! That was your first blue AMPS! Way to go, Jaxa! :cool:
     
  34. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    It is a little weird, but on 1u in PM she seems to still be spiking from her food at +3. Which in itself is probably not weird because she eats a lot between the PM shot and +3 (usually at least three times if not four times at the dish between those tests). So I tested her at +4 and she is going down again. I had wondered last night since she was under 200 this AM. So now I know that she will be going further down, and it doesn't seem to be too fast.
     
  35. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Second AMPS in blue. Decided to give 1.25u anyway, just to see if it would be enough to go slightly lower into the good greens than we did yesterday. She seemed to have a decent "smile" of numbers otherwise, though I might stick with 1u this PM since I will be gone (as usual) for the first four hours after shot. I will have to decide that at shot time; I never get the needle ready until after the test now, just in case.
     
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  36. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Can you believe just a week ago Jaxa was at 4u? She's doing so great! Looking forward to seeing how she does on the 1.25u today.
     
  37. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    So far it is like it was last night- she seems to have a little spike for her +3, but ate at least three times between shot and +3 test. I let her outside for a bit now since it is sunny, but she will probably come in for her nap soon enough.
     
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  38. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Our Sunday shots always end up being a little early; no matter how I try to adjust the dose so it is just an earlier time something happens in the week to push it back further... so she is a little lower than I would like (132) and am going to give 0.5u to try that out- so I don't skip the shot completely. I just don't want to give a 1.0 shot at under 150 if I can avoid it right now.
     
  39. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    I didn't see much difference between the 1u and 1.25u, and even from last night's 0.5u, so stuck with 1u this AM since she is again blue. The drinking less is actually noticeable now too. I always have a few things of water outside for her, and other animals, though so she is never denied access.
     
  40. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    A little higher tonight, though still under 200- gave 1.25, and I think I could have given that this morning too, but hesitated. She is gobbling up her food- had to go outside even though we had a big thunderstorm this afternoon.
     
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  41. Rachel

    Rachel Well-Known Member

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    Physical symptoms are important...the drinking less is a good sign!
     
  42. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    She is doing better all over the place. Sometimes I look at her and can't help but think of all the people who thought that putting her down was the better option last December when she was first diagnosed with pancreatitis. She got through that with medical and home care, and we will get through this no matter how long or what ups and downs may happen. As long as there is a chance for her to have a good life I will do whatever I need to do to make it possible.
     
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  43. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Well, another night where she is just low. I tested and she was at 123, so I fed her, waited 45 min, tested again and she was at 100. If she had gone up even a little I would have given at least 0.5, but going down? Eh, we are skipping the shot tonight. Will get a test in later to see what happens, and she is eating again right now, but we are passing through our shot time and I have to leave early in the morning so I don't want to push things back when her AM shot will be about 30-45 minutes earlier than usual.

    Got a note form the Vet through messenger today- he said "Excellent!" about her numbers and to keep doing as we have been with testing and shots.
     
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  44. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    I always expect her to be higher after no shot, but she had a nice green at our usual +4 last night (+16). Her test was under 200 this AMPS too, and she got a 1u shot.
     
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  45. Rachel

    Rachel Well-Known Member

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    That’s awesome!
     
  46. Kris & Teasel

    Kris & Teasel Well-Known Member

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    She's doing so well!
     
  47. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    She has been enjoying the grass today but thankfully that doesn't seem to affect her bg; we got a test @137 tonight, so gave about .66u (between .5 and .75- was hard to get exactly where I wanted it). I need to get a baby scale so I can weigh her at home; I know she is getting more lean, and she can stand to go down to 12-13lbs for her health. She is active and playful, and the b12 is helping, so I know losing some of the excess weight has already helped a lot. She barely moved last November when she was just over 22lbs, tonight I watched her hop up the deck stairs.
     
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  48. Rachel

    Rachel Well-Known Member

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    Always nice to see that they're improving! Glad to hear she's losing some of that weight. You can also weigh her using a regular scale...just weigh yourself and then you holding her and subtract.
     
  49. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Argh, at 115 tonight; feeding and will test again in about 45, but it does not look promising. I'm trying to figure out how low we can shoot on, but even teeny shots at near 100 freak me out, and I know there isn't much difference between her shot last night and tonight, but I still hesitate. If she goes up a little I'll consider .5u., especially if I can get her to eat a little more than what she just had.
     
  50. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    It's really up to you. Given that she ended up yellow this morning, and your +4 looked pretty safe, I would think you could likely give 0.5u tonight. However, there are no guarantees on that. If her pancreas decides to kick in, you might have a long night. You could try 0.25, or 0.1 (just past the first line, but not as much as 0.25), or you can skip. It's always a tough call on those numbers. You know you can keep her safe through feeding, it's a matter of how much you can stay up and disrupt your sleep. Sometimes we can, sometimes we can't, and that's okay. You have to take care of yourself in all of this too.
     
  51. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    My main issue tonight is that she has not eaten anything since I first tested her and she is mad at me for making her come inside (we are about to have a huge thunderstorm and the sky is already green/gray). I am about to test- gave it an hour this time.

    *Paused to test and she is at 104. I decided to try giving .25, but to be honest I don't really know if I got anything in there at all- I don't want to try again though. Will see I guess.
     
  52. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Those tiny doses are so weird. It definitely feels like giving nothing. Ah, how i miss those days! :oops: The thing about eating is that if they do start to drop and you bring out the carbs, they always eat. Kitties love their carbs! Kind of like us: I can be stuffed from dinner, and yet still somehow find room for dessert :smuggrin:. When I'm nervous that Sam doesn't want to eat at shot time, I give some extra treats. If he's happy eating those, then I know he'll be okay and just isn't ready to eat right then.

    Good luck with that storm! Are you in a tornado area?
     
  53. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    She is eating fine now; I think she was just mad at me for not letting her stay outside. We had one strip of storms cme through already, supposed to get more over night. I'm in Northern MN, not many tornados, but we get bad straight-line winds- lost a lot of trees two summers ago and I got stuck at work over night (I was baking for a summer camp that summer and the only road out had a tree go down across it).

    Not much change in tests for her +3, but this is the time of day when it is hard to get away from the 30-60 minute post eating spikes since she eats pretty much every hour.
     
  54. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    That also gives you some indication that at least for now, you can shoot pretty low and still be safe. Some cats can do that on Prozinc, and some can't. If you look at last year for Sam, or if you look at Caitlin's spreadsheet (Pita's Dosing Party) you'll see a couple of other cats that can shoot low safely on Prozinc. One significant difference though is that Sam and Pita are both long-term diabetics, so we don't have to worry about the pancreas suddenly kicking in. You will have that extra caution with Jaxa, so when you shoot low, you'll still need to monitor her.

    Glad you're not in a tornado-y area! Stay safe tonight!
     
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  55. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Decided to try .75u this morning; I asked for an extra day off and can monitor today a little better. I just want to see if we are at the cusp of a really good dose; 1u or slightly lower.
     
  56. Kris & Teasel

    Kris & Teasel Well-Known Member

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    She's doing so well! :)
     
  57. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Every time things go well I expect something bad to happen; but so far so good. Got a nice +3 (117), and she is being very chirpy and affectionate this morning. Not used to me being home at this time of day.
     
  58. Kris & Teasel

    Kris & Teasel Well-Known Member

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    I, too, suffer from the "waiting for the other shoe to drop" syndrome. Causes me a lot of unnecessary stress ... :confused:
     
  59. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    .75u seems like a good dose today; at +6 we are at a very nice 64mg/dl. I hope she has a good +9 and a healthy PMPS for a shot. She was not happy that a service person came for a short time, but took a nap, ate some food, and is now napping again. Not lazy at all, lol.
     
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  60. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    What a lovely cycle today! Can't ask for much better than that! And I would do just about anything to take a nap, eat some food, and take another nap today....:coffee::coffee::coffee:
     
  61. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    We ended up with a +10 instead of a +9, but she isn't too bad for numbers still. She does seem to go up more slowly than she goes down, but that probably makes some sense as her body uses the insulin. I'm hoping she continues up a little more and we may go for the 0.75u again tonight.

    *I shouldn't be surprised that her PMPS test was @114 when she didn't eat between tests; fed and gave 0.25u just so we wouldn't skip the shot completely. Will watch (as always). It is super hot right now, and she ate a little but not a huge amount- am hoping she will want more after being outside under the deck (cool dirt).

    A little spike at +3, but that is probably because she ate twice in the 30 minutes before I tested her, and I think she found something the dog missed from the treat ball this evening too. I bought Orijen dog treats but those do not fit in the treat ball, and are too expensive for that too I think. Will be looking for more ideas for the puppy since she turns 1 yr old in July and needs a bday present anyway.
     
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2018
    Reason for edit: adding pmps/+3
  62. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Okay, how about this- 118mg/dl for this AMPS. Gave .25u (or as close to that as I could get). She ate twice around 3am, about an hour before the food was officially put up, so I know she was eating her usual amount last night. Kinda tempted to skip the shot tonight if she is under 120; to see what would happen, if it would be the same as last time.
     
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  63. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    No shot tonight. At 102 for PMPS; she doesn't seem to go up much in the hour just after feeding, so I'm going to see how we do this evening and what our AMPS looks like. We will probably go up a little at +3, like she has lately, but we start at such a good number it seems more noticeable after the third or fourth time she has eaten in those three hours. She probably could have had .5u this morning; good numbers numbers but a little flatish in the middle. I almost wish I could test hourly to see exactly when the lowest point is, but she would protest that for sure.
     
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  64. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    She's looking good!
     
  65. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    We had a slight rise last night with the +3, but not much, and she was only at 135mg/dl this AMPS. I thought we would try .5 this morning to see if her +6 will be under the 90s.

    *Got a +2 out of curiosity this morning- 168mg/dl. I'd be interested in know when she is at the peak of her post-meal spike after the shot, and why sometimes she goes up and sometimes down for +3.
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2018
  66. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2015
    Going up after a meal can mean a few different things:
    1. not enough insulin.
    2. cat early in the process who is not yet regulated
    3. cat being given food that is too high in carbs
    4. other health issue (anytime there is another health issue, the "rules" and "typically"s dont' apply)
    5. cat with a late nadir - it takes them longer to start using the insulin

    Things get tricky though in a cat who is still short-term diabetic (under six months since beginning treatment) and who has been going down the dosing scale (Jaxa) because the pancreas tends to wobble around as it heals. Some days it does more and other days it does less. That being said, most of the cycles where we can clearly see an up or down after the shot, there is something of a correlation with the dose. The higher the dose relative to the cycles around it, she tends to go down. The lower the dose in relation to the cycles around it, she tends to go up. There are a couple of exceptions in each direction which is why I emphasized that it's a tendency and not a consistent pattern. So the ups indicate that you could probably be a smidge more aggressive with the dosing, however, I think the way you're doing it (a slightly more cautious approach to dosing) is appropriate given your work schedule during the week. The doses you're giving right now are keeping her in really nice numbers, so there's no need to be overly aggressive at this point: she's still making good progress.
     
  67. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Can they have a different nadir from am to pm? She always seems to be lowest late in the day, but early in the evening. She also likes to eat half way between her whole hour test times- so in the morning especially (when I am home) she seems to always be eating about 20-30 minutes before I want to poke her ear. She is contrary like that.

    We do seem a bit higher today; under the 200s, but I was hoping with such good numbers on .25u yesterday that .5u would be better not worse. I probably would have been safe with .75u but it is hard to guess. I just hope, every day, that we don't have another pancreatitis flare.

    She is not happy today; wet and rainy and the puppy has been jumping on her back.
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2018
  68. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Aug 1, 2015
    Yes, Sam hits nadir somewhere in the middle of the cycle during AM (I haven't been able to test enough to really know when), and around +3 or +4 at night. Sounds about the same as what Jaxa is doing. I wouldn't worry about the continual snacks. We only recommend the two hour fast window before the shot times, the rest of the time, you just let them do what they want to do and test anyway.

    Hopefully they'll be a break in the weather soon!
     
  69. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    127 tonight (we are always a little early on Sundays); going to stick with the .5u for the evening, see what she is at when I get home around her +4/5. She won't be alone though- the puppy and my mother will keep and eye on her and might take her outside for a bit now that the sun is out.
     
  70. Callie & Patches

    Callie & Patches Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2016
    I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but somewhere here is a conversation chart for using a U100 syringe with U40 insulin. That makes it easier to give those tiny doses. You just have to be careful with following the chart. I have been able to give Callie as little as .2 u. You want to use syringes with half unit markings. One half unit with a U100 syringe gives you .2u of U40 insulin.
     
  71. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Yep, I think it was mentioned. I still use the u40 needles at the moment because I can get them from my vet and use my CareCredit card. I have the conversion chart bookmarked for if there is a chance to switch though.
     
  72. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Not bad blues today; I went up to .75, but didn't get to see how she did during the day. Will be checking on that same amount tonight. I think she is eating too much though; I am adding about 1/4c to her free feeding bowl at both shot times; she grazes and it is always kept at a certain level so it is hard to measure exactly what she eats (but she is still gassy). I need to stop adding more than 1/4c for the whole day, and then see if we are gradually getting the dish empty.
     
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  73. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    I think I should have stuck with the .5, ugh. At +3 we are already at 55mg/dl tonight. Not as bad as some other nights, but I don't like being so low this early in a cycle.

    *and 45 at +4, gave some treats and she has eaten some normal food.
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2018
  74. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2015
    Whoa, Jaxa! Up! Up!

    Looks like she's done with the 0.75u dose for now. I'd stick with 0.5u in the morning, no matter how high she is, and if she's lower than 150, I think I'd drop to 0.25u. Better safe than sorry when you're gone at work.

    Looks like you're going to have a long night: :coffee::coffee::coffee:
     
  75. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Aug 1, 2015
    Oops: I meant if she's under 140 I'd drop to 0.25u. Got a little carried away with the typing there....o_O
     
  76. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Usually it seems if she is going up by +5 she will continue staying level or go further up in the evenings, so we just have to get there and then check again at +6. She seems fine; eating, alert, but hating the pokes on her ear.

    And yep on the under 140s; can never just look at what was last week and hope it goes the same anymore.

    *Going in the right direction, +5 @59, and she is a littler perkier. The comb helped with that though. Will wait and get a +6 too, to be sure she is going up at a good rate. I always grab the honey, but haven't used it since the first time; I never trust that she won't crash again after the first spike.
    *+6 @77, so I think we are going in the right direction, and she is eating her regular food again too. I did add a little liver and some orijen treats to the mix, but I do that fairly often anyway.
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2018
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  77. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    A little higher this AMPS; 182, gave .5u. She seems well rested even if am not, and is eating her food and bisque/b12.
     
  78. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Aug 1, 2015
    That may just be a little inflated from going lower last night. Hopefully she'll flatten out a little by tonight.
     
  79. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Not too bad for PMPS; 138mg/dl. I gave about .33u. She was feeling well enough to slap the puppy this afternoon and hunt bugs. She has been very vocal and clingy in the last week; she was always like this during the first year after I adopted her. Very chatty.
     
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  80. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    We are having some nice mid-100's PS tests the last day or two; safe enough to give a small shot. Jaxa seems energized too; getting me up at 5am so we can keep our slightly earlier schedule from Sundays all week.

    *My vet has only had u40 needles; if I get a package of u100 (I bookmarked the conversion chart); which size is the best? VetRxDirect has like four sizes, but for our little doses I don't know which is best or if it matters- is it the needle length they are talking about or the # of units it can hold? I like the u40 needle length (1/2 inch at least- Jaxa has thick skin).
     
  81. Kris & Teasel

    Kris & Teasel Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2016
    You need 0.3 cc (mL) total capacity - I don't think there's anything smaller than that, half unit marks, whatever needle length you prefer (I use 1/2 inch) and 29 - 31 gauge. I believe many U40s from the vet are 28 gauge. My U100s are 29 gauge, a tiny bit thinner. Many people like 30 - 31 gauge but they can bend very easily, especially if kitty is thick-skinned.
     
  82. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    I am hoping for some nice numbers tonight- we are in the high greens at +3, so maybe this is what we could have had instead of the lime on Monday night; better dose on a similar number. Will check a +5 at least though before I relax completely.
     
  83. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Aug 1, 2015
    Jaxa sure is looking good these days!
     
  84. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    She is doing great, but I am screwing up; she was at a nice low green at her +5, so I gave some treats, she ate more food and I was going to test at +6 to see if she was steady/etc. and I fell asleep until past her +9. And then I got the food up later than usual by at least 30 min this AM. So I'm not sure if her higher AMPS is because of bouncing or because she was at the food dish when I grabbed it, or both. Less than 5 hrs of sleep a night is probably not a good thing; I sleep right through my alarm clocks when over tired.

    *U100 needles have been ordered and are on their way so hopefully that will make these tiny doses easier when my brain starts working again.
     
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2018
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  85. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    And I think we are skipping the shot tonight. She seems good, but she is at 81 in one ear, and that seemed unusual so I tested the other and got 110.

    I worry that when I don't get to see numbers in the middle of the day that she might be in hypo numbers and I just don't know. Typically during days when I am home she stays low in the later afternoon to our PMPS, and then has a faster drop in the evening to rise steadily to a higher AMPS it seems, but I hate not knowing... I need something that she can wear on a blood vessel so I can get hourly tests, ha. She ate and already wants back out so she can continue stalking a chipmunk in the garden. It was swearing up a storm at her minutes ago.
     
  86. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2015
    I think NS is a good choice for tonight. You can try her at 0.25 or 0.1 (you have to just guess at that amount -- something smaller than 0.25) this weekend and make sure she's okay during the day. It is so hard when we have to work during the day!

    Has she ever caught something as large as a chipmunk?
     
  87. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    She caught a chipmunk one morning when I had left the patio door open as I got ready for work- she brought the live chipmunk into the house and let it go right in front of me in my bedroom. I had to go to work with the poor critter hiding under a bookcase, and it was still there when I got home- managed to chase it out the back door again without too much trouble though. Jaxa loves to catch and release rodents; I've had several mice in my room, and even when sick she cornered an ermine under my shoe rack this last winter .

    *Really glad we skipped the shot tonight- at +3 she is @91mg/dl and that is after getting treats and eating (grazing) three times.
     
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2018
    Reason for edit: added +3 test
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  88. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Not a bad AMPS for a no shot last night; gave .25 or as close to that as I could. I can't wait to get the other syringes- tracking says Monday.

    She was trilled because I dumped the last crumbs in her Tundra treat bag over her food this morning. She loves it when I dust the liver treats too, and now we've been on the 1/8 tsp AM and PM of the YA Immune/Digestive support enzymes she has been eating all the food with that coating on it first. Jaxa isn't spoiled at all, lol, laying on her window perch washing her little paws this morning as the birds chirp out in our trees.
     
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  89. Kris & Teasel

    Kris & Teasel Well-Known Member

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    Aug 17, 2016
    Amazing progress! :D
     
  90. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Aug 1, 2015
    :eek::eek::eek: I can’t imagine what I would do if there was a rodent in my house!!! You sound much calmer about that than I would be! (I live in a tall condo building far from any critters)

    Jaxa’s doing great!
     
  91. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    I live in northern MN; surrounded by trees, fields, etc. We have an overgrown sand-mound (flat- it is the drainage field for the septic tank) that is covered in thistle, milkweed, wild roses, raspberries and native grasses, plus a few small trees and shrubs with berries. In it good habitat for rodents, birds, rabbits, chipmunks, etc. We have a family of foxes and the deer come through our yard a lot for the apple trees in front. There was a little fawn that ran through a few mornings ago. Right now I am super excited about a trio of baby chickadees in my split rail fence. The parents sit in the lilacs and watch me if I get to close when mowing but the three babies are so sweet. We just have to make sure our pets are not unsupervised too long because the eagles and larger owls will try for small animals, and they are never out at night because the fox is hunting at that time. Every year as things grow a little more wild we get new species of birds and other animals- the ermine and stripey gophers are new from last year, and we saw American Redstarts for the first time this spring.

    I got a +2 because she was hanging over the water bowl a bit, but I think it is mostly the food spike (she finished her bisque a little bit ago).
     
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  92. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Aug 1, 2015
    That sounds really lovely! (except for the eagles/owls/foxes part - although I imagine it's amazing to see them as part of your environment as long as they leave Jaxa alone!). I can't imagine things growing more wild. I live in an area that just keeps developing and getting more and more crowded with buildings and cars. I've been starting to look for a house outside of the city as it's all getting to be a bit much for my taste lately. Where you live sounds absolutely magical!

    I wouldn't worry too much about that +2. It is a sign that she isn't ready to go off insulin yet, but it's certainly not a terrible amount to rise early in the cycle.
     
  93. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2018
    Her +5 was a little flat too- almost the same as her AMPS, still not bad in comparison to a few weeks ago, but I hope it will be easier to get precise doses soon.

    *Not too bad for our PMPS- 128, so I gave the same as this AM, .25u. She was not out as much today but was away from food longer- slept under a bed where it was cool. Her lip is mysteriously dirty from something she was just doing outside though. I hope she wasn't eating dirt, but maybe a bug that was under the deck in the dirt. Now it is going to rain so even more inside time, but that makes it easier for me to test her when I want tonight. Got her flea and tick treatment today too which she is not fond of at all.

    *It is funny how her +3PM has been at the same number (or extremely close) the last three nights even though the shot/no shot has been different. Am going to try for a +5, but it depends on how long we stay up.
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2018
  94. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Aug 1, 2015
    huh....that is funny that those +3's are so similar. I guess she likes those numbers! I think we all share that lack of fondness for flea treatments. Nasty little chemical! Sam's BG always runs high for a couple of days when he gets his (thankfully I only need to treat him in the spring/summer around here).
     
  95. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Nice low AMPS; I decided to give a teeny shot anyway since I'm home for the day and can watch. Though she is already outside eating grass and watching the birds.

    *+3 at 113, not bad. This last week we have been a bit more even since I just kept the Sunday schedule all week and we have stopped pushing back and retesting on low numbers in the evening; she seems to like being tested and fed right after I get home in the PM instead of waiting an hour, and she gets me up super early every day anyway to sit in the window.
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2018
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  96. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    No shot tonight- just tested and she is at 80. We are about ten minutes earlier than our usual so I can get to my regular Sunday thing, but that doesn't usually seem to make much difference for her. She didn't eat as much in the middle of the day today- hot and sunny and she was outside for quite a bit. Hungry right now and scarfing down some food, but we will skip the shot, test when I get home and see how she does.

    She was at 95 at her +9, so maybe the fasting in the late afternoon is why she always seems to be lower? Some days she eats right before the food is up, other days she doesn't eat for almost four or five hours before the food goes up; today she ate about 2.5 before this test though.

    +4 and she is still (or is again) at 80. I tested the same drop and got 79 just to be sure there wasn't a mistake with the strip. Just ate again, seems to be feeling good, was playing and begging for attention. Will see how tomorrow's AMPS is I guess.
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2018
    Reason for edit: added +4 test
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  97. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Aug 1, 2015
    Come on Jaxa, you can do it! :D:D:D
     
  98. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Aug 1, 2015
    Oops. I meant to add: if your schedule allows, try feeding her at +9. When a kitty is getting close, a pre-shot snack around +9 can sometimes cause that dip you saw tonight and give them that little nudge lower that they need to skip shots.
     
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  99. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Similar AMPS to our one after the last NS; 145, gave a tiny shot and hopefully she will have a good day.

    I can try the +9 snack; I think my mother usually tries to get her to eat before the food is put up during the week days; she is going in and our of the house a lot during the day because the dog wants in and out, and then in and out of her room with the food as she desires.
     
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  100. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    PMPS is 105; I think I want to skip the shot again tonight. We did get the u100 needles, but I don't like giving even .2 if we are under 120 right now. Maybe after a few mornings with the needles I will be a little better at that, but 105 just makes me hesitate.
     
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