Good morning @Suzanne & Darcy and anyone else reading. This morning Pandie was bright and alert, she stood up when she saw me and meowed for food. She had peed in the litter box so I tested it and again no ketones thankfully. AMPS was 33 (594) Alphatrak and after she ate about quarter of a tin gave her the 1 unit. She didn’t want any more food but she drank and settled down. With the shot she felt the needle go in and complained a bit but I think I got it in. Did her left side. I’m terrified of doing a fur shot - I feel the needle go through the skin but worry it comes out the other side as the needle is quite long, it looks longer than my pinch. Her fur is so thick and dark underneath. I’m going to read to more on this and watch some more videos. Planning to test at +6 today otherwise see how she goes.
Good morning. It’s good to hear that she’s acting normally. Oh yes, it would be terrible if you had a fur shot. If her fur does not seem wet and you don’t smell insulin on her fur or your hands then it’s probably not a fur shot. How long are the needles? Usually about a 1/2 inch needle is used for insulin 5/8 inch which is just a little over 1/2 inch. Nit sure what that is in metric…. Okay, I just checked…. 12.7 mm is what my U-40 syringes were — and 29 gauge.
You don’t need to wait until after she eats with ProZinc. It will not onset for about 2 hours. However, you can wait if you really want to, or if it makes her calmer to have eaten first. I used to shoot when Darcy was eating his breakfast most times, but I was shooting in the scruff. I need to drive for a few minutes now… but I will be back.
I will be interested to see the +6. I hope it’s not black. I have been thinking about Pandora’s situation and, if things continue as they are, I would like to do a little fast tracking with her dose. After day 3, if her BG isn’t budging from blacks, reds, and possibly high pinks, I would recommend an increase to 1.5 units. We can hold that for a few days and see if there’s any response. What do you think?
I’m disappointed in the +6, but yesterday you got a pink number at +9. Do you think you could try for a +8 today? If we fill in different cells on her spreadsheet, it will help provide a clearer picture of when she likes to nadir. +9 is a late nadir, but there’s nothing wrong with it. If she stays black all day, it may be that she’s bouncing from being in BG numbers that she’s not used to— even reds and the pink that you caught yesterday.
Ok, so the +6 was black, but only just (by 0.1!) I made sure she didn’t eat for 2 hours before +6. She had a small meal at 8am, 2 hours after the shot. Gave her lunch just after testing and she ate really well. She has been using the litter box and seems generally a bit brighter. I’m lucky in that I have a very good and interested vet who is very on board with me being involved. (I don’t think many of his clients have given him a glucose curve before!). So agreed about doing 3 days and then looking to potentially increase dose and I will send him her spreadsheet link and check in on Monday. With the shooting, having watched a few videos now I think I need to grab a bigger handful of skin and angle the needle down into it a bit more so there’s no chance of it coming out the other side. It’s a 1/2 inch needle. I might also try the roll method but I think I’ve been angling the needle parallel to her body too much if that makes sense and need to go down towards her a bit more. But I’m 90% sure it’s been going in as no wetness or smell. I will continue to test for ketones each time she pees as that seems the biggest fear with her numbers. Thanks really useful to know about not needing to feed first as next time I might jab while she is eating and distracted…
With regard to snacks and feeding, it sounds like you are already aware of the “no food for two hours prior to the morning and evening preshot tests” so that you know what her BG is without the influence of food. For snacks of 1-2 teaspoons wet LC food, I recommend feeding them at +2 (onset time) and +4. I usually don’t recommend feeding anything other than the testing treats (which should be given at every test) after +6 because feeding much after nadir can shorten the duration of the insulin, causing numbers to rise prematurely. Right now we don’t really know where her nadir is/will usually be.
I’m thinking you saw this already? https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/testing-and-shooting-tips.85113/
So she’s been used to regular small meals, she normally has breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. So it sounds like I can give her breakfast and dinner at 6am and 6pm when I shoot, and lunch at 12? Then little snacks at 8 and 10 but nothing between 12 and 6pm. (I have a timer tray so can leave things set up if I have to be out for work). Ok to give her small supper at about 9pm given I wouldn’t normally be testing overnight? And yes thank you I’ve spent a lot of time this morning reading all the advice (had not realised the lancets are bevelled too!) and have watched many many you tube videos! I have also practised grabbing different bits of her. So all set for 6pm! I have had to fashion a new rice sock as the last one burst helpfully mid test!
You can also use something like a small pill bottle filled with warm water and put it next to her ear to warm it. I think your feeding schedule laid out above is a good one. It can always be adjusted if necessary, based on her numbers. I do think feeding at 9 p.m. in the evening (+3) would be perfectly fine. If it gets to the point where she needs snacks at certain times at night, like +6, you can use the timed feeder — lots of people do that.
Argh it’s still black and higher than the last one. I’m really worried in case it’s that I’m not doing the shots properly. Could this be bouncing from yesterdays pink number?
I do think she is bouncing from seeing a couple of lower numbers than her body is accustomed to. I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong. Bounces can take up to six cycles to clear; they don’t always take that long though— it varies a lot from cat to cat.
Ok, it’s helpful to know what it is likely to be. Hopefully in a couple of days it will clear and in the meantime I will carry on and do PMPS and 1 unit at 6pm.
Evening shot is done and I am 1000% sure it went in under the skin. She tested black again. She has been very quiet all afternoon and didn’t want her food at 6 but I’ve left it out for her for now. Thanks for checking in today
