1 week in.... Gun-shy to give insulin after hypo episode.

Discussion in 'Caninsulin / Vetsulin and N / NPH' started by Amanda and a Loudogg, Jun 17, 2017.

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  1. Amanda and a Loudogg

    Amanda and a Loudogg Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2017
    Good morning all!
    My cat Lou was diagnosed with diabetes last Thursday (6.8.17) after losing a lot of weight. He had absolutely no prior health issues that we were aware of and was on no other medication. We fed him a dry food diet. After the diagnosis, we started him on 2 i/u's of Vetsulin (instead of the recommended 4u) and switched him to a Px diet we received from the vet (RC Glycobalance). After research and finding carb information online, we switched him from the Glycobalance to Fancy Feast (FF) canned food (classic and flaked versions, all 5% carbs or less). I started home-testing his glucose levels on Sunday and overall, he has improved.

    Unfortunately (for whatever reason that seems so stupid now), we (my fiance and I) had decided to up his insulin dose to 3 i/us when it seemed warranted. He seemed fine originally, but yesterday (6.16.17), he had a hypoglycemic episode. His only symptoms was insistent meowing (more urgent than usual). I am thankful I was home from work, so I tested him and found his BG at 51. We immediately fed him a can of FF and kept testing/giving syrup, food, and treats as needed to bring his BG up. Obviously I was and am really shaken and I feel like such an idiot. We decided to forgo the insulin dose last night because I had read that Lou may be more sensitive to insulin. I was terrified to give him any dose, even though his BG had gone up to his "normal" preshot amount (330 and 345).

    We received a bag of YA Zero Mature in the mail yesterday and put that out for him to graze on. I tested him this morning at 0807, and his BG was 275. I was thinking of giving him 1 i/u of insulin, but I find myself horribly gun-shy, afraid of having a repeat of yesterday. I haven't had an opportunity yet to perform any curves on him to learn how he reacts during the day, so I'm only working on am/pm preshot values for now.

    Should I give his body some time to finish bouncing from his hypo episode yesterday, or should I try giving him 1 i/u insulin BID (as I was doing, but with a lower dose) and monitor? I have read that switching to low carb/high protein diets can decrease the need for insulin, so I've been doubting myself more with all the changes happening within the last week.

    I appreciate any insight you can provide! I posted this on the main health forum as well.

    Thanks!
    Amanda
     
  2. Amanda and a Loudogg

    Amanda and a Loudogg Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2017
    As an update, I did give him 1 i/u insulin just now and will try to test his BG today 4-6 hours post shot to see how low he goes. He is doing well after his episode yesterday, I'm just doubting myself and my judgement now more than usual.
     
    JanetNJ likes this.
  3. Yong & Maury GA

    Yong & Maury GA Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2017
    Glad you are home testing. Definitely seems like 3.0U was too high for him. Usually 1.0U twice a day is the starting dose so am curious to see how he does :)
     
    Monica & Josie likes this.
  4. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2016
    Good call. Exactly what I would do. Let's see what happens. Anytime you are unsure you can always come on here and ask for opinions. :)
     
    Monica & Josie likes this.
  5. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2015
    Glad you lowered the dose! 1u to start is much more reasonable. I'd test him around +3 and see where he's at. If he has dropped a lot, you can give him a bit of food (FF low carb) to slow him down and keep him safe. Kudos for home testing, as well as catching and dealing with that low BG! That's one heck of scary start for you but it does get easier. :) For now, I would aim to have Loudogg drop no lower than 90 to prevent any more scary surprises. If he goes that low, start steering him up with a little bit of low carb food.
     
    Monica & Josie likes this.
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