Akbah down to 37.8 (2.1)??

We are having a really wierd night here. I was planning to rest us both from all the home testing for the night, and do my second blood glucose chart on friday night (yeah I know how to have a good time). I clicked on a link and started reading about diabetic cats by Lisa Pierson (http://catinfo.org/?link=felinediabetes). It said, "If you change your diabetic cat's diet to one with lower carbohydrates, he will, in all probability, IMMEDIATELY (not days or weeks later) require a reduction in his insulin dosage. He may also immediately go into 'remission' and not need any insulin at all. "
Well, actually, Ak had mainly low carb wet food today (wolfed it down, Whiskers loafstyle chicken something) so I decided to do a spot check on Ak's blood.

It was 3.3 (59.4), at +2. More than that, I just couldn't get any blood out of him. And he wasn't flinching like he usually does. Just sitting there quietly.
I tried about 6 times. Finally got that reading. Thought it was probably wrong because I had taken about 5 minutes to do it, maybe the test strip had gone funny sitting there waiting? So I tried to retest but couldn't get anything. So I let him go and had a think about it. He seemed fine.

I decided to try again. The second time, again, no flinching, no blood. Eventually I noticed a drop coming out UNDER the ear, so I tried to use that, but I got an error because I guess there wasn't enough blood. Why does it have to be SO HARD!? I asked Ak. Amazingly he let me keep trying. Meanwhile my husband is saying, "you test him too much". All kinds of unkind things I could say about that. Finally I got an under the ear drop that was pretty big, and it was 2.1 (37.8).

So I gave him a drop of honey, which he obligingly licked off my finger. He seems fine. Hannah was screaming for tucker (another odd thing is that she was hungry. Must have been that the low carb food doesnt' stick to their ribs as much?) So I gave them both a little feed of some more low carb (about 3 tablespoons each), and about 7 bits of dry food.

Guess I'll stay awake another hour or two. Surely he'll come good. I can't believe these weird numbers. I just heard him come in through the cat door. He seems fine. :?

 

Bump.

I'm not very familiar with the way Lantus works, but that seems like a pretty steep drop and a fairly low reading for +3. I hope others might weigh in with some advice, and testing again soon might be a good idea to make sure Akbah doesn't going too low, too fast.

Here's the sticky from the Lantus subforum about handling low numbers - about half way down is a section called "DON'T PANIC! or HOW TO HANDLE LOW NUMBERS"

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=147

 

Thanks, that is helpful: it has suggestions what to do. I tested again, he's at 3.4 (= 61.2) at +5 which is looking better... and he might be past his nadir too, or else maybe its just the wee bits of honey and the few bits of food i've given him. Link said to test him again to get at least two increasing readings.
Pity about sleeping on a week night. . I got the times wrong, btw, the first two readings were at +3 and +4 (not +2 and +3)

 

You're welcome! This place is just a wealth of information - every day I learn something new. It's amazing.

I think that I've read in the Lantus group that a drop to BG test numbers that gets below a certain number, 40 maybe?, warrants a reduction in insulin dose. You might want to start a new thread in the Lantus group forum asking about that. Certainly don't want Ak dropping into the 30s two cycles in a row!

 

Keep feeding him bits of food - honey wears off quickly and you haven't hit the likely low point in the cycle. The next 4 hours or so, you need to watch him like a hawk.

And yes, he's earned a dose reduction; about 0.25 units.

 

bump

 

Akbah is still on what would be about the same as Humulin N in the US correct? Just want to make sure since I am seeing references to both Protaphane and Lantus. The two work very differently so want to make sure which insulin we are dealing with.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang

 

4.2 (75.6) at +5.5 (that link about Lantus said to test every half hour or less)
I don't think he's on Lantus, although I'm pretty ignorant about insulins. The label on the bottle says Protaphane http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/Protaphane.
My vet is on holidays for another 10 days. I might need to find some kind of fill in vet.
It would be nice to get some sleep. I guess another reading, if he is still going up by +6, maybe I can go to bed? :-|
Oh, I just found these new msgs. Hello!!! Yay! thanks for being there!
No sleep for me ay.

 

Correct, Protaphane = Humulin I think: that's what this link seems to say: http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/Protaphane

 

It is equivelant to Humulin N.

"Cats seem instead to experience a 1-2 hour onset, a peak action of 4-6 hours, and a total duration of 8-12 hours maximum"

After 6-8 hours and 2 rising glucose tests, it should have worn off enough that you can go to sleep!

 

Okay you aren't on Lantus so yes if he is still going up at +6 you should be able to head off to bed...Protaphane is a short acting insulin that once the dose is done it is done...it doesn't have the shed like Lantus does. Actually those are pretty nice numbers and a nice duration for protaphane. Normally it only lasts about 4-5 hours in a cat's body...sometimes you get a little longer duration as Akbah is showing you.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang

 

Blush. I just realised that I had my spreadsheet around the wrong way, was filling in PM values in the area for AM. Fixed. Gives you something to do while you hang around at 2:30am with a cat who seems perfectly fine, but happy to have a bit of honey and a teaspoon of whiskas from time to time.

 

5.5 (99) at +6 and its off to bed for this catmother.

What a crazy night. Thank you for being there. It's so nice to get messages instead of sitting here fretting. Ak's been unconcerned the whole time. Now he's sitting down there licking his unmentionables, not a worry in the world. Many many thanks.

 

Nitey Night...That is what we are here for...To help the extra sweet kitties and the beans that love them. Most of us when we see that 911 will be throwing on another pot of coffee or grabbing the 2 liter of cola and get ready to stay up with you until we know you baby is out of the woods. We have kind of an unspoken rule around here, if we respond to a hypo or a near hypo we are in it for the long haul...if we can't stay with you, we will find someone to hand you off to that can...because that is what family does. From the very first time you post you are adopted into this family and we will worry over you and Akbah just like he was one of our own extra-sweet babies.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang

 

Well, its a wondrous thing. Thanks mystery, BJM, ann, mommaofMuse (Mel?) for helpful advice, links, being there, and caring. And for telling me I can go to bed.