? BG help please!

Hi everyone,

Murphy crashed a couple of days ago (down to 3.5) and he's bounced since. However I took his amps at 6.55am and it was 10.2. Given him going hypo, I tested again ten minutes after and it was 6.8.
I then calibrated my glucometer and it's fine.
So I gave him some food and his BG just now at 7.30am is 12.0.

The vet is closed and I'm not sure what to do. Should I still give him his 0.5u?
Any advice would be very welcome as I'm pretty new to this and quite confused as to what's happening.
Thank you.

 

Prior to his hypo episode he was on 1u, but was dropped to 0.5u.

 

Morning Amy,

So, the number was still dropping at AMPS, but then you gave food and it subsequently rose? Is that correct?

 

Couple of thoughts;
1. The second reading, 6.8, might have been a wonky reading.
2. The third reading might be elevated due to food (hasn't risen on it's own).

Do you have to go out this morning? Are you able to wait a little while and get another test before giving the shot?

 

I'm here for a bit longer, then off on the school/preschool run. Then back again. At 8am it'll be an hour and a half after he was supposed to have his insulin. Perhaps I should give it to him if he's 12 or above?

 

The 'difficulty' is that he has eaten and so the test may be influenced by that food (and that may be temporary).

Your options would seem to be;
Wait, and ensure that he is rising consistently before giving the shot.
Give a reduced dose.
Skip the shot.

Because of the shorter duration of Caninsulin it's not so critical to shoot exactly every 12 hours.

Given that you will be able to monitor you could give some insulin (especially since you now have experience of handling low numbers). And given that Murphy's had DKA it would better if he could have some insulin. As long as you're comfortable with what you're doing?

 

Thank you Eliz,
BS was still 13, but I gave him what looked as close to 0.25u as possible.
I'm worried I'm mucking his system around, especially as he's been through the mill lately. I should have just been brave and given him his injection at 7am
Should I revert to 7pm injection time this evening, or delay it so that it's more in between times, say 7.30pm? Thanks.

 

(((Amy))), you're not "mucking his system around", so please don't worry.

The good thing about 'in and out' insulins like Caninsulin is that you can vary the dose of the shot if you need to, and it only affects that one cycle. The timing of the shots isn't usually so critical either.
It may well be that you can just continue to give his evening shot at 7pm, especially since you've given a reduced dose this morning.

How is Murphy in himself now?

You're doing really well, Amy. Be kind to yourself.

Eliz

 

Thank you, Eliz. I just want to ensure I do the very best by him.
It's four and a half hours post 0.25 insulin. His BG is 7.
I've no idea what his level was earlier, as I had to pop out and Rob was minding him.. he won't test for BG. I'm more upset that he didn't watch him enough such that Murphy got his collar off and ripped his right eye again. It's so difficult I know, but it's such a shame as we're back to square one.
Back to the BG though - I'm going to be stumped if it's low again at 7pm. I'm not really sure what's going on and why he's going so low.

 

It may be that his pancreas is healing, Amy, and is producing more insulin of it's own...
(Have there been any other changes? Not eating so much? Lower carb food than normal..?)

I am so sorry to hear about Murphy's eye. Poor Murphy, and poor you...
.

 

No he's eating the same , but I've changed him over from Bozita to Granatapet.. though I thought the carbs were roughly the same?
His ears feel a bit hot, but it could be simply from where he's scratched. Does infection reduce BG?
Also, I thought I'd heard that healing (potentially) so quickly isn't a good thing? That it should ideally be a slow process?

 

Hi Amy, the potential to heal is really out of your hands to some degree, my Molly was in remission 5 weeks after diagnosis, and she is fine, you are doing great, and Eliz is right maybe Murphys pancreas is healing and producing more insulin, so just keep doing what you are, thinking of you both xx

 

What did you hear, Amy? Why do you think it should be a slow process?

And how is Murphy this evening?
.

 

Hi Lorraine, that's great molly was in remission within 5 weeks.. I think I should be more hopeful then?
Hi Eliz,
It was somewhere on one of the many threads I've read.. sorry i can't be any clearer, but someone was saying it wasn't good if a cat's BG levels go down quickly. I possibly interpreted it wrong though?!
He's in a terrible state with his right ear, which he scratched to bits this morning. It's bright red and inflamed. I really don't want him to have to go to the vet in the morning, but he may have to. His convenia injection has worn off, so he could be susceptible to infection.
Blood glucose wise, his pmps is 14.2.. which is also after some leftover food that he discovered, unfortunately. So the 0.25 this morning seems to have had some effect. Not sure whether to revert to 0 5u and now the vet has gone home

 

I gave him 'closer' to 0.5u.
The new 100 syringes have arrived. If his Nadal point is OK and he's at a similar level in the morning to just now, I think ill use the new syringes. If I fill it to the very first line (0.1) I hope I'm right in understanding that would be equivalent to 0.6u? I'd be happy with that level I think.

 

Sorry, 0.4u! Which I would be happier with!

 

Yes, to measure .4 of a unit of Caninsulin you fill to the one unit mark on a U100 syringe.

Sorry to hear about Murphy's ear, Amy. Maybe it will settle down a bit overnight. Here's hoping....

 

Thank you. I've also got some virbac epiotic ear cleaner arriving tomorrow, which he finds very soothing. I'll try to hold out until then, before I head vetwards