Can anyone give opinions on Abilene's SS? Please.

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Danielle Hrubiak, Apr 14, 2015.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    Just wanted some opinions on her numbers the past few days. Any feedback/suggestions are appreciated. :)
     
  2. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    Nice to start to see some better numbers

    That's quite a drop tonight though for so early in the cycle, so I'd make sure to get some more tests in later on
     
  3. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    I have to stay up until 1 am to feed her (according to Drs new schedule)...so I will certainly be pricking a few more times before then. Is it still too early to tell if the 1.5u is where we should stay at for the time being? Dr upped her to 2u yesterday but I followed the instruction from a few on my other thread and reduced it .5u today...
     
  4. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    Abby has been pacing all evening looking for any scrap of food she can find...ive given her a few roasted chicken breast chunks to try to hold her over until her feeding at 1am. should I just cave and give her a little food now? But obviously that will ruin whatever schedule the vet is trying out...?
     
  5. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    I'd stick with the 1.5 for now

    There's no reason you have to wait until +6 to feed...Most of us take the total amount we want them to eat and feed "mini-meals" at PS, +1, +2, +3 (or whatever works for YOUR cat) but we try to get most of the carbs in no later than +6 because by then, the insulin is starting to wear off, so adding a big meal then can put the brakes on the insulin
     
  6. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    This was his reasoning...please let me know if it makes ANY sense or if he's completely off his rocker.
    He told me: According to the curve test they did yesterday at the vet with their AT...her nadir was +6 (how accurate is that with just one curve test?). He said that is the peak action of the insulin when it is at its greatest strength, therefore that is when you want to feed her the largest portion of her meal so it can work to move the food nutrients into the cells? He said otherwise if you feed a big portion at injection time, the BG spikes too high and makes the insulin work too hard and the BG doesn't lower enough. (I'm trying to listen to my recording of him over and over--he talks so fast, mumbles and has a pretty decent southern accent so I'm having trouble hearing what he's saying and interpreting his reasoning...lol)

    He also said that his idea of BG target range is 80-180. As long as she stayed below 180 he'd be happy. said we aren't going to be picky and keep pricking her multiple times a day, that cats can function wonderfully and thrive a bit higher?
    He said if she were to go into a hypo state--it would most likely be at +6 hours at the time she is supposed to eat. Is that true?
     
  7. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    Yes...sort of...the nadir is the lowest point in the cycle and it "usually" happens somewhere between +5 and +7, but we've seen cats that nadir at +3 and we've seen them nadir at +10

    The nadir can and DOES change though....it's not always going to be at the exact same time in the cycle....by home testing, you start to learn where your cat "usually" nadirs....and then they change it up so you don't get too comfortable.....LOL

    As for being accurate after only one curve....No, not really...it takes awhile to learn how YOUR cat responds...ECID (Every Cat is Different)
     
  8. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2010
    The nadir can and does vary, so finding it at +6 one day only tells you where it was that day.

    When you feed small meals, the glucose spikes are shorter. It takes about 2 hours to see a food spike, so you don't want to feed at +6, you'd want to feed before that so the glucose was there for the insulin to work on. And since the insulin doesn't wait 6 hours to start working, feeding at shot time ensures there is some glucose coming in as the insulin begins to work.


    If you're hoping to get your cat to a diet-controlled state, aiming for numbers just above 50 mg/dL on a human glucometer keeps the glucose as reasonably, safely, low as possible and allows for the pancreas to try to heal.
     
  9. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    Okay, so I am totally going to ditch his (excuse my language) asinine schedule tomorrow. I have been trying to do this every 6 hour thing all day and Abby hasn't been happy about it...but I wanted to see if he was accurate with his recommendation and how the numbers would look. Clearly if her nadir is going to vary (or could) daily, there's no use torturing Abilene to get accustomed to this if its not even going to work the same way everyday.

    My absolute goal most definitely is to get my girl into remission and off of insulin while maintaining her low carb diet. She does amazing on the wet food and doesn't think twice to gobble it up...so there's no way I would ever put her back on the BB dry. I would also love to try the homemade diet. (Will it greatly affect her BG if I were to switch her completely or occasionally to Wellness from FF or perhaps mix a bit of them both together? Do most people stick with one brand? And what about if I switched to the homemade food? I don't want to mess with her food if it will constantly be affecting her BG causing it to vary all over the place.)

    Another question I had was...at what point do you make the decision to switch the insulin types? She was initially prescribed the Prozinc from the first vet I had her at. This current guy said Lantus is the best and has highest (98%?) remission rate. How long should I give Prozinc to attempt to stabilize her before changing insulin? And if the diet change was going to combat this, how long does that normally take? Or does it again, vary per cat?
     
  10. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    As long as the food is low carb, changing will depend on how carb sensitive your cat is....for now I'd just concentrate on keeping the carb % in the same basic ballpark

    Usually, we like to give an insulin about 6 months, but occasionally we'll see a cat that just doesn't seem to respond to one and we'll suggest another. It's another one of those ECID things.

    Lantus IS a good insulin and has the only published protocol, but we've seen cats do great on ProZinc and Levemir too
     
    Danielle Hrubiak likes this.
  11. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    I would keep on doing what you are doing. The 1.5 gets her into very nice numbers mid cycle. She does seem to bounce a little from those lower numbers for pre shot, but as her body gets used to the lower ranges, that should improve. Her numbers may improve more as she gets used to the dose. With ProZinc, we encourage you to hold the dose for several cycles.

    Someone wise once said "this sugar dance is a marathon, not a sprint." She is definitely improving in levels. As you let her eat more, her appetite should lessen. I hope she is becoming a little more than your old kitty - grooming more, peeing less, playing more? I'd enjoy the improvements and be patient. You are doing great getting the data and she is improving.

    Have you seen the protocol we put together for ProZinc? It is in blue in my signature.
     
    Danielle Hrubiak likes this.
  12. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    I have not checked out the prozinc protocol but I definitely will today. Thank you.

    As far as Abby's personality--she actually never did start acting sickly-besides the increased drinking/peeing. But she was always her sweet and happy self. So thankfully she must be feeling pretty good despite this disease. The only thing we are working out is her hunger. She's constantly begging for food. I did start feeding 4 times...with a few treats in between, if needed, to hold her over. Should I be allowing her to eat until she is full at each meal? I have been giving 1/2 can of FF at each meal with a few chicken chunks if she wants (which she normally does not decline). I didn't know if I should offer her more than 1/2 can at each of the 4 meals? I started doing 645/7am, 12-1pm, 645/7pm and midnight-ish? Feel free to suggest a different feeding schedule. I am open to trying anything for her.

    I RARELY see her drink any water. If she does, it's a few laps and off she goes. And that goes for the other 3 too. They used to fight to drink from the bathroom faucets alllll day long. Since switching to canned, they don't care to drink water at all--which I know they get from the food anyhow. So yes, her urine output has greatly reduced. I have been taking a ketone test every few days when i can catch her using the litter box and they've been negative, so that's good. And she's definitely been a spitfire lately. She loves to play--on her own time--when the others are upstairs sleeping, so she isn't disrupted. So I make sure to give her 1 on 1 playtime with the laser. She zooms around like crazy. Makes me happy to see her feeling good.

    I was thinking her numbers were starting to slowly improve as well--but today seemed a bit different. AMPS was typical at 391. +3 was 175. I gave a few chunks of chicken after testing. Then +6 she jumped to 323? I guess that just proves the dr wrong about her nadir being +6... I am going to be heading out for an hour or two and will test her before I leave to see where she bounced to.
     
  13. manxcat419

    manxcat419 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2015
    I would be inclined to let her have as much low carb food as she wants when she wants for now. Until she's regulated, she's only getting partial use of the food as fuel anyway. I still free-feed Rosa (I have done all along), the only difference now is that I free-feed low carb wet food instead of the prescription dry food she'd been on before diagnosis.

    The wet food does mean she shouldn't need to drink as much but you can add some water to the wet food as well to increase her fluid intake. I mix wet food and water to make a thick soup consistency - all the cats love it (even the ones I'm told by our housemate won't eat wet food at all) and it means that they're getting plenty of fluids just by eating! I put fresh water out every time I feed them but I rarely see any of them take more than a sip out of their water bowl any more, yet they're all acting so much healthier than they were on the dry food so I'm sure they're not dehydrated.

    As far as her numbers today are concerned, it may be that she's having a little bit of a bounce from the 175. As she gets used to spending more time at lower numbers, that might mean that her nadir moves - she might have already been bouncing by what would have been her usual nadir time today. Or she might have nadired early. That's something you'll be able to work out as you get more data in your spreadsheet over time. :)
     
    Danielle Hrubiak likes this.
  14. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    +7.5 she's up to 498?! That's certainly not good...
     
  15. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    A few people have told me about the bouncing. I guess I just didn't think it'd be such a huge jump. She's recently hit numbers much higher than ever before.
     
  16. manxcat419

    manxcat419 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2015
    That does sound like a bounce. And, yes, it can be a huge jump - some cats can go all the way up to HI (over 600) from bouncing. She does seem to be a little bouncy at the moment - she's getting some really good numbers followed by some higher ones. I don't know anything about how to handle that with ProZinc, sorry - hopefully someone else will be around soon who can tell you how best to dose a bounce for her.
     
    Danielle Hrubiak likes this.
  17. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    That are unusual numbers and unlike her previous cycles on the same dose. Any chance you had a fur shot or partial one? Could she have gotten into some high carb?

    I'd just figure it's one cycle unless the pattern continues. You could give her pm shot early (after +10, as long as she is still rising), as long as it won't mess up her schedule for tomorrow and if you can monitor.
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2015
  18. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    I always check for wetness after each injection and I felt none this morning--although she has been a bit less patient with me for injections. I can't say 100% that I didn't get a partial fur shot, but like I said...I felt no seepage. High carb food... No. I really dont think so? I am very conscious about what is left around for her to get in to...bc she has been a scavenger lately. But two of my cats will only eat friskies shredded in gravy and they MUST eat it off of the bare floor (I know very odd)... I am always careful about wiping up all remaining gravy with a wet rag with a bit of dish soap...maybe there was a small drop somewhere on the floor she found? But I couldn't imagine just that tiny amt sending her so high? Maybe I'm wrong though. I will check her in about 30 mins when I get home and see if she's gone higher. If so I will give insulin a bit earlier. But that would mean I'd have to give next dose in 12 hours from the earlier dose right? And work back to normal schedule?
     
  19. manxcat419

    manxcat419 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2015
    My Regan always takes the food out of the bowl and eats it off the floor - I have no idea why she does that, but she's always eaten that way with any type of food. Though it must make it tricky when you have two that will only eat the gravy type food that Abby can't have. I doubt a single drop of gravy would send her quite that high though anything is, of course, possible with cats.
     
  20. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    The high number confuses me because, in her earlier cycles, she bounced but not that fast and not that high. Just an unusual cycle, so I wondered about what else might have caused the higher numbers.

    The chicken is just regular skinless chicken, no seasonings?

    Yes, ProZinc is generally best given every 12 hours although it is more flexible with changes than other insulins. So, even if you decide to shoot a little early (and only after a test to be sure she is still rising) it's best to get back on 12/12. Especially in the early days when her patterns aren't yet clear. So the next shot should be 12 hours from the pm one, if possible.
     
  21. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    Yep, the chicken was boneless, skinless chicken breast that I had in the freezer and thawed then baked. No seasoning, no oil...nothing added to it.

    I just retested her... So +9.25 and she was 431. So she dropped a little bit. Would it be safe to wait until normal insulin time? I'm about to run out to grocery shop a bit, she should be fine for about 2 hours until I get back, right? I didn't know if it'd be likely for her to spike back up where she'd need insulin early.
     
  22. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    One thing to note and that I actually had a question about--I just bought a new package of test strips today. Both of the 400s high readings were the new strips. The box says for confirm and micro. The previous box said confirm and micro plus? Does anyone know if this makes any difference?
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2015
  23. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    I think it would be fine to wait.

    Interesting about the strips. I don't know; hope someone else can advise.
     
  24. manxcat419

    manxcat419 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2015
    I did have two slightly iffy boxes of ReliOn strips - in the first one there were 3 strips in the box that were definitely bad as the readings I got with them were way, way off. The second one was about the same. I don't think I've had the plus strips - are those the new ones that they're replacing the standard confirm/micro strips with? In general, I'd say it's possible for you to get a slightly dodgy batch simply because it happened to me. Interestingly, the boxes I got that weren't as good were coded F-4 where most of the boxes I've had have been coded F-3. And the second box of F-4 I got also gave me more E-7 errors than usual even though I was definitely getting just as much blood on the strip as I usually do. I'd wait until you've got a few more tests with them to decide whether or not to replace the box though - they're a bit expensive to just replace!
     
  25. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    The makers of the Relion meters (Arkray) have evidently changed their strips. I buy our strips for the Relion Confirm meter from ADW and they recently changed from being called "Glucocard 01" to "Glucocard 01 plus" and I've seen that the new strips at WalMart are also called "Plus"

    The nice thing about the new "Plus" strips is that they have a tiny "sipping point" that seems to work really well! They're also cheaper than WalMart with the "buy 4 get one free" option
     
  26. manxcat419

    manxcat419 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2015
    Ahh - that would explain it. I haven't had to buy any of the new ones yet as the last box I bought is lasting quite a while of course. No doubt by the time I need more I'll have to get the Plus ones so it's good to hear that they're an improvement. :)
     
  27. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    Oddly, my previous box was plus and my new box is the older version. I guess maybe bc my first box was 50 and this one is 100. Maybe walmart has more stock of the 100 count old version to sell before ordering the newer plus version. Do you think they will read the same? Now I'm paranoid the numbers will be off lol. Weird coincidence that the 2 non-plus strips that I used today were the 2 way high numbers.
     
  28. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    I just compared the two bottles and the control solution range is slightly different between the two? Don't know what that means?
     
  29. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    We'd all go crazy comparing numbers...even if you had 2 exact same meters with the exact same strips in them and testing the same blood sample, the results from the 2 of them could be off by 20% or so

    When I got my new shipment of "plus" strips, I thought they might be testing a little lower than the others but figured they were what I was going to be using going forward, so just accepted that number as the right one
     
    manxcat419 likes this.
  30. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    You're right. So I guess I may have to accept my numbers may be a bit higher than what I've been getting with the plus strips then. Dang it, I wish I had known the difference prior to buying. I would have made sure I got the plus ones.

    And this evenings injection--Abby jumped when the cold insulin hit her--which made me jerk. I didn't feel seepage, but I'm shooting so little that I don't know if I'd really feel it in her undercoat. I'm praying I got it all in her...
     
  31. Larry and Kitties

    Larry and Kitties Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    I did that test a few days ago with two EasyGluco Plus meters. using the same drop of blood from my MurrFee. I got 219 and 225.
     
  32. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    Abilene's numbers are very disappointing today. Is she still bouncing?! It's been several days already...
    I haven't gotten a chance to update her SS just yet, but thus far today looks as follows:
    AMPS-396
    Ate about 5/8 can of FF and had some chicken chunks.
    Received her insulin (1.5u) at 7am
    +2 = 340
    +2.5- ate a few more chicken chunks
    +4=237
    +6=183
    +6- ate 3/4 can of FF
    +9=396
    What the heck.... Her nadir didn't get too low today. :-/ I've been really hoping and praying that she'd just bounce back to stabilizing herself without insulin. I guess I got my hopes up. I'm hoping tomorrow looks better...
     
  33. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    Please try to get your spreadsheet updated for us

    One cycle doesn't tell us much ...we need to see where she's been over the last few cycles to really see what might be going on
     
  34. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Her levels dropped a little more than 50% from the pre shot. So the insulin is working. She is going up earlier than we would like and her nadir could be a little lower than it is.

    Hard to tell. Maybe she needs more time to settle into this dose and the low carb food? I tend to be more cautious so that would be my strategy. She is a new diabetic. It is always safer to raise the dose after you are sure; you can't get the insulin out once it's shot. I'd give the dose another cycle or so. Then, if she still looks like today, make it a fat 1.5. (Pull up more than 1.5 and let a few drops out until it is just over) or eyeball 1.75. On a cycle you can monitor.

    Once you have more data to predict what she might do, and her body is used to the low carb, you can always be more aggressive.

    Have you decided the new strips read higher?

    I agree with Chris. A complete spreadsheet really helps us give better advice.
     
  35. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    The new ones seemed to read a little higher for us, so I think they're probably about as accurate as the other ones...just have to keep using them and go from there
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2015
  36. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    I have just updated Abby's SS...today stinks so far too! Should I try 2 units starting tomorrow if the rest of today is just as high as she's been?
     
  37. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    If you are going to raise the dose, I would only go up to 1.75 and give her several cycles, monitoring carefully.

    She has been on insulin less than a month. There is a lot to be said for the "start low, go slow" approach. You usually avoid scary low numbers and sometimes bounces using that approach.

    She is dropping into the blues mid cycle and most likely bouncing for the pre shot. There are two schools of thought. One is to ride out the bounces and let her settle into the dose, getting used to the lower numbers and bouncing less. The other is to shoot through the bounce and force the numbers lower. I don't personally think this helps with bouncing. If she wasn't responding at all to the insulin, raising makes sense to me. But she is, dropping more than 50% almost every cycle. Adding a lower nadir to the mix may just make the bouncing worse.

    You hold the syringe, your choice. Just my two cents ( and worth less than what you are paying for it. :D)
     
  38. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    Well I really do value the suggestions from all of you guys. I am truly clueless in this journey so I am trusting you all as you've been dealing with it much longer than I have. Sitting in the higher numbers just really scares me, bc it clearly isn't good for her body and I am paranoid of long term irreversible damage to her organs. I know there's not much I can do to fix this any sooner than what her body will accept, but it still doesn't make me worry any less. I guess I don't get why she was doing better previously and now shes not hitting those lower numbers?
    Do you think it has anything to do with what I am doing?
    I consistently give her FF- though the flavors do differ sometimes. They are all Classics, but I change it up for her. I tend to avoid any that contain fish and skip those that have liver as first ingredient, and I followed the chart to choose those that have the lowest Carbs. Should I try getting one flavor and sticking to only that for several days to see if perhaps the differing flavors affect her BG differently?
    Could the chicken be affecting her somehow? Should I skip chicken tomorrow and see if her numbers improve at all?
    Is the constant snacking and eating keeping her numbers too high?
    I feel like I am doing something wrong, I just don't know what.
    And for the insulin--I started slightly warming the drawn syringe between my fingers so it isn't such a shock to her when injected...could this be making it less effective? Maybe my injection spots aren't ideal? I do not feel it going into muscle as I tent the skin, so I don't think that is the problem...
    I just don't know... I realize its all still new and she's been on it for less than a month--and I'm sure my expectations were and are far too high... But her numbers seemed much better several days ago than they have been... I guess ill just sit back and let it ride...
     
  39. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    And should I continue to prick her every 2-3 hours so should I slow down on the BG testing and take the pre shots and maybe 1 or 2 mid cycle?
     
  40. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    I think today's numbers are most likely a bounce from the 100's last night as well as that was a pretty big drop by +2 ....even a fast drop like that can cause a bounce even if the cat doesn't go "too low"

    I think it would have been best to get at least another test in last night after that 173 because she was dropping pretty fast....it's entirely possible she dropped quite a bit lower and between all that, she's bouncing today

    You'd want to hold the dose until the bounce is over...up to 3 days
     
  41. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    I do agree her numbers look flat today but they looked pretty good last night and yesterday. Are you using the new strips today and were using the old ones yesterday? Could that account for the difference? I seem to remember you thought the newer ones read higher? If you are sure they are the right ones for your meter and that the numbers are just higher, then that might be different than if you think the new strips read higher and we aren't sure which were correct. I'd hate to see you raise the dose if we were looking at the numbers for yesterday's am cycle. Not as much if we are looking at today's. So I may be confused. Do you think the numbers today are because of the new strips or is she just higher today? If just higher this cycle, I'd play it out and I'll figure it was not necessarily a new pattern until you see it repeated. No, it isn't good for her to sit in high ranges, but you don't want to base a dose on one cycle that may be an anomaly.

    If you want, you can go with the lowest of the FF carbs (but not the fish) and feed it consistently for a few cycles and see if anything changes. Snacking and eating can raise the numbers a little but we just work with that. If she is getting low carb snacks (what kind?) and you are just dividing her daily intake into 3 meals or so daily, that should be fine.

    It is good to warm up the insulin in your hands and to mix up the suspension as you do so. Cold shots can hurt.
     
  42. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    Unless she's REALLY carb sensitive, the classics are all close enough in carb percentage that it really shouldn't matter if you give her some variety

    As long as it's just plain chicken (no spices, flavorings, oil) that's about as zero carb as you can get so it shouldn't be causing any problems. A lot of people add a little chicken to feedings to raise the protein level without adding carbs.

    Most of us feed several small meals a day. It's easier on the pancreas to deal with several small meals a day than it is to deal with a few big ones. Just like humans are told to eat 6 small meals a day instead of 3 big meals

    Very doubtful...that's what we tell a lot of people to do if their cats seem to be extra sensitive to the cold
     
  43. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    It's stressful for both of you to test often but it does give you a much better picture of what is going on. Like Chris said, another number last night would have let you see how low she went or whether that was her early nadir. That said, it is early and if you both need a rest, take a rest. Be sure to always get a pre shot and somewhere in the 5-7 range.
     
  44. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    I think as long as she's running this high, you're probably good to relax a little and take a bit of a pokey break....trust me you're going to have plenty of opportunities to test every 30 minutes in the future as she starts to do better :)

    Your plan sounds just perfect to me
     
  45. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    I certainly always intend to get one last reading 30-60 mins after she has her late night feeding. I was sooooo drained last night I could not keep my eyes open one more minute. But I figured after the 173 reading--and I then fed her-- I thought her BG would increase throughout the night and halt any lower readings I would have gotten anyhow. Is that a wrong assumption?
     
  46. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    There's no easy answer to that

    If you look at last night's cycle though, she dropped 153 points in 2 hours...that by itself is enough to set up a bounce this morning, but it's also a good indicator that she's "on the move"

    Then she dropped another 131 points in the next 2 1/2 hours

    If it had been my cat, I would have tried to set an alarm to get at least one more test in at about +6 to +7 just to see if that drop was slowing down and she'd hit her nadir yet...BUT sometimes you do just have to leave them in the hands of God and get some sleep too!

    Now that being said, I don't use ProZinc and I do understand it acts differently from Lantus, but still, when I see big drops like that, I think there's no such thing as too much data
     
    Danielle Hrubiak likes this.
  47. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    I am using the new strips and I have been since 4/15 AM+7. I am hoping that the new strips are the reason for the higher numbers. I cant imagine what else would cause it? Esp considering everything that I thought I may be doing wrong, shouldn't be a problem after all. The strips say for ReliOn confirm so I am assuming they are the right ones? But I really have no idea if its just the strips reading higher or if Abby is actually higher. Maybe I will just go buy another batch of the plus strips and see if that gives me lower numbers? At least that will allow me to have an idea if its the strips or Abilene... I will give her a consistent flavor of FF for a few days and see what happens. And for a snack, the only thing she gets is the roasted chicken breast (without ANYTHING added to it). We have gotten rid of all other cat snacks from the house (I know they're really missing their Party Mix lol). I have been letting her eat until she is full 4 times a day (roughly every 5-7 hours). If she wants something in between, she gets chicken. Should I change up the schedule or amount fed?

    She does MUCH better with warmer injections!
     
  48. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    So how much total food? If it's 2-3 cans of Fancy Feast, I'd stick with that until she seems like she isn't starving any more.

    If something is wrong with the strips, and you can afford to, I might go get the ones you think work best with your meter. Maybe take it along and ask? MThat might give you peace of mind that you're looking at accurate numbers and dosing correctly for them?

    We never have a problem with too much data, but you need to be able to sleep and relax and enjoy her, just cuddling without a poke sometimes. You won't cure her in a day or a week, even with lots of numbers. It's a process. And now that you are able to test with confidence, you can keep her safe, low or high. You both are doing great!

    I got a cold flu shot once. It hurt!
     
    Danielle Hrubiak likes this.
  49. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    @Sue and Oliver (GA) ...she's got the correct strips....the issue is that Arkray (the maker of the Relion meters) recently came out with new strips with "Plus" in the name for both their Glucocard 01 and their Confirm and Micro strips

    Some WalMart's still have some of the "old" strips (without the "plus") and some have the new stock (and some have both) I use the Glucocard 01 strips in my Relion meter but buy them from ADW since they're cheaper and all the new strips I just got are "Plus" strips

    I only had a couple of "old" strips to compare with the "new" ones and they seemed to be about the same....maybe a tad higher but whether that's an actual difference or not I really couldn't say since in our case we were talking about an 85 (old) versus a 92 (new) and that's not a big enough difference to worry about
     
  50. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    I would estimate somewhere between 2-4 cans...depending on the day; with chicken as well. So some days she is eating quite a bit, but she must need it. I have been trying to weigh her every few days-though my scale isn't the greatest-and it doesn't appear that she's lost any more weight which is a good thing... so until she is stable on a good dose and her hunger decreases--ill just allow her to eat what she wants of the low carb food.
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2015
  51. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    Well, I had a glimmer of hope for a quick minute that the dose was finally kicking in and going to do well for her. Things were starting to improve yesterday and I was hopeful the bounce was over---and then... she sky rocketed this afternoon. Had awesome numbers last night and earlier today---then slammed by a 441 reading. :-( I have updated her SS. I really despise this bouncing thing... Grrrr... :mad:
     
  52. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    I know it is frustrating, but many cats do it. And they do it until they don't. She dropped nicely and had a good nadir and then, yes, bounced up fast. I think I'd hold the dose for a while and see if she gets used to those blues. Then you can push a little and see if she will go down into lower ranges.

    Interesting that she is flatter at night. I would guess that is either a difference in food or activity level.
     
  53. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    Abilene has had some decent numbers today. But I do have a great concern... just a bit ago I took her BG before I was planning to head to bed. I pricked one ear and had to work it a bit to get a drop of blood as my aim was slightly off my ideal area which really allows her to bleed wonderfully on her own. So I milked the prick for a second and was having a bit of trouble but figured Id see if the meter would be happy with what I had gotten before having to prick her again. The meter did not give me error and read the blood sample. It read 267. Well 2 hours prior she was 195. It just felt iffy to me since the blood sample I got seemed a bit watery and lighter in color and not the vibrant red I usually get. So I pricked again and retested. I got 150 this time. This throws me for a loop now. How many other readings could have been off this much if I had retested right away? Is this meter I have accepting blood samples as sufficient that really aren't an accurate sample to read? I guess I need to be much more aware and specific of the blood sample I am going to test and if it doesn't look right, prick again just to be safe... I am just really surprised at the huge difference in the readings...
     
  54. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2010
    All meters in the US are allowed to read+/- 20% from what a lab would get.
    If 1.2 * the low number is greater than 0.8 * the high number, they may be considered the same.
    Yours aren't overlapping. I'd go for the best 2 out of 3 and assume that either the sample wasn't sufficient or the strip(s) might have been defective..
     
    Danielle Hrubiak likes this.
  55. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    Sorry to keep bugging you all, but you really give me peace of mind... I noticed Abby is still peeing very large clumps. I do not scoop more than 1-3 large clumps in a 24 hour period, so she isn't going constantly. But I am just wondering if this is okay? Or if her pee clumps should be getting much smaller by now. I give a decent amount of water in her wet food each time, so she is taking in a substantial amount of water---I just want to know if the large clumps are okay?
    She is also starting to become very angry at injection time which stresses me out to keep her steady as she tries to jump up (I give injections by myself), and makes me worry I am doing it wrong and hurting her? Any tips or tricks? It seems her skin has become more tense since we first started---I used to get a good tenting...but recently it has been a lot tighter to pull up-maybe its just her tensing up from being nervous?... And just to make me feel better about injections--IF I were to be hitting muscle---would I feel the tough resistance or would it slide in smoothly like it does subcutaneously? I am paranoid I am maybe hitting muscle if she's becoming this unhappy, but I do not feel any resistance which I stick the syringe in? Ay yiyi...this is stressful.
     
  56. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    It could be that she's starting to gain a little weight now that she's on insulin so there's just less skin to "pull away" from the muscle...You might try just grabbing some fur between your thumb and index finger and then "roll" your wrist a little to gently pull the skin up a little. (I'll see if I can find the picture)

    She's still pretty new to the dance, so it may take a little longer before you see a big drop in the pee totals

    It's also really important that you stay calm...our kitties can feel what we feel, so if you're all upset and nervous, she's going to be too. Try singing!! As funny as it sounds (and despite the fact you may get some funny looks from Abby), singing makes you use a different part of your brain and can almost force you to relax.

    May I suggest The Hokey Pokey song?....LOL

    This isn't a very good picture (I'll continue looking for the better one) but it'll give you an idea of what I'm talking about. Grab some fur between your thumb and index finger and then just "roll" your wrist (in this picture, you'd "roll" to the left..towards her head)....where the fur "breaks", there's a little strip of skin to shoot in to

    china skin (Custom).jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2015
  57. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2010
    It'd be OK to touch base with your vet and ask if renal insufficiency and hyperthyroidism were ruled out (probably, but just checking). Those may cause excess urination too.
     
  58. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    Would a typical blood panel have picked that up? If so, they said everything else looked pretty good minus the BG obviously, and her liver enzymes, triglycerides, and cholesterol were slightly elevated-which they chalked up to the uncontrolled diabetes. I'm not sure which vet to ask, lol. I've pretty much abandoned them both.
     
  59. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    As far as her urination goes---I don't know that I could consider it excessive per se. I am pumping her up with water in her food on top of the water that it already is canned with. So it only makes sense that she has to excrete that water. And since she doesn't head upstairs often and is usually downstairs in the living room with me, she ends up holding it & only urinating a few times a day thus her pee is bigger those few times. I checked for ketones today, and it was negative. But if you think the larger clumps could possibly be an issue still, I'll call the vet to confirm, as well as keep a watch to see if it decreases. Maybe I am adding too much water to her food?
     
  60. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    There's really no such thing as too much water, especially when it comes to our sugarcats...Keeps their kidney in better shape

    I'd call your vet that did the last bloodwork and make sure they checked her renal function (I can't imagine they didn't...BUN and Creatinine are part of most basic bloodwork) and thyroid

    If they did, and they were pretty normal, you may just need to give her a little more time on insulin.

    You might want to add a litter box to the floor of the house she spends the most time on too...If she has any arthritis or neuropathy in her legs, she may be holding it to keep from going up and down stairs any more than absolutely necessary too
     
  61. Danielle Hrubiak

    Danielle Hrubiak Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    She's only had one blood panel done and that was when she was first diagnosed a few weeks ago. I will call to check tomorrow. I am also still waiting for her urine culture results...its been like 2 weeks now.
    You know, I have been watching her the past day or two bc her back legs seem kind of sluggish. She's a countertop kitty...and although she makes it up 99% of the time, she's been missing a little more lately and she's even tumbled off once the other day :-(. And just the way she walks--her back legs seem stiff? It isn't extremely obvious, so I've been trying to pay closer attention to it to see if its just in my head or if she really is having slight issues with her back legs... I've also noticed she's extending them out a lot-as if to stretch them, while she's standing. Is this neuropathy something to be extremely concerned about and what should I be watching for, specifically? Or is it just a secondary issue that will dissolve when she becomes more regulated? And does it cause any long term problems?

    Good idea, I will go ahead and put another box down here for easier access.
     
  62. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    What a lot of us have added for diabetic neuropathy is Zobaline for cats, but any B-12 methylcobalamin can help but make sure it doesn't have any sugar or xylitol in it

    With the Zobaline, you just crush it and add it to food. It doesn't seem to have much of a taste, so most cats take it willingly
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page