Dose advice for another sam

Hi - would appreciate it if somebody could look at Sam's spreadsheet please. I have tried to stick to 0.8 unit, but I think that his BG is going up and also he is drinking more too. Gave him 1 unit tonight and think I should try him back up to 1 unit twice a day?
But would like thoughts if that seems the best thing to do
Thanks

 

I agree. It looks like keeping him on 0.8 units consistently has given him some nice numbers in blues and yellows...but of course you want him to come down more than he has. Since you gave 0.8 a good try for 6 cycles, I'd stick consistently to 1 unit for the next several cycles unless he's too low to shoot. I'd be sure to get a before bed test tonight (which it looks like you always do, but I just have to say it ). It'll be interesting to see what this does!

 

Thanks for your reply. Yep usually do a bed test so that I feel suitably happy enough to sleep - or can get up through the night and test if not.

His BG has felt more settled on 0.8 but aware that it is still too high. Hope that increasing it a wee bit will help.

 

BG at +3 hours is 3.8.
Too much of a drop?? He has eaten and will test him again in a couple of hours.

 

In the morning what is a 'safe' BG to give him 1 unit? When should I reduce the dose?

Anxious cat mum...

 

He's at 3.8?

 

Tess, if he's at 3.8 you need to give Sam a little bit of high carb food, just a teaspoon or even just gravy or honey/karo asap.

 

Please let me know you gave some high carb food or honey Tess. I'm concerned

 

He has had his usual cat food and has come up to 4.
Given him half a small can - about 40g - of gravy cat food.

 

Have got honey and syrup buy last time he had gravy cat food it took his BG back up.
Didn't want it to shoot up too quickly either?

Cat food all gone and says he is still hungry so at least he is more than willing to eat.

Just feel panic that such a few more drops of insulin does that and how we get him better without risking typos

Edited typos = hypos...

 

Ok good. Phew! Don't give too much all in one go, you need to be able to feed little and often. If Sam gets full he won't eat anything to allow you to keep his bg up 3.8 is the same as 4 allowing for variation in the meter reading. How long ago did he test 3.8?

 

Tested at 3.8 about 45 mins ago (21.45 in UK) and just retested now at 4 (22.35)

 

He will be more than willing to eat more...

 

Ok I would add a bit of honey into a bit of food and see if he will eat that. He's not really going up just staying the same. A few biscuits like kibble 3-4 would also help if your have them? although they take a bit longer to get into his system they last longer.

 

I'm keeping an eye on him. Make sure you update your SS regularly so we can see the status of his BG. It seems his good dose is between 0.8 u and 1.0 u. Tomorrow AM you can try eyeballing 0.9 u. It's possible with the U100 syringes.
Meanwhile, test again soon and post the result here.

 

I see the BG of 5.1 at +5. You can try not feeding and retesting in 20 minutes or so to see if he's holding without the help of food.

 

He is up to 5.1 now so that seems a bit more of an increase. I'm going to give him the other half of his gravy can.

Do find it hard to think of tomorrow when I'm going to have to go to work. He does have lunch on a timer and I will see on the side of caution with dosing. Glad I have the u100 syringes and I can see 0.9 is more possible with them. Also goes to show how sensitive he is to that couple of wee drops more insulin.

I thought the practical side of learning to inject and test would be the hardest bit. This is so much scarier.

Am so grateful for the advice. Thank you, thank you, thank you

Tess and Sam

 

Will do. Guess if he is managing without the gravy food He would be better without the rest of that and bit of his usual food if he needs anything?

 

Well dang! Just kidding about 1 unit tomorrow!

 

Trust a cat - especially a sam-cat - to be unpredictable

 

Yep! This is where the rubber hits the road! Aren't you glad you're testing at home and that you have those nifty U100 syringes for fractional dosing?

Re food: you can probably give him his regular low carb food now if he needs propping up.

 

He is 5.5 now - that is at + 5.5 hours, so fingers crossed.
Need to try and get some sleep - need to get up 5.5 hours for work
Any advice re dosing in the morning gratefully received though I will be very cautious as I will be at work all day.
Tbanks for the support tonight.

 

The lows tonight will make him more insulin sensitive for the next cycle or two. It might be wise to give 0.8 u tomorrow AM for that reason and go up to 0.9 u in a couple of days.

 

Thought that might be the best plan - let things settle and then thing again about increasing dose in a couple of days.
Would appreciate somebody to check our SS before we do that. But my gut feeling is that is what we need to do.

 

We can check your SS before you increase. Are you going with 0.8 u tomorrow AM?

 

Definitely! Are you talking about checking your SS in the AM? I'll be around tomorrow at roughly 5 (sometimes about 1o min after) AM Central Time. I'm usually available a bit after 5 to a bit after 6 AM CT on weekdays, so if you need something in the AM between those times, let me know. I try to always check in when I first get up (after I feed the little ones demanding my attention ).

 

Thanks so much. Unless his BG is very low I think that 0.8 is probably the way to go.

But problem still remains about how to increase dose to get his BG lower whole keeping him as sage as possible.

 

Looks like Sam might prefer the Finer doses . I'd say as long as he's over 12.8 in the morning, 0.8U should be OK. You can also leave some MC wet foods in his feeder if you're worried. When my boy starts giving lower PS's, and I have to be gone until like +11, I will leave MC food for his catfoodsicle

 

16.3 this morning so bounced back higher so 0.8 should be OK.
He is as bright as a button ready for a day of sleeping on the sofa. I feel mega tired ready for a day at work. Doesn't feel exactly fair
But he's ok and that is the main thing.
Just feel so worried about where we go from here to get his BG down safely

 

Sorry I had to go last night Tess, you were in excellent hands lol I'm so pleased everything is ok.

 

No need to apologise at all!
What kind of dose do you think I should be giving him tonight?
Didn't feel like his BG was low enough one 0.8 bit scared of giving him more. Gut feeling is that I do need to increase but maybe trying to measure the 0.85. Amazing and scary what a wee drop extra of insulin does. Bit need him well and his drinking has increased recently.

 

I know it doesn't feel like 0.8 was enough, but remember that what you're seeing is almost SURELY a bounce from last night's numbers. Which means it's really a false high.

Why don't we see where he is tonight before deciding? I might stick to 0.8 (partially so you can get some sleep...that is important!) and also to give him time to clear the bounce and get that insulin sensitivity out of his system. But I'd still wait to decide until later.

Hope you have plenty of coffee today!

 

I agree - hold the 0.8 u for a couple of cycles. A little high is not dangerous while too low can be. The next increment you could try on the U100 syringes is a"fat" 0.8 u, ie., the top of the plunger touching the bottom (relative to the needle of the syringe) of the 0.8 u mark. If you try for 0.9 u you'd get the plunger top in the middle of that tiny blank space between 0.8 u and 1.0 u. This kind of dose finessing works well for some cats - mine is one.

 

Thanks. So - obviously depending on how he is - I could do 0.8 maybe tonight and tomorrow morning and them fat 0.8 maybe tomorrow night. At least I am at home overnight.
I know this morning is high from his dip. I am more concerned that it was generally higher recently. Just want him better and don't want to think of him getting worse as he is higher. If that makes any sense?
Worried cat mum again.. .
But 14-16 is lower than him being 28ish at the start so I suppose that is progress!

 

Slow and steady wins this FD race. You can't push the BG level down, you have to coax it down with small, careful increases in dose. He's made a lot of progress. Instead of looking at individual numbers, look at the array of colours on your SS. You're now getting yellows, blues and some darks greens. Gone are the pinks (mostly) and reds.

 

I think that's a much better way of looking at it. Much as i know the vet was talking rubbish and if I'd followed their advice I don't think I would still with them, they were very much wanting quick results. And I suppose for me I want him well SO much I get scared when he is still relatively high. But they are better and have to hang on to that.
Anyway I'm back from work now. I'm tired after next to no sleep and worrying about Sam home alone all day. Needless to say he's fine. Wanted his usual picked up for cuddles the moment you are through the door and is now purring on my knee. We live to fight another day...

 

BG 16.4 tonight . Know it will be a bit all over the place. I have given him 0.8 unit tonight and will do the same tomorrow morning. I'll be at work through the day so it feels safer to kncrease the dose at night when im at home.
Hopefully if things then settle I maybe should be brave and give him 0.9/small 1 tomorrow night and watch him closely???

 

Some kitties respond dramatically on a dose change, and then settle down. So that 1 unit might not actually be too much. It may just be that Sam needs teeny tiny movements at a time to get to a good dose. As Kris mentioned, her cat is one of the ones that needs just a drop of movement at a time. More than that and he overreacts.

So on future increases, I would say yes, make sure you can monitor, and maybe go with 0.1u increases at a time instead of 0.2u increases. Or go with the 0.2u, on a weekend when you can monitor several cycles in a row. My guess is that he would have been okay on the next cycle, but you can't know that until you try it, and it can be a little nerve wracking while you watch and wait and test.

 

Thanks that makes sense and it seems that very little slow changes are going to be best for him.

I do worry about him when I'm at work but unfortunately need to go and earn money to keep him in the style he expects

Really appreciate all the help

 

We all know what it's like to worry about our babies! We worry when they're high...then they get lower and we worry about that! You're in good company.

Do remember that Sam is more than just a number. You have to pay attention to how he seems and how he feels as well as his BG. If he's acting normal, he's probably fine.

 

T

Thanks Rachel
I am trying to remember he is more than a number...
I just want the numbers to behave

his BG was 24.8 this morning - he does seem absolutely fine. He has every so often had a different sort of food which is supposed to be OK. He had it last night and I wonder if that's not suiting him?
Gave him 0.9 this morning so see how he is tonight and try and up the dose just by that 0.1.

 

I really do think you're just seeing some bouncing...which is totally normal (even though it sucks). Let's see what that slight increase does tonight...hopefully it brings him gently down!

 

He might need a few cycles to settle at the 0.9 u dose. I wouldn't increase to 1.0 u just yet.

 

We will be sticking to 0.9 for a good few cycles. Not brave enough for 1 whole unit just yet after Sunday night