Geppetto, AMPS 241, PMPS 187, +2.5 at 88! Should I be concerned about hypo or celebrating good numbe

AshleyEmmons

AshleyEmmons

Member Since 2019
I’m looking for thoughts and feedback on Geppetto’s BG curve today. Were using AccuTrak, as recommended by our vet. We’re still continuing to test for the rest of the day, of course. However, we’re seeing significantly different numbers this time around. They’re also still not where we want them to be. Her spreadsheet is linked. Thanks for any thoughts!
-Ashley

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Qj1fcVfSqqDJt-GmFxCLU7ZVtYqLKTs4yA8X2EM4jJ4
 
Hello and welcome. How many shots are you giving a day? The spreadsheet just shows an amount in the AM unit cell. Lantus does better in cats being dosed twice a day. It's also best to test before each and every shot, to make sure it's safe to give insulin. It's hard for me to make sense of just one days worth of numbers.

As for meters, is that the Accucheck meter, or the Alphatrak? I have never heard of the AccuTrak.

The DM, as long as it's the plain one and not the savory selects, isn't high in carbs. Just not great ingredients.
 
Hi! Thanks for replying. You should be able to see three days of curves on the spreadsheet. Did i screw that up? We started at 1u and are now at 3U. We’re dosing 2x daily - 8 am/pm.

It’s the DM savory selects (thus the weaning off).

We’re using the AlphaTrak. I am just new to this and messed up the name. Sorry! Thanks for any insight!
 
I see three days of curves, but basically no tests in between the curves. There is a U cell in the PM cycle too. You should put the dose given those nights in there too. You should also be testing on the days between curves as it could be a bad day for a curve. Your vet also has had you increase by too much at once. With yellow numbers on 1.0 units, your next dose should have been 1.25 units. Cats are sensitive to small changes in dose.

I kind of guessed you were using the AlphaTrak, we also call it the AT, cause for some reason vets like people to spend a lot of money on test strips. Most people here use human meters, because the test strips are so much cheaper. The Accucheck is one such meter.
 
I did not know I was supposed to be testing between curves! We were just told to do curves on the weekends. I’ll be sure to add the PM dosing too.

Does the human meter show different values than the pet meter? When our vet recommended it she said it’s because it was the only meter that had been shown valid for feline testing.

I’m so grateful for your help.
 
If we should have gone up a smaller dosage than we have, what do you recommend we do now? I have a call with the vet tomorrow. Based on my research, she appears more knowledgeable about feline diabetes than many vets, but certainly does not specialize in it.
 
Welcome. Love the name Geppetto.

If you look at posts by others, there is usually a link to the kitties spreadsheet in the signature lines at the bottom. You can see most people test multiple times a day for various reasons. You will also notice how a kitties glucose can change throughout a day and from day to day.
 
Oh wow! So it’s pretty common to test daily. Huh. We have not gotten BG testing down without two of us present. :-/
 
For now, I would stick to this dose and gather blood sugar data when you can. Many kitties go lower at night,so a before bed test is good if both are home then. Tagging @Sue and Luci who might have some tips on getting your kitty to be testable by just one. She started out needing two as well.

And some homework for you, read the yellow starred sticky notes on the top of this forum.keep asking questions, we love to help here.
 
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It helps to pick a spot to test and use that spot each time. For me I have a throw rug I put on my table. Pick Olive up and put her on it. She sits right down and starts head butting and purring. Sometimes she's hard to test because she won't keep her head still. After test giving a treat really helps them "learn" to sit for test. Ollie also knows she gets fed after each test. They do learn and it helps to have a routine. Took 3 days to train Olive. She only let's one ear get tested though. Using triple antibiotic ointment with pain relief after test really helps to.
 
Thank you. She just tested 88. I’m not sure if I should be celebrating or concerned about overnight hypo! Any thoughts?!
 
I would start with giving her a bit of her regular low carb food and testing again in an hour. If she's lower, then give her some higher carb food. If you don't have it already, the New to the Group Sticky Note has instructions on how to handle hypos. I think the 3 units is too high a dose and you should lower the dose tomorrow, maybe 2.5 units?
 
Good Morning Ashley! Welcome to the forum!

Yes, as Wendy mentioned Luci is one of those cats who required a pair of 'wranglers' to get her into position for testing. Neither of us alone had enough arms to restrain her, hold her ear, hold the lancet and poke the edge of her ear. The first time we got her into position - we used a bath towel on our kitchen island so we could both have easy access to her little wriggling body...it took me five pokes to get the test.:arghh: It seemed everything went wrong and we were both exhausted (my DH and I!) Luci seemed to handle it all ok - especially because she got her favorite treat every time! I was a mess!!! How, I thought are we going to be able to do this multiple times a day???? OMG!:eek: I thought that was ALL we'd ever be doing!! It seemed like an insurmountable task!! We were doomed :arghh::arghh:

However, we kept testing her - the two of us - but it wasn't enough - because it was difficult having two people at home at the same time - more testing was needed. Finally one day my DH did it solo...Luci wasn't trying her best to get away...he'd put her on the towel and kinda lean gently on her - holding her ear with the warmed rice filled sock (we like that method best) and then doing the poke...food was always involved quickly after the test - and she knew it! :woot:

Fast forward to now - Luci comes when called - I whistle for her - place the testing towel on the counter and she jumps up there - sits down - usually - and seems terribly interested in the antibiotic ointment - she likes to lick the tube!!! Ick...must be smelly or something...many times she sits there and purrs - I get out the supplies and do the test - and off she goes to her feeding bowl...and if I forget to feed her - god forbid! She sits there and waits looking at me!! Uh oh...I've forgotten what I 'owe' her for being a good girl. :D

Take a look at our SS - I test a lot. I found out early on that Luci is a 'diver'...when she starts down, she doesn't seem to have brakes and heads quickly down down down...so I have to watch her carefully for the first 3-4 hours after her shot - and feed accordingly. It's been a harrowing year for us...DH often takes the night duty as he is more of a 'night' person...I get up early and take the day shift...Luci after all of this is doing just peachy and running the show around here. DH and I are merely her peeps and behave accordingly :p

Please post and let us know how Geppetto did after his 88 last night...did he turn around or keep going down? That's the 'magic' of this whole testing thing. You'll get to know his patterns over time and when you might need to test again based on that waning number - or not, if the numbers are going up...lots to learn...but you'll get it..just takes a bit of time and patience. Geppetto is a beauty btw! We'll be looking for you on the board :bighug::bighug:
 
Ahhhh! Thank you so much. That is super reassuring. Geppetto seems to do well for the first few tests in a day but then I think she figures out what is going on and resists the remaining tests. We’ll keep Practicing!

I gave her some regular (pre DM) treats and a small amount of honey to keep her from going hypo overnight. We were unable to get another reading and we were all exhausted. I kept a close eye on her all night. We left her dinner out since she only ate half. She had finished her dinner by this morning. This morning she tested at 158. We gave her breakfast and she immediately started eating. Planning not to shoot this morning.

Ughh. This is so stressful.
 
During the day I test Ollie when she is sleeping. I'm done before she even realizes it. At shot time she is sitting by her bowl waiting for me to pick up and put her on the table, she knows she gets her main meals right after.
 
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