? Glucose reading of 31.7mol/l

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Sophia Bullock, Mar 26, 2017.

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  1. Sophia Bullock

    Sophia Bullock New Member

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    Mar 7, 2017
    Myself, my partner and my cat are new to feline diabetes. She was supposed to have her first glucose curve last Friday after starting 1 unit of ProZinc twice a day. After telling the vets that she hates other cats they put her in a room with others and she flipped out. My partner had to go to the vets and physically get her out the holding cage as she went for anyone who went near her. So we told the vet we would do her curve at home. Today is the first day we have had a chance to do it as we are testing every two hours and it requires two of us at the moment.

    She had her shot after food at 7.45am and she's due food and then another shot at 7.45pm. Her bg lowered through out the day from 27.6 before food to 19.2 at its lowest (midday).

    We have just taken another reading and she's now reading at 31.7. She is a little scared of the whole process and really doesn't like the sound of the lancet pen (think we might switch to free hand).

    I know this level is high but is it call a vet high? She has been quite lethargic since she was diagnosed nearly 3 weeks ago but that's about the only symptom she is showing of high bg?

    Any help would be hugely appreciated!

    Thanks,
    Juniper and her people.
     
  2. Yong & Maury GA

    Yong & Maury GA Well-Known Member

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    Jan 11, 2017
    Last edited: Mar 26, 2017
  3. Squeaky and KT (GA)

    Squeaky and KT (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Jul 19, 2011
    Welcome 'Juniper and her people'! To answer this above, the vet trip and especially the whole occurrence with Juniper would have caused high bg's due to stress but that's over. This may be partially stress too due to the new happenings with this curve. If she's eaten, it would be food induced too....

    HUGS! Welcome again!
     
  4. Sophia Bullock

    Sophia Bullock New Member

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    Mar 7, 2017
    Thanks! Her results are as follows:
    AM pre-food: 27.6
    AMPS: 28.9 (we don't inject her straight away we give her time to eat first)
    +2.25hr: 19.7
    +2: 19.2
    +2: 21.3
    +2: 28.1
    +2: 31.7

    Doing another post-food preshot reading in about 15 mins.

    I have considered a spreadsheet sheet however I'm using the PetDialog app (it creates a curve as you add each reading) to record, a diary to record AND the AlphaTrak daily journal (may as well!).

    Thanks again!
     
  5. Yong & Maury GA

    Yong & Maury GA Well-Known Member

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    Jan 11, 2017
    That sounds like a neat app. So your readings are for +2.25, +4, +6, +8, +10 and getting ready to post PMPS. The spreadsheet is super helpful here and more experienced members can give better dosing advice and answer questions. Are her pre-shot readings usually 27.6 or higher? How long has she been on 1U? (spreadsheet would tell us that with a click ;)) Trying to help but without access to her number history I have to ask questions, sorry :(. Also, can you test for ketones?

    @Kris & Teasel Trying to help here but need some help with the mmol/L. I think Juniper might be bouncing from the 19.2 but I'm not sure how big of a drop that was, and it seems like she hit nadir around +4 which is odd for Prozinc, I think (hey I rhymed!)
     
    Last edited: Mar 26, 2017
  6. Kris & Teasel

    Kris & Teasel Well-Known Member

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    Aug 17, 2016
    I'm in Canada and we use mmol/L. Your numbers tell me that the insulin is having an effect and, plotted on a graph, would give a classic "smile-shaped" curve. That's all good. The low number is still high so that tells me that the dose will have to be raised slowly and carefully. How many days has she been on this dose? If it's at least a week you can try increasing the dose AM and PM to 1.25 u. Do your syringes have half unit marks on them? If so, eyeball the increase. Even without half unit marks you can eyeball the increase but it'll be harder to be consistent dose to dose. One thing that helps is to draw up some coloured water into a "reference" syringe to your idea of 1.25 u and use it as your guide for dosing.
     
  7. Sophia Bullock

    Sophia Bullock New Member

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    Mar 7, 2017
    Sorry, I totally didn't answer any of the other questions you asked! (Thanks for the heads-up on the spreadsheet). The readings today are her first real ones. She was tested when she went to the vets yesterday and was around 17 at 11am (3 hours 15 after her shot). When she was diagnosed nearly three weeks ago it was 22.6. Sorry I don't have more information.

    She's been on 1u twice a day for 17 days now. We've been good with timings and no treats between her two meals (she used to be a grazer until the vet told us she was to be no more!)

    I can't test for ketones unfortunately.

    Sorry I'm in the UK and am used to working with mmol/l! So:

    486 mg/dL ?
    AMPS: 520
    +2.25: 355
    +4: 346
    +6: 383
    +8: 506
    +10: 571
    +11.75 (PMPS): 436 (24.2mmol/L) Her last reading was much more relaxed than some of the others! Managed to do it without restraining her!

    Hope this is more helpful?

    I plan on phoning the vet tomorrow to tell them the results so hopefully they can recommend a change in dose.

    Thanks!
     
  8. Sophia Bullock

    Sophia Bullock New Member

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    Mar 7, 2017
    I'm in the UK hence the mmol/L! Yup, smiley curve but less smiley numbers... She's been on the dose for 17 days now and I do have syringes with half units yes. Will be phoning the vet and sending him the numbers tomorrow so hopefully he'll suggest a small increase!

    Thanks!
     
  9. Kris & Teasel

    Kris & Teasel Well-Known Member

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    Aug 17, 2016
    Be aware that we recommend smaller dose increases than what most vets will recommend. That's because it's too easy to zoom right past a good dose when increasing by 0.5 u or more. At a dose of 1 u, 0.25 u is a 25% increase and that's large!
     
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  10. Diana&Tom

    Diana&Tom Well-Known Member

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    Dec 29, 2009
    Hi from a fellow UKer (south of the border!)

    Yes, these numbers are still high so you will need to raise the dose, carefully, to get lower pre-shot numbers as well as lower numbers in the curve.

    Can you tell us a little more about Juniper so we can help you more... what food she eats being quite important information. Vets like to make you buy prescription dry food but it is not good for diabetic cats or any cats come to that. If you are feeding dry we will encourage you to transition to low-carb wet, as long as you are regularly checking BGs and can be sure the wet food isn't dropping her TOO much (unlikely but something to be aware of).

    And as others have said, it would be helpful if you can give us a link to somewhere that we can see your BG numbers. Meanwhile, the way of giving data so we can see what's what is

    AMPS (morning pre-shot) -
    + 2 -
    + 4 -
    + 6 -
    + 8 -
    +10 -
    PMPS (evening pre-shot) -

    --------
    Just seen your new messages as I've been typing... well done for converting the numbers... those are US ones so some members here will relate to those while the rest of us were fine with your first ones! If you have time you could give both (just put one set in brackets). And OK so she's been on the 1u dose for 17 days... almost certainly needs a small increase.
    Good luck and keep us posted.
     
  11. Sophia Bullock

    Sophia Bullock New Member

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    Mar 7, 2017
    I will remember that when he recommends something!
     
  12. Sophia Bullock

    Sophia Bullock New Member

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    Mar 7, 2017
    She used to be on dry Whiskas throughout the day and a pouch of wet food (usually Gourmet/Sheba because she is a bit of a food snob) for dinner. Since her insulin regime she has the option of 1-1.5 tins/pouches of Gourmet/Sheba (preferably pate or terrine as they are lower in carbs but she's a gravy eater and hates jelly, this is our compromise...) or dry Whiskas. I didn't want to change her food type as well as the routine AND the insulin and have her go hypo. More recently we are slowly replacing her Whiskas with grain free high protein alternative dry and I hope to perhaps phase our dry altogether in future...

    Thanks for your response :)
     
  13. Diana&Tom

    Diana&Tom Well-Known Member

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    Dec 29, 2009
    You seem to have a good handle on the basics. Great start!
     
  14. srk4cats

    srk4cats Well-Known Member

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    Jan 19, 2017
    I, too, gave up on the lancet pen because of the noise, but I tried it again today with no results. I ended up just using the lancet itself and got blood (and a reading), but it seems to hurt Chloe more when I don't use the lancet pen. I will keep trying with the pen. Sieden made me an excellent video of how to do the testing. I'm not sure how to forward it, but if you search her name, I''m sure she would send you a copy.
     
  15. Yong & Maury GA

    Yong & Maury GA Well-Known Member

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    Jan 11, 2017
    What is the food called? Grain free does not always mean carb free or low carb. Don't worry too much about the numbers, I just find Teasel's SS and look at the ledger lol
     
    Kris & Teasel likes this.
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