I do not think our 1st curve is going well, should I just stop for today?

Hi. We are doing our first curve today, and the numbers make no sense. The AMPS reading was 198 which seems way too low for her. I did a control solution test on the AlphaTRAK, and it worked okay, so I do not think there is a problem with the meter. I went ahead with her 2 unit dose (was so unsure on that). Then, at +2, her number was 243, higher! It took a couple of pokes to get blood that time, so I assumed that could have stressed her and made the number a bit elevated. At +4, it went down to 221. Then, at +6, it was 331, HIGHER! I have only been testing for a few days, but the other 2 mid-cycle tests I did had results of 170 and 165.

This seems like a useless curve at this point. I assume that getting poked every couple of hours is stressing her to the point of impacting the results (as I have mentioned in other threads, she really hates the testing), and I have no idea why AMPS was so low. I just do not feel that it could possibly have been accurate. Is there any point in doing the +8 and +10?

This is so disappointing and confusing.

 

There's really not much "stress" involved when home testing.....the little poke isn't enough to cause a huge dump of cortisol into the bloodstream like they'd have after a car trip and sitting at a vets office.

I think Mia is just acting like a newly diagnosed cat......insulin is a hormone....it doesn't work like most drugs where you take 2 aspirin and your headache goes away....Also, how the insulin is working can vary greatly from shot to shot due to differences in absorption rates.

This is another reason why random daily testing is better than doing scheduled curves....you're more likely to get a realistic picture of what's really going on with random tests every day

Don't take one set of numbers too seriously. We really watch for "patterns" over time more than one set of numbers, but it's all good data to have

 

Hi Mia's Mom!
We're still new here but I'd like to offer some advice. Continue with the curve. You're going to need more data and surely more future curves. It's hard to make sense of our sugar babies numbers especially in the beginning. You're doing great! Hopefully in a few weeks with more tests we may be able to see a pattern.
I know it's frustrating but with consistency you will see improvements. While my Beenie isn't regulated she is under control. There have been improvements in her activity and behavior. The improvement in BG numbers, for most, take time.
Keep up the good work!

 

+8 = 377

 

Looking at your spreadsheet it could be that Mia is in the middle of a bounce. When numbers drop lower than your kitty is "used" to the body dumps out stored glucose which raises the glucose levels in the body. This can cause higher numbers for up to 3 days until the bounce clears.

You don't have enough data to be able to say for sure, but there is a possibility that the numbers dropped lower during the night and the low preshot number was just as the numbers were on the rise. Unfortunately our kitties sometimes bounce just when we are planning on doing a curve. It would be helpful if you could get an evening test at as close to +4 after the shot as works for you. This would help with data for whether the numbers may be dropping lower.

 

Okay, I will. Thank you.

 

@Tuxedo Mom , why +4? I just want to understand the significance of that time slot.

Mid-cycle is +6. I know I do not have enough data yet to know when Mia's nadir normally occurs, but I read that it will be somewhere around that mid-cycle point. So, my understanding of how it 'should' look is that the numbers begin falling after the shot until around that mid-point, then they begin to rise. So, am I looking for anything different at +4 than just a normal lower number than at pre-shot?

 

+4 should give you a good idea of where the cycle is going. A +6 would be closer to the nadir, but it may not work in well with your sleep times for the evening cycle. If the +3 or +4 number shows a larger drop then it is an indication that the cycle could be active and numbers may drop low. With Prozinc the "usual" onset is around +2 with a nadir around +6, but every kitty can react differently. If you have the time to do more tests such as +2 +4 and +6 it would give some good data.

 

+10 = 351

Couldn't our first curve have been normal?? Guess not.

I feel SO bad. The exact moment I stuck the needle in, she yanked her head away (that is a first), and it actually put a little tear on the outside edge of her ear. Please tell me someone else has had this happen before. I do not even know if that can heal back together. My poor baby is going to look like a raggedy, beat up tom cat.

 

This really looks like a bounce cycle...which always seems to happens we decide to do a curve..SHEESH!!

I have on a number of occasions ended up with a tear in the ear when one of my kitties jerked while I was testing. I applied some extra pressure for a little lobger and stayed away from that spot for a few days and everything healed up fine. Some people will put a little ointment such as polysporin or neosporin on the ear, but I never have.

 

So, that means her dose is too high, correct? I see that you use a different insulin. Maybe someone reading this can offer insight specific to ProZinc and whether I should drop to 1.5 units. Or, if not, I will post that question on the ProZinc forum.

Oh good! I mean, not that you have torn your cat's ears, but that I am not the only one and that it may heal up fine.

Thank you. Everyone is so nice and helpful here. Cat people are the best.

 

I am familiar with Prozinc although I do not use it. Prozinc is a good insulin and dosing can be changed according to the preshot and nadirs. For the best help there are some great experienced people on the Prozinc forum that can definitely give some good dosing advice so please do post on there for some help.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/prozinc-pzi.24/