? Looking for Spreadsheet input please

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Tucker&Me, Jun 30, 2015.

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  1. Tucker&Me

    Tucker&Me Member

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    Jun 24, 2015
    I am looking for eval from anyone who can peruse and advise. I have been giving mini meals throughout the day, as I have notated in each cell reading, and have withheld past 2 hrs..now his numbers are rising. Does food help?
     
  2. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    The thought is that mini meals help support the pancreas, but food also raises blood glucose levels. So you feed and work around it with the insulin.

    Today is interesting. I would have thought you might have gotten a sharper drop with the higher dose. The interesting thing for me is that he was flat today, which isn't a usual N cycle. I'd just keep doing what you're doing; the more data you get, the more likely you'll be able to change the dose to get better levels.

    Today wasn't bad, just different. I'd stick with your dose and see what the next few cycles look like.

    No only is this not a fast process - it is complicated and doesn't always seem to make sense. You just have to keep plugging away. The best thing is that you know how to test so you can keep him safe while you add more data and fill in the picture.
     
  3. Tucker&Me

    Tucker&Me Member

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    Jun 24, 2015
    Am I giving too much food?
     
  4. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Not necessarily. If he is hungry, you want him to have enough to eat, as long as he is not overweight. Did you take the same amount of food you were feeding and divide it into the smaller meals? I'd just work with it and adjust the insulin as you need to.
     
  5. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

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    Oct 6, 2010
    Unregulated diabetics may need as much as 50% more food because they have difficulty absorbing the food eaten.
    How much are you feeding?
    Have you checked this Cat Info - Obesity section?
     
  6. Tucker&Me

    Tucker&Me Member

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    Jun 24, 2015
    I am feeding 6-9 oz of recommended flavor, Fancy Feast having changed over easily from dry Hills M/D and Iams. My entire household was on dry and made the change well in just over 1 wk. I kind of give him mini meals as reward and record it. I haven't measured out 6- 9 ozs..and parceled it out exactly. I was just worried I was hurting the process by over feeding. I am waiting on bonito flakes as reward for BG sticks in the future. There is alot to read here, so no I hadn't read that yet. I've spent the entire day here and/ or trying to get BG sticks and not much else. That won't be the case tomorrow however, so any suggestions would be a relief.
    1. keReply
      Chicken'sMom likes this.
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      Tuxedo Mom
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      I hesitated to add to all the words of wisdom that have been given to you. Even with giving REGULAR doses of insulin a cat can suddenly drop and go into a hypo state, which if not treated promptly can be deadly!!! With the amount that Chicken was given, albeit in error, this is a CRITICAL situation. Chicken may seem fine right
     
  7. Tucker&Me

    Tucker&Me Member

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    Jun 24, 2015
    No I didn't, not exactly. It's a good idea that I will employ.
     
  8. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Looked at your ss this morning. He continues to be interesting and bucks the trend.... So the drop to 95 is huge and can't feel good to drop that much, that fast. But it looks more like what we see with N. But then, he didn't spike right back up; he slowly went back up, staying in nice numbers at least through +6.

    He certainly is not having the usual patterns we see with N. But they are hard to manage because the drops are harsh. You are doing a great job keeping track of his levels and watching that he is in sale numbers, but N makes it so hard because it often causes the big, fast drops and doesn't always last over 8 hours.

    Any hope for another insulin? Are you watching the supply closet regularly? Sometimes people give away insulin there.

    http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/supply-closet-for-sale-or-free.15/

    You'd want Lantus, Levemir or Proinc.
     
  9. Tucker&Me

    Tucker&Me Member

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    Jun 24, 2015
    Thanks Sue for the reinforcement on the testing-I sure needed it right now. I was feeling a failure during the night, & just ready to start a 'vent' post, but it's time to test.
    No haven't cked the closet, will do. I am trying to get as many BG #'s as possible today, as I must work p.m.
    Yes I would love to change insulin. I am overwhelmed & not sure what is best & when.
    Sue, he is weak in his hinds. Is this an immediate worry?( I plan to order the B vitamin stuff by weeks end.)
    Per your suggestion, I have parceled out 6-9 ozs of FF for today. Thanks very much
     
  10. Tucker&Me

    Tucker&Me Member

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    Jun 24, 2015
    @Sue and Oliver (GA) The insulins you listed are "long acting"? I need to read up on them. I'll try. I also need some sleep & food myself...
     
  11. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    No, a failure would be someone who got the diagnosis and had their kitty put to sleep, or who got the diagnosis and just started blindly shooting insulin without testing. You, my dear, are no failure.

    The neuropathy is a scary looking symptom but fairly common. You can probably find the Methyl B12 in a local health food store if you don't want to wait. It helps, but getting the numbers into lower ranges is also part of fixing it.

    Yes, those three are the ones we recommend. They all last longer than N, and have flatter, milder cycles. There are protocols for them on the Lantus and ProZinc forums in the forms of topics on the top of those forums. Levemir acts very similar to Lantus so the info for it is on the Lantus forum.
     
  12. Tucker&Me

    Tucker&Me Member

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    Jun 24, 2015
    I'm guessing ProZinc is optimal? ?? Next I want to research proper canned food, mixing etc on here. He lost 1/2 his weight nearly from a year ago, & I want to be certain he is getting what he needs.
    I am very sorry my comments are so scattered, I hope you can bear w me until I get ducks in a row. It's like fingers in the dike, another one sprouts up to address..
    I also apologize for my improper questions of you regarding dosage.
     
  13. Sue and Oliver (GA)

    Sue and Oliver (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Any of the three is better than N. The best insulin for your cat is the one that works best for him. There are vet studies done on Lantus that suggest it has a high success rate. ProZinc and Levemir don't have studies done.

    There is a form of ProZinc that is quite a bit cheaper. It is a compounded insulin. Your vet can order it and it seems to run about $50 or so a vial. I'm know finances are an issue for you. You might ask your vet - it is called BCP PZI.

    Your dike analogy is perfect - that is exactly what this sugar dance feels like at first. Someone long ago said it was a sugar dance but your cat gets to lead and only he hears the music. You are just following along.

    You are doing fine. All your discussions about dosage have been on the open forum, which is perfect.
     
  14. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

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    Oct 6, 2010
    No worries - when you aren't used to message boards, it can be confusing.
     
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