Low bg-values

Another question:

How low may the bg drop without a negative effect on the cat?
Spacey's are now 93.6 f.i.
Is that still ok??

 

93.6? I have never seen a bgl with a point anything in it. That sounds almost like a temperature

Can you confirm the number?

Anyway, how long ago was the last insulin shot and what type of insulin are you using? AND When did kitty last eat.

~M

 

You are at +5 after 1 unit of insulin, yes? (I looked at your spreadsheet). 93 is not a bad number, not a scary number - UNLESS he has a much later nadir than normal. He should be about half-way thru the cycle at 5+ hours post shot. 93 is generally a safe, decent number. Below 60 and dropping when still much earlier in the cycle would be cause to worry in my opinion.

~M

 

Yeah.. I thought so too.

But how low is acceptable? To 60 is okay??
I read it somewhere, but can't remember how low bgl may get to not cause any harm and for the kitty to still feel good.

Her nadir is sometimes 3+ and sometimes 6+. So I'm going to test her again in half an hour.
A couple of minutes ago she ate some leftovers from the morning feeding (back then she ate very very well). So she should be fine.
I'm just wandering whether I should start giving lesser insulin (caninsulin) and go from 1 to 1/2 unit.

 

Hi glad to see you here Ella! That is a very nice number! At +5 on Caninsulin you are right about at your nadir so she shouldn't go much lower.

*the reason for the decimal point is because she is using a meter in mmol/dl (non-US) which when you multiply to get US number gives decimals (the orginal would have been 5,2 mmol/dl). Looks like your doing pretty good, how is everthing else (eating, drinking, peeing etc.)?

 

60 would be an acceptable number (is at the bottom of the "normal" range for a non-diabetic) it is not recommended with Caninsulin to try and get this low, if it happens it's no big worry, just offer some food and watch closely. Below 60 espcially if it happens before nadir (before +4 or so) then you need to treat for hypo by testing frequently and offering some higher carb food (stuff with gravy etc.) until you are back in numbers over 70 and past nadir (+6).

Some cats feel fine even when thier BG is below 50, others get "funny" when they are still in the 100's. It's not so much about how low (unless below 40) but how high they were before the drop and how fast the drop occured. A cat that has been having high BG (>300) consistantly for a longer time has gotten used to "running high" and lower number will be precieved as not normal. The better the regulation (spending more time under 200) the body will get used to that and won't react so strong to lower numbers.

A PS of 500 followed by a drop to 150 by +3 is not dangerous but could make the cat feel strange. It's like a roller coaster ride, the steeper the drop and the faster it happens the more Whhheeeeee we experience.

 

oh good ella you found new board.
i was just looking at your spread sheet notes about spacey not feeling well, weak, vomiting...are you getting daily ketone tests done? that is very important to do everyday when you have a new diabetic cat that is not feeling well.

~jojo

 

Well.... Pffff....
I was wright. I should have given her 1/2 unit this evening. She was dropping a lot. Had to use syrup to stop the dropping and get a climb in the numbers. At least now I know that she isn't feeling herself at all at low numbers.

We did however got to test her urine for ketones. And no, there's no sign of them.
The last two day she wasn't weak anymore. I guess it was the stress.
So, all in all she fine. But I don't have her fine tuned yet.

Guess I give her 1/2 unit tomorrow and see/test how that goes.