New diagnosis - So many questions, idk where to start

Hey, y'all - Just wanted to introduce ourselves and give (hopefully) a brief history. I (Libby) was raised with dogs and cats, mostly cats but they never were full-time insiders so they didn't live that long. My husband, Doug, was raised with dogs (His parents used to breed german shepherds and identified which child was in the picture by which dog was with them!) and cats. (They bred them for a while, too.) When we got married, we agreed we didn't need pets. Long story shorter, we were graced with an abandoned kitten that we learned had been born with feline leukemia. With meds he lived to be almost 2 years old. His was a rapid decline and it ripped my heart out. So, no more pets...for about 18 months. Fast forward - (another kitten of a stray) Hershey (a tabby) is almost 10 years old.

From here, I don't know what's related to what - About 2 years ago, he started spending a lot of unproductive time in the litterbox. We took him to the vet, thinking it was urinary, but they didn't find anything. About a year ago, he started losing weight, but I'd watched the in-law's cats do the same thing as they aged, and since I'd never had a cat this old, thought it was part of aging - my grandma lost weight, too :smile: His appetite had decreased and he was drinking very little. We changed him to Iams Senior dry food (We had always given wet food at night, more as a treat.), then Purina mature and another mature food. Each time, we tried it for a few weeks. Each time, he initially ate it, but then pretty much stopped eating, and he began drinking a lot. He had also developed dry flaky skin and wasn't as soft as he used to be. He was still pretty playful, including wrestling with our 5-year old cat.

In November, we took him to the vet and she said all kinds of bells went off when she examined him. Okay - let me interject that he is a passive cat, even used to let my daughter dress him up in dresses and bonnets - but he HATES the vet's office and you wouldn't even believe he's the same cat when he gets there! After lots of tests and even more $$$, they said his glucose was 492. The vet initially said it should be 80 - 120, then said well, maybe higher for a cat - maybe 200. That didn't give me lots of comfort, that she wasn't really sure of a number. I know they have diabetic patients and push Hill's and Iams. So - off to the internet I went. I could've kicked myself after reading that his food probably did this to him! We thought cat food was cat food and surely Purina, etc, knows what they're doing! Insert crying...and more crying...you get the picture.

We immediately put him on Wellness and Innova canned. We wanted to give him a little time on it before taking him back to the vet to get regulated on insulin. Most of the dry flaky skin is gone and he's super soft, again. His energy level may be a little higher, and he's gone back to tricks we had broken him of - like getting on the table. Not sure if that means anything. We're feeding him 4 times a day, figured diabetic people are supposed to eat smaller meals, more often. And, sometimes a little bit before I go to bed, if he seems particularly hungry.

I mentioned to the vet about carbs and kind of felt poo poo'd. The assistant even offered to transition him to the Purina DM when he comes in to get regulated. I asked her to read me the label and tell the purpose of the ingredients. She was like - I have no idea what these things are. So, no, thank you, don't transition him. :roll:

I'm just so nervous about once he goes on insulin. Doug will be giving the shots and if we leave town we have nobody to give them while we're gone. And, Oreo (5-year old) is on dry (Changed him to Blue.) and wet (We take his up to keep Hershey out of it.) and if we leave food while we're gone, Hershey will eat it all. And, I know trauma (vet's office) raises insulin. So - we take him to the vet who regulates his insulin according to his glucose while there. We take him home where he's calmer and the glucose goes down - what about the amount of insulin??? Okay - trying to relax, but I don't want to do any more damage, know what I mean?

I'm sorry - this has gone much longer than I meant for it to. Many thanks for this resource; so much information!!

Doug, Libby and Hershey

 

Welcome! You guys are doing so much already. You seem to learned much more than your vet. :mrgreen:

The food change is great. We would suggest having your vet do a fructosamine test before deciding he is diabetic. It is a blood test that gives the average bg level over the past few weeks, so it is more accurate in diagnosing than a bg test in the vet's office. As you have read, cats can be more than 100 points higher at the vet.

And if you learn to home test, there is no need to put Hershey through an extended vet visit. If the vet determines a dose based on a day or two of tests, it is likely that dose will be too high once the cat gets home. If you check out this page, we have had two hypos this week because of Vet doses that were started too high. We like to home test and base doses on those numbers. (you can send fax them to the vet). We like to start low with insulin (.5 or 1 unit twice daily) and go slow, upping the dose if the numbers indicate.

We have taught hundreds of people how to home test; we'd be happy to teach you.

 

First of all, Poopy and I welcome you to the best place you could have found for you and your fuzzy! cat_pet_icon

The folks here are super friendly and knowledgeable. They live with this day in and day out. I'm still pretty new to all this and just starting to feel comfortable (less overwhelmed).

Good for you on the vet pet food! And all the research you've already done! Woohoo! :smile: Some vets even think we shouldn't be home testing. Pfft.

Anyway, wanted to welcome you and send fur hugs your way. :smile:

 

Many of us have discovered some of the truth about cat food and have felt like we screwed up and gave our cats diabetes. NONSENSE!

You did the best you could with what you knew. Now, you know more and are making different choices. Good for you!!

 

With all we've learned, we're more inclined to want to kick the food manufacturers than ourselves...

WELCOME, DOUG LIBBY & HERSHEY!

there is an enormous amount of knowledge & support here...
My guy was very close to the end...and with all the help we received here...he's in remission!

celi & binks

 

Mr. Hershey, Libby and parents: WELCOME

Please dont beat yourselves up over this stuff in the past...

3 girls here: 16,14, 8 - all ate dry in an auto feeder until BEAN.... my new little what? diabetic? are you kidding???? I did not even know that existed. I do now and because of this forum, she is in remission.... controlled by diet. I know that this could be only temp. but for now, we are very happy.

The vet insisted we increase from 1 unit to 2.... I did not because of here... Thank gosh I did not and thank gosh I took the gentle encouragement from here to home test (titty baby about anything sharp). The first test we got (tried a couple of times), Bean was only 27! This was just 2 hours after her shot and we still had 4 or so more to go before she should start going back up

The ppl here helped me for +4 hours....My Bean is still here today to celebrate that night.....again, thank gosh.

Do you think you could home test and send that to them and get insulin based off of those results? jai (just an idea) Lets see what others might think. I remember when I took Bean in for her one and only curve at the vets: I told them of this site and they informed me to 'not be searching the internet and dont believe everything I read' & btw....'take this script food and increase the insulin' & btw....'we will be closed soon, but you should be just fine'....

I was just fine because of here! :razz:

 

Hi Libby and Doug,

All of that is encouraging to read. His coat has improved, his mood has improved, along with his energy level. And jumping is a good sign too. Multiple small meals is a great idea - it works well for cats like it does for diabetic humans. Good instincts!
There is a concept you'll see here that we call the "five p's". They are outward signs that you can observe that indicate how kitty is doing "outside the numbers". Purring, preening, pooping, peeing and playing. When first diagnosed, a "sugarcat" will routinely not eat well, or (eat a lot but still lose weight), they'll drink abnormal amounts of water and pee huge puddles in the LB or outside the box too, they won't play much, they'll start to look ragged because they don't groom anymore, and sometimes they'll poo less because they can be dehydrated. My kitty, Bob, was visibly suffering before I found out he was diabetic. Looked terrible, no energy, couldn't jump up on the sofa or chairs, lost lots of weight, etc. Once he was started on insulin, the change wasn't overnight, but definitely pretty quick. The drinking and peeing was the first thing that turned around. The last "improvement" was his ability to jump. It was months before he jumped on the bed. He was on PZI for 10 weeks and went into remission. It was four months later before I found him on the bed. My theory is that he tried a lot and failed, and probably hurt himself trying. I guess he wasn't going to conquer that last obstacle until he was ready for it, but now I can't keep him off the bed unless I close the door to the bedroom!
Anyway, the outward signs that you have noticed an improvement with, that indicates to me that just the diet change has helped him. Maybe not "all the way", but I'd guess his numbers are lower now than they were a month ago. You'll most likely need to start insulin, but if so, it's not a huge deal.
You don't need to bring him to the vet, leave him there, and get them to get him "regulated on insulin". This is something that you can do at home. Yes, bring him in, have them run a fruct' test. Find out what his BG is with a test that will remove "vet stress" from the picture. Get a 'scrip for insulin. If your vet says anything higher than "one unit, twice a day, 12 hours apart", question it. Ask "why so high a dose?", or "why only once per day?" Ask them each and every question that comes to mind. Don't leave the office until all your questions have been answered to your satisfaction.
Oh, Normal BG for a cat is 50-120. Not "maybe 200 for a cat". You already know that, obviously, otherwise you wouldn't have known it sounded wrong.
Good news is that you are already much further along the learning curve than most people who post here for the first time. I wish I'd known more about FD (or even that it existed!) before I brought Bob in to the vet in May.
Keep us posted,
Carl

 

Thanks for such a warm welcome!! I can hardly wait for my husband to get home so I can share your insights with him :smile: It seems each question or comment leads me to a new question - I guess that's normal. I wish I had known feline diabetes even existed...

This is what the vet said would happen - bring him in for 2 - 3 days. They'd take multiple glucose readings and determine how much insulin he needs when. (The assistant did tell me they have some patients who need 3 units sometimes and 2 others.) She said the shots would be every 12 hours, as close as possible. When he went in before, they did some tests that day. The next day another vet called and said they wanted to use the blood already drawn (to keep from having another visit) and run a more extensive/expensive test to confirm the diabetes. What else could I say? Go ahead -

My husband wasn't so eager to put out more money treating (after Smokey had feline leukemia and Hershey broke his hip requiring surgery years ago and two kids in college) and being tied to a 12-hour can't go anywhere overnight kind of schedule (esp when our son is in college at the beach!), but he left it up to me - giving his full support whatever the decision. He has read, and watched videos, and is prepared to home test and give the insulin. Luckily, Hershey likes having his ears rubbed!

I called the vet's office and spoke to a receptionist. She called back and said the vet wouldn't give a yay or nay about insulin unless she could confirm our numbers with the curve. This vet was so good with Smokey and helped us when another vet we saw said he didn't know why we were bothering! cat(2)_steam So, I don't know if we need to provide her with more information or (my husband is starting to think) change vets. One of my concerns is that we may have to start all over with the $$$ tests if we change.

If we hometest and he isn't on insulin - when should we test? I like the idea of testing at home and calling her with the numbers just to see what she says about us doing it at home. (I mentioned testing at home and the assistant didn't seem to see why we would need to.) We have to get a prescription from her to get started, don't we? Is it the same kind of insulin as people? Can I fill it at the drugstore or do I have to order it and wait to start? There seem to be different types of insulin - will she make the decision which one to try? (Sorry for being so TOTALLY ignorant)

I mentioned to the vet's assistant that we wanted to try a low carb diet before bringing him in and that I had read a lot of success stories online. She said, "You can *try* it if you want to, but don't expect a miracle." She warned about putting off the appt and last night (after curling up with my son for awhile) Hershey seemed a little limpy on one leg. I was so afraid I had waited too long - but after a few minutes that stopped.

Y'all mentioned a fructosamine test. Is that something we do at home or is it a vet stay? Is it anything like that syrup water I had to drink when I was pregnant?? blech!

I'm trying to compile a list of questions to ask the vet, but don't know enough to know what to ask, know what I mean?

Two last thoughts/questions - I mentioned Hershey had lost weight. He went about the possible urinary problem April, 2010 and weighed 12.4 pounds. Nov, 2011 he weighed 8.5 pounds. And, unrelated to FD, but since some of y'all have multiple cats - did you change everyone's diet?

Thanks for the encouragement, for sharing your words of wisdom, and for helping ease my guilt - oh! and thanks for the hugs!

Libby

 

You can do this at home yourself with a blood glucose meter :smile: No need to pay the vet $$$ for what usually ends up being inaccurate high numbers because your cat is so stressed out.

Questions to ask if you need to find a new vet: http://gorbzilla.com/decisions_decisions.htm

When I switched my cat to a new vet 4 years after his diganosis, I didn't have to start all over with tests and all that. I just gave the new vet copies of my cat's records and a copy of his updated blood glucose log.

Before giving the insulin injection. So twice a day every single day. By testing before the insulin, you know what the level is and if it's at a safe enough level for any insulin to be given. Blindly giving insulin without knowing what the blood glucose level is can be dangerous.

You can do random tests whenever you have the time. Some people do 3 or 4 a day just to get an idea of how the insulin and dose is working for their cat.

Curves can be done whenever you have a full day available, like a weekend.

For a blood glucose meter and supplies? No, you don't need a prescription for that. Just go to any pharmacy and buy one. Sometimes test strips are kept behind the pharmacy counter. Ask if you don't see them alongside the meters. A starter meter kit usually only contains 10 test strips and 10 lancets so be sure to buy an extra box of those because you'll need them. You don't need a fancy meter. A basic one that gives a reading is all you need. Wal Mart's Relion brand is a good inexpensive meter that has inexpensive test strips.

Insulin does require a prescription if the vet prescribes a Human one such as Lantus or Levemir. Lantus and Levemir, and even the lesser popular Humulin N, are bought at the Human pharmacy.

Lantus is a great insulin to start with. There's a high remission rate if your cat starts it right away along with a low carb diet.

Levemir is another good choice but not too many vets are familiar with it.

You could also use an animal insulin such as ProZinc or PZI. Your vet can sell you these or you can buy from an online pet pharmacy with a prescription.

You'll also need insulin syringes. If your vet prescribes a Human insulin (Lantus, Levemir, Humulin N), then you will need to use U100 insulin syringes. Your vet can write you a prescription and you just drop it off at the pharmacy along with the insulin prescription to fill. The ideal insulin syringes to use are U100 3/10 cc (max 30 unit capacity) insulin syringes, preferably with half unit markings.

If your vet prescribes an animal insulin (ProZinc, PZI), then you'll need to buy U40 insulin syringes. Your vet may sell you these or you can buy from an online pet pharmacy. Some online Human pharmacies like Hocks.com sell U40 insulin syringes. U40 insulins and insulin syringes are not sold in your neighborhood pharmacy.

Some types of PZI insulin are U100 strenght and use U100 insulin syringes.

Diet alone rarely works. I suggest putting your cat on a low carb diet right away and start insulin no more than a week later. If you start insulin and then change the diet later, it becomes a little tricker because diet can have a big impact on blood glucose levels and insulin need. You must be hometesting if you do this.

The fructosamine is done by the vet. All the vet does is take a blood sample and sends it off to a lab for analysis. The result tells the vet if your cat is diabetic or not. A fructosamine basically just gives the average blood glucose level over the past few weeks. Once you are hometesting daily and keep track of the levels, you won't ever need to do a fructosamine again.

Questions to ask the vet after diagnosis: http://gorbzilla.com/questions_for_your_vet_.htm

 

Unfortunately, it seems to be way too common for many vets to think we shouldn't be caring for our fuzzy loves (just like other mothers care for their diabetic children). Many here can share with you how learning from those dealing with this every single day, day in and day out, has saved the lives of their fuzzy loves, including when the vet errors.

My vet doesn't want to hear me when I question his decisions and I've been looking for a new one more open to working with me to treat Poopy, so I do know how you feel. There are many here who have worked to "convert a vet". I am going to try one more time with Poopy's long time vet before giving up (it will be our third visit).

As far as changing everyone's diet, when I learned that dry food was the worst thing I could be feeding them, the switch was made for both Poopy and my civvie Mia. Poopy will eat anything not nailed down so he was a breeze. Besides, at this point he would have eaten rocks, he was always so hungry (and weighing about half his former glory). Mia wasn't thrilled with the proposed switch, especially since dry had been available 24/7 and wet was just twice a day. Aw, common Mom! Both were used to receiving canned food as a treat, not a meal. For the first couple of days, Mia would only nibble, as if a treat. After that, she was eating with gusto.

Testing should be done, at least, before feeding. I test, feed, and shoot on a 12/12 schedule, with a few BG tests thrown in to learn how Poopy is doing on his dose. Testing BG after you feed gives you a reading with food, which can be much higher.

Poopy sends paw hugs to Hersey! cat_pet_icon

 

During my move - 9 hours away...Bean seemed healthy. She did develop the drink at the sink habit (fd). I took 2 of them to the vet, shots, ck up and meds for travel. She weighed 11.9 lbs.
I stayed in the new home aprox. 6 months and again, pack and move back. While we were there, I noticed weight loss and figured she was depressed due to the move. And we made a visit to the vet during the worst snow storm since 1930... The vet just gave me antibiotic for the uti and never tested a thing. She got thru that and when I got moved back, I took her to her old vet. She only weighted 8 lbs.!
She had blood work and was dx that day :cry:
Now, after 8 months, she is tipping the scale (mommabean found child scale on craigslist) at 10.10!! It took a bit of time for this but she finally started gaining enough that I could tell about 2 months ago. She has also been introduced to raw foods... yes, mommabean also purchased a grinder and 2 of the 3 girls love this and get fed this along with canned f.feast, friskies and soph. cat. We also have a new baby in the home...adopted at 6 wks. They run and play often and I sure can tell the muscle build up from the foods as well as the playing. She just looks absolutely wonderful. I would have never believed that she would have gained the weight back... not where she used to be, but lots healther looking than before too.

My Bean is in remission from low carb foods, so yes, I would try but not expect a miracle, but hey, lookie here....a miracle! Low carb diet controlled happens here everyday! So, yes, it is highly possible.

Doing a great job! keep us posted

 

If you can get a testing cycle in before the vet appointment before insulin, you will have good info for the vet. If you have already started wet lo carb, it may be lower than you and the vet are expecting. Just get some numbers before and after eating during the day. That will give you an idea of where he is. If he is in the 300-500 range, he will most likely need insulin. If he is 200 or under, I would give the lo carb a few more days to work.

Here is the shopping list for hometesting:

A human glucometer. Any one that sips and takes a tiny sample is fine. The meters are often free at drug stores; it’s the strips that are expensive. You can, however, buy them on ebay at less than half the price of stores. Lots of people here also like the ReliOn from Walmart. It is an inexpensive meter and its strips are the cheapest around. Try the meter out on yourself or someone else before you try it on your cat. You want to be familiar with it before you poke the cat.

Lancets and a lancet device. Usually, until the ears “learn” to bleed, a 26-28 gauge is good. Any brand will work as long as the lancets match your device.

Ketone strips. (Ketostix) Just like human diabetics use. You will sometimes need to test urine if the numbers are high.

Rice sack. Make this out of thinnish sock, filled with raw rice or oatmeal and then knotted. You heat this in the microwave until very warm but not hot. Then heat the ears before poking.

Also nice to have. Flashlight: so you can look at the ears and find the little capillaries that come off the vein running down the ear. Vaseline: Put a tiny smear where you want to poke. It will help the blood bead up.

And some lo carb treats to give your kitty, successful test or not Lo carb treats

Nothing requires a prescription although you may have to ask the pharmacist.

It is a waste of your money and your time to have the vet do a curve. The numbers are very unlikely to be accurate. It's your cat and your money. I would just tell him you want some more time. Then do your curve without insulin at home. See what it is like. If insulin is needed, see if the vet will give you insulin based on your numbers. (We like mild, long lasting insulins like Lantus, Levemir and Prozinc.) If he won't, post your city and state. Maybe we have someone who knows a FD vet near you.

Most vets have little experience with FD cats. They may see a few a year. We see dozens every week and our protocol works. Vets usually have a workshop on FD in school and their nutrition classes are given by Purina. They are GPs; they have to treat lots of different diseases for lots of species. We only know Feline Diabetes. We don't care if vets don't know about lo carb and hometesting but we like them willing to learn and willing to work with patients who have.

 

Yesterday, my husband checked Hershey's fasting BG before breakfast and it was 57. But, that number by itself doesn't tell us a lot. He rubbed on Hershey's ears before pricking - had to stick him twice - but Hershey was absolutely still! He ordered a glucometer, etc, and it's expected to arrive Friday. If it arrives in time, we want to do a 12-hour curve on Friday, testing every 2 hours. Is 12 hours enough? And, every 2 hours? Also, after doing the curve, should we still ask our vet to do the fructosamine test?

Do diabetic cats vomit more often? In the last year or so, he has vomited several times. Started off it was mostly food and I think it was because he would woof it down and couldn't digest it. That was before we changed his food the first time. This is the first time since we put him on all wet (the week of Thanksgiving). I know I feel sick when I get really hungry - is it the same for cats? We fed right afterward and he seems to feel fine.

Sorry to need so much hand-holding, but I sure appreciate it!

Libby and Hershey, too!

 

Actually that 57 does tell you quite a bit! It is a normal non diabetic number. Cats off insulin usually run from 40-120 with the majority of the time spent in double digits.

How did you get the number without a glucometer (which you said was coming)? If you have one you can use, just get some numbers during the day. If they are in the non diabetic range, it is possible that stress raised Hershey's numbers really high at the vet, or the recent food change has made the difference.

If I understand your post correctly, you might want to be getting ready to celebrate!

 

My mom is diabetic and has a glucometer. I know the vet is super stressful for him - he blows up like a blow fish and SHEDS! But, I also think the food has made an improvement. I keep holding my breath, trying not to be overly optimistic, but I am hopeful!

Libby and Hershey

 

Welcome to the best diabetic board you can find.

I agree, that morning test of 57 tells you a lot. It is basically a fasting blood glucose that is normal. If you told me you got that at mid afternoon, I would say good, but a fasting number like that is excellent.

You definitely don't want to be giving any insulin at 57. It may be the diet change, and your early decision to test may have stopped the progress of diabetes in Libby.

Watch him and keep testing. Keep a record of the tests and any other things you note - thirst, peeing, playing, skin condition, appetite, ect. You know - the whole cat view.

Good luck,

Claudia

 

It's very possible that you caught this early enough and with the food change alone, may have done enough to not need insulin.

Please keep testing - do it at random times and let us know the numbers. As everyone said - normal cat bg is 40-120 (give or take a few points).

So, good for you for taking this on and questioning. Don't feel that it is necessary to rush him to the vet. Now that you are testing at home, keep track of these numbers and while yes you may see something higher than 120 - don't get too upset - it really depends on many factors and one high number may not be a big deal.

 

I see some of y'all have spread sheets in your signature lines. I've looked all over this site - so much to see! but can't find a blank one. Would someone, please, point me in the right direction?

Thank y'all, sooo much for taking the time to help us with Hershey! I am cautiously optimistic and can't wait to do the curve tomorrow. Looking forward to paying it forward as I learn more

Thanks, again -

Libby

 

Here you go! Instructions and a template to complete and then upload to Google Docs. You will need a Google Docs account.

 

Good morning!

With cautious optimism the 12-hour curve began at 8:20am. Hershey seemed so hungry that we gave a snack (1/8 of a can) at 2am, so his 'fasting' was 6 hours without food. I couldn't find any information on how long for a fasting, but figured I could eat up until midnight when I was scheduled for early surgery, so was hoping it was long enough.

8:20am First reading 317 *ugh* Tested, gave a treat (freeze dried chicken breast) and food (1/4 can). (Some mornings he seems extra hungry so we give him 3/8 can.)
10:20am Second reading 357 *double ugh* Tested, gave a treat and he seemed sooo hungry, we gave him a snack (1/8 can). He needn't think he's eating every 2 hours all day!

I have posted his numbers on his spread sheet - at least I hope I did it right and y'all can see it!

Thanks, again!!

Doug, Libby and Hershey

 

Your spreadsheet works wonderfully! :smile:

Usually food will effect a BG 1-3 hours. For Poopy, I'd wait 3 hours after finishing eating to run a BG, or even 4 just to be sure the BG isn't food related. The +5-7 range should nab his nadir (the lowest number after a shot of insulin).

Are you giving Hersey insulin? If so, the amount goes in the U column on the spreadsheet. :smile: It makes it much easier to remember what was given when if you have to look back, or for others to help with dose questions. :smile:

I use the notes section to add information about extra food if I think it's effecting the numbers, and anything else I need to remember concerning the spreadsheet numbers. I also added a column per 12 hour shift to record what I am feeding him, to see if that makes a difference too. Poopy's numbers are a bit wonky so I'm trying to nab all the data I can get. :smile:

 

No, Hershey's not on insulin, yet. I was trying to have numbers to call the vet with and hoped every 2 hours for 12 hours was enough. Good idea about adding what kind of food - I had just presumed you could go by brand but I've been reading that every flavor within that brand has different values. Guess that makes sense, but I hadn't thought about it. We're using mostly Wellness; I couldn't find values for several flavors so I wrote to the company. I got a nice email back saying they had sent them to me in the mail - looking forward to getting them.

Thanks for the information about how long food can impact BG. Kind of discouraged at this point - I mean being in the 300's is wayyy better than his Nov test at the vet, but when it was 57 fasting just two days ago...Just did the 3rd check 375...going up. I'm sure the snack this morning had something to do with that.

Heading to update his SS - THANKS, again!

Libby

 

Each cat is different (ECID), that's one reason why nabbing their BGs on a curve is so helpful.

Don't get discouraged. You are doing wonderful! There's so much to learn, and we end up having to learn so much so quickly...we just can't know it all at once. :lol: I look at it as progress. I know I'll never be perfect, so progress is great!

 

Hi guys and welcome! I must say I'm so impressed with all you've learned just in these few short days .. Don't get to discouraged by the fluctuation in his numbers .. You are doing great!

 

So, our 12-hour curve became a 16 hour curve, but I figured the more numbers the better? When we got the 189 (about 4:20pm) I started to relax. But, the 6:30pm was 405, so - relaxed no more! He had finished his can of Wellness Turkey, so we gave him Innova Senior. Wondered if the elevated number was from the change in food or because that BG was :30 after eating. 367 at 8:30pm - He usually has his bedtime meal 9:30 - 10:00, so we put it off until 10:20 so we could check him one more time before eating. Still 367. More Innova Senior and a treat. 12:30 am BG 441 - 441? that's the highest today! so, found another can of Wellness in the cabinet, only flavor we had was Turkey and Salmon, but wondering if we ought to stay away from the Innova. And, we gave him a treat (freeze dried chicken) after every check, breaking the larger ones up so he wasn't getting so much. But, could those treats have elevated his numbers, too?

Now that we have all of these numbers, I'm trying to figure out what we've learned.
I'm thinking:
He needs to go as low carb as possible.
Small small treats when we give them.
Call the vet on Monday about insulin.

Does that sound about right? I'm hoping in a few weeks we can look at this and feel more competent, but right now it's just a little overwhelming. Know what I mean?

I am so thankful I was led to this website. I don't even remember what I put in the search!

Doug, Libby and Hershey

 

You and Hersey are doing great! :RAHCAT

The freeze dried treats should be 0 carb...unless there are additives. If chicken is the only ingredient, it's 0 carbs. One of those "no guilt" treats.

It's interesting to see a dip in Hersey's numbers (the 189) as if it was the insulin's nadir. Guess that means his pancreas is trying to keep up but is struggling. Remember, a cat without diabetes will run 40-120, so even they have highs and lows. :smile:

The lower carb food only helps him with that struggle instead of just overwhelming him from the start (with higher carbs and higher BG numbers). Many aim for <10 carbs, others aim for even lower. To me, it's like learning to pole jump. I'd much rather start with the pole as low as I can get it to learn to jump over it than start at the higher settings.

Some of your numbers are food related, so of course they will be higher. This would be true for all cats, diabetic or not. :smile:

Regarding what kind of insulin...I'll leave that to those with more experience. :smile:

Keep up the great work! cat_pet_icon

 

Good curve, reasonable conclusions. You might have a list of questions/ideas for your vet:

You want to use a mild, long lasting insulin like Lantus, Levemir or ProZinc. You don't want a harsh insulin like Humulin or one with quality control issues like Vetsulin.

You want to start low and go slow with dosing. With your number under 200, without insulin, you should get no resistance from the vet. One unit twice daily, or even .5 units twice daily.

You want to continue to feed low carb food and aren't interested in inferior expensive "prescription" food.

You can fax your blood glucose levels in to the vet for dose suggestions. (we'd like you to also get advice here to compare). You don't need to leave the cat at the vet for any blood testing. You know the numbers can be inflated there, and you know how to do it at home.

We would like to have you set up a spreadsheet. It is a wonderful color coded tool for you, your vet and us. Shows your dosing history at a glance. Sign onto Google, search Templates for FDMB spreadsheet. To share, go to File, choose Publish to the Web and use that URL in your spreadsheet.
Kinda tricky so if you need help, just ask.

Your guys are doing great! What a long way you have come in a short time.

 

absolutely great job getting that curve in, libby. you probably don't need to do any more blood tests until before your first insulin injection. those are diabetic numbers and the sooner you start him on insulin, the better. great that you've gotten him switched to low carb food already, too. all around good job.

i'd encourage the Lantus - mainly because I have the most experience with it. we started on ProZinc but switched to Lantus after a month. But also because in studies, Lantus has the best track record with cats. i'll see if i can find the most recent study for you.

 

Wanted to say gooood job home testing!

Have you had the chance to see if the foods you were/are feeding are lo carb enough. I know f.feast make a great low carb and make a eeeeks - high carb food too. If you by chance have been doing both, perhaps that is why the numbers are going low and then going high??? just a thought?
Once you know that the carbs are <10, maybe you could do another curve before deciding on insulin.

My sugar Bean is in remission due to diet but she started just recently, hanging out at the sink in the bathroom - AGAIN - nailbite_smile . I tested without her eating hours before and she was 49. I was thinking maybe it is my meter, so I called a friend - Louies mommabean - and she came over with her meter. Bean had eaten, of course was low carb, but it was probably within the hour before she got here and her reading was 70. SO, I figured it was not a problem with my meter but still have no idea why the bathroom habit (she was doing this months before her dx).

Bean was taking PZI but not for long, please glance at her spreadsheet if you want. Let us know what the vet tells you and sweet Hershey

 

Just wanted to say hi and welcome to the club! We started insulin on Kitten on Dec 27th, but just started hometesting a couple days ago. Today was our first curve. I think it took a toll on us more than on the cat lol. And I couldn't even get the AMPS! So congrats on getting the hang of everything so quickly!!!!

 

Thanks, I looked at Bean's SS and was seeing green! I was so hoping to see green at least once yesterday, but it was not to be. The 400's really concerned me. Don't know if you can see Hershey's SS, but he had finished a can of Wellness Turkey and started on a can of Innova Senior just before the 400's started. I had bought the food using what I had read online, before finding Binky's food chart or the updated list from August, 2010 (I wish there was a newer list. Today, I was reading a lot on the forum about Wellness changing their formula, etc, and don't want to do MORE damage to Hershey) and before I found this site. If I'm reading Binky's list correctly, I should be looking at the %KCal from Carbs, right? If so, we changed him from Wellness Turkey (4%) to Innova Senior (14%) so I would think that could certainly help with the elevated numbers. He loves the Wellness, (of course he's like my human son and will pretty much eat anything that doesn't eat him first!) so I think I'll get more of that when I go out tomorrow. We had initially just bought enough to get us through the time we thought he be at the vet's for regulation - I'm sooo glad we won't have to go through that!

I hope the hanging out in the bathroom problem is resolved and all is well with Bean soon!

I was happy to read on freeze dried treats that the only ingredient is chicken, so 0% carbs - thank you, Teresa - for easing my mind.

Sue - I set up a SS for Hershey (took a little input from my son :smile: ) and tried to put pertinent information without it being too cluttered. Let me know what you think. And, thanks for the heads on some insulins we'd want to avoid. I have no idea how receptive the vet's going to be about my new-found knowledge ;-) . We'll see - you mentioned before that if we need to look for another vet, someone on the forum may know of someone in our area. I hope she's receptive, but you never know.

I know Hershey needs to gain weight (and Oreo needs to lose it! Shame we can't just make a transfer - of course, I wish that for myself, too, but I digress) so I've been trying to figure out how much he should be eating. And, the more I read the more I realize I don't know. He's always been long and lean (12.4 pounds in Apr, 2010), but now he's long and boney (8.5 pounds in Nov, 2011).

Hershey is definitely lethargic today. I ran late on the lunchtime feeding and he didn't even ask for it. He is ordinarily a very vocal kitty, responds when you talk to him, too. But, not today. :sad: I could kick myself for forgetting the vet has Saturday morning hours, so I could've called his morning! Feeling pretty helpless, don't know if we should check his BG - idk what we could do for him - if it's high, it's not like we have any insulin to give him, but if it's low for some unknown reason, we could work on that...

Libby

 

Doug just checked Hershey and his BG is 450. It's only been about an hour since he ate, though. He ate Wellness Turkey and Salmon (%KCal from Carbs 5%). He'll sit with us for a few minutes, if we pick him up, but then he gets down and lays on the floor. He usually responds when he call him or make a particular noise, but not today.

Thanks for your input!

Libby (and Hershey, too!)

 

Without insulin, he should not be low, but if he were mine and was an easy tester, I would test for my own piece of mind.

Do you have any ketone sticks to check pee? if not, perhaps you could get some? they sell at pharmacy stores = usually behind the counter. When he pees, put in pee and compare to chart on bottle to see if he is high??

Most stores you purchase food from here, will let you return them. I just took back 8-10 cans of friskies as they were fish flavors and finally my girls got out of the 'I wont eat anything other than fish flavors' habit. I used that credit at petsmart and bought 6 - yes 6 cases of soph. cat! They seem to like that brand better than friskies. Nice to know my girls are rednecks - lol - and not high society.... they do not like wellness, maverick or those other higher brands????

Thanks for the bathroom sink well wishes??? who the heck knows

I was also able to find from a feed store frz dried lamb...they LOVE it! Just something different than chicken that is not fish (of course they love the fishy ones too). I found it in Merrick and Grandma Lucy brand that is 100% lamb. Does he like cream cheeze?

Have you ever considered raw food diet? My girls get raw food that I grind up and put in 3-4oz jars in the freezer and set this down when I put down the canned. We have been doing this since August I believe and now, they are taking to it more and more.

Lets hope your vet will jump on board and participate with home testing, lower carb store foods and starting low on insulin if that is what you have to do.

Keep up the good work and I just bet you will seeeeeee greeeen soooon! And Hershey, you beeee gooood for your momma and give her greeen! lol

 

here ya go - you might want to give this to your vet.

 

Thanks, Julie - your reply was right on time. I was just thinking I might need to get some information together for the vet to read.

Thanks, ohbell - We did test just so we'd know and his BG was 450. When he was 492 at the vet, he was acting normally. This afternoon, he was lethargic and wouldn't respond to us. He's usually super vocal, but didn't even ask for his food. I thought his eyes looked funny, too, kind of cloudy, but Doug didn't think so. He acted much more like himself by about 5:40, and asked for food. By 10pm, he was grooming himself and Oreo - first time today, so I guess he's feeling somewhat better.

No, I don't have any ketone sticks. I read a little about them, but don't know how in the world I'd use such a thing!

I read about a raw food diet - in fact, one of the first FD sites I found talked about it. When he got to the part about raw rabbit, I was done with that page. (ick!) LOL on the red neck girls. I'd love to go with a less expensive brand, but when Hershey likes Wellness so much already and he seems to be doing so much better (super soft coat, almost no dander, very little hair loss when we stroke him) that I hate to rock the boat. I'm going to try to exchange the Innova cans tomorrow when I go out. Hershey didn't have enough of the Wellness left for bedtime(only 1/8 can), so we fed what we had. He was not amused. So, I gave him about 1/16 of a can of Innova Senior to hopefully fill that little hunger spot until Doug gets home with another can of Wellness.

Was thinking about your Bean hanging out at the bathroom sink. Could it be that she just likes it? My mother-in-law's cats have always enjoyed drinking from the tub faucet that drips (well, more of a small stream of water) and surely not all of hers have been diabetic. And, Hershey used to jump in the shower with us if we left the door open at all - liked the water. Crazy kitty!

And, yes, Lil, I believe the curve time was much harder on me than him and Doug actually did the testing - I was the official time & record keeper!

Thanks for all of the ideas and encouragement.

Libby

 

Libby--Hershey needs to get on insulin ASAP. If I were you, I'd ask your current vet if she will take your spreadsheet as the curve and give you a prescription (or sell you a vial of PZI).

Have you been to Phydeaux in Chapel Hill (Elliot Road by Whole Foods)? They sell a wide variety of grain free foods if you don't want to use the Wellness any longer. They also sell a few kinds of frozen raw food. http://phydeauxpets.com/

Terri

 

Terri -

Our vet ordered ProZinc and said it should be in tomorrow; we plan to start him on it Friday. I tried to get her to look at Hershey's SS, but she just wanted me to read her the numbers. I asked if she wanted to know when he ate in relation to the numbers and she said no. She agreed to order the insulin, since she 'didn't have any other choice.'

No, I've never been to Phydeaux; I'll check out the site, thank you. He really seems to like the Wellness, so we'll probably leave him on it for now.

Thanks, again -

Libby (and Hershey, too!)

 

Libby--glad you're getting the insulin. Once you have the insulin, you can change vets if you want. No vet would take him off of it.

I fed Lucy Wellness for 5 years and I'm feeding it to my new kittens. It's good food and more affordable than many of the other grain-free choices. But there are other choices and you can find those at Phydeaux.

 

It's me, again...I don't know if I should post this here or start a new thread. Y'all have been SUPER hand holders so far! I'm just trying to get my thoughts together before we begin insulin on Friday. (I'm heading off to find some instructions on how to give the shots - any tips would be appreciated!)

We test - feed - give shot. Right? And, don't give a shot if BG is 200 or lower. (If 200 or under, we wait and test again? or feed, wait and test again?)

We were planning to test his BG every 2 hours, but the vet said that was too often and he'd never tolerate it (even though he did great for the 16-hour curve every 2 hours). She said to test every 4 hours for about 3 days, but we're thinking every 3 hours, so we will be taking the +6. Thoughts?

How much exercise is too much? He and Oreo haven't been wrestling much lately, so I've been having him walk/run laps with me around the (small) island in our kitchen - 8 or times 10 before a couple of meals. Problem is, I think he's now associating it with eating. Today, he started walk/running around the island and ended at his food bowl, wondering why nobody had followed him to feed him. ;-)

I know the insulin should be given as close to every 12 hours as possible. Sundays are the biggest problem for us. 2:30/2:30 works best for us, except Doug will be giving the shots and has to be at work at 2 on the Sundays he works. Question is - if we give insulin at 2:30am on Sunday, how early can we give it Sunday afternoon. 1pm? 1:30pm? And, how can we get it back to the 2:30 time? Should we just gradually extend it past 12 hours - maybe 15 min at a time until it's back to 2:30? (I hope that makes sense.)

I've read we should keep Karo syrup on hand for really low BG. How low?

Testing for Ketones - Still trying to figure that one out. How soon should we start testing? Are there different kinds/brands of testing supplies? If so, what's the best?

(The jury's still out on whether or not to change vets. Waiting to see how she acts when Doug goes to pick up the insulin and if she's warmed up to the idea of us joining forces to do what's best for Hershey. We'll see -)

Again, sorry to be so needy, but it seems the more I learn the more questions I have. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for all of your help!!!!!

Libby

 

We test - feed - give shot. Right? And, don't give a shot if BG is 200 or lower. (If 200 or under, we wait and test again? or feed, wait and test again?)

Right, test, feed and shoot. If under 200, wait and test without feeding. (food can raise bg levels)

We were planning to test his BG every 2 hours, but the vet said that was too often and he'd never tolerate it (even though he did great for the 16-hour curve every 2 hours). She said to test every 4 hours for about 3 days, but we're thinking every 3 hours, so we will be taking the +6. Thoughts?

With PZI, we like the preshot numbers and at least a +6. If numbers are wonky during a cycle, more tests might be needed. A curve once a week or so is great - testing every 2-3 hours during that cycle.

How much exercise is too much? He and Oreo haven't been wrestling much lately, so I've been having him walk/run laps with me around the (small) island in our kitchen - 8 or times 10 before a couple of meals. Problem is, I think he's now associating it with eating. Today, he started walk/running around the island and ended at his food bowl, wondering why nobody had followed him to feed him. ;-)

Excercises lowers bg levels, so it's a good thing.

I know the insulin should be given as close to every 12 hours as possible. Sundays are the biggest problem for us. 2:30/2:30 works best for us, except Doug will be giving the shots and has to be at work at 2 on the Sundays he works. Question is - if we give insulin at 2:30am on Sunday, how early can we give it Sunday afternoon. 1pm? 1:30pm? And, how can we get it back to the 2:30 time? Should we just gradually extend it past 12 hours - maybe 15 min at a time until it's back to 2:30? (I hope that makes sense.)

It will be easier to figure this out when you have numbers. PZI is fairly forgiving in terms of shooting a little early.



I've read we should keep Karo syrup on hand for really low BG. How low?

Usually 40 and below call for intervention. Keep some wet high carb gravy food around. That can be the first step before Karo.

 

Good morning! And welcome to the ProZinc club. :smile:

I'm going to ditto what Sue said, and share a couple of tips/experiences.

My "hypo" kit is kept on top of the refrigerator. 3 cans of sliced beef with gravy (for the gravy since it's high in carbs) and a jar of karo. I keep it on the refrigerator so Poopy is not accidentally fed the high carb stuff, so I don't use that karo in my baking, and they're easy to grab in case I need them.

If Poopy tests below 200 on a PS, I post in the PZI forum for feedback on dose. The dance is as Sue said. Test, if higher than 200 feed, then shoot. Or, test, if lower than 200 wait 20 minutes and test again before feeding anything as food can raise BG and then it's a real guessing game of what to shoot. I have had to test three times before getting a BG above 200 (or to show his BG was actually going up) and I've had to do multiple tests to find his BG wasn't going anywhere (stuck in the same range). ECID, and it seems Poopy likes to change things up every once in a while.

There's no need to plan to test every two or three hours unless doing a curve. Curves can be done one or two days a week, unless the numbers are calling for a closer look (showing a low trend or oddly high, that type of thing). On regular days, getting the PSs and a test in between (+5, +6, or +7) is good and helps build a picture of what Poopy is doing with the insulin...rather what the insulin is doing for Poopy. :smile: I tend to test a bit more when I'm changing the dose so I can keep a closer eye on things. Poopy is currently close to what I think may be his magic dose so I've been testing a bit more.

It's a dance, where only Poopy hears the music and I'm trying to follow his lead. (And often find I'm stepping on my toes! LOL)

 

First shot went without incident. AMPS (2:45am) 291. Updated on SS. I feel bad leaving him, but I need to get a little sleep. Will get up in a couple of hours to check on him.

Libby

 

Woohoo! Such a good boy, Hershey (and good on mom too!)!

:RAHCAT

 

Anyone heard about Hershey yet? wonder if she has done another test???? nailbite_smile
Really wanting to know what he is doing on 1 unit???

 

Here we are at +6. Doug always tests the same way - sits in the rocking chair, turns on the lamp, gets everything ready, then calls Hershey over. Well, this time, when he reached to turn on the light, Hershey jumped up in his lap. :smile:

He just ate about 15 min ago, so I know that'll make a difference. Doug is having a hard time getting his blood this morning. At how many attempts do you usually take a break and try again later? His current BG is 351.

How long before we'll know if the 1 unit is enough? Since the vet has left us 'on our own' how do we decide about things like upping/lowering the dose?

@Teresa - Thanks for the encouragement and for looking in on us. I love the cheerleader kitty!

@ohbell - Thanks for checking on us! I'm doing a lot of mental nailbiting :smile:

 

You're right, eating right before the test will mess with the numbers. So 291 at amps, 351 at +6, but with food?

Sometimes it takes a while for the dose to "settle"; we recommend holding a dose for 3-5 days to look for trends. Get all you're preshot numbers and as many in between as possible. Any mid-cycle number is good, but the ones from 5-7 hours after the shot are likely to be the nadir, or low point. After those 3-5 days, we can take a look at the pattern and help you decide whether to increase (or decrease). The only exception to the 3-5 days is if you get a really low number we recommend an automatic decrease. Unfortunately, there's no set "formula" for when to increase or decrease.

If you want, come on over to the pzi forum. We all use either pzi or prozinc and can give you adivice on dosing. It's a small but friendly group. Here's the pzi sticky that will give you some information on how prozinc works. (PZI and prozinc are slightly different, but similar in effect.)

Good luck, and keep up the good work!

 

So, here we are at the PM +6 mark. We just got a reading of 75 - green - and scary. Don't know what to make of it and am hoping to have someone else see this and share their thoughts. When it was 100 at the PM +3, I figured it was a wait and see since he isn't due for more insulin until 2:30am. And, he's about to eat, so I know the BG will rise. And, I was concerned about him getting sick earlier...Sorry I'm such a worry wart...

Thanks for walking this road with us -

Libby (and Hershey, too!)

 

perhaps his # is lower due to getting sick? did he throw up? If so, did he eat afterward? How long before testing did this happen?
I would think +6 and 75, he should be ok, but if it were Bean, I would test again at +8 anyways.

You are NOT a worry wart, just a goood parent! :mrgreen:

 

Hershey tried to bring something up - kind of a hairball kind of sound - at ~12:30pm. But, nothing came up. He ate and had 1 unit of ProZinc at ~2:30pm. At ~6:30pm (2 hrs before the next test), he didn't bring up very much, but like I said, there was a clump of what appeared to be hair, but not like any hairball I've every seen, almost like he ate something he shouldn't have. (That would be uncommon for him. Our other cat, Oreo, has even been known to eat dryer sheets!) I didn't feed him afterward because he didn't act hungry. So, I figured it was just something he needed to get rid of. At 8:30pm was the 75 BG. We were planning to test again at 11:30pm, but will take your suggestion of testing again an hour early - it'd make me feel better, too. I'll update his SS at 10:30pm when we retest

Thanks, again -

Libby

 

Wow! Quite a first day. Don't worry about the 75; that's the kind of number you want to see. Just keep on eye on him & check again in a hour or two to.make sure he's rising. Don't panic until he gets below 50, and even then don't panic, just ask for help!

You're doing great and it looks like you may get to decrease soon.

 

So - it is rising - at the PM +8 it is 139. So, guess we'll wait and test in 4 hrs (2:30am) when it's time for his insulin. Guess that's a big concern of mine - do we give the shot either way since it's his first day of insulin? but, we're not supposed to if it's under 200, right? So, test, if it's 200 or under - wait 20 min and check, again - how many times do we do that before we feed and make a decision about the shot?

Thanks, so much, for the reassurance!

Libby

 

Right. If under 200, wait 20 min (without feeding) & test again. Repeat as long as you need to or you.can't wait any longer to feed. If it takes more than a couple tries you can skip the dose (if you don't like the 2:30 shot time you can just pick a time to shoot after skipping, as long as you're 12+ hours past the last shot).

 

What nice numbers last night! And not so bad today too! (Even with the higher AMPS.)

When Poopy first dipped into the green, I panicked. Was I too close to hypo? And then when his PS shot up, I was really worried. Turns out, that's pretty normal. As it was explained to me, and makes a whole lot of sense, when a kitty is used to running high BG numbers and then hits low, their body thinks it's too low, comparatively, and the liver dumps sugars into the body to "save" the kitty from the dropping numbers (hence the higher PS following the green curve).

I know kitty hears the music and we learn the steps...but what strange steps to be learning! LOL

 

Looking good!

 

You guys are doing great
We are here for you!

 

Hi Libby and Doug,
Looks like you have gotten right into the swing of things and are doing a terrific job!

I just looked at the SS and saw tonite's PMPS (485), and wanted to let you know that it shouldn't be considered surprising. His number is likely that high because of how low he went during the middle of his cycle this afternoon. It's just something that "happens", and eventually it will stop. Good call on continuing with the same 1u dose.

Don't worry about it now, but maybe tomorrow, start a new thread? Once they get to be 2 pages long, it gets difficult to follow, especially if you have a lot of reading to catch up on like I did! You can continue to keep posting on Health if that's where you are most comfortable, or you can post in the PZI forum. Many of the folks who have been helping so far post there on a regular basis, so you'll "know" most of the crowd. :smile:


One thing I saw on your SS that I would like to point out as an encouraging thing to see:

. When you see "improvements" like this, where kitties start to revert back to pre-diabetes behavior.....that's a great sign that he is feeling much better.
Great job so far!

 

Thanks, again, for checking in on us. It's been a nervous few days for me; I look forward to feeling as comfortable about all of this as Doug and Hershey seem to be!

@ Teresa - Good dance analogy, too bad I'm not a great dancer even when I CAN hear the music! :lol: And, your explanation makes sense; I already shared it twice today.

@ Lisa and @Dmartini4 - Thanks for the encouragement and for the warm welcome. Everyone has been so nice here; I really can't imagine doing this without support.

@ Carl - Yes, I was thinking it was time to start a new thread. I wanted to keep his first two days together, but I see what you mean about the two pages. I was kind of disappointed with the 485, especially when he obviously was feeling kind of out of it. Wish there was more I could do at times like that. The vet kind of poo-poo'd me about wanting to start as low as 1 unit, and only wanted us to check him every 4 hrs. But, with those two green values 75 & 77, I'm really glad I didn't give in to a higher dose. And, both of those came at +6, so we would've missed them only testing every 4 hrs. Tomorrow, the testing will be farther apart since we'll be gone to church. And, we're thinking Monday/Tuesday we'll go to just testing before the shot and at the +6. And, Wednesday go to the before shot and random times. Does that sound about right?

I was thinking of posting to the PZI group, but didn't feel like I knew enough to leave the Health forum. I'm still doing a lot of reading on other threads, though, checking out SS and reading profiles. Speaking of profiles, is there a template y'all are using? If so, where can I find it?

Hershey has been such a trooper - not at all like what the vet told us to expect - much more like the cats we saw in the videos we found online. (Oh, YAY!) And, he LOVES those freeze-dried treats!

Sweet Dreams, Everybody!

Libby

 

I think there's profile info.in the tech.support forum.

 

Libby & Hershey!
What a good catch up read! Have been buzy most of this week end and Hershey is one I am kinda following so I was very glad to see all is going well and as expected right now.... No ketone problems, eating as he should, no super high high high numbers, and definately no hypos!
Gooood job to the parents of this boy!

 

Thanks, Lisa, for the profile information.

And, thanks, ohbell, for keeping up with us. I started a new thread this morning "Q: Hershey AMPS got 4 diff BG - what might be the cause? " The last ~22 hours have really kept us guessing with Hershey's numbers being all over the place and have left Doug and me pretty tired physically and emotionally! Thanks for the encouragement, too! It's the support we've received here (and extra caffeine!) that's kept us going today. :smile:

Libby

 

You guys are doing awesome!
It is so hard in the begining, I know I was a mess for many months before I found this site
You are very welcome to come join our PZI group. It is a small group,
but very supportive and we can help with the dosing as we are more familiar
with the insulin PZI..
and dont worry, you can post both places too if that makes you more comfortable

 

Thanks, I was wondering about posting both places, but hated to use the resources double-posting. I had been thinking of posting to the PZI group after Hershey's numbers have been so much higher today. I know we're just getting started, and I'm probably hoping for too much, but I was just wondering if there's anything we're not doing that we should be doing...or doing that we shouldn't be doing...I was kind of getting used to seeing those yellow's and blue's (and even the occasional green!) and then today to see so many pink numbers. I know he won't level out overnight, but I want to make sure we're doing all we can, you know?

Thanks, again, EVERYBODY!! Y'all rock!!!!!

Libby

 

If you post in more than 1 place, make 1 post a link to the other post so that all responses will be in 1 spot and easy to find.