So this is my story. A year ago my cat was diagnosed. He's been on 2 1/2 units 2xday. However, he wasn't getting nowhere and I wanted to take control back. Now I'm home testing, but I'm so new to the BG tests and number information I receive. I'm pretty much starting over, but the correct way. I feel that is best for my cat. My next annual checkup is Friday and the vet has made it clear they are concerned with me taking matters into my own hands . As of right now Tuffy is on 1 unit, and I know that it's not enough, but I'm going to slowly raise it. I will raise it to 1.25 units. I don't have a lot of numbers, but I'm working on it. I'm basically looking for advice or anything anyone can enlighten me with.
I think @Kris & Teasel covered the dosing in the other thread and others gave advice regarding the vet. I just wanted to add that we had a vet that was adamant that we should not test at home. We went in to the next visit with a spreadsheet and explained the data in it. He just kinda shrugged and told us, if we wanted to do that then okay. Just because they don't always think things are necessary does not mean they will fight you on them, so I wouldn't get anxious about it preemptively. Just go in, confidently, show them what you have and take it from there. The vet we see now -recommended- home testing and to be honest, I feel that is a sign they have some understanding of feline diabetes. Like was mentioned before, hopefully your vet will be open to the two of you learning together.
I had problems getting my cat regulated with a decent curve. I started with a very small dose back in September and slowly worked up after doing curves. The numbers actually got worse as the doses got higher. When I hit 2u I finally got nadirs under 200. Soon after all the numbers started dropping, on two occasions the pre-shot readings were under 200, I didn't comfortable about giving the full dose and called the vet on what to do, (I wasn't on this site at that point) since I always read "not to change the dose without a vets consent". Both times she said give the full dose, but it just logically didn't feel right so I didn't, better undergoes than overdose. She also said to stop doing so many BG tests and to just stick to the dosing plan. I then got on this site and learned a lot about dosing, my cat is now going into remission. I notice this with many vets, since they need to know so much info on different illnesses and animals that they don't have the time to get into the tiny details of diabetes.
So I should expect numbers eventually getting higher, then dropping? Should I be looking for my Nadir to drop below 200?
Not necessarily. It depends on the individual cat's responses. Yes, you want a nadir in the high 90s to low 100s. Ideally, you want pre shot BGs to be in the low to mid 200s but it can take a while for those to come down. It's best to focus on HOW LOW a dose takes him rather than how high the pre shot numbers are. The dose is assessed based on those lows. We tend to ignore the pre shot numbers unless they drop a lot. That might require a dose tweak, depending on kitty's history. That history is so important and is the reason why we recommend regular testing and keeping the spreadsheet.
Hi and welcome! It sounds like you might have another thread somewhere else? Hopefully I won't mess up advice you've already received, but I would suggest that you increase the dose soon - you don't want to leave a kitty sitting in high numbers like this. You can increase to 1.25u as you stated, or you could go to 1.5u. When the nadir (lowest value during the cycle) is over 200, the 0.5u increase is recommended, however if you're more comfortable with the smaller increase, that's fine. I would also suggest that you get a "before bed" test in the evening, or grab a test if you ever get up in the night to use the bathroom or get a drink of water. Cats often run lower at night, so it's important to get whatever data you can during the nighttime cycle, understanding that your sleep is important too!
@Djamila here's the main forum thread: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/preparing-for-a-vet-visit.209048/
This is the most important advice. I was dosing based on ore shot numbers for some time as I was not aware of this and was also listening to my vet. The advice on this site has been invaluable. It is taking some time and my PS numbers are still high but I am hoping I’m on the right track now....
As mentioned the nadir is the important number, it typically occurs mid cycle. Remember below 50 is dangerous so if your unsure at any time, error on the side of caution and under dose. As you gain experience your pre-shot will determine dose to get to desired nadir. One thing I learned here was to check the pre-shot number 2 hours after eating to get a more accurate reading. I used to check right after eating and I was seeing a glucose spike and basing my dose from it. Now I take when the cat ate into consideration when I get a reading.
Okay, this is what I'm doing. Today I started the dose at 1.25. Come Tuesday if his numbers are same, I will increase to 1.5. Also, this weekend I plan on doing a nightly curve. It's easy for me to sleep, so I would like to get the nightly nadir. Also, during the week I can get some PM BG readings . I shoot at 6, so I can also get a reading 2 hrs and 4 hours in before bed.
And I can tell you from very recent experience, with the stress of worrying about kitty, getting on a new schedule, and learning all this new stuff, it's easy to underestimate how much you are neglecting yourself. Sleep, eat, stay hydrated.
