Salem #2

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by AmyB, Aug 16, 2019.

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  1. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    So Salem's PS today is 215 after only getting 0.5 last night. I don't know if I should give him 1.5 since that seems kind of high now? But I also don't want to mess with the dosing too much since I know that messes things up too.

    Continued from other thread
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2019
  2. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Okay I decided to be conservative and give 1 U until I can talk to the vet later. He just stayed low last night on the .5 so I'd rather not go all the way back up to 1.5. I guess we'll see how this does today.
     
  3. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    I think that was a reasonable decision this morning. AMPS was not that high given the very reduced dose last night so that's encouraging. See what Salem does today. :)
     
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  4. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Well I took a +3 reading and he was up to 400....I guess I should have gone with the 1.5 since it seems to be working the most. I really don’t want to keep adjusting doses and the vet said I don’t need to change it based on what one number is. I guess I’m just frustrated bc he was sitting in the 100s there for a day or so. I’m taking him Monday morning to get his teeth taken care of so I need him to come back down by then. I know BG is always changing so I’m trying not to read too much into it.
     
  5. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    Like the vet telling you not to change dose based on one reading, (unless it's a too low mid-cycle or too low pre-shot) don't fret over one reading either. Salem had a good day yesterday spending a good part of the 24 hours in blue range. That is new stuff for Salem and I think what you are seeing is simply another bounce. They are frustrating and not always obvious because sometimes it's a delayed reaction. Let's see what he does by the end of the cycle. He may come back down or still be a bit high and maybe the dose needs to be increased a bit BUT changing doses in the middle of a bounce that breaks can also mean you'll be stuck steering him out of low numbers. Patience is definitely needed at this point. ;)
     
  6. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Yeah I’ll see what he does later on. I’m also nervous about Monday now since I’m basically dropping him off in the morning and they’re going to do the dental work while I’m not there. He doesn’t do well at the vet when he’s not isolated so I hope they’ll account for that. He’s never really had to have anything done before so this is nerve wracking for me.
     
  7. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    I hear ya. I think we all find taking out kitties into the vet and having to leave them nerve wracking. Heck just taking them for routine stuff is nerve wracking. Salem will be fine. Just keep telling yourself it's all to get him feeling top notch!
     
  8. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Yeah I’m really hoping the dental will help a lot. I suspect he’s had teeth issues for a while since I noticed the bad breath a while ago so maybe if I get the teeth under control the diabetes will be a lot better. I don’t want to get my hopes up for getting him off insulin anytime soon since I know it takes time but he’s been responding really well so far. I guess I’ll just have to make dental cleanings a yearly thing? I don’t know how often cats have them. I haven’t been to the dentist myself in years.
     
  9. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    The frequency of dentals really is dependent on the cat and the vet. My girl had dental work a couple or years back but has not been deemed in need of a cleaning since. I suspect that might not be the case come her next yearly checkup but it's something I always ask about. I have a 21 yr old who has never had any dental work done. At this point, his breath suggests he likely could use a good cleaning but at 21yrs old, it's not happening. He's eating and shows no sign of mouth pain. He's extremely fractious at the vet's and at his age, I don't think it would be fair/safe to subject him to surgery.
     
  10. AmyB

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    Do you brush their teeth at all? I’d like to do some kind of preventative care with them but I don’t know if they’d let me brush their teeth. And of course now I’m worried he’s not going to be low enough on Monday for them to do the dental. I guess I’ll just have to see where he’s at that morning and go from there.
     
  11. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    I have never brushed my cat's teeth and I'm sure none of them would allow me to. I'd be risking losing a finger or 2. I have a hard enough time looking in their mouths if necessary and they fight the vet with every ounce of strength they have. I envy those who can do it but I think it's probably best to start them off as kittens in most cases.

    Your vet should give you instructions about what to do food and insulin wise for the day of surgery. They all have their own protocols but it's common to have to keep kitty fasting from the night before and only give a partial shot of insulin the morning of surgery. Something to check with them about.
     
  12. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Yeah he said not to feed him and give half a dose of insulin before I bring him in. He said they would monitor him the whole time though and as long as he’s low enough he wants to do it as soon as possible. I’m just hoping I can get him down again this weekend so that morning he’ll be in the 100s again.
     
  13. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Midcycle is 369. Must be the bouncing. I guess I'll go back to the 1.5 tonight? At this point I just want him to be low enough to have the dental done on Monday and then after that I can readdress the dosing.
     
  14. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    I'd hold judgement on tonight's dose till you see what he does for PMPS. I'm not convinced you need to go back to the 1.5u at this point and if the bounce breaks and he starts dropping you could be chasing numbers all night.
     
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  15. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    I’ll see what he does for the PS then. I’m wondering if he needs to be reduced more since on the 1.5 he seemed to be bouncing more? I just also want to be sure of a dosage and stick with it for a little while. He’s been on 1.5 for the past week and it’s gotten him low but then he shoots up again and I’d rather him have something that keeps him in the 100s for a little while.
     
  16. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    While it might seem like a good idea to keep him a running a little higher to stop the bouncing, it also means he won't be spending as much time in the healing range that you want him in. The more you can get him into high dark green or low blue range the better. He had his lowest pre-shots yesterday and that is progress but it was also reduced doses both cycles. I still think the antibiotic might be causing a bit of lowering of BG so the picture is not totally clear right now. Salem doesn't seem to hold bounces long and isn't an overachiever when it comes to bouncing so try to be patient and not make hasty decisions about dosing. Believe me I understand how frustrating this is, but it's a marathon not a sprint and overreacting to one day of readings often sets you back rather than speeding things up.
     
  17. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    So depending on his preshot I should probably keep him at 1.5? I was thinking either that or 1.25 I didn’t want to go lower than that. I agree that the antibiotic is probably bringing him down and I’m sure he’ll go down more after the dental. I just won’t be able to watch him this weekend since I have to work all weekend so I won’t see what it’s actually doing during the day.
     
  18. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    OKAY preshot is 237 so he's come down a bit. Must have been a bounce from yesterday? So now my dilemma is do I stick with the 1.5 or try 1.25? I won't be able to monitor him this weekend if he goes too low during the day.
     
  19. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Since it seems like he's breaking the bounce I was thinking 1.25 just because I really can't stay up tonight? I want to make sure he has enough but after the other night when he dropped to 75 I'm cautious giving him the 1.5 because who knows what it'll do.

    Edit: I gave 1.25 and I'll see where he's at at +3. I can wake up and test if I have to. I know I just got him used to the 1.5 so I'm trying not to go much lower than that.
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2019
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  20. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    If anyone is online, Salem's +2 is at 85...of course he does this on a night I have to be up early. I'm going to hope he's peaking early tonight but I'm going to go ahead and give some MC food.
     
  21. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    + 3 at 84. I'm going to try and keep him surfing for another two or three hours.
     
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  22. Bron and Sheba (GA)

    Bron and Sheba (GA) Well-Known Member

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    I can be around if you need me Amy, but you look as if you are managing this well.
    Just tag me if needed:)
    Keep surfing Salem
     
  23. AmyB

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    Thanks! :) I should be okay unless he takes a sudden nosedive. It's more I wasn't expecting him to do this on this dose but Salem has done nothing but throw me surprises for the past month.
     
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  24. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Cats know when you have plans.
     
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  25. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    typical cat :cat::cat: :p

    obviously they can't read so they don't follow the manual or the recommended procedures ...
     
  26. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    Just catching up. Didn't get any alerts for your earlier posts. :blackeye: I see Salem threw you another surprise. I'm glad you stuck to the reduced dose of 1.25u. Seems that antibiotic has helped. You're doing great with him.
     
  27. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    I have another two hours before I have to give the AM shot but I’m thinking I want to give 1 u since I will be gone all day and I can’t be here to bring him back up if he goes low early again.
     
  28. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    AMPS is 172. I can test again in 15 minutes but I can’t delay too long. I really don’t want to give too much today bc I won’t be home for 10 hours.
     
  29. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    As long as BG is holding or rising rather than falling, if you retest you could give 0.75u or 1u but either way I'd leave food out for Salem to eat in your absence.
     
  30. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    I retested him and he was at 165 which is about the same. I’m probably going to give .75 because I just don’t know how he’s going to react.
     
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  31. AmyB

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    He’s also not wanting to eat too much this morning so who knows.
     
  32. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    Amy, you could put down some MC food along with LC to make sure Salem has lots of keep him safe. Hopefully the lack of appetite is simply the lower BGs he's been having.
     
  33. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Okay I’m giving .75 and leaving food out. Hopefully this doesn’t set him back too much but I would rather him be a little too high than go too low.
     
  34. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    He'll be fine and it's not going to set him back. ;)
     
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  35. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Thanks. :) I really can’t express how much you’ve helped me with all of this. It’s been hard when my vet isn’t too helpful with the dosing stuff.
     
  36. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    My pleasure. :D
     
  37. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    So I have no idea how he went today but I tested him when I got home on the ReliOn and he’s at 116. I’m running out of alphatrak strips so I’ll probably use it for my tests tonight cause amazon takes two days to deliver stuff.
     
  38. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    How many hours post shot was he when you tested and got that 116?
     
  39. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    So I gave him the shot at 8:20 and I took the reading around 6:40 so 10 and a half?
     
  40. AmyB

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    I’m going to try and back his shot time up to 8 tonight though. So I can give it at 7:30 tomorrow night since he can’t have food after 10, that way if he starts going low I can at least get something in him. I just don’t know what dose to give him now since I’ve lowered it.
     
  41. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    You'll just have to see what his BG is at PMPS. Obviously his dose need is reducing to some degree which is great although it makes it difficult to know what to do. All you can do is follow his lead.
     
  42. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    I’m about to test him and give him his food so we’ll see if he’s gone up any. I kind of don’t want to give any more than 1U. Just based on how he reacted to the 1.25 and what he’s at now. I’m just kind of following him, as he drops more, I reduce.
     
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  43. AmyB

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    Okay I just tested him on both meters to be sure: we're at 84 on the ReliOn and 138 on the AT2?? What am I supposed to do with those numbers.
     
  44. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    If you can get another test or 2 in tonight I'd try the 0.5u again. If sleep is a priority drop him to 0.25 and see what he does.
     
  45. AmyB

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    0.5 is what I was thinking. I can definitely get some +3 and +4 tests if I give it now so I'll do that.
     
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  46. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Okay I gave the 0.5. I'm hoping this doesn't end up being too little but oh well. I also seriously need to sleep tonight so there's that.
     
  47. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    He's definitely keeping you on your toes these days. It will all be so worth it. Hang in there..
     
  48. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    I mean I'm okay with it I just also feel kind of bad bc I had the vet tell me not to change his dose based on one reading, but I'm trying to follow the pattern of what he's doing over several days, which lately has been drop a lot. We just won't tell the vet what I'm doing? The fun part is going to be figuring out what dose to give him Monday morning when I'm supposed to give him a half dose.
     
  49. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Now I feel like I'm screwing this up again and not giving him enough. I know it takes a week for a dose to be at its most effective and I had him on 1.5 for a week and then it seems like it was too much? I think I'm making changes too quickly again bc I'm so scared of him going too low and he probably just needed to be bumped down to 1. I just want to get through the dental on Monday and reevaluate after that. Anytime I bring it up with the vet he just tells me not to change doses quickly and leaves it at that so I feel so confused about all this.

    Sorry I’m so panicky my anxiety is making all of this so much worse and the fact that I haven’t been sleeping much staying up to check on him. I just want to do what’s best for him and not screw up all this insulin stuff.
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2019
  50. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    An actual update: +2 is 73 on the Relion. Im giving another can of food bc he didn’t eat very much earlier so hopefully this will boost him up some.
     
  51. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    He's not too low and you just want him to surf so you really didn't need to give him a whole can of food. For future reference..... Best to give a little bit of food and retest to make sure he's come up some before you overload him with food. You don't want him full if he really needs to eat for safety sake. If you are trying to get his BG up so you can get some rest, then give him higher carb food. It looks like this could be an active cycle so no more food right now and retest in an hour.
     
  52. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    +3 he's at 62. He only ate about half of each can I gave him so hopefully he'll eat more if I need him too. He hasn't been eating as much lately which I wonder if that's why he's going low earlier.
     
  53. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    Ok. Give him a bit of HC food and retest in 30 minutes. You're going to have to make sure he is holding BG without food being needed to know when he's stopped dropping.
     
  54. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Okay I just gave 2 tsp of HC food. He's eating most of it. I'll test him again in an hour at +4 and see where he's at.
     
  55. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    I'd test him in 30 minutes. The sooner you figure out what he's up to the sooner you can take action so you can get some sleep.
     
  56. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Yeah that’s probably a good idea. I’ll give him 30 minutes to see what it’s doing.
     
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  57. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    He's at 58 now. That's about the same reading right? Should I give more food or wait?
     
  58. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    So it's about the same but on your AT2 it's too low so I'd give him a bit of honey or syrup on his gums and another bit of HC food and retest again 20 minutes after.
     
  59. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Sorry, I thought I mentioned I’m using the Relion right now bc I’m almost out of at2 strips. Sorry I know that’s confusing I just ran through them quicker with all these nights I’ve had to test him so I’m using my backup. So he’s not quite at the too low point on there I think? But if he drops anymore he is.
     
  60. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    I'd still give him the boost. 50 is the threshold on the human meter and he's getting close enough given it's night time and you don't want to be dealing with this all night.
     
  61. AmyB

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    Okay cool I gave him a boost. I’ll test him again in a little while. Since we’re past +4 hopefully he’ll start going back up soon. I just wonder what I’m going to give him tomorrow but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.
     
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  62. AmyB

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    Okay he's up to 118 now at +5 so maybe I overdid it a little. Here's to hoping he doesn't bounce from this.
     
  63. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    He likely will bounce and you just go with the flow. Salem doesn't hold bounces long. You have no idea how many people would envy you for that alone! Leave some food out for Salem to eat if he feels the need. :)
     
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  64. AmyB

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    So I should probably stick with the .5 tomorrow morning? I'll be at work all day again. My brother will be here but I don't know if Salem will let him test him.
     
  65. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    AMPS is 224 on the Alphatrak. Not sure what I should give today. Maybe I should stick with .5 for a few days?
     
  66. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    That is likely a bounce so yes I'd stick with the 0.5u. It's also an AT2 reading again which would be lower on the Relion although we don't just how much lower.
     
  67. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Yeah he was impossible to get blood from for some reason so I used the AT2 because it requires so much less.
     
  68. AmyB

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    They’re also both not wanting to eat this morning. I guess I need to go get a different kind of FF because they’re suddenly not wanting the pates.
     
  69. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    Try adding some water to make it soupy....maybe they will lap that up willingly.
     
  70. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    I at least got Salem to eat some so that’s good. I gave the .5 so we’ll see what it does today. I don’t want him to be too low for tonight anyways so it’s okay if he goes a little bit higher than he has been.
     
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  71. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    and if they don't want to eat, crumble a bit of treat on top -- for Catcat, that's bonito flakes, other cats like parmesan or romano cheese, Fortiflora, or freezedried chicken or fish .. ECID ! -- leave them a little hungry so they want more ...
     
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  72. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Okay I just got home and tested him and he’s at 129 on the Relion. Which means he probably didn’t shoot up today so I’m going to keep him at .5 tonight. I’m giving his shot at 7:40 so that’ll give me a two hour window to boost him up before the 10 deadline of no food.
     
  73. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    What time did you shoot this morning? Is that more than an hour early tonight?
     
  74. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    This morning I shot at 8:10 so it’s 30 minutes earlier.
     
  75. AmyB

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    Okay just took PMPS and he's at 112 on the Relion and 194 on the AT2. I'm going to give the .5 and hope that's a good amount to bring him down, but not too much.
     
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  76. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    +1 is 133 on the Relion. He only ate about half a 3 oz can of food.
     
  77. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    SO I'm about to take Salem's +2 but I really need some dosing advice for tomorrow. He can't have any food after 10 tonight and I have to give him a shot at 7:30 on no food and take him to the vet after that. They said they will monitor him and give him glucose in his IV if they need to but the vet won't do the dental unless he's in normal range from the insulin. I've been giving him .5 and it's bringing him down, and the vet said to give him half a dose but I'm just wondering if .25 would be enough. Or if I should give slightly less than .5? I almost want to give a little more than half bc the vet can monitor him. It's just screwed up because I lowered his dose a good bit from when I talked to the vet on Friday.
     
  78. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Okay +2 is 104 on the ReliOn and 184 on the AT2. Now I'm concerned that it's not high enough and maybe I should have stuck with the .75. I need him to get low enough tonight to not have a hypo but be low for tomorrow morning. He still has room to drop though.
     
  79. (GA) Gypsy's Parent

    (GA) Gypsy's Parent Member

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    104 is a good number! At a reading of 112 (ReliOn), I would not have given a larger dose. 50 is the danger point for human meters. Can you test at +4? My cat's min is at about +5. If he starts approaching the danger number, test every 20 minutes and be prepared to treat for hypo conditions. I'm still pretty new at this, and my cat appears to be in remission, but I've been following a lot of threads. Salem looks like his BG numbers are decreasing over the last several days, so the dosing of 0.5 seems like it is about right.

    You've had really good advice and Salem looks like he is in good range for the surgery tomorrow.
     
  80. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    I’m hoping he is! He just decreased so fast and I had to keep up with it. I’m going to test him at +3 and +4 but I really only want to give food if he’s absolutely way too low bc he can’t have food now if I want him to have the dental done. I’m just hoping he’ll drop enough to be in a good range tomorrow so I can give him half a dose and get this taken care of because I really think his teeth are driving up his numbers, just judging by how giving him antibiotics dropped him dramatically over the course of a week.
     
  81. (GA) Gypsy's Parent

    (GA) Gypsy's Parent Member

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    As long as you can test often enough to ensure his BG starts increasing without going too low, you shouldn't need any food. I've read in several posts that you should not give insulin if reading is below 200 on human meter and 240 on AT.

    If Salem is not going to get any food until after the surgery, I would be worried about giving him any insulin in the morning. It will cause his BG go down without any carbs to prevent it from going too low. Someone experienced would be able to provide advice. Giving insulin with no food? Hmmmm, personally that seems ill advised. Look at how much his BG drops *with* food. Without food, it will go even lower. As Salem's numbers are in the blue, insulin with no food could cause too much of a drop.
     
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  82. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    So the vet said to give him half a dose and they’re going to monitor his glucose the whole time. They said they can give him some in his IV if he starts getting too low. The problem is apparently he needs to be in a normal range for him to get the anesthesia. My issue is I’m not 100% sure on what to give bc I’ve been giving him so much less.
     
  83. (GA) Gypsy's Parent

    (GA) Gypsy's Parent Member

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    Jul 24, 2019
    I see; Salem has to be in the green. "they can give him some in his IV if he starts getting too low". Something to raise the BG? Do you know the time of the surgery? Is it soon after the time you normally give him insulin? I'd be concerned that depending on the timing of his shot and the surgery, his BG doesn't pass through the normal range and be too low.
     
  84. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Jul 25, 2019
    So I backed up his shot time to when I need to give it so he should be okay on that. The issue is how low he’ll be in the morning. If he’s around 130 or 140 I think it’ll be okay but if he’s higher I’m worried he won’t drop enough. I just took his +2 and he’s at 174 on the Alphatrak so he hasn’t dropped very much. I probably should have given him a slightly higher dose but I also didn’t want him going too low because I can’t feed him. It’s just so tricky when he’s not consistent.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2019
  85. (GA) Gypsy's Parent

    (GA) Gypsy's Parent Member

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    Jul 24, 2019
    It sounds like you and/or the vet have thought this through pretty well. Salem's evening numbers look more stable. The mornings are all over the map. I hope the fates are looking down favorably on you and Salem in the morning and that everything goes well.
     
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  86. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Jul 25, 2019
    Thank you! I’m hoping he’ll be pretty low tomorrow morning but who knows. I guess worst case scenario I just have to do it another day.
     
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  87. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    Apr 23, 2019
    prayers and vines for tomorrow -- will be thinking of you all the way through
     
  88. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Jul 25, 2019
    Thank you! +3 is 104 on the Relion so he’s not really dropping. He’s sleeping right now and just kind of acting like he doesn’t feel well. Guessing this isn’t going to be an active cycle, but I’m hoping he’ll come down a bit by tomorrow morning.
     
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  89. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Jul 25, 2019
    Okay Salem’s ps today is 167 on the Alphatrak. I need to give him enough to get him in the 80-120 range. He’s also not getting food though.
     
  90. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    I have no idea why but I got no notifications from this thread whatsoever since 6:30pm last night.
    I see no reason why Salem would have to be in "normal" numbers for anaesthesia. Never heard of that before and goodness knows there's been a lot of cats have dentals done here that were no where near regulated that tightly.

    I hope all went well with the vet and that Salem's dental helps pull his numbers down even more. Do keep us posted. I'm leaving myself a note to check on you later!
     
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  91. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

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    May 18, 2016
    Hoping all goes well today and Salem's numbers settle down after the dental.
     
  92. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Jul 25, 2019
    Thank you! So an update: they did the dental and he did really well. The vet also told me to stop changing his doses and keep him on one for a week so I think I’m going to keep him on the .5 for a week just to see what it does especially after getting this done. Then I can always go back up to 1 if I need to.
     
  93. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    Apr 23, 2019
    Catcat's dental didn't drop things drastically but it does seem that his numbers are more consistent since then -- and he seems to feel more energetic as well

    hope things go as well or better for Salem
     
  94. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Jul 25, 2019
    So the vet was saying that cats can’t have their doses adjusted much so I’m wondering how true that is? Obviously I want to keep him on the same dose because that’s easier for me but it’s hard when I have to drop it due to his numbers falling a lot.
     
  95. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    Feb 18, 2015
    So glad to hear Salem did well. Bet both of you are glad that's over and done.

    While the vet might think you should hold a dose for a week, as you've discovered, kitty doesn't always allow you to do so and you are left with a decision to either skip or reduce. Sometimes it's a matter of CG convenience/need for sleep too. Dosing would have been more consistent for Salem if his numbers had not dictated some caution. That said, ProZinc is an in and out insulin and in some cases, people are successful using sliding scale dosing so I think perhaps that comment was meant more as a disapproval of you making dosing decisions (vets often don't like that) rather than any commentary on the progress you've made with Salem.
     
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  96. AmyB

    AmyB Member

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    Jul 25, 2019
    Yeah I’m going to just leave him at .5 for the next week and see what it does. I would like to be able to give him a consistent dose and catch up on some sleep myself so hopefully it’ll keep him low enough for the next week or so and we can re-evaluate next week after I get more numbers. I mean I get what he’s saying about not changing him too much but when it’s the weekend and I can’t talk to him I just have to do what I can.
     
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  97. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    Apr 23, 2019
    to a certain extent it depends on which formula of insulin you're using -- the quick in-and-out types such as Caninsulin/Vetsulin and Novolin N, can be used with varying doses, though it's more reasonable to hold a steady dose until you learn how your cat reacts, since ... ECID

    Lantus, Basaglar, and Levemir, being depot-type insulins, really do need a consistent dose to be efficacious, since the injections are "refilling" the depot rather than being immediately

    for ProZinc, I defer to those who are experienced with it -- not my area of experience
     
  98. AmyB

    AmyB Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2019
    ProZinc is an in and out one I think so that’s why I was more okay with varying it. I mean I want to leave him on a dose but when he’s super low at night and I feel it’s unsafe to give him a full dose that’s when I change it.
     
  99. (GA) Gypsy's Parent

    (GA) Gypsy's Parent Member

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    Jul 24, 2019
    Yay! I'm glad to hear that everything went well this morning!

    Consistent dose can be good advice to avoid people changing doses on their own and then getting into terrible cycles of bouncing. And as Salem is unregulated, there are likely to be changes as he adjusts to having consistently lower BG levels. If you worry about going too low and letting the higher end be, the folks here can offer advice on dosing. Getting the numbers to be more predictable, even if a bit high rather than looking like a random color sampling will be helpful.
     
  100. AmyB

    AmyB Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2019
    Yeah Linda has been amazingly helpful with dosing advice. I do really want to keep him consistent and I’m hoping his numbers will be more consistent now so I can just keep him on one dose. I feel like I’m starting from scratch at .5 but I’d rather give him some wiggle room if he comes down any more.

    Also I bought a fancy camera so I can now watch the cats on my phone and talk to them when I’m not home! Salem is fascinated by the camera moving which is funny.
     
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