Shooting question

Finally managed to get blood of Sky - first time proper despite numerous attempts. Anyway, it's the first time I've done it before she has eaten and before she has had her evening injection.

Her sheet is updated. Is she a safe level to inject at? It seems quite low to me. My vets haven't explained anything to me and I'm wary of sending her hypo like I did the first week.

 

With that low a number on an AT2 meter and with using Caninsulin I would NOT shoot. It is possible that the 2 units you are giving is too much for the preshot number to be that low. The more tests you can get done the safer your kitty will be.

 

With such limited data I would not give insulin on that number. We recommend a 'no shot' number of 200, 112 is within a normal blood sugar range and I would also reduce the dose in the morning, can you post a pre shot number in the morning to decide by how much? There is no way of knowing how low she went today. The number tomorrow morning will likely be high if you skip tonight but Sky seems to have earned a reduction in dose.

 

Thanks - my thought was to not inject. I'm going to try and get a pre-shot number tomorrow but she is really difficult to get blood out of (which is why there aren't any pre-shot numbers so far). She is definitely going to have to get used to it - the morning one will be harder on me than her!

 

If you can get a +2 this evening then that will also help, I appreciate it is difficult to get blood, mine will not tolerate testing her ears at all which is why I use the paw pads, the 'how to' is in my signature.

 

She tolerates her ears being fussed and played with but for some reason it is hard to get them to bleed. She isn't very happy with me at the moment for keep doing it. Anyway, only took 2 attempts tonight - she is up to 184 which again doesn't seem bad.

Will try again tomorrow morning before she eats.

Thanks for all the assistance

 

She was 18.2/328 this morning. Cowered when I went near her ears She had her normal dose. Going to monitor her behaviour on different types of food - it may be that certain foods keep her sugars lower than others. She is at the vets tomorrow for her bloods to be tested (fructose test i think it was!) and will ask the vets a few more questions.

 

Are you able to get a +5/+6 today - would be helpful to know how much she drops today on that dose.

 

I couldn't with being at work. Tried tonight to get a premeal shot and she has gotten so upset over it - she really hates it.

 

Finally did her before food tonight - 9.1/164. I will give her a dose but a lesser one. Tomorrow I may be able to get some actual figures - depending on whether she lets me! 4 hours after the shot she will be at the vet so they can do one and then I will try every couple of hours after that.

 

Well done - she may well be high at the vet but if you can get the AMPS that would be great.

 

Sky has had her vet appt - the vet was horrified that I had changed her dosage! She has had blood taken for a fructose test and they did a test of her current levels - 2.9!!! She has no symptoms of being hypo so sent her home and told me to feed her when I got home! Going to test her again in an hour or so now she has been fed. Have to reduce the level to a 1 unit dose and do a curve next week.

 

Horrified you reduced it? So by +4 she dropped by 10 mmol/l on 2 units. It is all data and useful. If you can grab some +5/+6 once she is settled on the 1 unit dose that would be useful, her numbers may go higher for a few days but stick with the 1 unit and you should see her pre shot numbers even out. Curve next week will be really useful.

 

Yes, i don't think she approves of self-regulation. I can understand why not - but i did explain I was only doing it after taking bloods and it would have been unsafe to have given her a 2 unit dose when she was at 6.1. In light of today's evidence it was a sensible decision! Sky's a little subdued but keeping an eye on her and due to take another test soon. Hopefully she will be okay on the 1 dose.

 

Considering she was started on such a big dose all I can say is that I think that home testing should be taught to every diabetic cat owner together with a no shoot number. The veterinary literature supports home testing as being more accurate than testing at the vet and recommends it. My vet has a link to my spreadsheet so she can be remotely monitored and it works well. Getting cats regulated takes time and I think vets often start with doses that turn out to be too high. Ultimately you hold the syringe and if you are not happy the safest thing is usually to give a reduced dose or no dose at all.

 

It's shocking how little vets seem to understand diabetes - or at least how little my vet understands it! The dosage she was started on seems to go against manufacturers advice and the way I'm supposed to be testing her ears....well, there is nowhere online that demonstrates that way (they have the ear inside out pretty much and using the lancet inside on the hairless part of her inner ear). They have never yet recommended testing bloods before injecting. Glad this forum exists