Smiffy's July Vet appointment

@MrWorfMen's Mom @Alexi @Tuxedo Mom @Marlena @donnalea

This is how Smiffy's July trip to the Vet 13th July went:

She thought that Smiffy was doing very well but couldn't say if she was heading for remission but that her numbers were (as we already know) in a much better range now.

They showed that she is doing well on Caninsulin, it seems to last longer in her than in most cats and there is no reason to change to another insulin at the moment - but the option was there for me if I wanted it now or in the future.

She is pleased too that she is testing negative for keytones and that she is generally well and back to her old self.

Her blood pressure under stress at the Vets was 140 I think she said but 'normal' and her slight murmur had not got any worse.

Smiffy has lost 0.1 KG (!) in a month which is better than nothing (Smiffy doesn't eat more than about 70g of her dry food Hills m/d per day so she is stilll on the slimming portion but I let her graze on it until about +7 so that it is there to snack on if she gets low BG).

She told me to continue to do preshot tests and approximate Nadir shots wherever I can and any other tests I feel necessary.

She told me to carry on with the plan which is not to inject if she is under 10, to give her 1 unit if she is between 10 and 14 and 1 1/2 if she is higher.

So that's it really .... just that she is and I am doing very well and improving and to keep up the good work

She sees no need to see her again for 3 months unless of course something happens and Roberta is always there if i need help.

 

That's a wonderful vet report and I'm pleased to hear Smiffy has shed a bit of weight. That too can help with BG control. I think that visit and Smiffy's improvement on Caninsulin just proves the old adage....if it ain't broke, don't fix it. As I said before, the best insulin for your cat is the one that works and it seems Smiffy is doing pretty well.

 

I think so for now it is best to stick with Caninsulin .. why upset her system just to experiment?

Have you heard of Etosha food - dry food that has been suggested by somebody on Facebook that is low in carbs ..... just don't know yet how I could easily get hold of it:

http://www.wildcat-katzenfutter.de/etosha_katzenfutter_wildcat.php

@Elizabeth and Bertie is the expert on food - have you heard of it? Don't know how I would find out if it is lower in carb than Hill's m/d and also the m/d is supposed to be forumatled for weight loss too ..... just out of interest?

 

Wonderful report Sniffy. Wish there was an English option for that website.

 

If you use Google Chrome it should give you the option to translate the page to English. These are the ingredients:

Composition
(min. 8.5%) Dried chicken meat (min. 70.5%), chicken meat, chicken fat, flaxseed, Hühnerjus, fennel, vitamins, Immutop® (Jerusalem artichoke concentrate), minerals, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, black currants, elderberries, aronia, sea salt, dried cranberry, mannanoligosaccharides (prebiotic MOS), fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS prebiotic), grape seed extract, thyme, marjoram, oregano, parsley, sage

Nutritional additives: Food Additives per kg: Vitamins: Vitamin A (as retinyl acetate) 37,800 IU, Vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol) 2625 IU, Vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol acetate) 723 IU;Trace elements: Kalziumjodat anhydrous 1.58 mg, selenium (as sodium selenite) 0.51 mg iron (as ferrous sulfate) 309 mg, copper (as copper sulphate) 41 mg, copper chelate of Aminosäurehydrat 51mg, zinc (as zinc chelate of Aminosäurehydrat) 342 mg, manganese (as manganese sulfate) 112.5 mg, zinc (as zinc sulfate) 285 mg iron (as iron chelate of Aminosäurehydrat) 20.5 mg, 1.84% calcium, phosphorus 1.46%, amino acids: DL-methionine 3.158 mg, L-carnitine 48 mg, taurine 3,250 mg, L-lysine 380 mg

 

Looby

Great report from the vet. Smiffy's numbers are good and she is holding them very well. Now that you have mastered testing you are seeing the big picture and overall it is looking good. Fingers crossed that Smiffy continues doing well and hopefully comes down just a bit more...without any big drops of course.

 

@Tuxedo Mom thanks for translation. I'm on my kindle so there was no option.

The composition sounds quite Italian.

 

So happy to see you and Smiffy doing so well.
Hugs,
Marlena & Rocky

 

Can you tell from al that what percentage carbs that is?

 

Thank you ....... I know that remission is a dream but I am convinced we could get there if we her body continues to repair to allow it to better use the insulin that I am giving her .. hopefully that will extend to her pancreas some time over the next few months and it is not too late for it to start working and starting to produce insulin on its own ....... I am for ever the optimist

 

I am terrible at trying to figure out dry food carbs since I have never fed dry food to my kitties. The only ingredient I see that has carbs is the flax, but flax is mostly fibre. I don't know how much naturally occuring sugars would be in the fruits though.

You can always dream about remission. I know Smiffy won't eat wet foods, but that could be the last barrier to getting into remission numbers. If Smiffy just continues to refuse low carb wet food then the small dose that you are giving right now seems to be doing a decent job. You are doing the best you can.

 

I am reluctant to change just in case and anyway I looked at it on Amazon and it is terribly expensive ..... as far as I am concerned no expense would be spared in getting Smiffy's numner even lower but DH is already saying that Smiffy and Pasha don't need their annual booster jabs and it is just a way for the Vets to make more money but I have told him that it is just as much about getting them to the Vet for an annaul checkup on their general and dental health ..... I don't just have a tinker of a cat to deal with but husband how is telling me that we are just not made of money as we used to be ..... I have just ordered test strips on Amazon and they are expensive and I now need to use at least three a day an then there are always times when I don't get blood ...... I have asked Elizabeth (as in Elizabeth & Bertie) to see if she can work out the carb count of the Estora stuff ..... I will let you know if she can work it out ......

Thanks for your support yet again and comments ...... just going to have a look at your spreadsheet .......

 

Wow ......your cat's numbers are all over the place compared to Smiffy .... oh bless him - he has a naughty pancreas ...... well done you for keeping him well and the relentless care you give him !

 

My Tuxie can't be used as any sort of example for treatment or dosing. He has chronic pancreatitis AND early Cushing's both which cause him to be a high dose kitty and very hard to try to regulate.

 

I know I had a look and read your signature ..... I really think it is amazing what you have done and are doing for him

 

Just like you, my kitties are my babies and I will do the best I can for both of them

 

Looby,
I totally agree with your DH on this!
It is a waste of money!
If you press your vet whether a cat needs vaccination every year they probably say that actually it is not needed as most last longer than a year and don't need to be repeated so often.
I'm generally against vaccinations. My cats never got any at all and they used to roam freely. I know, I took a gamble and now I regret not knowing more about healthy diet and not exposing them to nasty chemicals for flees and tics. It is very important to start implementing more natural approach when they are very young. I'm saying this because I feel passionate about more natural way of living and I would use herbs and supplements first before succumbing to drugs.
I hope more people will tune in with regards to vaccination as it is an interesting subject but I think I will create a new post and maybe we have a discussion because this post is about Smiffy's progress and not about anything else.
So Looby , I'm not at all saying that you are not right having your Smiffy and Pasha vaccinated every year, I'm only voicing my opinion about yearly vaccination but I'm sure most people will not agree with me.
In the meantime I would like to say how much I admire Looby's hard work and how much better Smiffy is now. Well done.
Hugs,
Marlena

 

@Alexi @MrWorfMen's Mom Smiffy's numbers are taking a turn for being higher all of a sudden over the past few days ..... this really is a marathon isn't it .... I am wondering if I should give her one and a half units of insulin tonight if she is over 14 preshot tonight?

 

Looby, Admittedly she does seem a bit up the last couple of days but if you gave her a fur shot this morning, that would explain the 14 at +5 and she may have been lower earlier in the cycle. How is your weather? Is it hot because it's been VERY hot here and my girl's BG has been up even though she is indoors with the A/C on at steady temp of around 75F (24C) or so. It's cooled off a bit today and she suddenly decided to drop lower again. Maybe not connected but possible. She's been doing so well on the 1u I'm not sure what to tell you. If you can test up to +3 or +4 tonight and she is higher pre-shot tonight you could increase the dose but I wouldn't increase a full half unit. Can you measure 1.25u? I think you'd have to eyeball it with your syringes. If you can't do it with your syringes, you could use different ones with a conversion chart.

 

No syringes so only 1/2 units ..... it is humid but not unbearable .... I know she is higher today because of the furr shot ..... I will see what she is preshot tonight and if she is well over 14 and eats I will give her 1 1/2 if not just the one ..... maybe she is still a bit stressed after the trip to the Vet .... I will let you know tonight if I can and see if I can get a +3 tonight .... thanks ..... the neighbours are back with their toddler so that might have contributed .... will post later .....

 

Looby, I'd only suggest a dose increase if you are sure you're able to test during the cycle.
Sometimes only a teensy weensy dose change is needed, ie. less than half a unit. (Bertie's dose increases/decreases are small fractions of a unit and still very effective; and many other cats respond similarly).
Do you feel able to try using syringes? That may enable you to manage small dose changes more accurately...
.

 

Sometimes you don't get a drop in a cycle, plus the added vet stress might have pushed the numbers up. If she is still in yellow numbers at PMPS I would be inclined to stick with the 1 unit, increasing it to 1.5 is actually 50% more insulin and she usually responds well to 1 unit. Until you can use syringes and increase in smaller increments I wouldn't try to change things too much.

 

@MrWorfMen's Mom

Smiffy was 13.2 preshot tonight so not too bad and I gave her just one unit ....... I am late giving her her shot so I might not get the +3 tonight and she is already more than a bit upset with beeing prodded tonight so I will have to try again tomorrow for a +3 in the evening .... at least 13.2 is lower than I was expecting having given her a fur shot this morning ......

 

No I don't feel able to use syringes ...... Smiffy was 13.2 preshot so not as high as I was expecting having given her a fur shot this morning so just gave her one unit ... will see how tomorrow goes .....

 

Just 13.2 preshot so definitely just one unit tonight - not as high as I was expecting ... see how she is tomorrow morning ... she is a bit upset tonight so I am not going to test again and I am late giving her her shot anyway ...... thanks - I agree - I think the visit to the Vet may still be affecting her .....

 

@Alexi @MrWorfMen's Mom Smiffy is 14.9 this morning so gave her one unit ..... it is hot and I think one of you suggested that the heat would put her numbers up ..... it is suddenly very hot and humid today so I am hoping that is the reason for her numbers still being quite high .... goodness I can't deal with it either!!!

 

When it's hot/humid the body gets stressed trying to keep cooled down and any kind of stress can cause BG to go up. There can be all sorts of reasons such as the toddlers you mentioned or some other new noise Smiffy can hear but you can't. As long as Smiffy is not showing any signs of anything else going on, I'd be patient and see if it will come back down on its own.

 

Yes it is very hot and she can't go out as I am too hot to take her but I will try ..... she has been a bit more stressed about testing and shooting since she was at the Vet which is what happened last time she went to the Vet ...... will see how we go over the next few days ....... thanks for sticking with us

 

Now Smiffy has had a dog in her garden which has really upset her so her readings are not going to be anywhere near where they should be ..... there is a barrier up so that the dog doesn't get out again but Smiffy's confidence is battered .... will try to take her out again in a sec .... hope it is just for the weekend!

 

This is getting more and more difficult the hotter it gets ..... I now have cats fighting outside and Pasha won't come in so Smiffy is stressed and won't eat because Pasha is not in - all conspiring to me not being able to give her a shot ........ so now I have resorted to feeding Smiffy in the bathroom whilst she has one eye on the garden to see if Pasha is going to come in ..... really I would like to give her 1 1/2 units as she has been consistenly in the higher numbers for several days now 14s mostly ......... now she has stopped eating again and with Caninsulin I can't risk it .....maybe I will just give her 1/2 unit to that she has at least some insulin in her ... on the other hand she might tolerate one whole unit as she is preshot 14.5 .....try to get her to eat again ..... so now Pasha is in and she is eating but Smiffy is still not interested .... just a sec we are now on the stairs - no we are in the bedroom .... wish me luck ..... nope got a smack around the arm and a growl and a look of thunder so just gave her a stroke on the head and got the needle in but just a half unit in case she doesn't come down to eat now when she thinks I have forgotten about her .... this is back to square one with her and I am sure it is to do with her being in a mood because of the dog and the hot weather .......

 

The heat does make them unsettled and it is very humid today which doesn't help. With the reduced dose tonight she may be a little high in the morning but she has nice safe numbers.

 

Where do you live? Yes I think the heat has messed things up in more than one way including reduced appetite ......no her numbers won't be much reduced romorrow but half a unit is better than none I think ...... So humid I can't beat it!

 

@Alexi and @MrWorfMen's Mom still a bit concerned:

Smiffy stressed by the neighbours and is 16.8 at +7 ... these numbers are getting a bit high now ...

She had nearly the darkest spot on the keto diastrix strip this morning meaning lots of sugar in her urine

What can all this mean? She was doing so well with low numbers (see spreadsheet).

Not panicking - just disappointed and curious ....can this all be hot weahter and a bit of stress (dog yesterday in her garden and now other people in the communal passage) ....

Somebody on Facebook said that I need to get the numbers down as there is the risk of developing keytones ......... she was negative for keytones this morning .....

How high before I start to worry about keytones?

 

This morning's urine result may well have been because you only gave half a unit last night, so she will have run higher numbers overnight and got glucose going into the urine. She probably is stressed. If you can tonight I would go back to her usual dose. Is she drinking plenty?

 

Hi Lucille,

Just a suggestion, it is something that I faced sometimes ago : my Vetpen wasn't functioning properly.
When I was using Caninsulin, I was using the Vetpen, and at one time, I had to give really high doses (up to 9 IU, no comment...).
But I started to suspect a malfunctioning when I had to inject such high doses, and when the black button came back so quickly in its initial position.
In fact, I was injecting nothing!

It's just a suggestion.

 

OK ... somebody on Facebook said that I might have to start worrying about keytones if she stays this high - are her numbers high enough for me to worry about that? She tested negative for keytones this morning ..... the 16.8 at +7 was just after she came in having been spooked by the neighbours .... I have taken her food away so that she is hungry for tonight .... she is not drinking at all ..... I told you that she was sick with a furr ball this morning - quite a big one so that might have been stressing her over the last few days too ....

 

No I think the pen is fine .... I have only just changed the cartridge under the Vet's supervision and it worked really well as we were getting rid of the bubbles and the other morning - yesterday I think - I did a furr shot and her fur was wet .... I will just do a half unit shot into the sink .... just a sec ....... yes the pen is working fine thanks for getting me to check ... tested negative for keytones this morning but somebody on Facebook said with these numbers I might have to start worrying about keytones - what do you think? As I have told Alexi I have taekn her food away now so that she will be hungry at tea time ....

 

Her numbers are not that high, just a little up on her usual. You are checking urine so just make sure you get a test when you think she is running high or if she is not right. Will be interested to see what her PMPS is today.

 

Yes OK .... she is definitely stressed by the neighbours being about because I took her down to our spot under the Eucaplytus tree where she usually settles but because there are neigbours about she got up and came back to our 'safe' top garden .... I fell really sorry for her that she can't relax in her own garden .....

 

Looby, unless Smiffy has had ketones in the past, I wouldn't be overly concerned about them just because her numbers are up a bit. Some cats are more prone than others so while checking for ketones is a good idea, her BG numbers are not alarmingly high. All the new activity around the garden etc. can stress them out a bit and cause a little increase. 16.8 is not that much higher than her AMPS especially when you take meter variance into consideration.

Just something to think about.....I know you are not comfortable with the idea of syringes, but would you consider getting a pack of 10 syringes to practice with and see if you can use to them? You can practise with water and injecting fruit to get a sense of how syringes are different from the pen for injecting and if you can get comfortable with them, you'd have even more control over Smiffy's dose of insulin.

 

She has come down a bit tonight so gave her a full unit ... she was preshot 14.7 so not nearly as bad as I was thinking it would be .... more evidence that the Caninsulin seems to last more or less 12 hours in Smiffy I think .....

 

I wouldn't have a clue what syringes to get or how to get the insulin out of the Caninsulin cartridge .... I will stick to what I know but will not rule it out ... will see how things go over the next few days or until we are over the worst of the weather .... I must admit I am not keen as I have enough of run around with the pen .... but that small step would make sense to just practice with some to see how I feel ... what syringes would I need in order to take the insulin from a Caninsulin cartridge .... bear in mind I don't keep the charged pen in the fridge but change it after 28 days even if it is not empty ....

 

14.7 so down from earlier Gave her one unit tonight .....

 

The syringes that are used with caninsulin are u40 syringes, they come with the needle fixed to it. It is important to get u40 and not any other type of syringe. The cartridge has a little rubber stopper at the end so to get the insulin out with a syringe you hold it with the rubber stopper pointing down wards and the syringe with the needle pointing upwards then push the needle through the stopper then pull the end of the syringe to get the insulin out, it is ok to then push some out and back into the cartridge until you hit the line on the syringe that corresponds to the dose. I would find a pen more complicated! I use 3ml vials of caninsulin which are small, there is a 10ml vial but these are wasteful for cats. Mine usually lasts around 4 weeks but Smiffy is on a much smaller dose of insulin so would last you longer, I keep them in the fridge. There is a caninsulin branded syringe but I have found a cheaper u40 syringe on amazon which has half unit markings on it and I've been using them for a few weeks now.

 

Gave Smiffy one unit last night and she is still 15.6 this morning and not really eating very much but gave her another unit .... this heat must be really messing with her blood glucose ..... will be milder by the end of the week ......

@Alexi would you be able to give me a link to Amazon UK for the needles to make sure I get the right ones ....

As you can see Smiffy is still running much higher than the good numbers we were getting jut over a week ago ..... really upset about it now .... she got her full unit last night as she was only just over 14 so couldn't risk a one and a half unit ...

Thanks xxx

 

Looby, it could be that Smiffy is bouncing a bit but it's impossible to tell if that's the case because you haven't got any readings around the +3 mark during the PM cycle for that last 5 nights. Those readings around +3 can be very telling when it comes to knowing what is going on and finding the best dose of insulin for Smiffy. If she is going even lower per chance than she had been, she may be compensating with higher numbers.

 

Really? I don't think she would be bouncing for the preshot numbers would she? I have tried for the +3 numbers in the evening but I have been falling asleep ... need to put an alarm on ...... I know she has been stressed over the last few days since she went to the Vet and the hot weather is not helping .... it is too hot for me to take her to the garden as we are having a heat wave at the moment ..... I will really try to do the +3 tonight ...... or I will give her a one and a half unit shot if she is over 14 .... I had high hopes for this morning after giving her her one unit last night ... she rises very quickly if she is stressed because the 16 reading yesterday was directly after she was spooked in the garden ....she is relaxed at the moment outside so I will take her +5 and hope it is in the 13s or 14s at the highest .... she was quite stressed this morning when I gave her her injection - she even growled at me when I gave her food .... that is all to do with the heat I think ... doesn't want to eat a big meal all in one go - just wants to graze and there is me shoving food in front of her ...

Just done +5 and she is 14.6 so still a bit high .. covinced it is the hot weather and she is bored and a bit stressed because she can't go to the garden with Mummy ....... only a few days left of this hot weather

 

@Alexi @MrWorfMen's Mom it has been suggested to me that there might be something else going on with Smiffy as she is not eating as much or drinking much water and her numbers are higher than they were a couple of weeks ago so I am now starting to get worried ..... you have both given me reassurance that everything is OK and not out of the ordinary but I am getting told by pepes on FB that their cats are not effected by the heat but I think Smiffy is .... going to do a +7 reading with a treat ...... 15 .... shall I call the Vet? Do you think she should be drinking a lot in this weather? I have been told that in the numbers she is reading now she should be eating a lot more but that is not the case I don't think ...... not drinking very much and not eating a lot are good clinical signs of her doing well aren't they? I am getting mixed messages and am getting worried again now .....

 

What exactly do you mean in your last sentence ... are you talking about the lower numbers she was getting jus tover a week ago?

 

Looby, what you have to remember is that every cat is different. Some eat and drink in the hot weather much the same as they do when it's cooler. Some may not. Smiffy's numbers may be higher this week for all sorts of reasons. There's not necessarily anything else going on. Elizabeth mentioned that as a possibility over on Facebook simply to alert you to the possibility (duplicate word intended for emphasis). If you post on different sites you are bound to get some similar responses and some different ones, covering many different scenarios, some of which may be relevant to you and some not.

Basically, you know your own cat so let your own observation of her behaviour be your guide. You could ask 100 cat-owners how their cat behaves in hot weather and get almost as many different answers. Your vet has told you not to worry - so don't!

Diana

 

OK ....... my instincts tell me that she is OK ... thanks for the reassurance ..... I am extra vigilant at the moment as the weather is so hot so scrutinizing everthing ........ I think sheis one of those cats that IS affected by the heat and she is so inactive ... she really doesn't need much fuel!

 

Looby, usually my girl will be practically screaming at me for food when her numbers are up. She also does this when she is low. The only way I know what's up is to test her. To make this even more frustrating, she was high last night but didn't come screaming for food. Not only is every cat different but every day is different so your observations and testing are the best tools for determining how Smiffy is doing and if a vet visit is needed. You know Smiffy better than anyone else including your vet so go with your gut and use what others say as food for thought rather than absolutes.
When I said Smiffy could be compensating with higher numbers, I meant "bouncing" because if kitty gets to numbers lower than their body has become accustomed to, their defensive systems click into action and raise glucose levels to get things back to where it perceives they should be. This is probably the most maddening and frustrating part of dealing with diabetes. Once a cat gets more accustomed to lower numbers the bouncing usually stops but some cats are a lot bouncier than others. It was just food for thought because we don't know how low she might have gone for the past few nights.

 

Cappuccino's numbers have been up a bit too today - I am blaming it on the heat. This is the link for the 0.5 unit marked syringes, I can do dose increments of 0.25 units by eyeballing, each small mark is 0.5 units and each large one 2.5 units http://www.vetuk.co.uk/insulin-syri...nsulin-syringe-with-needle-box-of-100-p-11335

 

@Alexi
Just to clarify....isn't each large marking 1u?

 

Not on these syringes - the Caninsulin brand syringes are whole unit markings and less easy to eyeball for small doses. These syringes are marked with numbers at 5,10,15 and 20 units with a large line and another large line in between the numbers at the 2.5 mark, the small lines are 0.5 units each. If you look at the picture on the link and magnify it you should see what I mean.

 

@Alexi - Thanks. Good to know. Just wanted to check because I've never seen a syringe marked that way but then I've only seen the u40 syringes without the 0.5u markings. I can't see anything on the picture. It's blurry on my computer (different resolution I guess)

 

That all makes sense and well put ...... I knew what bouncing was but I hadn't thought that when she was having her low number stint that her body would react to such an extent that her numbers have been higher since - thought it only occurred on a one off sort of situation on any given day not as a trend - so her liver could have been bouncing away for the last week? ... interesting ...

well just about to start the sugar dance tonight so we will see - hope she wants to eat ....... preshot 14.8 .....she's eating thank goodness but is not happy with me getting her in from outside - now I have to decided whether to give her one or one and half units ..... depends how much she eats with Caninsulin ......... I know she will come back to the food later - had to put the food in the bathroom downstairs this is as she is distracted that Pasha is still ou in the garden .... nope she is not eating much ......... I don't know if it is because she doesn't want me to give her a shot of if she is just not wanting to eat ...... in the litte tray now .... going to be one unit - one and a half is going to be too much .... best to keep it regular until I can get some +3 numbers .... I am soooo hot! Nope not interested .... put the bowl back in the bathroom next to her and now she is eating ..... patience ...... not really interested until Pasah comes back in so I will just have to shoot her and hope she comes back for some food in a sec ...... just one unit ... the silly thing is she hardly notices me giving her a shot ....

she won't eat anymore until Pasha is in ... Smiffy gets jealous so if she sees Pasha eats, she will eat ... fingers crossed she eats more in a bit .... such a run around!

 

@Alexi @MrWorfMen's Mom Just did a +3 this evening and even though Smiffy didn't eat much she is still 14 ....... her preshot was 14.8 ....... I just gave her one unit ... tomorrow if she is the same numbers I think I will try one and a half units ... what do you thinK?

I find it difficult to beiieve that she has been bouncing for over a week now?

 

I post here and on Facebook so that I get as many responses as I can .... I make sure not to quote anybody but just to pass on other opinions - I am not damning those opinions I promise ....... hope it didn't come across in any other way Her preshot this evening was 14.8 and +3 was 14 which should be around about her Nadir .... I gave her just one unit even though she didn't eat very much so tomorrow I may consider giving her one and a half units as I was doing just over a week ago which is when she started to have her lowre numbers throughout the day ......

It has been suggested here as you can see by @MrWorfMen's Mom that she might have found those low numbers a bit strange to deal with after so long of having higher numbers and has been bouncing ever since which I didn't realise was possible for such a long time ...... this is something we hadn't considered on FB @Elizabeth and Bertie?

See if I can do the same thing tomorrow night .... fortunately she stayed downstairs tonight for me to test easily (we are open plan in our tiny upstairs so if I turn on a light I disturb DH!) ......

 

I don't understand the 'lingo' you are using re the syringes ...... could one of you give me a link on Amazon UK for me to buy the right syringes .. the other link is for a different site .... I can get free delivery from Amazon .... If not I will get them from the site you suggest ... thanks

 

Looby, use the link Alexi gave you and get those syringes. I'm sure Alexi will help you understand them if you decide to use them with Smiffy . For now the fruit you choose to try them with doesn't care about dose. I'm in Canada so what is available here and in the UK can be two totally different animals. Sorry if I caused confusion! Certainly wasn't my intention!

If Smiffy is up again tomorrow and you want to try the 1.5u, go ahead but I would wait until the evening cycle when you can get a test in at +3. I wouldn't increase a dose unless I knew I could get a test or two in if need be.

 

Yes I meant the evening shot .... it was never the plan to give her a morning shot of one and a half units ..... Her Vet and I increased her dose just over a week ago and agreed to up it to one and a half in the evenings only as I can keep an eye on her then and test her ....it was shortly after that she started to ge her low numbers so let's hope we can repeat that and she doesn't start bouncing again as you suggest she might have done last time ....

 

@Alexi ~ Thanks for that info about the VetUK U40 syringes.
I've emailed VetUK twice asking if their syringes have half unit markings, but on each occasion was told that they didn't! But in the picture (blurry on my screen too) it looked like they might have... Thanks for the clarification.
.

 

They definitely do @Elizabeth and Bertie, they are 0.5ml syringes rather than the 0.3ml caninsulin brand but clearly marked as U40, and a lot cheaper as well. I am finding them of good quality so far as well.

 

How would I use them from the Caninnuslin cartridge? Once the cartridge is removed I can't put it back I don't think ...... I have bookmarked your link for future reference ...Smiffy's numbers are a tad lower today so I am gong to stick with what I have got and know for the time being if it is going to work ..... it's a step too far too soon for us just at the moment ...... if I can make things work with the pen as it is then I will stick with it ... have a look at her numbers last night and today

 

The reason we are suggesting maybe trying syringes is because she is a low dose cat and you may need to change doses by less than o.5 unit at a time but for now she does have nice numbers on the one unit. With the pen I think it is only in 0.5 unit increments. Caninsulin vials are quite cheap - I think I pay about £13 from my vet and would be an option if you are needing to change by smaller doses than 0.5 units and they keep well in the fridge. I think the end nearest to the needle is where the rubber stopper is on a pen cartridge but I don't have a picture to check.

 

Yes I understand that with syringes you can get smaller doses ...... so I could have a file in the fridge for use with syringes and also have the pen to use ... that's a good idea ..... I will order the syringes and have a play first ..... it is so hot here at the moment ...... 32 degrees and very very humid .... I can't think ..... Smiffy is still in the 13s andn 14s and 15s at the moment so won't need to use the syringes yet ... will order them ....

 

I have just ordered the syringes ...... they say they are 0.5 syringes ... missed or can't find the post her that clarified that you can get 0.25 from the syringe?

 

Yes - each little line on the syringe is 0.5 units so you get the end of the plunger half way between the lines and that is 0.25 unit increments. What I would suggest is getting some cold tea or something so you can see the liquid in the syringe and have a go at measuring out different doses until you are confident in what you are measuring. It is a bit fiddly at first.

 

Can you provide a link to the syringes you ordered?
I do not know what the 0.5 is referring to. It could mean 1/2 unit marking or it could the total syringe capacity is 1/2 cc

 

They are 0.5cc, Caninsuln brand are 0.3cc.

 

I am not aware of any 1/2 cc syringes with 1/2 unit markings

 

It's these, Larry:
http://www.vetuk.co.uk/insulin-syri...nsulin-syringe-with-needle-box-of-100-p-11335
.

 

What do you do with the syringes once you have finished with them? My sharps box is not that big?

 

Right ....now that syringes are dealt with ... can we go back to Smiffy please or shall I start a new thread?

 

I put them in an old jar and every time I go to the vet to collect insulin I empty it into the box where I dispose of lancets and take the box to the vet and they empty the lot into their sharps box.

 

I snap the needle end off with a pair of pliers (or similar) and put that into my sharps bin, and put the barrel part into the normal trash. Our local authority collects sharps bins. Maybe yours does too?

Eliz

 

Looby, you asked questions about syringes....?
.

 

Gave Smiffy a furr shot last night so now I am trying not to beat myself up because she is preshot 17 this morning ..... got disturbed by DH last night .... daren't try to shoot again ....

 

Syringes were brought up and then it was done with ... not complaining - just wanted to bring it back to Smiffy and her numbers .... I suggested I start another thread about syringes for the benefit of others ..... I didn't bring up syringes but I am glad it came up so I have ordered some ... you read too much into my remark @Elizabeth and Bertie

 

Have posted about Smiffy's numbers this morning @Alexi and @MrWorfMen's Mom @Elizabeth and Bertie ....... done with syringes just for now .. have enough information to be getting along with until my order arrives ... when they arrive I might start another thread for other people's benefit as well as mine

She is preshot 17 this morning as I gave her a furr shot last night so trying not to beat myself up about her high number this morning - just as they were beginning to come down again!

 

Looby, fur shots happen to everyone at some point or other. It's frustrating but it's part of life with a diabetic cat.

 

Um... Just for the record Looby, YOU asked a specific question about syringe disposal, and then straight afterwards posted saying that the issue of syringes was dealt with, and 'could we go back to Smiffy'... That meant that two of us took the time to answer your question, not realising that you'd changed your mind and didn't actually want the information... Just saying.....

Edited to add:
And regarding the brief discussion of U40 syringes above, this is actually important information. As Larry pointed out, U40 syringes don't generally have half-unit markings. But Alexi found some that do have half-unit markings. This could make things a lot easier for UK folks who have cats on Caninsulin. Your thread has enabled that information to come to light.
.

 

OK Elizabeth - my mistake ....... please don't have a go at me - I am too hot and too stressed ..... I made an iddle widdle mistake it seems that is of really no real consequence and answered your remark but you want to have the last word! Please this is not necessary ..... I'm stilll having problems with the flow of this site ...... I thought I the three of us Alexi, Linda and I who instigated the discussion had finished talking about it and wanted to get back to Smiffy as this is a worrying time for with her ...... rising numbers and heat .... please forgive me for thinking we had dealt with the issue .... the last post about the needles was last night some time when I was exhausted with the heat ....... I truely appreciate all the help I get her so please don't try to make out that I don't "people have taken the time" I KNOW they have taken the time and thank them endlessy .... you are I think being a little harsh if you don't mind me saying so .... I meant nothing bad towards anybody - I am not like that at all .....

I have read all the information I think - all the remarks - I may have missed one if what you are saying is true .....

I started this thread for Smiffy ....

 

Looby

I am sure you don't mean to be snarky, especially with Elizabeth and all the extra time and help she has given you, but I just felt I had to say that the way your comment is worded is made me when I read it, The written word can very often come across as much harsher than we actually mean it.

 

Quite.

 

I would never mean it anything badly ... Oh dear and I am having trouble keeping up with the messages ....... I appreciate SO MUCH everybody's remarks .. all I think I said was that I had ordered the needles and was now ready to get back to getting the thread back to Smiffy's numbers and I think I said that I would start a new thread about the needles once they arrived ..... that's OK isn't it?

 

I didn't mean anything badly - what have I said .... please read my full reply to Elizabeth ...

 

I have read it, in the original version where you told Elizabeth to "get over it". As Mary Ann says, you have to be careful what you say in writing. I also doubt very much if Elizabeth wanted to have the last word. She is a close personal friend of mine and I know that she simply isn't like that.

 

I was really surprised to read Elizabeth's remarks to me ... if you all look back I was taking in all the advice and suggestions about using syringes and then it came to an end so I said I wanted to go back to messaging about Smiffy's readings and go back to the topic of syringes once I had got them delivered ..... I can't see why Elizabeth and to remark about that other than accept my wishes ....... I even suggested that I post a separate thread about needles once I had got them in the post for my benefit and the benefit of others ....

 

A better approach IMHO might have been to say "Thanks for all the information about the needles and the time everyone took to get me the information. I will talk about it more once the syringes arrive. Right now I am concerned about Smiffy's numbers and would appreciate some advice on what is happening" Unfortunately your comments like "I made an iddle widdle mistake it seems that is of really no real consequence and answered your remark but you want to have the last word" and "you are I think being a little harsh if you don't mind me saying so" do come across as rather harsh and a personal attack. Sometimes threads will ramble on since people find more information that could be useful and might not find it again later.

I know when a person is tired and stressed they sometimes will snap at others. I have had 8 hours sleep in the last 48 hours and am dealing with temperatures around 40C with the humidex, so I truly understand how these things can affect a person. But there is always a nicer way to phrase things...just saying.

 

I edited that out as soon as I wrote it !!! ... that was my sense of humour and then realised it mght not come across that way ....... this thread is about Smiffy and then we hit on the subject of syringes - not about whether I did or didn't say I wanted to move back to Smiffy's reading before or after I had said more about syringes ... I didn't think it was worth making a point of in the grand scheme of things and I was taken aback so I answered back and thought I had sorted out the misunderstanding only to come back to another remark about it giving me quoted proof of my mistake or misunderstandiing ...... I sometimes miss messages here as I have tried to explain ... I am actully too tired to argue this point as I think it is do pedantic ..... I really appreciate all the help I get here and I don't like the insinuation that I in some way don't appreciate the time taken ...... I am not a nasty person - quite the opposite ......

 

I am so sorry if I didn't expand my request to leave the syringes topic and get back to Smiffy's numbers .... I thought I was able to paraphrase as I was mainly talking with @Alexi and @MrWorfMen's Mom and we have got to the stage where we type as we speak ..... I am not giving out a personal attack ..... I was surprised that Elizabeth would pick me up on something of such little consequence - I answered it - and then she came back at me with 'proof' .... I love @Elizabeth and Bertie and all her wisdom but felt this was a bit too much ...... so there we have it .... I am going to start a new thread and start over ... perhpas everybody is getting a bit too hot under the collar! I am actually shaking now with anxiety over all this and am very very upset ...

 

What is IMHO?

 

IMHO... In my humble opinion

 

Also the fact that someone was able to find Caninsulin syringes with 1/2 unit markings is very good information for anyone else who is using Caninsulin. Part of the intent of having FDMB is so that information is available for anyone who comes onto the site and reads other people's posts. That is how they learn and information is shared.

 

Please read my latest message ... no harm was meant - I AM NOT LIKE THAT EITHER

 

I KNOW and we discussed the syringes at lenght and then it got to the stage where I said I would order them and start a new thread about them once they arrived for my and everybody else's benefit but in the meantime this thread is about Smiffy's trip to the vet and her reading since ..... this is geting out of hand now .... not once did I suggest that it was not important information for other people but IMHO it would be better expanded in a seperate thread!