? When to Skip a Dose with the Test-Feed-Shoot Method (but not tight regulation)

I recently switched from my old, vet-recommended schedule to the test-feed-shoot method. I've been wondering this for awhile, and today I have the perfect opportunity to find out: Isis is currently testing at 165 and I'm wondering if I should test her again after she's eaten and give her the shot, or if that defeats the entire purpose of testing prior to feeding (that doing so would give me a falsely high result). For the entirety of Isis' time as a diabetic, a little over a year, I had been testing and shooting after feeding, but I now know this is not the most accurate way to do it.

I found this post http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...regulation-shooting-handling-low-numbers.147/ but I don't know if it really applies to me because I'm not on a tight regulation schedule and her number isn't really that low.

As always, any advice is appreciated, so thanks in advance!

ps: I'm new to doing it but I do have Isis' spreadsheet attached to my signature, so if you want to check it out and tell me what you think based on her recent numbers that would be great

 

This is just a general questions: By any chance are you able to grab another test during the day and another test during the night after shooting? That will give you a better idea of how Isis is using her insulin, and that - in turn - will help you determine if shooting a number such as today's 165 is safe. Of course there are many factors that do come into play...but grabbing an extra test will help fill in the puzzle pieces. On July 25, when you grabbed that +4 test, it gave you some pretty important information: even though Isis started in the black, the insulin really kicked in pretty hard! So that's where the information from mid-cycle tests comes in handy.

Usually testing after eating and then decided to shoot does defeat the purpose, because then the test is food-influenced. The problem with food-influenced tests is that the food can wear off and depending on the cat and circumstances, BGs can drop too fast. IE, shooting a food-influenced number can give you a false sense of security -unless you have plans for sticking close-by and monitoring throughout the cycle.

It doesn't matter if you follow TR or not (many folks here follow Start Low, Go Slow or SLGS) - we will do our best to try and help you!

 

I should be able to grab a few more tests throughout the day. I just tested her and she was at 420. I just don't understand how her numbers are so all over the place. I have a very limited understanding of diabetes in the first place, but her numbers seem to make no sense. I tested her after feeding and before shooting, and she was up to 222 by that time. I only gave her 1.5 units this time to be safe, though, just in case her number was artificially high.
Thanks for the help!

 

The first question that comes to mind is what are you feeding Isis? If the food is high in carbs, it may be why you're seeing such a jump in her numbers. Another explanation is that her numbers were lower during the PM cycle and what you're now seeing is a bounce. In order to understand her numbers, it helps to have more data. If you are able to get at least one test in addition to your pre-shot test each cycle (AM and PM), this will help us all to understand Isis' numbers better.

As far as understanding feline diabetes, please ask questions. People here are more than happy to answer your questions. There's also a huge amount of information in the sticky notes at the top of the board.

 

I currently feed Isis dry m/d in the morning and evening, and wet food in the afternoon. I'm trying to transition to all wet food, but Isis is finicky and gets an upset stomach often if her food isn't just right.
I will definitely try to test her more often, both near the nadir and around +3 if I can.

Thank you for the info. I'm trying to work my way through the stickies, too.

 

The M/D is the culprit. It is quite high in carbs -- the canned M/D is 14% carb and the dry is even higher. If you need to find a dry food to use on a hopefully temporary bases, Young Again Zero Carb or EVO cat and kitten are much lower in carbs than M/D.

 

Would you please add country to your signature - some things we suggest vary with the country one is in.

 

Sorry, BJM - that info was on my profile page but not in my signature. Changed it!

 

Most people don't know much about diabetes when they arrive here, even if their cat has been diabetic for a while. There is a wealth of information in the yellow stickies, almost to the point of it being overwhelming when you're first starting out. Just keep asking questions!

It's normal for you to see tests all over the place at this stage. Cats have a fast metabolism and their blood sugar will go up and down regularly until they become more tightly regulated.

A second really important bit of info is that Lantus dosing is based upon how LOW the dose causes the cat's blood sugar to go. Typically the preshot tests are the highest points in the cycle and the lower numbers are somewhere in the middle. Although that's not always true. But we encourage people to try to get both preshot tests and at least a test before bed, because so many cats have their lowest blood sugar tests at night. If you can get a test in the middle of the day and before bed, it'll be much easier to tell what to do with her dose.

Glad to have you & Isis here!

 

Thank you for the support and kindness!
I often feel both overwhelmed and inept, so I really appreciate your understanding.