Newly Diagnosed Cat

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Morningstarlet (GA)

Morningstarlet (GA)

Member Since 2012
My cat has just been diagnosed with Diabetes. Camille is 11 yo and tomorrow I go to my vets office to learn how to test her blood and give injections. She's on Purina DM. I also have an 18 yo cat with kidney disease that I give sub-q's to three times a week, so I'm a pro at giving cats needles. What I'm really concerned with is the testing and giving the correct amount of insulin. I'm not looking forward to this at all. :sad:
 
I hope it helps to know that every single one of us was overwhelmed and very scared at the beginning of this sugar dance. But the more you know, the more confident you become.

Whe you go to the vet, I hope he/she prescribes one of the milder., longer lasting insulins like Lantus, Levemir or ProZinc. And we would urge you to start low and go slow, with a starting dose of .5 to one unit twice daily. We hope your vet will encourage you to test your kitty at home, just like you would do with your 2 legged child. We also advocate a wet low carb diet but it is best to wait until you are confidently testing at home to change because it can mean a drastic reduction in glucose levels. See this website by a vet to understand why: www.catinfo.org

We would love to help you help your kitty. Do lots of reading and ask questions.
 
Thanks for the encouragement. I've ordered an Alphatrack monitor and the strips so I can test her at home. I'll be giving her Lantus insulin which I picked up today and put in the frig. I'm assuming I can start her on her shots early next week. She's on wet food, the Purina DM and fed twice daily. My vet was hoping that switching her to the DM would regulate her without insulin, but unfortunately it didn't.
 
It sounds like you have all your bases covered. fantastic! Most of us use a human glucometer. The AlphaTrak is a lot more expensive, as are the strips, and it takes a larger blood sample. But some people like it so you can see how you feel about it. Lantus is an excellent insulin. The usual starting dose is the .5 to one unit.

My vet gave us Purina DM at first, but my cat soon tired of the taste as it is liver based. And it is more expensive and has no better ingredients than the pet store brands. If you decide to try another kind, we have food charts with carb percentages.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.
 
Welcome!

I'd suggest feeding Camille something else low carb. These are the two lists we use. You want to look for something with less than 10% carbs. Most stay under 5%. As you can see on these lists that there is a wide range of food available in a wide range a prices- FLAVORS.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... hYXc#gid=0 (called Hobo's List)
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html (called binky's list)

Also, as stated the pet meter is expensive with expensive strips that can only be found on-line or through the vet. A human meter is cheaper with cheaper strips that you can find locally (especially if you have a wal-mart nearby.

Great that you can already do shots and the ear testing, although trying at first, will be easier as time goes by.
 
I give my oldest cat, Gracie, sub-q's for CRF, but I've never had to do ear testing. I'm hoping to start Camille on insulin in a few days.
 
Hello.
Welcome to a really great support community.
I have more reading for you.
It will help you make a very informed decision about food.
www.catinfo.org
and
http://www.2ndchance.info/diabetescat.htm

Also be sure to explore all over the felinediabetes.com website.
All the information is here to explore on your time schedule.
The more you learn , the better you will feel about this roller coaster ride of feline diabetes.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/bg-test.htm
shows you the sweet spot on the ear for testing.
 
Today I went to my vet's office and had the vet tech show me how to do blood testing and injections. It really wasn't that bad at all and I feel more confident. Her glucose was at 464 and I'll give her 2 units (U-100) of insulin every 12 hours. I'm hoping she'll start putting weight back on because the poor thing is so thin. :cry:
 
That is so great- you are going to be fantastic at this!

Using Binky's list or Hobo's list you can look for foods that are low carb but high calorie. Also, canned kitten food is usually high in calories but, I think, low enough in carbs to help pack on the ounces :lol:

The dose seems high, though. What was the vets reasoning for 2u BID? A good starting point is .5 to 1u and then go slowly. It can't be weight if you want her to gain some. If it was based on her numbers- be reminded that the # could be stressed induced by the vet visit- raised over 100pts alone because of a car ride and vet stress. We never dose on vet tests because of that. Since you have a meter and can test- try for AT LEAST three each day (I do 7-9 and that doesn't include curve weekends :lol: ). That is what her dose should be based on- your numbers, gotten at home where she is comfortable, not stressed, and waiting to eat her food.

Good luck!
 
I'm not sure why she chose 2 units. With the U100 syringe each line is 2 units, so it would be nearly impossible to try to gauge .05. My first attempt at injecting my cat was pretty intense. Camille is very skittish and she immediately started running from me. It's like they can sense when you are going to do something. :o When I finally got her in the bathroom I was able to get a BG reading of 348. But I failed miserably at tenting her skin (she has very long fur), and the injection site was very wet afterward. I don't think I got the injection in, so I'll try again tomorrow morning. According to my vet tech they don't like giving the injection at the scruff of the neck because it takes longer to absorb. But it sure would be a lot easier than trying to tent the skin at her sides. Any suggestions?
 
Try this.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/injections.htm

I had never given an injection before in my life. In fact, as a child, I ran screaming the other way. ( lots of surgeries)
I feel sorry for my sugarbaby since I still feel like I'm not doing great.
She meows at me each time.... owie.... nailbite_smile
And I have the darndest time getting her skin to stretch, she says ow to that too except at the scruff and I'm trying to
get other spots instead.
Some use a trimmer to clear off a few spots so you can see skin better.

It does sound like you made a furrshot if you felt moisture. The other clue is I think the insulin smells like really cheap
plastic-y bandaids, the kind that have bad adhesive and it takes days to get it off..... :lol:

It just takes time. You can take a used syringe and practice on fruit. oranges, limes, just so you feel like you aren't jamming
it in too hard. You don't want to hit muscle, I'm sure the tech told you that.
 
Even though I thought I missed the mark last night with the insulin I must have gotten some in .. because this morning her BG level was at 140. After giving her the shot this morning, which went a little better, she seemed pretty lively. I did notice she didn't seem as ravenous this morning too, but she did eat her breakfast. :-D
 
Morningstarlet said:
I'm not sure why she chose 2 units. With the U100 syringe each line is 2 units, so it would be nearly impossible to try to gauge .05.
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There are two different types of U100 syringes (designed to hold different amounts of insulin). Did you get the ones that hold 30 units of insulin or less? They clearly show .5 unit markings on the syringe. My first vet prescribed the syringes that hold 100 units and it was VERY DIFFICULT to see the correct dose. Again, both are U100, they just hold different amounts of product. I got mine at Walgreens, and they traded me out for the 30 unit ones (the unopened packages that is) when I explained that this was for a CAT not a human. LOL!!
 
Morningstarlet said:
Even though I thought I missed the mark last night with the insulin I must have gotten some in .. because this morning her BG level was at 140. After giving her the shot this morning, which went a little better, she seemed pretty lively. I did notice she didn't seem as ravenous this morning too, but she did eat her breakfast. :-D
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I would also echo what hmjohnston said above about the starting dose of 2 units. Typically, the experts here recommend starting lower at .5 or 1 unit bid. Aslo they do not recommend shooting at all with a preshot BG level under 200 (which I believe you had today). 2 units may send your kitty's numbers too low at mid cycle today (which is around 6 hours after the shot) and cause a hypo incident -- so PLEASE keep an eye on her and test her BG in a couple of hours to see where it is going.

If you can work on getting a spreadsheet together to post your BG numbers, that will help the experts guide you as to dosage.

Melanie
:)
 
My syringe has five lines between each number, and my insulin only went to the first line. There is no .5 mark on the syringe. I'll certainly keep an eye on her.
 
No, that one holds 100 units. You want the .3mL (that holds only 30 units with 1/2 unit markings) - see attached pic. I get mine at Walgreens. They say "Walgreens Super Thin II Syriges, short needle, for use with U-100 insulin for 30 units or less; .3 mL, 31 gauge (needle), 5/16" (8mm) needle length. They are about $16 for a box of 100. Other people get theirs at Walmart for about $13. Oops.. realized that attached photo doesn't show the .5 unit markings so will try to find a better one -- but the 30 units is correct.
 

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MelanieP and Ninja said:
No, that one holds 100 units. You want the .3mL (that holds only 30 units with 1/2 unit markings) - see attached pic. I get mine at Walgreens. They say "Walgreens Super Thin II Syriges, short needle, for use with U-100 insulin for 30 units or less; .3 mL, 31 gauge (needle), 5/16" (8mm) needle length. They are about $16 for a box of 100. Other people get theirs at Walmart for about $13.
Click to expand...

So it's not that I'm overdosing my cat, I'm just using a different syringe? :? I'd rather stick with what my vet has recommended as a dosage with this syringe for now. Being new at this I don't need to be upsetting the applecart. :lol:
 
No, the volume you are injecting from the two syringes would be the same. It's just that the one you are using holds more, so is larger and more difficult to dose in the smaller units. Whether you give 2 units in the one you are currently using or 2 units in the one I am using -- it is still the exact same 2 units; so yes, you could still be giving your cat too much insulin.

It's like if I asked you to pour 8 ounces of beer from both a bottle and then pour another 8 ounces from a keg. The amount you end up with from each is still 8 ounces, but it would be a lot easier for you to pour from the smaller bottle than trying to pour exactly 8 ounces from a big old keg of beer. LOL!! We're just talking about the size of the container from which you are pouring (or injecting in this case). The quantity (dose injected) is the same whichever you use.

The ONLY difference between the two is that mine holds less than yours -- and is marked with 1/2 unit notches so it is easier to give smaller doses. Does that makes sense?
 
If th syringe markings are for every 2 units, then you have a 1 cc (1ml) insulin syringe:

insulinNOsplit100.jpg


Very few people here use 1 cc insulin syringes and those that do have a diabetic cat that needs a huge amount of insulin because of another health condition such as Acromegaly.

3/10 cc insulin syringes are all you need.

resource.aspx


See this for where 2 units on a 3/10 cc insulin syringe is: Picture of 3/10 cc insulin syringe markings with each line up to 5 units labeled

2 units is 2 units regardless of the U100 syringe barrel size (capacity).

UltiCare makes 3/10cc insulin syringes if you prefer to stick with that brand. http://www.ulti-care.com/ulticare_insulinSyringes.html In the link you posted, it's the ones with the purple lettering on the box: http://www.vetdepot.com/ulticare-insulin-syringes.html

You can buy U100 insulin syringes of various bands at any Human pharmacy and online pharmacy. Many people here like the Relion brand which you can buy at Wal Mart. AmericanDiabetesWholesale.com is a popular place to buy insulin syringes from. Monoject, BD, GNP, and SureComfort are some other brands that people here use.
 
Yes, I now see what you mean. I ordered these from vetdepot not realizing there were other types. I may go to Walgreens today and pick up some of those as I'm sure the insulin amount will drop. Good news as far as Camille is doing, her BG is at 80 as of 9:15 (gave her insulin at 5:15). I will test her again at 1130 and give the results to my vet. I understand 60 and below is where hypoglycemia starts so I want to make sure she doesn't go below 65.
 
I would advise checking Camille sooner than 11:30 as she will likely continue to drop. She has dropped 60 points in 4 hours (140 preshot to 80 now) and the full effect of the dose will not likely hit her for another two hours. If it were my cat, I would check her every half hour for the next several hours -- so you can get a jump on things if she starts to go low. Do you have the guidelines for treating hypo if you need them? You can also post here and put the 911 icon on your post so the experts can help you if needed.

Not trying to scare you. It's just that you don't have history to know how quickly or to what degree that 2 unit amount of insulin is going to drop her; and she was well under 200 at the time of her last shot.

That's why most people here like to start with a much lower dose and over time, glide into the 100 numbers and below. Think of it like an airplane coming in for a soft landing...and the gradual descent.

Reach out if you need help, and keep a close eye on those numbers.

Experts, what are your thoughts?
 
Morningstarlet said:
MelanieP and Ninja said:
No, that one holds 100 units. You want the .3mL (that holds only 30 units with 1/2 unit markings) - see attached pic. I get mine at Walgreens. They say "Walgreens Super Thin II Syriges, short needle, for use with U-100 insulin for 30 units or less; .3 mL, 31 gauge (needle), 5/16" (8mm) needle length. They are about $16 for a box of 100. Other people get theirs at Walmart for about $13.
Click to expand...

So it's not that I'm overdosing my cat, I'm just using a different syringe? :? I'd rather stick with what my vet has recommended as a dosage with this syringe for now. Being new at this I don't need to be upsetting the applecart. :lol:
Click to expand...

The vet gave you a syringe used more for dosing humans than cats. Most diabetic cats require very little insulin, the smaller the amount of insulin a syringe holds, the easier it is to give smaller amounts of insulin. Please get the syringes that Melanie told you about.

Lantus peaks or has the lowest blood glucose point between 7 and 10 hours after the shot. An 80 at 4 hours after the shot could mean trouble, so please don't wait 2 hours before testing again. And it most certainly means that 2U is too high of dose. I know you don't want to upset the apple cart, but please listen to what those of us with years of experience treating diabetic cats know.

Your vet did great by giving you Lantus. It is a wonderful insulin for cats, but from what we see here, many vets don't yet understand how to dose it properly. The AAHA has released cat & dog diabetes guidelines and recommends a basic starting dose for Lantus of 1U twice a day. http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/AAHADiabetesGuidelines.pdf

It says that
Even in a very large cat,the starting dose of insulin should not exceed 2U per cat q 12hours.
Click to expand...
q is "each" or "every."

And in our experience cats should not be dosed by weight, or if they are, only by "ideal weight" which is frankly very subjective given all the different body types of cats.

Please keep posting the BG values you get today, as I am afraid you're going to see much lower than 80.
 
Morningstarlet said:
Yes, I now see what you mean. I ordered these from vetdepot not realizing there were other types. I may go to Walgreens today and pick up some of those as I'm sure the insulin amount will drop. Good news as far as Camille is doing, her BG is at 80 as of 9:15 (gave her insulin at 5:15). I will test her again at 1130 and give the results to my vet. I understand 60 and below is where hypoglycemia starts so I want to make sure she doesn't go below 65.
Click to expand...


Just wanted to let you know that going below 65 doesn't automatically mean a hypo.
You will need to watch your cat closely for the signs of hypo. A cat can get down in these numbers and not have a hypo.
Each cat has a different threshold. When you get in these low numbers you have to be extra, extra vigilant. And monitor the bg often.
So, be ready! Make sure you know what to do, it's good to print the instructions and keep them in a kit with the other
items.... syrup or honey, cans of higher carb food. You never know when the website might be down or the internet
either. Make sure you have extra testing strips in your kit, you don't want to run out during a hypo.
and put the 911 icon on your post.
 
Would you post your bg 's today as you take them?

We are watching with you because you have more hours where you could drop in your numbers and we don't want you to have
a scare or a hypo.

This is new territory for you and you don't know your sugarbaby's pattern yet....
 
The vet gave you a syringe used more for dosing humans than cats. Most diabetic cats require very little insulin, the smaller the amount of insulin a syringe holds, the easier it is to give smaller amounts of insulin. Please get the syringes that Melanie told you about.
Click to expand...

Actually I got the syringes on my own so I can't blame the vet. :YMSIGH: I've already picked up a new box of syringes. At 1125 she is at BG 64. I've left a message for my vet to call me, I have Karo and honey on hand in case I need to put it on her gums. She's acting fine and has been really good about the testing today .. the little sweetie. :-D Can someone show me how to put her picture as my avatar? I think the picture I have is too big.
 
Morningstarlet said:
The vet gave you a syringe used more for dosing humans than cats. Most diabetic cats require very little insulin, the smaller the amount of insulin a syringe holds, the easier it is to give smaller amounts of insulin. Please get the syringes that Melanie told you about.
Click to expand...

Actually I got the syringes on my own so I can't blame the vet. :YMSIGH: I've already picked up a new box of syringes. At 1125 she is at BG 64. I've left a message for my vet to call me, I have Karo and honey on hand in case I need to put it on her gums. She's acting fine and has been really good about the testing today .. the little sweetie. :-D Can someone show me how to put her picture as my avatar? I think the picture I have is too big.
Click to expand...

If you just go to a pharmacy and ask for "insulin syringes," they are going to assume it's for a human, so now I see why you got those. No harm done really, just not easy for you to measure.

64 is OK at this point. We want to determine the speed of the drop now, so if you can test her within the next 30 minutes, that would be awesome. You are getting closer to nadir.
 
I"m going to test again in a few minutes, I gave her two greenies treats because I was nervous about the drop. I gave her the insulin this morning at 5:15 a.m., if she doesn't drop any further should she be kept at 2 units? Monday I'll be at work and won't be able to monitor her throughout the day, so I'd rather be conservative on the dose.
 
Its too early to determine your next shot dosage.

Let's see what today brings.
but yes, when you know you aren't going to be home, you take a step back.

After you get some more tests today and see how low the last dose brings you....
then the "experienced" ones will weigh in.
 
you always want to have 2 increased tests ( at least a half hour apart) before you become complacent and monitor less.


Are you working on your spreadsheet today?
I know there are others who can set it up for you quickly.

Someone had to help me with a glitch I was having and I just private messaged them my google user id and password
( i went in and changed it temporarily) and they fixed it lickity split.
and then I went back and changed my password again.
 
Good news! It could be the effect of the Greenie treats though - and that wears off in time; so still keep checking. The more experienced users can let you know the length of time you'll need to check -- when you will be out of the woods.
 
I should have said you always want to have at least 2 increases . It also depends on where it is in the cycle.


If these numbers are before the +6 time frame, keep watching....
 
If these numbers are before the +6 time frame, keep watching....
Click to expand...

She's well past the 6 hour point as she got her insulin at 5:15 a.m.

My vet wants to drop her to 1 unit which I agree would be a good move. I'll test her again at 1:00 and see how she's doing. I must say, she really did take to the insulin which is a good sign. If she's below 180 at 5:00 I'll skip her insulin tonight. I feel bad about her ears though. :cry:
 
Morningstarlet said:
I gave her the insulin this morning at 5:15 a.m., if she doesn't drop any further should she be kept at 2 units? Monday I'll be at work and won't be able to monitor her throughout the day.
Click to expand...

My advice would be to let the more experienced members of the board (along with your vet) guide you on this. The important thing to remember is that insulin is not an exact thing. That is, a dose of 2 units will not always result in an 80 point drop for your cat. For example, you gave 2 units today on a pre-shot reading of 140 and got an 80 point drop; but you will not have that same result tomorrow even if your pre-shot reading is the same and even if the dose is the same. Tomorrow, your cat could drop 120 points tomorrow (or more) instead of 80 on this dose; or it could drop 40. There is nothing about dealing with insulin that can be predicted with exactitude, particularly in the early days of treatment. There are many factors including the amount of food, timing of food and many others variables, that the more experienced members can tell you about, that will affect how the insulin performs in your cat on any given day. And since you are new, the shed is still building so you likely had a lessened effect today due to that. But again, please follow the lead of the more experienced members to determine a safe dose for next week.

There are lots of people here eager to help.

:)
 
With Lantus, you can calculate the starting dose based on your cat's ideal weight. However, it sounds like Camille is underweight. Dropping back to 1.0u or even less should be fine as long as you're monitoring.

The other thing that no doubt factored in to your vet's initial suggestion regarding dose was that number in the 400s. We are not big fans of having your vet do a curve. Most cats experience "vet stress" which raises their BG levels when they are at the vet's office. As a result, it's easy to end up giving too much insulin because the test numbers are inflated from the stress and that's what the dose has been predicated on. You're getting better numbers at home.

Also, if you are transitioning your cat to lower carb food, it helps to know that this may also effect BG numbers. The less the carbs (to a point), the lower the BG.

I would encourage you to read the starred, sticky notes at the top of the Lantus board. They will help you to navigate using Lantus. An outline of the information with links is below.
  • Tight Regulation Protocol: This sticky contains the dosing protocol that we use here. There are also links to the more formal versions -- the Tilly Protocol developed by the counterpart of this group in Germany and the Queensland/Rand protocol developed by Jacqui Rand, DVM and published in one of the top vet journals.
  • New to the Group: Everything you wanted to know about this forum and more. Info on our slang, FAQs, links to sites on feline nutrition and to food charts containing carb counts, how to do a curve and the components to look for, important aspects of diabetes such as ketones, DKA, and neuropathy, and most important, info on hypoglycemia.
  • Handling Lantus: how to get the maximum use from your insulin and what to not do with it!
  • Lantus depot/shed: This is an important concept for understanding how Lantus works.
  • Lantus & Levemir: Shooting & Handling Low Numbers: What data you need in order to be able to work toward remission or tight regulation as well as information if you have a low pre-shot number or a drop into low numbers during the cycle.
 
You said you had ordered an Alpha Track, is that what you are testing with? If so remember that it generally runs about 30 points lower than the human meters we are used to. If you are using the Alpha track your numbers in the 60s would be in the 30s on a human meter, which is getting into the danger zone for hypo glycemia. Time to start feeding to get the numbers up.
 
Ann & Tess said:
You said you had ordered an Alpha Track, is that what you are testing with? If so remember that it generally runs about 30 points lower than the human meters we are used to. If you are using the Alpha track your numbers in the 60s would be in the 30s on a human meter, which is getting into the danger zone for hypo glycemia. Time to start feeding to get the numbers up.
Click to expand...


Yes, I'm using the AlphaTrack and I'm adjusting her insulin to 1 Unit instead of 2 Units as instructed by my vet. Her reading at 5:25 pm was BG 93 so I won't be giving her insulin this evening. Will do a curve tomorrow and see how she does on 1 Unit. What a day this has been. nailbite_smile
 
1 unit may no longer be safe for Camille tomorrow. Here's why: You had low numbers today in the 60's if I am remembering correctly, and 12 hours after you gave the shot, Camille's BG level is 93. That is a non-diabetic number. You are using the Alpha Trak meter which typically runs higher than the human meters most of us use. So your low today of 60 could have been, say 30 or 40 by comparison -- which could have been a hypo situation for Camille (even though she didn't have symptoms). From what I have learned, once a cat goes into hypo numbers, it can become very sensitive to insulin and some even (miraculously) do not need insulin at all anymore. I saw that happen here on this board within the last month (cat named Thomas).

Not to say that this will happen for Camille, but you can't assume - without knowing her pre-shot reading tomorrow -- that 1 unit will be safe. Her pre-shot BG may be within normal non-diabetic range, or only slightly elevated -- in which case 1 unit could send her into the same roller coaster ride you experienced today. Even if her BG reading is high, 1 unit may not work. Sometimes high numbers, after a day of very lows, is the cat's body trying dumping glucose into the system to combat the hypo and is not indicative of "real" BG numbers. Then again, 1 unit may be fine tomorrow. It all depends.

This is a complicated dance to learn, and if you start the insulin at too high a dose, you set into motion this roller coaster effect that you saw today. So I would urge you to test her BG levels in the morning and ask for input on dosing from the more experienced members of this board. They have saved the lives of hundreds if not thousands of cats and will give you good, cautious advice based upon years of experience.

I am so sorry your first day was so hectic and stressful. It is not typically this way. There is a lot of great information on this board, and great people who will help you if you ask. I am hoping the more experienced members will weigh in on the above info to make sure I am telling you correctly. Also, I know it is instinctive to want to trust the advice of your vet above all else, but with all due respect, your vet recommended the 2 unit dose today that proved too much for Camille. Couldn't hurt to get a second opinion from the experienced folks on this board. They all work with their vets on this too, so you are getting the collective wisdom and experience of a lot of people here.

PS: Camille is beautiful!!!!
 
Thanks Melanie. Actually Camille was great .. I was the one that was upset. I had to poke her ears repeatedly and she would meow each time. The sight of her blood made me feel so bad. :cry: She is such a sweetie and I hate to have to put her through this. But I know it's for her good, I just have to keep that in my mind.

I am going to check her BG in the morning around 0515 and won't give insulin if her numbers are low. In fact I'll post here in the morning for advice before I do anything. Thanks so much to all of you for helping me through my first day of testing and injections. What a wild ride it's been. :shock:
 
That's a great plan! PS: I too bought the Alpha Trak because my vet told me I needed it to read cat blood (LOL!), and I did use it at first but ultimately transitioned over to the Relion Micro from Walmart. I like it much better. The testing strips are significantly less expensive and I can get them 24/7 if needed. Also, I think most of the folks on this board assume you are using a human meter -- and advise you accordingly. So if you stay with the Alpha Trak, always mention that in your post... like BG of 105 using Alpha Trak -- so the experienced members can make that mental adjustment of the numbers.

:)
 
it helps if you give them their favorite treat when you test . It gives them a good association even tho' they don't like
it. I hear others say their cats come running when they hear the beep.
Mine isn't there yet but she does anticipate the treat.

And you won't always have to test every hour.
 
Melanie, it looks as though Ninja and Camille could be siblings. :-D Ninja looks kinda playful in that picture.

I'm giving a dehydrated chicken breast treat after each blood monitoring session. Camille is usually a skittish cat, but she's shown enormous trust in me throughout this whole episode. Can they tell when you are trying to help them? I have to think so. Plus lots of prayer has always helped with my kitties.
 
I thought the same thing - Camille and Ninja could be siblings! LOL!! I agree, I think they can tell when you are trying to help them. Why else would they let you stick their ears till they bleed -- and come to you willingly to allow you to do it (which comes with time). Sending prayers your way for a smooooooth and easy day tomorrow.
 
Her reading this morning at 0450 was 355 using AlphaTrack meter, so I did a second reading and it was 366. Curious how the readings can be different within minutes. I gave 1 unit of insulin (Lantus), and will take another reading at 0900.
 
Good morning! I think we are the only ones up at this hour. LOL! Just keep an eye on pretty Camille. As I mentioned yesterday, the 355 (a high number) could have been a bounce from her BG's going low yesterday. Not sure I fully understand the concept but it is a self-defense mechanism that kicks in when the cat's BG runs low the day before. Julia and Bandit (one of the more experienced members) of the board explained it this way in another post:

"When a cat drops into low blood sugar, their pancreas will release a hormone called glucagon--this is like the opposite of insulin. It tells the liver to release glucose into their blood stream to counteract the low blood sugar. So the more a cat is overdosed and dropping into low numbers, the more their numbers will bounce back up and hit very high numbers (in the next cycle). This keeps happening until eventually the pancreas can no longer keep up with the low blood sugar, and you have a severe and potentially deadly hypo incident."

So, keep a close eye on Camille and remember that your Alpha Trak is registering about 30 points higher than our other meters (mentally subtract 30 points from your readings to get a feel for where Camille is heading). One unit may be a fine dose for her today, but then again, she may only need .25 at this point (after yesterday's crazy ride) or even none at all. If it were my cat, I probably wouldn't have given her anything today -- rather, given her BG's a chance to settle down from yesterdays roller coaster ride to see what level they would eventually settle at; and solicit dosing advice based on that. But that is my non-expert opinion.

The more experienced folks on this board recommend: "start low and go slow".. A lot easier on your nerves that way.. LOL!

Keep an eye on Camille's numbers today and post again (be sure you tell people you are using the Alpha Trak), and hopefully some of the more experienced members will be along shortly. For me..I'm going back to bed for a few hours (I also get up at 5am to test my cat...YAWN!!). Hope the 1 unit is a good dose for you today!! Am sending good thoughts!! :)
 
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