Re: 9/14 Crushy: question about shot time & small meals

(I added a couple Questions about shot times and small meals at the end of this thread)

last post: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=104390

Crushy has been on 1.25 units for 7 days now. I was getting ready to up his dose when I switched him to an automatic feeder on Thursday and started seeing his BG numbers change a bit. I started getting some blue nadirs during the day and low yellow nadirs at night and REDS pre shot. I didnt know what to do and wasnt getting any advice on this list so I decided to give it a little more time at this dose. Im planning on a dose increase tonight (.25) And because he seems to be going lower during the day I figure it will be better to go up .25 tonight instead of this morning.

Any thoughts about whether Im on the right track or not would be great.

He's seemed mostly normal lately but the poor guy is acting starving this morning. I feel kind of bad for him.

thanks
Michele

Re: 9/14 Crushy: Blues during the day but reds preshot: Dose

I agree with the dose increase. You probably could have done it this morning, too. Can you set an extra alarm tonight, just in case he is coming down from a bounce and the dosecrease brings him down lower than usual?

Re: 9/14 Crushy: Blues during the day but reds preshot: Dose

He is starving when his numbers are high.... with diabetes, his body isn't using the nutrition he takes in. That's why they start losing weight.
He appetite will remain high until his numbers are only blue and green. That takes time to get there.

You are moving in the right direction now... he's getting treatment.
Sending a virtual hug.... It's hard in the beginning.

Re: 9/14 Crushy: Blues during the day but reds preshot: Dose

What you're seeing with the high pre-shot numbers is a bounce. Crushy isn't used to spending time in those blue numbers so his liver and pancreas overreact by dumping glucagon and counterregulatory hormones into his system. These cause his numbers to spike. While it can take up to 72 hours for a bounce to clear, the last couple of days, it looks like Crushy has cleared the bounce in 24 hours.

One consideration with a bounce is that when the bounce clears, numbers can drop fairly quickly. Yesterday was a good example of this. If you raise the dose at the same time the bounce is clearing, there can be a good amount of momentum behind the dropping numbers.

Re: 9/14 Crushy: Blues during the day but reds preshot: Dose

Sienne and Gabby said:

What you're seeing with the high pre-shot numbers is a bounce. Crushy isn't used to spending time in those blue numbers so his liver and pancreas overreact by dumping glucagon and counterregulatory hormones into his system. These cause his numbers to spike. While it can take up to 72 hours for a bounce to clear, the last couple of days, it looks like Crushy has cleared the bounce in 24 hours.

Click to expand...

I *thought* he was bouncing with the blue numbers the last couple days but also thought it was odd he was clearing them so fast so I wasnt sure they were really bounces. Thanks for the clarification.

He was at 375 at + 6 today so I guess that particular bounce hasnt cleared.

rhiannon and shadow said:

He is starving when his numbers are high.... with diabetes, his body isn't using the nutrition he takes in. That's why they start losing weight.
He appetite will remain high until his numbers are only blue and green.

Click to expand...

Thanks, good to know his appetite will level off...poor little guy

Dyana said:

I agree with the dose increase. You probably could have done it this morning, too. Can you set an extra alarm tonight, just in case he is coming down from a bounce and the dosecrease brings him down lower than usual?

Click to expand...

Im definitely going to do that, thanks!

Re: 9/14 Crushy: Blues during the day but reds preshot: Dose

Good luck with Crushy's dosing, I know the bounces can be really frustrating - we're still dealing with those, too!

Thanks!

I had a few more questions:

My normal Shot time for Crushy is 10:15 am and 10:15 pm
Next Saturday night I know Im not going to be home until 11:30 or possibly 12
What should I do about that pm dose? Just shoot late and hope for the best or slowly start moving his shot times?

Also, when feeding small meals through the day with an automatic feeder is it a good idea to make the shot time meal bigger than the rest, or have them all equal sized? I saw another post about this and just wanted to clarify. It sounded like equal sized meals are good for OTJ kitties but a cat getting a shot might need a bigger meal at shot time?