3/29Boots AMPS109,+2.5 87,+5 80,PMPS90,+2 91,+4 82,+5.5 87

Good morning everyone.
Looks like this AM was the last dose at .25. We are going down to .1 tonight if my eyes can learn where that level is on these syringes...
Yesterday: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=116215
3/28 Summary
AMPS 108 gave .25 units
+2 97
PMPS 126 gave .25 units
+2 88
+4 81
+5.5 106

Today 3/29
AMPS 109 gave .25 units
+2.5 87
+5 80
+7 102
PMPS 91 gave .1 units
+2 90
+4 82
+5.5 87 (off to bed)

Everyone have a great day
Dwight

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109

How exciting. Good luck with the new dose.

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87

Go Boots!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Good luck with the decrease - it is crazy hard to figure out that tiny dose, but very exciting

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87,+5 80

good luck! i think Boots is looking good - and thanks for getting the mid-day tests in yesterday.

let's hope he holds this reduction!

i think having food available to him during the long days that you are at work would probably be good enough. i hope so. he's doing really well.

it might be that if you're going to be gone for a long day at work and you're faced with a lower than usual preshot, skipping might be your best choice. we just don't want him to go low and have no one around to pull him up.

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87,+5 80,+7 102

Thanks Julie. I appreciate that you keep an eye on us by stopping in every day.
I need to ask if there is a reason why you think he might have a low AMPS especially on a reduced lower dose or that his numbers might sink too low during the day? I'm just trying to understand your thinking. Shouldn't I be more worried his BG levels are going to rise and that I can't get any AM tests in until next weekend to know for sure. I'll do my normal PM tests so hopefully that gives me some idea of what the AM is doing.
Going back to 3/13, his PS's have generally stayed the same through the reductions of 1.25 to .25 so can we assume his pancreas has been working better and has been able to counter any rises in BG levels? His cycles have been very flat and it seems his own insulin production has been doing most of the work.

As for food....I let these guys eat their normal AM meal and then leave a few ounces of food out in the morning every day. I have no idea how long it lasts but they are both waiting at the door when I get home and are ready to eat again and their dishes are spotless.
So thanks again. I appreciate your time.

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87,+5 80,+7 102

Hey Dwight!

If you're going to be changing Boot's shot schedule, you should start tonight. I believe your schedule has been 5:30/5:30 but Monday you're going to be shooting about 6:10am/6-6:15pm? If that's right, you should go ahead and start changing tonight. If you back up your PM shot to 5:45pm, then tomorrow morning shoot at 6am, tomorrow night you'd shoot about 6:15pm...and then Monday morning, your AM shot would be 12 hours after the PM shot. A few minutes here and there aren't a big deal, but you wouldn't want to make a 45 minute change all at once if you can help it.

My own opinion (and there are many here with much more experience than I, and Julie is one of them) is that shooting the .1 unit and leaving some food down for Boots should be safe, but we always want to err on the side of making sure kitties are safe. We'll throw out ideas for things that might work, hoping we might think of something you hadn't so you could continue to get at least one test during the AM cycle, like a neighbor, friend or taking Boots to work with you. We have one member with a very good friend who lives close to work who lets her bring her kitty during the day so she can run over and get tests on her breaks.

If you do get a pre-shot you're not comfortable shooting, I think it would be fine for you to skip too. I'd think Boots would get back on track fairly quickly since he's doing so great. I know on 3/8 that you shot 1.5 units on a 72 pre-shot and Boots was fine, but as you know, insulin is a powerful hormone and we just want to keep him safe (as I know you do too).

Have you seen the picture of .1 unit?


Believe it or not, there IS a dose even less! It's called "some" insulin. After that, you just wave the bottle of insulin past Boot's nose twice a day :lol:

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87,+5 80,+7 102

If you're going to be changing Boot's shot schedule, you should start tonight. I believe your schedule has been 5:30/5:30 but Monday you're going to be shooting about 6:10am/6-6:15pm? If that's right, you should go ahead and start changing tonight. If you back up your PM shot to 5:45pm, then tomorrow morning shoot at 6am, tomorrow night you'd shoot about 6:15pm...and then Monday morning, your AM shot would be 12 hours after the PM shot. A few minutes here and there aren't a big deal, but you wouldn't want to make a 45 minute change all at once if you can help it.

Click to expand...

But Chris, you have taught your student well. And being that you did, I already moved to 5:45 last night and also shot that time again this morning. I will probably move to 6:00 tonight and shoot the same time tomorrow and move to 6:10 Mon AM.

My own opinion (and there are many here with much more experience than I, and Julie is one of them) is that shooting the .1 unit and leaving some food down for Boots should be safe, but we always want to err on the side of making sure kitties are safe.

Click to expand...

I understand that we like to always take precautions and to not put our animals in precarious situations but I'm still confused on the thinking that if I'm reducing his supplemental insulin why would we expect his mid cycle numbers to come down lower than his mid cycle numbers we have been seeing at the higher doses? I could understand this situation happening if we were doing an increase but not a reduction. Is there something I'm not understanding? When I look at all of the PM tests that I've done in the last couple of weeks and then look at the AM +2's, I see that they are virtually the same. So can I assume that the rest of the AM cycles would most likely mimic the readings of the PM cycle? And if I can, can I assume that he most likely has been safe from low numbers? Or is there any other influences that I'm not aware of that could make his numbers go lower even on a reduction? I would think that keeping his food the same for each meal would also help keep the waves of the cycle pretty much the same on a day to day basis thus eliminating that as an influence. Sorry, but I've always been a person that wanted to know the "whys" of things and this is no different.

Have you seen the picture of .1 unit?

Click to expand...

As of yesterday, yes on Julie's recommendation that I look at it and learn what it looks like. I've got to tell you that there have been days since this reduction to .25 that I've shot some doses that looked like this so I don't expect higher BG levels from the reduction. I know there have been some shots this week in which there was very little light between the zero line and the plunger so I expect little change in his numbers this coming week.
I have high expectations that we will eventually get these doses down to zero thus fulfilling my goal to cure this guy.

All in all, I will do the reduced dose at 6:00 tonight and monitor up to maybe +6 if I can stay up and the same for all day tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have enough data to at least have an idea what he may do on Monday when I'm not here.
Thanks again Chris. I learn something new here every day.

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87,+5 80,+7 102

Hi there! Good luck with the reducie. I think maybe the ladies mean since Boots possibly has the pancreas working along with insulin that he may go low? but I'll let them say an answer, that's just a guess.

I don't know if it will help you any, but I was not very good at measuring the microdoses. Some people on here told me to try the push the plunger in hard, then insert it into the insulin and let go so it pulls the drop in. Then when you give the shot you push the plunger hard again. It worked much easier for me...I don't know if my description made sense. I practiced with water to watch how big the drop was. I also have an autofeeder for work days and over nights to feed...

I hope you are having a good Caturday, Boots is looking good as usual

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87,+5 80,+7 102

your logic is all good. if Boots reads it and follows along, all will be well!

the trouble is that cats aren't always predictable, so i'm just giving you a possible scenario that you might be faced with. none of us can predict every possible scenario that Boots might through you - it's just hard to say. i'm just wary of a cat who is unmonitored during the day and personally, would err on the side of caution.

food is your first line of defense against too-low numbers, so having the food be available is a good plan.

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87,+5 80,+7 102

Rachel, thanks for stopping by.
I have been contemplating a feeder but ones I looked at on Amazon had many 1 star reviews. This always makes me hesitant because I hate buying stuff that doesn't work long.
I think that the .1 dose picture that's floating around here looks easy to do. It looks like the plunger is just off the zero line. I just don't know what the next dose level would be after we clean house on the .1 dose. :mrgreen: Probably the drop or two dose.

Thanks Julie. I understand. I figured you were just putting all of the scenarios into my newby head that may cause us problems.
OK the .1 is done. Funny how I finally get a green PMPS on the reduction dose.

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87,+5 80,+7 102 PMPS 91

Woo hoo on the green PMPS! :mrgreen: . The plunger thing was my "0.10" dose, some people are so much better at it than me with the half drops, it's amazing! Then it was an OTJ trial for us, and I hope for you and Boots too ;-) . I just wanted to show you, this is the one I (and several others on here) have for autofeeders: Auto Feeder

I've had it over a year, and I've only had to change the batteries once. It was pricey, but I love it

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87,+5 80,+7 102 PMPS 91

Sorry, but I've always been a person that wanted to know the "whys" of things and this is no different.

Click to expand...

Join the crowd Dwight!! One of the hardest lessons we have to just learn to accept is that we're not in charge.

When it comes to the sugardance, our cats are in the lead...we have no choice but to follow.

And of course you'd get your first green Pre-shot with the reduction!! We're not allowed to know what's going to happen next!

Lots of people here use the auto-feeder that Rachel linked for you...either the 2 or the 5 meal one and from the people I've seen that had one, they really loved it, so it might be worth the "risk" of dealing with Amazon

Way to keep your bean on his toes, Boots!! :mrgreen:

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87,+5 80,+7 102 PMPS 91

Thanks Rachel. That was the one I looked at yesterday. I think it was Sienne who said she had one. I guess when I see almost 25% one and two star ratings I get turned off. The money isn't an issue if it works and there are no issues. A couple people remarked that their cat learned to turn it with their paw. Can that really happen? I'm sure a cat will be inquisitive that an aroma they love is coming from an object and they can't get at it thus resulting in pawing and nosing at it. If the chances of them turning it is remote, then I could probably be convinced to buy one.
I buy things from Amazon all of the time so I don't mind dealing with them.

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87,+5 80,+7 102 PMPS 91,+2 91

Whoa!! That great! I have been looking around at other kitties spreadsheets to get an idea of where I am headed, and this is where we want to be!

Congratulations little kitty!!!

-newbies, Brian & Tyler

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87,+5 80,+7 102 PMPS 91,+2 91

I guess with kitties, anything is possible :lol: . It's pretty sturdy though and the lid snaps on pretty tight. I bought 3 different ones (and returned them) before buying this one, I got it at Petsmart and it was a little more expensive than Amazon but I pay crazy shipping to get stuff here, and needed it asap. And Petsmart has an awesome return policy. The thing I love the most is that it's digital and I can program any time in, not at intervals or a flimsy turn timer like a lot of them.

I actually use catsicles in it (I blend Chynas food with water and freeze them into mini meals in a silicon mini muffin tray) so I guess that helps any odor and it keeps the wet food fresher longer, especially in summer. There's a compartment for an ice pack under the front one. Wendy (Neko) has a similar one and I think she said Neko has managed to stick a paw into upcoming food but not turn it? She's a food monger ;-) . Neko, not Wendy :lol: . I believe it's the Qpet 6 meal one...

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87,+5 80,+7 102 PMPS 90,+2 91,+

Brian,
I've only been at this since Feb. but I've learned a lot here from these great people. My cat has responded well to insulin but before he was even diagnosed with FD, I had already learned about how bad a dry food diet was and I had switched to canned two days before the dreaded call from the vet. They had always had 2 meals of canned every day since I had them so it was easy to take the dry away. I think this was a big factor in getting his BG levels down to safer numbers.
If you haven't already, read Lisa Piersons website http://catinfo.org/ and then read it again. It is worth your time. You will learn tons of info.
I have been lucky and fortunate with the success of my cat. I don't think most have it this easy. Since I feel responsible for his condition, I am going to see this to the end (remission) whatever the cost.
Thanks for stopping by.

Rachel, you might have me convinced to try one of these out.

Re: 3/29 Boots AMPS 109,+2.5 87,+5 80,+7 102 PMPS 90,+2 91,+

i used the 5 compartment one that Rachel linked to as well. it's been fantastic. punkin never broke into it, and he had acromegaly which means that he had an appetite like a teenage boy.

the reviews for it probably are complaining about it not rotating fully. what we found was that as long as you had the feeding tray fully seated into the base unit, it worked 100% of the time. so we always used the feature that allowed you to rotate it by pressing a button to make sure we had it seated fully.

it lets you set the times you want, it's relatively easy to change times that you want it to open also. i saw no downside to it. we liked it.

we bought ours locally at PetCo. i always want things yesterday once i decide to get them. :lol:

GREAT numbers tonight! Boots looks fabulous on his teeny tiny dose! :mrgreen:

Re: 3/29Boots AMPS109,+2.5 87,+5 80,PMPS90,+2 91,+4 82,+5.5

GREAT numbers tonight! Boots looks fabulous on his teeny tiny dose!

Click to expand...

Thanks Julie.
PM +5.5= 87. It's been a good day. I don't know how important a flat cycle is but his numbers didn't range too far apart.

Off to bed... and tomorrow will be another day closer to recovery.

Re: 3/29Boots AMPS109,+2.5 87,+5 80,PMPS90,+2 91,+4 82,+5.5

Super day! I think whenever you are ready to shoot at 6:10, you should. You don't need to wait until tomorrow night if you want to do it tomorrow morning. Ten minutes is not an issue.

In fact, there are times I will shoot 30 or 45 mins early or late. As long as you are in that general window and you can grab some tests if you shoot early, it's not a big deal.

You're doing great with Boots, Dwight!

Re: 3/29Boots AMPS109,+2.5 87,+5 80,PMPS90,+2 91,+4 82,+5.5

Hi Dwight - don't know if I've stopped in your condo yet. Boots is looking pretty amazing!

Rachel asked me to stop in with the type of feeder I use - it's the Qpet 4 chamber one, cause the 6 chamber one doesn't have a cooler pack capability. My kitties get raw food so I need to keep it cold. I'm not fond of the user interface, but once I set it, I can ignore it. Neko, also with acromegaly and an appetite like a growing teenager, puts her paw in to try to rotate the feeder faster but hasn't managed to do that yet in two years. And we are still on the same batteries (antijinx).