9/21 DAKOTA AMPS 466 Question - Use of R Insulin?

Good morning World! Welcome to our home! Last Condo Good golly - it was 9/9, sorry...

DAKOTA
AMPS 466

I think we're fighting a URI so started ab's 3 days ago. We're also fighting high numbers again so he also got an increase 3 days ago...I'm hoping it's still NDW. He's eating well but isn't as active as usual altho' he and Bebo play for about half an hour every night again. All P's in place, he's just not feeling quite right.

QUESTION - Will R insulin counteract a bounce number? I've read greatly differing opinions - 1) insulin won't affect glycogen/bounce numbers and 2) using R will bring the bg down any time given. I have NO idea which to believe. I've got to figure out how to stop this and higher depot insulin didn't seem to do more than just keep him bouncing. He was bouncing so bad when I increased - my thought is to raise his dose and shoot the bounce numbers with R. Since I'm home to test as needed, I can easily watch his numbers. Opinions and info GREATLY appreciated! His ssheet is pretty ugly.

Now for other updates!

I think we've got a sort of handle on Snow's slow moving poo problems - it's not clear but it's moving more regularly. He gets a dose of Laxatone daily and Miralax morning and evening.

Bebo had to have another emergency depo shot 2 days ago - he goes from just a bit of fast breathing to sudden gasping over just a few hours. His bg numbers are staying lower so no idea what caused those high numbers for a few days last month. They're in the low 100's, higher than I'd like to see but with steriod shots monthly, guess I should expect them.

Dad - we had a family gathering to celebrate their 54th wedding anniversary at the nursing home yesterday. Dad was alert and recognized everyone as we showed up and continued well for about an hour. Unfortunately he slipped into a dazed state before most of us left so didn't recognize anyone as we told him goodbye. It was likely the last 'Family' celebration we'll have together. The home he's in right now is considered an 'assisted living' facility altho' they don't truly have their own private rooms - they do more for the residents than a normal assisted living facility but he's very quickly heading toward needing more nursing care. He's happy there, they all do care about their people Mother is now planning to move him to a full nursing home shortly where someone will be able to feed him, be sure he gets daily exercise, etc. Parkinson's stinks!

Johnny - we almost have a REAL dog!!! Well - 'real' for an abused puppy mill baby. He still crouches and spins circles but he runs outside with his tail up, goes in and out by himself and is eating even when I'm still nearby! He's coming to me for petting at least a couple of times daily. HUGE steps! He's getting irritated with Junior (his puppy mill partner) at times and instead of hiding behind him, he goes and lays at the other end of their kennel.

Bug - the puppy handed to us 2.5 months ago. At first she was so young we couldn't figure out what her breed mix was but as she's grown, she's turning into a beautiful...ready?...Italian Grayhound!! She's now about 6 months old and is strong as an ox. Boy can she RUN!

Everyone else is doing well - Kitties Pepper, Lily and MooMoo are sleeping again, Monkey is in his cage again as he's bouncing off the walls and jumping on everyone. Big droolers Chloe, Star and Blue are their usual sweet selves, gone btb too!

We hold close Lisa/Do Lou losing her mother this week to Parkinson's as well as a couple of our members here.

Extra thoughts and prayers for BJM's Mason fighting for his life right now....

BIG HUGS to all that visit today!! YARD DANCE!!!

R works on high numbers just like any insulin does - it's not different depending on whether it's an issue of not-enough-insulin or whether the high numbers are from bouncing.

It's hard to see the picture of what Dakota needs - on 9/3 he was nearly 600 at pmps+1 and then there's that blue number 8 hrs later, and he's back up into 300's at amps. His BGs move so quickly that there are a lot of unknowns in the picture.

the primary thing that would make me nervous about using R with Dakota is that often we see responses to R in both the cycle it's used and the subsequent cycle. With your inability to test in the night time cycle (not criticizing - i understand the situation), i would be worried about Dakota being unmonitored.

But let's see what others think about it.

Thanks Julie! I'm glad to see someone else as confused by his numbers as I am. He eats the same thing all the time - all LC so it's not different foods causing it altho sometimes his pm numbers are a bit food influenced. If I choose to try R, I'll be sleep deprived as I will test at night too...wouldn't even consider doing it differently. I couldn't do it long but I have to do something to get these numbers lower for him. He's not a young cat so it's even harder on him to do this...

HUGS TOO!!!

Hi Lyresa:

No advice from me - I'm clueless about R and would like to stay so.

Just wanted to send some good vines for Dakota and your entire fuzzy crew. Add in a few hugs for you, too. You have SO much going on! :YMHUG:

Well, my dear, here's my thought FWIW.

First we have to know if those numbers are coming from bounces from overnight lows or if those numbers are just high from not enough insulin. I suspect he needs more levemir. I don't think we should use R until we know whether he's bouncing.

Following along Julie's line of thinking on him going from 600 to blue in 8 hours, is it possible to just get a test sometime in the p.m. cycle after he onsets.....just one even on the nights when he's high at PMPS...after +4. If we can do that for four nights in a row.....which would be a total of seven full cycles (enough to clear a hard six-cycle bounce), then we would know if he's getting low at night and bouncing hard the next day. If he's not, then we know he needs more insulin.

I could be wrong but I think what we will find is he needs more insulin. His numbers just look high to me.

What do you think ? I hate to leave him in high numbers for several more cycles but the alternative is to raise the dose by 0.25u and test more at night.

Thanks for the visit and wishes Tricia!

Thank you Marje! I'm basing the likely bouncing on the testing I was doing at night last few days of Aug and first week+ of this month. Now I'm not really catching any real lows during the day, just ugly numbers. I'll get tests in the next 4 nights and see where we go. Will the dose change I just did show us that? I'd love to see pretty numbers, at this point I'll settle for blues with a touch of yellow.

HUGS to all!

You're welcome.

The thing is, things can change quickly going back to what he was doing in August is not giving you a clear picture of what he's doing now. I've seen kitties do well on a dose for a few cycles and then not do well on it and the dose has to go up.

While I don't think he is seeing lows at night, many cats do go low at night and I've seen SSs which look like his and when the CG tested at night, lo and behold, there were some green numbers. I'm always hesitant to suggest a dose increase if there is no night time testing. BUT, I know if we suggest you increase the dose without those tests and also suggest you test more, you will do it. That's why I gave that option for you that I wouldn't have given newer members.

Will the dose change I just did show us that?

Click to expand...

If he's getting low at night, it should. He's had enough cycles for his depot to show even a smidge of blue if the dose is right.

I'm not averse to you just raising the dose now as long as you are going to catch a few nighttime tests because if he is going low at night, you'll need to catch it and manage it, if it's really low.

Im comin wif de rope DK! Yur mama wans me 2 try 2 drag yu out 2 da lagoon wif me! ~ China

I'll definitely do the night tests for the next 4 nights to see again...just now got a Pink instead of red! Right now even pinks give me a tiny smile.

AMPS 466
+5 - 461
+7 - 382

Okey dokey. Let us know if you have questions and if you see a lower number. I'll try to remember to check his SS each morning just to see.

hi Lyresa & Dakota
just saying hi & sending healing vines.
nadine & tibbs

:lol: love Chris' pic and China's commentary! ;-)

China, THANK YOU for trying...he's still way up der rollin' around on dat red floor. I told him I wuz gonna jus' kick him off, he didn't belef me. :roll:

AMPS 466
+5 - 461
+7 - 382
+9 - 436
+11 - 468
No PMPS, will do +3 but likely not post as that will be on the way to bed...