6/2/10 Nay

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Traveling Cats

Traveling Cats

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Nay was Mr Green all night long! The beans are very tired from staying up checking on him. It turns out he does not really think much of FF with gravy so I was stressed because I couldn't get him to eat. He still loves Temptations; how many of them should I give to bring his numbers up without totally messing up what we're doing? Like last night I just gave him 3 Temptations but his #'s were not really that low. Before I knew they were bad for him though I would give him a dozen sometimes.
Last night when his numbers dropped so fast I kept thinking, what do I do if I can't control the drop? We don't have a vet; there is no emergency clinic anywhere nearby. I feel pretty scared about low drops with no way to deal with a real emergency.
 
Re: 6/2/10 Nay AMPS 120

Go through the list of HC wet foods, and get a bunch of them. When Donovan went low, sometimes I had to try several different cans until he decided he liked it enough to eat it :roll:. Normally I would say - Find one he likes and get a bunch to have on hand - but we're talking about CATS here, and you know darn well they can loooove a food one day and completely snub it the next....
 
Re: 6/2/10 Nay AMPS 120

I was re-reading the hypo page and noticed this passage

Remember that syrup or any other sugared syrup/preparation will spike the blood glucose ONLY for a short period of time, so food is really important with mild and moderate symptoms. Dry food (high carbohydrates) will keep the blood glucose numbers elevated longer, so it’s a better food to give during a hypoglycemic episode.
Click to expand...

confused_cat
 
Re: 6/2/10 Nay AMPS 120

So Nay, has learned to surf on desert lakes! Cool! :cool:

Many of the foods in pouches have gravy, just check for wheat gluten if Nay is sensitive to it.

I've been checking on your blog, gorgeous campsite. (How about putting the link in your signature.) I get to go out to Mojave National Preserve next week to camp, look at rock art and drink wine while watching for shooting stars at night. Heaven!

Just saw you last post. What I've read is that dry food carbs lasts longer, but it also doesn't have an immediate effect. It may take several hours to kick in.
 
Re: 6/2/10 Nay PMPS 86. Shoot or no?

you shot about the same # last night and Nay had a gorgeous cycle...

About the karo vs. dry, karo gives a fast spike that wears off pretty quickly. Dry food kicks in much slower, but can stay in the system for a long time. HC wet food is a good mix - the carbs in the gravy can help bring them up quickly, but the food part can help them surf. There is a time and a place for each kind of food.

Dry food can be useful in a hypoglycemic episode once you get the numbers up using Karo or HC wet. However, there is a difference between low numbers and a hypoglycemic episode. We dont tend to see hypos in Lantus Land because of the way we work up to doses. The prolonged hypo events we have seen have mostly been the result of an accidental overdose of insulin. In those cases, the low numbers can go on for 18-24 hours, so having a food that will bump the numbers and keep them elevated for a while can be useful. Normally we don't want to affect our cats' cycles for that many hours. Wet food is in and out quicker.
 
Re: 6/2/10 Nay PMPS 86. Shoot or no?

*bump*

I'm not experienced enough to give advice here, but I wouldn't feel comfortable shooting an 86 without input from the wizards here. Hang tight! I'm sure someone will be along soon to help! I'd recommend going into your initial post today and adding the "?" to make your question stand out.

Good luck! Green is good, but scary when you don't know what to do. :)
 
Re: 6/2/10 Nay PMPS 86. Shoot or no?

Just a small further clarification. If Nay refuses foods with gravy, you can mix Karo or other syrup with LC food. In some cases, if numbers are particularly low, some people will rub Karo on their cat's gums. In the latter situation, you will see numbers spike up and then drop. If you mix the Karo with food, it's the equivalent of using a HC gravy form of FF. Several of the members here who have cats with IBD will use Karo plus LC since it will not cause the GI problems that gravy will induce.
 
Re: 6/2/10 Nay PMPS 86. Shoot or no?

Ok we shot the 86. Thanks for the input! Great explanation of dry vs wet in Lantus vs other insulins, Libby!
 
Re: 6/2/10 Nay PMPS 86.

Question - how long does it take LC or MC wet food to raise the BG? He has eaten LC at shot time and again MC at +2. We had PS 86...+2= 53... +3=51
Is LC/MC sufficient or should I be giving HC food with #'s like this early in the cycle?
 
Re: 6/2/10 Nay Have a question

Traveling Cats said:
Question - how long does it take LC or MC wet food to raise the BG? He has eaten LC at shot time and again MC at +2. We had PS 86...+2= 53... +3=51
Is LC/MC sufficient or should I be giving HC food with #'s like this early in the cycle?
Click to expand...

For Vesta, it takes about 20 minutes or so to notice a bump in her BG's, and we get an increase of about 10 to 20.

I'm nowhere near an expert, but after quite a few times with such low #s, we've noticed that going with HC generally creates an unwanted bounce, while the MC doesn't so much. It really depends on you- if you want/need to sleep, it's better to play it safe and go HC. If you're OK staying up until things level, go with the MC (or a little gravy) and test every 20-30 minutes until you're past the nadir.

By the way, if you don't have a stockpile of gravy yet, I'd start one next time you feed... We have a small tupperware devoted to it. Basically, whenever we open a new can of food (we use FF classics), we drain it into the container. The gravy is the HC part of the food, so it serves two purposes. Number one, it lowers the carb content of what we're feeding on a day to day basis. Number two, we have something HC to give during low BG events. Win win. It's easiest to do the draining thing when the can is room temp or warmer... Otherwise, it congeals and doesn't pour. Yum, huh?
 
Re: 6/2/10 Nay Have a question

Oh and lastly.... She's only on cycle #2 with the new dose- it's likely that her shed is still emptying from when you were shooting one unit. Again, wait for an expert to respond, but I'm guessing she'll even out a little after another dose or two.

Stick with it... you're doing great... and sleep tight! Eventually, that is...
 
Re: 6/2/10 Nay Have a question

Weather Girl said:
Traveling Cats said:
Question - how long does it take LC or MC wet food to raise the BG? He has eaten LC at shot time and again MC at +2. We had PS 86...+2= 53... +3=51
Is LC/MC sufficient or should I be giving HC food with #'s like this early in the cycle?
Click to expand...

For Vesta, it takes about 20 minutes or so to notice a bump in her BG's, and we get an increase of about 10 to 20.

I'm nowhere near an expert, but after quite a few times with such low #s, we've noticed that going with HC generally creates an unwanted bounce, while the MC doesn't so much. It really depends on you- if you want/need to sleep, it's better to play it safe and go HC. If you're OK staying up until things level, go with the MC (or a little gravy) and test every 20-30 minutes until you're past the nadir.

By the way, if you don't have a stockpile of gravy yet, I'd start one next time you feed... We have a small tupperware devoted to it. Basically, whenever we open a new can of food (we use FF classics), we drain it into the container. The gravy is the HC part of the food, so it serves two purposes. Number one, it lowers the carb content of what we're feeding on a day to day basis. Number two, we have something HC to give during low BG events. Win win. It's easiest to do the draining thing when the can is room temp or warmer... Otherwise, it congeals and doesn't pour. Yum, huh?
Click to expand...

awesome. thanks for the tips! :-D
 
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