6/7 Munchkin AMPS 166, 156 +2.5, 172 +3.5, 150 +6.5

Hello everyone!
Munchkin was DX on 5/17. She's been on Lantus since. First week we were at 1u BID, 2nd week he upped her to 2U BID, by the 3rd week I believe she was having hypo episodes (I didn't have numbers to back it) and the vet changed it to 1u am/2u pm. I gave that a try for a day, but i believed that was still too much after another possible hypo episode. So I changed her back down to 1u BID and began home testing.
Yesterday we had a 68 +3, viewtopic.php?f=28&t=44828, so I'm going to try to get a reading at +2.5, +3. She was hungry though so she did get a snack at +1.25 today.
We're looking forward to getting to know everyone & learning a lot here.
We hope everyone has a great day and awesome numbers!!!

Re: 6/7 Munchkin AMPS 166

Hi Reagan, welcome to LL! I'm very glad to see you here!

Thanks for linking yesterday's thread...I'll link the other threads from Health here, so everyone can get up to speed quickly:

First thread on Health
Second thread
Third thread

You obviously have been reading the stickies, nice job on the header. :smile: Don't worry if all of it doesn't make sense yet, it takes time. Munch is looking good, love the pretty blue numbers. Is the testing getting easier now? Did you get some HC wet food yesterday?

I think you will like it here, there are lots of people using your insulin, and we're like a big family...lots of support. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions you might have. I hope you will post daily so we can see how Munch is doing, and you can benefit from the help and support available here.

Re: 6/7 Munchkin AMPS 166

hi, just want to welcome you!

good job trusting your gut - and i'm so glad you've made the leap to home testing. everyone here will pitch in with ideas and help to get you to the right dose for munchkin. awesome name, btw!

if you need help with suggestions for testing, treats, dosing, whatever - just ask. everyone's got a little bag of tricks that we use that works on our particular cats and usually there's something that will help someone else.

have a nice day!

Re: 6/7 Munchkin AMPS 166

Hi Laurie & Mr. Handsome Tinkles! Thank you for linking my previous posts.

The testing is going up and down. We're getting the numbers though, but she's not as happy about it as she was earlier in the day yesterday. My nerves are raw, but I'm sucking it up. (Combo of Munch, purchasing our first home, and helping my in-law post surgery still)
We did get the HC Wet yesterday. A few different brands. The one you mentioned, but in chicken, Friskies & a couple FF gravy lovers. Peb's (our civvie) is also very happy because I finally picked up some wet to start adding to her food. dancing_cat

I'm looking forward to getting to meet everyone. Thank you for welcoming me over here. I do plan to post daily.
I do have some questions about how I'm going to discuss this with my vet, but I think I'll wait till early next week to deal with that. (Our next appt is 8 days away) And I'm sure Munch will keep me on my toes number wise. It's a relief to have know I can get help if I get concerned!

Also, we tested about 30 mins ago, and she is at 156 +2.5. Not a drop like yesterday, but she was starving at +1.25 so I gave her her snack. Maybe that's keeping the drop away? Or maybe she's decided she'll hold off to closer to +4-+6 today. hah.

Re: 6/7 Munchkin AMPS 166, 156 +2.5

Hi Reagan & Munchkin too,

Just wanted to pop in and say hi and welcome to Lantus Land, we are all here to help and are a great support system. I'm sure if i hadn't found this forum i would probably be pulling my hair out!

Have a great day!

Re: 6/7 Munchkin AMPS 166, 156 +2.5

Thank you Julie! Nice to meet you and Punkin!

Since you mention it, what are the most popular treat options? Right now Munch get's deli turkey or ham after testing. (That's probably the only reason I have fingers left today! :lol: ) I'd live to have a couple varieties of things though.

Re: 6/7 Munchkin AMPS 166, 156 +2.5

typically the +3 is about the same as the preshot number, and if the moon is sitting right, the cat's numbers will curve downward til about mid-cycle (somewhere +5-7ish) and then gentle rise upward to preshot again.

however, if the wind blows wrong, the cat eats a kibble, or for whatever reason no one ever knows, that ideal curve gets blown out of the water. and some cats never see that pattern. that's the "typical" curve that you can hope for - i usually test at +3 because if it's significantly lower i know punkin's going downward, i test +5 or 6 to try to catch the lowest point, although sometimes that doesn't show up til later, and i test +9 just because i'm hooked on testing. :lol: did i say that out loud? whoops!

one thing that really helps (if no one has mentioned it yet) is the neosporin with pain relief ointment. if munch's ears seem a little sore, slather that on - it def takes the owie out. i've used it to see and it does work. wipe off most of it before you test again, though, or it will muck up your test strip. personally, i think the cream makes it harder to test so i stick with the ointment. some people put it on 15 minutes before they're going to test to make the test itself easier.

Re: 6/7 Munchkin AMPS 166, 156 +2.5

just saw your post - sorry i'm so dang long-winded! :lol:

in march i simmered 2 chicken breasts on the stove, cut them into 1/2" pieces and that's what i use. i'm just now finishing those up today. keep it in the freezer cut up in a ziplock bag, then i bring out a tablespoon at a time to the fridge. remember the testing treats are small - i didn't know that and was messing up punkin's numbers by too big of treats.

there's a list on here somewhere that someone just posted a while ago of low carb treats. you can use a pinch of canned tuna, dried tuna flakes (stores that specialize in asian food carry them) - i'm not sure what else but someone else will hopefully post that link for you. punkin doesn't like the dried chicken things so i've stuck with the chicken bits from the freezer.

Re: 6/7 Munchkin AMPS 166, 156 +2.5, 172 +3.5

She seems to be rising fairly quickly and to higher number than I've been seeing. Possible ideas: Snack was given about 90 mins earlier than normal. She could be showing some pain again. (Had trouble jumping once, but just jumped from the floor to the chair 3 seconds ago), pain med was administered a little later than normal also. Thoughts?

Re: 6/7 Munchkin AMPS 166, 156 +2.5

Oh, it sounds like you have a lot on your plate! Hang in there, hopefully things will get easier.

Just one small correction to what Julie said...usually the +2 is about the same as the PS number (not +3). The typical curve is in the New to the Group sticky.

It's hard to say at this point what her plan is! :lol: As you gather more data, you will be able to see what her patterns are...but don't make yourself crazy trying to test every hour unless she is low, ok? I never tell people not to test, because more data is better, but I also don't like to see people getting stressed out over testing either. (Don't go by me, I'm a testaholic!) Getting a few tests over the course of the cycle will help you gather data. Her numbers (156/172) are actually within meter variance (20%) so it is basically the same number. Some cycles are flat, Lantus is known for flat cycles. If you gave the pain med, and she is acting normally and jumping, I doubt pain has anything to do with it. I think she's doing fine!

The snack at +1.25 is ok, we encourage smaller, more frequent meals anyway. I'm glad you got the HC food, good plan to get a few different ones, sometimes they don't like one (although Mr Tinkles never refuses any HC!)

For testing treats....make sure you check the deli meats, many of them have sugar in them. It isn't always obvious either, they inject it into the meat so you won't know unless you read the really fine print on the label. LOL I use the boiled chicken breast that Julie mentioned, many people use freeze dried chicken (they usually LOVE that!) you can find in Petsmart, Petco, Walmart, etc. Buy the large bag in the dog treat aisle if you do that, more economical and it breaks into smaller pieces easily. Here's a list of Low Carb Treats.

Laurie, relax? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Actually, I took your advice. I read your last post and then took a nap, sorta. Actually I laid there wondering if Munch would come down at all today. Then started "day dreaming" of crown molding. Obviously I'm obsessive.
I did take another reading 150 +6.5. I'm forcing myself to not do another one until PMPS. She's coming down though and I had hoped to catch her dip. But Rome wasn't built in a day, right?
Are the freeze dried treats tough/hard? I think I have some jerky type salmon but they won't touch them because they are super hard. I don't blame them either.
I'll poach some chicken on Friday when it's not 100+ out. Thanks for the heads up on the deli meat. I'll do my research on that. I'll also have to go reread about meter variance.
Julie, is the 1/2" chicken bits an ok size or is that too big? Do you just give one?

It would be fine (good data) if you want to get another test before PMPS.....you got a +9 yesterday, how about a +10?....that will show you where she's heading before shot time. If you don't get it, it's not the end of the world. ;-) It's good to vary your spot checks, you'll fill in the SS that way and give you a more complete picture over time.

No the FD chicken is not really hard, they are more brittle...they crush easily too, some people also use it as "chicken dust" on top of food to tempt picky eaters. I haven't tried the jerky type treats, but I doubt my kitties would eat them either! :razz:

Meter variance...every meter is permitted to have a variance of 20% from the "true" reading. I don't know why the FDA allows that much variance, but they do...so it's more useful to look at the numbers in terms of trends, not absolute exact numbers.

I just wanted to stop in and say "welcome" and comment that Munchkin's numbers are GREAT, especially for being new. Like!

For treats, I use freeze dried chicken or freeze dried salmon. Lucy used to beg for tests (really!) when she was on insulin, and now Jazzy has learned to come when I call her for a test. Who says cats can't be trained, once you find the right treat? :lol:

i think it was laurie, but could've been someone else that suggested a treat = 1/4"x1/2". punkin is 14 lbs so i confess i sometimes give him a couple. but i really do keep it tiny.

Hi Reagan and Munchkin and welcome to Lantus Land!
I agree with Libby: those are really good numbers! Lots of folks here would love it if their kitties had numbers like those. For treats I give Rusty the freeze-dried chicken or freeze-dried turkey bits (from the dog section in the petfood store). They are easy to break into smaller pieces and are not hard or brittle. Health-food stores carry canned chicken chunks in water (for use in tacos, etc.) and if you read the labels carefully you can find these without broth or other flavorings (it is important to avoid onions). I used to give these to my previous diabetic kitty, Stu, and he loved them. Rusty prefers the freeze-dried.

You are doing very well and soon all will be routine. I use plain vaseline on Rusty's ear before doing the ear-prick (just a little bit to help the blood drop to bead up). At the end of the evening, after the last test, I put some Neosporin creme with pain killer on his ears to help them feel better overnight. In my opinion the creme is less icky than the ointment and allows the skin to breathe.

Best of luck and continue to read the "stickies" and to ask as many questions as you need. We are all here for support.

Have a good evening,

Ella & Rusty

I'm stopping by to say "hello," as well. Munchkin's numbers are great!

Please let us know if you have questions. We're happy to lend a hand.