SLGS Method cont.

Discussion in 'Prozinc / PZI' started by Irish Pat, May 2, 2020.

  1. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020
    http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/slgs-method.228857/

    Well guys started out good ended way high yet again....wish I knew why he kept doing this...hopefully some day it gets right...So im assuming 2.5U tomorrow? Please let me know, we are not going to be home tonight but back first thing in the morning to take care of the cats. Please, please let me know if he should move up .25 U to 2.5U tomorrow...Thanks and I hope everyone is doing ok.....

    @Deb & Wink
    @Marje and Gracie
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  2. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2013
    Pat, Brady is bouncing again, since last night's PM cycle. Not unexpected, with his dropping to those numbers just < 200 (high range blues).

    He did a nice 50% drop today AM cycle, down from the high 300's (high pinks) to the high 190's (high blue's). A 50% drop is about what you want to see with Prozinc.

    I do think Brady could use a bit more insulin. So after his week on this 2.25U dose, looks like he is ready for an increase in the insulin dose.

    Please try for 2.5U in the morning on 5/3/20, when you get back home. Hope that Marje concurs. She may have a different opinion.
     
  3. Marje and Gracie

    Marje and Gracie Senior Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2010
    I completely agree. He looks ready for a dose increase to me provided you don’t see a blue number at AMPS tomorrow. If you do, it doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t need more insulin; I just wouldn’t increase on a blue number that might be dropping.

    Good luck with the 2.5u dose!
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  4. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020

    Thank you Deb for responding and helping me out....I upped his dose to 2.5U today...hoping it goes well...between you and Marj, lets get Brady safe...….
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  5. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020

    Thank you Marj, I did up his dose to 2.5U this morning as I told Deb, you two and the moral support of the others we will get Brady safe.....

    FYI-felt guilty as @%@$, so we came home last night and I checked him at +4.5.....I know I have to get past that to because we do have to live as well.....We were only a half away but we were planning on spending the night, I chose not too......we need a little break every now and then, just to scared to take that break right now...
     
    Deb & Wink and Marje and Gracie like this.
  6. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020
    I do have some questions about boarding Brady, the time will be coming in the future when that will happen, and this also scares us but my wife and I love to camp and we have to live our lives to and be able to give Brady the best care...we are going to try to take the cats up to our camper and see how they do, im worried about him stressing and what that will do to his sugar and quite frankly how the both cats will do in the camper being in a new environment.

    So with that said, do you guys recommend us trying the camper idea or just board him at the vets?

    If we do board him at the vets, they will obviously not take care of him the way we do, feeding, loving, the whole 9 yards....What is the recommendation when boarding, giving him lower doses of insulin or the same amount of insulin while his is being boarded? Im sure he wont be fed at the +4 time feeding when he is at the vets for boarding, so im confused on what to do there? The +4 feeding in the AM and PM is at 10 AM and 10 PM, no way someone would be at the vets at 10 PM

    There is no way we could have anyone stay at the house or to have someone come at Brady's feeding and shot times so having someone pet sit would not work, plus he would NEVER let anyone give him a shot or check his sugar but us, the bet is pretty lucky he is good for them to be honest.

    Is this a question I should create another topic for to get other opinions?

    Life has changed for us, like everyone else who goes thru this, but we also have to keep some type of normalcy in our lives to stay healthy and sane...Which I think my wife already thinks I lost it anyhow, lol......

    Also want to tag @jt and trouble (GA)
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2020
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  7. Marje and Gracie

    Marje and Gracie Senior Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2010
    I’m sorry about your overnight trip. I certainly understand the need for breaks. In 5.5 years of Gracie’s diabetes, we got away once for an anniversary trip and that was solely because another very trusted FDMB member lived within a mile of us so while his partner took care of their diabetic cat, he came and stayed with Gracie. It was such a Godsend. I could never leave her with anyone but Mike, my husband. But we both trusted Rich completely. Even when she had to be in the hospital the last few days of her life, I didn’t trust them to draw the right dose and monitor her so I was there for every shot time and, when I knew her numbers might come down, to test.

    Yes, we need to have normalcy for our own sanity and health and especially right now. You know Brady best to make the decision on the camping. We have a member here (she doesn’t post anymore) who lives in an RV as they travel all the time and Fritz goes with them. If it were me and you can be sure they are secure when you go in and out of the camper, I might give that a go and see how it works. If you have the camper at your house, you could start by just putting the cats out there for a bit with you and gradually build up their confidence. Then maybe take it for a spin around the block. Of course, that doesn’t give you a break from FD and that’s the downside. But....which would make you worry less?

    Having said that, I don’t want to color your decision with my opinions. I am just very wary of boarding and we have always had live-in cat sitters. And....I was really worried that Gracie wouldn’t let someone else test and shoot her even though she was the queen of chill about her FD. But guess what....she could have cared less about Rich doing it.

    I’m hoping the 2.5u will do it’s magic. Please don’t let that 119 go too long without testing again....as in no more than an hour because he’s coming down fast.

    Have a great day. I’ll check in again later but post if you need help.
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  8. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020

    It went well so far....He had his +4 feeding and he went up to 189, we had to be somewhere in the afternoon but he pulled thru like a champ...I really have to start understanding these bounces and understand why they happen sometimes and not others......Im sure there is no explanation, but maybe someone has some insight. Our camper is up at her sisters which is just a short drive away, its a pull behind travel trailer so they would be traveling in the truck anywhere we went...We will have time to experiment with the cats to see how it goes, the camper is set up on their property.....

    Im probably going to be stuck with taking him to board on some vacations, I know Brady and there is absolutely no way he would ever let anyone touch him.....which sorta sucks, now if it were Emma that would be different......
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  9. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2013
    JOJI and Kit and Irish Pat like this.
  10. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  11. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020
    Hello...Can someone please explain something to me that has me really confused.....When this all started, Brady was on 1U of insulin and he was getting ok numbers, then on 1.5U he was getting some low numbers...Today, he is on 2.5U and he never got out of the 300's.....Why is it that 1U can give you good numbers then change and so on? Do they build a tolerance to the insulin? Will the insulin dose always have to go up? What makes 1U give you good numbers and change? I guess this is my new confusion question for the day...If 1U had BG go in the 80's how come 2.5U isn't way to much insulin for him?

    @Deb & Wink @Marje and Gracie
     
    Last edited: May 5, 2020
  12. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020
    Good morning....This morning Brady's AMPS number was only 115, we both have running around to do today (my wife works) so we decided to skip due to that way lower than normal PS number....Since we skipped because of that low number, what is the dosing recommendation now for the PM shot? SLGS method doesn't indicate what we should do if we skip a shot for a low PS number, do I stay the same at 2.5U?

    This is very important as tonight is when I go out of town for a few days, my wife will be here and is giving Brady his shots...She will be working at her office away from home so testing is going to be limited. She will be able to come at the +4 morning hour to feed him his 1/4 can and also test him then but that will be it until she gets home between the +9 and +10 hour. She will be able to test in the evening up to the +4 hour (1/4 can feeding time) but she has to get up very early, obviously to take care of Brady but also to go into work. Do you recommend her to continue with the 2.5U or go back to the 2.25U due to the very low number today and the limited testing she will be able to do while im away? Please guys this is a very important question I could really use all the help I can get on this one
     
  13. Marje and Gracie

    Marje and Gracie Senior Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2010
    It’s not unusual to see this kind of pattern. They can get a stray green number here and there on a dose because they got extra absorption that day. However, in Brady’s case, the greens early on were when he was clearing a bounce and those cycles can be a lot more active and numbers drop lower. It’s not indicative of a good dose if they can’t sustain the green or you don’t see more than one here and there on a specific dose.


    If the PS is below 90, then you reduce the dose. It wasn’t; you just chose to skip so, normally, the dose would stay the same.

    I really wish I had a crystal ball that worked all the time but alas, no. With limited testing and knowing your anxiety level, I’d drop the dose back to 2.25u and live with the highs that might result. There is still a chance he will get into blue, bounce, and race down into green. Will she be posting if this happens?
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  14. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020

    Thanks for getting back Marje, I really think we are going to stay with the 2.5U, My wife got this, in fact I just asked her if she wanted to lower the dose and she said I got this...we went over a lot and we have been discussing this for a while and talking thru all of this...Yes my anxiety level is high with this, I hope in time I get over some of this....I think I can, have faith, I sure will try...She knows the numbers to look for and what to do if they go low before she leaves to go back to work at the +4 feeding in the AM and she knows she may have to set alarms if he is low before she goes to bed at night. All the hypo stuff is in one place and easy access, she is tougher than me....thank God.....No she wont be coming on here, she is really not familiar with forums and what not.....I will be in cell contact if she needs me and I can always get on if necessary, plus I don't really get anyone else to respond but you guys, and I REALLY appreciate you guys and all your help, I thank God I have you.....Trust me she is like you guys, she thinks im nuts too.....Brady is actually helping me type, hope there is no typo's....lol....
     
    Marje and Gracie and Deb & Wink like this.
  15. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2013
    When people board their diabetic cats or have someone come into their home to take care of them, for that alternate caregiver/situation we recommend that you reduce the dose they give your cat. That is because they may not be able to test, but also because your cat may not eat as well while you are gone. Because the other person caring for the cat, like a pet sitter, might only be there twice a day, with only enough time to test your cat, give them food and fresh water and scoop the litter box, it's standard procedure to reduce the dose.

    I see your wife as being an alternate caregiver, not very experienced with the testing. May not be there at home
    like you are to take care of Brady. So a 0.25U dose reduction was reasonable, as Marje suggested.

    But I read a bit more, and see that your wife feels confident in staying at the 2.5U dose. So please enjoy your short trip, and check back in with us if there are any issues your wife encounters. Of course, we will see you posting again in a few days, when you return. :bighug:

    In the meantime, if your wife is able to update the SS, that would be really helpful. If not, then updates to the SS when you return Pat.:)

    Wink tried to help me type once, but instead he walked across the keyboard, hit exactly the right key combination, and changed the display 180 degrees, so it was upside down. :nailbiting:That was fun to fix! I made sure the cover on my keyboard was closed, so he could not "help" again. :rolleyes::rolleyes:
     
  16. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020

    Thank you Deb...yes she has been doing some testing and shooting the insulin and doing very well...only thing is she will be working but coming home at the +4 hour to check his sugar and his 1/4 can feeding...she already updated the SS this evening ..she is doing a great job...if you guys get a chance perk in on his Ss if you could just to see how it’s going...she has a good feel on what to do if things get a little tricky
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  17. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2013
    Wasn't sure if that update was from you Pat or your wife. Her name is???????

    How long are you away for Pat? If you feel comfortable telling us that.

    So Brady is going to be bouncing at PMPS since you skipped the shot this AM, 5/5/20.
    Makes it a bit easier on your wife, with that high PMPS in the >400 range (red zone).
     
  18. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020

    Saturday or Sunday not sure yet on that...my wife goes by Beanie a nickname her father gave her:..and yup she did the SS... I think she can handle it she is a lot more chilled than me haha... I’m an analyst so that makes things worse...I like solid answers and this isn’t a solid answer disease...
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  19. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2013
    No, it isn't like having a headache and taking an analgesic to make the headache go away.
     
  20. Marje and Gracie

    Marje and Gracie Senior Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2010
    We don’t think you are crazy. Remember most of the women here might fall into the “crazy cat lady” group:p

    I have a suggestion: I don’t know what time Beanie leaves for work but if you shoot early enough that she can grab another test before she leaves and then the +4, she might know if she needs to leave some extra food or higher carb food if his BG is decreasing before she leaves.

    Have a safe trip.
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  21. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020
    Well he is bouncing all over the place...is he always going to be a bouncer...it seems his BG always falls so fast which always makes him bounce up so high...hence the bouncing definition...but is this always going to be a problem?? He continues to have his lowest numbers at the end of the cycle as well...Beanie is doing a great job so far...unfortunately she works at 7 and leaves the house early so getting two tests in the morning is difficult...that’s going to be the issue when we both start working...wish I was home...miss them all so much...should be home Saturday afternoon...hope everyone is doing well

    @Deb & Wink
    @Marje and Gracie
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  22. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2013
    He may be one of those cats that constantly bounce. Some cats bounce all the way to remission, if they get there.

    Best way to slow down those drops and hence the bounces, is to "feed the curve".

    Marje is better at explaining that than I am. But basically, you give Brady small amounts of food at set times to slow the drops. I don't know how you are going to do that, with Emma there to eat up the food, except with a timed feeder. Or perhaps isolating Brady so Emma can't gobble up all the food.

    The other option is to try a different insulin, like Lantus. No guarantees that Brady wouldn't bounce as much on a different insulin like the lantus.
     
  23. Marje and Gracie

    Marje and Gracie Senior Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2010
    I did not get the tag but just checked in today and saw this.

    Deb is correct that you stop those big dives with feeding the curve. I certainly have some tricks up my sleeve to help you with that but you’ll need to be at home. I’m hoping that you’ll still be working from home for a couple weeks when you get back so we can try a few things.

    Certainly, Lantus and Levemir are gentler insulins but I see cats dive on Lantus, in particular, and many of those cats require feeding the curve. Gracie was on Levemir and the change from Lantus to Lev did diminish her bouncing and let her spend long times in good numbers but she could also start the bouncing and diving out of nowhere.
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  24. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020
    Well made it home, needless to say my wife and I are very frustrated....This is the most insulin he has been on yet and getting the highest numbers we had yet, and not very low numbers...Getting concerned a little...Tomorrow is day 7 so im assuming a .25 increase due to his numbers being this way???

    @Deb & Wink
    @Marje and Gracie
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  25. JOJI and Kit

    JOJI and Kit Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2019
    this has become a way of life at kit's house.
    she'll be watching this thread to learn some tricks.
     
  26. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2013
    Brady is bouncing right now, and still hasn't cleared that bounce from 3 days ago.

    I think you need to let those blacks, the BG's >500, clear before you increase the dose again.
    Plus, there was a skipped shot on 5/5/20.
    I know if you were using lantus, that skipped dose would reset the cycle count. But I don't know if the same holds true with Prozinc.

    I'll defer to Marje on that one.
     
    Irish Pat likes this.
  27. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020
    Deb I was actually wondering that...because of the skipped dose... I will take any advice I can get that will help Brady on his dosage...thank you
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  28. Marje and Gracie

    Marje and Gracie Senior Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2010
    It doesn’t apply because they are doing SLGS and using PZ. It only applies to TR with Lantus or Levemir.

    Tonight was his sixth cycle after blue, he’s been on this dose for a week, and his nadirs are generally over 150. I would increase to 2.75u tomorrow morning provided he doesn’t greet you with a blue or green PS.

    I’m going to leave the info on managing the curve with food so you can read, absorb, and ask questions. I wrote this for another kitty but it can apply to any cat that is dropping quickly (as Brady did tonight and other times such as the morning of 5/3). One note: I’ve seen cats who dive and bounce much worse than Brady but this method can still help.

    When we see a cat with dives and hard bounces (and I do believe that kitties that dive fast have harder bounces than those that just go lower), we try to get the curve to flatten out with food. We call this “using food to manipulate the curve”. The process is like this:

    manage the curve with food ----> flatten the curve ------> adjust the dose (if necessary and it usually is).

    This process or method is feeding so that we prevent the kitty from dropping too fast and/or too low. You can imagine if you aren’t careful with it, you can overfeed the kitty so it’s important to:
    • recognize this is a process that doesn’t change things overnight
    • requires that you, in general, feed the same amount of food kitty needs to maintain its current weight (assuming kitty is not under or overweight); obviously, if you’ve fed Brady his food for the cycle and then he fools you and takes another dive, you might have to feed a little more depending on where in the cycle he drops again.
    • requires consistency and some extra commitment at the beginning
    • requires that you know your kitty; what are his onset, nadir, duration......and does he ever get any overlap or carryover.
    Typically, unless the kitty is taking a huge dive or drops below 50, we try to use LC to manage the curve with food. Obviously, if he is coming down really fast early in the cycle and we know LC doesn’t slow him down, you have to up the “ante” (i.e. the carbs). However, we do not typically feed a higher carb food at shot time unless you must have the insulin start its onset from a higher number, for example, in the case where you might not be able to monitor.

    There are important things to consider when you are determining whether to feed lc, mc, hc:
    • where are is he in the cycle? If it’s early in the cycle and he’s dropping fast, you probably want to use higher carb food; if it’s nadir or later in the cycle and nadir is above 40, you might want to try LC.
    • how carb sensitive is he to carbs? Some kitties never need more than LC food even when they take a steep dive or go lower. Others need the big guns if they drop fast early in the cycle. This is going to be up to you to figure out and experiment with.
    It’s also important to know why we manage the curve with food. The goal is to get the curve to flatten, as shown in the diagram above. If we are consistent and do it right (and it’s ECID and trial and error as to what is “right”), then kitties will typically flatten out at a higher BG. Flattening prevents those dives and huge bounces. Flattening also will allow you to get more insulin in the kitty safely. This can, in turn, allow you to hold a specific dose longer. However, for a bouncy cat, more insulin, when safely done, can help bring down the numbers. It also helps to offset the spikes that very carb sensitive kitties get in response to food.

    For anyone reading this who then thinks, “well, if I just give my cat more insulin, the bouncing will stop”. No it won’t and it’s not safe to just increase the dose to stop bouncing. It’s the process of managing the curve with food specific to your cat that keeps it safe to increase the dose. That entails:
    • knowing your cat and having the time and commitment to experiment with feeding
    • feeding the correct amounts of food at specific times to bring the over all curve up
    • flattening the curve at a higher BG
    How do we do this?
    • start by dividing the kitty’s normal food portion into four minimeals each cycle which are fed consistently at PS, +1, +2, +3, at first. As you get more data, you might need to adjust those feeding times especially if your kitty onsets later and you might find you have to feed at different times to address the difference in cycles.
    • determine if kitty needs to be fed the same amount at each meal or if he/she needs to be fed different amounts at each meal. As an example, I studied Gracie’s SS when she was on lantus and figured out when she onset and when she took her steepest dive. I then determined I really needed to “frontload" her cycle with food. This had me fine tuning not just the times I fed her but feeding the majority of her food at PS and +1 and a little less at +2 and +3. Over time as I got more data on how she did with that, I changed the amounts of food and also changed the feeding times. When I switched her to levemir, I had to do the same thing all over again.
    • test more at first to catch the drops. And did I say test? When you are first starting manage the curve with food, I would suggest you test every cycle at PS, +1, +2, +3 because that is most likely when the dives will occur. You need to figure out exactly where he drops so you know exactly when and how much to feed to prevent the drop. Don’t get complacent if he’s higher at +1 than PS and think “I’ll test at +3”. This will not be forever. This is just to find out where he drops so you can then manage the curve appropriately to flatten him out. Over time, as you start at a lower and lower PS, the dives should stop and you can get back to regular testing. Now is a good time for you to try it since you are working at home.
    • realize that even after it works, he might, at some time, revert back to his diving. Gracie did occasionally. I would start testing more to find out where she was dropping and then I could get proactive to adjust feeding the curve to prevent the drop. (Keep in mind, once I started managing the curve with food, I always did but patterns change from time to time and you have to be flexible and realize what worked for one pattern, might need a bit of fine tuning for another).
    In summary, learning to manage the curve with food involves learning how Brady responds to different carbs at different times during the cycle. You have to be a scientist and an investigator. Write everything down (note the response you got to what you fed, how much you fed, and when you fed it). What kind of a bump does he get from LC, MC, HC early in the cycle and late in the cycle? Using this info, you can guide the cycles. Again, remember you might find that you have to steer the cycles differently. Gracie had a different a.m. cycle than p.m. and so her feeding schedules were a bit different. Any time you make a change, leave it for 3-4 days and give him time to adjust before you make another change.

    That’s a lot of info at once but you can bookmark this and come back to it.

    One other thing: when you make changes, make them one at a time. I never increased the dose and changed the pen the same cycle (not saying you do but I’ve seen people do it). You’ll never know what the cause/effect is if you are making more than one change at a time.

    Please let me know your questions. And, I realize that there is a little :banghead::banghead::banghead: when you read what this details. The first time it was introduced to me, I thought “why can’t they just tell me exactly what to feed when?”. As I learned, it’s because no one size fits every cat. Gracie was my kitty and I was the one that was going to have to do the work to figure it out. But I had been given very valuable tools on how to do it. And.....everyone should know their cat this well. :):):)
     
    Deb & Wink and JOJI and Kit like this.
  29. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020
    I have read this but obviously need to read it all over again to really try to get a grasp of this information.....

    One question I have now, we are using the food chart from the catinfo.org page, we are using the Lowest Carb pate food for Friskies.....We are using several different flavors of the LC food, under 10....Brady likes to switch up and not eat the same type food day in and day out, he snubs food sometimes and makes it difficult to get him to eat if we don't switch it up.....Is that ok? One day he may have the poultry platter, next ocean whitefish, next the salmon, etc......Any thoughts?

    @Deb & Wink
    @Marje and Gracie
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2020
    Deb & Wink and JOJI and Kit like this.
  30. JOJI and Kit

    JOJI and Kit Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2019
    we did a lot of experiments with kit's food for reasons of carbs, her interest and making sure she stayed at weight.
    you can see in our ss how we record that even now that we have a pretty stable food combo for kit.

    this part of marje's post is gold and applies to food changes *and* dosing. meaning if you're changing the food combos and dose at the same time, what impacted the numbers? mystery.

    lately kit has been having very late day nadirs, like at PMPS for the AM cycle :banghead:
    we've been testing later in the day and feeding if needed, but still before the +10 cut-off.
     
  31. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020

    JOJI, what method of treatment are you using?
     
    Deb & Wink and JOJI and Kit like this.
  32. JOJI and Kit

    JOJI and Kit Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2019
    we recently switched from slow to modified
     
    Deb & Wink and Irish Pat like this.
  33. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020

    My problems arise with feeding the curve as both my wife and I still work which will make feeding the curve very difficult....im reading all the details and seeing what can possibly be done....and I know auto feeders have been suggested.....How do you manage to feed at the times you do?
     
    Deb & Wink and JOJI and Kit like this.
  34. JOJI and Kit

    JOJI and Kit Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2019
    we have these, but they stopped working for some reason and since covid wfh we haven't gotten new ones.
    and we are fortunate to have work schedules that make it easier.
     
  35. Marje and Gracie

    Marje and Gracie Senior Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2010
    We have found that many cats do better with foods in the 8-10% range on carbs. It’s not a problem that he gets different flavors but i’d try to stick with the same range of carbs. In other words, I wouldn’t feed a 1% food at breakfast and a 10% food at +4 if numbers are flat. For his LC feedings, I’d try to find a range between 6% and 10% and stick with those.
     
  36. Irish Pat

    Irish Pat Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2020

    @Deb & Wink

    I wanted to go back to this one Deb, need a little bit more information and your thoughts on this....So, you say a dose reduction can you be a little more specific....How much would you say to reduce a dose if Brady were to be at the vets? Example, right now he is up to 3U if all goes well and he stays on 3U, what would you recommend I have the vet give him if we had to board him? I know there is no solid answer, just picking your brain?
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  37. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2013
    I don't know Pat, but maybe 70-80% of whatever dose Brady is on at the time you board him?
    Most vets are not staffed 24 hours a day, so there would be no one there to check on Brady at night.

    Plus if Brady does not eat as well while he is being boarded, the lack of his normal food amounts could cause his BG levels to run lower than normal.

    Not sure how much testing your vet/vet staff would do while he was boarded. I've seen other members here where the vet clinic only tested a couple of times for a week's stay. The idea behind the "vacation dose" is to keep your cat safe from hypoglycemia, with limited or no testing. The downside to reducing the dose when a pet is boarded or being taken care of by a pet sitter, is that the BG levels often go back up from where they have been and it can take weeks for the BG levels to come back down to where they were.
     

Share This Page