2/27 Minnie - PMPS 40, 273 after 20min, 610 +13, 138 +2, 595 +3, 511 +4, 599 +6.25, 506 +10, 540+12

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB...-13-fed-shot-152-1-278-2.243768/#post-2750161

Hi! For the first time I had to stall Minnie's PM shot, by an hour last night so currently at +10.25. Need some help now, please.

Can I test and feed now (if BG >150) and then shoot at +11.75? She is so hungry and begging for breakfast. Not sure how this works now!

Thanks.

 

You can move back your time by 30 minutes every 24 hours or 15 minutes each cycle. Shooting too early can act like an increase. Don’t feed within 2 hours of shooting. Test her though so you can see if she’s dropping.
Please get a test now though to make sure she’s not still dropping.

 

Just tested - 165 @+10.5.

Understand about not shooting early, was wondering (hoping) I can feed now and re-test/shoot in an hour-ish? Or do I have to make her wait for food. thanks.

 

You do need to wait to feed her because many cats drop in that last hour. You don’t want to shoot a food influenced test.

 

You're right! 110@ +12. Now what do we do - same as last night, stall 20min and re-test?

 

She will continue to fall without food, so stalling does not help. With her previous DKA, you need to give some insulin and not skip. Are you following TR? And will you be able to monitor her if you shoot?
Why don't you feed her now and I will ask @tiffmaxee to advice on what to shoot (full dose or a token).

 

With TR you can shoot the full dose if you have supplies and can monitor. I can’t stay with you today though.

You need to shoot something because of DKA history so at least a half dose.

 

Firstly, I got my maths wrong...110 @11.5 so I was checking a bit early. Yes I am following TR and can monitor (though she has now started resisting testing but hopefully more because she's hangry than hurting ears!).

Updating before posting! 185 @+12. Fed and about to shoot. THANKS AGAIN

 

Thanks to you both. She was back up to 185 at exactly +12h. How often do I need to check BG today?

I'm pretty sure her ears are hurting from my diligent testing, based on her reaction (she's now growling when I touch her ears)

 

Start with a +2. If lower than the amps get a +3. Add the tests to your title bar and if you need help add the ? prefix. Remove it now since we answered you. Thanks.

 

Can I give her ear a break until later, say +9? Or other recommendations gratefully received.

 

With that +2, you can put away the test kit for a while. Looks like a bounce.

 

Hi Liz, My first time visiting Minnie. She is so pretty! Looks like you both have had an exciting couple of days. Hope she keeps visiting the beach! Have a lovely day, Liz.

 

Boing.

 

Hi Katherine, nice to 'meet' you and thank you! This picture is when her ears were still untouched by my clumsy lancing. I'm just back from buying her some Ledum 30C. Having a diabetic cat is like starting a new hobby! We're still new but yes, lots of excitement to see blues and I'm relieved FINALLY getting out of red/black though she is not impressed with even more ear poking and is serenading me with a her throaty growls.

I just visited your spreadsheet, so tidy! And I am going to steal your idea of hyperlinking the dates to the posts. Genius. Hope you had a good day too.

 

My little Ruby's ears were scarred and scabby when I first started testing her because I didn't know what I was doing. Go back to some of my posts in October 2020 and they will mostly be about me crying over not getting the technique down. Minnie's ears will heal and you both will be pros at the whole poking thing soon enough.

The hyperlinking is really helpful as I do use this forum as a kind of daily chronicle of what is going on with Ruby. It also helps me to go back to old posts to see just how far she and I have come on this journey.

Have a great night!

 

Advice please. Got 40 at PMPS though she seems completely normal. I panicked and only read the stickys on this situation after I gave her a can of FF gravy lovers. She won't let me near her ear to get a repeat reading. Thanks!

 

Do not shoot. Can you confirm you fed just now?

 

You will want to test in about 20 mins from last test. The food takes about 20-30 mins. That is quite a bit of food. Did she eat it all?

 

Confirm just fed. She was starving, scarfed the whole lot and then went round to finish her brother's.

 

@tiffmaxee @Bandit's Mom @Wendy&Neko I cannot stay, I am up for work at 3am tomorrow. Are one of you around?

 

Ok, thanks for confirming. Are you on pet meter or human? And it looks like about 15 mins till next test?

 

Next time you get an odd reading, you immediately retest. It could be a bad strip.

ETA: Could you take out the AM numbers from your thread title please
What a lot of excitement for you in the last 24 hours!

 

Liz, I will stay until someone arrives that can stay fully ok?

 

She tried Bhooma. Kitty said no to a 2nd test.

 

Thanks Tanya. I just saw that.
With 2 DKAs, not shooting is not an option. Let me check with @tiffmaxee and @Wendy&Neko and see what is the best course of action. I will be around till one of them sees this. You can call it a night since you need to be up early

 

Ugh. Just retested 25min later and it's 273...I messed up, didn't I?

 

And thanks to all of you for jumping in so quickly, don't envy you a 3am start.

 

It's okay. I too didn't read your whole message after seeing that 40!

 

Liz, I’m going to leave you with Bhooma and she will help figure out what to do...

It’s ok Liz, good job on posting!

 

Retest with a new poke or the same drop of blood? (assuming there's enough for that)

 

Thanks! This is the most wonderful safety net. Sleep well.

 

No such thing as "messing up"....no matter what you do, you learn something!

I highly suspect the 40 was a wonky strip so if you ever get a test number that just doesn't seem right compared to what you're used to, it's best to re-test immediately.

 

And since I messed things up with the FF I guess I'm going to need to know

• can I feed her more? I have more FF or can return to the 2-8% collection.
  
• when next to test and how frequently after that
• when/how much to shoot

None urgent...except maybe the food. She wants more.

 

Same drop of blood is fine. I think she has eaten enough for now?

 

She seems to want more...went back to the empty bowl to try and lick the pattern off it.

 

I would say bad strip and shoot the whole dose, but let's wait to see what @tiffmaxee says.

You would have to be up and test her to see what her numbers are like after the HC wears off in a couple of hours.

 

As long as you have plenty of supplies (strips, HC food, Karo/honey/syrup) and can test as long as might be necessary tonight, I'd shoot the 4.25 dose.

Get a test at +2

 

Liz, are you there? How is Minnie looking? Still hungry?

 

I'm here! Was replying to @tiffmaxee who'd replied on 2/26 thread.

Minnie is sleeping, looking fine. About 10min ago was sitting like a loaf (new term to me, was googling earlier. Not sure if a bread loaf/happy or meatloaf/poorly though) but now curled up. No longer hungry.

@tiffmaxee
Understand the 40 likely a wonky strip but don't understand "I think you should shoot I. 2 hours but you can’t feed her until then"

I tested at +12, got 40 and panicked so fed her can of FF gravy lover immediately. Re-tested @+20m, got 273. It is now+13 (45min since last test with 273) and 10:30pm here. Do I give her the 4.25 now?

I think yes shoot now based on @Chris&China message above? Should I test again now before shooting and again at +2?

(I'm being so needy! and Minnie is cool as a snoozing cucumber) thanks

 

Yes, can you test again please?

 

I just shot then tested. 619, the HC an hour ago certainly kicked in! It's a bit of a blur to me but I think I have it right on the s/s now and here:

40 @+12 (likely wonky strip)
FF @+12 + <5min
273 @+12 +20min
619 and shot Lev 4.25u @+13.25

 

So much for getting back on schedule with the shots!

 

But I can give them breakfast at normal time and still have plenty of time before the shot? Breakfast would normally be 730ish and tomorrow's AM shot will be 10:30.

I'm guessing our data for the next couple of days will be a bit wonky while we get back to schedule.

PS I love Bandit's photo, looks like she's coming straight at the camera with something important to say!

 

That was some rollercoaster today, a lot of stress i imagine... you are doing a great job though, i know exactly the feeling of panic and need for some advice before taking action

I’m so sad to hear that you are struggling with the poking, we have just finally switch from having to hold him in 2 people and measure (specially before the shot since he was soooo hungry) to him coming and lying on the table next to the microwave as soon as he hears us warming up the rice sock to measure. To be honest, now he comes and lies down no matter what we heat up in the microwave )))

what helped a lot was pretending to be very blissful no matter how stressed we were during measuring, definitely the rice sock was a huge helper and regularly giving him a treat after measuring. It took abt a month of faking it until we made it

i am sure it will get better for Minnie with time as well. always remind yourself that it doesn’t hurt her, it should give you some peace of mind. Just to avoid bruises press on the poking place for a few seconds after measuring.

good luck in the PM cycle

 

If you shot at 10:30pm tonight, you can shoot at 10:15 am tomorrow morning (15 mins ahead every cycle). And yes, you can feed her at 07:30 am. No food after 8-8:15am.

Thank you. It's actually very hard to get her to look into the camera. Just got lucky this time!

 

Sorry I missed all the excitement.
Wow she sure bounced high with that +13 610. Maybe the +12 was 40 and she bounced.

 

I think it would be worth while you getting a +10 or +11 so you can get a heads up if Minnie is going to be lower at preshot. That will give you time to ask for help and work out what you are going to do. And we can also see if she is on the way up or on the way down at preshot.
If the BG is low at +10 you could give some food to hopefully bring the BG up for preshot. But +11 is too late to do that.
If she was starving, that 40 could have been a true reading.

 

I think you're right about the 40...just got 138 @+2! Fed her a bit more 8% carb. Gonna be a long night... Ok to test in 2h or should I do it in 1h?

Yes will do a +10 or +11, looking like that's her nadir based on yesterday...and now I look back, the few earlier days I took a reading at that time. I wasn't really paying attention to the numbers back then, was too busy worrying about all the red and black!

Cheers

 

It is indeed going to be a long night. Test in an hour? That is some drop! If she's dropping low, better to catch it early.

Do you have honey/HC?

 

Will test in an hour..got the Ledum this afternoon and put that on her ears, hoping it will help as she's getting cranky.

I have HC and karo syrup and honey but she still seems hungry, will feed her more.

 

Poor Minnie. It's going to be a night of pokes!

Is there a reason you use AT and not a human meter?

 

Yes, she's still hungry. Tucking in and cleaning her plate.

It takes the smallest blood sample and so far has the easiest strips with the little wicks on the sides but the Freestyle Lite is on its way! I usually only get the tiniest drops of blood from her and I've tried all the tricks mentioned. I've been waiting for it to get easier as everyone says, but if anything its getting more difficult.

I could open up a glucometer store - also have Relion Prime, TrueMetrix and now the Novamax plus Petmate strips for the AR.

 

She was still hungry, gave her more food and she's still eating. Very perky after her FF sugar coma!

 

Let's see what the night has in store for us!

 

Liz, what %MC and HC do you have?
https://catinfo.org/chart/index.php

 

Back up to 595...

 

Can you remind me the % ranges for MC vs HC?

 

OK. Get a nap and test later in the cycle? +6?

 

Not sure I have MC...I still have some DM Selects just over 10%, then a 15% and several 25%. I already had some other cans which aren't on the list (Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin & Stomach plus a few other brands)

 

Below 10% is LC
MC is 10-15%
HC is above 15%

 

Will try! Fortunately the last poke gave me a nice blob of blood first time. Thank you.

 

Those numbers are really strange. Are you retesting when you get an odd number you are not expecting.
I would retest in an hour I think incase the 595 isn’t correct. BG numbers don’t jump around like that.

 

Will do. I was surprised at the jump up and down but I don't know what's normal. At the moment I don't even know what's an odd number for her. I don't know what to expect, to be honest, because from the time she was diagnosed back in April she's only ever had numbers >200, usually higher.

It was a new container of strips yesterday with a different code, so I just belatedly double-checked the strips with the control solution - all ok though.

 

Numbers can go up or go down but not usually down, up, down that much. They might go up and down a little bit but not hundreds of points an hour.
Next time you get a number you are not expecting, test again.

 

Understood. Which of today's/tonight's numbers would you think are expected vs not based on her s/s? Thank you!

 

Looks like the high numbers are right and the low ones spurious? I tried to get a 2nd reading with the Petsure strip but didn't have enough blood and I wasn't going to poke again. When should I next test her?

 

The question is do we trust the high numbers. If so you could leave it several hours but there is that doubt in the back of my mind so I would test in 2 hours just to make sure.

 

Do you think you could try a human meter for a few days and see if the readings are less erratic? We are poking more rather than less with the pet meter!

 

Still high.

 

As soon as the Freestyle Lite arrives I can transition to that and I can also try the Nuvomax which came with 10 glucose strips in the kit (but would still have to wait for more strips). I really don't think I can reliably get enough blood for the other 2 meters I have (Relion and TrueMetrix) though I can double test with them the times I get big enough droplets. Is it worth doing that for intermittent readings from a human meter before the Freestyle Lite arrives??

(sorry late reply, went straight back to sleep after last test!)

 

Glad you managed to get at least some sleep!

And no, do not bother with getting reading on two meters. I meant, switch completely to a human meter for a few days and see how that works. We've seen instances of there being as much 200 point differences between the human and pet meter at higher numbers. Btw, are you using AT strips with the AT meter?

Our dosing methods are written with human meters in mind and the strips are cheaper! More than anything, I wonder about the wild swings in numbers you are seeing.

 

Thanks for sticking with me! I dozed off again after the morning test.

Yes, I am using AT strips with the AT meter. I did buy some Petsure strips to try out which were a fraction of the price, have taken extra readings with them when I've had enough blood, just included them in the same cell. Mostly they have been pretty close to the AT but still more difficult with small blood droplets because of where the blood goes on the strip.

I think yesterday was the first day with the wild swings, which was day 2 of a new batch of AT strips, first day without any DM Selects 10%, day 3 of a new dose and day after her first day in blues when we had to stall PM shot. Lots of variables! I'm curious what the day will bring (possibly another nap).

Signing off for yesterday and starting the 2/28 thread! Thanks so much again for all your help and support.