3/24 - Dora - AMPS 70, +1 195

Dora the Explorer

Dora the Explorer

Member Since 2020
Last thread: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/3-10-dora-on-day-6-of-3-75units-checking-in.244463/

Wow, do I find this TR stressful! However, we still haven’t caught any numbers below or close to 50 on the Freestyle.

Dora runs a long curve with her lower numbers coming later, towards the time for her next shot. This morning she was at 71 when we woke up. I fed her but she had an hour to her shot so we retested just to see if she had gone up, but she’s at 70, an hour after eating her FF.

What to do? This corresponded to 110 on AlphaTrack so she’s in a good place. I don’t want to lose momentum but don’t want to overshoot either. She’s up to a shocking (to me) 4.25 units. Had she gone up in response to food I’d have been comfortable shooting but I’m concerned she has too much insulin onboard already.

Thanks! Hope all are well - we have been quiet for a bit. Work has been quite busy and I must resolve this dilemma so I can get back to it again!

Jane and D
 
If I understand correctly, you tested her @+10 (71), fed her @+11, and she has stayed flat @AMPS? There could be some food influence so I wonder how much lower she would've gone had you not fed her. Can you delay your shot time and start with getting another test in 30 minutes?

Just a thought. Maybe others will have different suggestions. But I personally am not comfortable telling you to shoot because of the food influence and Dora staying flat.
 
Butters & Lyla said:
If I understand correctly, you tested her @+10 (71), fed her @+11, and she has stayed flat @AMPS? There could be some food influence so I wonder how much lower she would've gone had you not fed her. Can you delay your shot time and start with getting another test in 30 minutes?

I personally would not be comfortable telling you to shoot because of the food influence and Dora staying flat.
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Yes that’s correct but it’s a mistake if it says +10, it was +11. Normally I’d feed her and give her her shot with more food 45 minutes later. Also, she ate again - she’s very hungry. Do I skip completely or give her a reduced dose? I can keep checking her. Similar to this has happened before and she skyrocketed after - but she’s never been on this high of a dose before. Thanks for answering!
 
Ok she’s at 55 now. Not sure if I did the reading right as I had to touch it twice to the blood drop but still not feeling comfortable about shooting.
 
Dora the Explorer said:
Yes that’s correct but it’s a mistake if it says +10, it was +11. Normally I’d feed her and give her her shot with more food 45 minutes later. Also, she ate again - she’s very hungry. Do I skip completely or give her a reduced dose? I can keep checking her. Similar to this has happened before and she skyrocketed after - but she’s never been on this high of a dose before. Thanks for answering!
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What's the reason for feeding within two hours before shot time? We usually try not to feed two hours before AMPS/PMPS so the number isn't food influenced. Some kitties need a snack and those with data (e.g., +1s) know how big of a food bump their kitty gets...I'm not experienced enough to say what to do in your case.

Any chance on testing/feeding/shooting all within 15 minutes and not feeding two hours before AMPS/PMPS? Just a thought.
 
Dora the Explorer said:
Ok she’s at 55 now. Not sure if I did the reading right as I had to touch it twice to the blood drop but still not feeling comfortable about shooting.
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With a dropping number and additional food influence, I can't counsel you to shoot anyhow. Maybe she will earn a reduction anyways. She is sooo close.
Any history of ketones? Do you test for them? I'd recommend checking for ketones today.

ETA: If you don't think you did the BG reading correctly, I would get another test just to be sure.
 
Thanks-I’m sad that she will probably go back up but I don’t want to risk hypo. We’ll test again in half an hour or so in case she goes up. It won’t be too late to get her back on track then.

I just can’t stall them that long in the morning but it wasn’t two hours before, it was 45 minutes. The 71 was at 6:45am, her shot is at 7:30 but used to be at 7, we fell behind and are working back up. So 71 was 6:45, food; rechecked at 7:30 just to be sure she was higher but she wasn’t. So that was 70. No more food and at 8:15 she’s 55.

No history of ketones. I check her periodically with the diastix. Even at high numbers she’s never had them.

Thanks!
Jane
 
@Bandit's Mom I see you started your cat out on Lantus but switched to Levemir. I am about to open my last Lantus pen before I need to go to a new prescription and a new vet, I'm not sure how this new vet will handle, the first one wrote five pens at once. When Dora was sick, the new vet said just to put him down on the rx form online and they'd contact him so presumably that will be a recheck with him every time? I don't know. But wondering at what point you thought about switching, and why. I don't like this constant need for increasing dosages, although now it's finally bringing her numbers down. (For now?)

Thanks! Slightly off the topic of this one thread.

Edit with one thing: new vet tech said they require a fructosamine test every six months. Dora has never had one. She needs to be sedated for blood work and they had her sedated but only did one in-house reading when she was sick and reading high (it was 375). So I'm worried about them holding the insulin hostage to this test, but I guess all I can do is put their name down and see if they approve it.
 
We tested and fed. She is still at 70. Very nervous as she’s not usually stayed flat this long after her shot time. When I’ve shot lower numbers it’s been after she’s been going back up. I think. Should we test again after she eats to be sure the food is giving her a boost?
 
To answer your question on the switch to Levemir, I switched because I hoped Bandit would flatten out on Levemir, but as you can see that hasn't happened. :banghead:

Does Dora react to the sting of Lantus? I know you're worried about taking her dose up continuously but some cats get to a dose that suddenly turns things around for them and they come back down the dosing ladder just as fast.

A fructosamine test is a waste of money for folks like us who home test and have a good idea of what numbers our kitties are in. I hope they won't hold you hostage to it! :mad:
 
Dora the Explorer said:
We tested and fed. She is still at 70. Very nervous as she’s not usually stayed flat this long after her shot time. When I’ve shot lower numbers it’s been after she’s been going back up. I think. Should we test again after she eats to be sure the food is giving her a boost?
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She is flat which is good. Even after the previous meal has worn off she is not dropping. Let's get a +1 and feed higher carbs if needed.

Do you have MC? What %?
 
I have FF gravy lovers and doc Elsey’s dry also raises her sugars. I’m scared but I’ll shoot her soon. She is now an hour and a half late but just ate Meal or No Deal.
 
Bandit's Mom said:
To answer your question on the switch to Levemir, I switched because I hoped Bandit would flatten out on Levemir, but as you can see that hasn't happened. :banghead:

Does Dora react to the sting of Lantus? I know you're worried about taking her dose up continuously but some cats get to a dose that suddenly turns things around for them and they come back down the dosing ladder just as fast.

A fructosamine test is a waste of money for folks like us who home test and have a good idea of what numbers our kitties are in. I hope they won't hold you hostage to it! :mad:
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She doesn’t react at all to the sting. I wish I’d been more aggressive earlier on and maybe we wouldn’t be up this high.

The vet himself seemed satisfied with the numbers I showed him - all in the 200s and 300s - so hopefully he won’t make her have fructosamine. I have no problem paying but I object to repeatedly drugging my cat for blood tests. She was trembling for two days from the sedative the last time. But she needed to be checked because she was sick and not eating then.
 
Ok done! I did get scared and go with a flat 4 units though. She went up to 140 on AlphaTrack-just did a quick read with that because that’s where I’ve mostly shot low numbers. Her shot was at 9:20ish so almost two hours late. If history repeats she should spike later today. Then I’ll go back to 4.25-thanks for the encouragement! Sorry I wimped on the full dose. I always fantasize that this is the time her own body kicks in and fixes itself
 
Bandit's Mom said:
Can you change the title to reflect her AMPS? Thanks.
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What should it say? There were so many numbers - I can’t get at the end from my phone so I’ll fix from the computer after I (finally) have a shower. Thank you again - I do panic but very much appreciate your guidance. I’d never have the nerve to make these decisions on my own. I need the help of a stranger clear across the world! lol
 
Sleeping...
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Dora the Explorer said:
So many rules! :D ok done. Well, almost.
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I know! I used to think that too. But believe me, it makes life easier for responding to queries.

Having title in a particular format helps one identify posts that need answering right away. You don't want someone clicking on posts that have been answered thereby delaying them from getting to posts that are waiting to be answered.

I hope that made sense :-)
 
Absolutely! I will get it. I just had so many readings before her shot, from the normal time until the real shot, that I wasn't sure what was what. She's still asleep :-) I wonder if we won't see the effect of this delayed shot, if there is to be an effect, until tomorrow. Time will tell.
 
Ugh. Im not sure I got the evening right. Shot 4 because she was still below 200 but tested at +1 and she was 55 and I freaked out and fed her some ff gravy lovers. Since the low numbers look nice but scare me, I tested 20 minutes later with AlphaTrack and she was 340! Does food work that quickly? Anyway she’s ok now. Will have to retest in two hours to see what happens when that food wears off. I have a meeting at 9am which is when her shot will be due tomorrow.
 
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