? 5/3 Fred PMPS (last night) 121, +5 84, +9 444, AMPS 499

[Purrberry]

So when Fred bounces after double digits, he doesn't mess around.

Maybe it's my fault. I was nervous about shooting 121, b/c I knew a bounce was breaking. But I know the mantra is "shoot low to stay low", and I steeled myself to do it. When I saw that 84 (which was at 2:15 AM), I panicked. I knew he wasn't near his nadir yet, and I a) worried about hypo, and b) wanted to slow the bounce. So I gave him about two Tbsp. of 17% dry food...Instinct Ultimate Protein, which was his old dry. Was up for another 2 hours watching him, but couldn't test. Left DH instructions to check on him at 6 AM when he got up. I woke up at that time anyway, and tested him...that was the 444.

Did I screw it up with the higher carb food?? I know 84 is normal and GOOD, but Fred can't handle them (yet) I should be thrilled to see a green, but instead, I feel dread, knowing what's to come.

Question...in SLGS protocol, I should have decreased with a reading under 90. I didn't this AM, b/c he needs the insulin through the bounce. Should I keep the dose?

Thank you! Hope everyone is well.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

If you pile on the carbs after nadir, you can shorten insulin duration. Jill told me the analogy of a car. If you have your foot off the gas, waiting for a car to slow to a stop sign, then tapping on the brake can cause the car to stop sooner than you want. Think of the insulin action building towards nadir, then it wears off (foot off the gas), adding carbs causes the insulin action to stop earlier. So you lose duration and the insulin effect of lowering the blood sugar. That's my long winded way of saying that you can overdue the carbs later in the cycle.

You do have to learn how carb sensitive Fred is too. Some cats need more carbs than other. Also dry food lasts longer in the system so you are going to see it's effects longer than if you had given high carb wet. High carb wet typically lasts a couple hours, and depending when in the cycle you give it, and how carb sensitive Fred is, it might be enough to get you over the low part of the cycle. For next time, I'd wait 15 minutes and test again. Then you'd have an idea if he's going up or down, and whether you needed higher carbs or if low or medium carbs might be enough. What was the reason you couldn't test again?

With SLGS as written, you do reduce if you see a number below 90. Over time, and as you gather data and know how he responds to food, if you find he doesn't hold the reduction, you may with to lower the reduction point a bit. There is no "shooting through the bounce" in SLGS, you reduce immediately.

 

[Purrberry]

If you pile on the carbs after nadir, you can shorten insulin duration

Yes, I do try to not give him anything after his nadir, which tends to be late (about +8/+9) and just before I give him dinner. So in this case, he was potential 3/4 hours before his nadir, which is why I really got worried about where he might go. My goal was to stop any more dramatic dropping before he hit his nadir, and then let things naturally rise from there. (and I knew he'd spike...it was only a question of when) He does tend to nadir/drop more quickly at night.

What was the reason you couldn't test again?

He went under and in the middle of a King size bed. I could not get to him. This is all also happening in the bedroom while desperately trying not to wake my husband! So I kept checking him with the phone flashlight...contorting for chin rubs, etc.

Fred is a really tough one to figure out. He seems less carb sensitive than just FOOD sensitive. I really saw this when I was away, as he ate less of everything...wet and dry. There was one cycle where he dropped over 500 points in one night because he ate less. It was unbelievable.

Also dry food lasts longer in the system so you are going to see its effects longer than if you had given high carb wet.

Unfortunately, there is not a commercial wet cat food I've ever been able to find that he will eat. He will only go for his raw. I didn't think a cat existed who could resist Fancy Feast until Fred.

I'll reduce for tonight's cycle then? Just for my own information, is 90 for both pet and human meters? (I use AT) I can likely live with nadirs under 90, as I know that's healing, but only if I have him to test!

Thanks again for always responding and for your help with my bouncy big gulper.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

The 90 is the same point reduction point for human or pet meters. And yes, reduce for tonight.

Have you ever tried the Honest Kitchen Freeze Dried Raw? I can't remember which, but one is high carb, the other is medium carb due to the potatoes inside. We had another member make her own "gravy" with meat juice and potato/rice flour and you can always add karo or honey/maple syrup to regular LC. It is harder to find something for our raw food eaters. Luckily Neko wasn't picky and I used the Weruva Cats in the Kitchen pouches. Real gravy made with wheat (FF) disagreed with her.

Not uncommon for cats to eat less when we are away. That's one of the reasons we usually suggest a petsitter reduced dose when people are away.

 

[Purrberry]

Have you ever tried the Honest Kitchen Freeze Dried Raw

Will definitely check it out...thanks!

 

[Wendy&Neko]

What I liked about it was that it was a powder, so you could make just a small amount at once. Check out the website, at one point you could order samples, the bag in the stores it too big to "try it".