First At Home BG Curve - Dosing Advice?

Diana & Martin

Diana & Martin

Member
Hi everybody, this is my first time posting here on the Prozinc forum but I've asked a couple questions over at main. Essentially, Martin was diagnosed with FD about 2 months ago after receiving two steroid shots for Asthma and bronchitis. He was put on Caninsulin (1.5 units initially and then 3 units a month later) until last week, when I took him to a new vet because his regular vet was on vacation, and the new vet immediately took him off Caninsulin and put him on 2 units of Prozinc. I started testing him last week – previous vet never told us about home testing – so I don't have a lot of data, but we did do his first at home curve yesterday. I was also advised on here to change his diet so we stated doing that today. We went for Lily's Kitchen pate and so far he loves it.

I was just wondering if based on his current numbers his dose should be adjusted now that he's going to be eating low carb food?
 
Hi there. If you are in the process of switching to a low carb diet then his BG numbers will likely go lower. I am uncomfortable with the 2 units dose and the switch to LC food at the same time. He’s already had green numbers on 2 units. He’s already hit blue today so please test a bit more to make sure you don’t need to intervene with food. In fact, you may want to give a low carb snack (just a spoonful) now and test at the next hour mark - or test now and decide what to feed then. If he’s going too low then feed the higher carb food then you have on hand.
 
He ate a tiny bit of his old dry food, I'd say less than 1/4 of his regular serving (weighted in grams for a 5kg cat) in the morning and one 85g can of the new low carb wet food about 2 hours ago. Lily's Kitchen website says that for his weight, he should eat 175g of wet food or 10g dry and 130g wet
 
I agree with what Shelley says above. I was going to bring that up. He already should have earned a reduced dose for the low number(s). I would reduce his dose to at least 1.5 units. What do you think, @Shelley & Jess ? Or would you recommend 1 unit and the food switch to gather data on how things are going with that dose? Does Martin have any history of ketones, by the way?
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
I agree with what Shelley says above. I was going to bring that up. He already should have earned a reduced dose for the low number(s). I would reduce his dose to at least 1.5 units. What do you think, @Shelley & Jess ? Or would you recommend 1 unit and the food switch to gather data on how things are going with that dose? Does Martin have any history of ketones, by the way?
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No history of ketones
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
I would reduce his dose to at least 1.5 units. What do you think, @Shelley & Jess ? Or would you recommend 1 unit and the food switch to gather data on how things are going with that dose?
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I was debating the same thing - between 1u & 1.5u. Depending how Diana goes about the food switch and how much she can test.

If completely removing all dry, I'd go down to 1u and give it a few days while the dry clears his system, see where he lands.

If he had dry for his breakfast/AMPS meal this morning - he started in Red, ate a portion of dry and still hit lower blue by +3. And good chance he probably went green sometime between +3 and +7.

I know it's a larger than normal reduction and with no history of ketones, to start, I'd err on the side of caution with the food switch. 1.0u
 
It's an hour later, gave him a little bit (~5g or less) of a sample of diabetic dry food that they gave me at the store this morning because I didn't have any low carb snacks on hand. Tested again, BG 146 (+8)
 
I agree again. How about reducing the dose to 1 unit and making the food switch and keep on gathering data with testing. Safety first.
 
Diana & Martin said:
It's an hour later, gave him a little bit (~5g or less) of a sample of diabetic dry food that they gave me at the store this morning because I didn't have any low carb snacks on hand. Tested again, BG 146 (+8)
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Diana & Martin said:
Ok, so with the dose reduction, should I feed only the new food tonight or mix in a little of the old dry food?
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Well if you feed some dry food mixed in the numbers will be higher - just so you won’t be too upset about that. As you cut back on the higher carb food, the BG will come down. You can take as much time as you think you need. Cat’s can get upset stomachs if food switches are made too quickly. How’s it been going so far? Or did you just start with the Lily’s Kitchen food today?
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
How’s it been going so far? Or did you just start with the Lily’s Kitchen food today?
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I just started today. So far I can tell that he's extremely hungry and trying to lick anything laying around the kitchen, but he only has 1/2 can left if I feed him according to the Lily's Kitchen website suggestion based on his weight. I hadn't seen him this hungry and active since before the FD diagnosis, so I'm a little shocked. I want to save the 1/2 can for shot time, which is 3 hours from now, but right now he's howling for food and I know I'm going to have to leave some more for him to graze throughout the night. If I don't he tries to get my attention by chewing on a plant that's by my side of the bed until I feed him, and then inevitably throws up!
 
Just don’t feed any food for two hours prior to his shot time. This is so that we can see an accurate BG reading that is not inflated by food and then you can know if it’s safe to give the insulin and how much.
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
Just don’t feed any food for two hours prior to his shot time. This is so that we can see an accurate BG reading that is not inflated by food and then you can know if it’s safe to give the insulin and how much.
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It's 1 hour before his shot time, so I just did a test. Shot up to 342
 
Diana & Martin said:
Yep exactly at +8. Gave him the diabetic dry food sample, I'm not sure what's the carb content. It's called Farmina Vet Life diabetic feline formula... smells exactly like fish food lol
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On that note, how do I read cat food labels? They list everything but the carb % I don't get it
 
Diana & Martin said:
On that note, how do I read cat food labels? They list everything but the carb % I don't get it
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Yes. You need to consult a list of food. You can’t go by the guaranteed analysis either. I’m trying to find out the carb percentage of that food now. I’m not familiar with it.
 
I did find a list of ingredients and it probably is pretty high carb with oats and spelt and other carb sources. Also, it gave him a pretty big food bump in BG today at +8
 
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Suzanne & Darcy said:
I did find a list of ing and it probably is pretty high carb with oats and spelt and other carb sources. Also, it gave him a pretty big food bump in BG today at +8
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I'm glad I didn't but it, we only got the Lily's Kitchen wet and so far he loves it so I think we're going to stick with that. I just gave him 1.5u after he ate the remaining 1/2 can and I'm thinking maybe I should leave some of that Farmina, which is still lower in carbs that the one I was giving him (37% or so, I think someone mentioned) for him to graze during the night since we just started switching his diet today?
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
I did find a list of ingredients and it probably is pretty high carb with oats and spelt and other carb sources. Also, it gave him a pretty big food bump in BG today at +8
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The corn gluten as the second ingredient stands out to me.

I've read it's somewhere between 26% & 30% carbs.

And I thought the same, sure looks like it put the brakes on duration.
 
Would you please put the number of units that you shot last night and tonight in the units column. And please get a few tests in tonight before bed. Also, it would really help if you write something in the comments section about the food transition- that he is still eating some of the dry food, etc. this is helpful info. Also, when you have completed the transition to all LC food, write that in there. Have you read the instructions on handling hypos and do you have Karo syrup or honey or maple syrup on hand? I do not expect super low numbers tonight (especially with the dry food) but I am just asking for future reference/preparation.
 
Diana - having said all of this… I just wanted to add that you are already doing the most important thing that you can do to help Martin and to keep him safe - that’s the home testing. I’m really proud of how you are reading and learning and of all the tests you have been able to get. Just learning how to do that is hard for a lot of people. Good work!
 
Thank you so much for saying that! It's been a little challenging although the fact that both my husband and I work from home and that I found this forum have made everything immensely easier. I get choked up every time I test him and see his poked little ears, but I try to tell myself that it's for his own good. Martin is my very first cat ever. I adopted him when I moved away for college and had just started dating my now-husband boyfriend. We were 18 and now we are 30 so I kinda feel like the three of us became adults together. This year I started becoming more aware of his aging - like having trouble jumping into taller furniture etc - and had a hard time becoming used to the idea that he'll not be here forever, and then came the diabetes and him losing weight and becoming lethargic so I've been a little emotional and at the same time so committed to get him to remission. So thanks for your kind words of encouragement, I really needed them!!
 
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