? Help! Need dosing advice. Time crunch!

Hey all!

Previous thread: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/help-sudden-poor-appetite.238583/

Candi had an episode while on antibiotics a couple of weeks back. Now shes back on track and eating well. She was previously on 1.5u bid before the episode and it kept her in the yellow. I have tested for the past couple of days and it looks like she is getting into the 300's again. Of course this is thanksgiving week and my vet is busy. I have emailed her the details on the curve she asked me to do but has yet to get back to me. I am wondering if I should go ahead and increase to 1.5u. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

Candi and Becca

 

I cant give dosing advice but am gad your little girl is feeling better

 

Thank you I'm very happy as well...but her number keeps goin up..

 

@Deb & Wink
@JanetNJ

You are using Vetsulin right?

 

Only the first year I did. On ProZinc now.

Time for a slight increase. Is do 1.25 but you need to consistently get soon mid cycle numbers 4-6 hours after the shot. Try to get a before bed reading too.

 

I wish I could during the day but its hard because I work unfortunately and my lunch schedule varies. I will increase tonight and get a reading in.

 

Yes, vetsulin

 

OK Ive tagged a couple of people to come help. It may be a while I think Deb comes on in the evening.

 

Okay...thanks!

 

When I am working I usually shoot at 5:30am, sometimes do a test at 7:30 before I leave, then 530 pm, and a 9:30 or 10:30 depending on how tired I am, then more day tests on weekends and days off. A before bed reading would be really helpful.

 

unfortunately I can work any where from 10 to 12 hours a day. But I will try to do better. Thank you.

 

All we can do is the best we can do.

 

10 to 12 hours a day, plus your commute back and forth to work must be very difficult for you. Managing a diabetic cat with a job and all of life's other responsibilities is tough.

With the steeper dives that Vetsulin has and the quicker onset, you do need to make sure that Candi is eating 20-30 minutes before her insulin shot. That is so that the food gets a chance to be digested, and counteracts the onset of the Vetsulin.

Smaller dose increases are a bit safer. We recommend 0.25U increases for most cats, but there are always exceptions. I don't see Candi as being on of those exceptions.

Working a full time job, you may find this thread from over in the Lantus forum to be of help. It's a different insulin than you are using and a different protocol, but the concepts of managing a diabetic cat with other responsibilities in your life could be helpful to you.
IS TIGHT REGULATION POSSIBLE WITH A FULL TIME JOB? YES!

Are you working nights? Erratic schedule? Never knowing when you may be home or not? Let us know, and we will try to come up with ideas for you. We are good at brainstorming.

 

I have read that. I have modeled her schedule after that post. Thank you!
So I am a full time pharmacy tech at a pharmacy that is not open to customers. Unfortunately, even tho there are no customers and we are strictly delivery it still has its challenges, very different from retail but stressful nonetheless. This covid mess is making it worse as it is for everyone. I do not work nights but I can work anywhere from 8am to 8pm or 9pm. I am exhausted and rarely get sleep to being with. Her diagnosis is my fault with ignorance and procrastination to change because I was always too busy to and didn't want to change her because she seemed happy. I have thought about changing to lantus or prozinc but I feel like I have wiggle room with the vetsulin now because I can be a little late or I can be early. I also feel she would benefit greatly if I could get her on lantus or prozinc instead of these hard dives +2 and +4. And since my schedule rotates. This week I'm 10am to around 7pm(closing). This rotates weekly and goes as follows:
Tuesday-Friday: 1st tech: 8am-5pm
2nd tech:9am-6pm
3rd tech:10a-7pm(closing) which could last beyond 7pm if busy.
Mondays- each tech comes in an hour early: 7-5, 8-6, 9-7 or closing.
Closing can go all the way to 9pm if were busy. No one is guaranteed to get off at their scheduled time. I am currently on the 3rd tech schedule and will go back to the 1st tech schedule next week. I dont feel like I'll have that room to play if I go to lantus/prozinc. Usually I spend my weekends moving her earlier or later for the following monday depending on my schedule.

Its crazy but I'm making it work somehow some way. I have my boyfriend but I feel he just wouldnt give the attention that I do or do it like I would. I just let him give the shots in the evening. Im just scared he might not feed her all the way or something. Any ideas would be appreciative.
Also I'm guessing since I dont have tick marks for the syringe for 0.25 I would have to eyeball it?

 

Gosh, that's an unforgiving schedule!
Just wanted to give you a hug!

With prozinc and lantus feeding isn't as important as with vetinsulin, and doesn't hit as hard.

What about the looooong lasting insulin? It might be more forgiving with the shoot time.

 

Actually in and out insulins like ProZinc are more flexible with shot times. It's one of the reasons I chose ProZinc.

 

I know. And more flexible than lantus. But still, spending every weekend moving the time. I'd get tired of that.

 

okay...I'll look into prozinc. The vetsulin is getting where it scares me getting her low. I'll not increase and keep the dose at 1u bid. I'll talk to the Dr about changing her to prozinc. Thanks guys.

 

Thank you!
Somedays it just plain stresses us both out I feel. But while it seems to be a lot, Candi and I only know the simpler times before her diagnosis. It is just life now. Sometimes I miss just waking up, taking a shower and heading to work, but then I realize I would miss her because she wouldnt be here and I keep chugging along. I'd rather miss sleep than miss her.

 

I remember working 12-18 hr days. It was brutal. I was lucky that DH worked close to home and could run up and check on Trouble.
We developed a schedule that worked most days. But On the days Troubles' numbers didnt cooperate? it was extremely stressful.
I, like you, wouldnt trade those days for anything.
j

 

You're so right.
So totally right.
I miss my sleep, waking up when I feel like it, being able to just visit friends, get a whole night's sleep, being up till 5pm. I miss my messy life. But I can't live without her, not when it's not her time. And frankly... I FEEL better, with the structure and routines the diabetes came with.
I'm joking that this is preparing me to have a baby
But you're so right, rather miss anything else than her.

 

Sounds like he lived up to his name

I can't even imagine your work schedules. By law, we can only work 8 hours a day, and that requires a 12 hour off period.
Medical workers and so on of course has longer days. But anyone else, above 8 hours it's double pay..or more depending on the day and time. So your circumstances is so unimaginable to me

 

Actually if you read my signature ..."Trouble was anything but"

 

Yes it's crazy. We get overtime pay which I need but I dont need missed doses and inconsistency. I constantly struggle daily with making more money to afford her meds and/or staying consistent with her meds...but I'll never give up as long as shes here. I'm sure I'm not the only one struggling.

 

Becca, I still don't know how you do all that you are doing for Candi with your constantly shifting work schedule.
Kudos to you, for all you are doing for her.
I don't think you could try any harder than you are doing.

You must be exhausted most of the time.

I used to work 2 jobs, 70-80 hours, 6 days a week , but it's been a LONG, LONG time since I did that.
It's easier when you are younger, to work long hours I think. More stamina when you are younger.

But on the other hand, if you don't take care of yourself, who would take care of Candi?
So please, be good to yourself. Do whatever you need to do to relax and get some mental balance. Take a walk, just sit and close your eyes for a few minutes, a few minutes of yoga or cook yourself a special treat. Or better yet, have your boyfriend cook for you!

One way to save some money on treating feline diabetes, is to use a human meter instead of the pet meter, the Alphatrak that your SS says you are using. The price of the test strips for the Alphatrak are outrageous. Many people here like the Walmart line of meters, like the Relion Prime. It's <$20 for the meter and test strips are a fraction of the cost of the pet meter strips.

Many vets do talk their clients into using the pet meters, but explain that the cost for you is prohibitive.
Also, if you do your own curves at home, instead of at the vet clinic, that can save you a LOT of money.
Another idea is to use the Friskies pate style foods. They are a little bit higher in carbs than the Fancy Feast, but they are still <10% carbs and good for a diabetic cat.

Any sort of additional notes you could make in your SS, about your crazy work schedule and life are helpful to see. We can't remember everything, so seeing notes in the Remarks column would be really helpful.

Prozinc has more flexibility in dosing also, and you don't have to feed Candi 20-30 minutes before you give her the insulin shot. That could help you with your time constraints.

Take care of yourself Becca.

 

Thank you so much! Everything is different these days. I try to take care of myself when I can. He tries to do somethings for me but most I feel I just need to do.
I do my own curves and I'm scared the vet won't be able to help because they're not familiar of the human meter numbers.

If I can get her regulated and get her into remission I will feel much better in using a human meter. I just am using several sources of help right now, you guys, the FDMB group on facebook and my vet. I feel right now I need all the help I can get. I also feel the new knowledge I learn scares me more than informs me and thats mostly my human fault. So I try to be extra careful when doing things.

I know I need to get her regulated soon. I think prozinc is my best shot. I think I will hold of on increasing and talk to my vet monday about switching to prozinc. When we were on 1.5u vetsulin I noticed it really started hitting hard and fast whereas if she was at 300 I wasn't worried as much at 1u. At 1.5u preshot she would be around 300 and around +2 and +3 she was already down in the 90's(via SS) and her nadir peaks around +5. So I just don't feel comfortable doing that right now during the holidays. I'm getting a lot of feed back from the facebook group on where to buy prozinc and costs.

When Candi was first diagnosed she mentioned nothing about prozinc only lantus and vetsulin, so I'm thinking she may not like the idea of prozinc. So I'm assuming this is going to take some fenagling to get her to right a script and send it to the pharmacy I chose. I normaly assume the worse but hope for the best in most of my situations.

So fingers crossed and happy thanksgiving! I'm really thankful for yall and that I'm not alone in this as many are!

Candi and Becca

 

Keep asking questions Candi. It's how we all learned.