New again and struggling. Need help with dosing

Linda and Newman

Linda and Newman

Active Member
Treated my diabetic cat Unkie (GA) in 2003, but details are fuzzy in my memory. I did use the FDMB. The board has grown so much and I may have not chosen the best forum to post, when I selected Feline Health. My threads are *Old Newbie needing dosing help* and How about Starting Over* As I continued to read on the board I think this forum is where I need to be posting. I am following the advice I got and staying with the 2.25 units. I wonder if I should be doing more?

Newman was dx in Nov. 2021. I purchased the AlphaTrak2 meter from the vet and he prescribed Vetsulin 3 units bid, and testing once per day. I started with 1 unit and worked up to one for two 3 unit doses. By Feb. 2022, I thought we weren't making progress and from a friend's advice asked him to change us to Prozinc, for it's gentler nature. The vet has not been very helpful.

I started Newman's Spreadsheet, a few days ago, filling in the history from the start of the switch to ProZinc. It is a great resource and with that visual, it looks to me like I'm not doing something right!

This morning with his BG 175. If I read it correctly one option was to go ahead and feed as usual and test in about 2 hours. I am now just shy 30 minutes for that 2 hour mark. Had similar situation 2 days ago.

I guess I'm asking if those familiar with PZI can look at the spreadsheet and maybe the earlier posts I referenced. What do you think and how do I proceed?

I would be very grateful.
 
Last edited:
The usual recommendation when you have a pre shot number that is lower than you are used to is that you do not feed, but wait 30 minutes and retest to see if the BG is rising or falling.
 
If you did not shoot at all this morning and it’s two hours past shot time then that’s really going to impact the 12 hour cycles since insulin should be given every 12 hours when possible- give or take 30 minutes a day. But it’s not your fault as you are new and being extra cautious— and you should be able to get back on track.
 
Last edited:
I don’t think you are doing anything wrong. I think you need to hold this 2.25 dose for a week and then do a curve.

My recommendation with an AMPS of 175 (after stalling not feeding and retesting in 30 minutes). would have been to shoot the 2.25 dose as long as you were going to be around to test and monitor and have supplies available like karo and medium and high carb foods.

Is there a particular reason why you are using an alpha trak meter? Vet? It makes it more difficult to advise since all of our protocols are written with human meter numbers. The test strips for human meters are much less expensive.
 
Stalling would have been better, but I chose the option to feed and wait two hours and test again.

I am using the AlphaTrak as that was what my vet stocks and there was no option given. I used the OneTouch for Unkie and the AlphaTrak is very similar. Once I made the investment, I thought I would stay with it at least until we get Newman regulated.

Thanks, Suzanne, for your input.
 
At this point (since it’s 2 hours past shot time) I would just skip the morning shot entirely and shoot in the pm. What do you think?
 
P. S. Your Newman is absolutely gorgeous and has such a sweet face! Just thought I would add that. I think you are doing a great job getting up to speed with things. I also appreciate how you are reading the material on the Board and making decisions based on that. You would be surprised how many people don’t read the information here.
 
Sorry… one more thing… I can’t tell from the spreadsheet at the moment, but if you did shoot the 2.25 units 2 hours late then please indicate that on your spreadsheet by putting +14. You can put 453 @ +14 under the AMPS column and then manually color code the background color of that box to red. You could add a note under the comments about how you fed/stalled shot, etc.
 
Does that look right to you? And how do I make it red?
Don't be sorry, I need the help to get it right. I'm older and my tech skills.........well. lol

For instance I just scrolled up the page and see that I hadn't read the earlier comments that you had added. I'll do better. And thanks for the encouragement.

I just figured out how to color!

Oh, and I was lucky to get Newman. He was a stray kitten that had been brought to my vet. I was there at the right time and I adopted him. He's goofy and of course, I love him dearly.
 
Last edited:
And you also figured out how to get all the text into that one cell! See... you can do it. I was just sitting down to the computer to tell you how to color the cells. That's the "fill color" (background color)... sometimes when you start getting numbers in the blues and greens you may need to change the text color (which is the box up at the top that is immediately to the left of the "fill color" icon.) Good job.

How's he doing today so far? For tonight's shot, you can shoot him at 11.5 hours and then you can keep doing 11.5 hours until you get back to your regular shot time. Shot times can be adjusted as much as thirty minutes per day without messing things up too much... so it can be 30 minutes all at once or 15 minutes in the a.m. and 15 in the p.m. Of course, sometimes things can't be helped, like this morning, but under normal circumstances our diabetic cats do much better with those regular 12 hour cycles.
 
I am planning to test and shoot him as you described, ahead by 30 minutes. He has had most of his evening Fancy Feast, but he tends to be a grazer. Am I correct in thinking that I am supposed to wait for 2 hours after eating to do that pre-shot test?
 
Sorry. I am just getting back on the Board. We suggest not feeding for two hours prior to the PMPS test so that we can be certain that the PMPS number is not influenced (i.e. falsely elevated) by the food.
 
I am in Southeast Florida so EST also. I shot this morning at 10 am so I am planning to test about 9:15 and shoot at 9:30. He would like to eat again right now but I will withhold. He normally grazes. I guess I have them spoiled.
 
Well, I was about to say that my brother lives in West Palm Beach (Lake Worth) it was an automatic reaction for me …. but my brother died in January 2019 from ALS. I almost sometimes forget that (I wish). But my sister-in-law and nephews and their wives and kids all live in that area still.
 
Since you got a +6 for him today and it was blue, would you be able to test tomorrow at say +4 for the a.m. cycle? If we can start to fill in more time slots on Newman’s spreadsheet, we can get a better idea of when he first starts to drop and when he nadirs, etc. And for tonight, will you be able to get a test in before bed or set an alarm and try to grab a test sometime this cycle?
 
I will be shooting at 9 am so I should be able to test at 1 pm (+4). I have a therapy appointment in the afternoon but the timing should be okay. I have lymphedema in my lower left leg and when it flares I go for specialized massage therapy to reduce the swelling. It requires 3 visits per week for a month. Results of those treatments last for 6-8 months with compression stocking. Just quickly, I have mobility issues due to arthritis and I have used a wheelchair for the past 5 years or so. Fortunately, I have been able to train Newman to come for preshots and insulin. He actually jumps up on my desk an sits patiently. I can usually get random testing, but if he is under the bed or some other place difficult to reach, I may be out of luck. There are treats and bribes involved. I have been a widow for nearly 15 years, but lucky for me I have my son and 22 year old grandson living with me so they do the heavy lifting! So, you will understand that I am ready and willing, but may not always be able. Thanks for your help. It definitely has reduced my stress level.

I'll be up for a little while, but not sure if I can get another test.
 
Last edited:
Linda and Newman said:
I will be shooting at 9 am so I should be able to test at 1 pm (+4). I have a therapy appointment in the afternoon but the timing should be okay. I have lymphedema in my lower left leg and when it flares I go for specialized massage therapy to reduce the swelling. It requires 3 visits per week for a month. Results of those treatments last for 6-8 months with compression stocking. Just quickly, I have mobility issues due to arthritis and I have used a wheelchair for the past 5 years or so. Fortunately, I have been able to train Newman to come for preshots and insulin. He actually jumps up on my desk an sits patiently. I can usually get random testing, but if he is under the bed or some other place difficult to reach, I may be out of luck. There are treats and bribes involved. I have been a widow for nearly 15 years, but lucky for me I have my son and 22 year old grandson living with me so they do the heavy lifting! So, you will understand that I am ready and willing, but may not always be able. Thanks for your help. It definitely has reduced my stress level.

I'll be up for a little while, but not sure if I can get another test.
Click to expand...
Wow. You are dealing with a lot. Your sweet kitty sounds amazing! What kind of treats do you lure him with? And you have another cat? What a blessing to have your son and grandson there! So far, you are off to a very good start with the sugar dance.
 
I had three cats, but Elsa crossed the bridge 1-1/2 years ago, congestive heart failure. I miss her, she was the best.

In addition to Newman, I have Ozzie also adopted from my vet as a kitten. He is a 12 year old tabby. He is nuts. Then there is Minnie. She looks like a little border collie and actually tries to herd the cats! I'm not sure how old she is as there are different estimates. Probably 12-15 years? Minnie follows me everywhere, usually walking under my chair! She thought that up on her own. :)

I have always had pets in my life, especially cats. I got Minnie when my late husband, Gary passed. Minnie made me more comfortable living alone. Mike and Walker did not move in until about 7 years ago. It just seemed to make sense.

I use Wellness treats and Pure Bites freeze dried chicken. About once a week, I give a few Temptations chicken flavor Hairball Control.
 
So now you have a dog and two cats. That’s nice. I like the sound of Minnie! What a character. She must be good company. And you had a diabetic cat before. How many years ago now?

I have a bunch of cats, no dogs, two kids and a husband. It’s enough. . We frequently have the house full of foster kittens as well.
 
It has been almost 20 years ago that I treated Unkie. He was still young when he passed. The vet suspected he had a pulmonary embolism.
 
Okay, I got it and posted. I try to poke the sweet spot, which produces the perfect tiny droplet, but sometimes I get a poke that bleeds much more. There's no problem stopping the bleed, but I must be in the vein. Does it make any difference? Newman only has one good ear, because the other one is quite crinkled from an old hematoma. The edge is gnarly and har
 
Just tested for PMPS at 8:30pm closer to usual schedule. The result is 238. This is when I want to reduce the dose from 2.25 units or stall again. What is your advice?
 
Using the spreadsheet, I look back to 3/25/22 where he was at 245 and I shot 2.5 and then getting numbers down to 84. Frankly, I am just too tired to stay up very late tonight to do testing. I have not been getting enough sleep.
 
I am going to see if he will eat more of his Fancy Feast. As I said, he is a grazer, so it takes a while for him to finish. I shot at 9:00 this morning so I have a little time, even though I was aiming for 8:30, tonight.
 
He is probably rising, but I would like to make sure. Can you leave food out for him tonight for him to eat if he starts dropping?
 
When the guideline says: Above 200 but below the cat's normal pre-shot value, a reduced dose might be wise. I don't know how much to reduce. I think at this point, maybe just a token dose? Maybe 1 unit?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top