? OTJ Faq or guide?

Tinker's Mom

Tinker's Mom

Member Since 2017
Hi Friends! :cat:

Tinker and I haven't been on here in a long time. His BG is sooo stable and he has been doing great. For many months I was only been checking his BG a few times a week. But he has been slowly trending down on his dose. Anyway is there a FAQ on how to do an OTJ trial? I thought I remembered seeing something but I have searched and can't find it. The message board won't accept OTJ as a search term by itself :(

Thanks!

[My sheet isn't up to date. He is down to 0.6 u Basalgar but I am having to skip shots this past week because he's been in the 50s. Unfortunately he had an inflamed blood vessel in his right ear last year which formed a nasty scab and he really hates getting his BG checked lately. Also his ear has not been cooperating (not bleeding). He hates it when I check his left ear so I have resorted to paw sticks a few times. Need to figure that out because he tolerates it but hard to get blood. Want to reduce insulin with least amount of BG checks necessary. (Please don't judge me for this... they say Know Your Cat and I am really good at reading his body language and hunger cues)]
 
I think that is what I was looking for. I don't know what to do about his ear. After 3 years of having him tolerate it really well, his ear isn't cooperating and he's losing patience. Also when the scab came off it created a slight notch in the "sweet spot" so part of his ear is partly gone.
 
Forgot the link with testing tips! https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
My Ti-Mousse was a stray cat, he had one ear so frozen that all the edge was hard like rock; the other ear being frozen also had plenty of bits and pieces missing... but I found what he thought was ok (microwave a damp washcloth until warm; gently press on his ear; if sweet spots are not an option, you can try anywhere along the ear near the edge. Don't forget the treats after!
 
I’m sorry to rain on the parade ladies but the OTJ instructions should only be given out after the mods have had a chance to look at the cats SS to see if they are ready.
As Tinker is still on 0.6 Units of Basaglar, and we have no data to go on at all except that he has been in the 50s this week……he needs to reduce the dose and stay on insulin longer so that he has a strong remission. At the moment he sounds as if he is regulated and that is great but he has a way to go yet to try the OTJ trial.
Laura, if you want a strong remission I would reduce the dose to 0.25 U, restart the SS and test during every day and when he is in all greens for a week on that dose, reduce to 0.1 and then a drop. I would also post for guidance.
Having had a kitty that fell out of remission, I can tell you it is much harder to get them back in again…..I never managed it.
I would try another spot on his ear if there is an area inflamed. I used both sides of the outside of each ear when I was testing….not just the sweet spot. Alternatively you could try getting blood from the paw pad.
 
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Your signature doesn't say which dosing method you are following. If following TR, then the 50's as nadirs don't earn reductions. Tinker's a long term diabetic, so under TR would need to go under 40, or have a week in solid normal green numbers. Hard to say without a spreadsheet, but he doesn't sound ready for an OTJ trial.

Lyane posted the link to the Info Note I was going to give you in post #2.
 
I guess I used the wrong terminology... I'm not wanting to take him OTJ yet but trying to figure out what steps to take in the next few weeks so I can evaluate when he's ready. I will try to start updating his sheet again. And guess I have to dust off my calipers. I have been eyeballing it for a long time. I forgot that it was even possible to dose as low as 0.1 - I can't even get my brain around that. To me it seems like anything under 0.5 would be negligible! Also since I only test 2x per day I don't like to shoot him when he's under 60 it makes me nervous. I'll get his SS going again and hopefully I can get in the habit of posting again.

This is such great advice - all of it! - to get me back on track.
 
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