Spicoli and Novolin pt 1

Wesley and Spicoli

Wesley and Spicoli

Active Member
So we've had a better day today, but my vet wants to move up to 4u tonight. I'm hesitant because he's overall had 400pt+ drop for today.
I'm expecting a lower preshot value and if continues dropping like this even at this dose, we are asking for a hypo.

Dosing thoughts?
 
Not sure an increase in dose is a good idea, given the low mid-cycle blue numbers that Spicoli gave you today.

Get a +10 and/or a +11 if you can. To see what the duration of the insulin may be for Spicoli.
 
So duration is ending sometime before that +11 time. Between the +8 and the +11. The pred is going to keep him higher too.

Maybe do a +9 or +10 next cycle? Or next chance you get?

You're doing a vet externship, if my memory serves me well. So not sure when you are able to test next. Vary the times if you can.
 
pred edit- Yeah, and even though it was accidental that he got into it, we also use it to treat his asthma. We do 10 days of 5mg tabs SID. So it is something we have been dealing with on and off...
I'll do a correct curve tomorrow, or at least try my best. With finals and projects I tend to lose track of time. He is actually my final case study for my clinicals class.

Vet Tech, but yes :) luckily I don't start until the 28th of next month so I will have plenty of down time for ~ 3 weeks once finals are over to try to get him tightly regulated.

Thanks so much for all the advice so far!! I was good with ProZinc, but Novolin feels like an entirely different ballgame!
 
W.K. said:
I think he is bouncing a bit from the blues yesterday. That's a good question. Here's what I found. https://www2.jabsom.hawaii.edu/pili/curriculum/pic/PiC_Mtg02_Insulin_chart.pdf
So it looks like it might be slightly different than Novolin N and the reason for his fast drops.
Click to expand...
Interesting chart. Looking at his SS I was shocked to see the sharp drops in the first two hours so the fast acting 30 must be doing that. Maybe his body is reacting to those sharp drops. Any reason why the vet wants him on the 70/30 as opposed to just the regular N?
 
The 70/30 insulin has a faster acting component and a slower acting component. So cats can often get a better duration from that type of insulin than the straight NPH insulins.

Regular NPH insulins rarely last more than 6-8 hours. Great if you can do TID dosing, but most people's schedules and life responsibilities do not allow for that.

That insulin chart that W.K. linked to only shows the human duration, not that for pets. Cats have a faster metabolism, so the insulins do not last that long in their bodies.

So be sure to feed Spicoli at least 30 minutes before you give the 70/30 NPH insulin, so the food can start to be digested and get into the bloodstream before the fast acting component kicks into effect.
 
I only pulled and posted because it gave me a better understanding of the pharmacokinetic properties in general, by no means how they act in a cats body.
Certainly not trying to mislead anyone.

Deb & Wink said:
Great if you can do TID dosing
Click to expand...
I could right now, but it wouldn't last long. In a month I'll be struggling to get home before he's due for insulin on a BID schedule.

As for the feeding goes, that's getting tricky. Over 3 years he's been "trained" to get his shot while eating his dinner, and proves to be difficult otherwise. I mean so difficult that he has at times sent himself into a full on asthma attack.
 
W.K. said:
As for the feeding goes, that's getting tricky. Over 3 years he's been "trained" to get his shot while eating his dinner, and proves to be difficult otherwise. I mean so difficult that he has at times sent himself into a full on asthma attack.
Click to expand...
Perhaps split the food into 2 smaller portions? Portion #1 of food after the pre-shot BG test but before the shot of insulin, with the 2nd portion of the food with the insulin?
 
I'm a gardener, big time gardener. Took me years to think of putting my rain gauge in a pot of soil, so I could move it around as needed. I can claim this was a "senior moment" but I don't know about you. ;)
 
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