Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Tucker's New Diabetes Strategy

Trying to manage diabetes can be frustrating. Recently, Tucker has been alternating high and low numbers in the mornings. One day, he will start at about 20, and the next, he will be in the single digits. While the latter is good, I don’t feel that going up and down at the same time on different days is beneficial for him. I understand that his condition is one noted for its unpredictability, but it plays havoc with any kind of plan one may be trying to evolve for its control. 

I consulted with the roly poly’s doctor, and we bandied about various ideas, such as eliminating one of his insulin doses (he receives one in the morning and one in the evening), but none felt right. I suggested lowering both his daily doses to two units. Right now, he receives four in the morning and three at night. Cutting one by half and the other by a third may seem drastic, but my thinking is thus.

Right now, I am less concerned with obtaining for Tucker numbers below ten than I am with fixing a consistent pattern. I may be wrong but I think that only if we can see a stable and consistent curve can we then work to reduce the amount of insulin he is given. If a road is full of bumps and holes, it’s difficult to determine the amount of gravel one needs as a foundation for paving. I suspect that with two units given both morning and evening, Tucker’s numbers will neither be very high nor very low, but in the mid-range, and then sink upon receiving a shot of insulin. I thought two units would be enough to lower his blood-sugar if it were too high but not enough to put him in danger if it started out low.

For the next little while, I will read his blood-numbers before each morning injection, and then perform another curve in a couple or three weeks. This morning, his reading was 14.8, higher than his recent spate of low numbers (due to receiving only two units of medicine last night). His normal four units would have been out of the question with such a number.

I am combining his insulin with low-carbohydrate foods, so I hope the new regimen will stabilize this sausage of a cat and allow us to plan for a long-term solution.

8 comments:

  1. Tucker is very lucky to have you in his corner....

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  2. cat father; ewe see what yur dad called ewe dont cha....SAUSAGE.....due knot take that lion down buddy ~~~~ ☺☺♥♥ { N we hope thiz new a proach werkz

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  3. We'll echo Jeanne, Tucker is very lucky indeed. Not many would be willing to take this on--not the "average" person with a pet, IMO, particularly for a cat. We hope your new strategy stabilizes Tucker's readings and that you then can move forward. Purrs to him!

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  4. I agree with you. Fluctuating levels likely make poor Tucker feel a bit unwell. I do hope you able to find some way to help the number stabilize. I know Tucker is in good hands with you.

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  5. You're doing such a great job with Tucker. He is one lucky cat to have you caring for him. My Jeremy was diabetic, and I would have to test his blood sugar just before I gave him insulin. The amount of insulin he received depended on what his blood sugar was. It would vary from no insulin to 4 units. He was also on a diabetic cat food - Purina DM. But that said, diabetes is so hard to control. Hopefully Tucker will stabilize soon. Please keep us posted.

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  6. Thank you for this loving care of your Roly Poly.

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  7. He's so lucky, that he has responsible and protective human! I had a diabetic cat, I had to check the sugar level in blood each morning and give an insuline injection. It was good, that he was alone at home very rarely, sometimes when sugar was extremely high he had to get insuline very fast.

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  8. I hope you are able to find a strategy that works for him

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