Low blood sugar Alert!!

This morning my Kitty's glucose reading was 5.8......normal.   As per online information, I did give her the usual morning dose of insulin anyway - 2 units of glargine.

Just before her "lunch" -  I tested her blood glucose again, since I had my blood draw technique a little more refined - and I wanted to make sure 2 units wasn't too much for her.




My Diabetic Kitty relaxing in front of the fireplace


It's lower than what I would like at 2.7mmol/L.

She didn't have any symptoms of hypoglycemia, however.  

I gave her usual 35 grams of chicken and at one hour post lunch,  repeated her glucose level - 4.1mmol/L.   Two hours post lunch, her blood sugar was back to 5.8,  better but slightly lower than what I like to see for a cat on insulin.

I may have to reduce her insulin to 1.5 units bid (twice daily).

Apparently, according to research done,  it doesn't work to go to a sliding scale, since the best insulin to use is long acting and best given as a bid dosage - 12 hours apart.  



Human grade chicken, free range and
hormone and antibiotics free
I use the 100% chicken breast-
no veggies added



I had used sliding scale on my last diabetic cat and found first hand that it didn't work - and that was using a short acting insulin.     Mind you, I believe the diet I was giving my poor cat at that time was not conducive to stable blood sugars.

 Back then, only 15 years ago, a diabetic feline diet didn't mean giving a high protein diet, as researchers now recommend.

It also is advised not to withhold insulin dosage due to low blood sugars.   This makes sense, since with the long acting insulin - if you withhold it - you would end up with a high blood glucose  hours later after a meal or two.  


The object is to keep the blood glucose at an even level throughout the day in a normal as range possible - and this is accomplished by giving bid insulin at a level just right for the cat.

Finding that stable dosage is what may take a little tweaking. 

I probably should have increased the dosage by .5 unit instead of one whole unit - hindsight is 100%, but I had felt that since one unit overall decreased Kitty's glucose level by only (on average) 5 mmol/L - it wouldn't hurt to add on another whole unit.

I know better now.  Since then I have found supporting evidence that recommends .5 increments.



Kitty with our other cat



Two good things I have noticed with the change of diet -  her coat is much shinier and healthier looking, and her problem with dandruff has almost disappeared.    It could be that the grains that are added to almost all cat food was causing an allergic reaction in her system.

I also believe she is vomiting less.

I wish I would have done research on cat food a lot sooner.   Incredibly, very few cat foods are available out there that don't put grains and veggies or fruit in them.

If my Kitty weren't such a lazy cat, and got out there and caught some mice, she probably would be healthier!

As it is, she is afraid to step off the doorstep...... even when the door is open.