Newbie needing help

[jesse girl]

Re: Newbie needing help

In my opinion you are seeing some rebounding which is very common as the body tries to adapt to the new reality of injected insulin which is far different than its biological counterpart

It takes time for the body to settle in and accepting this new reality.

You could try some carby/sugary snacks at the lower points in the day to try to interrupt that dump of sugar by the body but ussually you have to do it before that low point as it maybe to late if you wait till its at th lowest number . Now this is just experimentation and seeing if you can interrupt that spike of sugar. I would give my Jesse a spoonful of honey to work with the strength of injected insulin with surprising results . I liked honey over food as there really wasnt digestion involved and the honeys sugar went quick into the blood stream .

It took better part of a year to get jesse in a stable routine and her last couple years I really did test her much at all as she was very stable

Jesse was challenging to regulate and when I looked at the vets eyes they were confused and not sure what to do except for the basics which is when I decided to take matters into my own hands and become an expert on my Jesses diabetes which I believe I accomplished with Jesses cooperation and help

The good thing is you are seeing some very good numbers and your pup is stable ,

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

As promised. Here is Max’s curve today from my spreadsheet, First row is time, second is BGs and third is mental/activity state:
Sunday
5:30
Unknown
Breakfast and Insulin
8:00
176
Resting
10:00
335
Resting
12:00
435
Resting
2:00
470
Resting
4:00
248
Animated - My fault from football
5:30
Unknown
Dinner and Insulin
6:00
Resting
447

I’m at a loss… This is at 7 units of Vetsulin. Updated units Wednesday evening.
Max is an 11 YO PWC diagnosed in early August and started on 3 units at that time.
Donna and Max the Corgi

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

Ironically, this has been the same pattern since diagnosed in early August and given 3 units. Works well for a few days, then doesn't...
Donna

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

One last reading for tonight: 244 at 7:30 tonight.

This monitoring is hard to do!

My husband is convinced I'm insane for following his curve, I'm convinced I need to do it for a pattern, of which I've not seen, or don't understand...

Donna

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: Newbie needing help

the 176 was it at fasting? or after food and insulin. means alot to know the fasting number before food. remember if is under 200 wait to inject until the bg is over 200.

i dont see any exercise. when did Max go for a walk?

good job both you and Max

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

Thanks for your help! The reality here is that I cannot get a before breakfast read… I’d love to, but it’s just not possible with the, shark type feeding frenzy, that occurs here in the morning. Keep in mind it’s not just Max here, I have a GSD as well and the routine is, they go out to pee, then straight to their crates for their breakfast, and it damn well better be fed promptly!!!! I would never be able to pin him down for a reading in the morning, sadly… As I feed exactly 12 hours apart (and for whatever reason the evening meal isn’t as much of a shark frenzy, I am able to get a reading before the meal, so I just have to hope the numbers would be the same in the morning as they were the night before, which are typically pretty high!
I’m also wondering how accurate the Alphatrack II really is? For instance, I fed him at 5:30 this morning, then read him at 9:00 and it said 60, although he looked and acted fine! I took it 45 minutes later and it was 292? Can it really go up more than 200 in less than an hour??? This has been his normal reaction to insulin of any dose… I just took it a few minutes ago (4:00 PM here) and it was almost 400.
I’m just so confused about his numbers and what, if anything they really mean??
We didn’t go for a walk yesterday as it rained and he won’t even go out to pee in the rain! He hates it! You can tell he was rescued from someplace other than NE… Resilient, he’s NOT! LOL
Donna and Max the Corgi

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: Newbie needing help

taking control of Max,s diabetes is just that control. try and find a way to get that fasting test in okay. your in control! maybe take him for a short walk alone. ince u have the routine down pat all will be better, honest

when u get a low number, test again!

we cant chase numbers . yes blood sugar gets irregular until Max is regulated. your aiming for under 250 for the better part of the day.

test after breakfast before you give insulin make sure hes over 200 before u inject.

he also needs to exercise lighly to bring down his blood sugar.

[jesse girl]

Re: Newbie needing help

I seen the big jump after a low number and at a much higher level .Classic rebounding and until you can curb the strength of insulin it may continue but time can reduce its affects and be less pronounced

You can do one of 3 things .
Reduce the dose and see if sugar balances out
A food change and or sugary or carby snack to balance things out
Just maintain what your doing and see if time will balance things out .

Most meters get fairly accurate at lower numbers so the 60 is more than likely close to being correct and in my opinion to low to be a normal maintenance level for the long term

Whether its 292 or 200 its a big dump of sugar


Its not that complicated and following the simple protocols will usually do the trick and most get to a regulated place and regulation can be different depending on the individual dog


You know insulin is working thats a good thing so really the hard part has been overcome Now it may take some fine tuning and time to get things working for the long haul . 6 months from now you ll wonder what all the fuss was about

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

Thanks for your response!

When I see a low number like that, I do give a cookie (Wellness Just Vegging) to try to bring it up!
Also, as I live in a rural area, Taking Max for a walk before testing isn't an option here. First off, as we live in a rural area, we live in Black Bear country. Second, there are no street lights.

We've actually had a bear in our yard several times despite our six foot stockade fence and there is no way in hell I'm walking down the road with Max in the dark...

Max will in fact run back in the house as did my previous rescued GSD, But Ace Lobo isn't afraid of no damn bear, and he's the one I worry about...

Donna and Max the Corgi

[jesse girl]

Re: Newbie needing help

eventually you would like to move from reactionary to a stable routine that is repeatable everyday and that will happen For example giving a cookie snack at the same time everyday . Consistency is regulations friend

Now once regulated and seeing more consistency there can be some flexibility to a routine as you understand your dogs patterns.

I am in a rural area but our dangers are coyotes and maybe a mountain lion .

Jesse once went nose to nose with a coyote and rattlesnake with no ill affects

She also had a huge owl size her up but to big for the owl but the dive bomb was surprising .

It was a very special time for me and jesse managing her diabetes it created a very tight bond between us and we made a great team .

Your doing a fine job and making progress

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

You are absolutely correct - He is sugar dumping two hours after injection! Two hours after injection this morning, he was 59. I gave him a cookie and took it an hour later and it was 134 and remained around there most of the day until before dinner where he was 291.
Cookies are our friend right now!
Donna and Max the corgi (can I get my collie now???)

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: Newbie needing help

you might want to add more food at breakfast and supper

or

start dropping the insulin back tonight one unit

test if you still get that low drop back one more unit.

keep giving cookie until the low stops

dont change food and insulin. just one at a time starting tonight okay?

[jesse girl]

Re: Newbie needing help

Its all about experimenting applying an application to a problem . As Mo said one thing at a time which you used the cookie

Like I said you have to catch it before the dump and appears you did

Now this may or may not be a long term solution but continuing just to see if its repeatable would be a good thing to figure out

My theory the action of insulin maybe a bit to strong for dogs . It maybe because of there metabolism or digestion or both . Rebounding is very common
The reason for it is to protect life so it is doing what its suppose to do . It may just do to good a job . This is why it is rare to see a dog have a low blood sugar event unless the dog is heavily overdosed or a medical condition affecting sugar production .

Great work . Its still possible you may have to back the dose down a bit if you cant get that low number up a bit

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

Had a scary day today… For whatever reason, my wifi wasn’t working this morning, so I had to go into the office and no one was here to monitor him… Hubby got out of work about 1:00 and took it then and it was 48. He gave him a cookie and took the dogs for a walk then re-took it and it was 246. I just got home from work and took it and it just said LO. I gave cookies. Hubby retested it 15 minutes later and its 426? How can that happen???? All the while, he’s acting fine??? I’m not trusting this meter at all…

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: Newbie needing help

its not the meter its the cookie raising his blood sugar because he,s dropping too low from the 60, now going lower. 48 is dangerously low. keep giving him the cookie when he goes low.

reduce Max,s insulin dose asap

if he starts to get wobbly or pass out rub some karo on his gums

if he still goes low take him to an emergency vet clinic