Oscar and Zelda now have meter and test strips

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Zelda € Oscar

Zelda € Oscar

Member Since 2015
Thank you for all your help last evening learning that I'm not doing things right for my big Main Coon Oscar except for the food I'm feeding. On your advise I purchased the Relion meter and test strips. Now what do I do?

I'm a bit confused with all the information so if someone can please start me off - on when to feed. When to test, what levels am I looking for, (I found the site for how to test on UTube. ) But I'm still unsure of the steps. Right now I'm giving him vetsulin -13 m once a day and feed Fancy feast classic one can in the morning one can in evening.

Oscar is always hungry but a hundred times better than he was on dry DM food. I'm sorry to admit that he has not been tested lately because it got totally out of the question financially. I know my cat and he seems Ok but not sure how well he is test and insulin wise.
Oscar is about 10 years old? But he was a found Cat and our Vet thought he was a young Cat?
Thank you for all your help last eve. Will be watching for reply so I can get started.
 
Last edited:
Testing:
1) Always test before giving insulin to make sure it is safe.
For now, your no shot level is 200 mg/dL on a human glucometer (230 for pet-specific); this will lower as you collect data around the middle of the cycle to know how low he is going.
Test, feed, and shoot within about 15 minutes; if using NPH or Vetsulin/Caninsulin, wait 30 minutes after feeding to shoot.

2) Mid-cycle tests between shots - whenever possible, test around the nadir (lowest glucose level between shots) for your insulin, to see how low he's going. For Lantus, this often falls between +5 to +7 hours after the shot. Some folks do this on weekends or set a clock for the middle of the night to get this test done as it helps determine dose adjustments. This number should be at or above 50 mg/dL on a human glucometer (68 mg/dL for pet-specific).

3) A before bed test is helpful in determining if you need to break out some higher carb food and steer the glucose level or go to bed with some peace of mind. Steering means giving 1-2 teaspoons of high carb gravy, waiting 30 minutes, and re-testing (repeating as needed) to make sure the glucose stays above 50 mg/dL.

See my signature link Glucometer Notes for some feline-specific reference levels using various glucometers.
 
What other high carb can I feed if numbers are to low?
Gosh that sounds like a lot of ear sticking Oscar hates me touching his ears I'm afraid he will not be still for this, and since I'm quemish anyway where else do people test if the ears are not possible?
 
What most of us use for high carb food is Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers. If they drop below 50, you want to feed just the gravy part until they're above 50 again (testing every 20-30 minutes) for the first hour after the "low event" and then once more an hour after that (so you're testing for a total of 2 hours after the "low")

Usually we start with a teaspoon or 2 of the gravy. The reason we want to just feed the gravy (as much as possible anyway) is because if they DO drop back down again, we're going to want them to be hungry enough to eat again

It's messy, but what I do is pop the top and then press it back down onto the food and "squeeze" the gravy into another bowl
 
Thanks I see that all the time but was told to stay away , but now will get some to keep on hand.

I'm still confused with all the names of the different phases of the testing and worried abut the ears as test site! Oscar hates me touching his ears? So what do you do if you can't test the ears sure can't touch his feet. Really touchy but will let us vacuum him! What's weird he is a Cat--lol!
 
It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well

Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!

Here's a good video on testing too
 
Chris & China said:
It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well

Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!

Here's a good video on testing too
Click to expand...

Thank you for all the tips on testing, I have some challenges with time! Oscar eats early in the AM. I haven't had the chance to even try testing yet! Also he is so large I can't lift him so no good place, counter top or couch to contain him. For the last two days I have been trying to just rub his ears and he immediately moves away! Does not like his ears messed with. Paws are out too he has claws and if pushed will use them.

I want to get started so I'm trying to get the basics down , test, feed, shot. Okay got this. He is on 13 units of Vetsulin once a day. I have posted that Oscar is doing well per my observation. Would it be better to start over with the testing? When Oscar was diagnosed he had just eaten and the other times weekly or more, time and food was not observed by my Vet. Testing was not done like I have learned here. I don't know that Oscar is still in need of 13 units.

I thought Chicken as a treat would be a protein ?

Your help most appreciated sorry I'm so scattered!
 
That is OK, trust me your not alone in being scattered, I know I am a lot of the time. Yes I think cooked chicken would be great as long as it has no salt added. Other than that I can't think of anything else I mam sure others will add to this as well. Welcome to the family both of you
 
Yes, chicken is a protein, but that's what we want to be using as treats! We want to avoid carbs and increase protein!

You don't necessarily have to pick him up....put a rug or towel or something on the floor and take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then immediately he gets a treat. If he likes chicken, that's perfect!

The more he associates that spot with the treat, the less he's going to care what you're doing with his ears
 
Depending on how vigorously he resists, you find that kneeling with him in the V of your legs, plus possibly burrito wrapping him in a large towel, may help you restrain him in order to test. If you use lots of treats every time you prick or inject him, he'll become less resistant over time.
 
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