new accu-check proforma BG meter
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Bron and Sheba (GA)
Member Since 2015
No you don't have to calibrate the glucometer at all. Just document the reading on the SS as shown on the meter.
Some people use a Alpha Trak meter which is used specifically for cats but it is not necessary and it is not available in Australia anyway. The strips for the Alpha Trak are very expensive as well. Most of us use an ordinary human meter.
Some people use a Alpha Trak meter which is used specifically for cats but it is not necessary and it is not available in Australia anyway. The strips for the Alpha Trak are very expensive as well. Most of us use an ordinary human meter.
Critter Mom
Member Since 2014
Hi there.
You need to use a cat-appropriate blood glucose reference range with your human meter. FDMB uses 50 - 120mg/dL as the normal BG range for a non-diabetic cat. (Divide those numbers by 18 if you're using mmol/L to measure BG.)
Mogs
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You need to use a cat-appropriate blood glucose reference range with your human meter. FDMB uses 50 - 120mg/dL as the normal BG range for a non-diabetic cat. (Divide those numbers by 18 if you're using mmol/L to measure BG.)
Mogs
.
Bron and Sheba (GA)
Member Since 2015
What Mogs is saying is that a cat without diabetes normally has a BSL reading of between 2.8 mmol/l and 6.7 mmol/l. Until Max is regulated his BSL will probably run higher.
Do you have a hypo kit ready in case you need it? Put a small jar honey in it, some tins of medium carb and high carb food and some extra test strips in case you run out.
Very important! Most of us print off the following directions telling you what to do with low numbers/hypo and put it on the frig for future reference. If Max drops low you need to know what to do straight away, not have to go looking for information in what to do. Because you are testing the BSL you will know what his BSL is and be able to be in control. Here is the link to what to do if you get a hypo
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/
What insulin and dose is Max on?
Do you have a hypo kit ready in case you need it? Put a small jar honey in it, some tins of medium carb and high carb food and some extra test strips in case you run out.
Very important! Most of us print off the following directions telling you what to do with low numbers/hypo and put it on the frig for future reference. If Max drops low you need to know what to do straight away, not have to go looking for information in what to do. Because you are testing the BSL you will know what his BSL is and be able to be in control. Here is the link to what to do if you get a hypo
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/
What insulin and dose is Max on?
sutty1
Member Since 2016
Ok so I took a test 2 hrs after eating (my first time). It read 16.4 mmol/L. I am doing another one today and then reporting to vet. So the range for non-diabetic cat should be 2.8 - 6.7 mmol/L ?
I will print out that hypo info and have a kit ready. Thanks so much for the advice. Feel alone on this as I am the only one at home when testing and injecting.
I have changed Max to 2 cans of Fancy feast twice a day. He was eating dry food up until the diagnosis.He prefers the wet food so thats helpful.
Max is on 2 units Lantus twice a day. I am trying not to over think it. I am only taking BG 2 hrs after food and reporting to the vet first time today. I started the insulin on Wednesday. His behaviour hasn't changed post insulin so thats good. He is a bigger cat weighs 6.38 and thats with recent weight loss.
I will print out that hypo info and have a kit ready. Thanks so much for the advice. Feel alone on this as I am the only one at home when testing and injecting.
I have changed Max to 2 cans of Fancy feast twice a day. He was eating dry food up until the diagnosis.He prefers the wet food so thats helpful.
Bron and Sheba (GA)
Member Since 2015
We use the range 2.8 to 6.7 mmol/l here on FDMB because we are testing the blood sugar. Most vets like to run higher than that because most people do not test so have no idea what is happening. My vet for example thinks 5 to 7 is a good number and low enough but he understands I am testing. So your vet could well say it is too low.
I would strongly advise you to test BEFORE every dose of insulin. We do this to make sure the cat is not too low to shoot the dose. Then a test between 4 and 6 hours after the insulin is given will tell you how low Max has gone on that dose. We gauge increases and decreases of dose on the lowest point of the cycle...called the nadir. Lantus kicks in about 1 or 2 hours after giving it so a test 2 hours after dose will not tell you a lot really. It could tell you Max is going to have an active cycle if it is lower but it will not tell you the nadir.
When we increase a dose we do it in 0.25units increments. Most vets increase by 1 unit increments but we think that is too much because 1. We might miss the correct dose and 2. Increasing by 1 unit at a time might be too much.
That is great you have changed to canned wet food. Was Max first tested at the vet when he was having wet or dry food? as dry food is generally much higher in carbs. And when you change over to wet food it can lower the BSL by several points. If you are testing you should be OK but I would get more than one test a day until you know what the wet food is doing to the BSL.
We have a forum just for cats being given Lantus and Levemir insulin and there are many very experienced people there to help and advise you. Here is the link. Once there just post as normal. Say you have been posting on the intro and health pages and someone will link those condos for you until you learn how to do it.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-glargine-levemir-detemir.9/
It sounds as if you are getting well organised and doing all the right things to help Max.
I would strongly advise you to test BEFORE every dose of insulin. We do this to make sure the cat is not too low to shoot the dose. Then a test between 4 and 6 hours after the insulin is given will tell you how low Max has gone on that dose. We gauge increases and decreases of dose on the lowest point of the cycle...called the nadir. Lantus kicks in about 1 or 2 hours after giving it so a test 2 hours after dose will not tell you a lot really. It could tell you Max is going to have an active cycle if it is lower but it will not tell you the nadir.
When we increase a dose we do it in 0.25units increments. Most vets increase by 1 unit increments but we think that is too much because 1. We might miss the correct dose and 2. Increasing by 1 unit at a time might be too much.
That is great you have changed to canned wet food. Was Max first tested at the vet when he was having wet or dry food? as dry food is generally much higher in carbs. And when you change over to wet food it can lower the BSL by several points. If you are testing you should be OK but I would get more than one test a day until you know what the wet food is doing to the BSL.
We have a forum just for cats being given Lantus and Levemir insulin and there are many very experienced people there to help and advise you. Here is the link. Once there just post as normal. Say you have been posting on the intro and health pages and someone will link those condos for you until you learn how to do it.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-glargine-levemir-detemir.9/
It sounds as if you are getting well organised and doing all the right things to help Max.
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