? Newbie Home Testing Help

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Gamora

Gamora

Member Since 2016
Hi everyone,

I’m looking to get some information on testing at home and how this all works…I feel so NEWB >_<

A little background:

My little guy Ash was just diagnosed on Thursday Nov 3rd. On Friday we got the results of all the precautionary tests and that revealed that no other organs were affected and that he is otherwise in good health.

We have transitioned him right away to the Purina DM dry food (don’t shoot me yet. Keep reading) that the vet gave us while I looked into what he SHOULD be eating. Dry food is what he is used to. We then incorporated the Fancy Feast, half a can in the am and half in the PM to see if he sticks to it. So far so good (only the flavors that are under 10% according to the CarbCalc iphone app another forum suggested) once he is stable we will try to wean him off the dry completely while home testing. Just need to figure out how to do that first...

He spent his first day at the vets yesterday and they have put him on 1unit of Prozinc twice a day. Hubby has done all the injections so far as it’s making me a bit nervous.

Now, my vet said it was unnecessary to home test him until they see him in 7 to 10 days, but that has me concerned. I want to know that I am giving him the right dose. She seemed unconcerned and stated that 1unit is an introductory dose and it’s nothing to worry about.

But I AM worried...

We will be picking up a Freestyle Lite monitor tonight and want to start home testing but have no idea where to start, when to test him…before feeding, after feeding, before injection etc… also what is the ranges..., what do the numbers mean exactly, what is high and what is low, and how does it affect each dose? What do I need to do?

Thanks in advance for all your help and thanks for reading.
 
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Hello and welcome to the board! Good for you on becoming proactive in Ash's care!

You'll find some valuable hometesting tips here: Hometesting Links and Tips. One thing that helped me was to test myself before I ever tried testing Alex. Familiarizing myself with the testing kit helped boost my confidence when it came time to test Alex. 25 - 28 gauge lancets also help to get blood on the first try. Initially, you'll want to test before each shot.

Dr. Lisa has some great tips on transitioning kitties from dry to wet food here: Transitioning Dry Food Addicts to Canned Food. You might want to read through the sticky posts (highlighted in yellow) in the
Prozinc / PZI Insulin Support Group, especially the BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PROZINC/ PZI INSULIN FOR DIABETIC CATS.

I'll tag a few members who are familiar with Prozinc: @Sue and Oliver (GA) , @Rachel , @Bobbie And Bubba . I'm sure others will also stop by to offer suggestions.

Hope to see you posting often! :)






 
First of all, take a good deep breathe. This all seems daunting in the beginning but in a short time, you'll wonder why you worried at all. It's not difficult but there are a few things to learn. We've all been there and know how you feel but believe me, it gets much easier very quickly. The most important thing to remember is that our kitties pick up on our feelings, so approach this with a CAN DO attitude and kitty will stay relaxed as you develop a new routine.

Good for you being proactive about testing. The Freestyle Lite meter is a good choice. It takes a tiny sample of blood to test and I personally find it very easy to use compared to many others due to the side loading strips.

We test before each shot to make sure the BG level is high enough that it's safe to give insulin. That pre-shot test should be done without any food influence so we withhold food for 2 hours prior to the pre-shot testing. Then we try to get a test in sometime in the middle of each 12 hour cycle to find out how low the insulin is taking kitty. This lowest point is called the nadir and with ProZinc it usually is sometime between +4 and +7 hours post shot. Depending on your shot time, it may not be possible to get a mid cycle test at night but testing around +3 after the shot, usually gives you an indication of how fast the BG will drop in that cycle.

Using a human meter, you want to be sure Ash does not drop below 2.8 mmol. which is our warning number that BG is dropping low and hypoglycemia could occur. Any reading around 2.8 mmol needs some intervention on your part with some food and then rechecking BG to make sure BG is holding or rising. And we recommend you do not give insulin if the pre-shot reading is 11 mmol or less in the early days. Once you have some data and know how Ash is reacting to the insulin, you will be able to give insulin at lower readings. Norm BG for a cat not on insulin is between 2.8 and 6.7 on a human meter.

We have a wonderful spreadsheet to track the readings we take. It's kept on Google and is accessible for viewing by anyone on this board so if you need any assistance, your data is available to anyone offering an opinion or advice. It can look complicated but it's really very simple and all you have to do is plug in your reading numbers. The instructions for setting up a spreadsheet are HERE. And THIS document explains the spreadsheet. If you have any problem setting up a spreadsheet, just holler and we will give you a hand.

I suggest you check out the stickies in the ProZinc forum for some reading material on the insulin and how to handle low numbers.

Most of us test using the ears but you can also take a blood sample from the centre paw pad. That really is a matter of preference between you and Ash.
Here is some info on testing and if you still have questions, just let us know. We have all sorts of tips and tricks to share.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Many folks pick one spot in the house for testing and use treats, brushing, cuddles or whatever to reward our furbabies as they learn to allow testing and giving shots. Many of us have cats who often come to get us at shot time!

One other pointer to get you started.......if you use the lancing device that comes with your Freestyle meter, take the cap off as the ear isn't firm/fleshy enough to get poked with the cap on.

That's a fair bit of info to take in for now. As you start testing I'm sure you will have other questions so just let us know how we can help.:)
 
Gamora said:
once he is stable we will try to wean him off the dry completely while home testing.
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It's great that you'll be weaning him off dry. Just know that some kitties BG numbers are very carb responsive and their owners have found that they drop a lot once there's no dry food in the diet. Learning to test BG at home is essential so you know where Ash's numbers are.

Gamora said:
1unit of Prozinc twice a day. Hubby has done all the injections so far as it’s making me a bit nervous.
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That's a good starting dose. Sometimes vets start a kitty too high. Ash's dose might have to be reduced from this once all dry food is eliminated. You won't know until you get there. Testing, testing, testing ... You'll learn over time that the injections are a lot easier to do than you think. It's best if both of you can do them in case one of you has to be away at shot time.

Gamora said:
unnecessary to home test him until they see him in 7 to 10 days, but that has me concerned
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We would disagree. Learning to home test and starting right away is recommended. Is the vet telling you to take Ash back in 7 to 10 days to have a glucose curve done in the clinic? Most kitties are stressed there and that can affect their BG numbers, numbers that will be used to determine whether a dose change is in order. The advice here would be to do the curve at home and email results to the vet. BTW - as I mentioned, I live in Ottawa too and my vet had me do the first curve at home because of the stress issue. Also, it's expensive to leave a kitty there all day for testing.

Gamora said:
We will be picking up a Freestyle Lite monitor tonight
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Some pharmacies will give you a meter free when you buy a box of 100 test strips. If you have a friend or relative who's old enough to buy the strips for you at Shoppers Drug Mart on seniors' day, the box of 100 that's normally $90 will be 20% off, so $72. There's no tax on that because it's a health care item. That's how I get mine. The Freestyle Lite strips are really good because they require only a very tiny drop of blood.

Gamora said:
have no idea where to start, when to test him…before feeding, after feeding, before injection etc… also what is the ranges..., what do the numbers mean exactly, what is high and what is low, and how does it affect each dose? What do I need to do?
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The protocol on this forum, which is tried, tested and verified to be effective by many users, is to:
1. test BG just before every shot to see if the planned dose is too high, then feed, and finally, inject the insulin.
2. test BG again at least once mid way through a dose's cycle, about 12 hours for ProZinc. If you're at work all day, try for a late evening test or do extra tests on the weekend.
3. do a full curve (BG test every 2 hours for 12 hours beginning with morning preshot test and ending with evening preshot test) whenever your vet requests or when you want to see the full effect of a new dose, etc.

A good response to a dose would be preshot BG around 13 or 14 mmol/L and a mid cycle BG around 5 or 7 mmol/L. You're not likely to see numbers like this right away. High values will usually be in the 20 to 30+ mmol/L range and anything 3 or lower on a human meter is dangerous hypo territory. There are information stickies on this forum about how to deal with a hypo episode. The protocol we use is aimed at preventing them in the first place. That's why we are sticklers about testing - it's the ONLY way to know for sure what's happening.

Once you're more experienced with testing, injecting and tracking Ash's numbers you'll be able to get into tailoring a dose to suit a preshot BG value. I recommend that you look at some spreadsheets on here to see how the tracking is done. Don't worry about the numbers yet because they won't make a lot of sense. Once you've absorbed some of the information you need, I'd encourage you to set up your own spreadsheet according to the "how to" sticky in "Technical Support". Once set up, it's viewable by the rest of us and that's how we're able to help you out if you have dose questions, opinions on how Ash is doing, etc.

As far as feeding schedule, some vets will say feed only twice a day at shot time. Most of us feed more times than that. Some people feed small amounts at set times day and night by using one of those electronic chip feeders. Some kitties' BG numbers are affected by feeding schedule but not all.

I hope that helps for now. It's overwhelming and we've ALL been where you are. But - it's doable and will become a new routine in no time. :)
 
Hey and Welcome! I see others have all ready given you some good advice and I am so happy that you are going to be home testing as it is so important so keep Ash safe. I don't know why the vets try to discourage home testing. Mine didn't even want to teach me and said he would once Bubba got regulated. WELL, that was a while later and if I had listened to him and not learned, Bubba would have been in trouble several times. Also, once you learn, you won't have to go back to the vets for curves to determine the dose so you will be saving $$ there AND Ash's response to Blood Glucose (BG) testing will be a more accurate portrayal because there won't be the vet stress inflating numbers. Don't forget, if you use treats for a poke treat at test time to make sure it is low carb like freeze dried chicken (Stella and Chewy's or Pure Bites)

Also, I am glad that you are transitioning to low carb wet food and as Kris said above, some cats are so carb sensitive that they have actually gotten off the insulin rather quickly just from changing the diet. And to reiterate Kris, be home testing while you make this transition.

If you need help setting up the Spread Sheet (SS) just yell and someone will help you do it ( Sadly, it won't be me as I am a tech mo mo and someone helped me set mine up)

Here is the link for the ProZinc forum and if you start posting there the peeps will help you and guide you with dosing. If you don't get a response right away and you need one, cross post here in Health as the ProZinc forum is small.

ProZinc Forum

Lastly, I had to chuckle with your reasoning for editing. Bad spelling and fast typing are my reasons for editing . ;)
 
Thanks everyone for the speedy info...

I have been going through the stickies one by one since yesterday, but I'm starting to think I'm getting information overload and everything looks and sounds the same. I'm a step by step kinda learner and I think I'm jumping ahead too much.

@Jill & Alex (GA) : Thanks for the "testing myself first" advice. I think that will help as I’ve never played with one of these machines before.

@MrWorfMen's Mom : Thanks for the loads of information and if I might add, easy to understand. As much as all the links on here are very informative and I am very grateful to whoever made them available, sometimes I re-read something ten times and it’s still a foreign language to me. Thanks for taking the time.

@Kris & Teasel : Again more simple information that I am grateful for. Loving the 1,2,3 steps here. As mentioned I’m a step by step kinda girl. And good to know that you are local :) I'm in the Orleans area.

Yes my vet wants us in for the first curve but was all for us starting home testing after that. Still not sure why she didn’t want us to start now. But I’m not comfortable not knowing, especially since we only started the new food regime a day before they set his dose. We told her this but she didn’t seem worried.

@Bobbie and Budda : ha ha, yes, I have no excuse for my horrible spelling as I am an author, but I like to blame it on my anxiety disorder and my brain yammering on faster than my fingers can type...lol

Thanks for the treat suggestion. Poor little guy. I used to give him 2 little temptation treats before bed before all this happened and he has been crying for them since last week. One of those "why don't you love me anymore" type of cries that just breaks your heart. It was his favorite time of day. For just those 2 little treats. This will make him happy again! :cat:
 
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Another good pokey treat is Bonito flakes. You can order them online or Asian grocery stores carry them. They are great to sprinkle over a new food that you want to entice Ash to eat.
 
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Take your time absorbing it all because there's a lot of info here. As for treats, Teasel loves the Orijen brand (Canadian!) freeze dried meat treats. They come in 4 flavours but the "original" is his favourite, with "wild boar" a close second. You'll find them at Global Pet Foods if there's one near you. Neither PetSmart nor Pet Valu carries them.
 
So I just got a new meter. Looks like they are phasing out the FreeStyle Lite for the FreeStyle Insulinx touchscreen one but it still uses the same test strips. I tried it for the first time tonight and his preshot BG was 12.3. Is this good?
 
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Gamora said:
So I just got a new meter. Looks like they are phasing out the FreeStyle Lite for the FreeStyle Insulinx touchscreen one but it still uses the same test strips. I tried it for the first time tonight and his preshot BG was 12.3. is this good?
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This is an excellent number for a newly diagnosed diabetic. He might need less than 1 unit of insulin once all dry food has been removed. If you can get another test in 4 or 5 hours after his evening meal, you'll have an indication of how low he's likely to go. With a preshot number of 12.3, he might go fairly low. However, kitties can be a bit unpredictable when they first go on insulin. It can take them a while to adjust.
 
That is not bad at all and I am so glad that you are home testing now. Ultimately, we want to see kitties in the under 100 range. Get another test in about 4-6 hours after the inulin to see how low the insulin is taking Ash. Good job testing!!!
 
Gamora said:
Looks like they are phasing out the FreeStyle Lite for the FreeStyle Insulinx touchscreen one but it still uses the same test strips.
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Interesting because I have a coupon for a free Freestyle Lite or Insulinx with purchase of strips that doesn't expire for quite sometime and the Lite and Freedom Lite are both still offered on their website. :confused:
The 12.3 is a great number. Like the others, I would make sure to test again to make sure he is not heading too low so you can intervene if need be with some food.
 
So last night preshot BG was 12.3 then 4 hours later it was at 11.6. This morning's preshot BG is 8.2. Now I'm worried about giving him his shot :(
 
Gamora said:
So last night preshot BG was 12.3 then 4 hours later it was at 11.6. This morning's preshot BG is 8.2. Now I'm worried about giving him his shot :(
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Since you do not have a spreadsheet set up yet with the data and Ash is a newly diagnosed diabetic, my advice would be to skip this shot. You are also doing a food transition to LC wet, which could be affecting the glucose levels.

There are not a lot of people on just yet, but hopefully others will be on shortly. I am looking at what would be safe for Ash,


ETA the 8.2 mmol would be 148 US for the US members to follow.
 
Thank you Mary Ann! I can't math and was trying to figure out what that was.

I'd definitely skip at that number. That's too low to shoot even if you had tons of data. This way you can be comfortable knowing Ash is safe today.
 
hiya, well done with the home testing, I remember how nervous and overwhelmed I was when Angel was first diagnosed, this forum helped me through every step of the way. Angel was (and may be again) on prozinc so if you like, check my old posts as I had a lot of the same concerns you do. The meter I use gives a slightly lower reading than a human one.
My cats all now have a very low carb (less than 10%) diet.
Anything you want to know, just ask there are some lovely people here.
Cassandra x
 
I agree - no shot at this number so early in the game and with no previous data to go on. I'm glad you're testing because you're able to see the effect of the insulin on Ash.
 
Thank you sooo much for all your advice and help and comforting words.

So as I mentioned earlier, we purchased a meter last night and tested him for the first time. PM Preshot BG was 12.3. 4 hours later it was at 11.6. This morning's preshot BG was 8.2. (148 US)

My husband was adamant on NOT giving him his shot this morning and thanks to the advice on here I agreed. We opted to skip this shot as we could not be home to monitor him. We both work outside the home. I think I prefer him being a little high then dipping too low and I don’t have enough experience with this to know if he would be okay if we had.

I will be looking over the information to create my spreadsheet after work. Unfortunately I can’t open Google Docs at my work (they block it) and I seldom go on the computer when I am at home but since I can’t do it from my iPhone I’m going to have to spend a bit of time setting it all up from my home computer tonight.

@MrWorfMen's Mom : Yes I find it odd too that they told me they were phasing out the Lite as I went in to Shoppers Drug Mart with a coupon for one that only expires in March of 2017. Regardless she also said that every meter they sell has a company deal of FREE if you buy 100 strips. This meter is their newer touch screen version that logs all BG readings and can log insulin administered (probably won’t use that function) but it also uses the same test strips as the Lite and I still got it for free so, no complaints from me. Lol

@Tuxedo Mom : Thanks for the US number. I didn’t realize that numbers were different in the US.
 
Gamora said:
@Tuxedo Mom : Thanks for the US number. I didn’t realize that numbers were different in the US.
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Canada and many other parts of the world use the mmol/L reading system. The US using mg/dl which is a different system. To figure out what a Canadian number is in US format you multiply by 18...so the 82 mmol was 82 time 18 which is 148 US.

When you start your spreadsheet there is one that you can use the mmol/l system you use (as do I since I am also in Canada) You enter your numbers on the "world" tab and it will automatically convert to US numbers on another tab so that the US members can follow along.

This would be the spreadsheet you would use:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JQ136YHkxNhhku9AML_OKGHkrg3Ixe27BWAdWONlnP0/edit?usp=sharing

If you have any trouble setting it up just ask and Marje (who developed the S/S) can set it up for you.
 
Gamora said:
My husband was adamant on NOT giving him his shot this morning and thanks to the advice on here I agreed. We opted to skip this shot as we could not be home to monitor him. We both work outside the home. I think I prefer him being a little high then dipping too low and I don’t have enough experience with this to know if he would be okay if we had.
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Good call! We always say, "Better too high for a day than too low for a moment" - or something along those lines. Imagine what could happen if you don't test and blindly give Ash his dose over the coming week. Re the meter: Abbot.ca website is still showing the Freestyle Lite as one of their models and have a coupon for a free one. You have the new one but it uses those really good strips.

To convert our BG numbers to Us numbers, just multiple ours by 18.
 
Thanks for the info re: the meters. Interesting. Maybe I'll go use my coupon and get an Insulinx to see how it compares to my Freestyle Lite since it uses the same strips.

You are getting some great numbers and I too would have suggested skipping this morning with that 8.2 reading. Looks like the change of diet to lower carb is helping immensely.

Gamora said:
I can’t do it from my iPhone
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You should be able to set up google sheets on your IPhone but filling in the data may be a bit clumpsy on such a small screen. I find even my tablet is a bit of a pain when it comes to navigating and updating the spreadsheet but that could just be me.:)
 
I have an Android phone and I always use it to update my spreadsheet. Using Google sheets on an ipad is a complete pain.
 
I think I managed to set one up from my iPhone. I hope I did it right. I will check when I get home and make sure I didn't screw anything up. I've linked it in my sig if anyone wants a peek. I included our first day's units but no BG as we only got the meter last night...and thank the lucky stars for that!

So far hubby has been doing the meter tests as I think poor Ash senses my anxiety and freaks out. With him he stays calm. I'm going to have to work on that, but I did manage to give him his needle last night while hubby held him so that's progress...

It's a lot to get used to but we will get there...

You are all awesome. Thank you so very, very much.
 
I can see your spreadsheet just fine..Great job!!
113.gif
(you did way better than I did...I had to have someone set it up for me :rolleyes:)

When you do a no shot like you did this morning you can just put NS in the unit column, so that people will know what you have done and not have to ask. ;)
 
I was able to escape and go home for lunch so though I should test Ash's BG again to see if I could do it on my own without hubby there. I have an anxiety disorder therefore I'm constantly anxious. Ash senses it. But this time was a success...yay me

Only he tested at 17.5 :(
 
That was to be expected with no insulin on board, but good on you for being able to do the check, it does get easier the more you do it.
 
It's taken me ages to be able to do Sky's bloods so well done you :) I end up having to manhandle her until she gives in (really, it's not as brutal as it sounds she just protests and wriggles and swears then I pin her gently down and fuss her and she gives up the fight!), I find the injections far easier. Don't worry about the increase - without insulin it would be expected and better that than going the other way without anyone being around.
 
Just need to review something. Vet mentioned that 3.3 or lower, Oscar would need honey, sugar or corn syrup. If he's in the 6 to 10 range, is it better to forgo the injection or just give a lower dose. I find myself needing reassurance so I'm doing right by Oscar.
 
Oscar & his Mom said:
Just need to review something. Vet mentioned that 3.3 or lower, Oscar would need honey, sugar or corn syrup. If he's in the 6 to 10 range, is it better to forgo the injection or just give a lower dose. I find myself needing reassurance so I'm doing right by Oscar.
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It's hard to know what to say because you haven't posted a spreadsheet. The safest way to go if BG is in the 6 to 10 range is to withhold the shot. If we had scads of data to look at to see Oscar's patterns, a lower dose might work but I can't recommend one.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
It's hard to know what to say because you haven't posted a spreadsheet. The safest way to go if BG is in the 6 to 10 range is to withhold the shot. If we had scads of data to look at to see Oscar's patterns, a lower dose might work but I can't recommend one.
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I do have a daily journal where I record Oscar's BG readings and times of injections, as well as BG readings done in between injections. The question is this: when I start a spreadsheet, can I start it with the information I've acquired over the last month or do I start fresh.
 
Oscar & his Mom said:
I do have a daily journal where I record Oscar's BG readings and times of injections, as well as BG readings done in between injections. The question is this: when I start a spreadsheet, can I start it with the information I've acquired over the last month or do I start fresh.
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It's great that you'll be starting a spreadsheet because that's the info we need to see if we're going to be able to good advice. If you can spare the time, putting all your accumulated data from the last month will allow us to see what's going on and be ready to help sooner. Have you read the "How To" sticky for setting up our spreadsheet? If you need help, there are techies on here to advise or even do it for you.
 
Hi again, Oscar's mom,
If you start your own thread on the main health forum and/or in the Caninsulin forum, you'll get more attention to your questions. Right now you're posting in Gamora's thread so her stuff and yours could get muddled together. :) Also, if you give us your first name we can be more personal in our responses.
 
Gamora said:
Hi everyone,

I’m looking to get some information on testing at home and how this all works…I feel so NEWB >_<

A little background:

My little guy Ash was just diagnosed on Thursday Nov 3rd. On Friday we got the results of all the precautionary tests and that revealed that no other organs were affected and that he is otherwise in good health.

We have transitioned him right away to the Purina DM dry food (don’t shoot me yet. Keep reading) that the vet gave us while I looked into what he SHOULD be eating. Dry food is what he is used to. We then incorporated the Fancy Feast, half a can in the am and half in the PM to see if he sticks to it. So far so good (only the flavors that are under 10% according to the CarbCalc iphone app another forum suggested) once he is stable we will try to wean him off the dry completely while home testing. Just need to figure out how to do that first...

He spent his first day at the vets yesterday and they have put him on 1unit of Prozinc twice a day. Hubby has done all the injections so far as it’s making me a bit nervous.

Now, my vet said it was unnecessary to home test him until they see him in 7 to 10 days, but that has me concerned. I want to know that I am giving him the right dose. She seemed unconcerned and stated that 1unit is an introductory dose and it’s nothing to worry about.

But I AM worried...

We will be picking up a Freestyle Lite monitor tonight and want to start home testing but have no idea where to start, when to test him…before feeding, after feeding, before injection etc… also what is the ranges..., what do the numbers mean exactly, what is high and what is low, and how does it affect each dose? What do I need to do?

Thanks in advance for all your help and thanks for reading.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for sharing. My baby girl is in the exact same boat and the vet told me the same thing. Crisies was to start 2 units twice a day and after the first she seemed foggy and I was too scared to give the second dose so I went and got all the home testing supplies to try today
 
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