? how often to test for ketones if no symptoms

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babyBoo

babyBoo

Member Since 2016
I was wondering what the minimum testing suggestions for ketones would be if no symptoms present. I read through this.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...oacidosis-dka-and-blood-ketone-meters.135952/

I think from what I've read here the thresholds for ketones developing with regard to BG levels vary from cat to cat.

Boo was tested at diagnosis back in May and no ketones present. I always meant to get a meter to test for ketones rather than getting the urine dipsticks but seemed to put it off until recently. Tested Boo on December 23 when BG test was 17.8 ( 320 US ). His result was 0.3 and from what I gather 0.6 or less is no ketones.

So almost 8 months between tests. Seems like it is most likely too long to go between tests even without symptoms. Should I test intermittently regardless of symptoms such as once a month or something. Or maybe so many cycles without at least a blue test or something.

Just wondering as I have no idea and don't really see a suggestion of testing at the link above without symptoms, unless it relates to high BG tests. And for the high BG's such as 240+ that would have me testing almost daily sometimes. Which would seem excessive without any past history of them being a problem.

Is testing once a month going to be too little or too much?
 
Ideally, as long as they're diabetic, we'd like to get at least one test a day (but using the blood ketone meter is expensive, I know!)

I think as long as he's not showing any signs of distress, like not eating or acting funny and he's not running terribly high, you could test every week or so just to stay on top of things
 
They are sort of pricey but then again so are the BG strips. Ketone strips about $2.50CDN/strip and BG strips about $0.75CDN per strip.
I was hoping for only doing monthly checks but weekly is doable if I am preventing damage earlier I guess.

For instance what type of damage can be occurring between my two good tests 8 months apart? Is it possible Boo would need treatment for damage if his ketone test was good a week ago and no symptoms present?

Just wondering what type of damage can happen between two good tests if daily,weekly, or monthly; and is a vet visit recommended if a test is like 2.5 or is there something one can do without a vet?
 
If he'd had enough ketones, you would have known it......high ketone levels make them look and feel very sick

The whole idea of catching them early is that it's a lot more successfully treated (and a lot less expensive too)....a cat in DKA is a VERY sick cat and not all survive....those that do can cost thousands....even those who don't survive can cost thousands :(
 
Chris & China said:
If he'd had enough ketones, you would have known it......high ketone levels make them look and feel very sick

The whole idea of catching them early is that it's a lot more successfully treated (and a lot less expensive too)....a cat in DKA is a VERY sick cat and not all survive....those that do can cost thousands....even those who don't survive can cost thousands :(
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Agreed...my kitty survived DKA and he was so very sick. You couldn't miss it. And it was VERY expensive to treat. I'm testing almost every day now because 1) my kitty is now prone to ketones, 2) I want to catch anything as early as possible because I don't want him to get that sick again and it's so expensive to treat, and 3) his blood sugar is still not regulated.

Hope this helps!
 
You could buy some of the ketodiastix or ketostix to test the urine for ketones. I test both my FD kitties several times a week with the urine strips. Since you have a ketone meter you could use that if you are detecting any sign of ketones in the urine or if Boo doesn't seem right. The urine testing is not as efficient as the blood testing, but if you are doing it regularly you can catch an signs of ketones starting and follow it up with a blood test to ensure they are not becoming a problem.
 
Ozzy Pawzbourne said:
Agreed...my kitty survived DKA and he was so very sick. You couldn't miss it. And it was VERY expensive to treat. I'm testing almost every day now because 1) my kitty is now prone to ketones, 2) I want to catch anything as early as possible because I don't want him to get that sick again and it's so expensive to treat, and 3) his blood sugar is still not regulated.
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For the ease of more accurately gauging ketone levels in real time 'on demand', the possibility of getting an early warning of a problem brewing plus the peace of mind they give, if a BBK meter is in the budget I can highly recommend them.

BBK meters are an absolute gift from the kitty gods when nursing a poorly diabetic feline with an iffy appetite. I'm very glad I invested in one for Saoirse.


Mogs
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Critter Mom said:
For the ease of more accurately gauging ketone levels in real time 'on demand', the possibility of getting an early warning of a problem brewing plus the peace of mind they give, if a BBK meter is in the budget I can highly recommend them.

BBK meters are an absolute gift from the kitty gods when nursing a poorly diabetic feline with an iffy appetite. I'm very glad I invested in one for Saoirse.
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Thanks for the tip, Mogs. I'm assuming the BBK meter is one of the ones that measures ketones from a blood sample. I've been hearing about them on this board and am going to look into them. Next time I'm at Walmart, I'm going to get some of the diastix that test for sugar in the urine, too. I'd like to get an idea what his renal threshold his...right now I don't think he's been beneath it for any measurable amount of time in the last month. What kind of damage can be going on in his body for him to be above the renal threshold for so long? I recall them saying that his kidney's were lumpy on the ultra sound. I'm concerned for him and want to get him into better numbers. We are going to make the switch to lantus here soon.

And BTW...Ozzy has a great appetite. He was once a fattie and he loves himself his nummies! hahah.
 
What is a BBK meter? |Is it the same thing as the Freestyle Precision Neo but better? I've used the Neo twice now, once today and once a week ago. I googled BBK ketone meter but didn't get anything relevent.

Also, wondering if it matters when in the cycle the ketone blood test is taken. For instance a week ago my test was +5 and 3 hours after meal. Today it was at +0.5 and i/2 hour after meal. Will it matter in relation to insulin injection or food given at all to its accuracy?
 
OK I didn't recognize the term. I think the Freestyle Precision Neo I got and used a week ago is what you were talking about. For boxes of 10 strips I paid $25 and $22CDN at seperate pharmacies in Nova Scotia. I'm gussing that is close to best price per strip I will find, or is it?
 
I use the Freestyle Optium Neo for ketone measurement. (Has the option to test for glucose as well, but I prefer my Alphatrak 2 for that purpose.)

The best price I've found over here for the blood ketone test strips is GBP 29.95 for a pack of 10.


Mogs
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Ozzy Pawzbourne said:
What kind of damage can be going on in his body for him to be above the renal threshold for so long?
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Nerve and organ damage can occur below the renal threshold in poorly-regulated cats.

Here's a link to a very informative article about the physiological effects of hyperglycaemia in humans. I think that felines are likely to be similarly affected. (Other members may be able to give you more cat-specific information.)

http://www.diabetesnet.com/about-diabetes/diabetes-complications/why-are-only-certain-organs-damaged


Mogs
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babyBoo said:
Also, wondering if it matters when in the cycle the ketone blood test is taken. For instance a week ago my test was +5 and 3 hours after meal. Today it was at +0.5 and i/2 hour after meal. Will it matter in relation to insulin injection or food given at all to its accuracy?
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Readings will be accurate for the time when the BBK test is run - as are BG tests; they're both snapshots of the cat's current state. Both BG and ketone readings may fluctuate over the course of the day.

If the cat eats better then BBK levels can come down. I've not benchmarked it but I would imagine that insulin levels at any particular time may have an impact on the BBK readings taken at a particular point in the cycle.


Mogs
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babyBoo said:
Should I be thinking about having ultrasounds done to test Boo's kidney's every so often. Or is that an unnecessary cost unless symptoms are present?
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Normally periodic blood tests are run to assess level of kidney function in CKD kitties. Your vet may be able to palpate your kitty to assess the size of the kidneys and s/he should also be able to recommend whether advanced diagnostics such as ultrasound are merited.


Mogs
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Mogs, the prices i got here of $22 and $25 would be 13.05GBP and 15.06GBP if google convertor is correct. Did you ever look into the shipping possibilities from Canada to UK?
 
babyBoo said:
Mogs, the prices i got here of $22 and $25 would be 13.05GBP and 15.06GBP if google convertor is correct. Did you ever look into the shipping possibilities from Canada to UK?
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Not sure if the meters use the same strips but I'll definitely explore that avenue in the future. Thank you for the tip! :bighug:


Mogs
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In addition to scheduled ketone testing if you do it, here are other times you want to test:

Weight loss either planned or unplanned
New onset of another illness or infection
Decrease in appetite or change in eating habit
Changes in behavior
When you change foods or change amount of food fed to cat
If BS suddenly changes or insulin need suddenly changes
Anytime insulin is reduced or stopped completely (OTJ)
When insulin shots are skipped (forgotten, fur shots, or too low to shoot)
After leaving cat in the care of someone else (vacations, etc.)
After increase in exercise habits (ex: new animal in the house may increase energy expenditure, trying to get a fat cat to exercise, etc.)
***Upon first diagnosis of diabetes*** You should test at least every 3 days for a few weeks until cat is better regulated.
 
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