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TinysMom

Member Since 2017
Hi. I am new to this site. This is such a blessing! I am new to all this testing and managing diabetes for our fur baby Tiny. It's not easy. We have six other cats. Thank heaven for this community!
 
Hello and welcome! There is a wealth of information here-- you can start working your way through it, and post on the Feline Health boards with any questions!
 
Thanks everyone for the welcome. Wish you all luck with your adorable kitties. Tiny is almost 5 years old. Just diagnosed with diabetes November 2016. She's on Lantus bid. I use the AT meter. She was slimming down but over the past couple of months she gained. She's up to 15 lbs. again. I'm trying to get the diet right but it's hard. I have seven cats and since before Christmas I have been sick and still trying to get rid of chronic bronchitis. Somehow I have to get well and help Tiny get well too. My hope is she will lose weight and go into remission. I know that doesn't always happen but I'm hoping.
 
Keeping with the FDMB's spirit of peer review, I'm responding to TinyMom's private message here:

Hello and welcome to the FDMB! Happy you found us. Since Tiny is your second diabetic cat, you're familiar with giving insulin so you're a step ahead of me when I found the FDMB! I'm glad you've learned to test her blood glucose at home. I'm also happy to hear your vet has reduced Tiny's dose. A BG of 32 is much too low... especially on a meter calibrated for pets! :eek:

I hope you're testing before giving each shot. It's the only way to know if it's safe to give a shot.

To answer your questions (clickable links are in blue font)...
  • If you haven't yet, you can create a simple spreadsheet to record the results of Tiny's blood glucose tests: FDMB SPREADSHEET INSTRUCTIONS. The spreadsheet is a handy tool to track her progress. If you need help, just holler! One of our members will be happy to assist you.
  • Take a look at the information provided in this link: UNDERSTANDING THE SPREADSHEET/GRID. +Hours (+1, +8, etc.) indicate the number of hours that have gone by since you gave the last shot.
  • You'll want to learn how Tiny responds to Lantus. The spreadsheet offers a visual when trying to learn:
    • Onset - the length of time before insulin reaches the bloodstream & begins lowering blood glucose
    • Peak or Nadir - the lowest point in the cycle (usually a cycle is 12 hours/generally the time between each shot)
    • Duration - the length of time insulin continues to lower blood glucose
  • To do a curve as suggested by your vet: Generally speaking, a curve is simply testing kitty's blood glucose every 2 hours for 12 hours total. Test Tiny's blood glucose prior to giving the first shot of the day (AMPS or morning preshot number) and then again every 2 hours up to and including the test right before the next shot time (PMPS or evening preshot number).
I think I've answered the questions from your private message, but you may have more. If you start a new post in Health - (The Main Forum) you'll receive more responses because it's a much busier forum than this one.

I'm sorry you're not feeling well. I hope taking a break from babysitting your grandson will allow you to get some rest and recuperate quickly. Let us know how we can help. Hope to see you posting often! :)
 
I'm in a real bind. Wondering if anyone has any advice for me. I got the Alpha Track Blood Glucose Monitoring System for our cat Tiny. In the starter kit there were 30 lancets and 25 Alpha Track 2 Test Strips. Because Tiny, for the first time since she was diagnosed in November, has been up and down with her BG, I was frightened since her episode last Tuesday with a BG if 32. We learned of this by accident because we went to her very for them to show us how to use the meter and how to test Tiny. So, the past week I blew through 22 test strips. I called the vet to see if they had some I could buy from them until Vet Source could send me more. The vet only had 5 test strips left themselves. I called Vet Source and standard shipping means I wouldn't get the test strips until 6 days, and they are $88.29 for 50 strips!! I called Costco Pharmacy to see if they could get them for me but they said they would have to order them, and it doesn't say Alpha Track 2, as my bottle does, just Alpha Track test strips. And they would charge me $96.02 plus tax. I believe the manual for our test kit says to only use the Alpha Track test strips meant for this unit.
I am sick and trying to take care of Tiny and her issues. My husband doesn't do anything. I have to remember everything, and because I'm sick and trying to take care of myself I didn't realize we ran low so quickly on the test strips, and they're so expensive. This is very stressful. Any advice from anyone would be so appreciated. I thought I read somewhere in this site that some people just went to the pharmacy and bought a BG test kit for people add used it on their cat. Is that OK? Please help!!
 
TinysMom said:
I'm in a real bind. Wondering if anyone has any advice for me. I got the Alpha Track Blood Glucose Monitoring System for our cat Tiny. In the starter kit there were 30 lancets and 25 Alpha Track 2 Test Strips. Because Tiny, for the first time since she was diagnosed in November, has been up and down with her BG, I was frightened since her episode last Tuesday with a BG if 32. We learned of this by accident because we went to her very for them to show us how to use the meter and how to test Tiny. So, the past week I blew through 22 test strips. I called the vet to see if they had some I could buy from them until Vet Source could send me more. The vet only had 5 test strips left themselves. I called Vet Source and standard shipping means I wouldn't get the test strips until 6 days, and they are $88.29 for 50 strips!! I called Costco Pharmacy to see if they could get them for me but they said they would have to order them, and it doesn't say Alpha Track 2, as my bottle does, just Alpha Track test strips. And they would charge me $96.02 plus tax. I believe the manual for our test kit says to only use the Alpha Track test strips meant for this unit.
I am sick and trying to take care of Tiny and her issues. My husband doesn't do anything. I have to remember everything, and because I'm sick and trying to take care of myself I didn't realize we ran low so quickly on the test strips, and they're so expensive. This is very stressful. Any advice from anyone would be so appreciated. I thought I read somewhere in this site that some people just went to the pharmacy and bought a BG test kit for people add used it on their cat. Is that OK? Please help!!
Click to expand...
Yes, many people use a human meter because of the very high cost of the AlphaTrak test strips. The Walmart ReliOn brand has several models that are very popular here. You need to get one that has test strips that work with only a very tiny drop of blood. I think one model like this is the ReliOn Micro. Apparently, the ReliOn Prime has cheaper strips but they need more blood. People can end up wasting strips because of lack of enough blood to get a reading.
 
Thank you, Kris! I'll look into that. What a waste of money then to have bought the Alpha Track Blood Glucose Monitoring System. I didn't know any better and that was what our vet recommended. He never told us how expensive the test strips are. My husband is diabetic. He uses an Accu-Chek Aviva Plus. And he has a Free Style unit as well with a lot of lancets. But I never thought you could use those on a cat. Thank you for your reply. -- TinysMom
 
If you switch meters, you should know that the numbers won't be directly comparable, especially at the high end. The human meters will generally run lower than the AlphaTrak, so you'll have to kind of re-train your perspective a little bit.

Most important number: the "too low, need to take action" number is 50 on a human meter (68 on an AlphaTrak). After that, it's good to know that the "normal" range for a cat measured on a human meter is roughly 50-120.
 
JanetNJ said:
If you need them fast, amazon. Same day delivery with prime $55.
AlphaTRAK 2 Blood Glucose Test Strips, 50 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007TL2ULA/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20

Cheapest place Adwdiabetes.com and use a $5 discount code $48.
Click to expand...
JanetNJ said:
If you need them fast, amazon. Same day delivery with prime $55.
AlphaTRAK 2 Blood Glucose Test Strips, 50 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007TL2ULA/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20

Cheapest place Adwdiabetes.com and use a $5 discount code $48.
Click to expand...
JanetNJ said:
If you need them fast, amazon. Same day delivery with prime $55.
AlphaTRAK 2 Blood Glucose Test Strips, 50 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007TL2ULA/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20

Cheapest place Adwdiabetes.com and use a $5 discount code $48.
Click to expand...
JanetNJ said:
If you need them fast, amazon. Same day delivery with prime $55.
AlphaTRAK 2 Blood Glucose Test Strips, 50 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007TL2ULA/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20

Cheapest place Adwdiabetes.com and use a $5 discount code $48.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you for that info. about Amazon!!
Nan & Amber said:
If you switch meters, you should know that the numbers won't be directly comparable, especially at the high end. The human meters will generally run lower than the AlphaTrak, so you'll have to kind of re-train your perspective a little bit.

Most important number: the "too low, need to take action" number is 50 on a human meter (68 on an AlphaTrak). After that, it's good to know that the "normal" range for a cat measured on a human meter is roughly 50-120.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks, Janet! I ordered the test strips from Amazon for $55.45. I wish I knew about Amazon. They also have the monitoring system, which is $20 less than what I paid to Vet Source. Our vet directed us to Vet Source. For next time I'll have to check that website you gave me for the least expensive price for test strips. Thanks again, and thanks to everyone for your input. Bless you all!!
 
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