not wanting to eat at time of injection

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I'm home but have our handyman working on light fixtures today. Leo has his own room and there won't be any work done in his room today so he has a safe place to be. My computer is also in his room but I'm afraid the noise may make him a little too nervous to test. He should be done by 4:00 though so that's enough time to try and test him later before dinner. You guys are the best! I'm starting to wonder if changing his food to a grain free canned and not feeding him any dry food has made a difference. He's been on this diet for a few weeks now and was on it for a while before I had the curve done at the vets but I'm wondering if it took quite a while for the lower carb diet to take effect? His fructosamine test was high but that was several weeks ago and was actually monitored from before when he was on his dry food. Any thoughts?
 
I don't believe there is any other forum like this where everyone is so dedicated and helpful. I am so grateful that all of you are here!
 
What time do you feed him dinner? We usually test, and then immediately hand the kitty food, then (if the BG number is high enough), give the injection when they are finished eating (or some people give it while the kitty is eating if it's clear he/she is eating enough to be safe). This morning you tested around 6am, so if possible, you would want the evening test to be about 12 hours later. That isn't critical right now since he hasn't had any insulin, but it's something to keep in mind.

And changing his food can have a huge effect on BG. He's more than 24 hours without insulin at this point, and he isn't showing any signs of needing insulin, so that is curious. It will be interesting to see what number he shows you this evening.

I'm headed to work now - back in a few hours.
 
I normally feed him at 7:00PM since he always has a snack at 3:00PM. I will make sure he has no snacks after 5:00PM.
 
I was getting curious about his lethargy in late afternoons ever since I brought him home from the vets from his curve. Even at 1.5u which is lower than the 2u his vet advised he was getting so lethargic in late afternoon and early evening. I'm thinking he was always going too low ever since I brought him home although when I took him to the vet to test at his +6 he was at 160 then 180. He seems to be changing a lot in his readings.
 
Lillie said:
This was a MAJOR struggle this morning with Leo. Kept getting an error on meter and finally I took the test strip out put a new one in and transferred the blood from the old one to the new one that was in the meter. Reading came out to only 85. Which side of the strip is the blood supposed to go on? The top facing side with the butterfly or the underneath side of the strip? Anyway 85 looks awfully low. I don't usually feed Leo until 7:00AM. I'm not sure I can get another reading right now to check if accurate as he is really upset right now and wants to eat. I'm guessing no shoot this morning?
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If you look closely at the bottom sides of the AT strip you'l see a tiny finger like projection on each side near the black semicircle. That little finger is what sips the blood into the strip.
 
I'm sure others have asked: would you consider setting up a spreadsheet like the one we use here? It's the best way for us to see the whole picture in one place before offering advice. There are techies here who'll do it for you if you want.
 
I will do it as soon as I get a new computer. My IMac is on its way out right now and I have trouble with everything except my email. Thank you for the information regarding the test strip. I will need to look closer.
 
I tested Leo just now (6:00pm west coast time) after fasting at least 2 hours. He is at 114 after no insulin since Tues. morning. Is this a honeymoon period or transient diabetes? I'm baffled. Yesterday at the vets at +6 he was 68, later at home he was 78, and this morning he was 85. Now he is 114. Should I keep testing for the next few days to see if the number go up? It was another battle but easier on me even though I stuck myself with the needle! Ha Just in case I thought the meter might have read my blood instead I tested myself on the meter and the number was way different so I'm sure it was Leo's number. Thoughts anyone?
 
Some kitties are only diabetic because of the food they are on. After they are transitioned, and have some insulin support, their pancreas heals and they go into remission. It's possible that that's what's happened. I would test at "shot time" for a few more days to be sure, but 114 is too low to shoot again, so go ahead and feed Leo his dinner and enjoy your evening. Great job getting the tests done, even though they're not easy!
 
It is to say the least upsetting over the fact that his vet told me to hold off on the injection Tues nite but to go ahead and inject the next morning without even asking me to first home test or ask me to bring him in to be tested first before the morning injection. Thank God I did the home test. I am so glad this forum is here with all of you.
 
This forum has saved a lot of kitty lives, mine included. I'm glad you were able to start testing at home and intervene when the vet didn't. You've done a great job taking care of Leo over the past few days!
 
I had a real problem with his ear bleeding tonight since he is on a blood thinner. I wasn't able to hold on to him and compress the ear after the prick. Later I found him in the closet after shaking his ear and blood all over him and my closet. It hasn't done that before so I was surprised at how much it bled this time. It has stopped but I was pretty upset when I first say him- he was all white, now he's red stripped.
 
Oh, Lillie, I'm so sorry! I can only imagine how upsetting that was! Is he all cleaned up now?

Is that from the test you did earlier (the 114?)? Or did you try to test him again?
 
That was from the test I did at 6:00PM. I didn't even realize it until I checked on him in the closet where he sleeps. He was shaking his head a lot so I don't think that helped. Someone mentioned that the more you do the ear pricks the easier it bleeds. Darn it. I have to make sure now I hold and compress his ear with cotton afterward. He's not cleaned up yet and neither is my closet. He just wants to be left alone right now so I cater his food to the closet. No -he's not spoiled! (sarcasm). Another thing to do- Maybe the vet has another idea as to how to stop the bleeding quicker. Poor Leo, he sure has been through a lot since I've had him.
 
Lol...that is pretty spoiled - but I think we all do things like that when we know our fur babies aren't feeling well. Do you have any of that powdered stop-bleed stuff that is used if you cut their nails too short? That stuff is pretty amazing and may help. I'm not sure if it's okay to use for ears, but I've used it for one of my own cuts one time and I'm still okay ;)
 
Thanks for the tip. I knew there was most probably something you could use for this.. I'm just not sure why he bled so much tonight. His poor little ear does not look very good right now. The prick itself didn't even produce that much blood at first. Maybe I'll get some sleep tonight for a change.
 
If his ear still looks bad in the morning, then make sure you test in the other ear. And honestly, I don't think it would be a big deal if you skip the test in the morning until you can get something to help control the bleeding. He's already more than 24 hours without insulin, so it's not like you need to maintain momentum at this point. Just make sure you don't give him any insulin if you decide not to test!
 
It's dried up now and I think I will skip tomorrow morning test and absolutely no insulin until I get something for the bleeding. I did read where if hyperglycemia is caught early enough and treated aggressively it can remission quickly. I would be thrilled if that were the case with Leo but I will be testing again soon anyway (just not tomorrow). I will be monitoring him closely. Thank you so much for your concern and replies.
If I had not joined here it's very possible he could be dead right now from giving insulin when he didn't need it.
 
It's possible you nicked the vein, causing more blood. I've done that SO MANY times by accident...always bled more than usual.

Poor thing! And poor you...that's got to make life just a bit harder on you. Yeah, I might call the vet too and just ask if they have any other tips since that blood thinner just makes things a bit harder.
 
I'm so glad you caught this low! The testing thing is a hurdle for many people to overcome mentally and physically but it can truly save a kitty's life. I'm sorry you had that awful bleeding episode - I agree that you might have hit the tiny vein that runs along the edge of the outer ear.
 
How do you prevent not hitting the vein? It's such a small space there on the outer ear it's hard to determine. What do you make of his BG being normal without insulin and how long do you think I should continue testing?
 
Some people find it helpful to shine a little flashlight on the opposite side of the ear so you can see really clearly where the vein is located. Then sometimes there is a place on the ear that may give you a little more space to work with between the vein and the edge of the ear.
 
Lillie said:
How do you prevent not hitting the vein? It's such a small space there on the outer ear it's hard to determine. What do you make of his BG being normal without insulin and how long do you think I should continue testing?
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What colour are your kitty's ears? You can often see the little vein of the ears are light in colour, especially on a short haired kitty. Testing in a brightly lit area helps. So does free handing the lancet instead of using the spring holder device because you can aim more precisely.

Some cats become "diet controlled" diabetics in that eating a low carb diet is enough to keep their BG in normal ranges. Some get there on insulin and the dose can be reduced to nothing over time and they are then maintained with a low carb diet. In the early days of "normal" BGs in a diabetic cats off of insulin, people generally test AM and PM. As the numbers continue to hold, they reduce the testing frequency slowly until it's down to once a week and then longer intervals. Once a diabetic, always a diabetic though and a kitty can fall out of remission for any number of reasons.
 
Im using a small needle instead of the lancets. The vet gave me the same ones he uses. I'm sure I nicked a vein now that I think about it because none of the others bled that bad. The problem is he runs away after the test and since I have my hands full with the needle, meter, and cotton balls it's hard to catch him. He's usually a pretty slow lazy cat but he's like lightening after an ear prick.
 
Maybe give a treat before...then have another one that you can quickly lay down after? Get him used to the idea of treat by giving it before when he is not running yet?
 
Or if there's something else he likes? A nice grooming or play session? Anything positive that he can associate with the test, so he will earn "If I let her poke me, I get something good, so I'll stay" :)
 
I'm so happy your cat is responding to the elimination of kibble!!! That's so awesome!!!!!!! Poor both of you for the "blood bath" - if you have a cellphone with a camera (or a real flashlight) you can easily see the veins. To get him not to run away I use CHICKEN, real cooked chicken is his favorite thing on this planet,l find something he won't leave behind!
 
MrPou said:
I'm so happy your cat is responding to the elimination of kibble!!! That's so awesome!!!!!!! Poor both of you for the "blood bath" - if you have a cellphone with a camera (or a real flashlight) you can easily see the veins. To get him not to run away I use CHICKEN, real cooked chicken is his favorite thing on this planet,l find something he won't leave behind!
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Sorry that was not clear, put the flashlight behind the ear and look at him face to face.
 
Anything he likes is an option! Some cats would prefer a nice grooming session or playing after...whatever works is what you should use. :)
 
I'll try the pure bites freeze dried duck treats that he likes so much and try giving him some right before I try the test. Catnip? He loves catnip. That may work at least to take his mind off of the prick and monitor set up. I hate when they start 'knowing' when you are gathering the equipment= how on earth do they know that is what you're collecting? My previous cat would run and hide when I went into the bathroom to measure her meds in a syringe. I didn't even do this everyday but that ONE day I did she knew. They really are amazing creatures.
 
Lillie said:
I'll try the pure bites freeze dried duck treats that he likes so much and try giving him some right before I try the test. Catnip? He loves catnip. That may work at least to take his mind off of the prick and monitor set up. I hate when they start 'knowing' when you are gathering the equipment= how on earth do they know that is what you're collecting? My previous cat would run and hide when I went into the bathroom to measure her meds in a syringe. I didn't even do this everyday but that ONE day I did she knew. They really are amazing creatures.
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This is my treats routine for Teasel whether I'm injecting or testing. I do all this while sitting on the bath mat in my bathroom:
  • ask him to come into the bathroom ---> give treat when he does
  • ask him to come to me once I'm sitting on the bath mat ---> give treat
  • do BG test or give injection ---> give treat.
I use treats as liberally as needed. I avoid any attempts at grabbing him or holding him tightly. I sit on the mat cross legged with knees raised. He's seated in the opening between my raised knees. If I need to restrict him a bit more I move my knees closer together.
 
He gets suspicious now when I sit on the floor so I may have to just sit on the floor more and talk to him without doing anything. I need to act a little more calm too. You're lucky your kitty comes to you when you ask. Leo is so stubborn and I know he picks up on my anxiety beforehand.
 
It looks a lot better than the other day but there is still some caked blood on the inside. I've been massaging some neosporin on the inside ear skin and he doesn't seem to mind too much me touching his ear now. Hmmm- maybe he's starting to be ok with it. I did test this morning although it was rough on the other ear and tried to only get the tip and avoid the vein. He registered 100 but then I thought about when he had his treat and couldn't remember what time he had eaten it so I'll have to try again tomorrow morning and make sure he has no treats after 5:00AM. His specialist emailed me and said if I need help to come in to the specialty hospital where she is and one of her techs will help me. She is adamant about home testing, unlike his local vet here. Three days now of normal BG's without insulin although it has not been several tests a day so I need to keep going with the testing during the day. No excess water consumption either. He had a terrible time last night with hair balls. Several coming out of him and one giant cigar shaped. I've never seen so many come out of a cat! I'm wondering if it's the canned food since it does not have much fiber in it. I put a post on the board for suggestions. Thank you for your concern! It means a lot to Leo and me.
So, if it's not his IBD, Diabetes, blood clot from a year ago, now it's massive hair balls. It never ends does it? We love them no matter what, hair balls and all.
 
It's great that his numbers are so healthy! Did the specialist say anything about how long she would like you to test? Typically we say here that if a cat has been below shootable numbers for two weeks that they are OTJ - Off the Juice.

As far as the reading tonight, a treat usually wouldn't make a big difference in the number - unless you gave a lot and they are high carb. And even if it did have an impact, 100 is still a very healthy number.

Sorry to hear about the hair balls! It's definitely shedding season and my civvie (non-diabetic cat) occasionally suffers from them this time of year too. I try to brush him every day until the shedding settles down - but once in awhile he gets ahead of me. Canned food would usually help with hair balls by keeping the cat better hydrated. If you're feeding him dry food as well, you might reduce that as much as possible since dry food dehydrates cats, and dehydration can make it harder for the kitty to process the hair on his own. If the hairballs continue, you might try posting in the main forum for some other tricks. I know it's a topic that has come up a few times around here.
 
Yes I did post a new thread and had a recommendation of pumpkin and psyllium husk powder for added fiber. Leo's canned food is grain free so maybe he just is not getting enough fiber? Two nights in a row now with massive hair balls. His bowel movements are ok, he doesn't seem ill, and he wants to eat again a few minutes after he gets rid of the hair balls. I may have to make a trip to his specialist if it keeps up. He's been grooming himself excessively lately, maybe due to stress.
His specialist just said to keep testing him when I can for a few weeks and watch for excessive water consumption and urination. I certainly can't inject him with those numbers. It may be a honeymoon cycle or it may be that it is transient diabetes. And can come back at any time. Only got one test in today but will shoot for a few tomorrow- that is unless he is carted down to the specialty hospital tomorrow because of the hair balls. I swear this hair must have been accumulating for months! I have never seen anything like it.
 
Djamila said:
Some people find it helpful to shine a little flashlight on the opposite side of the ear so you can see really clearly where the vein is located. Then sometimes there is a place on the ear that may give you a little more space to work with between the vein and the edge of the ear.
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You'd need at least 3 hands for that, wouldn't you?
 
srk3cats said:
You'd need at least 3 hands for that, wouldn't you?
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Lol...that would help, yes! I shine the light and get in my head where I'm going to poke. Then put the flashlight down and do it. Once you know your kitties ears really well, you won't need to do it anymore. It's just helpful when you're learning this whole process. I do still use it once in awhile to check for little bruises and make sure his ears are doing okay with all the testing.
 
I have in the past noticed that when he does have hair balls his appetite will decrease but the past day or two he's been eating ok so I'm surprised about this.
Yes I need three hands, maybe four!
 
I think you can use a tiny dab of regular old petroleum jelly to help with hairballs...dab it on the paw and they'll usually lick it off. Helps to lubricate things I guess. :)
 
Thank you all! I have a couple things I can try now. Just don't want him to get 'too' loose due to his IBD. We've already had problems with too loose and it is not fun.
 
I've done the same thing. I think I actually posted double threads somewhere along the line here. My anxiety is getting a little high with trying to figure out all of Leo's health stuff. Rough morning trying to get him to swallow his 1/4 tablet pepcid. Geez- they act like you're trying to poison them.
 
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