Little Roo's very first time home glucose test and I'm kind of shocked!

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LittleRoo

LittleRoo

Member Since 2017
I finally got myself to Walmart (and the pet store) and picked up quite a bit of supplies.
Relion micro glucose test meter, strips, lancing device, lancers, ketone strips, neosporin ointment, karo, safe freeze dried treats, etc etc.

Little Roo isn't on any insulin yet but we have an appointment this Saturday (7/8/17) to pick up our first bottle and first injection of ProZinc. She tested a high 384 from the vet's blood work July 3rd. When I got that phone call and the vet said only wet food - along with my research, I started all my cats on a strict wet canned food diet 3 times a day. I believe I pulled up the dry dish that night (7/3/17.)

Fast forward to tonight. I figured I'd better practice the home testing tonight and tomorrow so I know how to do it and get used to it! I just did my very first glucose blood test on Roo at 11pm (which btw wasn't easy,) but did just fine finally and her reading was 122! Is that good? It sure sounds a lot better than 384!! Isn't below 170 optimal and healthy?? Am I reading the numbers correct? She hasn't eaten wet either since about 6pm.

Should I redo the test again? Do more tomorrow? Have my vet retest her Saturday?

Thoughts? Thanks for any input! :cat:
 
LittleRoo said:
Is that good?
Click to expand...

Yes it is!!! It's amazing what a low carb canned diet will do for a cat!!

Normal numbers for cats are 50-120 on a human meter....Looks like Little Roo may be one of the lucky ones that can be diet controlled or just needs a short stint on insulin before going into remission!!

What you can do is test again at +3 (3 hours after eating).....if the number comes down, her pancreas is doing at least some of the work!
 
Wow! Can't even believe it! Being I have to go to sleep now (work tomorrow!) I'll do the test/feed/+3 tomorrow after I get home & feed her dinner and check the numbers, like you mentioned. I would be so happy if diet could swing things around to good numbers! Not sure if I'm out of the woods just yet but seems pretty hopeful right now!

Thank you for responding! I'll def keep doing what I'm doing thus far and check in here everyday. xo
 
That's great. Some tests before your visit is good data to give your vet. Hoping diet alone is all you need. Remember levels can rise at vets because of stress. Be cautious of dose if insulin is started.
 
LittleRoo said:
I finally got myself to Walmart (and the pet store) and picked up quite a bit of supplies.
Relion micro glucose test meter, strips, lancing device, lancers, ketone strips, neosporin ointment, karo, safe freeze dried treats, etc etc.

Little Roo isn't on any insulin yet but we have an appointment this Saturday (7/8/17) to pick up our first bottle and first injection of ProZinc. She tested a high 384 from the vet's blood work July 3rd. When I got that phone call and the vet said only wet food - along with my research, I started all my cats on a strict wet canned food diet 3 times a day. I believe I pulled up the dry dish that night (7/3/17.)

Fast forward to tonight. I figured I'd better practice the home testing tonight and tomorrow so I know how to do it and get used to it! I just did my very first glucose blood test on Roo at 11pm (which btw wasn't easy,) but did just fine finally and her reading was 122! Is that good? It sure sounds a lot better than 384!! Isn't below 170 optimal and healthy?? Am I reading the numbers correct? She hasn't eaten wet either since about 6pm.

Should I redo the test again? Do more tomorrow? Have my vet retest her Saturday?

Thoughts? Thanks for any input! :cat:
Click to expand...
That's awesome! It's the higher end of normal (50-120) but i agree your cat may not need much insulin at all!!!! If you do start it might just be a few drops just to push him down a little to get the remission to "stick".
 
Great test result! Hope she is a diet controlled diabetic :). I would still try to grab a couple more tests today/tonight for some extra spot checks and if she holds the nice numbers, ask Vet to check BG again too. Although it may be higher from stress at the clinic, she may not test as high as 384. Also, hang on the testing supplies so if she ends up being diet controlled, you can spot check BG every so often to make sure she's staying there with just food :cat:

*paws crossed* for Roo!
 
So happy for Roo and you! I just bought all my supplies last night also! Sticking the ear is no fun for either of you! All of my cats are also on a canned food diet now, too! Good luck to Roo. This diabetes stuff can get stressful. Keep us posted!
 
Woodsywife said:
That's great. Some tests before your visit is good data to give your vet. Hoping diet alone is all you need. Remember levels can rise at vets because of stress. Be cautious of dose if insulin is started.
Click to expand...

I will test as soon as I get home tonight and then feed, then test a few more times. My only worry is that my vet won't like that I used a human meter as he recommended a pet designed one. But I'll def insist that he check her blood himself again on Saturday. He wants to start Roo on one full unit twice a day. I'm thinking with low mumbers such as 122 (for the moment) that dose might be too much. Could I request 1/2 a unit to start? It's worse to overdose, right?
 
Yong said:
Great test result! Hope she is a diet controlled diabetic :). I would still try to grab a couple more tests today/tonight for some extra spot checks and if she holds the nice numbers, ask Vet to check BG again too. Although it may be higher from stress at the clinic, she may not test as high as 384. Also, hang on the testing supplies so if she ends up being diet controlled, you can spot check BG every so often to make sure she's staying there with just food :cat:

*paws crossed* for Roo!
Click to expand...

Thank you! :cat:
 
Woodsywife said:
That's great. Some tests before your visit is good data to give your vet. Hoping diet alone is all you need. Remember levels can rise at vets because of stress. Be cautious of dose if insulin is started.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm worried about now - the dose amount and if it's too much!
 
Hizzoze said:
So happy for Roo and you! I just bought all my supplies last night also! Sticking the ear is no fun for either of you! All of my cats are also on a canned food diet now, too! Good luck to Roo. This diabetes stuff can get stressful. Keep us posted!
Click to expand...

Thank you! Hope all goes well with your kitty too! It's not easy getting the blood, that's for sure! I think it's even harder than giving a needle/shot! Hope the wet canned food helps your cats too!
 
LittleRoo said:
I will test as soon as I get home tonight and then feed, then test a few more times. My only worry is that my vet won't like that I used a human meter as he recommended a pet designed one. But I'll def insist that he check her blood himself again on Saturday. He wants to start Roo on one full unit twice a day. I'm thinking with low mumbers such as 122 (for the moment) that dose might be too much. Could I request 1/2 a unit to start? It's worse to overdose, right?
Click to expand...
If she stays in the normal range, she won't need insulin at all. We usually advise new members to not give insulin if the pre-shot number is under 200. Keep testing and build up some data to show your vet.
 
LittleRoo said:
I will test as soon as I get home tonight and then feed, then test a few more times. My only worry is that my vet won't like that I used a human meter as he recommended a pet designed one. But I'll def insist that he check her blood himself again on Saturday. He wants to start Roo on one full unit twice a day. I'm thinking with low mumbers such as 122 (for the moment) that dose might be too much. Could I request 1/2 a unit to start? It's worse to overdose, right?
Click to expand...
The test Chris mentioned above in post #2 where you test,feed and then wait 3 hours to see what the pancreas is doing will be great information to provide to the vet on Saturday. This is irrefutable evidence that the vet will be much more likely to pay attention to...at least in my experience. My vet prefers numbers from a pet meter because they are what he's used to and works with more often. I use my pet meter to provide him with curve numbers and my human meter for my daily testing. And yes, giving more insulin to a cat than they need is serious business. But this is why we test at home. Then we can see what is happening inside the cat and intervene with food to help them stay in safe numbers.
 
u need to do a curve. curve begins with BG test before food and insulin. then every 3 hours to get ur nadir (lowest BG). its atleast 3 tests. when the number starts to go back up, your done. since you are not yet using insulin, consider this example:
8am (before feeding) 150
11AM 100
2PM 120
u need to follow your vet's guidance; however, if your cat's BG is 122 one week after can food, there should be no need for insulin. I've had two vets give me diff ranges. Remission goal 60-80 (after one month insulin). another vet was 90-130. I would guess ur cat will not need insulin. congrats
 
Go Little Roo!!! I love that face!!! Sounds like your're going to be just fine :cat:

I have a question for you Little Roo's mom. How do you give Roo the lactulose? I was prescribed it just a few days ago (not by my regular vet) but was reluctant to give it to my fur baby because I'm pretty sure he'll have that reaction of foaming of the mouth and spitting it all out!:facepalm:

I've been sticking to miralax only and hoping that will get him back on track without another vet visit and another enema:stop:
He's eating and acting normal now but I haven't caught him pooing yet which I usually do. There was a little present left on the dining room floor early this morning and it was definitely his. I picked it up with TP and it was like a rock. Just hope there aren't too many more like that.:( Just keeping an eye on him for now.
 
Beenie said:
Go Little Roo!!! I love that face!!! Sounds like your're going to be just fine :cat:

I have a question for you Little Roo's mom. How do you give Roo the lactulose? I was prescribed it just a few days ago (not by my regular vet) but was reluctant to give it to my fur baby because I'm pretty sure he'll have that reaction of foaming of the mouth and spitting it all out!:facepalm:

I've been sticking to miralax only and hoping that will get him back on track without another vet visit and another enema:stop:
He's eating and acting normal now but I haven't caught him pooing yet which I usually do. There was a little present left on the dining room floor early this morning and it was definitely his. I picked it up with TP and it was like a rock. Just hope there aren't too many more like that.:( Just keeping an eye on him for now.
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Hi Beenie's mom <3

I used to give Roo the Lactulose by mouth with a syringe. She hated that! It was so sticky too and when I missed (she pulled away) more ended up on her fur and the floor! I even wrapped a large towel around her but even that became a fail :facepalm:. So now, I just squirt the Lactulose into her wet food (along with the Mirolax) once a day and mix it all up. She eats it just fine. I just make sure my other two cats don't eat what she might leave behind. Seems to be working!

Roo used to leave my hard poops on the floor too. It was painful for her I know. She would cry and wander all over until the poop came. You def need both the Lactulose AND the Mirolax it sounds. One helps with the softness and the other moves those things along. An enema is expensive and not fun and if he doesn't go #2 he could get very sick and toxic. Try it in his wet food and see how he does. Most cats (from what I hear) can be on both medicines for their entire lives. I'd love to eventually get Roo off both medicines but I gotta tackle this diabetes issue right now first. I'd like to think being on the wet food will help eliminate the constipation someday. :bighug:
 
@LittleRoo

Just a bit of housekeeping.....On your spreadsheet (good job getting it going!!), even though she's not on insulin yet, the test you get before feeding is the Pre-Shot....In the morning it would be the AMPS and in the evening the PMPS (although if you're not shooting, it's "officially" the AMBG and PMBG (AM Blood Glucose, PM Blood Glucose)

So IF she ends up on insulin and you plan on a 6am/6pm schedule, the 181 tonight would go in the PMPS cell.....then in the U cell you'd put N.S. (No Shot).....then the + cells correspond to the number of hours since the shot (or food in this case)

Understand?
 
Chris & China said:
@LittleRoo

Just a bit of housekeeping.....On your spreadsheet (good job getting it going!!), even though she's not on insulin yet, the test you get before feeding is the Pre-Shot....In the morning it would be the AMPS and in the evening the PMPS (although if you're not shooting, it's "officially" the AMBG and PMBG (AM Blood Glucose, PM Blood Glucose)

So IF she ends up on insulin and you plan on a 6am/6pm schedule, the 181 tonight would go in the PMPS cell.....then in the U cell you'd put N.S. (No Shot).....then the + cells correspond to the number of hours since the shot (or food in this case)

Understand?
Click to expand...

Thank you! :)
 
Did your vet run a fructosamine or just going by the blood glucose? If not I would do one. It will show what's been happening over the last couple of weeks.
 
LittleRoo said:
Hi Beenie's mom <3

I used to give Roo the Lactulose by mouth with a syringe. She hated that! It was so sticky too and when I missed (she pulled away) more ended up on her fur and the floor! I even wrapped a large towel around her but even that became a fail :facepalm:. So now, I just squirt the Lactulose into her wet food (along with the Mirolax) once a day and mix it all up. She eats it just fine. I just make sure my other two cats don't eat what she might leave behind. Seems to be working!

Roo used to leave my hard poops on the floor too. It was painful for her I know. She would cry and wander all over until the poop came. You def need both the Lactulose AND the Mirolax it sounds. One helps with the softness and the other moves those things along. An enema is expensive and not fun and if he doesn't go #2 he could get very sick and toxic. Try it in his wet food and see how he does. Most cats (from what I hear) can be on both medicines for their entire lives. I'd love to eventually get Roo off both medicines but I gotta tackle this diabetes issue right now first. I'd like to think being on the wet food will help eliminate the constipation someday. :bighug:
Click to expand...
Thank you for the tip. :) I'll start adding the lactulose to his wet food along with the Miralax!
 
tiffmaxee said:
Did your vet run a fructosamine or just going by the blood glucose? If not I would do one. It will show what's been happening over the last couple of weeks.
Click to expand...

Yes, we did the Fructoamine test Wednesday (7/5/17) which came back high: 609!
 
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