Newbie sense check please.

[AJay]

Hiya.

Ive just started home testing. Major melt down yesterday, but managed to get through that and get a reading. Ive got him off the dry stuff he came with and now got him onto the raw. Today he's had chicken. Yesterday was Turkey (higher fat content).
Ive just taken his readings for today. This time yesterday he was 21.5. Tonight he's 28.0. He had a snackette (raw chicken) about 2.5hrs before this test. Would that have thrown it?

Id like to do more testing through the day, but I didn't have enough strips. I messed one up tonight that I was planning to use for tomorrow morning

He's been quite bright and active today. Yesterday I was panicking about him because he was so dull and quiet - all factors considered.

Ive just realised.... I tested him before feeding I'm making a right hash of this

Am I just being paranoid? xx

 

[FurBabiesMama]

The fact that you are testing gets you points. Nobody is perfect, especially at the very beginning. You are supposed to test before feeding, so you did not mess that up. For the pre-shot test, you are supposed to take up food at least two hours before you test.

 

[AJay]

The fact that you are testing gets you points. Nobody is perfect, especially at the very beginning. You are supposed to test before feeding, so you did not mess that up. For the pre-shot test, you are supposed to take up food at least two hours before you test.

Thanks
I thought the order was Feed, Test, Shoot? This eve I tested, fed, shot..

Now v confused

 

[FurBabiesMama]

Test, Feed, Shoot

 

[MrWorfMen's Mom]

AJay Deep Breathes! You are doing just fine and aren't confused by the looks of things. Believe it or not in a week or two, you will look back on this time and wonder why you got so rattled because it will all become routine. Like any new skill, it takes a bit of practice so be kind to yourself. We've all been there!
Have you ordered more strips for the AT2?

As for the BG readings, remember Chester is just getting used to his new home and you may be transmitting your nerves to him a bit. Try to steel yourself when testing and go at it with authority as well as lots of sweet talk. You'll be pro in no time and Chester will become a compliant patient.

 

[Case]

You don't want to test on a food influenced number because it will bring the number higher and you won't really know if it is safe to shoot. For example if your no shoot number is 200 and kitty's true BG is 180, but you fed him before you tested, the number could be something like 220. You'd think that was safe to shoot but then the food wears off and suddenly the numbers start dropping possibly too low. I hope thats not too confusing, but always test first then feed and then shoot. You're doing great!

As for his snack, if it was just plain raw chicken no I don't think it would bring his BG up that much, especially 2.5 hours before the test. Sometimes if you get a weird number you can try retesting. But since you're new the numbers may be a bit wonky at first as his body adjusts to the insulin. Don't worry too much about individual numbers, as you get more data you'll be looking more for patterns.

 

[AJay]

AJay Deep Breathes! You are doing just fine and aren't confused by the looks of things. Believe it or not in a week or two, you will look back on this time and wonder why you got so rattled because it will all become routine. Like any new skill, it takes a bit of practice so be kind to yourself. We've all been there!
Have you ordered more strips for the AT2?

As for the BG readings, remember Chester is just getting used to his new home and you may be transmitting your nerves to him a bit. Try to steel yourself when testing and go at it with authority as well as lots of sweet talk. You'll be pro in no time and Chester will become a compliant patient.

Thank you. I am just TERRIFIED beyond sensible at the mo that he may go hypo or crash or, or, or - yes I have those instructions printed out and have all the Emergency First Aid kit together etc. What do I do if his numbers are very low? Do I still go ahead and give him 1u of Prozinc?

I have ordered more test strips for the AT2. It looked like there were more in the tub than there were and I used so many trying to get a reading on the first go. They should be with me by tomorrow. He is getting rattled at me - his poor abused ears. LOL Surprisingly I am finding it ok with the needles. Thanks to Tara for an idiots guide to testing on the beautiful Tempest. But Mr C just wants his FOOD! LOL

I have noticed that he is so much less thirsty now I have him off the dry. It was quite scary to see him drinking the amount he was.

I am trying to remember to breathe, I really am

I feel like Im going to be running here every 5 minutes at the mo (cringe!). Thank you for your patience. It really is appreciated. xx

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

For his ears, I have noticed a trend of orange / white kitties showing to be more ruffed up from testing. I do think they have thinner more sensitive skin like fair skinned humans. But for all kitties, after you poke and get the sample and reading, firmly hold the poked spot between your thumb and index/middle finger for as long as you can up to like 30 seconds. Pretty sure my boy would let him hold his ear if I zoned out for a minute . Try for at least 5-10 seconds , the pressure helps promote healing and reducing bruising .

Like Linda said, in a week or two it will feel like you've been doing it a while!

 

[JeffJ]

Yes - test, feed, then dose. I usually prep the dose. Then I feed. While Leo is eating, he gets dosed. Also...no food 2 hours before testing. Otherwise the food influences the test.

You're doing fine. You'll be a pro in no time. This is usually a long-haul solution. The first few days can be tough. Many kittehs are diabetic for months or years. Leo just hit his 2 year mark. That's over 700 syringes and doses!

AT2 strips. I use FreeStyle Lite strips. And I get them off Ebay, generally about $0.40 per strip when you buy 200 or more. They work fine in the AT2 tester.

 

[Phoebes (GA)]

But for all kitties, after you poke and get the sample and reading, firmly hold the poked spot between your thumb and index/middle finger

Is it light pressure? Not challeging just clarification.
Your doing great, it will get easier, I promise you, for you and your furbaby. Deep breaths try singing softly while testing. It calms all nerves involved.

 

[JeffJ]

I don't know how Yong handles the ear. But for Leo, I do a 3 - 5 times medium wipe with a folded paper towel on both sides. That wipes off the excess blood, and helps new blood come and repair the area.

Before the poke, I also use a folded paper towel behind the ear. So the layering is:
poker
ear
paper towel behind
my thumb

That way I don't get poked. Because it frigging hurts. So that was a fast learning experience 2 years ago.

 

[MrWorfMen's Mom]

Is it light pressure?

Apply the same pressure you would on your own arm after a blood draw. I'd call it moderately firm pressure. Not enough to pinch the ear but enough to keep any further blood from accumulating at the poke site. And if kitty resists, let go and try again. I always double check to make sure the bleeding has stopped completely.

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

Apply the same pressure you would on your own arm after a blood draw. I'd call it moderately firm pressure. Not enough to pinch the ear but enough to keep any further blood from accumulating at the poke site. And if kitty resists, let go and try again. I always double check to make sure the bleeding has stopped completely.

Yup, this is essentially the same pressure I use and also run over his ear with thumb and index finger to check bleeding has stopped