Glucometer/curve please help

[Simba the ging]

Hi everyone, Simba was started on insulin (lantus) 1 unit twice a day, 2 weeks ago - I give him insulin at 8am and 8pm. He's been switched to a high protein, low carb wet food only diet and gets a snack around 5am, his breakfast at 7am, 4-5 snacks throughout the day, dinner at 7pm and 1-2 snacks before bed.

I have the Bayer contour next glucometer and I have the EZ Health Oracle glucometer (both human ones) Which is the better option to go with for his testing?

He had his first curve last night @ the vet( I work there and was there last night learning how to do a curve) and I brought my Bayer Contour glucometer to compare the alphatrak readings. Bayer was .5 lower difference in reading. His whole curve was overall low.. first one 4.8mmol at 9pm, 3.7mmol at 10pm offered him a snack, they missed the 11pm reading, 12am 4.3mmol, 1am 4.6mmol, 2am 4mmol, 3am 4.4mmol, 4am 4.4mmol, 5am 4.2mmol fed him at 5am after reading, 6am it was 3.4mmol on a different glucometer( can't remember name of it) 7am 3.9mmol. Dr told me to fed him once I got him home and give him 0.5 units and test again within the hour, I did and his reading was 2.3mmol - wasn't acting hypoglycemic at all but fed him right away and took another reading at 214pm after he had eaten at 1240 and the reading was 2.9mmol gave him food and tested 15 minutes after and it was 7.6mmol. I'm very very confused/concerned by the readings, something doesn't seem to make sense. He's 100% himself aside from being angry at me for taking him to the vet and poking him this morning/afternoon when he got home.

Does anyone have any idea on what is going on or where I go from here? I'm very lost

 

[Kris & Teasel]

Human meters will always read lower than a pet meter. There might also be small variations between human meters. Those BG readings are all really good and a couple are too low. I see that your vet told you to drop the dose. Good call! Those low readings afterward are influenced by the 1 unit depot still. It can take a couple of 12 hour cycles for the depot to shrink down to the appropriate size for the dose.

Here are my suggestions:

1. set up your signature so we have key info at a glance:

Here's how:

• click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
• click on "signature" in the men that drops down
• type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using /glucose meter you're using/what he eats/any other meds or health issues he has.

2. set up the spreadsheet we use here to log your data:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

3. read the Lantus info stickies to learn more about the depot and how Lantus is dosed:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-basaglar-glargine-and-levemir-detemir.9/ (yellow stickies at the top of the page)

4. introduce yourself on the Lantus forum - lots of expertise there.

 

[Simba the ging]

Human meters will always read lower than a pet meter. There might also be small variations between human meters. Those BG readings are all really good and a couple are too low. I see that your vet told you to drop the dose. Good call! Those low readings afterward are influenced by the 1 unit depot still. It can take a couple of 12 hour cycles for the depot to shrink down to the appropriate size for the dose.

Here are my suggestions:

1. set up your signature so we have key info at a glance:

Here's how:

• click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
• click on "signature" in the men that drops down
• type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using /glucose meter you're using/what he eats/any other meds or health issues he has.

2. set up the spreadsheet we use here to log your data:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

3. read the Lantus info stickies to learn more about the depot and how Lantus is dosed:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-basaglar-glargine-and-levemir-detemir.9/ (yellow stickies at the top of the page)

4. introduce yourself on the Lantus forum - lots of expertise there.

Thank you for your help, I've setup my signature and I'll have to setup the spreadsheet later. Do you think the Bayer Contour glucometer is ok to use? And I'm trying not to freak out about the low readings but I am freaking out, this is a very overwhelming and scary disease to manage

 

[Kris & Teasel]

Thank you for your help, I've setup my signature and I'll have to setup the spreadsheet later. Do you think the Bayer Contour glucometer is ok to use? And I'm trying not to freak out about the low readings but I am freaking out, this is a very overwhelming and scary disease to manage

Yes, the Bayer Contour meter is fine. We usually consider the cost of the strips, how easy it is to get them at the last minute and how large a blood drop is needed to get a reading.

We all remember how scary this was at the start. I promise that it gets better!

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Thank you for your help, I've setup my signature and I'll have to setup the spreadsheet later. Do you think the Bayer Contour glucometer is ok to use? And I'm trying not to freak out about the low readings but I am freaking out, this is a very overwhelming and scary disease to manage

The contour meter is fine.
How was Simba diagnosed?
Those numbers are all very normal readings and the 2.3 is too low and you need to reduce.
Maybe the switch to the low carb food has greatly reduced his blood glucose numbers.
As Kris said,come on over to the lantus forum. Here is the link
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-basaglar-glargine-and-levemir-detemir.9/

 

[Simba the ging]

The contour meter is fine.
How was Simba diagnosed?
Those numbers are all very normal readings and the 2.3 is too low and you need to reduce.
Maybe the switch to the low carb food has greatly reduced his blood glucose numbers.
As Kris said,come on over to the lantus forum. Here is the link
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-basaglar-glargine-and-levemir-detemir.9/

I originally thought he was Hyperthyroidism so I had bloodwork done and his glucose was 18, ran a urine amd the glucose in his urine was 164(I believe). His liver and pancreas values were also elevated- rechecking those in 2 more weeks. But he was started on insulin that night at 1unit twice daily

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Did the vet run a fructosaminetest? This will show what the blood sugars have been doing during the past few weeks.
When you get a reading of below 3, you need to feed the cat some food, possibly some higher carb food and test again in 20 minutes. Don't leave it for longer as the cat could drop lower. You have very little leeway with a number that low.
Do you have some higher carb food and honey at home in case of low blood sugars?
If he was 2.9 and shortly afterwards was 7.6, he could have been bouncing from being so low.
Could you set up a spreadsheet, link below and start documenting the blood sugar levels in it please. If you have any trouble post and someone will help you.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

Then I would copy this thread and repost over on the Lantus forum where there are many people who use Lantus every day and they will advise you. Here is the link
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-basaglar-glargine-and-levemir-detemir.9/

In the meantime I would test him frequently and post and ask for help if you are concerned.
Cats mostly don't show any hypo symptoms until they are dangerously low so don't be fooled by thinking he looks fine
Please keep posting his numbers and asking lots of questions