BG test dilemma

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Sarah and Blaze

Sarah and Blaze

Member Since 2019
I have a dilemma I’m not sure what to do about. There are some upcoming days where I will not be home early enough in the evening to test BG/feed dinner/ give insulin. My fiancé will be home and can feed him and give the insulin (that took a few days for him to be okay with that) but he is not comfortable and will not test BG. What do I do in these situations where I can’t test before giving his dose?

It’s not something I can talk him into, he is not patient enough to test BG and even the insulin shot freaks him out a bit so I know he will not test BG.
 
Chris & China (GA) said:
Probably the safest thing to do would be to shoot slightly less insulin

How many days before this happens?
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Okay that’s what I figured but wanted to be sure. So he’s at 1U twice a day right now. Do I give him his regular 1U in the morning and then have my fiancé give a lower dose in the evening? If so, what do you suggest we give for the evening dose?

Tomorrow evening I will be home at probably 6:30-6:45 pm and the schedule we are on is test at 5:30 pm, feed dinner and insulin by 6-6:15pm.

But Friday I will be home later.
 
Chris & China (GA) said:
Probably the safest thing to do would be to shoot slightly less insulin

How many days before this happens?
Click to expand...
Should I have my fiancé give .5U tomorrow evening? Or is that too low of a dose when he’s been getting 1U? I will test his BG as soon as I get home tomorrow night and again a few hours later, since I don’t work Friday, I can stay up later to get another test in tomorrow night.
 
I don't know about Novolin but with Lantus if I know in advance I won't be home for the normal schedule, I figure out how many injections I need before that date to move the shot forward or back. So with Lantus, its ok to move it by 15 min increments per injection, so I just figure out how many of those I need & move it until I get to a new time. Again, sorry I don't know about your insulin but may be something to look into or ask with a new thread "Moving Injection Times for Novolin".
 
Amy47 said:
I don't know about Novolin but with Lantus if I know in advance I won't be home for the normal schedule, I figure out how many injections I need before that date to move the shot forward or back. So with Lantus, its ok to move it by 15 min increments per injection, so I just figure out how many of those I need & move it until I get to a new time. Again, sorry I don't know about your insulin but may be something to look into or ask with a new thread "Moving Injection Times for Novolin".
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Thank you! I asked my vet to write a prescription for Lantus so we will be ordering that soon and get Blaze started on that!
 
Sarah Hamrick said:
Thank you! I asked my vet to write a prescription for Lantus so we will be ordering that soon and get Blaze started on that!
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ok I do suggest to take a look of the stikies on the Lantus forum before changing insulins, because for what I know Lantus actually requires a more strict schedule than Novolin, that is with Lantus you have to stick to your schedule as much as humanly possible , since changing shoot times or shooting early or late can mess with the depot.

When you need to change your schedule the changes have to be done in no more that 15 minutes every shot and to get back to your original schedule is done again in 15 minutes every shoot

I do suggest you ask in the Novolin forum for advice both in the dose your boyfriend will give and changing shoot times
 
Okay thank you for the advice. A lot of people here have said that Lantus is much better for cats, as Novolin is harsher and doesn’t last as long, so I feel that switching to Lantus is a better option for Blaze in that aspect. But that definitely will make things harder. I’m not always home by 6:00pm to test his BG, feed and give his shot and with my fiancé not being willing to test his BG, I’m not sure what to do now. He is comfortable feeding Blaze and going his insulin, but not testing.
 
Sarah, Amy47 gave you some good advice by recommending you begin reading through the stickies at the top of the Lantus forum, HERE. Then you can start to learn how Lantus works, how it's different from Novolin and be better prepared when you change over. When you start using Lantus, you should post daily in that forum, like you are posting in the Main forum now. That gets eyes of Lantus users on Blaze and they can get to know you, Blaze and what he's been up to. :)

When you start using Lantus, you can just insert a line into the spreadsheet above the new BG values and indicate Lantus. You will also change your signature to reflect that you went from Novolin to Lantus.

It's almost the weekend, and I bet you are glad for that. A little less stress from the "busy" of this past week. I hope you will have time to start reading that information and getting the basics down, and if something confuses you, ask questions.

You are so conscientious with Blaze, and I can see how much you care and how important his treatment is to you. You have already accomplished so much in so little time. Lotsa hugs. :bighug::bighug:
 
It's true that Lantus "likes" a more regular schedule, and in particular, when using methods such as the "Tight Regulation" protocol in the L+L forum here, it's important to keep to that schedule. This is because shooting early or shooting late can sometimes act like dose increases or decreases and affect the BG numbers, possibly (incorrectly) affecting dose decisions. TR is a fairly aggressive, very data-driven dosing method, and it's important to have reliable BG data, for safety's sake.

That said... we do have lives to lead in addition to caring for our kitties, and especially if you are working, sometimes you just can't keep a rigid 12hr-12hr shot schedule. As long as the time fluctuations aren't too radical, it should be fine, it's just a matter of adjusting your interpretation of the numbers. The only thing about changing shot times that could cause a problem would be changing the time to be much earlier (more than an hour or so), because as mentioned above, sometimes that will act like a dose increase when you didn't intend one.

I think you'll really like using Lantus, but it does take some time to get your head around the ins and outs-- it's very different from Novolin! Definitely read through the stickies, as suggested, lots of good information there!
 
Sarah Hamrick said:
Okay thank you for the advice. A lot of people here have said that Lantus is much better for cats, as Novolin is harsher and doesn’t last as long, so I feel that switching to Lantus is a better option for Blaze in that aspect. But that definitely will make things harder. I’m not always home by 6:00pm to test his BG, feed and give his shot and with my fiancé not being willing to test his BG, I’m not sure what to do now. He is comfortable feeding Blaze and going his insulin, but not testing.
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Yes I do think Lantus is better for cats but it is handled differently so do read the stikys to get an idea of how it works and ask any doubts you have about it, it has also de "Start Low go slow protocol" that gives you a bit more of room to maneuver, I just wanted to point out that it is less forgiving with the schedule than Novolin just in case you were thinking of changing insulins for that reason
 
Veronica & Babu-chiri said:
Yes I do think Lantus is better for cats but it is handled differently so do read the stikys to get an idea of how it works and ask any doubts you have about it, it has also de "Start Low go slow protocol" that gives you a bit more of room to maneuver, I just wanted to point out that it is less forgiving with the schedule than Novolin just in case you were thinking of changing insulins for that reason
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Okay thanks so much, I’ve started reading some of the stickies in the Lantus board and will do more reading tomorrow when I’m home and off work.
I wanted to switch Blaze because so many people told me Novolin was very harsh, not the best for cats and didn’t last as long, so I wanted to get him on something better. For the most part, I will be home in time to test, feed, shoot at 6pm, but there are some times that I won’t be, and my fiancé will have to handle it. I’m going to do lots of reading this weekend so I’m prepared for the change to Lantus. Thank you! I’m sure I will have more questions once I’m ready to switch!
 
Nan & Amber said:
It's true that Lantus "likes" a more regular schedule, and in particular, when using methods such as the "Tight Regulation" protocol in the L+L forum here, it's important to keep to that schedule. This is because shooting early or shooting late can sometimes act like dose increases or decreases and affect the BG numbers, possibly (incorrectly) affecting dose decisions. TR is a fairly aggressive, very data-driven dosing method, and it's important to have reliable BG data, for safety's sake.

That said... we do have lives to lead in addition to caring for our kitties, and especially if you are working, sometimes you just can't keep a rigid 12hr-12hr shot schedule. As long as the time fluctuations aren't too radical, it should be fine, it's just a matter of adjusting your interpretation of the numbers. The only thing about changing shot times that could cause a problem would be changing the time to be much earlier (more than an hour or so), because as mentioned above, sometimes that will act like a dose increase when you didn't intend one.

I think you'll really like using Lantus, but it does take some time to get your head around the ins and outs-- it's very different from Novolin! Definitely read through the stickies, as suggested, lots of good information there!
Click to expand...
Thank you for this info. I do think switching Blaze from Novolin to Lantus is the right thing, and am going to read all the stickies about Lantus so I’m prepared. I wouldn’t shoot more than an hour early or late, I would just have my fiancé give his dose if I wasn’t home in time, possibly a lower dose due to my fiancé not wanting to test BG.
 
Idjit's mom said:
Sarah, Amy47 gave you some good advice by recommending you begin reading through the stickies at the top of the Lantus forum, HERE. Then you can start to learn how Lantus works, how it's different from Novolin and be better prepared when you change over. When you start using Lantus, you should post daily in that forum, like you are posting in the Main forum now. That gets eyes of Lantus users on Blaze and they can get to know you, Blaze and what he's been up to. :)

When you start using Lantus, you can just insert a line into the spreadsheet above the new BG values and indicate Lantus. You will also change your signature to reflect that you went from Novolin to Lantus.

It's almost the weekend, and I bet you are glad for that. A little less stress from the "busy" of this past week. I hope you will have time to start reading that information and getting the basics down, and if something confuses you, ask questions.

You are so conscientious with Blaze, and I can see how much you care and how important his treatment is to you. You have already accomplished so much in so little time. Lotsa hugs. :bighug::bighug:
Click to expand...
Thanks so much Lou! I’m going to read all the info about Lantus this weekend.

I just got the prescription for Lantus so I’m going to call Mark’s Marine tomorrow. I know it takes about a week to get it, so Blaze will be on the Novolin for another week or so, so plenty of time to read up on Lantus and be more prepared. But I know I will be posting in the Lantus forum like a crazy person!:nailbiting:

I’m definitely relieved for the weekend, I can be home more, test more, read more. And relax!:bighug:
 
Amy47 said:
I don't know about Novolin but with Lantus if I know in advance I won't be home for the normal schedule, I figure out how many injections I need before that date to move the shot forward or back. So with Lantus, its ok to move it by 15 min increments per injection, so I just figure out how many of those I need & move it until I get to a new time. Again, sorry I don't know about your insulin but may be something to look into or ask with a new thread "Moving Injection Times for Novolin".
Click to expand...
Thank you for this advice!
 
just to let you know, it really helped to switch Catcat from Vetsulin (similar actions to Novolin) to Lantus -- yes there is less flexibility with shot times, but it's do-able especially if you start out with the SLGS (start low go slow) protocol --

you never know, your fiance may decide to help you out and try testing occasionally, as soon as he realizes how crucial it can be .. very few of us wanted to do that ourselves at the beginning, had to struggle and put on our Big Girl pants or Man Up .. and for some it doesn't get easier for quite a while
 
I hope that once your fiance turns into a pro at giving insulin, he can learn to do the tests. I have given three different cats subq fluids in a three year span, yet I was terrified at the thought of BG testing. LOL! The cat doesn't seem to feel anything when I prick her ear, even when I accidentally go all the way through. She doesn't like having her ear folded back and I have to make sure I hold onto it so that she doesn't flick it and send the nice blood blob flying.

I'm curious why your fiance doesn't want to do the testing, and if you can, over time, work on getting him to do testing. Has he watched you do it?
 
CandyH and Catcat said:
just to let you know, it really helped to switch Catcat from Vetsulin (similar actions to Novolin) to Lantus -- yes there is less flexibility with shot times, but it's do-able especially if you start out with the SLGS (start low go slow) protocol --

you never know, your fiance may decide to help you out and try testing occasionally, as soon as he realizes how crucial it can be .. very few of us wanted to do that ourselves at the beginning, had to struggle and put on our Big Girl pants or Man Up .. and for some it doesn't get easier for quite a while
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I can’t wait to get him on Lantus, and see an insulin work better and longer for him. I will start with SLGS until I feel better/confident about trying out tight regulation. It’s hard because I don’t get off work at the same time every day and I usually go to the gym after work so I’m not home at the same time every night.

I don’t see my fiancé ever testing. Giving the insulin is hard enough for him but he is not patient enough to test Blazes BG. If there are times that I’m not home in time to test him before giving insulin, I will have to have my fiancé give a lower dose. I know it’s not ideal but it’s the only way we can make it work while still living our lives as well:confused:
 
Gypsy's Parent said:
I hope that once your fiance turns into a pro at giving insulin, he can learn to do the tests. I have given three different cats subq fluids in a three year span, yet I was terrified at the thought of BG testing. LOL! The cat doesn't seem to feel anything when I prick her ear, even when I accidentally go all the way through. She doesn't like having her ear folded back and I have to make sure I hold onto it so that she doesn't flick it and send the nice blood blob flying.

I'm curious why your fiance doesn't want to do the testing, and if you can, over time, work on getting him to do testing. Has he watched you do it?
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I hope he turns into a pro with giving insulin too. He doesn’t do well with needles and the injection, he thinks Blaze is more cooperative for me than he is with him, he gets flustered and impatient. He is not cut out for testing BG. I would love for him to learn and be confident in testing but I know it will never happen. I can’t force him. I wish I could, but I can’t. He’s watched me do it but he says he won’t do it. When he gives insulin, if I’m not home, it will have to be a lower does due to not being able to test before.
 
you could suggest that he sings when he injects -- or chants -- cats don't care if you can't carry a tune in a bucket -- it utilizes a different part of your brain and apparently, at least for cats, it sounds and feels like you're happy
 
Hmmmm.... "shooting blind" really is a tough one. You may have to consider keeping the dosage more conservative overall, rather than lowering the dose when your fiance is in charge of the syringe. It's harder to switch doses on-the-fly with Lantus than with an in-and-out insulin like Novalin or Vetsulin, it will lead to confusing data. Because it's a "depot" insulin, changing Lantus dosage is kind of like turning an ocean liner around-- even if that night's dose is smaller, the depot will carry through anyway. You might see more of an effect of a lower dose in the next couple of cycles (again because of the depot), which also probably isn't what you would be going for.

A few folks around here have tried the Freestyle Libre for their cats-- a monitor is permanently (well, a couple weeks or so a pop) stuck onto the cat, and the BG numbers read from some kind of receiver (don't know if it's a separate device or a smartphone app, but something like that). Pros: incredibly convenient and a literal lifesaver for hard-to-test cats. Cons: seems to be hit-or-miss on actually working, with the main problem keeping the thing glued onto a cat for any length of time, hah! I don't have any personal experience with them, but might be worth searching through some of the threads on this and the Lantus forum if you think it might be a possible solution.
 
Nan & Amber said:
Hmmmm.... "shooting blind" really is a tough one. You may have to consider keeping the dosage more conservative overall, rather than lowering the dose when your fiance is in charge of the syringe. It's harder to switch doses on-the-fly with Lantus than with an in-and-out insulin like Novalin or Vetsulin, it will lead to confusing data. Because it's a "depot" insulin, changing Lantus dosage is kind of like turning an ocean liner around-- even if that night's dose is smaller, the depot will carry through anyway. You might see more of an effect of a lower dose in the next couple of cycles (again because of the depot), which also probably isn't what you would be going for.

A few folks around here have tried the Freestyle Libre for their cats-- a monitor is permanently (well, a couple weeks or so a pop) stuck onto the cat, and the BG numbers read from some kind of receiver (don't know if it's a separate device or a smartphone app, but something like that). Pros: incredibly convenient and a literal lifesaver for hard-to-test cats. Cons: seems to be hit-or-miss on actually working, with the main problem keeping the thing glued onto a cat for any length of time, hah! I don't have any personal experience with them, but might be worth searching through some of the threads on this and the Lantus forum if you think it might be a possible solution.
Click to expand...
I know, I don’t like the thought of shooting blind but I don’t know what else to do at this point. I will be out of town 9/5-9/6, I will be able to do AMPS and insulin on 9/5 morning but won’t be home that evening or the following morning so my fiancé will be in charge for PM dose on 9/5 and am dose on 9/6 and I don’t think he will be ready or even willing to test BG by then. I’m trying to get him to watch me test with the hopes that I can get him to do it eventually, but I just don’t see it happening any time soon.

We don’t have the Lantus yet, it is supposed to be shipped tomorrow so that could take a week or so to get. Maybe it’s better to hold off on starting the Lantus until I am home on 9/7, after being gone for the day and a half before. That way, my fiancé can do a low dose of Novolin on 9/5 evening and 9/6 morning. That way, I can start Lantus on 9/7 when I can be home.
 
What is it with these men? I actually had to write out feeding instructions for our kitties for my husband (no special diets involved) because as much as he loved to cuddle and play with them, feeding them just wasn't on his agenda. Oh how I cringed when I heard "Mommy, the kids are hungry". I know for a fact that my DH would have been just like your fiancé refusing to test. I also know I would have been adamant that he learn out of respect for me and my love for my kitties.
Why are these guys such wusses?! If your fiancé can give shots, he can test. Don't give up the battle Sarah! :rolleyes:
 
Am I the only person who has a significant other who won’t test BG? I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place:banghead:
 
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