New Member: Pros and Cons of Home BG Testing?

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Congratulations on deciding to home test with time you will see that it is the best decision you could have made since it will help you keep him safe ( no insulin shoots if his blood glucose is too low) and adjust his insulin dose as he really needs, because since insulin isn't a medicine is actually a hormone it does not have an exact dose calculated on his weight is different for each cat and even in the same cat it will vary depending on many factors so you will be adjusting the dose as he really needs which you will know thanks to home testing

Regarding the food if he doesn't like the prescription food he's getting you can try other options there are non prescription foods that are diabetic friendly ( and usually cheaper that's a plus), what you actually need is a low carb high protein food wet food, here we use a list made by Dr Lisa Pierson where you can find a lot of options ( this is the link http://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf) any food with 10% or less carbs in this list would be ok and from my experience to avoid him getting non appropriate food from his siblings the best you can do is change everyone to the same food, they will all benefit from a more species appropriate diet mine all became more active and even their coats started looking better
 
Hi, Katherine - you are probably overwhelmed by all the bits and pieces of information provided in these posts, but give yourself time to digest and think and read again and digest... While the tips in the posts are so helpful, for me the info sank in better overall by reading through the sticky posts several times. I frequently go back to refer to them (I just joined about a month ago).

I did want to say that it's okay if the lancet goes through the ear. I just use a tiny piece of folded paper towel under the ear to keep from poking myself. While I'm trying to use a shallower poke, I'd rather go deeper once and get what I need than have to poke more than once because the shallow poke didn't work. I'd also recommend that you test yourself at least twice before testing the cat. This will give you a better confidence level on the whole process, as well as the understanding that the poke is extremely quick (especially if you are using a lancet pen) and relatively painless in the scheme of things - my cat barely notices because he is busy eating.

I use the Relion meter even though my vet originally recommended the AlphaTrak (although he didn't push it). Sometimes I've gone through several strips to get one good test, especially in the first few weeks (usually because I went too fast or the cat moved suddenly and the strip didn't suck up enough blood = error and start over). And so I've already gone through 2 bottles of 50 test strips (75 tests, plus apparently 25 screw-ups!). I can't imagine paying $1 per strip for the AT ones.
 
I've only done a quick scan of most of the posts except the first one. There are a lot of different options and opinions about feline diabetes along with some ideas that qualify as pure BS.
-Testing your cat will break the bond of trust. My first sugar cat would hear me thump the table, then jump up to be tested. He knew what was coming and didn't enjoy it but he always trusted me. Our second cat was a nervous wreck but he never ran into the basement when the time came. It does take practise but eventually I could and often did do it in the dark. (Bad migraines and cluster headaches, a story for another day).
- Medicine changes daily, sometimes bordering on the miraculous. When I was told I had a brain aneurysm I wondered why the grief councilor wasn't there. It was fixed with a scope and I was home the next day. I have no thoughts on the Freestyle Libre but if it's just not working for you and you're doing everything right why bother pouring more money into it?
- Vets in general. I use two clinics and both vets are progressive and open minded. I was shown how to test, inject and why curves are important before I was allowed to leave. Both sell overpriced food but I've never been pressured into buying anything I didn't desperately need. The veterinarian business is not what it used to be. Some are part of a corporate chain and larger clinics have a business manager so the vet you see behind the wall often has no idea what you're paying and what extras are being recommended. I just got lucky and always have been but I've heard too many horror stories about the hip new clinic next door to Starbucks.
 
Noah & me (GA) said:
I've only done a quick scan of most of the posts except the first one. There are a lot of different options and opinions about feline diabetes along with some ideas that qualify as pure BS.
-Testing your cat will break the bond of trust. My first sugar cat would hear me thump the table, then jump up to be tested. He knew what was coming and didn't enjoy it but he always trusted me. Our second cat was a nervous wreck but he never ran into the basement when the time came. It does take practise but eventually I could and often did do it in the dark. (Bad migraines and cluster headaches, a story for another day).
- Medicine changes daily, sometimes bordering on the miraculous. When I was told I had a brain aneurysm I wondered why the grief councilor wasn't there. It was fixed with a scope and I was home the next day. I have no thoughts on the Freestyle Libre but if it's just not working for you and you're doing everything right why bother pouring more money into it?
- Vets in general. I use two clinics and both vets are progressive and open minded. I was shown how to test, inject and why curves are important before I was allowed to leave. Both sell overpriced food but I've never been pressured into buying anything I didn't desperately need. The veterinarian business is not what it used to be. Some are part of a corporate chain and larger clinics have a business manager so the vet you see behind the wall often has no idea what you're paying and what extras are being recommended. I just got lucky and always have been but I've heard too many horror stories about the hip new clinic next door to Starbucks.
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To your point, I’ve worked in marketing for too long to disregard the fact there are sales reps visiting those offices monthly and pitching their products and, while they’re not harmful to the pets, they may not always be the best option for pet and owner. It’s all based on commission and even human doctors are in on those markups too. There’s a reason why all vets recommend alphatrack, regardless of the fact they all used human meters before pet meters were invented about 30 years ago. There’s a reason why they all recommend prescription food as well. Even the nutritionist I took Minnie to wanted her on Royal Canin glyco balance. I followed every advice she gave us, except for that one. The pet food industry is a multi milling dollar industry. You live and learn, right?
 
Aleluia Grugru & Minnie said:
To your point, I’ve worked in marketing for too long to disregard the fact there are sales reps visiting those offices monthly and pitching their products and, while they’re not harmful to the pets, they may not always be the best option for pet and owner. It’s all based on commission and even human doctors are in on those markups too. There’s a reason why all vets recommend alphatrack, regardless of the fact they all used human meters before pet meters were invented about 30 years ago. There’s a reason why they all recommend prescription food as well. Even the nutritionist I took Minnie to wanted her on Royal Canin glyco balance. I followed every advice she gave us, except for that one. The pet food industry is a multi milling dollar industry. You live and learn, right?
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I have to disagree with this general premise, and I really get tired of the vet-bashing on this site. Most of my experience was in specialty practice, not general practice, for whatever that is worth.

Our vets never got kickbacks, commissions, or any other financial benefit for using or selling any products. In fact, the vets did not like meeting with sales reps and rarely agreed to it. Instead, the rep would talk to the hospital manager (me) or the techs, leave product information and leave samples, and hope those somehow made it to the vet. Sometimes they brought doughnuts or bagels, but that was generally just the sales reps for big middle-man distributors. We were ordering many, many products from them (tons of ordinary stuff we used every day) so they had a reason to keep a friendly relationship with us. And in return, they were often able to alert us of a coming product shortage, find a source for something almost out of stock or pass on discounts for a large purchase of a single product.

Vets are scientists at heart. All of those that I've worked for over the years are generally quite conservative and skeptical about new products and often tended to wait TOO long to start using a new product or medication. (I'll bet when AT came out, vets resisted that too.) Sometimes it was the techs who pushed for a change to a protocol, and sometimes it was from one of the vets reading an article in a peer-reviewed journal or listening to a lecture given by a vet who is an expert in the field. And yes, there are many who are not highly educated in specialty areas and/or don't have the time to keep up with all the latest research. Veterinary medicine comprises a huge body of knowledge over multiple species. No one can do it all and for most, it's a real struggle even to keep up with research in their major area of work.

To shame vets or make them out to be money-grubbers does a huge disservice to a field full of professionals who have dedicated a tremendous amount of time and money to become proficient in their area. They take on huge student debt, as well as large financial liabilities if they open their own practice. They spend more time at work than most of the rest of us, just trying to keep up with providing care to their clients' pets. This leaves little time for continuing education, beyond what is required to keep their license and additional reading in their area of interest. Not to mention the constant issue of compassion fatigue...

Think about how often people are referred to a specialist for much of their own care. Vets don't have that luxury in many cases because either there is no appropriate specialist nearby or the owners do not want to spend the money for that level of care. There is a daily grind for vets where they are constantly getting pushback from clients about "how expensive everything is". This are often the same people that drive into the parking lot in a fancy car, spend $40 a week on Starbucks or think nothing of going to a restaurant or bar or movie (pre-COVID) and tossing out $50 or $100 for an evening of entertainment. Then the next day, they complain about paying $70 for bloodwork for their cat. Vets are not non-profit. They have huge overhead expenses and no "hospital charity society" that raises funds to build a new hospital or buy an MR. And they have a right to make a profit and be paid well for their efforts, just like everyone else.

Instead of vet-bashing, let's go to our vets with the record of how we managed to get our cats under regulation or into remission, following current protocols and using human meters. If they are worried about understanding numbers from a human meter because they haven't been in practice for decades and so are unfamiliar with human meters, then we can bring them comparison info. Or we can borrow an AT from them to do a curve at home. The more they see cases with successful outcomes, the more likely they will be to consider new ways of doing things.

Working together with vets is the solution forward for feline diabetes. Not disrespecting them as uneducated money-grubbers.
 
Jane and Ragnar said:
I have to disagree with this general premise, and I really get tired of the vet-bashing on this site. Most of my experience was in specialty practice, not general practice, for whatever that is worth.

Our vets never got kickbacks, commissions, or any other financial benefit for using or selling any products. In fact, the vets did not like meeting with sales reps and rarely agreed to it. Instead, the rep would talk to the hospital manager (me) or the techs, leave product information and leave samples, and hope those somehow made it to the vet. Sometimes they brought doughnuts or bagels, but that was generally just the sales reps for big middle-man distributors. We were ordering many, many products from them (tons of ordinary stuff we used every day) so they had a reason to keep a friendly relationship with us. And in return, they were often able to alert us of a coming product shortage, find a source for something almost out of stock or pass on discounts for a large purchase of a single product.

Vets are scientists at heart. All of those that I've worked for over the years are generally quite conservative and skeptical about new products and often tended to wait TOO long to start using a new product or medication. (I'll bet when AT came out, vets resisted that too.) Sometimes it was the techs who pushed for a change to a protocol, and sometimes it was from one of the vets reading an article in a peer-reviewed journal or listening to a lecture given by a vet who is an expert in the field. And yes, there are many who are not highly educated in specialty areas and/or don't have the time to keep up with all the latest research. Veterinary medicine comprises a huge body of knowledge over multiple species. No one can do it all and for most, it's a real struggle even to keep up with research in their major area of work.

To shame vets or make them out to be money-grubbers does a huge disservice to a field full of professionals who have dedicated a tremendous amount of time and money to become proficient in their area. They take on huge student debt, as well as large financial liabilities if they open their own practice. They spend more time at work than most of the rest of us, just trying to keep up with providing care to their clients' pets. This leaves little time for continuing education, beyond what is required to keep their license and additional reading in their area of interest. Not to mention the constant issue of compassion fatigue...

Think about how often people are referred to a specialist for much of their own care. Vets don't have that luxury in many cases because either there is no appropriate specialist nearby or the owners do not want to spend the money for that level of care. There is a daily grind for vets where they are constantly getting pushback from clients about "how expensive everything is". This are often the same people that drive into the parking lot in a fancy car, spend $40 a week on Starbucks or think nothing of going to a restaurant or bar or movie (pre-COVID) and tossing out $50 or $100 for an evening of entertainment. Then the next day, they complain about paying $70 for bloodwork for their cat. Vets are not non-profit. They have huge overhead expenses and no "hospital charity society" that raises funds to build a new hospital or buy an MR. And they have a right to make a profit and be paid well for their efforts, just like everyone else.

Instead of vet-bashing, let's go to our vets with the record of how we managed to get our cats under regulation or into remission, following current protocols and using human meters. If they are worried about understanding numbers from a human meter because they haven't been in practice for decades and so are unfamiliar with human meters, then we can bring them comparison info. Or we can borrow an AT from them to do a curve at home. The more they see cases with successful outcomes, the more likely they will be to consider new ways of doing things.

Working together with vets is the solution forward for feline diabetes. Not disrespecting them as uneducated money-grubbers.
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Based on my experience with vets that should have their licenses revoked and could have caused my cat to be dead by now, I’ll respectfully disagree with you. To clarify when I say vet I mean the clinic or the hospital they work at. Regardless, I’m happy for you and your positive experience. Not all of us have been so lucky. I’ve also witnessed bad advice from vets being given to many folks here that could and has caused cats to end up in the emergency room. Not all vets are willing to work with you and not all vets are good. That’s a fact
 
On the subject of vets, my own experience of vets (and indeed vets' experience of diabetes) has varied enormously over these past 14 years... For example, here's a very quick summary of the three vets I've encountered since my first boy became diabetic...
The vet who diagnosed my first diabetic suggested I have him PTS because 'diabetes is so hard to manage'. :eek: ...My cat was just 8 years old and otherwise healthy. So, I got another vet...

The second vet said that diabetes was treatable, but also said that diabetic cats live on average about 2 years after diagnosis. He also said that hometesting 'shouldn't be necessary'.... I didn't like the sound of those odds, so got online and started learning... My cat lived for 12 and a half years with diabetes, in remission for the last year and a half. ....My vet, bless him, not only came to respect how I chose to treat my cat but also came to be so very proud of my him, and of the fact that he'd lived so long after diagnosis. ...However, he was still not encouraging of hometesting, even telling someone that I had taught to test that this 'shouldn't be necessary'... That person ceased to test as a result of the vet's advice...

Fast forward to new diabetic cat and also new vet...
Current vet is completely OK with what I choose to feed my girl, and also actively promotes the use of low carb wet diets. She wishes more people would test their cat's blood glucose. She is also fine with my deciding insulin dosage as I see to be appropriate based on the cat's blood test data.

Eliz
 
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Aleluia Grugru & Minnie said:
Based on my experience with vets that should have their licenses revoked and could have caused my cat to be dead by now, I’ll respectfully disagree with you. To clarify when I say vet I mean the clinic or the hospital they work at. Regardless, I’m happy for you and your positive experience. Not all of us have been so lucky. I’ve also witnessed bad advice from vets being given to many folks here that could and has caused cats to end up in the emergency room. Not all vets are willing to work with you and not all vets are good. That’s a fact
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I didn't say that all vets are good. Obviously there are bad human doctors and there are bad vets. There are bad practitioners in every field. And if someone doesn't trust their vet, or feels that the vet is unwilling to listen to questions and consider alternate ways to manage diabetes, then they should of course go to another vet.

I do think that what we read here is skewed. I'm sure there are many cat owners out there who have vets that are successfully providing care for diabetic cats, and those owners are unlikely to feel the need to come here for advice. The only reason I came here in the first place was because I am a "researcher" at heart, and because with COVID precautions, I felt that I wasn't able to get enough one-on-one time with my vet to really understand what was going on. And if we are being honest here, the reality is that even the highest-level feline experts don't really understand exactly how various insulin strategies work, or they wouldn't still be doing research on it.

The vast majority of cat owners are not willing to home test, and I'm sure that plays into why many vets don't really suggest it or push for it. (And yes, of course, there are those stuck in old ways who don't believe it can be done - another reason to maintain a relationship where we can show the vet our own successes.) Again, dealing with owners day after day who are unwilling to pay for gold standard care, and also the many, many cat owners who are unable to handle their cats for simple pill-popping or nail trims other procedures at home, it's understandable why vets don't immediately jump in with "you need to poke your cat's ears at least twice a day, if not multiple times a day".
 
Jane and Ragnar said:
I didn't say that all vets are good. Obviously there are bad human doctors and there are bad vets. There are bad practitioners in every field. And if someone doesn't trust their vet, or feels that the vet is unwilling to listen to questions and consider alternate ways to manage diabetes, then they should of course go to another vet.

I do think that what we read here is skewed. I'm sure there are many cat owners out there who have vets that are successfully providing care for diabetic cats, and those owners are unlikely to feel the need to come here for advice. The only reason I came here in the first place was because I am a "researcher" at heart, and because with COVID precautions, I felt that I wasn't able to get enough one-on-one time with my vet to really understand what was going on. And if we are being honest here, the reality is that even the highest-level feline experts don't really understand exactly how various insulin strategies work, or they wouldn't still be doing research on it.

The vast majority of cat owners are not willing to home test, and I'm sure that plays into why many vets don't really suggest it or push for it. (And yes, of course, there are those stuck in old ways who don't believe it can be done - another reason to maintain a relationship where we can show the vet our own successes.) Again, dealing with owners day after day who are unwilling to pay for gold standard care, and also the many, many cat owners who are unable to handle their cats for simple pill-popping or nail trims other procedures at home, it's understandable why vets don't immediately jump in with "you need to poke your cat's ears at least twice a day, if not multiple times a day".
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Okay so here’s something we do agree on.

I get all of what you said and I’m not even saying vets should be jumping to encourage folks to home test, but when it’s brought up they should not object to it either and many many do. I was lucky to find a vet I like on the 4th try and she asked me when we talked about curves, would you be willing to do it yourself at home to which I said absolutely not ever, no. I thought I’d rather let them be the “bad guy” than have my cat hate me for it. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized she’d be way more comfortable at home with me and my objection truly had more to deal with my reluctance and fear of doing it myself than with what was best for her. So I bit the bullet and did it and now here we are. But even this vet I like and trust now said to me I’d drive myself crazy if I tested her every day. When I thought about that later, I realized she was doing what I was doing. She really meant I’d drive her crazy if I tested daily and reached out for guidance on numbers daily as well. As well intentioned as they are, it’s easier for them not to have to deal with patients calling or emailing everyday with bg questions.
The last thing I’ll say that I have observed across the board is the unwillingness to work with what someone can and cannot do financially. There’s very little room for dialogue about one’s financial limitations and that should be part of the broader care conversation. For instance, I can’t afford the libre every 2 weeks. The answer to that then should be, have you considered home testing? I can’t afford the AT strips. Okay well, maybe a human meter is an option. I was dealing with that with Minnie’s 2 hospitalizations. Let’s have a conversation about her treatment plan so I can prioritize what needs to be done versus what can wait given what I can afford. I took her to our top vet hospital because I wanted to make sure she was taken care of and I did pay for platinum care, but guess what? I wasn’t willing to pay for a 300% medication markup and yet they tried to push it on me several times. I can get RenaPlus for $8.99 from Chewy versus $50 from them so don’t hand it over to me with my cat without even telling me the price and then tell me later you can’t accept it back once it’s left the hospital. It happened with exams too. Don’t run a test or exam we have not discussed prior. Things like that make it more about the money and less about me and my pet and it happens more often than not sadly. I wish more doctors were studying and researching more about feline diabetes and staying current, but I just don’t think that’s the norm and when you read all the posts here you start to realize it’s a bigger issue than just a few bad apples
 
UPDATE: I DID IT! It was not a resounding success as I had to prick Ruby twice because I was so nervous and missed the part where I enter the code for felines when I inserted the strip. But the second time, I got a reading of 367 at 3:44 PM, about +8 from her shot this morning at 8 AM. Bought all of these delicious looking freeze dried treats to give to her after but she turns her nose up at them. I have a feeling I won't really need them, as she was ok with me handling her ears. The blood took a little coaxing to bead up but it did eventually. The number is fairly consistent with what I have seen happen to her when she was on just 1 unit of Lantus as she nears her next shot at 8 PM. I'm going to try it again before her next shot but I think I've got this! I did the pricking freehand because that lancing device just would not work for me and it was easier for me to handle the needle myself. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT! I will be saving a ton of money by trying to do the BG curve this week on my own rather than using the Libre.

I am a little worried about her because a) her reading this afternoon was high, b) she vomited this morning as well as a few days ago, c) her Ketodiastix are still showing high glucose and trace ketones even though we increased her dosage by .5 units and she is eating well and running around being more frisky and energetic than ever. I'm still trying to learn how to read her behavior for signs of hypo or DKA, but she seems to be doing better than ever.

Regarding criticisms of vets, I'm actually quite grateful to the vets for having gotten Ruby so far in her treatment. She got super platinum treatment from the Blue Pearl folks and I have good communication with her local primary care vet who is much more patient and forthcoming with information and answers to my many questions. I feel good that she got the best care possible even though I had to create a GoFundMe to help me pay for what amounted to be close to a down payment on a house. I came on this forum not to question the vet but because I wanted to do a BG curve myself rather than use the Libre that made Ruby so unhappy and I wanted to save myself from going into more debt unnecessarily. In the process, I've learned from you all that there is an alternative way of going about the treatment for my cat than the "loose regulation" that the vet is promoting. I'm still a little wary of changing dosage without the vet's ok, but by testing Ruby's BG on my own I can at least have all of the right information at my fingertips so in case something dire is happening with her levels, I will be able to talk to the vet about it and do something without the stress and expense of bringing her into the hospital all the time.
 
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Jane and Ragnar said:
many cat owners who are unable to handle their cats for simple pill-popping or nail trims other procedures at home,
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I have two cats which I do not normally trim their nails. Nala is diabetic and I can BG test OK and give pills. I can only trim her nails if I sedate her with 100mg gabapentin. I sedate her for vet vits sine the first time she bit the vet and drew blood. My civi Mia I can't cut her nails even after giving 100mg gabapentin. I can pill her OK bu surprising her and give her an Adequan shot when she is eating. Thus, not all simple procedure are equal.
 
Jenifer said:
View attachment 57024
Like others have mentioned, the Libre IS a human meter. It can’t be calibrated for cats or anything so the vet insisting on the Alpha after pushing the Libre is kind of funny. Mine actually had the same protocol as your vet though and insisted on the AlphaTrak2 for home testing if i wasn’t going to have them install the Libre. And a lady I volunteer with at a local rescue who takes care of all the diabetic cats also highly recommended the AT2 so it’s not like you can really go wrong using it. It all just comes down to cost really. Here’s a tip I learned the hard way: order your strips online beforehand. Walmart. Com has them for .50 ea. but you only get that deal online and can’t pick it up in the store for that price. I didn’t know that and went to the store when I was running low after checking online to make sure they had them in stock. But when I got there it was $80 for a box of 50. I about died!!!! But I was almost out of strips so I had to buy them. I think I already mentioned it but the AT2 and Freestyle Lite take the same strips so when the bottle that comes with your meter runs out, you can just order the Lite strips instead and save a lot of money. Another thing that i don’t know if someone mentioned already or not is the poking. Your meter comes with a spring loaded poker but we never used it. The noise it made was too “scary” and had a negative impact on getting her used to testing. Figured I’d mention it just in case. You can do this girl! :cat::bighug:
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I wanted to let you know Jenifer that I got the Alpha Trak 2 meter and ordered a box of Freestyle Lite Strips from AffordableOTC.com that has soon to expire strips at discounted prices, about $.50 each. I'm going to save the ones that came with the meter that will expire in 2022 and use ones I get from this website. Thank you so much for letting me know that these strips are compatible!
 
PerfumedCatMom said:
UPDATE: I DID IT! It was not a resounding success as I had to prick Ruby twice because I was so nervous and missed the part where I enter the code for felines when I inserted the strip. But the second time, I got a reading of 367 at 3:44 PM, about +8 from her shot this morning at 8 AM. Bought all of these delicious looking freeze dried treats to give to her after but she turns her nose up at them. I have a feeling I won't really need them, as she was ok with me handling her ears. The blood took a little coaxing to bead up but it did eventually. The number is fairly consistent with what I have seen happen to her when she was on just 1 unit of Lantus as she nears her next shot at 8 PM. I'm going to try it again before her next shot but I think I've got this! I did the pricking freehand because that lancing device just would not work for me and it was easier for me to handle the needle myself. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT! I will be saving a ton of money by trying to do the BG curve this week on my own rather than using the Libre.

I am a little worried about her because a) her reading this afternoon was high, b) she vomited this morning as well as a few days ago, c) her Ketodiastix are still showing high glucose and trace ketones even though we increased her dosage by .5 units and she is eating well and running around being more frisky and energetic than ever. I'm still trying to learn how to read her behavior for signs of hypo or DKA, but she seems to be doing better than ever.

Regarding criticisms of vets, I'm actually quite grateful to the vets for having gotten Ruby so far in her treatment. She got super platinum treatment from the Blue Pearl folks and I have good communication with her local primary care vet who is much more patient and forthcoming with information and answers to my many questions. I feel good that she got the best care possible even though I had to create a GoFundMe to help me pay for what amounted to be close to a down payment on a house. I came on this forum not to question the vet but because I wanted to do a BG curve myself rather than use the Libre that made Ruby so unhappy and I wanted to save myself from going into more debt unnecessarily. In the process, I've learned from you all that there is an alternative way of going about the treatment for my cat than the "loose regulation" that the vet is promoting. I'm still a little wary of changing dosage without the vet's ok, but by testing Ruby's BG on my own I can at least have all of the right information at my fingertips so in case something dire is happening with her levels, I will be able to talk to the vet about it and do something without the stress and expense of bringing her into the hospital all the time.
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Huge congrats!!!

As I said before, this will help you feel more in control of the situation. And you take what works for you and forget the rest. I’m happy you have a good relationship with your vet and I hope you can continue to communicate and work well together for her care. Sorry if we went on a few tangents on this thread but it’s only because we care and are very passionate about helping folks avoid our own mistakes.

one more tip, don’t remember if it was mentioned but you can “milk” the ear to get the blood out. It sounds like that’s what you did which is kinda like squeezing a pimple to get more of the blood to come out.

I think signs of hypo are different in every cat and some come at higher numbers while others only show at super low numbers. Hence again the importance of home testing. Eating is a good sign and energy levels are as well. Don’t be surprised if she’s due for a dose increase. Again, we suggest you do that gradually by .25 units not .5 or 1, so just keep that in mind when you discuss it with your vet.

PS - I too spent a small fortune on Minnie this year, which is why I like to alert folks to all the money saving options.

keep us posted!
 
note: When you test yourself...its gonna hurt. Not a LOT but you WILL feel it. (Hubby is a diabetic) But our kitty cats ears, arent like our finger tips. The nerves in a cats ear, dont grow to the outer edge (the place you test at) so a prick there isnt like sticking your finger. Your cat may be annoyed more by all the fuss than feeling pain.
If you look at feral cats that often get into fights their ears are the tPlease hing that gets pretty torn up and they just go on.
Jane is correct. Read and digest. Rinse repeat. We will be here to answer your questions
PerfumedCatMom said:
UPDATE: I DID IT! It was not a resounding success as I had to prick Ruby twice because I was so nervous and missed the part where I enter the code for felines when I inserted the strip. But the second time, I got a reading of 367 at 3:44 PM, about +8 from her shot this morning at 8 AM. Bought all of these delicious looking freeze dried treats to give to her after but she turns her nose up at them. I have a feeling I won't really need them, as she was ok with me handling her ears. The blood took a little coaxing to bead up but it did eventually. The number is fairly consistent with what I have seen happen to her when she was on just 1 unit of Lantus as she nears her next shot at 8 PM. I'm going to try it again before her next shot but I think I've got this! I did the pricking freehand because that lancing device just would not work for me and it was easier for me to handle the needle myself. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT! I will be saving a ton of money by trying to do the BG curve this week on my own rather than using the Libre.

I am a little worried about her because a) her reading this afternoon was high, b) she vomited this morning as well as a few days ago, c) her Ketodiastix are still showing high glucose and trace ketones even though we increased her dosage by .5 units and she is eating well and running around being more frisky and energetic than ever. I'm still trying to learn how to read her behavior for signs of hypo or DKA, but she seems to be doing better than ever.

Regarding criticisms of vets, I'm actually quite grateful to the vets for having gotten Ruby so far in her treatment. She got super platinum treatment from the Blue Pearl folks and I have good communication with her local primary care vet who is much more patient and forthcoming with information and answers to my many questions. I feel good that she got the best care possible even though I had to create a GoFundMe to help me pay for what amounted to be close to a down payment on a house. I came on this forum not to question the vet but because I wanted to do a BG curve myself rather than use the Libre that made Ruby so unhappy and I wanted to save myself from going into more debt unnecessarily. In the process, I've learned from you all that there is an alternative way of going about the treatment for my cat than the "loose regulation" that the vet is promoting. I'm still a little wary of changing dosage without the vet's ok, but by testing Ruby's BG on my own I can at least have all of the right information at my fingertips so in case something dire is happening with her levels, I will be able to talk to the vet about it and do something without the stress and expense of bringing her into the hospital all the time.
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Awesome! GOOD JOB!
 
and before we do...
Being a vet is not easy and they generally don't get the respect they deserve from other medical professionals. My favorite vet has taken care of her sick parents for years and her specific questions to doctors go mostly unanswered because she's "just a vet". That's disgraceful.
My other vet owns the land his clinic sits on, does his own bloodwork and has saved me from making trips to emergency many times. He pours all his money back into the clinic and for that most of the other vets here dislike him intensely. Part of that is living in Tiny Town where people are resistant to change and I'm sad to say they're very resistant to what we like to call "New Canadians". That used to mean something nice, not so much anymore. Another disgrace.
As for mistakes look up how many people are prescribed the wrong meds every year or die unnoticed waiting in an emergency room. We call that a tragedy when it happens to humans but if it happens to a pet we crucify everyone in sight. Everyone needs to calm down before the whole thread gets shut down.
 
Larry and Kitties said:
I have two cats which I do not normally trim their nails. Nala is diabetic and I can BG test OK and give pills. I can only trim her nails if I sedate her with 100mg gabapentin. I sedate her for vet vits sine the first time she bit the vet and drew blood. My civi Mia I can't cut her nails even after giving 100mg gabapentin. I can pill her OK bu surprising her and give her an Adequan shot when she is eating. Thus, not all simple procedure are equal.
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Boy, I certainly agree that all simple procedures are not equal. I hate having to pill cats (and you'd think I'd be okay with it, having been a tech...) and no way would I be able to cut my other cat's nails - she scratches or bites at the slightest attempt to do anything to her that she doesn't like. So glad she's not my diabetic cat!!!

Ragnar either has chronic herpesvirus or some type of allergy, and is difficult to pill so I've struggled with various meds over the last years. I usually have to get them compounded, where possible. My cat vet actually asked if I'd be interested in trying a nasal infusion of an antibiotic (done by me at home a couple times a day) and I laughed out loud on that one. Yeah, he's a good kitty, but not for having liquid squirted up his nose! He'd be under the bed by Day Two.
 
I am in Westchester, N.Y. and have found two veterinary practices up here who promote home testing and readily available non prescription low carb foods . Blue Pearl is an excellent emergency hospital but like most things in the NY metro area, they are insanely expensive . The post above with the diagram is the exact method I use with an Alpha Trak meter. Was I nervous, yes but once I got the hang of it , it was a piece of cake. I wish I had followed the advice on this board sooner.
 
Just did Ruby’s PMP and she was not happy at all, mostly because I was nervous, she could sense it, and I had to force her to acquiesce. I know it will get easier like the twice a day shots got easier, but I will be glad if I can get through this week without her being afraid of me.


Thank you all for your words of advice and support. Couldn’t have done it without you!
 
Please start a new thread...At the top of the Health main forum thread list page,all the way to the right just under the dark blue banner
theres a little box that says
POST NEW THREAD
Just click on that box. You may want to copy the link to this thread.
 
Jenifer said:
View attachment 57024
Like others have mentioned, the Libre IS a human meter. It can’t be calibrated for cats or anything so the vet insisting on the Alpha after pushing the Libre is kind of funny. Mine actually had the same protocol as your vet though and insisted on the AlphaTrak2 for home testing if i wasn’t going to have them install the Libre. And a lady I volunteer with at a local rescue who takes care of all the diabetic cats also highly recommended the AT2 so it’s not like you can really go wrong using it. It all just comes down to cost really. Here’s a tip I learned the hard way: order your strips online beforehand. Walmart. Com has them for .50 ea. but you only get that deal online and can’t pick it up in the store for that price. I didn’t know that and went to the store when I was running low after checking online to make sure they had them in stock. But when I got there it was $80 for a box of 50. I about died!!!! But I was almost out of strips so I had to buy them. I think I already mentioned it but the AT2 and Freestyle Lite take the same strips so when the bottle that comes with your meter runs out, you can just order the Lite strips instead and save a lot of money. Another thing that i don’t know if someone mentioned already or not is the poking. Your meter comes with a spring loaded poker but we never used it. The noise it made was too “scary” and had a negative impact on getting her used to testing. Figured I’d mention it just in case. You can do this girl! :cat::bighug:
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Check eBay for deals
 
Aleluia Grugru & Minnie said:
There are lots of tips about testing here and each of us does something that helps so you can take what works for you and leave the rest. For me:

1. Warming up the ear, as someone already mentioned with the nuked sock filled with rice, is key. Her ear needs to be warm to the touch and then I know I’ll get a nice size droplet
2. Start with a larger lancet gauge like 28 or even 26. They make slightly bigger pricks and you’ll get more blood out. As you get better at it, you can switch to a 30 gauge - larger numbers indicate smaller needle tips
3. I use a few cotton ovals that I place behind the ear for support so it’s a) easier to apply the needed pressure with the lancet and b) it protects my finger in cases the needle does go through
4. Apply pressure with the cotton oval onto the spot after you got the blood out so it won’t bruise. You can also apply some Neosporin cream. Not the ointment
5. Always aim for the sweet spot
View attachment 57072 View attachment 57073
6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capilares, it gets easier to get the amount of blood you need on the first try. If she won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there
7. I always sing a lullaby as I’m testing. It works to calm us both down and now when Minnie hears the lullaby she knows it’s testing time
8. I use a small flashlight that I hold in my mouth and aim at the spot so I can see well what I’m doing and the bevel of the needle going in, which could be bevel side up
9. I always give her either food or a treat immediately after
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Hi Ale I think you just typed it wrong about the Neosporin, #4 it should be use the
Neopsporin Ointment with Pain Relief NOT the Cream :bighug::cat:
 
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