Got Glucose Meter and Switched to LC! Pls help with SLGS vs TR and diet

[Mai & Dad]

Hello all,

Hope everyone is doing well. It has been officially a year since Mai's DKA and official diagnosis. I want to thank everyone on this forum on behalf of him and myself. It has definitely made my life much easier, especially when repeated vet visits lead to no where.

Recent Changes: I took both of your advice and

1. Switched to a low carb food from the prescription glycobalance. Now he is on Tiki Cat Luau: https://www.chewy.com/tiki-cat-luau-chicken-egg-in-chicken/dp/34298.

2. FINALLY! I got a ReliOn Premier Blu! (One day I will share my crazy story trying to make it work haha).

Questions about LC food:

1. The new food I got is grain-free. I communicated this with my vet and he is against it. He highly recommends me to switch back to food with grain, mentioning many negative effects on cats. Is that the case? But I assume if I want his diet to be LC, it will probably be grain free?

2. I currently have a Free Libre II on him that started on 09/26. I am planning on getting another replacement just so I can post a long-term comparison results to help other "new" parents.

What is weird is that after his food swap is complete (took two weeks in total and last two weeks on new food only), his glucose was significantly higher than all previous curves. From 09/26 to 09/29, he basically had flat high curves with perhaps nadir between 300-350 (and only one nadir per day). I increased his insulin dosage on the night of 09/30 from 4.5 to 5 and now to 5.25. That was when we saw some actual changes and fluctuations.

What makes me wonder is how could this be? It was almost two weeks after he was on his new diet completely, which is higher in protein (50+% vs 40+%), lower in carb. The previous food was 14% while the new food range from 0% to ~4% to ~8% depending on flavor, and I had been feeding him mostly the 0% and 4% one. None of his other diet / insulin dosage changed during this period of time. And it should been enough time for him to adjust and 4 days of flat curve doesn't seem like a bounce anyway?


Questions about testing and dosage:

I begin testing him using ReliOn yesterday afternoon. I have updated all results in his sheet. I tested for ketone with ReliOn stick last night and this morning with multiple sticks, all came back negative (thank god!)

1. Unfortunately, I give him a lot of bruise all around both ears. At this point it is hard to find a spot with no bruise. Should I continue testing or give him a couple days off to heal? I think I am getting better but it is pretty bad at the moment.

2. Given his current situation, how often should I test? Will 2-hour per test be enough?

3. He was diagnosed a year ago, and we have been struggling to get him regulated. Although now I suspect I wasted a good 6 months due to false lows on Free Libre. But all things considered, given his current levels, do you think we'd be better off pursuing SLGS or TR? I know my signature says TR, but really we were mostly relying on vet advice.

4. Since I switched his dosage on 09/30, is it fair to assume I have been holding for a week? Or should I play safe and not rely on previous Free Libre numbers. Though to be fair, I do find its high numbers to be consistent and mostly accurate.

Sorry for another long post. And thanks again for all your valuable advice!

Best,
Hao

 

[CORKY]

Hello all,

Hope everyone is doing well. It has been officially a year since Mai's DKA and official diagnosis. I want to thank everyone on this forum on behalf of him and myself. It has definitely made my life much easier, especially when repeated vet visits lead to no where.

Recent Changes: I took both of your advice and

1. Switched to a low carb food from the prescription glycobalance. Now he is on Tiki Cat Luau: https://www.chewy.com/tiki-cat-luau-chicken-egg-in-chicken/dp/34298.

2. FINALLY! I got a ReliOn Premier Blu! (One day I will share my crazy story trying to make it work haha).

Questions about LC food:

1. The new food I got is grain-free. I communicated this with my vet and he is against it. He highly recommends me to switch back to food with grain, mentioning many negative effects on cats. Is that the case? But I assume if I want his diet to be LC, it will probably be grain free?

2. I currently have a Free Libre II on him that started on 09/26. I am planning on getting another replacement just so I can post a long-term comparison results to help other "new" parents.

What is weird is that after his food swap is complete (took two weeks in total and last two weeks on new food only), his glucose was significantly higher than all previous curves. From 09/26 to 09/29, he basically had flat high curves with perhaps nadir between 300-350 (and only one nadir per day). I increased his insulin dosage on the night of 09/30 from 4.5 to 5 and now to 5.25. That was when we saw some actual changes and fluctuations.

What makes me wonder is how could this be? It was almost two weeks after he was on his new diet completely, which is higher in protein (50+% vs 40+%), lower in carb. The previous food was 14% while the new food range from 0% to ~4% to ~8% depending on flavor, and I had been feeding him mostly the 0% and 4% one. None of his other diet / insulin dosage changed during this period of time. And it should been enough time for him to adjust and 4 days of flat curve doesn't seem like a bounce anyway?


Questions about testing and dosage:

I begin testing him using ReliOn yesterday afternoon. I have updated all results in his sheet. I tested for ketone with ReliOn stick last night and this morning with multiple sticks, all came back negative (thank god!)

1. Unfortunately, I give him a lot of bruise all around both ears. At this point it is hard to find a spot with no bruise. Should I continue testing or give him a couple days off to heal? I think I am getting better but it is pretty bad at the moment.

2. Given his current situation, how often should I test? Will 2-hour per test be enough?

3. He was diagnosed a year ago, and we have been struggling to get him regulated. Although now I suspect I wasted a good 6 months due to false lows on Free Libre. But all things considered, given his current levels, do you think we'd be better off pursuing SLGS or TR? I know my signature says TR, but really we were mostly relying on vet advice.

4. Since I switched his dosage on 09/30, is it fair to assume I have been holding for a week? Or should I play safe and not rely on previous Free Libre numbers. Though to be fair, I do find its high numbers to be consistent and mostly accurate.

Sorry for another long post. And thanks again for all your valuable advice!

Best,
Hao

@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

 

[Mai & Dad]

Update:

- His glucose came out as exactly 343 on the Premier Blu three times in a row at 1530, 1730, and 1930. This sounds statistically almost impossible to me. I did try it on myself and got 120, and I got a new machine (since it is recommended by many of you anyway) and the new machine gave me 122. Should I trust these numbers?

- I've been giving him two freeze-dried orijen cat treats after each testing. I read on a few posts that particular treat is diabetic friendly. Do you guys give them treats after every testing? Could this impact the results?

 

[CORKY]

Update:

- His glucose came out as exactly 343 on the Premier Blu three times in a row at 1530, 1730, and 1930. This sounds statistically almost impossible to me. I did try it on myself and got 120, and I got a new machine (since it is recommended by many of you anyway) and the new machine gave me 122. Should I trust these numbers?

- I've been giving him two freeze-dried orijen cat treats after each testing. I read on a few posts that particular treat is diabetic friendly. Do you guys give them treats after every testing? Could this impact the results?

Did you make the tests with the same drop of blood? Did you test after meal? Or before dosing?? I test Corky as a habit every 2 hours are you feeding high carbs?

 

[Mai & Dad]

Did you make the tests with the same drop of blood? Did you test after meal? Or before dosing?? I test Corky as a habit every 2 hours are you feeding high carbs?

Thank you for the response!

- I tested at around +6 +8 +10 (changed ears, new Lancet, and new strip). The results were from three different testing, each two hours apart, and they all came back at 343.

- I just tested him again at +12 and got 282 and gave him his normal dosage (5.25).

- I will test after meal in two hours.

- I switched him off high card to his current food (Tiki), which ranges from 0% to 4% carb depending on the flavor. He has been on his new food for two weeks. This is why it's so surprising I am seeing flat high curves multiple days in a row.

Do you think I should post at Lantus instead? Doesn't seem to get many responses here T_T.

And thanks again!

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

To stop the bruising on the ears try holding the spot where you have pricked with a cotton ball for 20 seconds after getting the BG. This should help stop bruising.

Yes I think you should start posting over in the Lantus forum for advice

 

[JL & Cooper]

The new food I got is grain-free. I communicated this with my vet and he is against it. He highly recommends me to switch back to food with grain, mentioning many negative effects on cats. Is that the case? But I assume if I want his diet to be LC, it will probably be grain free?

I don’t believe this is a concern for cats, but someone else is welcome to correct me if I’m wrong. Food with grains has been a big discussion the last few years for *dogs* - we have a Golden Retriever and switched from no grain to a food with rice, after researching the concerns. Unlike dogs, cats are obligate carnivores aka - they receive a large percentage of their needed nutrients from meat.

 

[Mai & Dad]

To stop the bruising on the ears try holding the spot where you have pricked with a cotton ball for 20 seconds after getting the BG. This should help stop bruising.

Yes I think you should start posting over in the Lantus forum for advice

Thank you for the advice! I am now pressing for 20-30 seconds after every shot. I do think it is helping him! And I learned to avoid the vein. The trick bribery also works great on him.

And yes, I will starting posting on the other side. Thank you!

 

[Mai & Dad]

I don’t believe this is a concern for cats, but someone else is welcome to correct me if I’m wrong. Food with grains has been a big discussion the last few years for *dogs* - we have a Golden Retriever and switched from no grain to a food with rice, after researching the concerns. Unlike dogs, cats are obligate carnivores aka - they receive a large percentage of their needed nutrients from meat.

That is what I thought as well. But it is indeed weird that his glucose was so consistently high after we switched to grain-free LC food.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Thank you for the advice! I am now pressing for 20-30 seconds after every shot. I do think it is helping him! And I learned to avoid the vein. The trick bribery also works great on him.

And yes, I will starting posting on the other side. Thank you!

Well done and you are welcome. Keep asking questions. We are very happy to help

 

[Mai & Dad]

Well done and you are welcome. Keep asking questions. We are very happy to help

Actually, I will take this opportunity to ask a few questions haha:

1. His ear is indeed still very bruised. It is hard for me find a clean spot in the "sweet spot" for both of his ears. Is it still ok to keep drawing blood? I think I am definitely getting better though. Today I have done 7 testings and only had to re-do one of them.
2. Do you always feed your kitty a treat after each testing. But if I test him every two hours everyday, wouldn't that result in a lot of treats for him?
3. Do you have any hints on why he might have such high flat curves after switching to LC food for two weeks? I just can't wrap my head around this one.

4. And could you please refer me to a few posts about diet for diabetic cats? My cat had elevated kidney number for a few years now. I am slightly concerned switching to such a high protein diet might push his kidney further to the edge. And I wonder what our members do under such circumstances? I want to feed him ultra-low phosphorous food but those only come with kidney rx and the few options are all low in protein and high in carb.

A million thank you!

 

[CORKY]

Actually, I will take this opportunity to ask a few questions haha:

1. His ear is indeed still very bruised. It is hard for me find a clean spot in the "sweet spot" for both of his ears. Is it still ok to keep drawing blood? I think I am definitely getting better though. Today I have done 7 testings and only had to re-do one of them.
2. Do you always feed your kitty a treat after each testing. But if I test him every two hours everyday, wouldn't that result in a lot of treats for him?
3. Do you have any hints on why he might have such high flat curves after switching to LC food for two weeks? I just can't wrap my head around this one.

4. And could you please refer me to a few posts about diet for diabetic cats? My cat had elevated kidney number for a few years now. I am slightly concerned switching to such a high protein diet might push his kidney further to the edge. And I wonder what our members do under such circumstances? I want to feed him ultra-low phosphorous food but those only come with kidney rx and the few options are all low in protein and high in carb.

A million thank you!

I am not the person to refer to for dosing or Lantus , perhaps increasing the dose so high could cause these radical changes, Again I am not an expert on Lantau, but the always suggest to increase or decrease any dose at 0.5 to 0.25 Units at a time I will Tag Suzanne in this post, and yes go to the Lantus Forum and direct your message there @Suzanne & Darcy, I will do the same here, title your post the same as this one


@Suzanne & Darcy

 

[Mai & Dad]

I am not the person to refer to for dosing or Lantus , perhaps increasing the dose so high could cause these radical changes, Again I am not an expert on Lantau, but the always suggest to increase or decrease any dose at 0.5 to 0.25 Units at a time I will Tag Suzanne in this post, and yes go to the Lantus Forum and direct your message there @Suzanne & Darcy, I will do the same here, title your post the same as this one


@Suzanne & Darcy

Thank you! Really appreciate it! I am getting some guidance on the Lantus side for sure. So glad I found this forum.

 

[CORKY]

Update:

- His glucose came out as exactly 343 on the Premier Blu three times in a row at 1530, 1730, and 1930. This sounds statistically almost impossible to me. I did try it on myself and got 120, and I got a new machine (since it is recommended by many of you anyway) and the new machine gave me 122. Should I trust these numbers?

- I've been giving him two freeze-dried orijen cat treats after each testing. I read on a few posts that particular treat is diabetic friendly. Do you guys give them treats after every testing? Could this impact the results?

I agree with you about this Forum, it saved my pocket but most of all my Corky's life, I trust these members blindly, I followed their directions 100% and my Corky has flourished to his full potential and weight, and in 2 low digit BG numbers, it was a long stride, pain, struggles and fears, I know that if I cannot help your concerns be sure that we will direct you to someone that can, now what I have learned I give back to the best of my knowledge., give yourself some time, all will fall into place, just do not decrease or increase doses without advise any concern no matter how small post it here, just know that the Free Style2 is not the most reliable in low numbers or very high numbers, (and expensive sensors) so using the ReliON is a great idea as a back up or if your not certain on the reading, follow your instinct, on the ReliOn , the first test strip is always the right one, unless you happen to get a bad strip and if it reads too low, then you want to test again, on the same drop of blood, always have 2 strips on hand.
You will be a Por in not time!!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

There is excellent information on this website regarding feline nutrition. I suspect your vet has not done a great deal of reading about feline diets. Cats are obligate carnivores. What that means is they are unable to process grains, fruits, vegetables -- in other words, they gain no nutritional value from carbohydrates. They need meat and preferably muscle meat vs meat by-products which are typically very low quality. You may want to share the link I provided with your vet. The site is authored by a veterinarian who has a very clear interest in feline nutrition.

If you are not familiar with Tanya's website on kidney disease, it's excellent. It's also a very large compendium of information. A largely protein restricted diet is not always what's best for a cat with kidney issues. It depends on how far the kidney disease has progressed. What is more important is low phosphorus food.

 

[Mai & Dad]

I agree with you about this Forum, it saved my pocket but most of all my Corky's life, I trust these members blindly, I followed their directions 100% and my Corky has flourished to his full potential and weight, and in 2 low digit BG numbers, it was a long stride, pain, struggles and fears, I know that if I cannot help your concerns be sure that we will direct you to someone that can, now what I have learned I give back to the best of my knowledge., give yourself some time, all will fall into place, just do not decrease or increase doses without advise any concern no matter how small post it here, just know that the Free Style2 is not the most reliable in low numbers or very high numbers, (and expensive sensors) so using the ReliON is a great idea as a back up or if your not certain on the reading, follow your instinct, on the ReliOn , the first test strip is always the right one, unless you happen to get a bad strip and if it reads too low, then you want to test again, on the same drop of blood, always have 2 strips on hand.
You will be a Por in not time!!

I absolutely agree. Not only it is way cheaper, but when I follow advice I receive on this forum, I get improved results almost 100% of the time. I am still learning this and not yet comfortable to give new members much advice, esp since Mai was probably never truly well regulated.

I read extensively about Free Libre here and knew "it is not as good as glucose meters" but I never truly comprehend "why" it is not as good and "how" it would affect Mai's journey. I am working on a post that documents my experience and perspective from a relatively new diabetic cat parent. Hopefully that can a few people get started on Glucose Meter sooner.

 

[Mai & Dad]

There is excellent information on this website regarding feline nutrition. I suspect your vet has not done a great deal of reading about feline diets. Cats are obligate carnivores. What that means is they are unable to process grains, fruits, vegetables -- in other words, they gain no nutritional value from carbohydrates. They need meat and preferably muscle meat vs meat by-products which are typically very low quality. You may want to share the link I provided with your vet. The site is authored by a veterinarian who has a very clear interest in feline nutrition.

If you are not familiar with Tanya's website on kidney disease, it's excellent. It's also a very large compendium of information. A largely protein restricted diet is not always what's best for a cat with kidney issues. It depends on how far the kidney disease has progressed. What is more important is low phosphorus food.

Thank you, for both advice. I agree with you and actually reading on Tanya's website made me feel better about feeding a high protein diet, esp when there is an on-going debate on whether low protein even helps cats with kidney issues.

And what a website. Tanya should honestly receive a Ph.D. on cat renal issues. Honestly I think the write-up and the deep knowledge on that website is probably 10x times of what a PhD student's dissertation's contents.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

His ear is indeed still very bruised. It is hard for me find a clean spot in the "sweet spot" for both of his ears. Is it still ok to keep drawing blood? I think I am definitely getting better though. Today I have done 7 testings and only had to re-do one of them.

Well done. You will get there and be an old pro very soon!

Do you always feed your kitty a treat after each testing. But if I test him every two hours everyday, wouldn't that result in a lot of treats for him?

Yes always give a little treat every time. Just 1/2 teaspoon of low carb food is fine.

Do you have any hints on why he might have such high flat curves after switching to LC food for two weeks? I just can't wrap my head around this one.

I can see green BGs there and some high BGs. What you are seeing is bouncing. Explanation below. Just keep doing what you are doing. You don’t need to change the dose.

• Bouncing - Bouncing is simply a natural reaction to what the cat's system perceives as a BG value that is "too low". "Too low" is relative. If a cat is used to BGs in the 200's, 300's, or higher for a long time, then even a BG that drops to 150 can trigger a "bounce". Bouncing can also be triggered if the blood glucose drops too low and/or too fast.The pancreas, then the liver, release glucogon, glycogen and counter-regulatory hormones. The end result is a dumping of "sugar" into the bloodstream to save the cat from going hypoglycemic from a perceived low. The action is often referred to as "liver panic" or "panicky liver". *Usually*, a bounce will clear kitty's system within 3 days (6 cycles).

Re the diet for a diabetic cat with kidney issues who needs low phosphorus…have a look at the Weruva website. They have a low phosphorus range with all the nutritional information on the site.

How is Mai eating now?
Are you still testing for ketones?

 

[Mai & Dad]

Well done. You will get there and be an old pro very soon!

Yes always give a little treat every time. Just 1/2 teaspoon of low carb food is fine.

I can see green BGs there and some high BGs. What you are seeing is bouncing. Explanation below. Just keep doing what you are doing. You don’t need to change the dose.

• Bouncing - Bouncing is simply a natural reaction to what the cat's system perceives as a BG value that is "too low". "Too low" is relative. If a cat is used to BGs in the 200's, 300's, or higher for a long time, then even a BG that drops to 150 can trigger a "bounce". Bouncing can also be triggered if the blood glucose drops too low and/or too fast.The pancreas, then the liver, release glucogon, glycogen and counter-regulatory hormones. The end result is a dumping of "sugar" into the bloodstream to save the cat from going hypoglycemic from a perceived low. The action is often referred to as "liver panic" or "panicky liver". *Usually*, a bounce will clear kitty's system within 3 days (6 cycles).

Re the diet for a diabetic cat with kidney issues who needs low phosphorus…have a look at the Weruva website. They have a low phosphorus range with all the nutritional information on the site.

How is Mai eating now?
Are you still testing for ketones?

Thank you for the response. Always appreciate it. I guess I was expecting since he has been on his new food for two weeks and on his current insulin dosage for ~5 days, this could be something else. If it's bouncing, I guess I just need a bit more patience.

- Mai just had his dinner around ~940pm! He was already asking for food since 7pm. Currently he pretty much craves for food all the time.
- I am. I tested him this morning when I caught him peeing. It is negative. He urinated again around 8pm but after literally staying with him all day to catch it...he decided to do it during my 5 minutes showering... Do you think his current number is likely to lead to ketone?
- I am taking him to the vet this Thursday for his regular blood check. I will get this urine checked for ketone as well.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Well done getting the ketone test and it being negative. No need to do it twice in one day if it is negative. Can you pop the ketone results into the remarks column of the SS please so we can see it? Thanks. If you are checking it and it’s negative, no need to waste money asking the vet to do it unless you are worried about Mai.
Many cats have very high numbers and never get ketones and some cats can get ketones at lower numbers. Every cat is different. The fact Mai has had DKA means he is more prone to ketones so testing for them means you can keep ahead of the game. If he’s eating well and not lethargic, those are good signs. Remember ketones can form if there is not enough food and not enough insulin.
The high numbers from bouncing doesn’t mean he is not getting enough insulin. We can see the current dose is dropping him into greens.

 

[SmallestSparrow]

I don’t have any advice for most of your questions as I’m new here but I can make a couple of comments. You mentioned kidney concerns and I think @Sienne and Gabby (GA) mentioned low phosphorus in food. Since you’ve transitioned to Tiki Cat some of their types and flavors are low phosphorus (I noticed it on the label as I was looking for new flavors for one cat)—at least two flavors of the silver (senior) food has low phosphorus.

You also mentioned getting similar results several tests in a row. I’d suggest first make sure you’ve done a control solution test on a strip and your meter. And if you ever have a strip result that doesn’t look right considering the cat in front of you repeat it immediately. If the two results are widely different do a third test. I’ve occasionally had a bad strip—for example testing ketones on my precision Xtra I once got 2, 0.2, 0.2. Also make sure you didn’t get blood somewhere the manual says to avoid getting blood. For example, on the AT I once got 450, 200, 202–turns out there’s a vent on the strip (which is why instructions say “don’t put blood on top of strip)—covering the vent caused the problem.

Also every meter has an accuracy variation. For the meter I use (alpha trak) a number above 100 it’s 10%, below 100 it’s +/- 15mg/dl. I’ve heard some human meters have a 20% variance. You can find this for your meter either in its user manual or by contacting tech support. So say three 300s in a row on an alpha trak could actually be 330, 300, and 280 for example. Also, 330, 300, and 280 could all be seen as essentially the same number.

 

[Mai & Dad]

I don’t have any advice for most of your questions as I’m new here but I can make a couple of comments. You mentioned kidney concerns and I think @Sienne and Gabby (GA) mentioned low phosphorus in food. Since you’ve transitioned to Tiki Cat some of their types and flavors are low phosphorus (I noticed it on the label as I was looking for new flavors for one cat)—at least two flavors of the silver (senior) food has low phosphorus.

You also mentioned getting similar results several tests in a row. I’d suggest first make sure you’ve done a control solution test on a strip and your meter. And if you ever have a strip result that doesn’t look right considering the cat in front of you repeat it immediately. If the two results are widely different do a third test. I’ve occasionally had a bad strip—for example testing ketones on my precision Xtra I once got 2, 0.2, 0.2. Also make sure you didn’t get blood somewhere the manual says to avoid getting blood. For example, on the AT I once got 450, 200, 202–turns out there’s a vent on the strip (which is why instructions say “don’t put blood on top of strip)—covering the vent caused the problem.

Also every meter has an accuracy variation. For the meter I use (alpha trak) a number above 100 it’s 10%, below 100 it’s +/- 15mg/dl. I’ve heard some human meters have a 20% variance. You can find this for your meter either in its user manual or by contacting tech support. So say three 300s in a row on an alpha trak could actually be 330, 300, and 280 for example. Also, 330, 300, and 280 could all be seen as essentially the same number.

Thank you for the response. Even if it doesn't really answer my questions, it is nevertheless heartwarming to me at 1:41am, looking at 393 at +4, and waiting to get his nadir number. And this is actually something that I needed to hear. I was literally just now obsessing with his number being a bit lower or higher at the same time period compared to the last shot. But this reminds me that taking the accuracy variation into consideration, these 572 and 546 are really the same thing.

The silver cat one I fed has 0.9% and the other tiki flavor has 1.16. Now I am trying top find the phos content on a dry matter basis.

 

[Mai & Dad]

Well done getting the ketone test and it being negative. No need to do it twice in one day if it is negative. Can you pop the ketone results into the remarks column of the SS please so we can see it? Thanks. If you are checking it and it’s negative, no need to waste money asking the vet to do it unless you are worried about Mai.
Many cats have very high numbers and never get ketones and some cats can get ketones at lower numbers. Every cat is different. The fact Mai has had DKA means he is more prone to ketones so testing for them means you can keep ahead of the game. If he’s eating well and not lethargic, those are good signs. Remember ketones can form if there is not enough food and not enough insulin.
The high numbers from bouncing doesn’t mean he is not getting enough insulin. We can see the current dose is dropping him into greens.

Hello, can I ask you a follow up question on ketone testing? He had another bounce today starting from AM + 8. I tested his ketone just now at PM+5 and it "seemed" negative. I tried 5 sticks and I am like 70% sure it is negative and not trace. The issue for me is that those two colors are rather similar. Let's say it's not me being too worried, if I do get a color that is somewhat in between "Negative" and "Trace", would that a problem?

Or do you have any other suggestions? I am currently using ReliOn ketone sticks.

Thanks!

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

I always had the same problem when testing Sheba. It was always hard to tell if it was negative or leaning towards trace. I wasted so many strips double checking.
A lot of people find the same issue. I think you will
find if it is a trace you will be able to tell it is. You also need to be looking at… is he eating well, is he alert and not lethargic.
It must be very late where you are! Remember you can’t look after Mai if you don’t look after yourself (another thing I had to learn)

 

[SmallestSparrow]

There are probably online calculators but:

I do my calculations by hand (being old enough to have once used a slide rule). To calculate first subtract percent moisture from 100. Then divide the percentage of an ingredient as fed on the label by that dry matter number and multiply by 100. For example let’s say 80% moisture. 100-80=20. Ingredient you want to calculate is say 1.2%. Divide 1.2 by 20 then multiply by 100=6% by dry matter basis if my math is right before my morning coffee.

 

[SmallestSparrow]

shot. But this reminds me that taking the accuracy variation into consideration, these 572 and 546 are really the same thing.

Yeah. Happens to me a lot also. Especially when our guys have high numbers the variation can be so big. I hope your guy gets better numbers soon and you have a chance to rest

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

If you're driving yourself crazy with the results of a urine ketone test, there are also blood ketone meters.

 

[Mai & Dad]

I always had the same problem when testing Sheba. It was always hard to tell if it was negative or leaning towards trace. I wasted so many strips double checking.
A lot of people find the same issue. I think you will
find if it is a trace you will be able to tell it is. You also need to be looking at… is he eating well, is he alert and not lethargic.
It must be very late where you are! Remember you can’t look after Mai if you don’t look after yourself (another thing I had to learn)

Thank you! I have definitely been a bit obsessive with testing him since I got the glucose meter.

And I think I am learning to tell apart negative vs. trace. The trick for me is to trust the first stick and follow the 15 seconds instruction. I realize I typically only get confused if I try with multiple sticks. For example, by the time I finish testing a few more sticks, I typically lose track which stick is which, and some of them look a bit more pink (or perhaps just darker).

 

[Mai & Dad]

Yeah. Happens to me a lot also. Especially when our guys have high numbers the variation can be so big. I hope your guy gets better numbers soon and you have a chance to rest

Thank you!

 

[Mai & Dad]

If you're driving yourself crazy with the results of a urine ketone test, there are also blood ketone meters.

I will get one of those as well. Thank you for the suggestion!

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Thank you! I have definitely been a bit obsessive with testing him since I got the glucose meter.

We’ve all been there and done that!

 

[SmallestSparrow]

We’ve all been there and done that!

My vet has jokingly said (because she knows with two sick cats I’m neither eating nor sleeping) that if I see someone has been in my house, but the only thing missing are my meters, I should not call the police…that they are with her”