q & nadie
Member Since 2026
yo,
nadie is a fully-indoor cat
right now she seems to be feeling okay.
she is not showing any signs of hypoglycemia.
she was diagnosed 03/12/26.
i love her.
i am one of her two owners, along with my partner. my name is q. hello.
i will try to organize this in a way where the most pertinent information is most legible.
i am also writing for my own memory and organization.
bear with me. and thank you for reading what you decide to.
appx 2-3 months ago, maybe even longer, nadie seemed to become less energetic, wholly uninterested in play, extremely thirsty and extremely food motivated. this was a gradual change. i was aware of the change, but in retrospect the symptoms seem much more severe. she has also seems to have lost strength in her back legs. she can jump up to waist high tables with ease, but seems to be less powerful in her jumping and walking. maybe im wrong.
- she has no other medical history except for the apparent mild periodontal disease, a dx she received the same day, and when she got fleas when my gf visited a kitten. nadie is fully indoors and flea-free. i dont know what to do about her teeth. im assuming her toothpaste definitely has carbs, but we didnt do a great job of it anyway.
- she is not on any medication except for this 1 unit of lantus, but as the summer is approaching i will likely put her back on flea preventative, if there are no interactions, because i want to take her on backpack walks and because she hangs out in the window. she has an old script for revolution plus.
her diet used to consist of 3 cans of ff gravy lovers daily prior to this, for years, in addition to dry treats and human food treats. at least we have these cans ready for her go bag.
i found the blood/urine dried up so it had been there.
she was otherwise behaving normally.
i called the vet upon discovery, explained, and they said that so long as she isn't straining to urinate then this is not an emergency.
directly after scheduling a later appointment i watched her walk to the litter box and tremor from straining to urinate. i packed her up and took her to the er vet.
ultimately she was diagnosed with diabetes , a uti, and mild periodontal disease.
they did blood tests, a physical, showed me how to administer the insulin, answered a lot of my questions, gave us a script for lantus (1 unit,) u-100 syringes (NJ prescription law,) amoxicillin, instructions to monitor her behavior, and instructions to buy and use keto-diastix. i had to order these online and wait for them to come in 03/14, so i was unable to test her urine until two days after dx. i let the vet know this and they said it was not a big deal.
i moved her litter box into the room where i work and, now, wait with a ladle for her to urinate, at which point i burglarize her fluid. she does not appreciate this.
she reconsiders peeing altogether when she sees me grab the spoon.
it seems that all 10 keto-diastix samples i have been able to collect read "1/2 ++" and negative for ketones (except for the first ketone measurement, which i possibly incorrectly interpreted as being between negative and trace.)
i may be misperceiving, but it seems that since dx day she has put on weight (maybe through more efficient hydration,) maybe regained some energy (that i thought was gone forever as part of her aging process) and is feeling less malaise overall. she is going to be sad when i take her back to the vet tomorrow. [she was]
i understand the vet will likely suggest an alphatrak.
i am currently heavily leaning towards buying a relion, due to the information ive gathered here. if i'm not misunderstanding, all bg numbers here use human bgm's not ones made for cats, and the relion premium is relied on by many.
[i chose the relion premium classic]
it seems like the main criteria for choosing is:
- human or cat
- accuracy [the relion premium classic has a bigger accuracy range than i would like, but the higher the reading the more variance, and maybe i think it needs to be more accurate than it is.]
- blood sample size (less is better, preferably .3ul drop of blood) [the relion premium classic needs .5ul, and i really wish it was lower;]
- cost of strips [i have gone through over 50 strips in the first two days of testing. amps test this morning i only used 2]
- bonus features
i need to learn more about the bgm and the process.
i dont know why i wasnt told to buy a bgm by the er vet. maybe this is because my follow-up (at a non-emergency vet) was scheduled 6 days following the emergency, which is tomorrow 03/18.
maybe it's because prior to the follow up nadie is just meant to be building a shed/depot.
seeing the potential results of administering insulin when a cat shouldnt be shot has made me upset that i was not advised to monitor her bg.
i have the rest of td and some time before her appt tm to make a decision (after also considering the vet's input) about which bgm and which lancets. i think i would prefer to try freehand, and my understanding is that a larger needle provides more blood, and that 26g is preferable before and in the early stages of angiogenesis.
im thinking about putting a little jacket on her so she knows its time for me to steal more fluid
it is also my understanding that bgm's are more accurate than cgm's and that if using something like a libre freestyle i would need a bgm anyway.
i intend to test her often, pull curves, and likely follow the TR protocol once she is regulated.
but i've read here that some cats may never reach remission, and that chasing remission can negatively effect your cat.
pictured:
here is a less brief history our life, it is not important:
other than that time i spent all day trying to figure out what her nipple was she has never had any medical emergencies.
nadie was, if my girlfriend remembers correctly, the runt of the litter. she's pretty sure she remembers that. comparing her to other cats, i think she has a smaller frame, too.
as far as her current weight, i always considered her a small cat, but looking at medical records from two years ago she was 9.5lbs compared to her current (as of dx day) 5.25lbs. i referenced online weight chart imagery weeks before this and told myself she was just on the lower end of a healthy weight, aging, etc. i was wrong. stupid.
my gf was nadie's original owner. i have always been a dog owner.
her and i had two pet rats at one point, too. but this is my first cat.
appx 4 years ago we all moved in together and i, understanding that cats often develop fatal kidney conditions, thought it was vital for her to be on a primarily wet food diet. this meant 3 daily cans of ff gravy lovers with an additional ~1.5 oz of water added to her plate. i thought the moisture of the gravy was a good thing.
i tried several different methods to try to get her to drink additional water over the years. one day i found her drinking out of my cup, so she has been drinking from her own, disguised as mine, since then. now, since the dx, she is drinking out of a measuring cup and total sippage is logged daily.
she also always ate regular dry kibble as her treats, whatever on-sale cat food, as opposed to "treats." a big bag would last a long time. the current one she has (which now will only be fed when necessary,) is purina cat chow naturals chick and dry salmon.
additional treats included whatever human food that she was willing to eat (in variety, not amount,). whenever we ate, she would be offered some. she would usually decline, except for dairy and some sweet baked goods or meat. sharing food has been part of bonding and she never overindulged even when given the opportunity, and she has never been overweight. we always would remark on how she was not an inherent fatass.
these treats have helped her learn a total of 3 commands: come, sit and gentle/those are my fingers. she abides by these commands as per her discretion, typical catshit, so ive been told.
i have also been intermittently training her to get inside of and tolerate being walked around outside in a mesh backpack. as far as the backpack (aka catpack aka "get in the box") sessions have gone, we went from the training session goals to be getting her inside the bag while it's on the floor. her record now is walking down the street and back up. she eats treats the whole time and will start to whine when she remembers we are in fact outside.
i hope one day i can take her for walks like this. this training was very useful when i needed to take her to the emergency vet on the day of her diagnosis. getting in the bag was exciting for her because it meant treats, but as soon as i put the bag in the car it was no longer fun. a lot of her crying and me trying not to cry. the bag is scary again and now she has been trying to dine+dash/chew+screw me, but i did manage to take her outside again for a little bit the next day, and we've continued to do it daily since (as we have for a while.)
she doesnt understand that tomorrow when she jumps in the pack we are going back to the vet. but i do.
sorry for the text wall.
i will try to remember to add nadie's name to my username when i'm able to change it.
please let me know if my signature is alright, or if i'm forgetting any information, or not abiding by rules.
from nadie, my partner and i -- thank you,
q<3
- owner name: q
- cat name: nadie (nah-dee-ayy)
- age: ~7
- sex: f
- location: nj, usa
- weight: 5.25 lbs
- goal weight: ~9.25 lbs
- current weight: 5.62 lbs
- dx: 03/12/26
- day of dx spot bg 491
- day of dx blood ketone meter: 4.1
- lantus: 1.5 units b.i.d. [1 unit b.i.d. initially prescribed, first administered night of dx, completed six total cycles]
- new diet: 2 cans of fancy feast poultry and beef classic collection pate, +~ 125 calories of chicken hearts+gizzards = 300-325 total calories daily
here are images of the results of her physical exam and her senior wellness profile (cbc/chemistry/urinalysis/t4),
nadie is a fully-indoor cat
right now she seems to be feeling okay.
she is not showing any signs of hypoglycemia.
she was diagnosed 03/12/26.
i love her.
i am one of her two owners, along with my partner. my name is q. hello.
i will try to organize this in a way where the most pertinent information is most legible.
i am also writing for my own memory and organization.
bear with me. and thank you for reading what you decide to.
brief history including symptoms, diet:
i have general difficulties with timelines.appx 2-3 months ago, maybe even longer, nadie seemed to become less energetic, wholly uninterested in play, extremely thirsty and extremely food motivated. this was a gradual change. i was aware of the change, but in retrospect the symptoms seem much more severe. she has also seems to have lost strength in her back legs. she can jump up to waist high tables with ease, but seems to be less powerful in her jumping and walking. maybe im wrong.
- she has no other medical history except for the apparent mild periodontal disease, a dx she received the same day, and when she got fleas when my gf visited a kitten. nadie is fully indoors and flea-free. i dont know what to do about her teeth. im assuming her toothpaste definitely has carbs, but we didnt do a great job of it anyway.
- she is not on any medication except for this 1 unit of lantus, but as the summer is approaching i will likely put her back on flea preventative, if there are no interactions, because i want to take her on backpack walks and because she hangs out in the window. she has an old script for revolution plus.
her diet used to consist of 3 cans of ff gravy lovers daily prior to this, for years, in addition to dry treats and human food treats. at least we have these cans ready for her go bag.
a brief account of dx day 03/12/26:
i took her to the emergency vet the day of her dx because she urinated blood. she urinated outside of her litterbox, i guess, because she was likely walking around straining to pee.i found the blood/urine dried up so it had been there.
she was otherwise behaving normally.
i called the vet upon discovery, explained, and they said that so long as she isn't straining to urinate then this is not an emergency.
directly after scheduling a later appointment i watched her walk to the litter box and tremor from straining to urinate. i packed her up and took her to the er vet.
ultimately she was diagnosed with diabetes , a uti, and mild periodontal disease.
they did blood tests, a physical, showed me how to administer the insulin, answered a lot of my questions, gave us a script for lantus (1 unit,) u-100 syringes (NJ prescription law,) amoxicillin, instructions to monitor her behavior, and instructions to buy and use keto-diastix. i had to order these online and wait for them to come in 03/14, so i was unable to test her urine until two days after dx. i let the vet know this and they said it was not a big deal.
i moved her litter box into the room where i work and, now, wait with a ladle for her to urinate, at which point i burglarize her fluid. she does not appreciate this.
she reconsiders peeing altogether when she sees me grab the spoon.
it seems that all 10 keto-diastix samples i have been able to collect read "1/2 ++" and negative for ketones (except for the first ketone measurement, which i possibly incorrectly interpreted as being between negative and trace.)
i may be misperceiving, but it seems that since dx day she has put on weight (maybe through more efficient hydration,) maybe regained some energy (that i thought was gone forever as part of her aging process) and is feeling less malaise overall. she is going to be sad when i take her back to the vet tomorrow. [she was]
i was not yet given instruction to purchase a bgm.
this is why i have not yet made a SS.i understand the vet will likely suggest an alphatrak.
i am currently heavily leaning towards buying a relion, due to the information ive gathered here. if i'm not misunderstanding, all bg numbers here use human bgm's not ones made for cats, and the relion premium is relied on by many.
[i chose the relion premium classic]
it seems like the main criteria for choosing is:
- human or cat
- accuracy [the relion premium classic has a bigger accuracy range than i would like, but the higher the reading the more variance, and maybe i think it needs to be more accurate than it is.]
- blood sample size (less is better, preferably .3ul drop of blood) [the relion premium classic needs .5ul, and i really wish it was lower;]
- cost of strips [i have gone through over 50 strips in the first two days of testing. amps test this morning i only used 2]
- bonus features
i need to learn more about the bgm and the process.
i dont know why i wasnt told to buy a bgm by the er vet. maybe this is because my follow-up (at a non-emergency vet) was scheduled 6 days following the emergency, which is tomorrow 03/18.
maybe it's because prior to the follow up nadie is just meant to be building a shed/depot.
seeing the potential results of administering insulin when a cat shouldnt be shot has made me upset that i was not advised to monitor her bg.
i have the rest of td and some time before her appt tm to make a decision (after also considering the vet's input) about which bgm and which lancets. i think i would prefer to try freehand, and my understanding is that a larger needle provides more blood, and that 26g is preferable before and in the early stages of angiogenesis.
im thinking about putting a little jacket on her so she knows its time for me to steal more fluid
it is also my understanding that bgm's are more accurate than cgm's and that if using something like a libre freestyle i would need a bgm anyway.
i intend to test her often, pull curves, and likely follow the TR protocol once she is regulated.
but i've read here that some cats may never reach remission, and that chasing remission can negatively effect your cat.
here's some questions i can remember right now:
feel free to answer any or all. or none.- what would you have done differently if, today, your cat was at the same point in their dx and nadie is?
- what are the cons of shaving for more accurate insulin pops? (i am paranoid i am getting fur shots. i understand to never administer the insulin again. im trying to smell her before and after)
- to avoid scarring and promote consistent absorption i want to move to the flank, chest and belly. there seem to be less video resources for these sites. any resources or tips?
- what do we do about these bubbles? if i pull .5 units more than i need then flick the syringe and the bubbles all go as high up to the top as possible and then i squirt the excess away am i good to go? i feel like i still see bubbles and im going crazy.
- advisable to check for the flash of blood? in this more important when shooting away from the scruff?
- some people seem to just pop their shot once their cat starts eating. others advise waiting 20 minutes after their meal. the most important thing with most of this will be consistency, right?
- how do we determine if intermittent food throughout the day, separate from the big preshot meals, is best? trial and error, but what are we looking for? better curves?
- has anyone seen catnip effect bg? what about in high amounts?
- does anyone keep an extra, different bgm/strips to verify unexpected readings/account for variance?
- what is the consensus on "milking" the ear prick? does it confound bgm results or not?
- for cats who do go into remission: how do you know when they have relapsed? it seems like a common-enough occurrence. are people spot testing cats in remission?
- seeing as the cost of the strips is prohibitive as opposed to the monitor itself, is it advisable to buy two separate monitors to develop a preference?
- can you think of any unique/lesser known tools or other equipment you've used to help you and your cat get through this?
- is my emergency bag okay? see: attached picture. but also see: "not pictured"
please review my hypo emergency go bag, picture attached:
(based on Sticky - jojo and bunny's HYPO TOOL BOX and Sticky - How to treat HYPOS - THEY CAN KILL! Print this Out!!)pictured:
- bulb syringe for enema, filled with water-diluted corn syrup, pre lubricated
- lubricant, for lubricating
- needleless syringe as alternative syrup administration method
- extra squeezable tube of syrup
- four (4) cans of fancy feast gravy lovers, assorted flavors
- twenty (20) spare u-100 syringes
- a currently empty bag that will carry a spare bgm and test strips (when i buy them tomorrow)
- bag of 200 grams of dry food: purina cat chow naturals chicken & salmon flavor
- printout of emergency protocol
- printout of phone number and directions to nearest emergency vets
- 2 packs of delectable squeeze up tuna & shrimp flavor
- spare insulin (the entire bag will be refrigerated)
- eight (8) cans of her twice-daily food: fancy feast classic pate, beef and poultry flavor
here is a less brief history our life, it is not important:
other than that time i spent all day trying to figure out what her nipple was she has never had any medical emergencies.
nadie was, if my girlfriend remembers correctly, the runt of the litter. she's pretty sure she remembers that. comparing her to other cats, i think she has a smaller frame, too.
as far as her current weight, i always considered her a small cat, but looking at medical records from two years ago she was 9.5lbs compared to her current (as of dx day) 5.25lbs. i referenced online weight chart imagery weeks before this and told myself she was just on the lower end of a healthy weight, aging, etc. i was wrong. stupid.
my gf was nadie's original owner. i have always been a dog owner.
her and i had two pet rats at one point, too. but this is my first cat.
appx 4 years ago we all moved in together and i, understanding that cats often develop fatal kidney conditions, thought it was vital for her to be on a primarily wet food diet. this meant 3 daily cans of ff gravy lovers with an additional ~1.5 oz of water added to her plate. i thought the moisture of the gravy was a good thing.
i tried several different methods to try to get her to drink additional water over the years. one day i found her drinking out of my cup, so she has been drinking from her own, disguised as mine, since then. now, since the dx, she is drinking out of a measuring cup and total sippage is logged daily.
she also always ate regular dry kibble as her treats, whatever on-sale cat food, as opposed to "treats." a big bag would last a long time. the current one she has (which now will only be fed when necessary,) is purina cat chow naturals chick and dry salmon.
additional treats included whatever human food that she was willing to eat (in variety, not amount,). whenever we ate, she would be offered some. she would usually decline, except for dairy and some sweet baked goods or meat. sharing food has been part of bonding and she never overindulged even when given the opportunity, and she has never been overweight. we always would remark on how she was not an inherent fatass.
these treats have helped her learn a total of 3 commands: come, sit and gentle/those are my fingers. she abides by these commands as per her discretion, typical catshit, so ive been told.
i have also been intermittently training her to get inside of and tolerate being walked around outside in a mesh backpack. as far as the backpack (aka catpack aka "get in the box") sessions have gone, we went from the training session goals to be getting her inside the bag while it's on the floor. her record now is walking down the street and back up. she eats treats the whole time and will start to whine when she remembers we are in fact outside.
i hope one day i can take her for walks like this. this training was very useful when i needed to take her to the emergency vet on the day of her diagnosis. getting in the bag was exciting for her because it meant treats, but as soon as i put the bag in the car it was no longer fun. a lot of her crying and me trying not to cry. the bag is scary again and now she has been trying to dine+dash/chew+screw me, but i did manage to take her outside again for a little bit the next day, and we've continued to do it daily since (as we have for a while.)
she doesnt understand that tomorrow when she jumps in the pack we are going back to the vet. but i do.
sorry for the text wall.
i will try to remember to add nadie's name to my username when i'm able to change it.
please let me know if my signature is alright, or if i'm forgetting any information, or not abiding by rules.
from nadie, my partner and i -- thank you,
q<3
Last edited:
