9/14 Hester Sue BG 156; Still no spread sheet. General questions

Morna & Hester Sue

Member Since 2026
previous posts: Hester Sue's numbers
Newly diagnosed cat; emergency today

My friend could not be here today, and I do not have a spread sheet set up. But I have what i think are general questions.

I have been doing a lot of reading on the site, and am still quite uncertain when to give a shot. I thought I read somewhere that senior cats sometimes have higher BG levels naturally, I was thinking I read 150 to 250. I also see a range of 70 to 120. I am currently following the guidelines in Q4.4 of the FAQ here: FAQ FDMB - Felinediabetes.com

How do I even know what her normal BG is since she was never tested before the vet said her fructosamine was 595? I assume that number would be lower on the human glucose meter, and the cat specific meter would give higher numbers, but i am not seeing numbers that high. I only began testing after her disastrous hypoglycemic shock incident a week ago Sunday. At this stage we don't have a normal pre-shot value. My schedule isn't a schedule -- it's very erratic, so I am not able to test on a regular schedule. I have cancelled trips and am doing my best to be here at her shot times, but with the numbers i am getting, I am not shooting much.

It may be her numbers are normal for her. Or it may be that after the incident on the 7th, that i am scared to give her insulin, I am still wondering if she is actually diabetic, given she'd had a massive UTI, has chronic gum disease, and hates going to the vet, which is a 25 mile drive. But the number was very high.

She's not eating much, which also makes administering insulin hard to calibrate. I am trying a variety of canned foods, with marginal success. The only thing she is avid about is Churu. She did just now drink some chicken broth i just made.


I could use some help really understanding this. Again, the time I seem to have to write this is late at night Pacific Time, so people east of me are probably asleep.

I am still irked at my vet's office. I drove there to get the insulin prescription on September 4th, and they did not give me any information on handling diabetes outside of the vet's instructions to give 1 unit every 12 hours. i know they're busy, but this was a major oversight on their part. Yes, I should have known better and read more before i started Hester Sue on the Glargine, but I didn't, and the vet who called me to let me know the results of the blood test made the high numbers sound catastrophic. I had to take both cats in today for their rabies vaccinations, and I did talk to the desk staff about it, because it needs to not happen to anyone else.
 
I am still irked at my vet's office. I drove there to get the insulin prescription on September 4th, and they did not give me any information on handling diabetes outside of the vet's instructions to give 1 unit every 12 hours. i know they're busy, but this was a major oversight on their part. Yes, I should have known better and read more before i started Hester Sue on the Glargine, but I didn't, and the vet who called me to let me know the results of the blood test made the high numbers sound catastrophic. I had to take both cats in today for their rabies vaccinations, and I did talk to the desk staff about it, because it needs to not happen to anyone else.
Unfortunately a very common type of story that we hear when caregivers land here. One theory is that the veterinarians are so busy and have to be knowledgeable about all types of diseases for cats and dogs, they can't possibly be experts on a condition as nuanced as FD can be. Sorry though that that was your experience too.

As far as what "normal" blood glucose is, I'd say on a human meter typically between 50 mg/dL and 120 mg/dL would be normal. Maybe you could browse around some people's spreadsheets, specifically the ones in the Honeymooner's section to see what some of the typical days look like, or at least what they did look like before they went off insulin. Anyways, just keep testing her BG throughout the day and vary the times. That will give you a good picture as to what's going on and if she does need some insulin support. Let us know if you need help with the spreadsheet. I know it sounds annoying we keep asking about it, but it really helps people here help you.

Why isn't she eating much? Is she nauseous? You're wise to be careful with the insulin when she's not eating great. Have you tried any of these tricks?
Suggestions on How to Stimulate Kitty's Appetite

Did I miss any of your questions? Hang in there, I know you're doing your best and we'll do our best to help you.
 
Unfortunately a very common type of story that we hear when caregivers land here. One theory is that the veterinarians are so busy and have to be knowledgeable about all types of diseases for cats and dogs, they can't possibly be experts on a condition as nuanced as FD can be. Sorry though that that was your experience too.

As far as what "normal" blood glucose is, I'd say on a human meter typically between 50 mg/dL and 120 mg/dL would be normal. Maybe you could browse around some people's spreadsheets, specifically the ones in the Honeymooner's section to see what some of the typical days look like, or at least what they did look like before they went off insulin. Anyways, just keep testing her BG throughout the day and vary the times. That will give you a good picture as to what's going on and if she does need some insulin support. Let us know if you need help with the spreadsheet. I know it sounds annoying we keep asking about it, but it really helps people here help you.

Why isn't she eating much? Is she nauseous? You're wise to be careful with the insulin when she's not eating great. Have you tried any of these tricks?
Suggestions on How to Stimulate Kitty's Appetite

Did I miss any of your questions? Hang in there, I know you're doing your best and we'll do our best to help you.
Thanks for the reply.

I did get the handout when I went yesterday -- over a week after i was given the prescription. They just didn't give it to me when they should have. It's actually pretty informative and useful. IT was a serious oversight on their part.

I understand why you all need to see the spread sheets, even if I am not able to read them much at all. I will get one made. i am just not able to do it myself. I have kept a record of her numbers, plus they are stored in the meter.

Hester Sue's numbers are staying under 200 since Thursday. I haven't given insulin since Saturday morning. I am thinking a .25u dose might be low and slow enough, except for the not eating much thing.

As to why? She's 17. She has a history of tooth issues. I suspect she could use more extractions, but I am reluctant to put her under anesthesia at this age, plus cost is an issue as i have no income at all. She has been hiss-growling sometimes when she eats, and I think it's a pain issue.
But also, these cats have been free fed kibble most of their lives. I have yet to find a wet food they like enough to just eat. I thought they liked the Weruva BFF OMG gravy, and bought 24 pouches yesterday, but now they're mostly ignoring it. Same for the Snappy Tom's chicken shreds in broth. I cooked a stewing hen and have been putting the broth on their food, with only marginal success. I have tried sprinkling on the bonito flakes, which they have liked in the past. They don't even much like the Fancy Feast. They do love Churu, and I wonder if the Churu addiction makes every thing else uninteresting. Don't know. Still trying. But having their food situation so unsettled does not make for a good regular insulin schedule.

I guess I am thankful her numbers aren't higher.

Sorry for the partially completed post which I am now editing; someone stood on the keyboard and posted before it was ready.
 
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Most members including Corky feed Fancy Fest Pates between 0-10% carbs most feed up to 5% Fancy Fest also has Chucky and Flaked foods, these are good for kibble addict cats. especially that your cat has dental issues , below is a Drs. Food list, the third column contains the carb %s
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/att...=310246&hash=1477f4a38f2d4d7e5847519987c59f3a
I have gone over the food lists and am seeing what works for both cats, since they share a dish and have all their lives. Hester Sue's littermate Sibyl got diagnosed with stage II CKD just before Hester Sue got her FD diagnosis.
I made myself a very bland mixture of lightly cooked ground beefalo and grated zucchini with eggs last night and put some down for the cats, which they ignored, but Hester Sue ate it out of my bowl, which I suspected she might. I also made a puree of plain chicken and the broth it was cooked in. I put down 2 spoonfuls, one mixed with pumpkin. This morning the plain one was gone and the pumpkin one still there. This is all stop-gap and I do not yet have the add-ins to make it a complete meal, but it's better than starving.

Hester Sue is bathing herself, peeing and pooping fine, though as far as I can tell, not peeing excessively. (Again, they share 2 litterboxes, and we sadly went from 3 cats using them to 2, so I can't really tell how much Sunny not being here has an effect.) Hester Sue is being even more of a cuddle bug when I am home, and purrs a lot.
 
Hello! I see you got a lot of helpful info already but I wanted to offer to help make you a spreadsheet. All id need to do is send you a private message to answer a few questions, and we can get it all set up if you’d like.
 
Hello! I see you got a lot of helpful info already but I wanted to offer to help make you a spreadsheet. All id need to do is send you a private message to answer a few questions, and we can get it all set up if you’d like.
Thank you so much. My friend Sally is coming over this afternoon to do it, but if we run into problems, i will message you.
 
I have gone over the food lists and am seeing what works for both cats, since they share a dish and have all their lives. Hester Sue's littermate Sibyl got diagnosed with stage II CKD just before Hester Sue got her FD diagnosis.
I made myself a very bland mixture of lightly cooked ground beefalo and grated zucchini with eggs last night and put some down for the cats, which they ignored, but Hester Sue ate it out of my bowl, which I suspected she might. I also made a puree of plain chicken and the broth it was cooked in. I put down 2 spoonfuls, one mixed with pumpkin. This morning the plain one was gone and the pumpkin one still there. This is all stop-gap and I do not yet have the add-ins to make it a complete meal, but it's better than starving.

Hester Sue is bathing herself, peeing and pooping fine, though as far as I can tell, not peeing excessively. (Again, they share 2 litterboxes, and we sadly went from 3 cats using them to 2, so I can't really tell how much Sunny not being here has an effect.) Hester Sue is being even more of a cuddle bug when I am home, and purrs a lot.
I also have two cats, and I made sure they are both on the same schedule, each have their separate bowls and I sit in front of them to make sure they eat their food, you want to make sure that your diabetic cat eats properly, to be able to shoot insulin
 
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