? Having a hard time w/ testing - dosing advice?

So Ducky was diagnosed recently and the hardest thing so far is to get her BG level at home. I've only been able to get it once and when I tried today, she kept running away from me in the opposite direction if I even looked at her. I finally got her in my arms and pricked her ear but of course it didn't bleed at all... I gave her a few treats anyway but now I'm worried she's going to be afraid of me from now on. I don't know if I should wait til tomorrow to start her insulin because I didn't get to test her today. I was at the vet a few days ago because she was having stomach issues (unrelated) and they mentioned her BG level was actually pretty normal then. I've been trying to get her to eat a lot more wet food than usual so I know it's possible her BG will be lower than it was so I'm nervous about injecting without testing. In general she doesn't like to be held or picked up and is really fast when she wants to be so this will be a struggle. I feel terrible thinking she is going to be afraid of me or hate me now I live alone so I don't really have anyone who can help. Does anyone have any tips?

 

I personally would not shoot until you can fairly reliably test, provided not ketones recently. The diet change may have been enough to bring her down a bit.

What dose are you starting at?

Have you read through this?https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
It's basically all our tips in one spot. Warm the ear, find the sweet spot, then prick. I use Vaseline on the area I'm going to poke as it helps the blood bead up better. To avoid wasting strips, I aim for a drop about the size of a ball on a ballpoint pen (eventually you'll get the hang of it and just know by looking if you have enough). You may also need some bigger lancets. A lot of us freehand the lancet (don't use the pen) with a cotton round on the other side so you don't get poked - because the click of the lancing device often scares the cat.

It may help you to wrap him in a towel like a burrito. And/or kneel on the floor with your heels together, and cat between your legs so it's harder to run away. And treats upon treats! Treats before testing, treats after.

It does get easier, I promise. These days Mr Kitty knows when I grab the meter to hop up on his tree, and he purrs and headbutts.

 

Thanks for these tips FrostD, I am going to try again this evening before her meal. She loves her treats but now I think she's automatically suspicious of me when I bring them out! I think the lancets that came with my meter are 28, is that a good size for lancets? She didn't have any ketones when her urine was last checked a few days ago but I'll keep an eye on it.

 

I finally was able to do it although it took several pokes and she was growling at me the whole time Her reading was 217, not sure if the stress of me doing the test for 10 minutes was enough to raise her blood sugar a lot but I'm guessing I can go ahead and give her the first dose of insulin this evening? I'm sooo nervous that I will end up doing it wrong and making a mistake.

 

Have you switched to wet food only? I'd try that first and get more comfortable testing before adding insulin in. You may get lucky and switching to wet food only you may not need insulin.

 

Agree with this.

What dose did vet tell you to start at?

 

Opps, sorry though you were the original poster.

My vet started at 1u but quickly learned that was to much for my kitty.

 

warm up the ear first by either rubbing it or warming it with a warm washcloth in a ziplock. don't be afraid of poking all the way through. Make sure you have a pad on the other side protecting your fingers. try higher or lower along the edge of the ear. Make sure the lancet is 26-28 gauge. I have a video in my signature showing how i tested my cat cc.

 

thanks everyone! would be pretty lost without things i've learned from this forum

 

I think we've all felt that way!

 

I could have written your post when i first started Landos diabetes treatment. My hands shook, i was filled with guilt and could not get blood even tho i watched all the videos etc! I also am solo and i find MANY cat grooming things hard to do alone.
My advice is keep with it! It gets better ( such a cliche but true). My more useful advice is: to use a headlamp or reading glasses to magnify and really see the area of the ear correctly; and REALLY look at the “sweet spot” of the ear diagrams. There really is a sweet spot. Those few things helped Lando and myself. I now can get a blood sample on the first try usually.
Good luck and well wishes!

 

Always aim for the sweet spot warm the ears up first, you can put rice in a sock and put it in the microwave, test it on the inside of your wrist to be sure it's not to hot, like you would test a babies bottle. You can fill a pill bottle with warm water and roll it on the ears also.Just keep rubbing the ears with your fingers to warm them up

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 he won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there.
When you do get some blood you can try milking the ear.
Get you finger and gently push up toward the blood , more will appear
You will put the cotton round behind his ear in case you poke your finger, after you are done testing you will fold the cotton round over his ear tostop the bleeding , press gently for about 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets

 

So I tried to get her blood sugar reading this morning and got a decent sized drop of blood, and the glucometer wouldn't read it, just kept "waiting".. Tried another strip, same thing. I know it's just as much as before when I got a reading so I'm so confused as to what went wrong this time. I basically made her miserable for no reason. Is there a reason this happens?? I am using the alphatrak. Just so incredibly frustrating!!

 

Also she ran away from me before I could apply pressure to her ear and a little bit of blood was on her fur - I tried to go up to her to clean her but she was not having it. Sigh.

 

Hmmmm.... Can you check the owner's guide for the meter to see if there's an FAQ addressing this issue? If there's not, I'd consider calling customer service (although I wouldn't mention you were testing your cat). You could always try testing yourself and see if you get a reading.

I'd also try replacing the battery.

 

Just making sure (because I used the alpha incorrectly my first week).... You are DIPPING the little protruding straw into the drop and not trying to scoop the drop ONTO a black dot, correct? Like you hold the meter sideways and dip it into the blood so the straw can sick it up.

 

I second this! I forgot before @JanetNJ mentioned! I was doing it wrong too! If you can deal with pricking your own finger and doing a test run on yourself that helped me too! I was scooping blood and not touching the tip of the strip INTO the blood
Also sending compassion your way @fenderrae . Its so frustrating and disheartening. Give yourself a bat on the back for getting blood! Half the battle!

 

Thanks everyone for the advice & moral support, I think that must have been the problem. Just tried using the test solution and got a reading so I must have been angling it wrong. Sigh!! Is it normal for them to cry out like the lancet prick is painful? It's so hard to do when it feels like I'm hurting her. Maybe I'm accidentally getting the vein?

 

It took me almost 20 sticks before I got a reading. My breakthrough was when my kitty scratched me, I decided to test my own blood, and it worked! I had even been pricking toe beans which she was NOT happy about. The other breakthrough was to heat the ear using a heatpack put in the microwave for about 30 seconds. She still yells when I prick her ear but as soon as her treat comes out she forgives me. I’m about 100 sticks in now and haven’t had a missed one or error in days. You’ll get there. You may also want to consider a Freestyle Libre - that should lessen the number of times you have to poke your furbaby. I’ve heard you can get one for free on the Abbott pharma website. Maybe try handling her more, rubbing her ear, and rewarding her, even when you don’t need to poke her? Sending strength and love your way. <3

 

I highly recommend trying a lancet on yourself. It tells you a lot about pressure angle etc… btw are you freehanding with a lancet? I tried out one of those automatic lancet devices on myself and the bruise lasted for days. Im so happy i tried it out on myself and it never got to lando. Btw lando never yelps but once in a while flinches or pulls away
Youre getting there!i sweatr it sounds like you are on your way!

 

Thank you for the tips @Jade & George I will keep practicing. I know the Libre seems to have mixed reviews and can be pricy but something like that would be amazing since the blood glucose checking is the most stressful aspect for me. I'll check with my vet and see if they have more information about it.

Thanks for the much needed positive words @Lando demando I appreciate it! I practiced on myself a few times today and am still a little shaky about it but will keep trying, hopefully not causing Ducky too much trauma in the process

Edit to add I must have pricked the vein by accident earlier since it bled more than usual this morning I think, it's hard to tell because her ears are black. I'll try to see if I can get some kind of light to shine on her ear when I do it and maybe be able to see the vein better. Hard because I only have so many hands, bleh!!

 

Youre doing your best and im sure he feels the caring intent. Hes lucky to have you. It will get better.
Also, i have gotten the vein also, dont beat yourself up.
Lando is all black and i really just try to stick to the edge of the ear. The mini light taped to my reading glasses look highly nerdy, but they help

 

Thanks @Lando demando i appreciate it.

Ducky threw up last night so I’m feeling pretty anxious. She tends to get an upset stomach when she’s stressed so I’m hoping that’s all it is, but it makes this all really complicated and difficult. She had an upset stomach after going back and forth to vet during diagnosis and she was finally doing a lot better and going to the bathroom normally and I feel like I messed everything up by trying to push her to do the testing. It’s hard feeling like everything i do is the wrong thing for her

 

Take a deep breath! Yes that adds more to your plate and im sorry its increasing the anxiety. Sadly for many the first few monts seem like a windfall.
I can only give you a pep talk and let you know that i also felt like i was taken to the limit. Ive now had a month of feeling like things are manageable. I hope yours and Ducky’s comes sooner!
Ps other members may talk to you about cerenia , pepcid or ondansetron if the vomiting becomes a common thing… or dont hesitate to ask in this thread if you think the vomiting is an often thing!

 

Generally it doesn't hurt. So make sure you are aiming for the very outer edge and not the vein. And give a snack for each test so they associate it with a positive thing. Another thing you could do is scrape the drop onto your nail and test from there so you can let a squirming cat go

 

Thanks again for the tips @Lando demando and @JanetNJ - I reached out to my vet to ask what they recommended for testing but they said it's not required and most of their clients don't home test, however I just don't think I would be comfortable with that. I ordered some urine glucose strips so I can at least get a general sense of where things are while I get her more used to the glucometer. I might look into the FreeStyle Libre at least at first since then I won't have to prick her as often, even though I'm worried I wouldn't be able to figure it out. Will keep trying to stay positive though!!

 

<3 keep learning, keep asking questions and keep on! Knowledge is power in this instance. I REALLY like my vet, but had i followed his advice blindly and not been helped by @tiffmaxee and @Bandit's Mom ( along with a lot of other great members) lando would likely not be here. Keep up your good work!
BTW i dont know anything about the freestyle libre because in that instance i was scared of the unknown and didnt look into it

 

I’m sorry your vet is giving you such dangerous advice. Without testing a cat can go into a symptomatic hypo from being on too much insulin or be so high they develop insulin resistance. I thought Max would hide from me if I tested at home and initially didn’t. I bought a Relion meter for emergencies and brought it to my vet to see if it worked he had me do the prick and I saw how easy it was. Max never gave me a hard time. I tested him in a bathroom sink as it was the right height for me. He got a special treat every time and waited patiently if I forgot to give him one. The urine test strips will let you know if there are ketones or sugar in the urine but not if it’s safe to shoot. You will save money by not having to drag your cat to the vet for curves where if stressed they will often read higher.

I doubt that she vomited due to testing her. cats often get other issues such as pancreatitis that make them nauseous. If it continues as suggested by @Lando demando I would get ondansetron or cerenia.

Keep asking questions and let us know how we can help.

 

Just wanted to share a little note on testing written by another member. I hope it helps you.
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/9-9-bailey-amps-117-5-62.252712/#post-2851043

 

Thanks all. I was able to get a sample this morning of 237 on the alphatrak (there was still a lot of growling and fruitless attempts though but i finally got a drop). I decided i would give her the first dose of insulin while she was eating but when I started to lift up her fur she freaked out and is now hiding under the bed. She's still clearly wary from the testing. I will try again this evening. I don't want to have to hold her when I do it and cause additional stress because she doesn't like to be held, and she tends to get an upset stomach when she's stressed. Was really hoping I could manage it with diet alone but she is now 3/4 wet food 1/4 dry and it doesn't seem to be helping yet although I've only gotten test results three times. Feeling pretty miserable like this just isn't ever going to work, she is such an extremely fussy cat and I feel like I can't get any of this right.

 

237 isn't too bad, I've seen much worse from newly diagnosed cats.

Have you tried wrapping her up in a towel like a burrito? That tends to calm a lot of fussy cats down. Also putting a towel or something over their head when giving the shot (just obviously quickly because of airflow). It sounds a little weird, maybe harsh, but it's worked for my cat before I could get him socialized (and still does if he's having a particularly bad day).

 

Thanks, I've heard this helps, not sure she would let me do it but I'll give it a try. I think I'll probably just have to pick her up and hold her while giving the injection, I've been scared of making her stressed and have tried to do things on her terms since she doesn't like being held but that just isn't working so I'll have to be a little more firm. Hopefully when it becomes a routine she'll be less scared... I hope!

 

237 really is not bad. Cutting out all dry could make a difference

 

How long does it generally take for diet to reflect in their levels? My vet wanted to start her at 1 unit twice a day but I'm worried that's high since her levels have stayed in the 200s when I've tested her at home and am continuing to try to give her more wet food and less dry.

 

We recommend starting at 0.5U if on a wet diet, or transitioning. The dry food can affect things for a few days.

That said, she's floating right around our no-shoot/stall number for people who are new.

@Bandit's Mom @tiffmaxee @Bron and Sheba (GA) thoughts?

 

Over 200 is safe to shoot. Are you going to follow SLGS or TR? With TR the starting dose is based upon your cat’s weight. There’s a formula for it.

 

Thanks @FrostD & @tiffmaxee - I am going to do SLGS. Going to try again tomorrow morning for the first shot so I can monitor her and see how she reacts, need to go to bed early tonight as we're both pretty exhausted from all the fuss this morning!! Will report back, hopefully will be more successful then

 

Sounds good. So you will start with .50?

 

Yes, didn't realise they make syringes with half-unit-markings so I will try to just eye it for now!

 

Yes. You will want to get syringes with half unit markings because increase and decreases are in .25 increments.

 

If you are in the US, you can pick up a box at Walmart. Their ReliOn brand comes with half unit marks. You want the u-100 syringes of 30 unit (0.3 ml) capacity.




The spreadsheet you are using is for human meters. There is a different format for pet meters, I can help you with making the switch.

You may want to start posting on our Lantus forum. You will get more eyes on your posts from experienced Lantus users.
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-basaglar-glargine-and-levemir-detemir.9/

 

Oops! Thanks I fixed it

 

Continuing to have issues because now when I bring out her treats to have the test, she immediately runs in the opposite direction and hides and runs away when I come near her.. not quite the response I wanted I might have to urine test her instead for a while since I don’t know that this is going to work.I ordered some hydrophobic litter and have glucose urine strips. Have stopped with the dry food fully yesterday and am just giving wet food and am really hoping the diet will help her for now since she is the worst candidate for anything that involves needles or lancets clearly… I want her to get better but don’t want her to feel stressed in her own home either. I’m worried that the checks will be inaccurate because testing stresses her so much. I’ve noticed her clinical signs have been a lot better since eating more wet food - no excessive drinking or urination. So frustrating

 

Give her a little break... But do keep touching her ears to have her desensitized to them being touched.

 

I sit cross legged sideways on the couch. Put Oliver in the space between my knees and raise them up so he is pinned. If he thinks he is going to leave I put slight pressure on him and he quiets down. You’ll get there. It’s so hard at first, but you will find the technique that works for you both and this will all be in the past. We’ve all been there!

 

Sometimes taking a breath and waiting for both your stress levels to come down is needed. Youll get there. Sending well wishes

 

Where are you located? Maybe somebody could come over and give you a little in-person tutorial. Someone did that for me when I started and it made all the difference.

I get all my stuff ready, put the strip in the meter but do not push it in, and then scoop up kitty and put him on a counter between my elbows facing away from me and poke in three swift movements. The longer I mess around, the more annoyed and resistant they get. I have also squatted over them on the floor and trapped them between my knees (again, facing away from me)

Another thing that helped me was to scoop the blood drop onto the side of my clean, dry fingertip; then I can let the cat go and test off my fingertip. Less wrestling, less of the cat flicking an ear and now your blood is spattered all over the wall and you have to start over. It tickles when you touch the strip directly to the drop while it's still sitting on the ear.

Also- if you are very frustrated and anxious, the kitties can feel it and they will be even less cooperative. When I first started, I playacted that I was the vet. I pretended to put my white coat on, walked confidently into the room, picked up the cat and put him on the counter, and explained what I was doing to an imaginary cat parent while I tested him like a confident professional would. Kinda silly, but it worked.

If you are having lots of trouble getting a successful test, commit to trying three times before every shot. Then you are allowed to give up, but you must try three times before the next shot. We once had a cat parent who did this for WEEKS and posted twice a day wailing that he was never going to get it, but he persevered like a trooper and one day SUCCESS!!!!!!!!! He became proficient. You just have to grit your teeth and keep trying.

 

Omg i love your vet tech LARPing!

 

Kinda stupid... but if it works, it ain't stupid!

I recognized that my own insecurity and anxiety was the biggest problem in the room.

 

Not stupid at all! Im with you whatever works! I fainted in the vet office when they gave me a sub q fluid demo. I could have used your trick!

 

I finally managed to get a sample today - too late in the day to start her dose but it was 205. She was lying down so it was a little less stressful for her, but of course she is now running away from me every time she sees me!! Will try again this evening. If I can't get a sample should I just start with .25 or hold off? I really want to start her on the insulin and am worried about delaying it.. I think maybe I just need to try out a Freestyle Libre at this point but I'm worried she'd just scratch it off I also have hydrophobic litter in the litterbox so I can check her urine glucose although I know it's not super accurate. Just trying all the things!

This is a great idea! I feel so guilty and anxious when I try to take a sample, it can't hurt to put yourself in a more clinical mindset

Thank you Trying to de-stress and just do it without overthinking.

 

Ok so I just did a urine test with glucose strips and it showed as negative for glucose?? I did another one just in case and got the same result. I had done one a few days ago that showed around the 100-250 range so I don't think they're defective. So confusing!! Is this something common with this kind of testing, that sometimes they don't show as having any glucose in the urine even though their BG is elevated?

Edit as I just did a ketone test and it turned purple so now I'm freaking out a little.. She doesn't have any symptoms of ketoacidosis, I'm totally confused... Should I call my vet?

 

Edit to add she has been eating normally, is active and hasn't had vomiting or diarrhea... Is it possible the test is wrong? I tried calling my vet and they said they are currently slammed with patients and will have to call me back

I feel super guilty for not starting her insulin earlier. I really hope she is okay.

 

glucose doesn't usually spill into a cats urine until it's around 250

 

Spoke to my vet and she wasn't too concerned about it because her symptoms are otherwise good, but I could tell she wasn't pleased I haven't started the insulin yet. Will try again tomorrow morning and see if maybe she will be less nervous about the testing/insulin if I give her a gabapentin beforehand. Scared because I have to work during the day and am worried I won't be able to monitor her, but will at least try to stop by on my lunch break to see how she's doing.

My vet seemed to be against the idea of home testing and said not to get too caught up in the numbers and just do the insulin ASAP, but this really goes against what everyone here has said. I did check with another veterinary professional via email and she said she wouldn't recommend starting insulin if urine glucose was negative and to just give another week with the wet food but that I should confirm with my vet. It's hard hearing all these conflicting things, I guess I just have to try it out on my own and see what works. So stressful! Glad I am able to post here and get advice from others who are going through the same!

 

Just wanted to add that the last two times I’ve checked her bg have so much better. I’ve found if I just let her relax on the couch instead of holding her she is not as stressed. I pet her, got the reading, and then gave her some treats and she was purring almost the whole time, I couldn’t believe it! Doubt it will continue to be that easy but just thought I’d share.

 

Youre amazing! Way to go. Happy happy news… and it MAY continue you never know

 

Well today's PM attempt was quite a disaster! So it is clearly still going to be a journey, seems she will only let things happen on her terms!! thank you for the encouragement

 

Ups and downs will happen. The important part is that you saw that you can do it, and Ducky will let you. Take the victory lap

 

Had another less stressful reading this morning, yay for small victories!

 

Yes!!!

 

So every day seems to be a little different and since i haven’t yet been able to reliably test her in a consistent way. She acts like the prick really hurts her and I don’t know why… she growls and hisses and tries to get away even if I don’t hold her. so I emailed my vet about trying the freestyle libre. I don’t know if it will bother her or not or if it will even be accurate, but since her numbers have started to lower im worried about giving a dose without getting a reading. My vet wanted me to just give 1 unit 2x daily and was discouraging home testing but I think that would have been too much for her based on the numbers so far. Should I just be giving a tiny .1 dose on the days i can’t get a reading or not shoot at all? Any advice would be appreciated. I don’t like that administration has been so inconsistent.

 

As you wait for an experienced member to weigh in, i want to show you Landos SS in my signature. It show the early days where 2 units brought him from the 400s to below 90. Just want to show you why I found it so helpful to know the numbers before shooting. Keep it up, you are getting there!

 

I like the .25 dose for anything over 150.. under that you are probably wise to not shoot as you are still struggling with testing. I totally understand... I have some cats that would be IMPOSSIBLE to test. I was just lucky that my diabetic was my only really easy going cat.

 

Though this morning was a disaster, this evening I tried out the lancet gadget thingy and it worked on the first try, what a relief! It was 156 so she'll get a small dose tonight. Consistency has been a mess but I'll keep trying.

 

Great job!!