How do I know if she’s just relaxed or if she’s lethargic following a dose? ReliOn reading was 233 & she got 1 unit insulin with 1/2 can FF. She’s wearing a cone & has been sitting up probably most of the day. Now on bed relaxed after insulin and food. Breathing is normal and she’s purring some. I don’t think she’s drank much water today with the cone.@ & hasn’t peed for awhile. She hates the cone of course. Am I being paranoid?
First dose questions
- Thread starter WVCatMama
- Start date
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
It’s probably the cone. Have you checked her BG yet. It’s almost +2.
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
What was her pre shot number tonight?
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
Why is she wearing a cone?
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
Don’t give HC food unless you have a test showing you that she is in a really low number.
Pre shot was 233. Haven’t got a second; she’s under the bed and I can’t reach her. She’s eating broth good. Suzanne; she developed what we thought was a UTI after going to vet last week…but she had an abscess rupture Tuesday night & had to run to vet last night to clean it out. It’s near her anal glands but kind of above that spot a little so vet thinks she scraped it or got in a fight with our other cat. She’s long fur though so reaching her skin would be tough. Now she has a big hole (nickel size and half inch maybe deep) that’s trying to heal…BUT she can reach it with the cone on. She fortunately isn’t messing with it much though.
Ok…too late, I was being safe; and I only have about 10 pieces, so not a lot. She can eat dry food by the bowl full…or used to.
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
I understand. It’s really scary at first. You don’t know what to expect and any little behavior difference makes you wonder what is going on!
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
Oh poor baby. Can you take off her cone periodically while you’re watching her and let her drink water. Or take it off while she eats? I know what it’s like. I’ve had lots of cats with cones on before.
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
I’ve had good luck with this cone from Amazon. It’s better than the ones you usually get from the vet.
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
Also these donut style collars are nice and I have used this watermelon one with success the cat is actually able to rest its head on the soft donut collar and it seems more comfortable. It’s made of very soft fabric.
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
I hope you can get a test or two tonight. Just write something in the comments section about what you fed her (including the HC dry) and note that she’s hiding under the bed if you aren’t able to test her (including case you can’t.). Do you have any Pure Bites freeze dried chicken pieces? Those are fantastic testing treats and are magic when you crumble it up on top of wet food. I call it magic chicken dust. Maybe you can crumple the kibble bag and she will be lured out like that— and you will give her an LC treat instead.
Well plus I forgot her dose of gabapentin was mixed in her wet food because it’s on the same schedule…and it makes her sleepy. Her sugar just now +4 was 176. I missed the +2; she was under the bed. I’m trying to let her lay around as much as possible too until that abscess heals. It’s still oozing pus. Vet said it probably would do that for a few days. Now she’s knocked out on the bed again. I’m glad she’s resting and I pray healing.
I haven’t yet. We’ll have to fix the bed so she can’t get under it to try that and I’m not sure I want to do that to her. I rolled a rug out under the bed & she sleeps well there.
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
Good a blue already! Great job getting that test.
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
I understand. The poor girl has been through a lot recently too.
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
Can you please remove the 911 from your thread title now.
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
Did you warm her ear. I found it easy to use a small bottle filled with warm water to warm his ear. I had a small glass bottle, but a lot of people use pill bottles. After a while I rarely even needed to warm his ear at all. The ears start to bleed better as the capillary bed forms. He slept next to me at night so I would keep my testing kit nearby, set an alarm, sit up in bed, test the BG and go back to sleep (well unless I needed to give him any food.)
What size lancets are you using? It’s best to start with the larger 25-28 gauge ones when you’re beginning. Also — a lot of cats do not like the sound of the clicking lancing device in their ear — it startles them. Some don’t care but many do not tolerate it well and it turns testing into a negative experience instead of keeping it positive (with treats.)
What size lancets are you using? It’s best to start with the larger 25-28 gauge ones when you’re beginning. Also — a lot of cats do not like the sound of the clicking lancing device in their ear — it startles them. Some don’t care but many do not tolerate it well and it turns testing into a negative experience instead of keeping it positive (with treats.)
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Thank you! I purchased this one. It won’t be here until Tuesday, which maybe she won’t need it by then. Her wound is a pretty big hole though…probably a couple weeks. Poor baby.
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
Is she on antibiotics for the abscess?Thank you! I purchased this one. It won’t be here until Tuesday, which maybe she won’t need it by then. Her wound is a pretty big hole though…probably a couple weeks. Poor baby.
Thank you! That was with the little bit (10 pieces or so) of dry FF too. We started switching her to the low carb diet a couple weeks ago; really wanting to reach remission. Still figuring the ear pricks out but it’ll get easier. Hubby and I are a good team with her even though she hates him, lol.
Yes; they gave her the 2-week shot of Convenia. They also gave her a shot of Metacam, and were doing Gabapentin twice daily. She’s still oozing some pus, and they said that’s normal as it begins drying out and then finally healing over. I hope with better glucose numbers, her healing will be quicker.
For insulin, at what pre-insulin BG reading number should I not give insulin (skip a dose) for her safety?
Suzanne & Darcy
Member Since 2020
Well, in the beginning the instructions say to not give insulin without guidance if your cat is below 200. It’s recommended to post for help/guidance when shooting below 200 in the beginning. As you gather more BG data on the spreadsheet, the goal is obviously to be able to shoot lower preshot numbers.