1/30 - Sprats - AMPS 366; +3 267 NEW ON LANTUS TODAY

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Jenn & Sprats

Jenn & Sprats

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i am trying to get a +5 but I've stuck him so much he is shying away and running from me... I just tried 3 strips with the sock and couldn't get enough :sad:
 
Sometimes if they want to move away, Jennifer, wrapping them up in a towel with only the head showing - either next to the arm of the couch or between your legs - will keep them still enough to get a test. We call it the kitty burrito!
 
ahhh, the little stinker! :-D
let him be for now and just try again in a half hour. maybe he'll cooperate if you entice him with some treats...
 
:YMSIGH: his poor ears, they're a scabby, mess! Just when I think I'm used to it, it doesn't work! Seems like a different ball game each time...
 
You can use neosporin on his ears - the kind with pain relief. And each time, try to hold the spot you poked for a few seconds. That will help with the bruising.
 
is it better to alternate ears each time, or try close to the same spot. I am doing it on the outside the furry part. Should I do it on the underneath? He is gray, long hair... I am trying as close to the edge as I can.
 
For some cats, one ear bleeds better than the other. So try both. You can move up and down along the side - it doesn't have to be in the same spot. Inside, outside - whichever works. Sometimes with a dark haired cat, inside is easier to see.
 
238 +5.75
that took two people to hold him down for that one. He is definitely not acting weak and lathargic! I don't know if he'll let me get another one today.
 
hip-hip-hooray! nice job even if it took two of you! :mrgreen:

sprats will get used to testing... the more you test, the sooner it'll happen. did you give him a lc treat afterward and tell him what a good boy he is? praise him lavishly. he'll enjoy the attention and will want to please you... especially if there's a treat and positive attention as a reward!

this may sound silly, but it's worked wonders with my own kitty. whenever i have to pill her or give her sub-q fluids (she doesn't like either one), we have a few minutes of quiet time together and i explain what i'm going to do and why i'm doing it. incredible as it may sound, she seems to understand. sometimes talking to her works better than other times, but overall her level of cooperation has improved. it might be worth trying with sprats.

i think you can hold off testing until +9 now. what do you think? think you'll be up to trying again in 3 hours?
 
I can probably handle that. If my hubby will let me! :) He is saying, "that poor cat, I get to poke you every time you poke him!" :)
What is the verdict on the 238?
 
candjbeyer said:
I can probably handle that. If my hubby will let me! :) He is saying, "that poor cat, I get to poke you every time you poke him!" :)
What is the verdict on the 238?
Click to expand...
hmmm, well all i can say is sprats is one of the luckiest cats around to have a momma who is willing to take such good care of him! :-D

lc treats = low carb treats, as sue said.
something like a small piece of freeze dried chicken or salmon. i'm sure others can offer some suggestions. it's been so long since i've given alex treats that i've forgotten all the various choices. lol!



ps - go back and edit the subject line of your first post on this thread to include this latest test number.
 
I don't know if this has been mentioned yet....

I'm NOT an expert on Lantus, but because it builds up a shed (reservoir) in the body,
you shoot a consistent dose for several days before adjusting the dose.

You might see (probably will) some wild swings. Especially after the wild ride on Humulin N,
the near hypo, etc. It takes several days for the insulin to 'settle' and the cat's body to
adjust to having the insulin available for sugar processing.

You will want to be giving a low dose, like 1u bid (2x/day) for several days...5 days or so.

Don't change the dose based upon pre-shot tests. After a few days on Lantus, you will run
a curve and see where the nadir is and how low. THEN adjust the dose up or down in SMALL increments
(.25 u), if justified.

If it were me, I would back off on the testing to just pre-shot tests for the next few days. Observe
behavior and test if you think systems look like a hypo. Leave canned food out for nibbling if you are gone.

Remember, the road to regulation is a marathon, not a sprint. Have patience.

And certainly come here for questions and help.
 
I have found that putting Payne on the kitchen counter, which is a good height for me, and gently putting
my left arm around her, which holds her ..... then that leaves both hands to do the sock and the lancet
AND the monitor, yes it is a lot! ( I have only been doing this for three months, so I am still a newbie :)

I have also found that leaving the rice sock on for a full minute helps a lot! and when I do the lancet I push
the strip in on the monitor (if your monitor will wait a moment) and then the monitor is ready the second
I get the blood. Also, she has one ear that bleeds better but after three months it still looks good.

And, if you need to use Neosporin, better to get the ointment, the cream makes the blood run ....away!
IMHO
Your doing fine!
Nancy and Payne (who knows about all this on curve day!)
 
Sienne and Gabby said:
Lantus increases and decreases are usually done in increments of 0.25u. Please refer to the tight regulation dosing protocol for a complete set of the guidelines.
Click to expand...
and often kitties experience a marked response (usually sometime in the first 3 days cycles) when initially starting lantus or levemir which is why monitoring is recommended.

"The cat should be monitored closely on the first 3 days on Lantus/Levemir: do curves between the AM and PM-doses, e.g. AM pre-shot, +3 hours, +6 hours, +9 hours, PM pre-shot. "
http://www.tillydiabetes.net/en_6_protocol2.htm
 
Her numbers are still up there but that is to be expected with the change in insulin because with Lantus she will have to build up her shed. I would go ahead and hold her at .5 for a couple of days and she where she settles into. Then we can see if she needs to go up or down.

Mel, Max & The Fur Gang
 
Yep sounds good. That way you can get her back on the schedule you need her on and not have to run the risk of another night like last night...You both could probably use a break as well.

Mel, Max & The Fur Gang
 
No Problem hun, go spend some quality snuggle time with your girl, you both have earned it.

Mel, Max & The Fur Gang +1
 
Probably should have asked before, but in my kit was lancets and the pen. Do you use that for blood? The vet showed me how to do it with a syringe needle maybe I'be been going about it wrong
 
Yeah that is what a lot of us use to get the blood. Some use the lancet with the pen, some use just the lancet freehand, and I think others like you have used just the syringe. Personally I kind of 1/2 and 1/2 it with the pen. I use the pen but I take the cap off and aim like I would free-hand, but use the spring action of the pen to do the poking.

Mel, Max & The Fur Gang +1
 
candjbeyer said:
Probably should have asked before, but in my kit was lancets and the pen. Do you use that for blood? The vet showed me how to do it with a syringe needle maybe I'be been going about it wrong
Click to expand...

Vets use needles in the office because they are always handy and you can usually get
blood the first try. I find them a bit brutal, though.

Yes, the lancets and pen are for poking.

I assume your vet gave (sold) you some loose needles that normally go on the
end of a syringe.

My vet also did that...25ga Monojects. I found that the lancet device was easier
to use and did not hurt Smokey so much.

Some here do 'freehand'....but with one of the lancets, rather than a needle.

Free-handing at first can be easier to get blood, but I found I could not control the
depth of poke very well. I preferred the lancet device.

With the lancet device it's harder to see your exact target, because the tip of the
device hides the target area a little bit. But you will soon learn how to
position the lancet device at the edge of the ear.

The lancet device pokes 'quicker' and springs back immediately...so the pain is less.

Guess what, you get to try it out on yourself first ! Did you get usage instructions with it ?
 
I use the rice sock behind his ear to warm it and hten just leave it there when I poke so I poke against it. That way he doesn't know exactly when the poke is coming.

Mel, Max & The Fur Gang +1
 
candjbeyer said:
If u use the pen, u use the sock or cotton ball against the other side?
Click to expand...

You will want something firmer.

Use the rice sock to warm the ear. I used 1/3 of a cosmetic square folded over.

Hold the cosmetic square firmly beneath the target area of the ear, press the lancet device firmly
to target area and click it.

While still holding the ear with one hand, quickly set everything down and 'milk' the blood
drop up with your fingertips. Sip the blood drop, set the meter down while it computes the
BG. Then take the cosmetic square and unfold it...wrap around the edge of the ear and
hold gentle pressure for a few seconds. The minimizes the bruising.
 
No instructions, but my husband tests his hand. He just said we use the needle because the ear was too flimsy. If u have the sock there behind, I could see how it would work. No wonder his ears are all scabby.
 
Some cats do react at first to the sound of the click.

You might need to condition cat to the sound by clicking it next to
the ear without actually poking, then reward the kitty.
Several times a day at first, not just at test time.
 
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