2/26 Smokey:no AMPS +4.5 55 PMPS 110

[Melanie and Smokey]

So after the first night of trying to go without hard food out, I end up 3 fat cats that swear they are starving to death this morning. It was impossible to get Smokey to cooperate for a test. Fed and dosed at the lowered level of 2units and have spent the last 3 hours coaxing Smokey out from under the bed (her its-vet-time hiding place) and giving her loving so she knows mommy isn't just a big meany who only pets when she's going to poke me with something.

So, I come to the choice of just leaving her untested today and letting her calm down or try to force the issue to make sure I get at least a reading or two?? The last 3 test times she's been pretty resistant and I am afraid forcing it will make her hide every time I take the meter out. I will need to go to work and work through the evening shot and hubby refuses to not follow vet dosage unless I can give him a good reason, so we will be given at least two doses with no info and consistant lower to middle greens.






Yesterday viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7411

 

[Caryl & Sebastian & Alex (GA)]

Re: 2/26 Smokey:no hd food=mad cats=no AMPS

Hi Melanie,

If it were me, and i can only speak for myself...I'd rather have a couple of readings than no readings all day. Especially because you have such low numbers. I mean, if you can.
Have you tried wrapping Smokey in a towel to do the testing? I had to do that at first. I don't think it's easy for anyone to get started with this, but you'll get the hang of it. I used to have tears in my eyes every time I had to test Alex. Now he comes and sits down for testing like everyone said their cats did and i didn't believe it could be true.

Good luck today ...hope you can get one or two in

 

[joyce-tuscany(GA)]

Re: 2/26 Smokey:no hd food=mad cats=no AMPS

Are you giving smokey some yummy treats at test time? That sometimes helps knowing they will get the treat. Sometimes I give one just before testing - then after. Good luck. I shot blind in the beginning - can't believe I did that now. And in shooting blind probably missed dose that would have worked better -looking back I bet I was in rebound often.

 

[Ann & Tess GA]

Re: 2/26 Smokey:no hd food=mad cats=no AMPS

I never had to try to this, but I remembered reading about it when we were starting.
http://www.felinecrf.org/giving_sub-qs_syringe.htm#clothes_peg_trick There is a link on top of the page to take you down to "clothespin trick"
It's like a momma cat taking a kitten by the scruff, they just calm right down.

 

[Ronnie & Luna]

Re: 2/26 Smokey:no hd food=mad cats=no AMPS

Hi Melanie

how is Smokey doing?
Believe or not, this does get easier, and cats get the hang of it, especially if there's treats involved.
Eventually they do come around, based on what I've seen in the board here,
it takes roughly about a week or two to get it down pat.

So hang in there, your doing good by getting what you can. And nice :mrgreen:'s too!

 

[Melanie and Smokey]

Re: 2/26 Smokey:no hd food=mad cats=no AMPS

Thanks for the encouragement - Smokey kind of looked like Sassy in that #5 pic this morning cat(2)_steam

I did get a +4 reading at 55. She protested but was too into her nap to fight. I will run home to test before hubby gives PM shot.

My routine when testing is to test about 20 min preshot time, feed, then shoot. So she knows she'd getting food afterwards. She just seems very tender in the ears right now and this morning after going their first night without hard food out, all three were certain they were going to starve to death if they didn't get fed NOW. Her sisters were pacing around us and that was disturbing her more. She usually will just lay there and let me do it. Anytime she feels forcibly held she gets panicy.

She rarely has problems with the shots. Before starting testing we's shoot, then feed and she'd be in the kitchen before me and lay down as soon as I told her to. We'd rub the belly and pet for a few minutes and then shoot without protest.


Today is just my breaking day I think. Not enough sleep, works too busy to get a good schedule of readings-ARG. Dear hubby is trying to learn the meter, but called last night with his own blood everywhere (testing on himself first) and still not getting it to read (yes, dear you have to follow the steps exactly how they tell you to, no you can't put the blood on the strip first when tell you you have to wait until you see the drop before applying). I think I am just a that point of wondering if ignorance was bliss - she's criusin' along in greens with happy ears and I'm not seeing things that make me exited (she getting greens!!) yet sending me into panic mode (they're low, what if they get too low this weekend. Do we skip a dose again, do we reduce the dose? Everyone say skip if under 100 or 150 or 200, she hasn't been over 100 in a month, are we supposed to skipping them all...OMG what do we doooooo!!)

How do you all stay sane when your sugarkitty is zipping all over the charts? I can't stay sane when she's cruisin' in the greens.

 

[Melanie and Smokey]

What a bad day for poor Smokey. Unwanted poking to make sure we don't dose when she's too low. House cleaners are in and she hates when they come. She hits her highest number yet - and hubby gets his first fur shot so we don't get her dosed anyway.

 

[Jill & Alex (GA)]

fur shots happen to all of us at one time or another. don't shoot again tonight. just start over fresh in the morning.
maybe a good night to get some sleep?

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

I had to chuckle. Knowledge is power and it's a headache all rolled into one! Many of us shoot lower numbers once we have the data to be able to do this. Smokey just has great numbers already!

Do remember to get at least one test in tonight even with the fur shot. I'll be curious to see how Smokey's numbers look a couple of hours after he eats.

Also, Joyce made a good suggestion. Giving treats at test time can go a long way to making the process go more smoothly.