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Debbie Gregory

Debbie Gregory

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Also newly diagnosed
Discussion in 'Feline Health - (The Main Forum)' started by Debbie Gregory, Yesterday at 9:32 PM.

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  1. Debbie GregoryNew Member
    Joined:
    Sunday
    Hi, I'm new to this disease and am about to have a nervous breakdown at this rate. My cat is having a hard time stabilizing. Dirty Butt didn't look good and ended up with a low test today of 77 and I rushed her to the vet just before closing. Just in that time the vet tested her and she had dropped to 39. They gave her something and I waited there for another hour until they tested again at 285 and sent her home. She looks OK now. Of course no insulin tonight. They want her in for a curve tomorrow.

    A little history. She was diagnosed with the beginning of kidney failure about six months ago, but with low numbers. She was diagnosed last Thursday with diabetes and had a curve done all day Friday. The vet put her on 2 units AM and PM. I brought her in Thursday because she was refusing to eat, which is a repeat of an infection she had a few months ago. At that time (a few months ago), her glucose was slightly above normal, nothing to worry about, no diabetes that we knew about. Clavamox took care of the infection, although we never knew what was infected. Now she is fighting an infection that seems identical. initial blood tests showed glucose at 468. I have been giving insulin on schedule until she wasn't feeling right on Sunday night. I had no home test kit, so I took her to emergency. They tested her at 344 and gave her fluids and anti nausea drug. I continued the insulin Monday and Tuesday and got a home test kit. She has been feeling much better and eating better. Tuesday night I tested her at 193 before giving her insulin. I was concerned because it was so much lower than before. It was 9:00 PM so I called the emergency vet and they said skip the insulin and call my regular vet in the morning. I tested her at 353 this morning and called my vet, she said give her 1.5 units. So I did. I came home from the grocery store and found her hiding and not looking good. I tested her at 77, then rushed to the vet. The vet is concerned because this isn't making sense.

    Has anyone else had this type of fluctuation in numbers?

    FYI - She was already on Fancy Feast and Friskies canned food. I switched all my cats a few years ago as I've been dealing with kidney failure in several cats for several years. They don't like the gravy or sliced versions, so I've always gotten the pate. I was kind of heavy handed with the Temptation Treats and letting her eat some of Dusty's Hill's J/D canned food, both of which have high carbohydrate content (cut her off from both last week), but it doesn't seem like cutting that out of her diet would be enough to cause much lower numbers.

    Debbie Gregory, Yesterday at 9:32 PM Edit Report
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  2. AlexiMember
    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2016
    Hi Debbie - can you tell us a little more about your kitty? Is she on antibiotics currently and what insulin are you using? Diet changes and treatment of infections can drop the blood glucose numbers. Are you able to get any mid cycle numbers to see how she responds to the insulin - it may be that the dose is a little high for her. If you can add a signature it will help people stop asking the same questions. We will help you work this out and get you back on track, numbers often read higher at the vets so good you have started home testing. There are users on the forum experienced with cats with renal disease and diabetes so any questions ask away.

    How to take blood from the paws
    Cappuccino's Spreadsheet Alpha Trak 2 meter
    Alexi, Yesterday at 11:30 PM Report
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  3. JanetNJMember
    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2016
    Temptations are really high in carbs. I gave my cat a few when she was too low... Maybe 5-6 pieces and her numbers rose from 59 to 354. Makes me cringe when I think about the handfuls I've given her over the years. I'm positive it's what set of her diabetes.

    Folks here will help you set up your spreadsheet and give good advice.

    Make sure the wet food is the classic variety NO GRAVY.

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nAInqkndqDxpngGFgmTAoSwldtpCsmWLE1GTq6iFylE/pubhtml
    JanetNJ, Today at 4:47 AM Report
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  4. Shelly & JerseyWell-Known Member
    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2014
    (((Debbie))) Lots of hugs to you.

    Here is the link to your post on the welcome forum so others can go back and read the additional info you provided.

    ↑
    The vet is concerned because this isn't making sense.....Has anyone else had this type of fluctuation in numbers?
    Click to expand...
    It's actually quite common for numbers to fluctuate widely, especially when a kitty is first starting out on insulin and unregulated. Just to give you an example: Not long after we started using Lantus, Jersey's numbers went from 355 at AMPS (morning shot time) down to 77 and up to 553 in less than 12 hours.

    I know you had some initial questions about testing. How are you doing with it now? Do you still need some tips and suggestions?

    Are you using a human meter or an AlphaTrak? That's an important question because it tells us how to interpret the numbers. Most of us here use inexpensive human meters (e.g., Relion Micro or Confirm from Walmart). If you are using a human meter, you don't want your kitty's numbers to drop below 50. If you are using the AlphaTrak, you don't want your kitty's numbers to drop below 68.

    What do we need to help you with first? I know you're dealing with a ton of issues right now, so tell us what we need to focus on right now. We'll just take it one step at a time.

    :bighug:

    Shelly

    Jersey's SS
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    Shelly & Jersey, Today at 5:15 AM Report
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  5. Debbie GregoryNew Member
    Joined:
    Sunday
    I am getting ready to take her to the vet this morning so they can do another curve on her. I wanted to do the curve at home, because she is so scared there, but frankly, I'm scared of the drastic drop in her numbers that happened yesterday. It takes too long to drive to the vet and my testing skills are not very good yet.

    The good news is that she is feeling good as far as the infection is concerned. She is acting normal again, she is eating good, and .... sadly sitting up and pawing the air begging for Temptations. I was giving her waaay too much and wish I could explain to her why she can't have them any more.

    Debbie Gregory, Today at 7:53 AM Edit Delete Report
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  6. JanetNJMember
    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2016
    Have a little honey and high carb treats/food on hand if her numbers get too low.

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nAInqkndqDxpngGFgmTAoSwldtpCsmWLE1GTq6iFylE/pubhtml
    JanetNJ, Today at 8:01 AM Report
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  7. MrWorfMen's MomWell-Known Member
    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2015
    Boy you really have had a time of it but I guarantee this does get easier and with the help from this board, you'll have Dirty Butt (love the name!) and you feeling better very soon.

    Unfortunately, BG tests done at the vet's office are often elevated because of the stress of a strange environment and that can lead the vet to prescribe more insulin than is needed. While you are learning to get tests consistently, it's sometimes necessary to do a curve at the vet but I would encourage you to post here for opinions about the recommended dose before dosing her again. The other problem with diabetes is that BG is constantly fluctuating. Sometimes kitty has a bad day with higher numbers and if that's when a curve is done, even at home, they don't always reflect kitty's "normal".

    Most folks here test before each shot and then at least once during each day and night cycles for a total of 4 tests daily. After a short period of time, one starts to get a picture of how kitty is doing and that data is far more reliable for making dosing decisions than curves. Starting off with conservative dosing is the best way to ensure kitty doesn't go too low. Slow and steady wins this race!

    Menace 2016 Human Meter SS |Menace 2016 AT2 Meter SS|Menace's 2015 FS/AT Meters SS |Canadian|ALPHATRAK2 METER|IAA|DO NOT COPY DOSING
    MrWorfMen's Mom, Today at 8:18 AM Report
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  8. Shelly & JerseyWell-Known Member
    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2014
    ↑
    my testing skills are not very good yet.
    Click to expand...
    It will get easier. I promise. Whether you are ear or paw testing, try warming the spot first. I filled a sock with rice and put it in the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds. I held the sock on Jersey's paw for about 10 seconds. Then I put just a touch of Neosporin with pain relief on the testing spot. The Neosporin helped the blood well up. If you're testing on the ear, try to hold something (maybe a cotton ball) behind the ear when you poke. After getting the blood sample, I held a cotton ball on the site for a few seconds and then put another dab of Neosporin on the site to help it heal.

    In terms of treats, you can always give Dirty Butt some pieces of plain chicken as a treat.

    Hang in there!

    Jersey's SS
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    Shelly & Jersey, Today at 8:20 AM Report
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  9. Debbie GregoryNew Member
    Joined:
    Sunday
    Back from the vet. Another problem. I brought in my new test kit (Alpha Trak purchased from the vet) and the tech and I both took a sample at the same time, I got 250 and theirs was 306, they are two identical meters from the same manufacturer. So they are going to do a control test on both meters and test again with a third meter that is a different brand.

    Since this is the second infection, I asked the vet to look up the numbers on the first infection from May, before we were even thinking of insulin. It was 250, that was at the worst point of the infection before antibiotics, and there was no glucose in the urine, so the vet attributed it to the vet visit and the infection. Now, at this point, depending on what her real numbers are today, I'm wondering if maybe we should leave her off insulin for several days and see what happens -- her diet is different, no more Temptations, no sneaking bits of dry food, and no Hills J/D?

    All four of my cats are being fed 4 times a day (1/4 of a can of Fancy Feast pate each), which is a pattern I started with Dusty, my oldest and more than 3 years into kidney failure -- 8:30 am, 1:00 pm, 7:00 pm, 11:30 pm. He is slowly failing and it is hard to get him to eat, so several smaller meals a day works for him and the other cats are real happy with it. Dirty Butt is still on Clavamox, we are following the same pattern as last time, and will keep her on it another week. Last time it took until the 4th day before she was feeling and eating better, same this time. So this is probably a repeated UTI due to the kidney failure, although I never saw any problems with the litter box. The insulin is Prozinc. Now the 2 units AM and PM is obviously too high, as well as the 1.5. The vet wanted to go with 1 unit this morning, but I'm guessing that may be too high as well, especially after she calms down at home. I will need some advice for sure tonight.

    I'm getting better at testing, but it is a skill. Dirty Butt is 14. I may not have mentioned but she is also blind, a genetic problem, 3 of the 4 kittens in the litter were blind. It doesn't hold her back much, but it makes a visit to the vet even worse because she feels so vulnerable, on the other hand, it makes her really easy to work with, she just tries to make herself small and doesn't fight.

    I'll post again when I get her home and some more results.

    Debbie Gregory, Today at 11:01 AM Edit Delete Report
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  10. Shelly & JerseyWell-Known Member
    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2014
    ↑
    I will need some advice for sure tonight.
    Click to expand...
    I don't have any personal experience with Prozinc, but I've put a call out for some dosing help for you.

    Jersey's SS
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    Shelly & Jersey, Today at 11:23 AM Report
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  11. MrWorfMen's MomWell-Known Member
    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2015
    ↑
    Another problem. I brought in my new test kit (Alpha Trak purchased from the vet) and the tech and I both took a sample at the same time, I got 250 and theirs was 306, they are two identical meters from the same manufacturer. So they are going to do a control test on both meters and test again with a third meter that is a different brand.
    Click to expand...
    I sincerely hope that the issues are not meter related. Just a few points to clarify before you or the vet start thinking the worst.
    The meter must be coded to match the strips being used in it. When you were at the vet, did you both use strips from your own vials so your respective meters were set to the right code for the strip being used? If either of the meters was tested with a strip from the wrong vial, this would explain the problem. I'd check this out before assuming the meters are faulty. Control solution won't shed any light on this problem for either of you when using your own strips.

    Last edited: Today at 11:57 AM
    Menace 2016 Human Meter SS |Menace 2016 AT2 Meter SS|Menace's 2015 FS/AT Meters SS |Canadian|ALPHATRAK2 METER|IAA|DO NOT COPY DOSING
    MrWorfMen's Mom, Today at 11:33 AM Report
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  12. Sharon14Well-Known Member
    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2015
    Since you have two kitties with kidney problems, you may want to consider switching to a low carb, low phosphorus food, such as Wellness Grain Free Turkey, or Wellness Core Beef, Venison & Lamb. Here's a list of a few others
    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E_HZnTcJdsr20Gpivo2ID1KQ9wlZAe1Xy3LDTDVRofU/htmlview?pli=1

    Colin's SS
    Sharon14, Today at 11:51 AM Report
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  13. RachelWell-Known Member
    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2013
    Hi Debbie! We'd love to help you out with dosing advice. It definitely sounds like Dirty Butt needs less insulin. Especially since her numbers will probably be higher at the vet, like you said. Why don't you come over and post on the ProZinc forum? We have several folks there who have used your insulin and we tend to see those posts first...plus it's h arder to find them on the main forum since ProZinc isn't the most frequently used insulin. If you post the number you get before shots, we can definitely help you. :)

    Gypsy's SS Dosing specific to Gypsy. Do not copy without advice!!
    Civvies Oreo, Tigress, and Elektra
    Rachel, Today at 5:03 PM Report
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    Shelly & Jersey likes this.

  14. Shelly & JerseyWell-Known Member
    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2014
    Thank you @@Rachel for helping with dosing. :)

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    Shelly & Jersey, Today at 5:25 PM Report
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  15. Debbie GregoryNew Member
    Joined:
    Sunday
    OK, back from the vet, she is good, but unfortunately, the vet tech was harsh on her and had her growling, just sitting in her carrier, when they brought her into the room. I've had her since she was 8 months old and never heard growl in 14 years, she is normally a sweet heart. She didn't stop until she realized I was there, then calmed down. She had only had a quarter of a can of Fancy Feast this morning, and just now wolfed down a half can of it. So she is definitely eating well, so not worrying about the infection any more.

    The coded number was fine. They came to the conclusion that my meter is reading too low and suggested several doses of the control fluid before doing the next test. So I guess I will have to trust my meter, I have no other choice. This shows the last two days and the curve from today:

    Tuesday

    10:00 am = 2 units insulin (didn't get my meter until that night)
    9:30 pm = 193 (under 200 so vet said to skip the insulin)

    Wednesday

    no insulin for 24 hours at this point
    10:00 am = 353 (vet said to give insulin but lower to 1.5)
    10:00 am = 1.5 insulin
    3:40 pm = 77 (vet said come in immediately)
    4:15 pm = 39 (at the vet's office, vet gave dextrose)
    5:15 pm = 285 (vet said to skip PM insulin because of the dextrose)

    Thursday - curve at vet

    9:00 am = 306
    9:20 am = 442
    vet gave 1 unit insulin at 10:00 am
    11:00 pm = 332
    1:00 pm = 314
    3:00 pm = 471

    Vet wants me to give her 1 unit. I know the high numbers are affected by being at the vet, so should I give the 1 unit tonight? I asked the vet for the number where I should not give any insulin, she said anything below 200. Since she crashed with 1.5 at 353 yesterday, should I maybe give a .5 tonight if the number is above 200? Is .5 even a viable dose?

    I noticed that on Tuesday at home, she crashed 5 hours after the 1.5 insulin. Today at the vet, her number went up 5 hours after the insulin.
    Looking for the differences in the two days:

    She was fed at home both days in the morning before insulin.
    She had another meal at 1:00 at home on Tuesday, but no food this afternoon at the vet.
    She was home and relaxed all day Tuesday, but at the vet all day today.

    Can being at the vet make that much difference?

    Since I need help with dosing I probably should copy this to the ProZinc forum, but I'm not sure how to copy it over.

    My mind is spinning so , thank you so much for your help!

    Debbie Gregory, 44 minutes ago Edit Delete Report
 
The vet gave her insulin at 10:00 am, so I have been letting her settle down, feeding her, and getting into her routine. I'm dreading testing her after the growling and upset they caused at the vet, I'm hoping that doesn't transfer to me. I've got another two hours, so I was going to work on the meter and try control testing like the vet suggested after the mismatch of test numbers between their meter and mine...and maybe eat dinner.
 
I think I'd give .5 tonight, assuming she is 200+. .5 might not be enough, but it's overnight and it sounds like you both need a break. We can get back on track tomorrow - set you up with a spreadsheet so her patterns are easier to see, figure out whether .5 will be too little or whether you should try it awhile. Post tomorrow with your am number and we'll go from there?
 
The great news is that bad time at the vet didn't transfer to me. The little sweet heart let me give the antibiotic pill, and put up with my 5 attempts at pricking her ear to finally get some blood tonight.

I'm kind of worried about her, she is too quiet and her test came out at 113 at 10:00 PM, so I didn't even give the .5 unit tonight. I hate to test her again, but I'm worried she may be crashing again. The vet gave her 1 unit at 10:00 AM, it has been over 12 hours since she had insulin. I'm beginning to think maybe she shouldn't be getting any at all.
 
It's midnight and I was starting to panic because she was so quiet and she was restless and kept lying down with her feet up in the air, but her feet were definitely shivering, and I read those are two of the symptoms of hypo. I tested her and it was 130, so going up again, not down. I can breathe again and maybe get some sleep.
 
Hey Debbie. I hope you got some rest! I know you must be exhausted with the worry of the day.

Since it's been so long since Dirty Butt got insulin, she won't be hypo. Those numbers you got at midnight are perfectly fine even if insulin is on board...without any insulin on board, they are DEFINITELY fine. She's probably quiet because she's exhausted too! After a day at the vet, my cats look for a quiet spot to curl up and sleep for the rest of the day!

You did exactly right giving no insulin.

Debbie, you are doing GREAT. I know the beginning of this journey is scary and overwhelming but you're doing a wonderful job! And we're here for you.
 
Debbie

You have got a lot of good information from everyone. Just wanted to also add in that you are doing a great job!
113.gif


BTW I just LOVE the name Dirty Butt!!

:bighug:
 
Debbie Gregory said:
It's midnight and I was starting to panic because she was so quiet and she was restless and kept lying down with her feet up in the air, but her feet were definitely shivering, and I read those are two of the symptoms of hypo. I tested her and it was 130, so going up again, not down. I can breathe again and maybe get some sleep.
Click to expand...

This is why home testing is so wonderful! No worrying about whether she is too high or too low. A poke and you know!
 
I tested her at 7:30 AM and got 335, before feeding -- so 7.5 hours since she ate and about 20 hours since the last insulin. It was a tiny amount of blood, but it triggered the meter. She seems to be acting normal. I did feed shortly after that and she didn't eat as much as I would like, although she was wolfing down the roast turkey I gave as a reward for the prick in the ear.
 
Deb, look at your private conversations (upper right hand corner) if you want help with your spreadsheet.

So it looks like she needs some insulin. What are you thinking?
 
Sorry to not get back to you right away, I'm not feeling so hot this morning. The spreadsheet will have to wait a while.

Do you think .5 insulin would work?
 
I just tested her at 3:15 PM and it was 335, a disappointment. The .5 unit is so tiny, I wondered at the time if I got it in her since I'm still not very skilled with the needle. Anyway, the insulin was at 9:30 AM and the test was at 3:15 PM, so 5 hours. She has eaten almost a whole Fancy Feast can of food today in 2 meals (the last at 1:00 PM) as well as roast turkey each time I test her, so I don't know how that affects the numbers. She seems happy and normal today.
 
I am glad she is feeling more like herself. I think staying with .5 is not a bad idea for a couple cycles. If she doesn't start to give you lower numbers, you can increase by .25 in a few days.
 
You seem to be doing the right method, following slow increases. Big kudos to you for taking care of a blind, diabetic kitty. What a great cat Mom you are!
 
Evening shot of .5. She tested at 338. This morning it was 335. So I guess it is good the number is not spiking up but staying steady. What would be a good target number for her?
 
Jeff, thanks for the kudos. I used to be involved with cat rescue and colonies. When I moved from CA to WA, I packed up all the kitties from two colonies, my own house cats, and my deceased mother's cats -- 16 in all, almost all of them were born feral. Road trip from hell. They all became house kitties because of the predators around here. That was 10 years ago. I've cried over slowly losing so many over that time. I have four elderly kitties left. I was always taught that when you take an animal in, it was for life. I have unwanted experience with all types of diseases and conditions, but this is my first with diabetes. Makes me look in my own pantry and put down that 2nd piece of candy!
 
Wow. That is a lot of dedication. I can't imagine a road trip with just one cat. So many lives you have raised. It's tough losing one, and must have been hard thru the years losing some of the others. I hope you are able to lift up the life of Dirty Butt a bit. General target is 80-200 for diabetic cats. The wikipedia article shows a target range of 100-180. There will be high points during pre-shot on the 12 hour points.

I know what you mean about awareness. I am a better eater now too. Diabetes in humans in America is an all time high - matching some huge waistlines. I was raised in San Jose but was born in WA. I miss the northwest, and the cooler temps.

We rescued Little Dude a month ago. He is a stray who came to our neighborhood house. He had one very expensive vet visit, including surgical removal of two broken upper canines. And he got snipped (ouch)! Tried to catch him again today for the followup visit since his ear mites came back. He is one smart kitty, a no go. So we'll try again on Monday.
 
Patience always wins out with cats ... and bribery. He will eventually figure out you're the best thing that ever happened to him.

Thank you for the target information. Dirty Butt is a sweet heart. Being blind from birth she and her sister do just fine -- as long as I don't move furniture around or leave something in the middle of the floor, they seem to have a map in their head. When they get scared though they run into walls. You would think they would walk everywhere, but they run and trot along beside me around the house, climb the cat trees, sit in windows, and fall asleep on the back of the couch.

I can't imagine living any where else, it is just gorgeous here.
 
That is so cool that both sisters follow you around everywhere. They are so lucky to have you as a cat mom.
 
Debbie Gregory said:
Evening shot of .5. She tested at 338. This morning it was 335. So I guess it is good the number is not spiking up but staying steady. What would be a good target number for her?
Click to expand...

Since you use an AlphaTrak, your regulated ranges will be a little higher than the human meter. So mid 200s at preshot and lower 100s at nadir, but above 68 which is approaching hypo range. Once in regulated ranges, you start fine tuning the dose. But with her recent low numbers, we are being cautious. If she doesn't drop for nadir into the 100s and is still in the 300s for preshot, you might try for something between 0.5 and one unit tonight. Maybe what we call a fat 0.5
 
My kitty is not eating her canned food meals very well today, but is very interested in baked chicken. So I gave her the baked chicken thinking she needed to eat. Is that a good idea?
 
Baked chicken is a good food for her. High in protein, low in carbs. Our kitties think it is the equivalent of high cuisine.
 
Is it enough to keep her numbers up and not go hypo -- in other words, better than not eating if she is having an off day on the canned food?
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
Since you use an AlphaTrak, your regulated ranges will be a little higher than the human meter. So mid 200s at preshot and lower 100s at nadir, but above 68 which is approaching hypo range. Once in regulated ranges, you start fine tuning the dose. But with her recent low numbers, we are being cautious. If she doesn't drop for nadir into the 100s and is still in the 300s for preshot, you might try for something between 0.5 and one unit tonight. Maybe what we call a fat 0.5
Click to expand...

She was 269 this AM, and I just tested her at 6 hours after insulin and got 139. Yea!

If this continues, should I stay with .5 insulin for a while?

She is now relaxed at home instead of at the vet, the infection seems to be gone although she will be on antibiotics another week, and her diet has changed to wet food or cooked meat. The only thing left that could be a good influence would be losing some weight. She is pudgy, but not obese. It's hard to get a blind cat to play.
 
"It's hard to get a blind cat to play." So funny, but true. You could always rub her so much that her purrs eat up the calories. I have tried this technique with Leo. It doesn't use many calories but seems to make both of us happy :)

You never want to have her hypoglycemic. A single hypo event could be fatal since it is hard to control in that range.
 
Sounds like things are going well! I think the wet food will probably help with the weight. :)
 
She was already on canned food before this happened because of the renal failure, every bit of moisture helps. The ban on Temptation snacks will probably have the most effect, all those carbs were probably adding to her weight. She is still sitting up and pawing the air begging for them, she was getting a lot. I am amazed that she still follows me around and jumps in my lap after the last week of shoving pills down her throat and poking her with needles. I guess the roast turkey helps....bribery is good.
 
Yes, those high carb treats are not good for her since she is diabetic. There are good protein treats around. And well turkey is just about the ultimate great treat.
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
Yes, I would stay with 0.5. As the infection clears, and as she eats more low carb, she may come down.
Click to expand...

Sue -- My meter is making me nervous. I still worry about it being off by 50 points from the vet's. Saturday she tested AM with 269, nadir 139, PM 413 which didn't seem right, so I retested 2 minutes later and got 248 which did make sense. This morning I got 200 so I didn't give her any insulin. I didn't retest that 200 this morning because I only have 2 test strips left until I can get more at the vet Monday (never realized I would go through them so fast). So I don't dare even use 1 for a control test. The vet insists their meter is correct, although mine is new. What could cause the meter to throw a 413 and 2 minutes later 248?

The only thing I can think to do is see if I can borrow my neighbor's meter from maybe two years ago and test using the same blood and the same test strips on both meters at the same time. I need more test strips before I can do it. Come to think of it, the vet tech was using her test strips and I was using mine....hmm.

I'm having some trouble copying the spreadsheet to my computer, but that can wait until you get back.
 
First of all, make absolutely sure the meter is set to the right code for the vial of you are currently using. If you have an AT strip left, check your meter with the control solution to ensure the results are within the range on the vial (100-185mg/dL). If you get a reading outside that range then it's possible the meter is faulty. If it reads within that range, then you can assume the meter is working.

Before testing make sure you wash our hands because the tiniest touch of something on the strip could cause a wonky reading.

The Freestyle Lite strips will work in the AT2 meter. Only do this if the control solution test shows the meter to be working correctly. Below is a note I put together about using them as safely as possible. Given you are running out of AT2 strips and using the FS strips as an interim solution, use the control solution to check if you get any suspect readings and retest without feeding.

"Having thoroughly investigated the FS vs. AT strips (checking patents, manufacturing location, assay used in the strips, calling both human and animal divisions of Abbott etc.) I am 99.9% sure the FS strips and AT strips are identical in their physical composition. The AT strips however have been batch tested to determine what code on the AT meter will produce a reading closest to animal lab values. Without the AT code for each vial of FS strips, your results will not be as accurate as those using AT strips with the meter set to the appropriate code. My own cross checking elicited results within 10% of the AT strips. Others have indicated their results were within 5%. The difference may depend on how high or low the reading being compared is.​

I am not advocating use of the FS strips in the AT meter, but they are an alternative. If you choose to do so, it is imperative that you have your AT meter set on one of the cat codes (known codes are 08, 37, 38, and 93) to get a reasonably accurate result. Do NOT use the code on the FS strip vial as that is for use only with older FS human meters.

It is also imperative that you keep some AT strips on hand to do baseline checks of your results with the same drop of blood, each time you open a new vial of FS strips or alternately, use AT meter control solution to ensure the strips are readings within the expected range. Also double check any unexpected or low FS strip readings using an AT strip.

All meters have an allowed variance in their results of up to +/- 20% and using the FS strips in the AT meter adds another variance into the picture so your results, while in the ballpark, may not be as accurate as is possible."
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Hope that helps. Holler if you have any questions.
 
I always make sure the code matches the container for the strips. I only have two strips left to test tonight and tomorrow morning, so I don't I can't do a control now. The last time I did a control (3 days ago) the range on the container was 100 to 185, and I got 159 twice.

Since her reading was 200 this morning, I am hoping desperately that it is correct, because her numbers have been coming down.

I'm too new at this (1 week) to feel comfortable using anything other than the meter's own test strips for now.
 
Debbie, I understand completely and quite honestly I don't use the FS strips in my AT meter either because I like to know exactly what I am dealing with even though I'm not new at this anymore. I do however like knowing that should I ever run out of AT2 strips for any reason, there is a close alternative I can get my hands on easily if need be.:)
 
Debbie

I am one of the people who use the FS Lite strips in my AT2 meter. It took me a long time and many, many, many side by side comparisons from the same drop of blood before I became comfortable with trusting the results. If you aren't comfortable doing it this way then don't worry about it right now. Maybe down the line you can do some comparisons. Right now you need to feel comfortable with what you are doing. :bighug:
 
Debbie I understand how you feel too. I only suggested it because you were down to two strips and couldn't get any more until tomorrow. I thought that knowing there was an alternative, if needed, would be good for you to know.
 
What should the average feeding/test/shot schedule be through the day? Do you:

test first thing in the morning, give insulin, then feed
-- or
feed first and test later, then insulin?
 
The routine should be to test/feed/shoot and the test should be done at least two hours post food to avoid any food influence on the numbers. :)

ETA Then we try to get a test in around the expected nadir which would be between +4 and +7 I believe with ProZinc (others may correct me on that time frame!)
 
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