Cant stabilise Squishy..suggestions to offer my vet?

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Another thought:

Cats being living beings, their insulin needs can change slightly from day to day, so variations in BG readings are to be expected. For example, Squishy may get a bit more exercise on a particular day and that may take her a bit lower for a while. Similarly she may eat a little more at a different time of day, and her BG may be a little higher that day as a consequence but that's OK. The goal of regulation with insulin is to find the lowest dose possible to keep BG numbers in a good range without taking a kitty too low. Never, never, never hold off on dose reductions. If ever Squishy's BG goes down to 2.8mmol/L or lower (human meter) then the dose is ALWAYS too high, so you must reduce the dose straight away (as discussed above) and you need to intervene with carbohydrates to bring her numbers back up (which you have managed well!). Remember that if, at a future stage, Squishy's numbers start to trend upwards again the dose can always be readjusted. As the saying goes here, better too high for a day than too low for a minute. :) It is fantastic that you have cracked the home testing because you'll have much more info now to help keep your darling little girl safe and well on her Lantus (and I sincerely hope it will bring you more peace of mind, too).

:bighug:


Mogs
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Goood Morning Mogs!

I plan on calling the Vet to get a no shoot number that I can stick by. Up until now I have called the clinic and another vet has advised me at the moment what to do with that particular shot depending on that day.

Squishy is being so patient with me and the home testing. Its all about having everything set up in the right place before I start so I don't have to reach far. She usually tries to do a runner but there aren't many places to run to in my humble abode.

What I do it sit down on the couch and snuggle her under my arm between me and a bolster cushion. Talking to her softly. I slip my forefinger under her collar and rest my elbow on the couch on the other side of her.

I prick her ear with a lancet. A tiny meow if it hurts a little bit. I am getting quicker at it and she is squeaking less which I guess means she is adjusting to it. Its only in the last couple of days I have managed to arrange a piece of towel to hold on the wound before she escapes on me. Initially I was too busy reading the meter and she would escape with a bloody ear. I would run around after her trying to compress it, which often failed.

She has so adjusted to her Lantus Shots that I can go up to her where she is at the time it is due and just give it to her. Although when she is in a hiding mood her food on the kitchen bench is her best enticement.

I still can't believe I am actually home testing and yes it does give me peace of mind, especially now, with your's and the other members help I am understanding how the Lantus works and I don't need to panic quite so much.

I am off to do something out of the ordinary for me. Meeting a good friend for coffee.
She is trying to help me get out of the house a bit more so we are going to sit in the lovely morning sun and gossip.

Have a terrific day/evening yourself and thanks again

Jenny
 
Hi Jenny,

I enjoyed reading about how you're finding ways to help Squishy. (I use the food trick with Saoirse, too, when I'm giving her her Lantus!) I think you should give yourself THE most ginormous pat on the back for sorting out the testing. I'm so chuffed for you. :D

I'm really pleased to hear that you're going out with your friend for a treat. I hope you both have a lovely, lovely time. Enjoy the sunshine!

(((Jenny)))


Mogs
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Jenny, you are doing an absolutely stellar job of managing Squishy. Try cotton wool if you have trouble with a piece of towel. It doesn't flop around so you can grab it easier.Enjoy your time out with your friend... You need to see that your health doesn't get lost in the shuffle.
 
Jeanne Skadowski said:
Jenny, you are doing an absolutely stellar job of managing Squishy. Try cotton wool if you have trouble with a piece of towel. It doesn't flop around so you can grab it easier.Enjoy your time out with your friend... You need to see that your health doesn't get lost in the shuffle.
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Jeanne.

Oh yes that's a much better idea. I have a heap of those makeup cotton pads in the medicine cabinet that I don't use. I have a little plastic container set up now that has my meter, lancets, test strips and will add cotton pads. Makes it so much easier to move everything around in the container.

thank you again. All of these handy hints are really helping

Cheers

Jenny
 
I am so glad to hear you are home testing successfully! I knew you could do it!

I use the round cotton makeup pads when I test and I love them. I use them as a backer to keep myself from getting pricked by accident and as a compress after testing. Another trick I use is relabeling old test strip containers and using them to hold used strips and lancets. I like having a designated place to safely store used supplies if I need to do any retesting in the same sitting. I also like the freedom of dealing with trash and sharps on my own schedule rather than having it be one more thing to juggle in the moment.
 
Ooo, I like that idea better than the cotton balls! I have a 'command central' area next to my recliner. I bought a couple of plastic mini-cabinet units..they come in either three or six drawer sizes, and I slid them into a small shelving unit about 29 inches high. I have a drawer for lancets, teststrips and meter, another drawer for antibiotic creams, drawers for fortiflora, cotton balls, scissors and ear thermometer, you name it...there's a drawer for it. The very fact that I'm so organized helps to calm ME. :cat:Moglet will know what I'm talking about. Having to jump up and hunt for things at the last minute, because I've misplaced something, will make ME stop eating.

Wish I had a drawer for donuts, heh..:p
 
I love the idea of a multi drawer container to put supplies in.... right now mine are in a basket and I am always digging to find stuff I need. Even the cat will "fish" for things in that basket. LOL I'm rolling laughing at the thought of a donut drawer...
 
Bama said:
I am so glad to hear you are home testing successfully! I knew you could do it!

I use the round cotton makeup pads when I test and I love them. I use them as a backer to keep myself from getting pricked by accident and as a compress after testing. Another trick I use is relabeling old test strip containers and using them to hold used strips and lancets. I like having a designated place to safely store used supplies if I need to do any retesting in the same sitting. I also like the freedom of dealing with trash and sharps on my own schedule rather than having it be one more thing to juggle in the moment.
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Yet more terrific ideas! My tiny abode is looking more like a Vet than my home these days. One whole cupboard is full of low carb foods and stock up on syringes. ...I will certainly be using the makeup pads as a cushion for my fingers as well. There are some days where I am temped to take my own BGL whilst I have the available droplet :eek:
 
I suspect more than a few of us has had the same thought about testing our own BG, ;) I know I have, particularly when I've only had 5 hours sleep in two days, and I'm feeling shaky. I'm going to set up a smaller station in my kitchen, :coffee:for Dottie's supplies, too. I have a table in there that has her scale on it, and there may be times I can inject or test her there as well.

And oh, the food! That's where my resolve about order breaks down. I have cans of food EVERYWHERE, because we have a small house and our pantry is always full to overflowing against the perils of winter. (I hate having to go out in cold weather to shop) So I stuff cans of cat food all over, like a squirrel hiding nuts. Some cat food I store in small rubbermaid tubs, that serve as stepstools for Dottie, since she hasn't had the energy of late to clamber up on benches, sofa and the recliner. It doesn't help that the vet cut her claws really short when she went through surgery.

I often will tuck one unopened can of cat food next to me in the recliner, so that it's nice and warm when I'm ready to open it for their dinner. You said Mouse temperature was pretty close to our body temp... right, Carl? :bookworm:Gotta love Google for information like that!
 
Jeanne Skadowski said:
I suspect more than a few of us has had the same thought about testing our own BG, ;) I know I have, particularly when I've only had 5 hours sleep in two days, and I'm feeling shaky. I'm going to set up a smaller station in my kitchen, :coffee:for Dottie's supplies, too. I have a table in there that has her scale on it, and there may be times I can inject or test her there as well.

And oh, the food! That's where my resolve about order breaks down. I have cans of food EVERYWHERE, because we have a small house and our pantry is always full to overflowing against the perils of winter. (I hate having to go out in cold weather to shop) So I stuff cans of cat food all over, like a squirrel hiding nuts. Some cat food I store in small rubbermaid tubs, that serve as stepstools for Dottie, since she hasn't had the energy of late to clamber up on benches, sofa and the recliner. It doesn't help that the vet cut her claws really short when she went through surgery.

I often will tuck one unopened can of cat food next to me in the recliner, so that it's nice and warm when I'm ready to open it for their dinner. You said Mouse temperature was pretty close to our body temp... right, Carl? :bookworm:Gotta love Google for information like that!
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I would be in trouble if I mixed Squishy's tins of food with my small tins of flavoured tuna. My eyesight sucks at the best of times and to be honest my tuna looks more enticing than Squishy food.
 
ok. have done a curve today with Squishy's new dose of 1u. She is also having a regular small handful of Royal Canin Diabetic each day so that she has something to eat whilst I am at work. So that may be the reason for these higher numbers.

7:00am Pre Shot 18.7
7:40am 16.9
11:40am 16.4
2:15pm 17.2
6:10pm 19.1

She is due for her next shot at 7:00pm and I have drawn 1u again. In two minds to draw 1.5u but maybe I need to discuss with my vet before doing that.

I just did a urine glucose test and that is high but no signs of anything else going on..which is good.

Squishy's behaviour is normal, no extra drinking. Just a lil annoyed at me pricking her ear so often today.

Am I looking at going up to 1.5u again? All in all I just want to regulate her and the diabetic dry food allows me to get through my work day without living on constant fear she is unconscious from low BGL.

Suggestions? Sorry to be a bother again.

Jenny

Post script: A couple of vomits this morning, I think they were fur ball, but the alert was her climbing on my bed and weeing on it whilst I was there. She drank a lot of water over night and was howling for food a lot.

I have increased her dose to 1.5u for this morning and will discuss with my vet today. I am praying its just a dose adjustment and not something sinister because my $6000 vet bill so far is just overwhelming. I have managed to pay just under $4000 off.
 
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