Cathy and Charley Cat - new to forum

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Cathy & Charley

Cathy & Charley

Member Since 2017
Charley was diagnosed with diabetes in October. It's been difficult getting him to the correct level of insulin. Charley also has some other issues with eating and constipation, so my vet referred me to a specialist.

He is now getting meds for his constipation, and his insulin was changed from PTZ-40 to Lantus-100. The new vet also wants me to check Charley's BG at least twice a day. I bought a CVS store brand (True Metrix) glucometer, and only got it to read one time. I keep getting error messages (not enough blood) though the last drop was very large. Maybe it was positioning problem, I don't know.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a glucometer? I've watched the instruction videos on Youtube, and have to say that it's a little more difficult than it looks. Any advice is much appreciated.
 
Welcome.
Fantastic that you now have a vet who encourages you to home test.
We can help you with meter choice and tips for testing. Please post your concerns in the Main Health Forum where more eyes will see them. (We have member who are also dealing with eating and constipation issues.)
 
Welcome.

I like your new vet. Testing is very important to keep Charley safe and help get that dose right and get him regulated.


Make sure to have a spot to do your testing.
Make sure the ear is warm. Some folks use a baby sock filled with rice and warm it in the microwave. I rub Jones ears to warm them up.
Neosporin is nice to have around to put a bit on the ear. Helps bead the blood and numbs the ear. Get the 3 in 1 and the gel not the cream.
It can take time for the ears to "learn" to bleed...so it may take a little bit more effort to start.
Don't poke the vein (that hurts)...poke more to the side of the ear.

See you over in the Health forum.
 
Cathy & Charley said:
Charley was diagnosed with diabetes in October. It's been difficult getting him to the correct level of insulin. Charley also has some other issues with eating and constipation, so my vet referred me to a specialist.

He is now getting meds for his constipation, and his insulin was changed from PTZ-40 to Lantus-100. The new vet also wants me to check Charley's BG at least twice a day. I bought a CVS store brand (True Metrix) glucometer, and only got it to read one time. I keep getting error messages (not enough blood) though the last drop was very large. Maybe it was positioning problem, I don't know.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a glucometer? I've watched the instruction videos on Youtube, and have to say that it's a little more difficult than it looks. Any advice is much appreciated.
Click to expand...

He’s beautiful!!!
 
Welcome! What size drop dose your meter require? Many here use the Relion Micro or Confirm from Walmart. It uses .3 microliters. Please do come to the Main Health Forum. We have lots of tips to help you get the tests done!
 
Your meter probably requires a huge drop (0.5 or 0.6+). I agree with Sharon, you need a meter that will only need meter that only needs 0.3. Walmart Relion Micro or confirm meter both do... I use alphatrak pet which does.

Also make sure you are using 26 or 28 gauge lancets rather than the tiny 30-33 gauge ones that are too thin.

If you are using the device, ditch it and freehand poke.

Warm or rub the ear.

I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC at home.
 
Welcome to you and your handsome kitty! :) It's great that your vet wants you to test his BG at home - best way to keep Charley safe and figure out his dosing.
 
Welcome! Just curious what you're giving Charley for his constipation. My other cat, Hugo, has megacolon and requires daily laxatives. I don't use the sticky stuff the vet originally prescribed but rather Restoralax (Miralax in the US). It's tasteless and odorless - we just add 1/8 tsp to his food twice a day. No issues since!
 
Janet's video is what really helped me and encouraged me to not be afraid of home testing. I have an AlphaTrak 2 pet meter, though I will probably have to get a second job to pay for the testing strips.

I love black cats.. I lost my blackie, Fang, a few years ago. She had a seizure and I was away on vacation... my mom said there was nothing we could have done to save her. It was very distressing and made it very difficult to get another cat. Low and behold, Nugget, newly diabetic.

As for getting enough blood to test- when I first started I had a lot of difficulty getting enough of a drop. The more you test, the easier it becomes. Sometimes I hold my phone's flashlight up to her ear to see exactly where that vein is, and that's where I stick. The worst part about it is how Nugget flinches when the meter beeps to say I've given it enough blood!

Good wishes coming your way as you start out on this new journey.
 
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