Changing food tomorrow, how often to test with BCP PZI.

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h3ll000kitt3h

h3ll000kitt3h

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So I wrote this in another part of the forum but it might better off in here seeing as you guys are the most knowledgeable. I plan on switching to Friskies Classic Pate tonight (1/23/14). I just started giving insulin yesterday (1/22/14). His AMBG was 605 before insulin. I tried to test for the PMBG but I screwed up with the test strips and put the blood on BEFORE I put it in the meter. Duhhhh! I felt like I was torturing him plus I'm new to all this so I figured if I let him go for tonight but still gave him 1u at 11:35PM. Now I know every one says the more you test the more data and such but with his BG being that high I'm wondering if I should be monitoring him more closely. He urinated 3 times outside of the litter box today and has been drinking like there is no tomorrow. Is is to soon in the beginning to do a curve? Would a curve be beneficial?
And tomorrow after I feed him usually around 7ish PM, I will do a PMBG and then give him a shot but how closely should I monitor him tomorrow night? How often should I test? Will a curve be accurate or worthwhile? ANY and ALL information however small it might be, give it to me, lol. Thanks!
 
Hi Sammie and Butter,

I'm Sue and responded to some of your posts on Health. (i post on both forums). This one is smaller than Health but friendly and everyone here has experience with your insulin. It's busiest in the am and pm, EST. Be sure to check out other people's spreadsheets to see how they are doing.

I'd wait awhile for a curve. Sometimes it can take a week for the food and insulin to start working together. And that'll give you and Butter time to get your testing routine down. For now, I'd test before every shot everytime and sometime between 5-7 hours after the shot whenever you can.
 
So tonight I don't have to stay up all night and test, right? I wish I had some data right now but I have like none. I've been struggling to make this piece of crap Freestyle Lite meter work. At first I was loading the blood up for the strip BEFORE I had put it into the meter. Figured out my mistake. Then I've been struggling to test Butter last night/early this morninng. Turns out that the test strips that my grandmother put into the case AREN'T EVEN COMPATIBLE with the meter she let me borrow. So I gave up on testing until tonight. I'm hoping to head out to Walmart to get the new meter and strips and lovely lancets sometime today. Since I have no data, should I just shoot the PM dose at 1u like I have been doing and then feed him the new food? I just don't want any surprises with anything bad happening during the night.
 
I hate to see him high, but without any midcycle data, you really can't tell whether he is bouncing from a low....I'd say get a test as soon as you can - any time. And definitely before the shot tonight.

Also, pick up some ketone strips. They aren't expensive - same kind human use. You test his urine with them (hints for easy testing later) especially with high numbers, you want to keep ketone levels low.

The peeing outside the litter box is a little worrying. It can be the diabetes, but also a possible UTI. Did your vet test for that?
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
I hate to see him high, but without any midcycle data, you really can't tell whether he is bouncing from a low....I'd say get a test as soon as you can - any time. And definitely before the shot tonight.

Also, pick up some ketone strips. They aren't expensive - same kind human use. You test his urine with them (hints for easy testing later) especially with high numbers, you want to keep ketone levels low.

The peeing outside the litter box is a little worrying. It can be the diabetes, but also a possible UTI. Did your vet test for that?
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Speaking of urine, he's peeing on the floor right now. LMAO. I can't wait till he stops doing that.. I'm familiar with ketone strips, my older sister used to go into ketoacidosis frequently, so we had to test her a lot. I might have to pick those up at a different time though, we're short on money at the moment and I don't have the extra cash to throw out for anything that isn't completely necessary today. I'm going to give him his AM shot at 10:30 and then bump his night time shot about an hour earlier so we can start getting on a good schedule.
As for the peeing outside the litter box, he has been doing it for a couple months. If he had a UTI, complications would have arised by now. And when they checked him last week with a wellness check, they also "excreted some urine" to test, so I think he would have been howling in pain if there was something wrong and he was calm as a cucumber. lol.
Hopefully with any luck both this food and insulin will drop him 200-250 points so he won't be in the five and six hundreds anymore.
 
Hey Sammie. I'm here with ya girl, no experience with PZI either but I can help you with other things, been doing this sugar dance for over a year with my Lucian.

Here's what you need from Walmart: Relion Prime, yes it takes the tiniest bit more blood than the Micro or Confirm, but the strips are half the price. The difference in the needed amount is minuscule, trust me. The Prime is about $17. The strips for Prime are $9 for 50, there is none cheaper that you can walk in and get. The ones a lot of people use mail order, are cheaper if you buy 250 of them, but I could never afford the initial outlay. The Ketone Strips are I believe $8.96 and if there is ANY way possible, please get them. With Butters being as high as he is, the chance of ketones is much higher. Once you get his BG's under control, once a week is sufficient to test for ketones. But when he's this high, you need to be testing daily, been there with Lucian.

Now, tell me what the problem is with the testing, does he squirm, not getting enough blood, what's the deal? Reason I ask, is because I had a terrible time getting the testing down, never been so frustrated! I might be able to give you some pointers if you tell me what's happening.

I'll be picking up Lucian's new PZI after lunch, plan to start him tomorrow. Hang in there, we'll figure this out together with Sue's help. :smile:
 
nckitties3 said:
Hey Sammie. I'm here with ya girl, no experience with PZI either but I can help you with other things, been doing this sugar dance for over a year with my Lucian.

Here's what you need from Walmart: Relion Prime, yes it takes the tiniest bit more blood than the Micro or Confirm, but the strips are half the price. The difference in the needed amount is minuscule, trust me. The Prime is about $17. The strips for Prime are $9 for 50, there is none cheaper that you can walk in and get. The ones a lot of people use mail order, are cheaper if you buy 250 of them, but I could never afford the initial outlay. The Ketone Strips are I believe $8.96 and if there is ANY way possible, please get them. With Butters being as high as he is, the chance of ketones is much higher. Once you get his BG's under control, once a week is sufficient to test for ketones. But when he's this high, you need to be testing daily, been there with Lucian.

Now, tell me what the problem is with the testing, does he squirm, not getting enough blood, what's the deal? Reason I ask, is because I had a terrible time getting the testing down, never been so frustrated! I might be able to give you some pointers if you tell me what's happening.

I'll be picking up Lucian's new PZI after lunch, plan to start him tomorrow. Hang in there, we'll figure this out together with Sue's help. :smile:
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The only reason I wanted to get the Confirm over the Prime was because I had heard that the Confirm was a bit more accurate than the Prime. I don't mind shelling out $20 bucks extra for the test strips if it will read his glucose levels more accurately. Have you heard of this? I'm thinking I actually read it on this site in one of the glucose meter comparisons. I think I will get the ketone strips just because he is really high, and especially if something goes wonky tonight with me changing his food, I would like to take care of a hypo moment before it got to the point where I needed to take him to the ER Vet.

The problem with testing is the he freaking knows I'm nervous and then he gets ancy. And squirms around and then I usually end up gouging his ear and feel horrible lol. However he is an excellent bleeder. hah. I have been poking with 20g needle tips (just the tip), the vet tech who helped teach me everything said it was a whole lot easier than using lancets or a lancet device. The jury is still out on that, I'm hesitant to poke him with it again because I got him good I think last night and I knew I hurt him. I am going to pick up the ReliOn Lancets the 26g ones I think I saw on walmart.com . I experimented with a 31/33 gauge lancet last night and it was pathetic lol. I know I need to invest in some lo-carb options for treats but where the heck do I get them? I want Butter to be one of those cats that runs to me to get tested lol. A girl can dream can't she! Are there any lo-carb options I can pick up at Walmart today when I go to get everything else? If I can't get lo-carb treats today then what kind of treat can I use? He doesn't go for the hugs and kisses and love dovey stuff. He looks in my face and knows what I'm up to lmao.
 
I'm unaware of the accuracy differences, could very well be. I know there are some that are not recommended. Being on a fixed income, I have to go with the cheapest cost and hope for the best.

I have yet to find any lancets at my Walmart under 30 gauge. I get the 28g at another drug store. If you're using 20g, I can imagine it may be uncomfortable for him, that is very large.
If he's squirmy cause you're nervous, wrap him in a towel, all legs inside, snug around the throat, not choking. :lol: Then test in your lap. Not sure where you're currently testing. A lot of people use a counter top, etc, but it's said to use the same place all the time, whether it's on your lap or a counter. I did for the 1st 6-7 months and still do usually test in the same chair, but will occasionally test while he's asleep on the bed, he will wake long enough to test and go right back to sleep. I never thought that would happen! He fought like you can't imagine. Had to wrap him in a towel (kitty burrito) for 6 weeks, the one day I noticed he was calm, so the next test, I ignored the towel, just put him on my lap and tested and he never flinched. Been that way ever since, but it took him 6 weeks to calm down. Once you are calmer and confident in your ability, he'll be calmer too. You know how cats pick up on you.

No carb treats - do you have a petsmart near you? They have a dog treat called Simply Nourish that is 100% freeze dried meat, comes in liver, chicken, salmon, can't remember what else, it's about $8 for a 5 oz bag. The cat version is $3 for .80 oz, much better deal on the dog version. It is identical, only the pieces are bigger. I just break them into smaller pieces, no big deal. I did buy the smaller cat version until I found the only flavor he would eat, which was liver. Thankfully, the other cats ate the ones he wouldn't. :lol: I still have half a bag, he decided a few months ago, he was 'over' them. Now he gets cooked turkey on occasion or tuna. There has been some discussion on turkey meat and what's injected into raw turkey to make them juicy etc, also on using canned tuna. Personally, I think what little may or may not be in either is negligible and I go with what works for him. If I could afford the high priced stuff, he wouldn't be eating Friskee's pate and getting tuna for a treat, so you do what you can. I have not seen ANY low-no carb treats at my Walmart, that's why I had to go to PetSmart. I know Mel uses plain boiled chicken breasts for her crew, just cuts in little cubes and gives one for test or shot, I think. Whatever works. One breast goes a long way for 1 kitty.

Hang n there hon, it'll be ok.
 
Try to relax and breathe while you are doing it. Talk to him about why or sing to him. There's a thread on Health from Sandy and Tommy. She sings the Hokey Pokey song ( but it's the Pokey, pokey song)

Many cats also like Freeze dried PureBites (at PetSmart. Get the small package first to make sure he likes it. If he does, the dog size is a better buy)
 
I always try and sit him on the floor next to my bed in my lap. He's usually laying there all the time so I guess its a comfy spot for him. I think I will start wrapping him burrito style. My question is he won't sit still for me either when it comes time for his shot. I give him his shots under the skin on his back (not close to the spine) or near his sides. How do I get him to sit still for that? I had my first fur shot today. I hope I at least got some insulin in him. By the way insulin really does smell like band aids lmao! I don't know if I could sing a song to my cat and focus on not injuring him at the same time lol.

The 26 g lancets I found on Walmart.com. I think they were ReliOn brand as well. Maybe they hide them, so we don't buy them all.

O-M-G. My civvie Chaos is driving me absolutely crazy today. He's in one of those "look at me mommy look at me" moods and is doing everything he knows that grates my nerves. He truly lives up to his name!

The main thing I have to remember is treats. lol That's what everyone is telling me.
 
Yes, I'd try treats while poking and shooting. Will he let you shoot while he is eating? That's how I always did it with Oliver. He was so busy inhaling food, he didn't notice.

Have we mentioned you can get the drop on your fingernail and test from there if he is squirmy?
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
Yes, I'd try treats while poking and shooting. Will he let you shoot while he is eating? That's how I always did it with Oliver. He was so busy inhaling food, he didn't notice.

Have we mentioned you can get the drop on your fingernail and test from there if he is squirmy?
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I haven't tried shooting when he's eating yet. Maybe I'll try that. The only problems is I'm trying to get him on a schedule since the vet started him off at 11:30-ish for morning shot. The schedule is so off right now that I shot at 10:30 AM and will shoot again at around 9:30PM. The thing that sucks about that is my cats usually eat at like six AM (when we were free feeding with the high carb stuff) and then again at like 7PM. I'm kinda confused as to how people do this testing and feeding and shooting. Do I have to do it all at the same time? I know I have to do testing and shooting within minutes of each other. I read that some people who free feed with wet food pick up food 2 hours before PMBG is due. When I used to feed them wet food I fed twice a day, should I doing it more? Man just when I think I have no more questions I come up with a million more.
 
You make it fit your life. If it works best to do 2 meals daily, then do that. If you can leave out food and let them free feed, do that. Work on getting your schedule where you want 30 minutes at a time.

It's test, feed and shoot. It is important not to feed 2 hours before the test because food raises bg levels and you want a true test, not one inflated by food.

The questions are fine. Keep asking. This is HARD at first. You'll get it and be helping another newbie someday soon.
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
You make it fit your life. If it works best to do 2 meals daily, then do that. If you can leave out food and let them free feed, do that. Work on getting your schedule where you want 30 minutes at a time.

It's test, feed and shoot. It is important not to feed 2 hours before the test because food raises bg levels and you want a true test, not one inflated by food.

The questions are fine. Keep asking. This is HARD at first. You'll get it and be helping another newbie someday soon.
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Not trying to highjack the thread, but when you say 30 mins at a time, do you mean changing the shot time by 30 mins a day? Seems she's changing by an hour and I didn't know if PZI was different on that than Lantus, etc. I know with the 'L's' you don't move the shot time more than 30 mins a day, usually 15 mins at each shot time.
 
You can shoot PZI up to an hour early AS LONG AS THE NUMBER IS RISING. Since there is no shed, and in most cats, the numbers start rising after +6 (although we hope, slowly), a shot an hour early is doable.
 
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