Hi Danielle, if you are at work during the day, perhaps you would consider getting a timed feeder for Malachi. There are models that have 2 serving and 5 serving compartments with small ice packs that fit under the bottom of the "dishes" to keep wet food cool and fresh. Look at CatMate and PetSafe brands. I'm sure there are other brands, those are just two that I am familiar with. These feeders work for snacks during the night also. We are retired and home most of the time, but we still use our 2 dish CatMate feeder when we need to be gone at a mealtime or if we want to leave a snack out at night.
Unregulated sugar cats are usually very hungry because they just can't process food as well and they do so much better with small, more frequent meals. Plus, it helps alleviate "acid belly" and vomiting when gastric juices build up because they get so hungry between 2 larger meals.
On the insulin increase, just know that travel and vet stress can elevate the blood sugar significantly, and many vets increase a dose based on that one test - which can be too much. It's best to increase in smaller increments than a whole unit, if an increase is actually advisable, so a best dose is not passed by. Curves at the vet may still reflect elevated numbers because of the same factors: travel and vet stress. I don't know about Malachi, but Idjit has progressively become more obnoxious with every vet visit! At this point with him, I would not be able to rely on any BG tests from that source.
If you can start testing, you can do your own curves or alternately get tests before every injection, then each day, test at different times during the cycle (the 12 hours between the shots), to see how the insulin is working.
Setting up the spreadsheet and recording that data is going to show you the patterns, and it is linked to the signature so we can view the data before making any recommendations.
FDMB Spreadsheet Instructions
Understanding the Spreadsheet/Grid
If you need help with set up, let us know. There are members who will help or set it up for you.
The AlphaTrak2 is a good meter, and the vet probably recommended it. However, the strips are very expensive compared to a human meter, plus you have to order online and wait for delivery. Many members here use a human meter for those reasons. You can go through a lot of strips when you are starting out, and if there is a low blood sugar event, you will go through more just to keep kitty safe and see how the BG level is rising or continuing to fall.
If you wanted to get started testing right now, you could visit WalMart and buy the ReliOn Prime meter for about $9, and a bottle of 50 strips for another $9. 26 or 28 gauge lancets are inexpensive (using the lancing device is optional, it works for some, not for others). I use a cotton ball or cosmetic pad to back the ear when I poke, and to compress the ear to prevent bruising after the poke and test. A thin smear of vaseline on the ear helps the blood bead up to get that precious little drop tested. And I use some pain relieving ointment (not cream) on the ear afterward.
Hometesting Links and Tips
This from member JanetNJ: How to test your cat's bg at home:
Video I made showing how to test your cat's blood sugar
Here are some tips about getting ready to test by Chris & China (GA) that will help you and Malachi prepare for testing:
It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you.
Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!
You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also,
if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!
It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well
For new kitties, using a heavier gauge lancet is also really helpful. A 25-28 gauge lancet pokes a bigger "hole" than a 31-33 gauge lancet does, so look for "Alternate Site testing" lancets that are usually a lower number
Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!
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I know it's all new and can be confusing, but you are doing your best to help Malachi and that counts for a great deal. So, deep breath...you survived childhood, grade school, middle and high school (and wasn't that all a picnic? LOL) and so much more - so you can do this too. One step at a time to walk this new path.
