Feeling confused, waiting on Glucose monitor to start home testing.

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Sapphire Skye

Member Since 2019
I skipped Sapphire's insulin dose this morning because I felt she didnt eat enough for me to give her a dose. She was newly diagnose and waiting on home check supplies to come in. I felt pretty helpless this AM for not giving it to her but i felt better to skip that to unknowing lower her glucose if it was low. I am anxious for the monitor to come in. When I dropped her off at the vet to do the glucose curve on 2/18 I felt that maybe they didnt have enough time to do it properly, isnt a proper glucose curve supposed to take 12 hrs? (she was there from 8am to 3pm, vet called me at noon to tell me she was ready to go) I am so new to all this and have read/learned so much between vet visits that it made me wonder if my Safie was in competent hands.
I am trying to process this info so I can apply it properly.:bookworm: Here is some info on what I know so far.

2/16/19 Glucose 469+
2/18/19 Fructosimine 500+
2/18/19 UA Glucose: +3 500mg/dL, Ketones +/- 5mg/dL

when I went in this past Friday so he could show me how to administer the insulin shot I asked the vet about TR he had never heard of it. :nailbiting: Made me wonder if I should keep taking her there, to his credit he did consult with an internal med specialist on Safies case. I feel my head is all over the place.. any thoughts are appreciated.
 
I'm very glad you'll be testing your kitty at home. I see you've set up the spreadsheet already. :)

Sapphire Skye said:
I asked the vet about TR he had never heard of it.
Click to expand...
TR, or Tight Regulation, is a dosing method used with Lantus, a different insulin than what you'll be using. Your signature says "1 cc Vetsulin every 12 hrs". Actually, I think you mean 1 unit of Vetsulin every 12 hours. That's a good starting dose. I suggest you read this guide to using Vetsulin so you have a better idea of how it's used: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/beginners-guide-to-caninsulin-vetsulin.186099/

Very pretty kitty you have! :smuggrin:
 
Sapphire Skye said:
I wondered if TR was strictly for Lantus, I opted for Vestsulin bc the Lantus is quite expensive. Yes the Vetsulin is one unit. I will correct my signature.
Click to expand...
If you decide you want to use Lantus at some point down the line you can do what many US members do and order it from a reputable Canadian online pharmacy, Marks Marine Pharmacy, in Vancouver. The price is about half of what you'd pay in the US.
 
Sapphire Skye said:
the Lantus is quite expensive.
Click to expand...

Most of us started buying our Lantus from Canada because it's 1/3rd to 1/2 the price!! Here's the information on Buying insulin from Canada

Buying from Marks Marine Pharmacy in Canada actually makes Lantus quite affordable. A 5 pack of pens will last most cats at least a year with a lot lasting almost 2 years (depending on dose of course)

A 5 pack is 1500 total units so it ends up costing (including shipping) less than .13 cents per unit.
 
Hi Denice
I notice that Sapphire has ketones +\- 5 mg/dL. That is a trace. Did the vet say anything about the ketones to you?
If Sapphire is showing a trace of ketones it is very important that you are testing for them on a daily basic at this point to see they do not develop further. You can do this by buying a bottle of Ketostix from the pharmacy and collecting a specimen of urine from Sapphire and testing it with the strip. Anything above a trace needs vet attention.
Ketones can lead to a dangerous illness called ketoacidosos /DKA) in cats. So it is important to monitor them and take action if needed..
The recipe for DKA is not enough insulin, not enough food and an infection or inflammation. Is she being treated for an infection at the moment?
So make sure she is eating plenty and give her extra fluids mixed in with her food if she will eat it, to flush out the ketones.
@Kris & Teasel what so you think about the insulin dose/skipping given Denice is not testing yet and the ketones?
 
Bron and Sheba said:
Hi Denice
I notice that Sapphire has ketones +\- 5 mg/dL. That is a trace. Did the vet say anything about the ketones to you?
If Sapphire is showing a trace of ketones it is very important that you are testing for them on a daily basic at this point to see they do not develop further. You can do this by buying a bottle of Ketostix from the pharmacy and collecting a specimen of urine from Sapphire and testing it with the strip. Anything above a trace needs vet attention.
Ketones can lead to a dangerous illness called ketoacidosos /DKA) in cats. So it is important to monitor them and take action if needed..
The recipe for DKA is not enough insulin, not enough food and an infection or inflammation. Is she being treated for an infection at the moment?
So make sure she is eating plenty and give her extra fluids mixed in with her food if she will eat it, to flush out the ketones.
@Kris & Teasel what so you think about the insulin dose/skipping given Denice is not testing yet and the ketones?
Click to expand...
It's best not to skip insulin if there are trace ketones in the mix. I did see that notation about ketones but wasn't sure what 5 mg/dL translated to on the test strips. If I'm correct that it corresponds to 5 ÷ 18 = 0.28 mmol/L on a blood ketone meter then it's within the safe zone because anything below 0.6 mmol/L would be negative on a urine test strip.

ETA: Sorry! That conversion applies only to BG, not ketones - different chemicals. My mistake ... :confused:
 
Last edited:
No we are not treating an infection. I took her to the vet for PU/PD and weight loss and thats she was diagnosed w/ FD. I am watching her like a hawk and even take her to work with me so I can monitor her food consumption/ behavior. I do add warm water to her wet food :) and always have. I did order urine testing strips also to monitor for ketones. what number is the red flag for vet attention? I did give her a unit of vetsulin a while ago after her meal. :)
 
Sapphire Skye said:
No we are not treating an infection. I took her to the vet for PU/PD and weight loss and thats she was diagnosed w/ FD. I am watching her like a hawk and even take her to work with me so I can monitor her food consumption/ behavior. I do add warm water to her wet food :) and always have. I did order urine testing strips also to monitor for ketones. what number is the red flag for vet attention? I did give her a unit of vetsulin a while ago after her meal. :)
Click to expand...
If using urine ketone test strips we recommend a call to your vet if you get "trace". Anything higher than trace should get hands on vet attention.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top