Finally got blood, but ...

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Barb & Mr. Frog

Member Since 2013
Ok, using manual pokes I finally got blood enough for a test..... and it came up 198..... so I don't give him his shot? I went ahead and gave him his usual pre-shot meal, but I wont give him the insulin until I hear from you guys.... thanks so much.

IF I dont give him the shot now..... what do I do, wait until the next scheduled shot and test again? I guess I should do a curve but I don't feel like I'd be successful that many times in one day, I feel lucky to have gotten this one, lol. I will try if you feel its necessary.
 
i see that you don't have much data in your spreadsheet, will you be able to get more tests in tonight?

if you can test say at +2 and depending on how that reads test again - then I say give the shot. if you cannot test again, then play it safe and don't give the shot.
 
Ok, I will try, thank you.

But.. question, if I test at +2 and it's over 200, ... I then give him his shot and then the next one 12 hours from then? 10 and 10 might be harder in general for me to do than 8/8 which I have been doing. Presumably if it is still under 200 I just hold the shot til tomorrow?
 
If he is in the 250+ range in 2 hours, I would give him the shot - IF you can fit in a shot 12 hours from that one into your schedule tomorrow. With ProZinc, you could also shoot 30 minutes early if he is over 200 in the am. If you can't have that flexibility, I'd skip tonight. If you do that, he will most likely be high in the am, but stick with your dose. The high number would be mainly because it would have been 24 hours since the last shot.

Next time you get a number under 200, wait 20 minutes without feeding and retest. Then, if he is over 200, you can shoot and not mess up your schedule. (the reason for no food is that food raises bg levels and you need to be confident the number is not food influenced)

BTW, good job on the poke!
 
Ok, thanks, will do! I probably would've waited on the 'normal preshot food' except that he was starving (the pepcid did its work!)
 
and given that he hasn't eaten well - it is more important to feed him and if you miss a shot, so what.

what i suggest anytime you give a shot, you want to do additional tests throughout the cycle - such as +2, +6, etc - this will tell you how the insulin is working in the body and how low/high he may go -building the data and gathering the information will be helpful to determine in the future when and how much insulin to give.

and you do want to stick with your 12/12 schedule as much as possible -

when you asked if you should shoot - my answer was yes you could - and then test in 2 hours after the shot - i did not mean for you to not shoot and test in 2 hours and then decide to shoot or not.

just so we are clear -

with a reading of 198 - which is essentially 200 - the decision to give insulin without data is up to you - and depends on if you will be home to test - that was my point - yes you can shoot, and then test at +2, etc. --- make sense?
 
Boo, sorry I didn't get back to reading this forum til now, family things to tend to..... But I got blood again (Yay!) at +2 (or would it be +14 since the last given shot was this morning?) and it was 318. I can make myself available, but before I make this decision, I'd like to clarify... would it be ok to give him this shot and then the next few shots (assuming testing shows its needed) slightly early and work my way back to the original schedule? I can do that if it wont hurt him, s/b back to the normal within a few days and I can do that. I'm pretty tired right now, but I can try again in two hours (to test) after giving the shot. My biggest concern is that... yes I have gotten blood twice in a row, but I don't think its a given just yet, he's definitely not happy about the poking, so he doesn't want to hold still just yet.
 
Yes, you could give the one unit now. But the shot in the am shouldn't be given earlier than11 hours from now and only if the number is over 200. And rising (so if it's near 200, you would want to do a test, then the 20 minutes without food and retest) since you are shooting early. It is impossible to guess what will happen, but he could be lower again and then you are off schedule again.

You can give a shot 30 minutes early with ProZinc and not mess up the schedule BUT you have to shoot a number over 200 and be sure it is rising. With a new diabetic, and no data, it seems best to be careful.
 
Thank you very much, I appreciate the info... Sorry I've been so needy, I'm just scared witless of messing up and hurting him. You guys are my angels right now, the only thing saving my sanity
 
You are not being needy. Everyone who replies to your post is paying it forward for help they received when they were overwhelmed and scared. We know exactly how you feel. Better to ask a question than worry.
 
Looks like you skipped last night and got a predictable higher number this am. It may take a few days to get back on track.

PS If you want your spreadsheet to say "Frog's spreadsheet" click on the title that is there now, change it and save.
 
I didn't actually "skip" a shot, I delayed one by two hours, because I misunderstood what to do, and have been working back to the original schedule by bumping 20mins per cycle. I wasn't sure how to note that on the spreadsheet, so I put that date in twice (4/12), to show that the shot came after the +2 from the 'normal shot time' ... but I'm still unsure if +2 is the right thing to call it, since it was technically 14 hours since last shot.

I am now getting blood much more easily, one poke most of the time, and haven't had to poke more than twice for this last couple days, so... we are getting better at it. He still grouches at me, but the attempts to leave are becoming less urgent, almost half-hearted with one eye on the bag of treats, so I'm sure within a few more days he will be all for the testing, especially if I can perfect my technique and always do it with one poke. I have been using the same ear tho, because he seems very uncomfortable facing the other way, and I cant see the ear that is towards me while we are testing, is it ok to always use the same ear? I've been rubbing and warming both ears, I guess just to 'prepare' the other ear if I need to use it.

It was actually my intention to try to run a curve this weekend, however my daughter and grandson got very ill, and so I have the baby for a few days until she feels better (lord I hope I don't catch it, although I rather expect to).... I don't really have a way to be able to focus that much time on testing frog while the bouncy lil monkey is here, but I will do it as soon as I am able.

To answer the question about the amps... yes, it is the lowest so far... that spreadsheet shows every successful test I've managed to get, so what you see is what I have.

Also, thanks for the tip on saving the title of the spreadsheet... I didn't even realize that could be altered.
 
You can test just one ear, you may want to move up/down the ear in order to not bruise up one area.

Also, to test the other ear - you can test the back of ear -(I always tested the inside of ear from front to back) but there are others who test the back of the ear (outside from back to front) - does that make sense?

Essentially that will allow you to test both ears, one would be forwards and the other backwards. Doesn't matter if the blood come from the inside front of ear or the outside back of ear.
 
Sorry to hear your daughter and grandson got ill this weekend. Grandparent duties took priority over a curve. We understand that completely. Hope everyone is well soon and you stay healthy.

Yeah! Treat training is working!!!! :cool: :cool:

Yes, it is ok to use the same ear each time. Just be sure to apply pressure on the poke spot after you get the glucometer test. This will help to prevent bruising on the one ear. Also, Neosporin with pain relief helps the ear to feel better and heal quickly.

I liked to switch back and forth between ears with each test, to give the one ear a break, but never had a problem with bruising. Alternate ear tests were good when doing a lot of testing in a day. I have read here where some people only use the one ear all the time for years and you can not see the difference in the poked ear and the non-poked ear.

Yes it can be trickier to get a good view of the opposite ear so do what works best for you.
 
Ok, thanks, that makes me feel better... I would like to be able to alternate ears, but he is black, so looking at the back of his ear, there is no way I'd be able to tell if there was blood at all, let alone enough for a test, plus I'm very right handed, the angle is all wrong on the ear near to me as well as difficult to see. Thankfully this meter only needs a tiny amount of blood, which helps immensely, as I can make less invasive pokes and still get a test done.

I am already using neosporin+pain relief... I did one test without using the neosporin first, and he was quick and loud to let me know not to do that again, lol, and yes, I use a cotton makeup pad behind his ear for the poke, and then after the test is done, I use that same pad to put pressure from both sides, he only lets me do that for a few seconds, but I haven't really been seeing bruises since that first couple days when I was abusing his poor ear, so I guess a few seconds is enough.
 
Ahh black ears! They are tricky indeed and everything is so much harder to see. The good thing about black ears - you really can't see the bruises or spots like you can with light colored ears!

OK ready for my trick for how to test black ears?

Do you have a handheld flashlight? If you do, turn on, put in your mouth and use it like a spotlight - it will illuminate the black ear and make it easier to see and move around as needed, while keeping your hands free to hold cat and test. That is what I did when I tested Maui.

If you don't and have a large lantern type, you can sit it next to the cat and focus it on the ear as a spotlight - I found the handheld worked best for me and allowed me the control to move it as needed.
 
Thanks for the tidbit, I'll keep it in mind if I have issues with the one ear, plus I may need to use it for the curve when I get to it, as that is alot of tests in one day. There is still the angle to consider, I'm working with him in attempt to make him comfortable from both directions, but so far, when I try it with him facing the one way he mostly lets me, the other way, he bolts, so.. I don't really know if he will ever tolerate that, I will leave it up to him tho, and do what I can.
 
do what works best for both of you - and don't get caught up on having to do a curve - you are correct, it is a lot of testing and honestly not something you need to do - I never did a curve what I did was test at different times throughout the cycle and it was fine.

so just get comfortable with the process, get the necessary tests in and don't worry about doing a curve. how is that for pressure relief..... :-D
 
I think I would like to do a curve... not because I love annoying my cat, but because I believe his dosage needs to be adjusted, and I'm not thrilled with the idea of fiddling with it without knowing more intimately exactly how it's affecting him... I'm still trying to sort thru all the foods and find ones that he likes, are good for him, and aren't too expensive all at once, which probably explains the odd numbers, I'm offering him so many different things to figure out which ones he likes.
 
Ah Yes!!! I remember those days of trying to find a flavor or two of canned food that Wink would deign to eat. He hated anything with fish in it (still won't touch those fishy flavors). He liked the Fancy Feast Turkey and Giblets feast so I bought cases of that and fed that almost exclusively for weeks. Since then, I've gotten him to eat the Fancy Feast Liver & Chicken, FF Chopped Grill, Friskies Turkey & Giblet, Mixed Grill, Poultry Platter, Country Style Dinner.

Luckily, I have two garbage disposals, errr I mean, two other kitties, that like all sorts of flavors so they got to clean up the rejects.

I was really worried there for a while that he only liked one flavor. I thought "What if he decides he doesn't like that one flavor anymore? Then what will he eat?"

Of course, if Wink had his way, he would still be eating dry food and would be happy to open the bag all by himself. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Hope you find some food flavors that your cat likes.

Good luck doing the curve. Knowledge is power.
 
lol, how ironic, with frog it's almost exactly the opposite of you... He really only wants the fishy ones, and the turkey he wont even taste, just looks at me as if to say "no, mom..... I want FOOD." I have (yea I know it's too many) 12 other cats, so yea, waste of the fancy feast isn't really happening, although the truth is, I can't really afford to feed them all the ff all the time, so I hope they don't suddenly decide that's all they'll eat :YMSIGH: )
 
of course do a curve - the more info the better - i only wanted to reassure you not to stress over it and there is no rule or requirement that says you must do a curve. that is all.... :-D
 
Friskies turkey and giblet special diet is what finally won in my household both in terms of cost (~0.50 cents a 5.5oz can) and in terms of favorites. I ran out this weekend and was feeding them Merricks Grammy's Pot Pie and Tiki Cat chicken and every time I put down their food dish, they'd sniff it and them look at me as if to say, "where's the turkey?!?!" :lol: I got them some more today and the second I opened the can, they both came running!
 
It's maddening really, I have been feeding the majority of them nine-lives (the lower carb ones) plus all the Frog ff rejects.. Nine lives is what I always gave them as a 'treat' when they were all on the dry food, and they all loved it then... but now that the dry food is gone, theyre all being extremely particular and often refusing to eat it at all, resulting in the nine lives going in the trash frequently lately. I want to get some of the Young Again food so that I can leave some out for them, as I believe some of the problems are resulting from the fact that they miss grazing, but its so expensive, so its on the wishlist, but I can't get it just yet... Actually I'm a little scared to try that too, because... if they all decide they like it TOO much, I definitely can't afford it :/

I had tried some of the friskies flavors, and every single one of my cats not only wouldnt eat it, but ... tried to bury it.. one of my cats brought a sock she found on the bedroom, and DID bury it, lol, so I got rid of it, but I don't think it was Special Diet, so I'll see if I can find some of that, maybe Ill get lucky, thanks for the idea.
 
Barb, they can graze with wet food. Lots of people leave it out. It is fine for 6-8 hours (unless you get bugs in the summer). Or you can freeze it and they can eat it during the day as it thaws. (I have thought silicone cupcake pans are great for this. You can just pop it out and put in a Baggie as a chunk and pull it out when you need it.)

Before you consider a return to dry, be sure to check this website by a vet: www.catinfo.org. Dry food causes problems other than high carb.
 
I absolutely love the idea of that food, but at 20$ per 20oz, I doubt I can afford it for 13 cats. I couldn't find info about how much 20oz feeds tho, how much per serving etc. If anyone uses this food and could give me an idea of how long it lasts for, that would be helpful.
 
Just another option - You could try Grreat Choice brand canned food. It is one of the "store brands" at PetSmart. On some days my kitties liked the lower-carb flavors of 9-Lives, but some days they wouldn't touch it. That's when we tried Grreat Choice. The 5.5oz cans cost 40 cents and the 13 oz cans are 78 or 80 cents each (still not cheap when you are feeding 13 cats, but cheaper than some other brands). I have two small cats (7 to 9 lbs) and one large diabetic cat (15 lbs). One large 13oz can feeds them all day, i.e. - 80 cents to feed three cats for one day. A spreadsheet is attached to this post with the carb content of some of the lower-carb flavors.

Hope this helps!

(The spreadsheet also includes the carb content for Sophisticat. That is the brand this food was previously sold under, but they tweaked the recipe a little when they re-branded it.)
 

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I guess what most of us are saying is to keep trying! ECID (Every Cat Is Different), as you can see by how we all have different favorites that won over our cats from dry to wet. Sometimes it takes a little more time, but you'll eventually find one that all of your kitties like and your wallet also likes. Ask MommaOfMuse with her gang of 14 how long it took. :lol:
 
Woo, you mean I'm not the only nutjob with a full house? lol ... I love them all so dearly, so yea, Ill keep trying no matter what ... I will definitely check out the grreat choice, it sounds like an absolutely affordable option. Thanks so much for this info.
Wow, yea, for the stella & chewys, I knew it would be expensive.. that's definitely more than I can afford. Thanks for that link, I missed it. I really would rather get them on wet anyway ultimately.
 
Sueet said:
Woo, you mean I'm not the only nutjob with a full house? lol ... I love them all so dearly, so yea, Ill keep trying no matter what ... I will definitely check out the grreat choice, it sounds like an absolutely affordable option. Thanks so much for this info.
Wow, yea, for the stella & chewys, I knew it would be expensive.. that's definitely more than I can afford. Thanks for that link, I missed it. I really would rather get them on wet anyway ultimately.
Click to expand...

I might not have a full house myself, but that's only because I'm not supposed to have any cats where I live. :lol:

I might have missed someone already sharing this with you, but here's another link to give you a few more ideas on how to transition finicky cats from dry to wet.
 
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