First BG test successful! plus questions

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turbocat

turbocat

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So got our glucometer from Rebecca today, and tried it out. First, watched 3 videos and then tested it on myself and husband. Then I got everything set up and went and got the boy and we snuggled on the couch a few minutes while I rubbed his ear. He was purring and happy so I gave it a try. The first poke didn't result in anything, so I reset the pen thing and did it again and got blood. He never stopped purring so that was good. (When I tried it on myself I used the pen thing and also tried manually. The pen was much less painful so I used that on him.) So I have seen in different posts that there is a bit of a variance between pet and human meters. Any idea how much? For instance, this morning at the vet pre-shot and pre-feed was 356. When I tested at roughly +7 after shot it was 247. I would have thought it would be lower than that because he had 3 units of Prozinc. I am not sure I completely understand how insulin works. I have never had a diabetic family member or anything. Do you have to be on the insulin for a longer period of time and have it build up before it starts having consistent results, or is it like something that works quickly with a short half-life? Does this make any sense??? Not sure how to ask my questions. I have not yet consistently changed him over completely to canned food because I just got the meter today. But that is next on the list.
 
First off, great job on getting blood on just your 2nd poke! And great that he took to the testing so well. Make sure and give him a special treat after each try, and he'll continue to do so.

He's been on 3u of prozinc since the 26th, so about a week? The +7 number is not awful (I would have expected lower, but there could be lots of reasons.) Either way, you got an important data point. Between +5 and +7 should be when the insulin is peaking. His test at the vet was with nothing in his belly. What did he eat, and when, in between the vet test and yours?

Going forward, you will want to get a test like this morning - pre-shot and pre-food - in the morning and then 12 hours later. Getting any tests in the +5 to +7 range would be a great thing, if your schedule allows that. That will eventually give you the data that will show you what that dose does. It is especially important as you try to transition from dry to all canned food, because that will drop his numbers overall. Don't do it all at once, just try to wean him off the dry, and keep testing. You should see a gradual lowering of his pre-shot and his nadir numbers as that transition takes effect. And then you will most likely see that the dose should be lowered.

Continue to ask any questions you need to ask, and if you want advice before determining the dose, of course post and we will help you to figure it out.

Great job so far!
Carl
 
You can easily compare your meter to the vet's. I always take my meter with me to the vet, so I test when the vet tests, then I record both numbers.
 
I'm not sure how Prozinc works. Each insulin is a little different. If you go on the special board for prozinc the people who use it should be able to tell you how it works. Most long-acting insulins peak at about +6 and you'll get your lowest numbers then and your highest numbers will usually be at the AMps. That's why if you can it 's important to try to get that 3rd reading in the beginning or when you're changing doses. If you can't do it you'll just have to go slower and more carefully and do it on your days off.

It is very common for new insulin using cats to be high for weeks or even months until they become regulated but you will see the numbers drop as the dose is adjusted to what he specifically needs. Racci has taken forever to become more consistent with lower numbers because she needed such a high dose and a different insulin. She's now on Lantus and doing well but even now, as you can see from the last 2 days when she doesn't feel well or is stressed, her numbers go crazy.

Great job at getting successful readings the first day! It will keep getting easier.

Melanie
 
Great job, congrats on a successful test! The first one is totally the hardest. :lol: I wouldn't worry too much about the 247, it is not a terrible number especially for a kitty who eats some kibble. As you start getting consistent tests you will be able to see trends in kitty's numbers and make adjustments from there.

If your vet uses a glucometer calibrated for cats instead of people (like the Alpha Trak), the vet's numbers will be approximately 30 points higher than with a human glucometer. Most cats are higher at the vet as well, due to stress hyperglycemia. You will get more accurate numbers at home, and save yourself some money too :-D :cool: :lol:
 
Thanks for the replies, folks. Carl, I think I gave him some canned and maybe some kibble, even though it was yesterday, it feels like a long time ago, and I can't exactly remember. Really trying to get the canned going. He was pretty stressed at the vet so I wondered if that accounted for the 247. I think that our first test was "beginner's luck" because I've had a terrible time since then! I've been able to test a few times, but it has been a struggle and I had to prick him a few times each try and his ears are bruised a little bit. (His ears are pink as you can see from the picture so the bruises show.) Now he gets really annoyed. I think we are feeding off each other's anxiety or something. I think I need to rewatch the videos.

My goal is to give shots at 6:30/7:00 am and pm. The vet visit at 8 am screwed us up yesterday, so he got his shot late and I didn't give him his shot again until around 9:15 last night. This morning around 7:30 am I tested his BG and it was at 100! That's good but it scared me in regard to insulin. Granted, it wasn't 12 hours since his shot, and my understanding is that Prozinc is kind of long lasting. I had thought if his sugar was already high I would go ahead and do the shot in an effort to get back on schedule. But not with it being only 100. I waited about 30 minutes and tried to test again, but it didn't work out. I couldn't get the prick right. I had to leave and go to work for a few hours but DH was home and he tested him at 10 am and it was 188. So it was rising. Husband felt bad about poking him (not as easy as he thought!) and wanted to leave him alone, so no shot. I was going to suggest just 1 unit if he did. I figured he wouldn't die without his insulin this morning so I let it go. Wanted him to get back on schedule anyway. around 4 pm I was able to get a sample and it was 220. I didn't test him before his shot (I tried, to no avail) and gave it to him around 6pm, 3 units.

Soooo, this testing thing is turning into a tough thing. I'm wondering about the foot pad testing. Are there pros and cons about it? Also, I'm stumped about special treats. Now that we're trying to make canned food normal, that's not exactly a treat, and I don't have any low carb treats. I'm hoping to visit a Petco tomorrow and find something low carb. Any suggestions about what to get, if I can find it? I live in a rural area of Tennessee so not a lot of options without a lot of driving. Going to a bigger town tomorrow...woohoo. :)
 
You are right. The blood testing can be hard at the beginning, but you guys are actually doing very well! Congratulations! It took me almost a week of constant poking to get any blood. Now into our third week we get blood on the first or second poke most of the time. It really does get easier!
Heidi
 
Congats on getting some tests in! It does get easier, believe us. To protect his ears, you can hold his ear for a few seconds after the poke to minimize bruising and you can put Neosporin with pain reliever on them.

You are getting nice low numbers. I am a little concerned about the 3 unit dose. We like to start low and go slow. We figure we can always increase the dose if the numbers are high, but you can't get the insulin out of the kitty once it's shot. We usually suggest starting with one unit of ProZinc and hold the dose for several cycles, testing, to see how it is working.

If you are 200s at preshot, I think one unit might even be too much. Can you set up a spreadsheet? That will help you, us and your vet figure out doses.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207
 
Soooo, this testing thing is turning into a tough thing. I'm wondering about the foot pad testing. Are there pros and cons about it? Also, I'm stumped about special treats. Now that we're trying to make canned food normal, that's not exactly a treat, and I don't have any low carb treats. I'm hoping to visit a Petco tomorrow and find something low carb. Any suggestions about what to get, if I can find it? I live in a rural area of Tennessee so not a lot of options without a lot of driving. Going to a bigger town tomorrow...woohoo. :)
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Foot pad testing. I've seen a few people who have done it. I've never done it myself. I understand the primary "con" is that the feet would be more prone to infection, mostly due to litter box trips. Plus, if it does hurt at all after the poke, it might hurt every time he steps on it.

Low-carb treats. Look for freeze dried meats, like chicken, turkey, salmon, maybe even shrimp. I'm not sure what petco carries, we have a petsmart here, and the name brand I buy is Beefeater. It's just meat, no additives, and no carbs. Many people find bigger bags in the dog food aisle, and they tend to be less expensive. If you aren't sure, ask one of the staff to make sure they are low carb and nothing added to them. Wellness also makes a line of "jerky" treats for cats.

Carl
 
I just tried it in his paw and it worked well. He didn't flinch at all with the poke. He wanted me to let go of his leg but it was ok. His BG is 138 at +4. I have a Spreadsheet set up. The link is at the bottom of my signature. I am a little paranoid now about the 3u. I think tomorrow I will start with smaller amount. He's a big cat, close to 20 pounds.
 
Super that you were able to get blood! Are you going to be up for a little longer? It would be great if you can test him again at +5 and +6 so you can see how low he goes. You are right about the dose, and it would be a good idea to back it down. 3u is pretty high. I know he was at 220 a couple hours before the shot, and probably a little higher at shot time, but at 138 now, he'll come down some more most likely. Nadir might be anywhere between +5 and +7. Not sure yet, as you haven't been giving insulin for very long yet, and just have started testing.

Oh, do you have any creme like neosporin? If you rub some on that paw pad, that'll help keep it clean and less sore.
Carl
 
Glad that the paw worked. Now you have two options!

With the weekend, maybe you and Chester can fill out your spreadsheet. The more numbers you get, especially before each shot and around that 5-7 hour range after the shot, the better you can figure out if the dose is too high. You were wise not to shoot under 200 as a preshot, but to wait without feeding to make sure he was rising.

Hope you can get some more tests in tomorrow and Sunday. And come over to the PZI forum. It might be helpful to look at some of the threads and spreadsheets. Everyone there uses or used your insulin.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewforum.php?f=24
 
Apparently I can't do this very well. I had to pretty much hold Chester down to get another reading. Now it is 110 at +5. THoughts? I don't think I am going to test him again tonight. I think he's starting to hate me. He won't stay still, it is very difficult and don't know what else to do. This time when I tried the paw he didn't like it. So I tried the ear again, and was able to get some of his blood on my fingernail and fortunately the meter doesn't require much. Arrgh. I don't know if I am cut out for this.

Going to look for freeze dried treats tomorrow. I remembered there is another pet store in the town where I am going (actually a fish store but they carry specialty cat foods, etc). If treats don't make it happen I don't know what I am going to do.
 
The treats should really help and so will your feeling more at ease and confident. The more you test and are successful, the easier it will become.

He should be okay at that number. We worry when they get down into the 40s - then you need to intervene with higher carb food.
 
I REALLY appreciate the input from everyone :smile: . I was exploring the PZI board. Next time I may post over there. I am so glad there is a support community here.
 
turbocat said:
Soooo, this testing thing is turning into a tough thing. I'm wondering about the foot pad testing. Are there pros and cons about it?
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WE paw test and have done it ever since 2006. NEVER had an infection and besides that, there is desinfection solutions one can buy and drown a cotton pad in and wipe the paw with. Quiet silly not using that, if worried for infections.

Pros and cons - every cat is different, so the pros and cons really depend on the cat. Or if the bean person has arm and finger problems as shaking very much.
 
This morning I took a deep breath and did the paw again. Got a nice drop of blood. He wasn't thrilled but I sat on the floor cross-legged and cradled him sort of in my legs and after the test, just rubbed his belly and got him purring while I applied pressure on the paw. His reading was 365. I decided to start low and slow today so I gave him 1 unit. Now, we are using U-40 syringes and I'm just calling the numbered lines on the syringe "units". Is that correct? I notice some people talk about .3 or .5 with the decimal place. Is that an even smaller amount or am I confused?
 
365 is a fine preshot am number. If you can get some more numbers today, that will help a lot. It would nice to see when his nadir(lowest point) is.

He had a nice blue 110 last night and didn't seem to bounce much from it this morning, so that's good too. (sometimes new diabetics get a lower number than they have been used to and their liver releases some additional glucose and their bg levels bounce up. He didn't do that.)

Lots of PZI users need to eventually give less and less insulin - which is a great thing. ProZinc is a U40 insulin and you use U40 needles to dose. When you get down to mini doses below .5 (which is possible but hard to eyeball with U40) you can change to U100 needles (which have much smaller gradients) and use a conversion chart. We can help with that when you get there.

You guys are doing great!
 
turbocat said:
This morning I took a deep breath and did the paw again. Got a nice drop of blood. He wasn't thrilled but I sat on the floor cross-legged and cradled him sort of in my legs and after the test, just rubbed his belly and got him purring while I applied pressure on the paw.
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That's how we do it , here are pics http://www.kattdiabetes.se/70116292
One thing though, you did good by the way, but if you click on the second last pic with the paw pad, the pic will enlarge. One should be careful with the middle area of the pad, since there goes a major nerves and arteries, and it is like sticking oneself in the middle of ones own hand pad, it hurts on them.
I write in Swedish above the picture:
"Nu har jag dock gjort det stora felet att jag stuckit kanylen rakt i mitten av mittentrampdynan. Det SKALL man inte göra, på grund av att just i mitten och några millimeter utanför längs sidorna, så går det stora viktiga nerver. Vid upprepande stickande i dessa, orsakar man inte bara en enorm smärta, utan också permanenta nervskador."
Translated roughly:
"Now I have done the major fault that I have stuck the canula right in the middle of the middle paw pad- That one SHOULDN*T do, because that right in the middle and some millimeters outside along the sides, there goes large important nerves. With repeated sticking in these, one doesn't just cause enormous pain, but also permanent nerve injuries."


You'll be both an ear tester and paw tester pro in no time :-D
 
Keep working on the testing - it's not something that usually happens immediately, it takes a bit of time. You're doing WONDERFULLY!!! Remind DH tho' that what you're giving Chester is a HORMONE that his body SHOULD be making but isn't. Insulin isn't a chemical medicine like giving him ab's, aspirin or something like a blood pressure medicine. Without the insulin, our extra sweet sugarbabies will starve while stuffing themselves - the insulin works with the glucose to make the energy used by the body. You're lucky that he WILL jump in and help - mine refuses to even be in the same end of the house.

BIG HUGE HUG! GOOD JOB!!!!
 
Thanks, Ann for the info. I definitely don't want to damage him! That is a little worrisome. So off center a bit would be ok, perhaps? (I used Google translate and got the gist of the page) In the photo it looks like the prick is in the middle and slightly forward (meaning toward the front of the pad if the cat is standing on it) so is further back ok, or should I go to the side a bit? I'm using a lancet pen. I wish I could get the ear mastered. I guess next testing I will try his ear again. UGH! So much to know and understand!
 
turbocat said:
Thanks, Ann for the info. I definitely don't want to damage him! That is a little worrisome. So off center a bit would be ok, perhaps? (I used Google translate and got the gist of the page) In the photo it looks like the prick is in the middle and slightly forward (meaning toward the front of the pad if the cat is standing on it) so is further back ok, or should I go to the side a bit? I'm using a lancet pen. I wish I could get the ear mastered. I guess next testing I will try his ear again. UGH! So much to know and understand!
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Yes off center a bit is okay. Not further straight back from the large drop in the pic. I made that mistake. :oops:
 
Should have added too - one ear may end up learning to bleed much easier than the other one. KT's right ear bleeds with a tiny tiny poke, his left ear just as well be a turnip. I've got to do two heavy pokes to even get a little drop.

HUGS!!
 
Sorry with all the questions, but I would be aiming for the same general area lengthwise of the large drop in the pic, but maybe width wise to the side where the small droplet is? I really appreciate your advice. Also, always use same foot or use others? When doing several tests I don't want to make him to sore.
 
OK, did a successful ear test again! Got in the same position as when I did paw. Cross legged with him in my lap. Used the warming sock and gave lots of pets and got blood first try and he was happy! If he's happy I am happy. I know this all sounds lame to you old hands at this, but I think maybe I can do this! Please check out his spreadsheet and see what you think. It will be about 4 hrs until his next test because I have to leave for a little while.
 
turbocat said:
Sorry with all the questions, but I would be aiming for the same general area lengthwise of the large drop in the pic, but maybe width wise to the side where the small droplet is? I really appreciate your advice. Also, always use same foot or use others? When doing several tests I don't want to make him to sore.
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No, don't apologize for having questions, that's what we are all here for! :-D pc_work :-)


If I was a bit techy at Photoshop I would mark out the areas I use to stick in. I try to stay to the side of the mid, and can also use the upper part of the pad on the pic. But not the toes :-) He is tolerant but that would be were he draw the line of my poking.

I always use the same foot, but that is because Simba won't allow me to use the other one. But you are right, if using the same pad and the same areas, they get thicker and drier in the skin - with some paw rest, that is reverseable though, and I give Simba's one and same paw a rest very often. If your little rascal is so tolerant allowing you to use both paw pads without fussing, that's a great plus!, because then you can alternate. The more poking options you have the better.

You are doing GOOD.
 
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