First BG test using Bayer Contour... Advice

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RockStar033

RockStar033

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So i just successfully performed my first Bg test on Annie +1. I couldn't get blood from between the vein and edge of ear so i pricked her vein(they did this at the vet as well when they showed me). The Bayer comes with the pen, but i was unsuccessful with that so i just did it manually and she liked that much better.

So the reading was 16.4 mmol/L - can someone help me understand this? When i first took her to the vet, their machine showed 27. but since this is a human tester, is there a difference? how do i tell? or do i just read it as is and consider this a bit high? i know i have to do more tests to see the fluctuation.

Thanks
 
Hi RockStar!

I use the exact same glucometer with the lancet that came with the kit (I believe they call it Microlet 2).
I couldn't get blood from between the vein and edge of ear so i pricked her vein
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The ear is probably not warm enough and/or you have not used something "firm enough" to really put a pressure on your cat's ear when using the pen.
I dont use a flashlight anymore, but during the first couple of days I was using a SMALL flashlight to see though my cat's ear while it also served as a "firm surface" to put the slightly moist cotton wool on. If you read the instruction for humans, you'll see how they insist on really pressing the pen on the skin, it also applies for cats. Make sure you select the fifth depth (so the deepest) setting (illustrated by 5 different drop of blood sizes on the lancet). Warm up your cat's ear with a sock full of rice or anything else. You'll see the huge difference of bleeding between a cold and warm ear, and you can see it even more clearly with a flashlight: if the main vein looks red and its size increased and all the little veins are visible, it means your cat's ear is filled up with blood and ready for a test! If the main vein is pink or dark pink but not quite red and you cant see all the tiny vessels joining that main vein, it means the ear wont bleed easily cuz it's still too cold.

With a cotton wool slightly moist or anything firm enough, but yet a little flexible to avoid hurting your cat, you really have to apply pressure on the lancet.

Otherwise if it's easier for you to do it manually, why not!
So the reading was 16.4 mmol/L - can someone help me understand this? When i first took her to the vet, their machine showed 27. but since this is a human tester, is there a difference? how do i tell? or do i just read it as is and consider this a bit high? i know i have to do more tests to see the fluctuation.
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Did your cat also receive an insulin injection after the reading at the vet? Human testers, and especially this one is supposed to work fine on either humans or animals. If you REALLY want to make sure, you could go to the vet with your own glucometer, ask him to take a blood sample and both of you test that sample and compare readings. I did that myself when I got the Bayer contour and the difference was like 0.2 or something, so really nothing to worry about.

:?: What insulin are you giving to your cat? and how many units?

You mentioned that the reading you got at home (16.4) was a +1, which means one hour after an insulin shot right? If so then dont panic, 16.4 is still a high result... and you dont want to keep your cat at 27 for a long period of time.
 
She is on 2u Caninsulin BID. I did the test after the injection yes. i'm gonna test her today before i give her the shot, and see what it reads, then i'm going to do it again a half hour later, and an hour later. No she did not have an insulin injection after her reading at the vet, it didn't start till the next day.

Also, how many times can i use the needle on the lancet?
 
Update. Her injection times are 11am/11pm. I just gave her a BG test and she is at 26.2. should i test her again in an hour? or wait longer?
 
I change the lancet after every test, however, if I need to poke more than once to get blood on a single test I don't change the lancet. But just like syringes you don't want to keep using the same lancet because they will become dull and hurt as well as once the little piece of plastic is off the point they are no longer sterile.

Some vets will tell you that you can use syringes for several injections, not so, the needles have a coating on them that makes them easier to insert, but the moment they are used to piece the skin that coating is starting to degrade and the needle will become rough and painful. Syringes are cheap in comparison to everything else that goes along with diabetes so there is really no reason to reuse and cause your cat pain.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
so i haven't been able to get a reading from Annie since her insulin at 11am. I tried 3 times, couldn't get blood, and when i finally got blood, i didn't have my reader ready on time, and the blood disappeared. tried again, no blood. i stopped because i didn't want to stress her out.

i want to test her again now, is it ok? how many pokings are too many at a time?

Also, her back legs are really weak right now, they've been week since being diagnosed, but today is the worst i've seen. :( she can barely stand on them. does this have anything to do with her BG level being too low? she seems fine otherwise, she's alert, she just came and went to the litter box, now she's just laying down beside it chillin' out.
 
You are Right to take a break and let your cat not become too stressed with those testing! Next time you try use his other ear and make sure the ear is warm!

Now about the last reading you got I have to ask... Your glucometers shows values in mmol/L right) and not in mg/dl? Cuz 26 is actually hyperglycemia and definately not a low result.
Look at the chart on this page ( its under dosage and regulation)
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes ... #section_3
You'll see that 26mmol/L is actually pretty high, which means your cat definately needs his insulin shot.

Have you or your vet tested for ketones? If not than its probably time to do so!

Test as often as you can and put these numbers on a spreadsheet (sory I can't find the link explaining how to do it but I know it's here somewhere on this forum). Youll probably want to to draw a bg curve to really understand how your cat reacts to an insulin dose and how long it lasts before he is back to hyperglycemia.

Another good suggestion would be to get your cat lantus instead of caninsulin since it will most likely help your cat keep the numbers down for a longer period without that rollercoaster effect.

Weak legs normally means hyperglycemia and not hypo, but definately test for ketones
 
I changed my meter to read mmol/L instead of the US one. I know 26 is high, that was right before her insulin, i then gave her the insulin, but have not been able to get a reading since. I'm having a hard time with it today.
 
What sorts of problems are you having with getting a reading? I am sure there are others here who can help you with them.
 
just mostly getting enough blood. i know i have to warm the ear alot. When i first did it, i had a hard time and ended up free handing it, and i as well poked the vein instead of inbetween, but i don't want to keep poking the vein.
 
yea, i hope so :( i've been so sad and upset for my Annie. i know she's not feeling well and she's not herself at all... and i miss that!
 
Another Question

So i gave her a bg test 10 minutes ago... I used the pen this time to poke instead of free hand. Well i missed between the vein and her ear and when i looked, i poked her on the other side of the vein!!!! is that ok? i was like oh my gosh! didn't know if it would hurt her more there. not far from the vein but on the other side still.

also, im confused, i missed testing her before her shot this morning at 11 because i realized i had to run out and get new batteries, so i gave her shot anyway. I just tested her at +5.5 and i figured it would be a lower number then her usual 26 or 27 pre shot. but it's still 27. I have to go to work now so i told my finace to test her when he gets home at 8 and again pre shot. On april 3rd i tested her an hour after her shot, and it came up 16.4mmol/l . hmmmmm any ideas why her number is so high right now when it's around peak time?
 
It's oklay that you poked on the other side of the vein. I do it all the time. No problem. Also a tip to help you so the blood does not disappear in the fur, you should put a little bit of either neosporin with pain killer or if that's not thick enough use vaseline (petroleum jelly) if longhair on the ear after warming the ear, before poking.

Where are you located, in the US or outside of the US? We have a world spreadsheet that automatically converts the numbers to US numbers as that is what we use on this board so you can get more help. You can find it here: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?p=179835#p179835

You are using Caninsulin which is better suited for dogs than cats. It will not peak at the proper times or last long enough for cats. Cats have a much faster metabolism than dogs. What dose are you giving? You should really ask your vet for Lantus, Levemir or PZI they are much better for cats. Lantus has an excellent rate of remission in newly diagnosed cats and is what I use. If he will not change your insulin to one of those 3, I would change vets.

You said Kitty is having trouble walking. Is she pulling her back legs behind her, walking on her hocks? She probably Has neuropathy from the high numbers. It is not hypo! You can get Methyl B-12 online for her and it will help a lot. A lot of diabetic cats get it. Zobaline brand can be bought online and has no sugar.

Melanie & Racci
 
I'm in Canada. I've seen the converter. I guess I just automatically write down the number we use here.
27mmol/l is 486. 16.4 is 295.2

Also tonight an hour before eating she was 450. Then per shot she was 576.

She's so all over the board right now so I think on Saturday I'm gonna do my first curve.

I'm gonna call the vet and ask if he tested her for ketones. If not can I just buy the strips and what happens if it's present? My next vets appt is on the 14th.
 
RockStar you should really put these numbers together on a spreadsheet, without it, it is hard to follow!
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=50130

So Preshot BG is pretty high... what does +1, +2 and +3 look like? (If you have any chance to take these numbers)

If you cant seem to control your cat's BG and you keep on seeing numbers above 20, you will definitely need to see your vet and talk about a dosage adjustment, or even better, a different insulin (like Lantus). These numbers are affecting your cat, you dont want to keep him like that!

So closely monitor, if you could test every hour for an entire day and even take note of the food and water intake for atleast 12 hours, that would give you a curve, and in the meantime, a very clear idea of what you need to talk about with your vet! But like I said, put these numbers on a spreadsheet, it's the best way to see the evolution.
 
:?: Oh and I forgot to ask, what are you feeding your cat? and does he have a good appetite before his am and pm shots?
 
If she already has diabetic nueropathy, I would definitely change insulins right away. Do get the methyl B-12 not regular B12 and it will start to help the legs but the insulin is not allowing her to regulate because caninsulin will not last long enough for a cat. She is spending a lot of time with no insulin working and that's why the numbers are so high and causing damage.

I would call and ask the vet to call a prescription in to the drugstore for lantus glargine. The sooner you get those numbers down the better. You should buy the ketone strips anyway. You should make it a practice to test for ketones whenever she's high like this or not feeling well or acting right.

Thank you for converting the numbers. Do you have a spreadsheet set up? The link I gave you is for the world spreadsheet. It's really nice. It converts back and forth automatically and you can track your kitty's numbers and link it to your signature so it's easy for others to help you. We can click on it and see her numbers and pattern and be able to advise you better. The instructions are there too I believe.

There's really no need to do a curve right now when she's so unregulated. I would wait until she is on a good insulin and has some kind of a pattern going if it were me but of course it's up to you.

Melanie & Racci
 
kimouette: Right now she is on the Hills DM mixed with her regular dry because i'm still transitioning, but tomorrow morning i am going to get her Wellness brand. and yes she has a great appetite before each shot, and then nibbles a bit throughout the day.

Melanie: I will try and set up a spreadsheet tomorrow. if not tomorrow then Saturday. Thanks for the advice. I wanted to wait till she was more regulated, but i don't feel good about this insulin she is on. it's like she has no normal levels at all so far. It brings her down a bit, but it's still high. i started giving her more of the wet food tonight, i'm still in the process of transitioning her. She was only diagnosed a week ago, and has only been on the insulin since this past saturday. I guess i want to try and fix her as soon as possible but i do understand it may take a bit of time in the beginning while trying to figure it all out. :( Do i have to order the Methyl b12 online? or can i buy it somewhere?

Thanks a bunch everyone! i'm so glad i found this place!
 
Do you know what exact % of carb there is in that food you are about to give your cat?

And definately get your cat on 100% low carb wet food as soon as possible. Dry food cannot help with her high bg levels!

But like everyone mentioned, your cat will definately be better with lantus insulin, and of course the sooner the better cuz that hyperglycemia is obviously affecting your cat at this moment

And about methyl b12 (methylcobalamin) I know that here in Switzerland you have to call a pharmacy and ask for it. They might have it right away or otherwise they have to order the substance.

http://www.vetinfo.com/treating-feline- ... min.html#b
http://laurieulrich.com/jasper/
 
i couldn't see the amount of carbs in the Hills, but i know it's not really low. it doesn't say on the can.

so should i make the full switch tonight at her next feeding? and do i leave the wet food out during the day as well? we free feed our cats.
 
*bump*

If I switch her fully tonight onto wet food does this mean I have to lower her insulin dose? Or leave it the same but keep testing her every hour
 
Since you never quite got close to the target values you really shouldn't worry about lowering the dose, or at least not for now cuz we do want to see the numbers go down!

First of all you should determine what is the right amount of food she should receive daily. For exemple if for your cat's weight the ideal quantity is 200g, then your cat should receive 100g before her am shot and another 100g before her evening shot. Note that not all cats will eat the entire 100g before each shot. If your cat eats 2/3 of her morning ration then it shoulb be fine to do the injection and leave the 1/3 for the day.

Test, then feed but make sure your cat eats at least 2/3 of the ration, give normal insulin dose, then test +1 and +2 if possible.

Don't forget to write these numbers down and test your cat for ketones!

And if your cat eats the whole morning food ration, you CAN leave some more food for the day (mix it with water to keep it fresh for a longer period) but don't forget that if she eats too much during the day she might not want to eat correctly for her evening shot

And for that new bran you were about to give to your cat, you can calculate the carbs with the following website
http://www.scheyderweb.com/cats/catfood.html

And please if you still can't get the numbers close to the target values (5.5 at preshot and 10 at +2), please see your vet and talk to her about lantus and maybe an insuline dosage adjustment!!!
 
RockStar033 said:
i couldn't see the amount of carbs in the Hills, but i know it's not really low. it doesn't say on the can.
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No, it won't say on the label. Have you seen the food charts? Here's Binky's: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html

Hills M/D canned has 14% carbs.

What dry food are you using? Most dry foods are really high in carbs. Here's Binky's dry food chart: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/dryfood.html

Here's the non-US food chart: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/nonusfd.html

so should i make the full switch tonight at her next feeding? and do i leave the wet food out during the day as well? we free feed our cats.
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You can completely switch the diet as long as you monitor the bg levels closely. The insulin dose may need to be decreased. You can give 1 unit of insulin instead of the 2 units if you are worried. Some cats experience a big drop on bg levels from a diet change.

Canned food can be left out all day. Most people here use a timed feeder so that their diabetic cat can have a few small meals throughout the day. You can add extra water to the food or freeze the food into chunks.
 
The insulin dose may need to be decreased. You can give 1 unit of insulin instead of the 2 units if you are worried. Some cats experience a big drop on bg levels from a diet change.
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I wouldnt say that! The numbers are so high: a little drop from the diet change can only beneficial! That cat's diabetes is not under control
 
Her reading last night was 540 pre shot.... i'm so discouraged right now :( but after three hours when i test, its still the same high levels. one time i tested her an hour after her shot, and it went down to 295, and 6 hours after and it was still like 486, but the 295 is lowest reading i've ever got. I'm off today, so i am going to test her at +1, +2, +3, to see if there is a drop in there.

i'm going to put her on the wet food completely today, but keep the dosage the same until i see her number drop. Once again, she is on Caninsulin, and from what i understand, it's not a long lasting insulin.
 
You are correct, Caninsulin is a lousy insulin that does not last the 12hours, so you can expect to see the BG number jump up by +8 or so... with neuropathy also a problem, you really need to switch to a longer lasting insulin, and my first choice would be Levemir, but Lantus is also very good as well.

If she is OK with it all, testing every hour of today's cycle and then pmps and hourly till bedtime, you should have sufficient proof for your vet that it's just not working and you want to switch NOW.
 
testing every hour of today's cycle and then pmps and hourly till bedtime, you should have sufficient proof for your vet that it's just not working and you want to switch NOW.
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I completely agree. If under 100% low carb canned food you still dont get any closer to "good results" this is becoming very obvious, your cat needs another insulin! Simply show the results to your vet and ask her about another insulin... I believe this has been going on for more than a week now, and you mentionnent your cat is showing signs of neuropathy, you have to act quick now and get an insulin that will help you regulate her diabetes.
 
Thank you all so much, you have been SO helpful and just when i'm feeling discouraged, you all make me feel optimistic, AND more knowledgeable of how i can deal with this quickly and efficiently as to prevent more damage to my Annie.

i will update tonight with my BG results of the day! and i promise to get a spreadsheet up as soon as possible.
 
So I did a mini curve last night. I wasn't able to get any readings off her on saturday or Sunday before her am shot, we had to go out of town for the day so I skipped her morning shot :(
Last night when we got home my fiancé was able to get 4 readings so I will post the results later today because I have to run out right now.
 
This is a newer food chart that has the Wellness on it. http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodNew.html and another:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8Uu8g1u8Su9YTgxNGE1MDItM2MyMC00Y2Y3LWI4ODMtMzhkYTkxOGM4NThk/edit

You have to be careful not to get wet foods with gravy. The gravy is what has the high carbs. Hills will have high carbs but it's still better than dry food. The wellness turkey or chicken or Salmon or Beef are all excellent low carb choices and what a lot of us use. If you need a less expensive food, a lot of people use the Fancy Feast Classic Pates only as they are also low carb.

The food and the proper insulin are the first things you have to take care of to help your kitty get better. A lot of kitties can go into remission if started on the correct insulin and food right away so be hopeful..and breathe. :razz:

Melanie & Racci
 
Yea shes on the wellness chicken and turkey right now and as of yesterday she is totally weened off the dry food.
How long will it generally take to see a difference with the diet change?
 
That's wonderful! You should start seeing a difference right away so be careful to test often and buy ketostix to check her urine also. You don't want her to go too low, though she's pretty high right now. Sometimes you see it within a day, sometimes a week. Every cat is different but you will see a difference especially when combined with the proper insulin. It will slow you down until you change the insulin but she will get better once you do. Maybe not totally, but definitely better.

It's hard to say how long it will take. Every cat is so different. Some of them are on insulin for only a week or two and some for the rest of their lives but the numbers become manageable and low so no damage is done to the organs in a great majority of cases when you follow the protocols. My Racci is in the normal range much of the time now but will probably always need insulin to stay there. As long as she is having no damage done to her organs by abnormal blood glucose, I'll take that, though of course I would rather she had remission. :razz: You can look at her spreadsheet by clicking on her link.

Melanie & Racci
 
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