First home test for Oliver

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oliversmoms

oliversmoms

Member Since 2015
After finally getting Oliver switched over to low carb food (Evo dry and a variety of wets, we're still trying to find ones he'll eat more than a few bites of), we picked up the home testing kit. Relion prime meter, lancing device, lancets, test strips, and Neosporin ointment with pain reliever.

I tested myself first. Device gave me a reasonable reading, so I assume it works fine.

After a couple tries, I managed to get enough blood from Oliver's ear... and he was at 63. He's on 2 units of Lantus and he got his dose at 8:30 a.m. He's been munching on his Evo and a small amount of Fancy Feast Kitten (turkey) throughout the day.

I suppose my next step should be to make a spreadsheet and do a 12-hour curve?
 
7 hours after his morning insulin. We're suppose to dose him again in a few hours, but I assume I should check it before doing so!
 
Yes, you need to check before the next shot. You may need to lower the dose. 63 at +6 is as low as I would want to go.
That "standard" starting dose is 1 unit twice daily.
 
Great that you are able to test Oliver, that's the best way to keep him safe! Absolutely always test before you feed and give a shot. You can post his number either here or on the Lantus forum for dosing assistance.
 
oliversmoms said:
I suppose my next step should be to make a spreadsheet and do a 12-hour curve?
Click to expand...

Yes, it's important to get the spreadsheet going so we can help you make good decisions regarding dose, but you'll need to do more than just 12 hour curves to keep Oliver safe.

ALWAYS test before shooting...it's the only way to know if it's safe to give any insulin at all! At first, we suggest that if you get a Pre-shot test under 200 that you stall, don't feed and post for help.

You should also make sure that you take food up for the 2 hours before shot times....We want those Pre-shot tests to be without any food influence.

With Lantus, we Test/Feed/Shoot....all within about 5-10 minutes. You Test to make sure they're high enough to give insulin, Feed to make sure they're eating fairly "normally" and Shoot

After the Pre-shot tests, if at all possible, it's important to get at least 1 mid-cycle test on the AM cycle and a "before bed" test on the PM cycle. Lantus dosing is based on how LOW it takes them, so it's important to try to find when they nadir (the point in the cycle they're usually the lowest).

If there's no way to get a mid-cycle every day on the AM cycle, it's even more important to get some tests in on the PM cycle...especially since most cats go lower at night than during the day. By getting a "before bed" test in, you'll learn when it's important to set an alarm and get more tests in later on and when it's probably safe to sleep soundly

There are two different protocols we use here with Lantus that you'll need to look over and decide which one works best for you and Oliver. The Tight Regulation Protocol gives Oliver the best chance at remission, but requires a little more testing at times to keep him safe. The Start Low, Go Slow method is used more by people who either can't get as many tests in or just aren't comfortable with the TR protocol.

Keep asking questions! The people here are great about helping others learn all about the sugardance!
 
Maybe this is a silly question - but what if I keep testing and he never has high levels? Oliver was on pred, which may have been the cause of his pancreatitis. The vet said it may be "transient" diabetes.
 
No such thing as a silly question here!!

Yes, it is possible that once the prednisone has completely cleared his body that he could return to normal numbers....but you'll also want to try to keep him off of any steroids in the future (if you can...we all know there are some times they're required) and keep him on a low carb diet for the rest of his life
 
Dang. Time for his second dose of the day and he's at 80. I just gave him his dinner. I'm going to set up his spreadsheet tomorrow and start testing regularly (will post in the Lantus forum) but for tonight, any advice?
 
Since we don't have any data on Oliver, I'd skip the insulin tonight....80 is a normal blood glucose number for a cat

Better too high for a day than too low for a moment!! High blood glucose takes a long time to do any damage...Low blood glucose kills quickly
 
Thanks! I'm going to take that advice. Appreciate the help. I'm interested to see what his levels will look like in the morning.
 
I'm really happy you tested before shooting!!

If he's below 200 in the morning, I'd stall, don't feed, and post for help....and get that spreadsheet going ASAP....we're all going to want to see what kind of numbers he's getting already (even if you don't have a lot of tests)

If you have trouble with the spreadsheet, let us know so we can help. It requires a Google account, but it's really simple to use.
 
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