First home testing

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jorda1re

jorda1re

Member Since 2013
Well, our first attempt at home testing today didn't go great. We got our kit this afternoon and tried to test Spider before dinner and evening insulin. We couldn't get his ear to bleed and he was majorly PO'd! He's typically not a hisser with us, so we knew we were in trouble when he hissed.

DH had to leave for work (night shift at the hospital- thank goodness the full moon has passed!), so after Spider had eaten and settled down, I decided to try again. I made sure to really warm the area with my rice bag (maybe we didn't do it long enough before?) and tried again. Mr. Hiss Man reappeared (the vet always tells me that he's all talk- he hisses at them during testing but still just lays there and let's them poke him!) but I kept laying treats in front of him. Massaged his ear, and all the sudden- a drop of blood! I got so excited!

I got enough for the reading- 53! I am so excited to have a test under our belts, but I'm sad DH missed it (He got a text message with a pic of the meter reading though). Depending on Spider's mood, I may try again later tonight, both to start getting him used to it and to start collecting data. I am hoping that we will be cutting his higher carb food (almost?) completely out after his trip to the vet on Friday and monitoring him closely at home, so I want to be a "pro" by the time we pick him up on Friday. :-D

We are using the Arkray GlucoCard 01. I was told on another thread that this is the same as the ReliOn brand from WalMart. Does that mean that I can get ReliOn brand lancets for my lancing tool? Or will I need to order those from ADW where I got my kit?

Thanks for everyone's help in getting us ready for home testing and for posting links to the videos that made me confident enough to try!

Becky
 
Great job on the testing - he sounds fiesty so I am impressed!

Ok 53 is a low and falls in normal cat levels which is great. Anything under 50 and we reduce dose.

When did you get this reading ( how long after the shot) since he may have dropped lower after that time based on insulin action. If it wasnt that long ago and/or early in the cycle please get another test asap!!

Also tonite.. dont shoot if he is under 200 - we need to get you data ready for that (read this http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=147)

Also time to set up a spreadsheet to track results - let us know if you need help with it: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207

Wendy
 
The shot was 45 minutes after his insulin shot this evening. We tried to get a pre-insulin reading, but that's the one that didn't work. He ate after insulin but before the BG test. He's still eating mostly Science Diet, with some low carb FF classic mixed in while we wean him off his beloved carbs (he's just like his mama, loves the carbs!)

How long until his insulin lowers his BG? Are BG numbers for humans the same as animals? Or do I need to do some conversions? Should I be worried about this number? The past few days have been the most "normal" Spider has been acting since he was diagnosed and started insulin but I don't want him to drop too low. Should I call the vet tomorrow and ask about decreasing or do I need more data first?
 
So you gave 2 units of lantus and then 45 minutes later tested him and he was 53!

Do you have any gravy food available, syrup, sugar products too. YOu are going to need to test him FREQUENtTLY as he very well may go lower and we don't want a HYPO situation!

I am going to ask you to test every 30 minutes and post the numbers here and change the subject of your original post to this:

Newbie - 2 units lantus - +1 53,

keep adding to the + number with the time that you tested the result, I started you at +1 instead of 45 minutes, cause it's just easier and this is going to be a long night - please get in another test now and tell us how long after the shot

oh and add the 911 icon to your original post too please

do you have lots of strips?
 
Yikes!!! Lantus peaks at 5-7 hours after the shot and he is likely going to keep dropping. PLEASE get another test asap!!
 
Becky sent me a PM.. I asked her how much lower he was. I am going to look up the carbs in the Sheba right now..

I did another test and he was lower but I don't know how I'm going to keep testing him. If he was feisty for the first test after dinner, he was a monster this time. He will not come near me and now that he's retreated under the bed, I'm probably going to have to move the furniture to get him out, which is going to frighten him even more and make it more difficult. I am shocked that any cat allows their ears to be poked like this after seeing Spider's reaction.

He's been given a full can of Sheba food (3 oz) that's chunks of beef swimming in gravy. We always keep honey and Karo around just in case. Should I give him some honey? Perhaps I should leave a bowl of his dry food out for him? I will keep an eye on him and attempt another test, but I'm assuming that every 30 minutes is not going to happen based on his reaction to me right now. I may need to give him some more time. He is acting completely normal (for him), and I've seen him go hypo before. I will keep a close eye on him, though.
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Ok for now mix 2 tsp of the Sheba with a drop of karo and give him that to bring him up.

When do you think you could attempt another test.. Do you know what he isn't liking? The ear touching or the poke itself? Many cats just don't like being held and touched in a weird way.. Treats usually get them over that real fast.

Fyi Tomorrow drop to 1 unit and try and get a test before you shoot. No shooting under 200. That's the minimum amount of tests.. Before every shot to prevent hypos from shooting too low.
 
Thanks for your concern, everybody. It's nice to know there's a place where people are there for you, even through the internet!

Spider ate about 1/2 can of Sheba food (chunks in gravy). He lapped up all the gravy, as he tends to do. He's turned his nose up at the food with Caro mixed in, also with honey. He did, however, eat some dry food that I put out for him. I will leave dry food out throughout the night, as he always tended to snack during the night. I will keep encouraging him to eat it. Is tuna juice ok to give him? We've done it in the past over his hard food and he usually mowed through it. It would probably encourage him to eat more. I'm sure he feels full as he's eaten more than he typically does.

I want you all to know that Spider is acting normally. He is moving around as he normally does. He jumped up onto the couch and played with the edge of the blanket, then jumped down to grab at a toy. He is wagging his tail, responding to me when I talk to him and has clear eyes. (Pupils are reactive, too. Don't know if that means anything but they always check on humans on ER and Grey's Anatomy so I figured I'd look.) Spider has gone hypo on us before, and it was a far cry from where he is right now. He couldn't walk, dragged his back legs, walked into a wall (basically looked as though he was drunk), cried like he was in pain. He wouldn't look at you and when he did, it didn't appear he was focused on you. It was evident he was hypo and he got a good dose of honey and a trip to the ER vet. He is showing zero signs on being anything like that, which is the only reason I don't have him strapped into the car and on the way to the ER vet now.

As I told Wendy, I do not think another home test is going to be possible tonight. He did far worse for me on his second test (another sign he is feeling ok, as he tends to just lay there when he doesn't feel well) than the first. He is finally out from under the bed and in the same room as I am, but he is eyeing me pretty strongly. I was able to pet his back a few minutes ago but touching his head was out of the question. If he keeps calming down, I will attempt another test and monitor him for symptoms that he's not doing well. I will also be skipping his insulin in the morning.
 
Just make sure he keeps eating and get tests if he lets you. Are you freehanding the lancet or using the tool?

Actually skipping tomorrow morning is a good idea as it will drain the depot and allow you to start the new 1unit dose fresh without any remnant insulin hanging around.

Maybe you are hitting the vein which can hurt a little. You want to aim for between the vein and the ear edge. Check these tips for a picture.. https://docs.google.com/document/d/13c_CPZVKz27fD_6aVbsguadJKvjSrSAkD7flgPPhEag/pub

Tuna water is fine (its the water in the can right?)

He ate a lot as he was low and he is trying to bring himself up. For future it's better to give mini meals of 1-2tsp mixed with a drop of syrup every half hour or so because a big meal fills them up and then they wont eat enough after that to keep them up.

Also don't assume just because you don't see symptoms this time, that he isn't low. Sometimes the symptoms come on fast and serious.. He may be ok one minute and snoozing like my bailey, then in a semi coma. Keep a close eye on him but you also need to test in these circumstances when you can.

Wendy
 
Any update? How is he today? Were you able to test him today?

And don't be surprised if he has a high BG reading. It is to be expected considering the high carb food he was given.
 
Do you have a solution to test the meter with? It sounds as though it may have been coded improperly or something else caused it to misread. Also according to my vet, human meters read lower so that a reading of 50 may actually be about 80 for a cat.
 
Whichever meter you use, human calibrated or pet calibrated, always report the exact number you get. No translation required. I'm including the great reference range chart that member BJM made up.

Reference ranges for decision making
BJM said:
Conceptually, it is somewhat like reading a thermometer in Celsius vs Fahrenheit. Freezing, for example, is 0 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here are some glucose reference ranges used for decision making using glucometers. Human glucometer numbers are given first. Numbers in parentheses are for non-US meters. Numbers in curly braces are estimates for an AlphaTrak.

< 40 mg/dL (2.2 mmol/L) {< 70 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- Treat as if HYPO if on insulin
- At nadir (lowest point between shots) in a long term diabetic (more than a year), may earn a reduction.

< 50 mg/dL (2.8 mmol/L) {< 80 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- If before nadir, steer with food, ie, give modest amounts of medium carb food to keep from going below 50 (2.8).
- At nadir, often indicates dose reduction is earned.

50 - 130 mg/dL (2.8 - 7.2 mmol/L) {80 - 160 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- On insulin - great control when following a tight regulation protocol.
- Off insulin - normal numbers. (May even go as low as the upper 30s (1.7 mmol/L){60s for an AlphaTrak}; if not on insulin, this can be safe.

> 150 mg/dL (8.3 mmol/L) {> 180 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- At nadir, indicates a dose increase may be needed when following a tight regulation protocol.

200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) {230 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- no shot level for beginners; may slowly reduce to 150 mg/dL (8.3 mmol/L) {180 mg/dL} for long-acting insulins (Lantus, Levemir, and ProZinc) as data collection shows it is safe

180 - 280 mg/dL (10 - 15.6 mmol/L) {may be 210 - 310 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}- Any time - The renal threshold (depending on data source and cat's renal function) where glucose spills into the urine.
- Test for ketones, glucose is too high.

>= 280 mg/dL (15.6 mmol/L) {may be >=310 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}, if for most of the cycle between shots
- Uncontrolled diabetes and thus at risk for diabetic ketoacidosis and hepatic lipidosis
- Follow your insulin protocol for dose adjustments
- Test for ketones; if more than a trace level of ketones, go to vet ASAP.
Click to expand...
 
Hello again wonderful FDMB members!

I am sorry I Wasn't able to reply earlier. I am a teacher and today was my first day back to work for the year. I went in with very little sleep as I stayed up late with Spider, and checked on him hourly after that.

I am happy to report that he is doing fine. :-D I tried desperately to get another reading this morning, but his ear just wouldn't bleed. I poked 3 times and quit after that. He was acting fine, so I didn't fret much after that. No insulin this morning and after a call to my vet, no insulin tonight either. Because he struggled to let us test him tonight, she recommended we just skip to be safe. Better too high than too low, as I've been told on here! She will be doing a glucose curve tomorrow (moved up from Friday) and we'll decided what to do from there. She also mentioned that the monitors may read lower than actual for the cats, and because we didn't really have a base number for him with that monitor, we'll never know. Also, we did test the meter with the solution and it was working fine.

You guys helped me to not feel alone last night during crisis (or near crisis) time. If Spider is going into remission again (this is the exact time frame from the time he started Lantus the first time until he went into remission), I am so thankful that I was able to test him at least twice because it let me know that I needed to not shoot this morning! I wish we'd been testing at home earlier but that's ok. And, if remission is in his future, I will be so thankful for the info here to help me keep him diet controlled!
 
Hello
I am so glad he was ok - i was worried about you guys!

Three times and strike out - give treats anyway and try later. The vet meters do read differently.. but more at higher numbers and no matter what though Spider was too low. I dont think the meter was wrong.

I would keep trying to test him - you need to know if he is going into remission. Even though you didnt shoot today I would still "pretend" to test and go through all the motions. Lets get him used to it.

Wendy
 
While you work on home testing, take a look at the Secondary Monitoring Tools in my signature link, particularly urine ketone monitoring. Ketones form as a by-product of fat breakdown for calories. Too many may indicate diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially fatal and expensive to treat complication of diabetes.
If you get KetoDiastix, you'll get an approximate estimate of glucose level (since the previous void).
 
More home testing failures! We're trying but he is just struggling so much.

Spider spent the day getting a glucose curve at the vet today. He'd been without insulin for just over 36 hours when I dropped him off this morning. When I picked him up, the vet said his highest reading was 142. She told me to stop insulin. I can keep trying to home test, which I know many of you recommended. She said we can bring him back in a week to have another curve done if he's not allowing home testing. She says she feels confident saying he's in remission given his history. She is thrilled that we are switching to the low carb diet (It's all he had over the past 36 hours, after his gravy food on Monday night with his low numbers). She really seems to believe he will be able to be diet controlled. I hope so!

Thanks again for all of your support! Spider, DH and I all appreciate it. :smile:
 
jorda1re said:
...She says she feels confident saying he's in remission given his history.
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We consider a cat off insulin ("off the juice" or OTJ) after 14 days of no insulin with no excess glucose.

If you can urine test for glucose and ketones (KetoDiaStix) that'll help in the absence of blood testing. Seeing either of those suggests he may need insulin again.
Also watch for pee patch size, hunger and thirst levels, and any 'off behavior' as clues for vet evaluation.
 
BJM said:
We consider a cat off insulin ("off the juice" or OTJ) after 14 days of no insulin with no excess glucose.

If you can urine test for glucose and ketones (KetoDiaStix) that'll help in the absence of blood testing. Seeing either of those suggests he may need insulin again.
Also watch for pee patch size, hunger and thirst levels, and any 'off behavior' as clues for vet evaluation.
Click to expand...


This is why she suggested we keep trying home testing and if that doesn't work to bring him back next week for another curve. Spider is very symptomatic when his sugar increases, so we'll be keeping a careful watch on him. These were actually the things that made us take him back in a month ago. I am also looking at getting the KetoDiaStix like you recommended. Can I get them at the store or will I need to order them from ADW?

I will keep you updated!
 
You can purchase them at any store that sells diabetes supplies. It should be there. If not, ask the pharmacist where it is located. No prescription needed to buy them.
 
Hillary & Maui said:
You can purchase them at any store that sells diabetes supplies. It should be there. If not, ask the pharmacist where it is located. No prescription needed to buy them.
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Thanks Hillary. I will try to swing by today and get some since I'm not sure home testing will work well for us. Hopefully someday Spider will get to make a "Special Announcement" like Maui's, which I just love, by the way!
 
Silly question: how do I use these to test Spider's urine? I doubt he is going to let me Han out with him while he is using the litter box.
 
jorda1re said:
Silly question: how do I use these to test Spider's urine? I doubt he is going to let me hang out with him while he is using the litter box.
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You never know!

See my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools for some tips on getting urine. Note that very often cats will eat, then 20 minutes or later, use the litterbox - timing is everything!
 
jorda1re said:
Silly question: how do I use these to test Spider's urine? I doubt he is going to let me Han out with him while he is using the litter box.
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I use a ladle and slide it under her bottom after she starts to urinate, get a little bit, and slide it back out. Easy peasy. She tends to go right after eating so I just keep an eye out.
But I do it so much, I think she is really tired of me doing it and I can just see it in her eyes, she's thinking- "Here she is, coming with that %$#@ ladle again!"
 
Wendy&Tiggy said:
Hows things going? Is he still holding in the 50-130 range?
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for checking on us! With the two random home tests we've been able to run, he was around 145 (I don't remember the exact numbers and I am not home to look at them). He wasn't above 150 either time. Unfortunately, his glucose curve at the vet had to be cancelled but we will try to get him in next week. We have been able to get a home test in a few days so I would really like to have his curve done. He's such a snot when we try to test him!

His other symptoms haven't been showing, either. He has seemed to be hungry more than usual, but I think we are still trying to figure out what's the right amount of canned food to make up for the fact that he used to have dry food out all the time for snacking. I thought I'd figured it out, then two days went by and he didn't eat as much (which meant a lot of wasted food) so we reduced it some and suddenly he was hungry for more! Right now he seems pleased with 1.5 cans of FF in the morning and 1.5-2 cans for dinner. Pee patch size is slightly larger but he is not drinking any more water than usual. The vet said this could be because he is getting more moisture from his food since he only eats wet food now. No ketones and no unusual behavior!
 
Yup, as soon as you think you have the food figured out, they decide they aren't as hungry or are ravenous - always keeping you confused. They are good at that.

The canned food (especially if you add water) is usually enough that they stop drinking from the water bowl. The pee amount will be the same or possibly increase cause they are getting more water in their system. The thing to look for with the pee is, if it is still sticky like before diagnosis and insulin.

Maui pees tons but it's not that stickiness that makes it almost impossible to scoop.
 
Hillary & Maui said:
The thing to look for with the pee is, if it is still sticky like before diagnosis and insulin.

Maui pees tons but it's not that stickiness that makes it almost impossible to scoop.
Click to expand...

Ugh... Spoke too soon? I scooped out Spider's box Sunday afternoon and everything was fine. Scoop today and its the stuff that can't be scooped up- literally 2 days after I say he is fine. DH and I will attempt a home test together tomorrow evening and/or will try to get him to the vet for a check on Wednesday. Because Spider is so symptomatic, I am sure this means we are going back on insulin. :YMSIGH:
 
Have you gotten any BG tests in to help you determine his levels and if he is above normal range or not?

Going back on insulin isn't the end of the world. You know how to do it and this does sometimes happen that remission isn't forever. It's why it is so important to continue to be vigilant with food, awareness and occasional testing.
 
Yep - get some home tests to see if that was just a glitch. His pancreas may not be ready yet for OTJ but you can go back on a small dose and then maybe ease him back OTJ when he is ready.

Wendy
 
Keeping our fingers and 3 sets of paws crossed for Spider. If he needs some juice (insulin) for a while, then he needs some juice. No big deal.
 
Wendy&Tiggy said:
Yep - get some home tests to see if that was just a glitch. His pancreas may not be ready yet for OTJ but you can go back on a small dose and then maybe ease him back OTJ when he is ready.

Wendy
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No luck on the home test. We were able to poke him but his ear wouldn't bleed enough. We have had this problem before when trying to test him. I've read all the tips but they didn't help. :sad:

While Spider still isn't urinating more than usual, he isn't drinking excess water or eating too much. His only symptom is that his urine won't stick together and clump. He seems to have finally embraced his new fancy feast diet and doesnt seem to mind not having dry food out anymore. I will call the vet tomorrow and see if she wants to check him in the office since we aren't having luck at home.

As always, thanks for the positive thoughts and wishes!
 
I have that problem too. Sometimes I just can't get any or enough blood out of a stick so I have to stick again. I've given up using the lancet trigger device. I still use it but I don't push the button to launch it. I just stick it in myself. And when I do it, it is easier to do it closer to a 45 degree angle when seem to be better at producing blood than the more like 90 degree angle you have to use when using the launcher.
 
I freehanded the lancet. Some people do what Nancy described, use the device, but not the "spring-loaded" trigger. It all depends on what feels comfortable in your hand. And I also did the 45 degree angle.

I used a half cotton ball on the other side of the ear. It prevented me from sicking my finger if I went all the way thru Bob's ear, and worked well after the poke to stop the bleeding.

Another trick is to poke twice quickly, as close together as you can manage. Bob found that less stressful than two tries a minute apart if the first try didn't get a drop. So did I ;-)
Then you can try to milk or squeeze the drop towards the hole(s).

I failed with 33g lancets at first, so I bought 26g and they worked much better. Eventually, as I got better at it, or his ears started to bleed better, I was able to get blood on the first try with the 33g.

And I always had much more success getting blood from Bob's left ear for some reason.

When all else failed at the beginning, I aimed right for the vein.
 
We've been using the tool that came with the kit, but not the button to trigger it. I think the noise scared him the first time we tried it and it took awhile to get him back to let us try again. I've been heating his ear, milking it, and even poking twice like a watched on a video on YouTube. I am one frustrated mama!

Spider had his glucose test today at the vet and is still well within the normal range! When I picked him up this afternoon he was at 91. The vet said he's in no way high- or even close to being considered too high. So why are we having the urine problems in the litter box? It just won't stick together and clump. It's messy to clean and uses a ton of litter. I was certain it was a sign he was getting high sugar again, even though he wasn't showing any other symptoms. Any ideas on possible causes?

I am excited that Spider's sugar is still low- it's been 16 days since his last insulin dose- but I'm nervous about getting too excited. :?
 
91 is within normal cat range (50-130) . Stupid question but maybe the problem is the cat litter and not the cat?

You can also get keto-diastix that test the pee for both ketones AND sugar. If he is under 270 the whole time the sugar should be negative and he shouldn't be doing anything off in terms of pee.

Wendy
 
Maybe a factory screw up on the litter? Not unheard of to get conventional non-clumping litter that was inadvertently packed in a clumping litter bag/box/bucket.
 
I suppose it's possible that the litter is the problem. We've been using the same litter as long as we've had Spider, but I guess a factory mistake could be to blame. We added new litter after cleaning the box this evening, so we'll see. Are blood tests the most accurate indicator of high sugar? If so, I will stop worrying as much. :smile: If we aren't able to get successful home tests, the vet says to bring him back in 2 weeks and we'll check him again. She also mentioned a fructosamine test to see his average over time. If he shows other symptoms we should bring him in early. Guess it's still a waiting game!
 
I've been searching internet sites for answers, and one says that if your cat scratches or tinkles next to the side of the box, it will not clump the same with most litters. These both fit Spider's litter box habits. He is always a side squatter, and sometimes I think he's trying to dig to China. Maybe I am just over reacting because I'm so nervous about him getting OTJ!
 
So, DH and I have been paying super close attention to Spider's litter box and here's our "results:" if Spider completely buries his urine, it clumps. If he goes close to the edge of the box, he usually doesn't bury it and that's the urine that falls apart and doesn't stick. Odd, but could explain the issue without it being his sugar being too high.
 
jorda1re said:
I've been searching internet sites for answers, and one says that if your cat scratches or tinkles next to the side of the box, it will not clump the same with most litters. These both fit Spider's litter box habits. He is always a side squatter, and sometimes I think he's trying to dig to China. Maybe I am just over reacting because I'm so nervous about him getting OTJ!
Click to expand...

That's a good point. One of my cats (not the diabetic one) like to pee right at the back corner of the litter box. Where her pee contacts the sides of the liter box, it stays wetter than clumps that are away from the sides of the box.
 
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