First test attempt a failure!

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DodgersMom

DodgersMom

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ReliOn Premier Classic glucometer
ReliOn Premier test strips

I've been reading up on this all day and watching video after video. I got my supplies out and felt like I was ready to give it a go. I took Dodger in the bathroom where the lighting is good and he couldn't bolt on me. I inserted the strip in the meter and the symbol showed on the screen.

Dodger was semi-cooperative. The first lance didn't draw blood. The second attempt did - lots of it. Poor Dodger. I touched the strip to the blood. It counts down from 5 and then this error code shows up on the meter "Er4." Since Dodger was still bleeding I tried again with a new strip. Same code. After clotting Dodger's ear, I got out the manual, which I admit I did not fully read before starting. Step 3 says to shake the ReliOn solution bottle... etc.

Okay... WHAT SOLUTION??? Is this something separate I also need to buy? I've watched videos all day and not one mentioned a solution. Why do I need this? Shouldn't I just touch the strip to the blood and it gives me a reading? Is this what caused the error? Or something else? :banghead:

Also, I bought Rite-Aid brand lancets 28 gauge. I expected a pen to be included, but there wasn't. So I just poked his ear with the lancet. Was this okay? Is a pen really necessary?

Afterwards I gave Dodger lots of praise and a treat. He forgave me for botching this up so royally.

Now for the spreadsheet I set up this morning - I posted a question under the testing forum and haven't gotten an answer yet. I set the spreadsheet up and linked it to my signature per the instructions on this site (which were awesome). But for the life of me I can't figure out where to find my spreadsheet to do anything with it. I don't see it linked on my Gmail page. I'm not a Google aficionado, other than the search engine. I also don't know what the 3+ 4+ etc. means, but I never got to that part anyway.

It was one of those days where nothing went right. :(


ETA: It's a few hours later and I finally got the meter working. I didn't have the time/date set. Not sure if that was the problem. I still got the Er4 a few times after that, and then finally it worked. (I tested on myself to spare poor Dodger. 108! Diabetes runs in my family.)

I then tested on Dodger and the little sweetheart tolerated many attempts before I finally got enough blood for a good reading. 83! That's good, right? This was done at 11:30 pm about 5 hours after eating and insulin. Now that I've gotten this far, what do I do with this number? Should I be testing before I administer insulin? And then what? How do I know whether to adjust dosage or not? I've been reading the site but I couldn't find this part.
 
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DodgersMom said:
Now for the spreadsheet I set up this morning - I posted a question under the testing forum and haven't gotten an answer yet. I set the spreadsheet up and linked it to my signature per the instructions on this site (which were awesome). But for the life of me I can't figure out where to find my spreadsheet to do anything with it. I don't see it linked on my Gmail page. I'm not a Google aficionado, other than the search engine. I also don't know what the 3+ 4+ etc. means, but I never got to that part anyway.
Click to expand...
Tagging Bhooma for you
@Bandit's Mom
In one of her posts she said
Now how do I access this spreadsheet in order to fill it in?
 
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DodgersMom said:
Step 3 says to shake the ReliOn solution bottle... etc.

Okay... WHAT SOLUTION??? Is this something separate I also need to buy? I've watched videos all day and not one mentioned a solution. Why do I need this? Shouldn't I just touch the strip to the blood and it gives me a reading? Is this what caused the error? Or something else? :banghead:
Click to expand...
The relion meters do not come with control solutions, You don't need this unless you have been testing for a long time and the BG numbers have been good then all of a sudden you start to get really high numbers , then you could use the solution .
Using the control solution just checks accuracy of the meter and test strips.

From what I remember there is a number range on the solution bottle ,then you would put a drop of the solution on the test strip to see if it falls in that range

I have never ever used it
 
DodgersMom said:
Also, I bought Rite-Aid brand lancets 28 gauge. I expected a pen to be included, but there wasn't. So I just poked his ear with the lancet. Was this okay? Is a pen really necessary?
Click to expand...
28 gauge is fine. Most all of us freehand with the lancets. I feel you can see where you are poking better. Look at the lancet under a light , you will see that one side is curved upward, that's the side you want to poke the ear with
 
DodgersMom said:
I also don't know what the 3+ 4+ etc. means, but I never got to that part anyway.
Click to expand...

+3 means three hours after you give the insulin then you check the BG number three hours later
+4 means four hours after you give the insulin and so on
This might help you out
We adjust the dose by 0.25 units at a time . We don't adjust the dose by going by the Pre Shots

About the spreadsheet
AMPS - means AM Pre Shot the first test you take in the AM ,you need to withhold food 2 hours before testing so it's not food influenced

Units is where you would put how much insulin you gave
+1 is one hour after giving insulin if you were to test then that's where you enter his _BG number
+2 two hours after giving insulin. ditto
+3 and so on until you get to PMPS - PM pre shot withhold food 2 hours before testing

+1 same as you do for AM cycle

We don't give times because we are all in different time zones that's why we use the + numbers
 
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DodgersMom said:
I then tested on Dodger and the little sweetheart tolerated many attempts before I finally got enough blood for a good reading. 83! That's good, right? This was done at 11:30 pm about 5 hours after eating and insulin. Now that I've gotten this far, what do I do with this number? Should I be testing before I administer insulin? And then what? How do I know whether to adjust dosage or not? I've been reading the site but I couldn't find this part.
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83 was a great number after giving insulin 5 hours later. That means +5
I would have given Dodger a teaspoon or two of low carb wet food after you got that number and get another test in around +7 to see where he was at.
You definitely need to test him before you give insulin to be sure that the BG number is safe enough to give it. With new members we usually say not to shoot (give insulin) if it's below 200
If it is you would not feed , wait 20 minutes and test again to see if it comes up in its own
Post for HELP Something like HELP Stalling AMPS then put what number you got

Do you know not to feed 2 hours prior to testing first thing in the morning(AMPS)
means AM Pre Shot. because you don't want the number you get to be food influenced,
Same goes for the first test at night PMPS. PM Pre Shot
 
Now I remember talking to you when you asked about Blue Buffalo a friend gave you
Here is the post
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...tastefuls-chicken-entree.276734/#post-3067252


Can you add to your signature what are you feeding ,is it low carb wet, or combo lc wet/dry.
Tap on your name up top, then tap on signature and add it then tap save.
Add Relion Premier also , that's the first thing members will look at.
You can also add to your spreadsheet up top
Which Method TR or SLGS I'll explain that soon
Relion Premier where it says meter
 
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DodgersMom said:
I then tested on Dodger and the little sweetheart tolerated many attempts before I finally got enough blood for a good reading. 83! That's good, right? This was done at 11:30 pm about 5 hours after eating and insulin. Now that I've gotten this far, what do I do with this number? Should I be testing before I administer insulin? And then what? How do I know whether to adjust dosage or not? I've been reading the site but I couldn't find this part.
Click to expand...
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
Hi Bron she's a new member but can't find where to go to to get to her SS to fill her numbers so I tagged Bhooma , I actually forget how to find it ,she said she can't find it in her G Mail, anyway do you think she should reduce since her cat dropped to 83
In her signature says she giving 0.5 units now
I see that you, me and Ale have been talking with her from the previous posts I listed in post #8 if that helps

Thanks Bron
 
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DodgersMom said:
How do I know whether to adjust dosage or not? I've been reading the site but I couldn't find this part.
Click to expand...
For now I would follow SLGS Method, others may say different
Here is the link for the 2 dosing methods to chose one to follow, they will explain when you would increase or decrease the dose
I have tagged @Bron and Sheba (GA) to see if you should reduce the morning dose because Dodger dropped below 90 , when you follow the SLGS method any time Dodger drops below 90 you would decrease by 0.25 units
Do you have the syringes with the half unit markings?
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...-low-go-slow-slgs-tight-regulation-tr.210110/

I would also read all the yellow stickys about lantus here
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-levemir-biosimilars.9/

The normal range with a human meter is 50-120 mg/dl and this is also the range in which the pancreas gets a chance to heal.
. We usually intervene with HC when numbers drop below 50 (on a human meter).
By the way what are you feeding Dodger now I remember you said you were feeding FF Pate but he was started to get picky and didn't want to eat in your previous posts.
How's he doing now?
I see you had him tested for pancreatitis and it was negative
You also gave him cerenia and gabepentin at one time
 
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DodgersMom said:
. It counts down from 5 and then this error code shows up on the meter "Er4."
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Here are the error codes if this helps are you letting the end of the strip suck the blood up
Until Bhooma gets in touch with you I would post Dodgers numbers here so we can see what's going on
Such as this example Date Dodger AMPS# and tests after that
EXAMPLE
5-14 Dodger AMPS- 190 +2 120 +3 110 whenever you test him use the +2 or when ever you test , we don't use times because we are all in different time zones
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/2380913/Relion-Premier-Classic.html?page=53
 
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If Dodger dropped to 83, you need to reduce the dose down to 0.25 Units if you have been giving 0.5 units up until now.
I would also suggest you test for ketones in the urine as I see he had ketones at diagnosis, TO do this you need a bottle of ketostix from Walmart or a pharmacy.
 
Thanks all, and Happy Mothers Day to all moms! Trying to absorb all this, so please bear with me.

How often should I test him? Mornings are out of the question. I would have to get up at 4:30 am if it needs to be done 2 hours before insulin. I work 7:30 - 4 every day. Dodger hasn't made my morning routine easy. He's getting pickier with his food, so I have to keep opening cans until I find something he'll eat. Plus I have 2 other pets to also feed and give meds, and somehow make it to work on time. It would be wonderful to get to a point of eliminating the morning dosage.

I did give Dodger some food after I tested him, but then I went to bed because it was 1 am.

Yes, my syringes have the half unit markings.

Yes, he's still picky with eating. REALLY picky. He eats when he wants to, so it's hard to make him eat for the dosage schedule. He's not ravenous anymore and he's gaining weight. I have to wonder if he's even diabetic anymore? I realize this is why I need to test him. If I was able to work from home this would be SO much easier.

So in the evenings, I could test as soon as I get home from work. That would be 2 hours before I normally do the insulin and feeding. Would that work?

I bought the keto stix but haven't tested yet. I never know when he's using the litter box and I'd have to make sure it's his and not the other cat's. I'll try today.

Today I'll test 2 hours before dosage and only give 0.25 U if under 90. Correct?

Still don't know how to get to my spreadsheet. I don't mean to be obtuse, but where do I find Google documents? I'm not a Google user so this is foreign to me.
 
DodgersMom said:
Still don't know how to get to my spreadsheet. I don't mean to be obtuse, but where do I find Google documents? I'm not a Google user so this is foreign to me.
Click to expand...
If you go to drive.google.com and login with the google ID that you used to create the spreadsheet, you should be able to see the SS in the list of files there.
 
Thanks, I found my spreadsheet!

Dodger was lethargic today. I tested him at 3:30 this afternoon. More Er4 readings. This is SOOOO frustrating! After many holes, I finally got a reading of 84. He bolted from the room and will probably not let me near him again.

I know I'm not doing this spreadsheet right. If 11:30 pm, 5 hrs after the shot, is 5+, then where do I put 3:30 pm, 3 hrs before the shot? Please take a look at my spreadsheet and tell me where the numbers should go. Details are in the note section.

So should I only give 0.25 U tonight?
 
DodgersMom said:
How often should I test him? Mornings are out of the question. I would have to get up at 4:30 am if it needs to be done 2 hours before insulin.
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Maybe you misunderstood me , you don't feed him anything 2 hours before you test him first thing in the morning
So what would be your shooting times?
The reason you need to test first thing in the morning is because god forbid his BG number is very low like 50, 60,70 etc and you give him insulin he could go hypo while you are at work
 
DodgersMom said:
. I work 7:30 - 4 every day.
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Can you test him say at 6:30 AM so you can see what his BG number is ?
So you don't feed him anything at 4:30 AM

If you can test him at 6:00 AM ,don't feed him anything at 4:00 AM
Then you can at least get a test in at +1 7:00 AM to see what his number is.

If you test him at 6:30 AM you would then test him at 6:30 PM
Always 12 hours apart
Can you do this?
@DodgersMom
 
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DodgersMom said:
Today I'll test 2 hours before dosage and only give 0.25 U if under 90. Correct?
Click to expand...
You can test him when you get home from work and enter it in the cell , whether it be a test @+7 or +8. Then you have to test him again at his PMPS time to see if his number is safe enough to shoot . Insulin has to be given 12 hours apart , never early
, The sequence is Test, feed ,then give insulin ,it should take no more than 15 minutes
How many units did you give this morning? You should have given 0.25 units because he dropped under 90 last night. Can you fill in how many units you have yesterday morning and last night , and this morning
You need to put them in the U call or square if you want to call it that
When you test him tonight if his BG number is 200 you can go ahead and give 0.25 units and then get a few more tests after that to be sure he's not dropping to low , if it's lower do not give him food and wait 20 minutes and test again to see if it comes up on it's own. You are new to this and don't have any data so that's why we suggest not to shoot if his BG is below 200,then don't feed him and test again 20 minutes later to see if his Bag is rising on it's own
Post for advice
Plus you are not around during the day to test him until you get home from work
 
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DodgersMom said:
Dodger was lethargic today. I tested him at 3:30 this afternoon. More Er4 readings. This is SOOOO frustrating! After many holes, I finally got a reading of 84. He bolted from the room and will probably not let me near him again.

I know I'm not doing this spreadsheet right. If 11:30 pm, 5 hrs after the shot, is 5+, then where do I put 3:30 pm, 3 hrs before the shot? Please take a look at my spreadsheet and tell me where the numbers should go. Details are in the note section.

So should I only give 0.25 U tonight?
Click to expand...
You are confusing lol
Last night your +5 is in the correct cell
This morning for the day cycle you got 84 @+3 ? That means you tested him 3 hours after giving the insulin is that correct?
You put it in the evening cycle that didn't even happen yet
You need to put that number in the +3 cell for the day cycle
 
DodgersMom said:
How often should I test him? M
Click to expand...
You test him first thing in the morning ,I gave you suggestions above so you can test him in the morning before you head to work,
I don't know how long it takes you to get home from work , you can test him to see what his number is and enter it in the day cycle.
You only give insulin 12 hours apart, The more tests you can get in the better so we can see how the insulin is working and how low he's dropping.
When you are home at night I would at least get his PMPS number, another test @+2, then @+4 and if you can a +6
On weekends you can get more tests in during the day cycle if you don't work
Mix up the texts times one day get a +3, then @+5, then a +7
Like filling in the pieces of a puzzle
Do you have a hypo kit in case you need to bring his Bag up to safe numbers
Just want to be sure you have your hypo kit in case Best ever drops too low and you need to bring his BG up to safe numbers
Such as

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Beef Feast in Gravy 20% High Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Chicken Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Turkey Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken and Beef in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Good idea to mark the cans with magic marker how many carbs

Or any on the food chart. Doesn't have to be Fancy Feast just an example about the med and high carb foods
And some honey in the house

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-
11% -15 is medium carbs.

16- 24 is high carb.
 
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DodgersMom said:
t. I have to wonder if he's even diabetic anymore
Click to expand...
With those 2 tests you have so far I wonder also
I was going to ask you if the vet did a fructosamine test to diagnose him but I see you said he did in one of your previous posts I listed above You said
He had a followup vet appt last week and the fructosamine test was 231, which the vet was very happy with. She said it indicated good control and to keep doing what I'm doing. Followup appt in a few months.
This post
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/going-great-for-a-month-but-suddenly-stopped-eating.275955/
 
DodgersMom said:
Yes, he's still picky with eating. REALLY picky. He eats when he wants to, so it's hard to make him eat for the dosage schedule. He's not ravenous anymore and he's gaining weight. I have to wonder if he's even diabetic anymore? I realize this is why I need to test him. If I was able to work from home this would be SO much easier.
Click to expand...
You can try these to see if he likes these since he's picky
On the food chart take a look at Fancy Feast Roasted/Flaked /Chunky
They are not pates, some are 4, 5, or 6 % carbs
Chunky Chicken Feast - is 4% carbs.
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147
 
There are some basics with treating feline diabetes.
  • All insulin is dosed twice a day -- every 12-hours. You will never be able to eliminate the AM shot unless Dodger goes into remission and then you won't be giving him any insulin.
  • With Lantus, you are able to test at your pre-shot time (AMPS or PMPS), feed Dodger, and I would shoot while my cat was eating. You do not need to have food in your cat's system prior to giving an injection.
  • You ALWAYS want to test before giving insulin. You need to be certain Dodger is in safe numbers before giving a shot.
  • Lantus is a long-acting gentle insulin. It does not start working for approximately 2-hours after you give a shot. The lowest point in the cycle is generally at about +6 (6 hours after you give a shot) although the lowest point in the cycle (the nadir) can vary.
I would suggest that you give Dodger his insulin when you wake up in the morning. Since you're gone throughout the day, I'd encourage you to get a test before you leave the house. I'd also recommend that you either leave food out, providing your other critters won't eat Dodger's food, or get a timed feeder that is for Dodger. If it were me, I'd give him some of his food when you give him his shot and give him the rest of his meal right before you leave.

As I said, you will not be able to eliminate a shot because it's not convenient for your schedule. My cat tended to have an early nadir and could quickly drop into low numbers. I would get up at 5:00 AM to so I could test, feed, and shoot and have enough time to get a couple of tests in before I left for work at 7:00. I am not a morning person! It was, however, what I needed to do to make sure Gabby was in safe numbers or I could prop up her numbers with food if her numbers were dropping. You may need to re-think your routine or figure out a way to accommodate how your cat responds to insulin so you can go to work and be reasonably certain that Dodger is safe.
 
I posted a reply just as Sienne & Gabby's post came through. I deleted that post so I can read her reply and then respond later. I admit I am so confused right now about the cycles, the spreadsheet, everything. Just one question for now:

Comments said to cut the dosage in half if below 90. Then another comment said don't shoot at all if below 200. Which is it - half or none?
 
@DodgersMom
Hi I am really confused , in the remarks section of your spreadsheet you wrote for today
Tested at 3:30 pm, 3 hrs before shot 84
If you tested 3 hours before shot 84 you should have put that in the +3 cell
Why is it in the +7 cell?
When did you give the insulin @+ what?
 
Can you tap the word like when someone responds to you so we know that you read it
Thanks
What is going to be your testing times?
 
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You posted, I admit I am so confused right now about the cycles, the spreadsheet, everything.


When I first started using the spreadsheet, I found it confusing also. A suggestion was made that a 'time' column be added, strictly for my benefit and clarity. That made all the difference. That column was added between the dosage column, U and the +1 column. I enter the time of the injection and then almost at a glance I can follow the hours after insulin up to the PM test and again post the time of the evening dose and so on.

Regarding the error messages on the ReliOn meter. I have been doing it for quite a while now so I seldom get an error message, but when I do it is an Er4. It iis likely to occur when I have poked and gotten a big drop of blood. The tiny drops work better. The Er4 message: "The blood sample is of insufficient volume or blood is too thick." I have decided that my big drop is too much blood or as they wrote in the manual, too thick.
 
DodgersMom said:
Comments said to cut the dosage in half if below 90. Then another comment said don't shoot at all if below 200. Which is it - half or none?
Click to expand...
You will give 0.25 units tonight because he dropped under 90 last night. You actually should have given 0.25 units this morning not 0.5 units.
With SLGS anytime he drops under 90 you need to reduce the dose
About not to shoot if his BG is below 200 that's for new members ,you just started to test him and don't have much data yet that's what we suggest.
If that happens you do not feed , wait 20 minutes and then test him again to see if his number has come up on it's own ,
When this happens you should post and ask for advice , since you cannot monitor him during the day cycle because you work from 7:30 to 4 PM and even if you left food out for him you said you have other cats and would not know if Dodger was able to eat.
When this happens you can start another post and type something like this
? Stalling Need Advice Date Dodger and his AMPS # same goes for the PMPS cycle
 
Post #27
Where did you see this? Was it on this post you did today, can you tell me what number post someone told you this, look to the right all the post numbers are to the right of each post
I saw it in post #6: With new members we usually say not to shoot (give insulin) if it's below 200

Post #31
Hi Elise yes I know , I told her the same thing in my post #10 and #19 :cat:
Sorry if I'm exasperating. I'm reading the posts and taking notes. Doing my best to wrap my head around the whole thing. I did reduce dosage to 0.25 last night.

Post #26:
Hi I am really confused , in the remarks section of your spreadsheet you wrote for today
Tested at 3:30 pm, 3 hrs before shot 84
If you tested 3 hours before shot 84 you should have put that in the +3 cell
Why is it in the +7 cell?
When did you give the insulin @+ what?

It's because I don't know what the #&$* I'm doing. I thought I moved it there before, but I guess not. I moved it again. The rationale is just not clicking in my head.

I tested him at 6 AM this morning, before food, before shot. The reading was 75. Again, no idea where to put that number on the SS. +1? I don't know. So I skipped his shot this morning. Sorry if that was the wrong thing to do, but 75 is low and I'm not home to monitor him.

Dodger is only 3 years old, full of energy, and impossible to pin down. Plus I've only had him since October, so we haven't had years of bonding like most owners with older cats. The ear pricking and struggling with the meter has been a nightmare. Each attempt takes like 5 lancets and strips before I finally get a reading. He's running and hiding from me all the time now. I'm going to talk to the vet today and go ahead with the fructosamine test. I'm obviously a failure at home testing.
 
DodgersMom said:
I tested him at 6 AM this morning, before food, before shot. The reading was 75. Again, no idea where to put that number on the SS. +1? I don't know. So I skipped his shot this morning. Sorry if that was the wrong thing to do, but 75 is low and I'm not home to monitor him.
Click to expand...
You definitely did the right thing by not giving him any insulin
You would put the 75 for this morning in the cell or square where it says AMPS which means AM Pre Shot so please put it there when you get home so we know.
So far the tests you have done so far are all in normal numbers ,but you still need to keep testing .


Last night when you gave Dodger 0.25 units did you test him before you gave it.
You should have and that test would go in the cell that says PMPS which means PM Pre Shot.
Did you get anymore tests in after that?


On 5-14 did you test him at AMPS before you gave him the 0.5 dose if you did fill it in
 
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DodgersMom said:
It's because I don't know what the #&$* I'm doing. I thought I moved it there before, but I guess not. I moved it again. The rationale is just not clicking in my head.
Click to expand...
Does this help you out, I posted it above but here it is again
Spreadsheet
About the spreadsheet
AMPS - means AM Pre Shot the first test you take in the AM to see if the number is safe enough to give the insulin, ,you need to withhold food 2 hours before testing so it's not food influenced

Units is where you would put how much insulin you gave
+1 is one hour after giving insulin if you were to test then that's where you enter his _BG number
+2 two hours after giving insulin. ditto
+3 and so on until you get to

PMPS which means PM Pre Shot first test you do at night before giving insulin if the number is safe enough to give the insulin, withhold food 2 hours before testing

+1 same as you do for the AM cycle and so on

We don't give times because we are all in different time zones that's why we use the + numbers

Does this help to explain it better
 
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DodgersMom said:
Dodger is only 3 years old, full of energy, and impossible to pin down. Plus I've only had him since October, so we haven't had years of bonding like most owners with older cats. The ear pricking and struggling with the meter has been a nightmare. Each attempt takes like 5 lancets and strips before I finally get a reading. He's running and hiding from me all the time now. I'm going to talk to the vet today and go ahead with the fructosamine test. I'm obviously a failure at home testing.
Click to expand...
Take it back to Walmart and tell them something is wrong with it and get another one, or for 9 dollars buy another one

Or try this one just be sure you get the correct test strips for it, if you decide to try this one
ReliOn Premeir Compact Blood Glucose Monitoring System
  • 41PnGtMqteS._SX38_SY50_CR,0,0,38,50_.jpg
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  • 31l8owLZGqL._SX38_SY50_CR,0,0,38,50_.jpg

  • 81IP15sNarS._SY445_.jpg
 
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I updated the SS and added the time column. That helps. I didn't realize the readings went in the AMPS and PMPS columns, so that helps too. Now the + numbers make sense to me. The only part still confusing is why a reading at 3:30 PM would go under 3+. Why not 9+ since it was 9 hours after the AM shot? Wouldn't +3 mean 9:30 AM?

Last night when you gave Dodger 0.25 units did you test him before you gave it.
You should have and that test would go in the cell that says PMPS which means PM Pre Shot.
Did you get anymore tests in after that?
On 5-14 did you test him at AMPS before you gave him the 0.5 dose if you did fill it in

No. What I entered is when I tested. Today was the first day that I tested before each shot. 75 and 77 respectively. I didn't give him any insulin this evening either.

I have literally been torturing this poor cat. Tonight it took about 7 pokes. Each time I kept getting the Er4. I finally figured out that the blood has to reach the tiny square above the edge of the strip. Finally I got enough blood and thought I had success. I touched the strip to it... the meter had turned off! Dodger got loose, I put another strip in, caught Dodger, the blood was smeared/dried so I had to poke him again. I should have put the blood on my fingernail. The edges of his ears are dotted red. He won't even come near me tonight.

I called my vet office today. She texted me for the readings, times of test, etc. I'm going to link this SS to her. She still wants to do the fructosamine to determine if he's in remission. Then we'll take it from there.
 
DodgersMom said:
The only part still confusing is why a reading at 3:30 PM would go under 3+. Why not 9+ since it was 9 hours after the AM shot? Wouldn't +3 mean 9:30 AM?
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I'm sorry I don't understand what you mean by this
What day are you referring to. Like I said we don't go by times because we are all in different times so we wouldn't know when that test was at 3:30 was it at +9?
@DodgersMom

I think I gave you this before


About the spreadsheet
AMPS - means AM Pre Shot the first test you take in the AM to see if the number is safe enough to give the insulin, ,you need to withhold food 2 hours before testing so it's not food influenced

Units is where you would put how much insulin you gave
+1 is one hour after giving insulin if you were to test then that's where you enter his _BG number
+2 two hours after giving insulin. ditto
+3 and so on until you get to

PMPS which means PM Pre Shot first test you do at night before giving insulin if the number is safe enough to give the insulin, withhold food 2 hours before testing

+1 same as you do for the AM cycle and so on

We don't give times because we are all in different time zones that's why we use the + numbers

Does this help to explain it better
 
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Not sure where the instruction came from to have 330pm be +3 but the only way it would be +3 would be if you shot at 12:30pm.
I'm sorry I don't understand what you mean by this
What day are you referring to. Like I said we don't go by times because we are all in different times so we wouldn't know when that test was at 3:30 was it at +9?
@@DodgersMom

Posts 20 and 26

I told my vet about the difficulties I'm having pricking his ear. She suggested the Freestyle Libre or bring him in for a fructosamine. Going to research the Freestyle Libre. I know it's temporary, but hoping it will give the vet enough to determine if he's in remission.
 
DodgersMom said:
Posts 20 and 26
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Hmm ok well ignore that, looks like it was a typo or miss-communication. You've got it straight now.

Our shot time was also 6:30am and pm, just like you and Dodger. Check this out, what I did was add a new row at the top of my boy's spreadsheet with timestamps, it made life easier on me. Might be something you want to try.

See example:


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DodgersMom said:
HC I will do that, thanks! You're so lucky to have such a cooperative kitty.
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Don't I know it! However, it should be noted that the cooperative kitty seen in my video did not start out that way, and was only due to conditioning, conditioning, conditioning. People here like @Diane Tyler's Mom and others gave me so many tips and tricks and without them I would have been done for.

These days, we are only testing once a month, if that, and all that cooperation has vanished. He squirms and wriggles and honestly it is next to impossible these days to do a BG test lol. We should probably do it more often just to keep up the routine or something but we have been slacking.
 
Well thanks to you @DodgersMom I was motivated to do a BG test for the first time since...*checks SS*.....February 28th! Eek. (monthly BG spot checks are recommended even if kitty no longer needs insulin therapy and is a diet-controlled diabetic feline in diabetic remission)

And despite my statement to the contrary yesterday it actually went really, really well. One poke, not a ton of squirming...blood droplet looked almost big enough but I didn't chance it, milked the ear a little to get it just a wee bit bigger and I'm glad I did. I remember way back in the beginning I would have thought it was enough blood --- you eventually get an eye for whether or not the droplet is going to cut it. As much as most cats HATE the ear milking, and Hendrick is certainly in agreement there, I almost always found it to be a way way better option than having to poke the lancet again.

He threw an 84 at about 2 hours after brekky. Keep on keepin' on, my dude. :bighug::otj:

again thanks for the indirect push Dodgersmom :)
 
@Hendrick Cuddleclaw, glad that motivated you and even more glad for the continued remission!

This actually validates what I decided, which is to just do periodic pricks for the time being, as opposed to the more expensive options the vet has suggested. Plus I'll keep a close eye out for any symptoms and check for ketones. I did another ear prick last night at 5:30, an hour before the time I normally shoot. Went much smoother this time - only one prick and some milking, and I put it on my thumbnail. 86. I found that he tolerates it better when I'm not using his ear as a pin cushion. Imagine that!
 
Dodger's numbers are looking really good. Crossing my fingers his pancreas has decided it is time to work again! Such a young diabetic feline I think his future is bright. :bighug:
 
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