Frequency of Testing

[judy]

Hi Everyone,
We are new to having a kitty with Diabetes. Annie was just diagnosed 1-8-11, we are waiting for our newbie kit to start to test. Just wondering how many times during the day should you test your kitty???
Thank you
Judy and Annie

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

You will need to test before every shot, to be sure that it is safe to give insulin and to be sure it is safe to give the dose you were thinking about. Then you also need to test mid cycle - usually between 4-6 hours after the shot. When you find the lowest point in the cycle, you have found the nadir. That will help you figure out how the insulin is working and if your dose is too little or too much. At some point soon, you will want to do a curve - testing every 2 hours during the day. That will show you just how the insulin is working.

So how is it going? Have you tried the meter?

 

[Christie & Willie (GA)]

Hi, Judy, and welcome to the forums! My boy Willie got his diagnosis just a month ago and it's amazing how time has flown. When getting started, the more info you have, the better. You'll notice the folks here use a uniform numbering system for giving shots... AMPS/PMPS designate the number right before you give insulin (morning and night), and then you go +1, +2, etc. from there. As a newbie, I like to try to get a +11 or a +11.5 before getting the +12 so that if that pre-shot number is low, I can confirm that it is moving upwards before I give him a shot... and this can help prevent delaying a shot if the numbers are close. As Sue mentioned, you'll want to get a curve when you can so can plot out how Annie reacts. Doing a few curves has taught me that Willie tends to nadir around +7 and doesn't really dip downward until after +3 (generally). Important clues to help me fine tune my testing, esp. given that I work full time and am doing this on my own!

I hope you'll take the time to read the stickies in the forum for your insulin, and consider setting up a spreadsheet. I have found it to be an invaluable resource, both in terms of getting support here and from the vet, who can look up Willie's numbers in real time if I have a question or if she just wants to check in on him.

Again, welcome! You're in the right place!