My cat Kit Kat was put on insulin yesterday and I ran out to buy everything i needed. Now, i cannot get enough blood to use on test strips. There must be some trick, but I don't know what it is. Please, help I don't like giving insulin without testing.
the best spot to prick the ear is in the sweet spot, see link, take a small sock and fill it with rice with a knot, place it on the inside of the ear, make sure you have all the tools ready in front of you, I use a small flashlight, that I place in my mouth to be able to see where I am inserting the lancet pinch the ear, as soon as it comes out, I pick up the monitor with the strip in it, and pick up the blood, I use the ReliOn Premier monitor and strips, they are inexpensive and do not require too much blood, just the on the tip. I hope this can help you also for us to help you along the way please create your signature and spreadsheet (links below), we need to know more like what insulin you are using the dose what are you feeding etc, it is explained in the link help us help you, you are in the right place we, also it is great that you are home testing and testing before shooting, you will need what is called a HYPO KIT, this will contain some wet can food between 11-15% carbs and some High carb foods between 16-24% carbs in case his glucose number go below 50, we can guide how to stabilize the BG. Diabetic cats need to consume wet cab foods between 0-10%, dry food (kibbles) and treats, even the "prescribed" food have between 25-35% carbs, the Dr's Food list link below, has many brands to choose from the third column contains the carb%, it is overwhelming at first, but it is manageable, I trust this Forum blindly, make sure to create your signature, also there many sticky notes in the Main Forum that has a lot of valuable information
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-create-a-spreadsheet.241706/
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/
24https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/
I have a sock with rice in it, where is the sweet spot. It has been several years since I had a diabetic cat and I can't seem to remember anything.
I am so very sorry over Tyler's passing, they are a family member. Thank you, for showing me the sweet spot, it is crazy that i could not remember where it was at.@Teresa & Buddy
Always aim for the sweet spot warm the ears up first, you can put rice in a sock and put it in the microwave, test it on the inside of your wrist to be sure it's not to hot, like you would test a babies bottle. You can fill a pill bottle with warm water and roll it on the ears also.Just keep rubbing the ears with your fingers to warm them up
6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capilares, it gets easier to get the amount of blood you need on the first try. If he won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there.
When you do get some blood you can try milking the ear.
Get you finger and gently push up toward the blood , more will appear
You will put the cotton round behind his ear in case you poke your finger, after you are done testing you will fold the cotton round over his ear to stop the bleeding , press gently for about 10 or 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand not the lancing device
I find it better to see where I'm aiming
Look at the lancet under a light and you will see one side is curved upward, that's the side you want to poke with
Try putting a thin layer of Vaseline on the ear so the blood will bead up
I forgot to say the vet put Kit Kat on vetsulin, I see tyler was on vetsulin and you changed to Lantus. Was there a reason why, Kat kat has only had 2 doses, 1 yesterday and 1 today, he is right now only once a day getting insulin.@Teresa & Buddy
Always aim for the sweet spot warm the ears up first, you can put rice in a sock and put it in the microwave, test it on the inside of your wrist to be sure it's not to hot, like you would test a babies bottle. You can fill a pill bottle with warm water and roll it on the ears also.Just keep rubbing the ears with your fingers to warm them up
6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capilares, it gets easier to get the amount of blood you need on the first try. If he won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there.
When you do get some blood you can try milking the ear.
Get you finger and gently push up toward the blood , more will appear
You will put the cotton round behind his ear in case you poke your finger, after you are done testing you will fold the cotton round over his ear to stop the bleeding , press gently for about 10 or 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand not the lancing device
I find it better to see where I'm aiming
Look at the lancet under a light and you will see one side is curved upward, that's the side you want to poke with
Try putting a thin layer of Vaseline on the ear so the blood will bead up
Lantus is a better insulin, Vetsulin is usually used for dogs.
I wondered why he put him on vetsulin, maybe that is the only insulin he had that day. I would much rather Kit Kat have ProZinc or lantus than vetsulin. I am going to call him on Monday, to see if he will change him.
I am going to ask him for another insulin on Monday. I hope he changes his insulin.
I have not gotten ahold of our vet yet. I forgot I had something that had to be done on Monday and Tuesday was my Birthday. Kit Kat is only getting 1 unit of Vetsulin once a day. I don't think he is starting him on insulin, like most vets do. When Buddy became diabetic, he put him on 2 doses a day and he put him on Prozinc. Later, we changed him to Lantus. I think, he is seeing if this will help his weak back legs. Anyway, I am going to call him.
Which do you think would be the best for his hind legs Zobaline or Methylcobalamin. I have a bottle in my hands of Vitamin B12 underneath Methylcobalamin 5,000 mcg, this was Buddy's and it expired 03/23. It has a warning saying diabetics and other conditions should consult their physician. Which would you get if this was your cat. I have left a message for his doctor the last 2 days, I called there a short while ago and they said both doctors were going into a emergency. However, Kit Kat needs something for his legs and when I talk to him I will let him know about the insulin. Right now, I am wanting something for his legs.
I have some of the same vitamin-b-12-methyl here, that I bought Buddy for pancreatitis, but it expired on 03/22. I talked to Kit Kat's vet and it said go ahead and give it to him until I can get the new in.
How many capsules a day did you Tyler of the Vitacost brand, I was thinking of putting it on auto order but you would not want it every 30 days if you only gave 1 a day.
