giving insulin shots

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Lucy and Julian

Lucy and Julian

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So I brought my little man home from the hospital yesterday evening.
I gave him his first shot done by me(!!!) at 6:15pm. I didn't have lancets, so I didn't test. I went out and got lancets, and tested him at around 10:20pm, his number was 205. The vet has said he's been around 300, and has me shooting him with 3 units of insulin twice a day. Thats a lot, right? The vet also said he has been diabetic for a while (I got him in September, vet says he thinks thats about how long he has been diabetic) He is now on Purina DM wet and dry, altho I'm going to move to Friskies Pate Collection when this food runs out.

He is due for his next shot in 40min. I'm so nervous! I am testing before I give him his shot, and I'll post the number.

I feel so raw and exposed and terrified with all of this. I know that I will get a routine down, and Julian will be happy and healthy, but I am so scared that I'm going to mess up and hurt him. I know everyone probably felt like this in the beginning. I had to have a wailing cry last night cause I was not prepared for how I would actually feel after seeing blood on his ear, and knowing that I caused it. I slept on the first floor last night, on the floor, to be with him. He has slight nerve damage related to the diabetes, and the stairs are hard for him. The vet said that should get better in a few months, with proper treatment.
 
Good Morning Lucy,

What insulin did your vet start you on? And yes, 3u is a lot for a newly dxed kitty. Let us know what insulin and what number you get from you preshot test and we will help you figure this all out. And yep, I was absolutely terrified with the first shot of insulin I had to give and was shaking the whole time, and I was use to giving shots as I do all my own vacinations.

Mel, Maxwell and The Fur Gang
 
I remember doing a lot of crying when my little man Tucker(GA) was just starting out.

I agree with Mel, 3U is a high dose. What insulin are you using?

Will you be able to get a number and post it here before you shoot?
 
whshoo so this morning was pretty terrible. I ended up not being able to get a large enough blood supply for a reading, and I was shaking, and Julian was getting really upset. I called my vet and he calmed me down, told me to give him the insulin, then retest after a few hours. As I was late for work, this is what I did. So I am home now, Jules looks happy and alert, and I'm about to try again... Trying to keep my cool this time!
I've been looking online at videos for how to lance an ear, but my baby is getting red and bruised from my incompetence. I think I need to get a meter with a smaller blood dose... there was 2 times this morning when I got blood, just not enough.
He is on Lantus.
 
271! I got a reading!! Still high, but Im taking my victories as I get them.
I feel a little weak, I was nervous but he let me do it, and was even purring for the first half!
I am so proud I did it! I think from here it'll just get easier.
 
It gets easier, really it does. I can promise you that. I've been owned by many diabetic cats and even the most difficult ones that I've had to test, after a bit, it gets to be second nature. You did great :mrgreen:
 
Well, hurray! You are now an official member of the Vampire Club. The good news is that with every poke you get more confident and every poke gets easier.
:RAHCAT :RAHCAT :RAHCAT
 
LOL... you're weak, probably, from all the adrenilin your had in your system

You've done an amazing job. I've seen many folks take a month before they were successful!

The other post you made has some follow up post from folks with some excellent suggestions for ya'll... Please go take a look (after you catch your breath, of course). The information on HYPO is really important especially since you will (hopefully) be switching his food to low carb and you are shooting a high dose.

Glad ya'll are OK. Remember, FD is a marathon and not a sprint. And remember to breathe!

Justin's a very lucky body to have such a great mom.

~Beth
 
Thank you one and all! And Beth I'm sorry you were waiting so long for me!

I live in Boston, MA, and I think I'm starting to get the hang of it, but it would still be great if someone was here and could show me! I think what I was doing wrong was not heating up his ear. The blood wasn't flowing as well, and I was having a hard time of it.

I got another reading this evening, about 15 min before I gave him insulin. His number was 281. He is also taking pills for clearing up an infection and for his liver, and I've found that he actually takes the pricks and the shots with little to no complaint.... whereas the pills.... thats another story!

So far the nights have been the hardest for me, but I guess that is normal. My day is winding down and I have time to focus on my worry. I practice yoga, pranayama and I meditate, and these things have been helping me, as well as talking to all of you!

Julian has made the switch to a high protein low carb diet, and he loves it! Which is great, because he is a picky eater!
I think he is starting to realize that I am helping him, and that I'm just nervous about hurting him. He's a smart cat!
 
Hi Lucy and Julian, welcome, you're doing fantastically :-D

I'm only 'three weeks old' myself and my hands still shake sometimes when I'm taking the blood test or giving the shot--usually if MY blood sugar is low ohmygod_smile The morning test is the dodgy one because her ears are usually cold, which makes it harder.

Once his a/bs have cleared up the infections you'll probably find his numbers drop again--that's what happened to my Cheeky. Her numbers are still high too but it's early days yet.

Go Justin!
 
Y
Lucy and Julian said:
I think he is starting to realize that I am helping him, and that I'm just nervous about hurting him.
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I, too, think they realize we're helping them.

Don't waste another second. Go to Petsmart and get the pill pockets for cats. Duck flavor. I wasted days and frustration before I took that advice from someone. Pilling Justin will then take 2.45 seconds :-D Bud always thought the pill was a treat :-D

When a newbie comes in, we that post replies do take an interest in them. Since Justin's on a very high dose, I (and probably the rest following you) have concerns that he might go hypo on you. Hypos are easy (relatively) to treat, but when it starts, it's very frightening. And it is dangerous for kitty.

I'm hoping you've read the symptoms on the hypo sticky, that you've printed it out and have the Karo and high carb ready. Please come in here immediately should you see him going low and add a 911 to the subject. Whom ever replies will stay with you all through the episode until he's out of the woods. You will need to test his BG at least every 15 minutes at a minimum and the person helping you will need to know this information immediately. Try to keep an extra pack of strips on hand. We ALL (I think) have had hypo(s) with our cats. We want you to be as prepared are you can be in case it happens with Justin.

How often are you testing? The more data you get, the better folks will be able to judge when he might need a dose adjustment. Starting LC food is also going to lower his BG and that might mean he will need a lower dose of insulin. Have you had a chance to get Julian's spreadsheet started? Have you gotten any BGs other than the preshots? Numbers during the cycle give an indication of how he is responding to the insulin. Did your vet get any mid cycle BGs? Do you have them? At some point, you'll need to "do a curve": Take his BG every 2 hours in a cycle. Perhaps Saturday, if you're not working?

Different insulins work differently and have different 'curves'.. the point in the cycle the lowest BG normally happens. Some have relatively flat curves (BG #s stay fairly level all cycle) like Levemir and others, like PZI, have more of a U shaped curve. Please make a quick post in the Lantus board to introduce yourselves to the group there. They are the best folks to help you with questions and concerns you have at this point.

It would be great if you could post his PS # about 15 minutes before you shoot him, both AM and PM: "Justin 6/8 PMPS 288" in the subject, just in case his BG# might have gone too low to shoot the full 3.0 units. Someone here that is experienced with Lantus will be able to advise you when you get to this point.

You're doing great! Most folks are not this far along in testing and shooting this quickly.

Keep us posted.
 
I'm only an hour away, so pm me if you need support. I don't have alot of experience with what the numbers mean, because Jericho passed away only 2 months after his dx, but I was pretty good at giving him his test, so if you need moral support or a first hand look, I'd be more than happy to help. I have lots of busy things coming up between house hunting, weddings, etc but I will try my best to be there.
What worked easiest for me was to wet a washcloth and then heat it in the microwave. Then I put it in a ziplock and held it on his ear to warm it. I sat on the floor criss cross and tucked him in my lap. He was such a good boy and didn't fight me.
Definitely recommend pill pockets for the pills. Imagine dry taking a pill? It isn't fun. We're all here for you!
 
Hi lucy,

i'm on the lantus forum support board & just wanted to welcome you. you're getting good advice here, and when you feel organized, you can come over to the lantus board for daily support. most of us post every day and we help each other. we do take an interest in each other's cats & how they are doing.

you're in good hands now so you can relax. my punkin was diagnosed in december and i found this site in february - it's the best possible place for getting help for julian's diabetes. people here "do" diabetes 24/7 for years on end. you've got experts in your screen now! :lol: and available pretty much 24/7!

good job finding this place, giving julian insulin, testing him and changing his food! you're off to a great start and you'll have your "old" julian back before too long.

btw, i use a FreeStyle Lite meter and it needs barely a pinprick of blood to test. cats also grow more capillaries in their ears as their ears get poked and eventually (in about 2 weeks) you get blood every time. until then, poor kitty ears. but ya gotta do it to help him. one thing that helps is to slather the ears with neosporin ointment with pain relief before you go to bed at night. it's incredible how much it heals them overnight.

on the pill pockets - just make sure it's the duck & pea ones. the others have corn syrup and are too high in carbs for diabetic kitties. those pill pockets are amazing though - like playdough that you squish around the pill. i just throw them on the floor and the cat gobbles them up.
 
I will definitely try the pill pockets, they sound great. I found a pill on the floor hours after I was convinced he has swallowed it.
I need to straighten out and organize, I have tomorrow off from work, so I think I will devote my day to setting up a system for the two of us. So far I've just been writing everything down so it will be easy to transfer into the spreadsheet. For some reason when I tried it last night it just gave me an error.
I got the CVS brand meter, and its $64 for 100 strips... is this good or bad? I've found the CVS brand things are way cheaper, but I have no experience with all this!
His number was high this morning- 294, PSAM (right?). Once I am organized and have a system, I will start posting in the Lantus group.
I've read up on Hypos, and I'm scared, but that only makes me watch him harder. I have honey, and am going out to get karo syrup tonight.
 
Lucy and Julian said:
For some reason when I tried it last night it just gave me an error.
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Try this SS template: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc...nR3amU2Q2dBNzBRTFRpY1E&hl=en&authkey=CPqt2K8E You should be able to save a copy of it.

I got the CVS brand meter, and its $64 for 100 strips... is this good or bad? I've found the CVS brand things are way cheaper, but I have no experience with all this!
Click to expand...

The CVS brand lancet device is impossible to use :-Q The meter probably works well. I'ved never used it. You can try one of the big name brand of meters. You don't need anything fancy. A basic meter that gives a reading is fine. I like the AccuChek Aviva. Easy to use and cat-friendly but test strips are on the pricey side. You can usually find test strips online for cheap. Wal Mart's Relion brand works well and is inexpensive.

I will send you a privat message re: how to hometest and, if you want, a suggestion for a new vet who won't push the prescription junk and will start you on Lantus the right way.
 
Hi, welcome. I live in Swampscott and work in Boston. It's been a year since I've tested and given insulin, but I doubt I could forget how to do it. My cat Boomer (GA) was dx'd and went on Lantus and then went OTJ in 3 months. Lantus is a great insulin. Why don't you send me a PM and maybe I can help you. I don't drive into Boston every day, I take the blue line. Maybe we can arrange something if you still need help. Let me know.

I used ReliOn meter and strips. You can get them at WalMart and I think they are the cheapest. CVS stuff is more $$$. If I end up meeting you I can give you my left over supplies too.
 
Thanks, Lantus and Boston folks for coming over to let Lucy and Julian know you're here for them! They're in good hands now :smile:

Lucy - get the ReliOn at Walmart. Strips are $20 for 50 and it's accurate and I find it very easy to use. Bud was dx'd 6 months ago and this past week I've used 37 or $15 worth.
 
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