Glucose Meter Testing is Impossible

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David Appell

Member Since 2020
My cat Oliver was diagnosed with diabetes 1.5 weeks ago. So far this seems impossible.

He's a male tabby, 10 yrs old, 18.3 lbs. He doesn't like the wet diabetes food and just doesn't eat it. (We're still on the converting from normal food stage, but tomorrow is supposed to be all diabetic food. Doubtful.) But the bigger problem will be glucose testing. My vet just threw it in a bag and her receptionist handed it to me in my car. (Due to the pandemic owners aren't allowed inside the clinic.)

So I've watched videos about taking a blood sample from the inner ear. This simply will not work. He will never allow it. I know that already and I haven't even tried. There's no use in trying. He doesn't cuddle or sit still for that kind of thing. If I did somehow manage to get a blood sample, it would definitely never happen again. He's already shy and running from the insulin injection.

I got Oliver when he was 5 weeks old and we have a tight bond and he's very affectionate with me, but he has his own ideas about what that means and I'm perfectly fine with that and we understand each other. Just getting a pill down him is like wrestling an alligator -- ahe's very strong. A blood sample is inconceivable.

Are there any alternatives?

I feel like I had a most wonderful cat who enjoyed each and every day to, now, one on the way to death, because I didn't and can't take care of him.

David
 
Hi David and Oliver and welcome to the forum....the best place you never wanted to be!
I'm sorry Oliver has FD and you are finding it all too hard. It is very stressful in the beginning and there is a lot to learn and absorb but you have found us and we can help you.
First of all, take a couple of big deep breaths and remember everyone feels as you do in the beginning. You most certainly can take care of him and he wont die. Feline diabetes is not a death sentence.

Ok lets look at the food first...what is the food you are trying to swap Oliver over onto?
Is it prescription food? If so a lot of cats wont eat it and it is not necessary. you can buy ordinary low carb food from the supermarket or pet stores that is completely OK. I will give you a link below to some foods but as an example Fancy Feast pates are low carb and completely suitable. Have a look at some of the Weruva brand canned foods....a lot of those are low carb and they have a great website that will give you all the carb levels.
You need to be looking for canned foods that are 10% carbs or less. Most of us use around 5 % carbs.


David Appell said:
So I've watched videos about taking a blood sample from the inner ear. This simply will not work. He will never allow it. I know that already and I haven't even tried. There's no use in trying
Click to expand...
Ok with the home testing of the blood sugars, it is not as daunting as it looks. In all the years I have been on this forum I have seen quite a few people say their cat will never allow it and I am struggling to think of one that managed to prove their owner correct.

First of all, you don't just dive into it. You start off slowly and pick a spot where you think will be best to test. Some use a table, I used the floor and put Sheba between my knees while I knelt down on my heels. She faced away from me so I could access her ears.
Then just rub the ears a few times and give Oliver a treat. Do this several times a day for a couple of days, always in the same place so he gets to associate the place with a treat.
Then you can try and have a go with the lancet and see if you can get some blood. Don't expect success immediately. But give Oliver a treat every time you try.
Make sure the lancets you get are size 26 or 28 guage.
And buy some cotton balls to put behind the ear to support it as you test.

Sheba used to come running when she heard me at the testing kit as she knew it meant a treat. I formed a much closer relationship with her after she got FD....we all find that...and Oliver will not hate you because you test.

Can you tell me what type of insulin you have and what dose please?
If you have not bought a meter yet, I would suggest a human meter as it is cheaper to run. Walmart has ReliOn prime meters which are fine.

Keep asking questions and we will help you....you are not alone with this.

Here is the link to the food and another good link for new members.

food link
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

New members
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/

and here is a link to home testing
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Bron
 
First, I wanted to clear the elephant from the room....the "diabetic" food is really not necessary and most cats get tired of it quickly (if they'll eat it at all). There's absolutely nothing special in "prescription" foods that treats diabetes. If you look at the ingredients, you'll see they're actually pretty lousy. Most of us feed our diabetic cats Fancy Feast Classics or Friskies pates....they are under 10% carbs, easy to find and a lot more affordable.

I think you're not giving yourself or Oliver enough credit. Even semi-feral cats can usually learn to at least accept testing. The keys are making it a routine, and extra yummy treats.

Here's something I wrote up for others for testing...maybe it'll help you too!

It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you.

Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well

For new kitties, using a heavier gauge lancet is also really helpful. A 25-28 gauge lancet pokes a bigger "hole" than a 31-33 gauge lancet does, so look for "Alternate Site testing" lancets that are usually a lower number

Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!

Hang in there David, you can do this!!
 
While you're working on getting Oliver used to having his ears fooled with, you might want to seriously consider trying a Freestyle Libre.

It's a continuous glucose monitor that your vet can put on (the first time anyway) which is supposed to last 14 days. You just scan it with the special scanner or many phones have an app that works with the Libre.

It's not perfect by any means. It's expensive (I've seen everywhere from $35 to $75 just for the unit) plus the office call to apply it. It doesn't always last 14 days. Sometimes a cat will knock it off within minutes and you can't re-apply it. Some people will use a baby onesie to help hold it on and keep the cat from scratching at it or rubbing it off. Some cats react badly to the glue and it can leave a very irritated area.....

BUT....there's no poking involved!

You have to scan it at least once every 8 hours. It will continue to take it's own readings every 15 minutes and produce a chart for you.

Here's a thread that contains a video that will show you how one member applied it herself (after the vet doing it the first several times) as well as discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of the Libre
 
David Appell said:
So I've watched videos about taking a blood sample from the inner ear.
Click to expand...

I want to make sure that you are not making the same mistake that I did at first. When Ducote first got diagnosed and before I found this board, I went on Youtube to find videos on how to test blood glucose. Many of the videos showed them taking the sample from the of inside the ear flap, towards the middle of the ear. I did this a few times before seeing diagrams on this board and it was difficult. My cat hated it and hardly no blood came out. I would milk it like crazy and feel horrible. Once I learned the proper placement and found a technique that me and Ducote are both comfortable with, testing is a breeze. He actually comes running and purring when he hears me unzip the meter. I attached a picture of where to prick for testing. You can go all down the ear on the outer edge. I normally get my meter ready to go and then I put a folded paper towel on the inside of the ear and press my lancet pen against the outside of the ear and press the button. I also keep a notebook by me to record numbers so that I don't forget them before I have time to put them in the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is VERY helpful as well!

-Go in with confidence, your cat can sense it and they will trust you more.
-Try and test in the same spot each time (I have a certain spot on the kitchen counter). Cats love familiarity.
- Give a low carb treat (I keep diced chicken breast in a tupperware in the fridge) after every test, successful or not.
 

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Hello David and Oliver! WELCOME TO FDMB. The BEST site on this planet to help you help Oliver. You've already received excellent advice from some of our best. I just wanted to say Youve found a safe place to land here. Theres plenty of folks here that eat live breathe feline diabetes. We CAN help you and Oliver navigate this disease.

(I giggle at Heather because shes brand new and is already jumping in to help. WAY TO GO HEATHER!)
You see, This is a wide community of care givers and feline lovers. Its a community of which you now belong. WELCOME :bighug:
jeanne
 
This is all great advice, as I’m still learning too. For pricking Max’s ear, I prefer having my daughter hold him as he’ll purr the whole time. Seldom does he flinch. I can also do it myself when I need to, but it’s quicker with someone else, especially since you’re new at this. I’ll put Neosporin with pain med (not the creme version) or Vaseline on his ear. This helps the blood droplet form better. This was a great tip I learned from this site.
 
I also had an impossible to test cat. She is the kind of cat that does everything on HER terms and if she does not like something, she is not afraid to bite. I also got her as a very young feral kitten and there’s no doubt that she has not forgotten where she came from :rolleyes:

When I first started trying it was a disaster. I was nervous, she was nervous, and we both hated it. She bit me, scratched me, ran away, hid, you name it. What worked for us was getting her used to all the parts of testing before trying it all at once. Is there something that your cat REALLY loves? My cat is extremely food motivated, so I used treats. She hates her ears touched, so I would start by just messing with her ears a few times a day, with a treat afterwards. Then I started holding her in place for a few seconds (this is honestly the part she hates the most), with a treat afterwards. And I just did this for all the components of testing, until it wasn’t completely traumatic for the both of us. When I started trying the whole routine, if I couldn’t get blood after a few sticks or if she started struggling too much, I would just let her go, give her a treat and try again later.

I thought there was never, no way I would ever be able to test my cat. I was one of the biggest skeptics out there, surely there was no way my feral monster would ever cooperate. Now she comes running any time she hears me get a lancet, even when I’m trying to test myself and not her :p It was not even close to as easy as the videos made it look and it was not a fast process, but we got there eventually
 
So, no, the food my vet gave for my cat is not prescription, but Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets DM Dietetic Management cans, $3.08/can and I'm to give 2.75 cans/day. He doesn't like it and won't eat half of that. I'm going to go with Fancy Feast Classic Pate, which he does like and is much much cheaper.

I don't know about dry food yet.

I also discovered that my vet sold me 100 syringes for $60, when I can buy them on the Internet for about $18. I feel ripped off and taken advantage of. I know I'm transferring some of my anger about the diabetes to the vet, but then I learn things like this and it's hard not to feel angry. It was the same with Bravecto -- an enormous markup. Now I don't trust them and I'm not the kind of person who does well keeping these kind of feelings inside.

I haven't tried to take a blood sugar reading from Oliver. I can't do it until I can conceive of doing it, and so far I cannot. I've watch many videos on YouTube. The cats are remarkably docile -- I honestly wonder if they aren't tranquilized. One woman said they picked their most well-behaved cat on purpose. Another said you need two people to do it. I live alone.

My cat is not a wimp and isn't going to let anyone abuse him. I respect him a lot for this. He won't even abide my gathering him up to calm him down to start the process. He just doesn't do that and would immediately be uncomfortable. I know with 100% certainty that if I prick his ear and make him bleed he will fight his way to freedom and claw me up in the process, immediately, with no opportunity to even try to take the blood sample.

I don't see a path forward and I am depressed because I can see that I am probably going to kill him because I cannot take care of him.

David
 
David you can test. What exactly is stopping you?
Are you afraid you will hurt Oliver? Or that he won’t like you any more?
If you test you are helping Oliver not harming him.
Cats have very few nerve endings in their ears. I used to test Sheba while she was dosing at times and she didn’t move.
Have you tried testing yourself to get used to the idea?
 
What's stopping me is that I can't conceive of getting Oliver somewhere where he will let me test him.

He never lets me gather him up. He doesn't do cuddles. He doesn't let me bring him up onto the table. He doesn't sit still and wait. And then after I would poke him -- oh boy, he'll be out of there in a flash. He's not go wait around for me to gather a drop onto the test strip.

And if by some miracle I could get it done once, he will never trust me again and never let me get close to him again. And I can't say I blame him.

He's a great cat and we love each other deeply. But he has his own ideas about what that means and so far they've been just fine with me. Now he's 10+ and I don't see him changing.

I'm not worried about harming him. I'm a little worried about him harming me.
 
If you give him a small treat as you are testing (make sure you are organised first with everything) he will be eating as you prick and then you can gather the blood onto your (clean) fingernail to test. Make sure the ear is warm first. If you don’t try, you will never know.
I will bet you he’ll be pretty ok with it. my Sheba was 11 when she first got FD and she adapted well.
We have had feral cats here that have learned to be tested.

Have you tried just taking him to a spot and rubbing his ears for a few days?
 
David Appell said:
So, no, the food my vet gave for my cat is not prescription, but Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets DM Dietetic Management cans, $3.08/can and I'm to give 2.75 cans/day. He doesn't like it and won't eat half of that. I'm going to go with Fancy Feast Classic Pate, which he does like and is much much cheaper.

I don't know about dry food yet.

I also discovered that my vet sold me 100 syringes for $60, when I can buy them on the Internet for about $18. I feel ripped off and taken advantage of. I know I'm transferring some of my anger about the diabetes to the vet, but then I learn things like this and it's hard not to feel angry. It was the same with Bravecto -- an enormous markup. Now I don't trust them and I'm not the kind of person who does well keeping these kind of feelings inside.

I haven't tried to take a blood sugar reading from Oliver. I can't do it until I can conceive of doing it, and so far I cannot. I've watch many videos on YouTube. The cats are remarkably docile -- I honestly wonder if they aren't tranquilized. One woman said they picked their most well-behaved cat on purpose. Another said you need two people to do it. I live alone.

My cat is not a wimp and isn't going to let anyone abuse him. I respect him a lot for this. He won't even abide my gathering him up to calm him down to start the process. He just doesn't do that and would immediately be uncomfortable. I know with 100% certainty that if I prick his ear and make him bleed he will fight his way to freedom and claw me up in the process, immediately, with no opportunity to even try to take the blood sample.

I don't see a path forward and I am depressed because I can see that I am probably going to kill him because I cannot take care of him.

David
Click to expand...
I often say how thankful I am that my cat that's diabetic is chill. If it was Julie I don't think I could test her. She is five pounds of Spunk and won't even let his brush her. I think she was abused and then thrown out. We found her in the back yard.

My aunts cat is diabetic. She has no interest in learning to test her. The cat had made it three years so far and just turned 18.

It would help to learn how to test in an emergency situation. If you could work on desensitizing her to having her ears touched and to just being around the equipment, that would be a first step. So rub her ears, give a low carb treat. Repeat several times a day.

It doesn't hurt to have their eat pricked. Of course that doesn't mean that they will allow it. All we can do is the v best we can do.

The dm food is no better than fancy feast. Most people here feed fancy feast classic or Friskies pate foods.

Skip the dry. But do have some high carb food with gravy (ff cheddar delights are high. Our gravy lovers). Use this for times you suspect she might be running low.
 
David Appell said:
What's stopping me is that I can't conceive of getting Oliver somewhere where he will let me test him.

He never lets me gather him up. He doesn't do cuddles. He doesn't let me bring him up onto the table. He doesn't sit still and wait. And then after I would poke him -- oh boy, he'll be out of there in a flash. He's not go wait around for me to gather a drop onto the test strip.

And if by some miracle I could get it done once, he will never trust me again and never let me get close to him again. And I can't say I blame him.

He's a great cat and we love each other deeply. But he has his own ideas about what that means and so far they've been just fine with me. Now he's 10+ and I don't see him changing.

I'm not worried about harming him. I'm a little worried about him harming me.
Click to expand...
I don't bring my cat anywhere. I just go wherever she is. Is he food motivated? Shots and testing while he's distracted might help. (Don't use the Lancing devise.). If by some Devine miracle you some day are able to test, you can scrape the tiny drop onto your nail and test from there.

But you know some cats just are semi feral and like you, but it's hands off. I have a couple like that.

Of it turns out you absolutly can't test id say

Be conservative with how you dose.
Watch behavior and notice if he seems "off". Have high carb food and honey /Karo on hand in case you need it.
 
My cat was a hard cat to pill put a collar on, I mean you name it he was not having it. Then we got the diagnosis of diabetes and I found my way here. Reading about testing and realizing how it made sense.
Took me 2 weeks after diagnosis to become brave enough to try. I knew he was going to fight me tooth and nail. Took me 1 week of conditioning for him and another week for me to figure out how to get enough blood. Yes treats help. I always give a treat even if I failed. Now he comes running to get tested. I pet him rub his ear and talk in a calming tone always telling him what a good boy he is. Then when I feel the ear is warm enough I tell him to hunker down and he lays down in his testing chair for me to poke his ear and get a test. Followed closely by a treat.

Honestly as hard as it is to pill him I would have never thought I'd be able to do the test. Conditioning I believe is the key and sometimes I even get the feeling he knows I'm doing it to help him.
 
Thank you, but I don't think a treat is going to make the slightest difference with Oliver. He simply isn't going to stand for having a needle jammed into his ear. (Or "pricked.") He'll never stay for letting me sample the blood that comes out. I would have to death-wrestle him until I subdue him. (He weighs 18 lbs!) Then he'll never come by ever again.

I honestly cannot understand how any cat (or dog) would let a human (or any other species) do this to them. It's barbaric.

I can't even bring myself to try. I know I'm going to end up with a dead cat, whom I have killed.
 
David Appell said:
Thank you, but I don't think a treat is going to make the slightest difference with Oliver. He simply isn't going to stand for having a needle jammed into his ear. (Or "pricked.") He'll never stay for letting me sample the blood that comes out. I would have to death-wrestle him until I subdue him. (He weighs 18 lbs!) Then he'll never come by ever again.

I honestly cannot understand how any cat (or dog) would let a human (or any other species) do this to them. It's barbaric.

I can't even bring myself to try. I know I'm going to end up with a dead cat, whom I have killed.
Click to expand...


It's not barbaric..it's saving your baby! Diabetes is easy to treat..but you don't seem to love your cat that much. Oliver can have his ear poked (its not a needle btw) and have his injection if he feel safe and trust you. If you bully him its not gonna go well.
 
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My 20lb'r, rabbit & mole mauling machine was feral as all hell and even his initial displays of love left softball sized bruises. We still bear the scars from precision, reflexive attacks repeatedly in the same wounds. His teeth are razors, his claws burn like acid for sometimes weeks. (He has a major fascination/love of feet.) He's stubborn. He has his own ideas about everything and the only thing typical is how Atypical he is.. But he's always trusted me. Those attacks disappeared entirely for those who could stop making "prey moves" in the kitchen and eased up for those who refused. I feel a tremendous guilt thinking I did this. If we hadn't 'wooed' him, if he hadn't chosen to become a human-knowing, my stunning and amazing hunter would still be 25lb of muscle and health.

But I did, he did, we did.
We didn't know.

We began this 'horrorshow' June 30. We waited 4wks for that appt and suspect waited too long in the attempt to go. He astounds me in what he allows. Maybe you're not giving him enough credit? I spent Saturday stabbing myself with the 26g dozens of time, first just trying to get blood out of my stubborn fingers/hand and then, getting smoother with it. When I come calm and confident to my cat, he's proving game for nearly anything. Initially, I was prepared to restrain him with a small blanket, sort of papoose him? I haven't needed to yet, still hold that in my pocket since I don't have the good fortune of my cat being home right now. I've never gotten to bloodtest him yet.

I want to think it'll go preternaturally smooth. I know it may go a lot like you're describing...at first. Likely, somewhere in between.
I know that we're going to negotiate our way through this because we're both badasses. Or, more accurately, just tenacious and perhaps stubborn. We'll damn well try. It would be cruel not to.

Am I a monster because I'm so readily going to "force" him to eat, to take his medicine, to endure multiple BS tests? O, what an apt acronym! I'll take it. I'll be a monster for that. I'm really a monster for destroying his obligate carnivore equilibrium.

If you think this is cruel, if you're not up to the task, there is no shame but please, don't talk of killing him. He sounds like a beautiful guy, I don't rem hearing any other health issues. I know there are bound to be some. I know also there are bound to be some ppl in your area who would be willing to take him on and give treatment. His biggest obstacle right now might be you! Or, alternatively, is there anyone who could assist you?

I hope I haven't overstepped any bounds or caused offense. It's not my intention. I'm raw myself with the newness of this & my 6-days-so-far hospitalised monster.

Papoose wraps, treats, spare hands; I know you can do this. Pretty sure he'll forgive you, too.
 
David Appell said:
Thank you, but I don't think a treat is going to make the slightest difference with Oliver. He simply isn't going to stand for having a needle jammed into his ear. (Or "pricked.") He'll never stay for letting me sample the blood that comes out. I would have to death-wrestle him until I subdue him. (He weighs 18 lbs!) Then he'll never come by ever again.

I honestly cannot understand how any cat (or dog) would let a human (or any other species) do this to them. It's barbaric.

I can't even bring myself to try. I know I'm going to end up with a dead cat, whom I have killed.
Click to expand...
The Lancet is seriously thin. My cat truely doesn't care. I'm not jamming her with a needle. Lol. I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC at home. She barely notices. But again I totally get it since you have a semi feral cat. But do know that for most housecats it is not a big deal at all. Certainly not barbaric. Here's a picture to so how tiny of a drop I get.
F57D047E-FB71-4E3A-908B-630F94EE6A9A.jpeg
 

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Lalkabee said:
It's not barbaric..it's saving your baby! Diabetes is easy to treat..but you don't seem to love your cat that much. Oliver can have his ear poked (its not a needle btw) and have his injection if he feel safe and trust you. If you bully him its not gonna go well.
Click to expand...
That's not fair to say that he doesn't love his cat because he knows it will be near impossible to test. I have six cats, and I have three that would be Very hard to test. One that won't even let me brush her... She's very affectionate but not food motivated at all, and over reacts to anything she perceives as an attack. She sent me to the hospital once. Another one that was born outside and is semi feral and doesn't even let me pet her (I sneak a stroke in when I can) and another one that's a scardy cat. I love all my cats deeply. These three would be almost impossible to test. Doesn't mean I don't love them. I'm super super fortunate that the one who is diabetic is my chillest cat.
 
Lalkabee said:
It's not barbaric..it's saving your baby! Diabetes is easy to treat..but you don't seem to love your cat that much. Oliver can have his ear poked (its not a needle btw) and have his injection if he feel safe and trust you. If you bully him its not gonna go well.
Click to expand...
Like JanetNJ said above it's not fair to say he doesn't seem to love his cat that much.
I don't think that is going to sit well with him, sorry just my opinion
 
JanetNJ said:
That's not fair to say that he doesn't love his cat because he knows it will be near impossible to test. I have six cats, and I have three that would be Very hard to test. One that won't even let me brush her... She's very affectionate but not food motivated at all, and over reacts to anything she perceives as an attack. She sent me to the hospital once. Another one that was born outside and is semi feral and doesn't even let me pet her (I sneak a stroke in when I can) and another one that's a scardy cat. I love all my cats deeply. These three would be almost impossible to test. Doesn't mean I don't love them. I'm super super fortunate that the one who is diabetic is my chillest cat.
Click to expand...
Totally agree Please dont confuse what you believe is torture or obstinate with love. We KNOW you love Oliver otherwise you wouldnt be here.
 
Trouble was a gentle laid back cat. He came to us as being rejected by his former "family" if you can call then that.:rolleyes:
He accepted us, lock stock n barrel, That was BEFORE his diagnoses.:eek: He turned into a Tasmanian DEVIL. We were very surprised at this turn around but I got committed. Conditioning is the key slowly every time you pet him Give his ears a little rub, then a treat. Repeat that for a few days thats all, just the ear rubs and treats. Then when hes accepting that (for a treat) go to the next step. Find a comfortable place to treat and take him there. give a treat then release. Do that daily WITH A TREAT. Get where I'm gong? ya gotta get him in the right frame of mind.
I know the day you DO poke him theres going to be resistance, give that treat anyway, even if its a huge failure.

Diabetes is not a sprint its a Marathon sometimes the FULL marathon. We "get it" and we CAN work with that. ok?
jeanne
 
Like others, I let food help me with testing and shots. Is there a low carb treat that he absolutely loves? You could possibly give him a shot & tests while eating a special treat. Have you tried freeze dried chicken? I have never seen a cat that didn't go crazy for freeze dried chicken.
My girl is a lovebug also but quite fractious, and I could not do her injections any other way. I call it "chicken and a shot" :)

When she was first diagnosed, I never thought I would be able to get the shots into her, much less test. The first week was horrible, chasing her around, trying to find a good time, place to do it, and every time I touched her to would swat at me, scream and run off. Add the anxiety never giving injections before and unsure if I was even doing it right...oh what mess!

I manage Katie's 2x daily injection (by myself) with this routine- before her meal and after her test, I announced it's time for "chicken and a shot".
I prepare the shot, crumble up freeze dried chicken on a plate and set it on the counter (our "shot spot). WHILE she was eating her treat, I do the injection.
It became a routine and she expects it.

Testing-I do the same for tests (different spot, the living room chair is the "test" spot). I NEVER thought I could test Katie. She is so "not liked being touched" if she doesnt want it. In fact, I didnt even try to test when she was first diagnosed. Finally, I made myself try. Amazingly, it worked. I always say, if I can do it w/ Katie, anybody can. At first it took two of us, but after a short while I could do it by myself.
I always choose the same shot for shooting, the same spot for testing, and don't chase her around. On the rare occasion she refuses to get up to the "spot", I placed her there and immediately give her the chicken and shot or test. Most of the time she waiting in the "spot" for it. I think having a "shot spot" and /or "test spot" (giving the shot in one place of the house w/treat) all the time is better. They begin to learn that's the only place it happens and they get a treat, and they aren't fearful of you every time you get them near in between shots & tests. If you inject them in random spots, they never when to expect it and become fearful. It becomes an unpleasant experience. You want it to be pleasant, and the treat makes it a much happier experience...a reward of sorts.

Again, she fights me for a simple nail clipping, never have been able to brush or comb her either. I actually have to muzzle her to clip her nails, so I never dreamed she would be this good about testing. I still cant clip her nails though, still can't even get one swipe of the comb through her hair..lol. Poking with a needle, yes. Clipping nails or brushing, no. She's a character.

Hope this helps. Try using a treat he absolutely loves and cannot resist. Don't give up, it can be done, really.
 
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Hey David, "my Oliver" and I are also newbies. Mine is 15 lbs of big black cat. He was likely abused by husband of 1st owner. If there is something that scares him, there is NO WAY IN HELL he will put up with it. Most cats live in the moment. Right here, right this second. You were able to get Your Oliver to the vet for testing and diagnosis; they were able to draw blood for testing. That is HUGE. A note on vet, it is perfectly ok if you want to look for another. I understand your frustration of feeling duped, price-wise and staff wise. Something to keep in mind, most animal clinics do not have the buying power to purchase supplies at a bulk rate. That means Chewy can afford to sell something for $15, when their whole sale cost is less than $10. It's not the clinics' fault that they have to buy it wholesale at $15. (I have experience with the bulk buying thing). If you feel that the vet and clinic are shysters, for you and your Oliver, look for another vet.

Like others, I never thought I'd be able to home test. First two attempts were a disaster. Least for me. My Oliver hid the rest of the first day. Now, a week later, he'll stay in my lap while I sit on the floor. This morning, I could not get a drop of blood; I tried several times. I was so frustrated and almost in tears, and decided, enough for now. My Oliver wasn't going to crash and burn if I waited a few hours to try again. I gave him his treats, gave him a butt rub, told him he was a good boy. We'll try again later.

My Oliver has been through FOUR glucose curves at the vet. Almost all his readings were off the chart, 400-700. At home, he ranges from 90-170. Stress can affect readings. Obviously. For his sake, it is BETTER for him, for me to be inexperienced and trying, vs the vet techs who have TRAINED for this. I don't like that he is diabetic. I don't like that I have to do BG readings. BUT I want him to feel safe and less threatened.

BTW, "barbaric" means "savagely cruel, exceedingly brutal, primitive or unsophisticated." It is not barbaric to glucose test or give insulin....Unless you plan on standing or sitting on top of Your Oliver, after you throw him on the floor, and jabbing with a big-ass needle while he yowls and hisses , then a choke hold to shoot him up with another huge needle while you scream at him to hold still. Then continuing to scream at him, while he slinks away. And throwing things. Remember to throw things at him. IF you are this kind of person, I'd suggest a different kind of pet.

Otherwise, this can be done. Take you time, and remember to breathe.

Marie
 
Dont worry David it will come. Patience and calmness in going through the "Stages" , action = rubbing ears = treat = release. Over and over...It will come.
May I suggest a new treat (even finding a different treat is worth the effort) I would go so far as a lick of yogurt, or even a tiny drop of the dreaded ice cream just may get his attention. I'm NOT advocating giving a diabetic kitty sugar but in extreme cases just to get their attention and calm. I know I'm gonna get ripped for this suggestion... But there HAS to be a starting point. You'll find it. ;)

I would even suggest the kitty burrito. (swaddling him in a blanket or towel) and that may work. We have to start somewhere.
jeanne
 
Several years ago I adopted Spot, who was an untreated diabetic. In addition to being frighten because she was in a new home, she was not a friendly cat. So this made testing and giving insulin very difficult. By following the advice you already received, she learned to trust me and accept being tested and getting insulin. It will take some time and patience for Oliver to accept home testing. In addition, you also need to become confident in your attitude when testing. If you are worried or stressed, he will pick up on it and become stressed also. One suggestion we often recommend is to sing while you are testing. It is hard to appear stressed when singing, especially if it is a silly song. :)

You can do this.
 
David Appell said:
I can't even bring myself to try. I know I'm going to end up with a dead cat, whom I have killed.
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Hi David with all your comments ending like this, I'm wondering if I should even broach the subject but... Do you think you need to rehome Oliver? Or I thought maybe your Vet *might* know someone who can foster him and start treatment. Its not unheard of. I hate that you are beating yourself up over this and we're not helping. It took me a while to even decide to post this. Its such a touchy subject. Just asking... :(
jeanne
 
Hi David!

Thank you for sharing how you are feeling. A diabetic cat is a difficult diagnosis and a scary process to think about all that is involved.

There is a ton of information above on testing, so I won't repeat it again.

What I was wondering was what you might think of role playing testing a couple of times with Oliver? I know it might sound silly, but could help you and Oliver to feel out the testing process before actually trying with a needle? My Cosmo is a bit flighty, so I had to practice a few times and what actually sounds more strange is that he demanded to be part of the process LOL. I let him smell and inspect all the equipment I was going to use one at a time, then I rubbed his ears a bit, then I held his one ear and pretended to poke it with my finger tip. Gave a treat afterwards. Eventually, he allowed an actual prick and voila... Testing. He is quite good now, but I still let him smell and inspect everything. He is a man of routine! LOL.

I hope all is well and works out for you and Oliver :)
 
jt and trouble (GA) said:
Hi David with all your comments ending like this, I'm wondering if I should even broach the subject but... Do you think you need to rehome Oliver? Or I thought maybe your Vet *might* know someone who can foster him and start treatment. Its not unheard of. I hate that you are beating yourself up over this and we're not helping. It took me a while to even decide to post this. Its such a touchy subject. Just asking... :(
jeanne
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I stand with you JT & Trouble. I feel like I am missing something important from the posts. M
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Like JanetNJ said above it's not fair to say he doesn't seem to love his cat that much.
I don't think that is going to sit well with him, sorry just my opinion
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i know and i am sorry. I was and still is overwhelmed with the DX. I don't test as many times as i should...but calling testing BG barbaric just pissed me off :/ I bet this guy is never coming back tho :x
 
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