Help, new to home testing, results too low?

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Pink

Pink

Member Since 2019
Hi everyone,

A bit of a long first post, so I can give you a history of what's been happening with my cat.

I've been reading this forum for the past few months since my cat was diagnosed. Howdy, male approx 12 years old. He originally lost weight and started urinating indoors, took for a vet appointment, they checked his urine, which had glucose present and blood result was in the 400s. Started Caninsulin injection of 2 units twice a day and antibiotics for infection. I also researched online and switched immediately to a low carb wet food, fed at 6.30am and 6.30pm, followed by his insulin shot and no food in-between. He started well, but after a month his +7 readings at the vet were still in the 300s so he increased to 2.5 units. Howdy put on weight and was visibly more himself, so all going well. No mention of home testing, but his glucose readings were coming down. June's vet trip showed +7 glucose reading of 97 and July was 147 (very hot day), last week it was 34! Vet didn't seem overly concerned, other than saying it was low and asking questions to see if he showed other symptoms of hypoglycaemia, which he didn't really. Recommended lowering back to 2 units and go back in 1 month. I decided to lower to 1.5 units and ordered a home testing kit, which arrived yesterday.

Last night I tested for the first time, PMPS and it gave a reading too low to register. My machine is Sinocare, ordered from Amazon and it doesn't register below 18. I tested one of my other cats to make sure it was working and that read 75, so I assumed it was working okay. There may be a fault with the strips, or my use of them, as it happened again this morning, too low a reading to record, but I immediately repeated the test with a new strip and it gave a different reading. I guess I just have to get used to testing properly for accurate results.

So...last night PMPS was too low to read, so I didn't give his shot. I tested 2 hours later and it was 300, so not sky high, but what I'd expect after a meal?! Or too high because I skipped his dose for the first time?

This morning AMPS was too low to register, retested with a new strip and it was 108, so again I decided not to give a shot, as I've read on here not to shoot under 200. Is that correct?

Anyway, I think I have successfully uploaded a spreadsheet to my signature. It's very sketchy at the moment, as I'm only just starting to take readings. I will test again at +3 and at +6 before I leave for work at midday, to see where he's at. Then I'll be home later for his PMPS and to feed and give insulin depending on his results.

I'd appreciate any advice about whether I was right to just stop his insulin injections after the low readings and what readings I should be hoping for later. If they're low should I skip a shot, give a lower dose, wait and test again?

Sorry for the mega long post, but I know it helps to give as much background info as possible and of course I'll be able to update my spreadsheet with more accurate readings now I have the glucose meter (although I will have to wait until the weekend until I can do a proper glucose curve, when I'll be home all day).

Thanks
Pink
 
Hi Pink and Howdy!
Yes don’t give insulin if test below 200 until you have more data.
Well done testing and getting SS up and running!!!!
I would reduce the dose to 0.5 units and see how you go with that.
Do you have some higher carb food and honey or karo incase of lower numbers.?
If BG under 50 give some higher carb food or honey/ karo and test again in 20 minutes to see BG is rising.
Also you can feed during the cycle not just at Preshot. Cats do better when given food more often.
Keep asking lots of questions.
Welcome!
 
Thanks for your responses. I've had the afternoon off work, so managed to get +3, +6 and +9 readings, which show Howdy's glucose has been steadily rising and is now up into the 400s. So his body is definitely missing the insulin shot! I'm expecting his PMPS to be high, so I'm not sure how much insulin to give him. Vet said 2 units, I had been giving 1.5, but he's now missed 2 doses, due to me home testing and seeing these low readings. I'm thinking of trying 1 unit and holding steady with that dose for at least a week, as long as I don't see any low numbers again. Or maybe I should go back to 1.5 units if his readings are so high today?
 
I would give 1/2 unit.
Also, I would add to your signature (where you added the link for your spreadsheet) the type of insulin you are using Caninsulin and the food you are feed.

BTW, I am surprised you are reporting the BG in american units (mg/dL) instead of international units (mmo/L) since in the USA Caninsulin is sold under the name Vetsulin. Places like Canada use mmo/L and Caninsulinis one of the pet insulins available.
 
Thanks I’ll update my signature later. I’m used to reading American units on here, but my vet and glucose reader use international units. I just converted as it seems what most people use here. I’ve read so many posts that I’m used to seeing both unit measurements now!

Regarding not feeding during the day. This is because I work 2 long days, where I’m out of the house for 10 hours. The other week days I work afternoons, so I’ve stopped all midday feeding, so I can be consistent each day. I don’t think a timed feeder would work as I have 3 cats and they have free access to go in and out, so I wouldn’t be able to tell who had eaten what food.
 
Hi Pink, just agreeing with the others - lower the dose! Those greens are a bit scary and do seem to indicate that the dose is too high.

We would usually suggest starting out on a dose of 1u and working your way up if necessary, so your 2u starting dose was probably too high - but that's ok, you can start again with 0.5u and see where that takes you. Meanwhile it would be a good idea to keep a hypo kit handy just in case you get any more of those very low numbers.

Have you read the beginners' guide to Caninsulin? If not it would probably help to do so:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/beginners-guide-to-caninsulin-vetsulin.186099/

Yes, most people here are in the US and use their own terminology for recording bg. The rest of us use the world version. You can use either as long as you are consistent!

Where you - UK, Canada, Australia? I would add that to your signature too so we can see what time zone you're likely to be in if you have any urgent questions.
 
I’m in the UK. I think in my head it’s easier to remember the American numbers and their safe ranges. Ie. below 50 is dangerous hypo levels and under 200 is best not to shoot when starting out with readings.

I agree his dose was too high. Though he’d been on 2.5 units for several weeks after being upped from his starting dose of 2 units, as his readings were still a bit high. These low readings are a new thing and he has no visible signs of hypos. Do you think this drop is a recent change in his requirements? Or maybe he’s been low for a while, or has been bouncing, with no hypo symptoms and I was unaware without home testing.

All of my info has been learnt here as none of this was explained by the vet, which seems a common occurrence. They’ve never mentioned switching from dry food, home testing or what bounces are. I think I’m getting to grips with it all and keep going back to the sticky threads to make sure I’m understanding things correctly.

Anyway, I’ll start again from scratch at a lower dose and see how I get on. I’ll update my signature too. Thanks everyone.
 
Thought you were a UKer - I can nearly always tell! There aren't many of us here atm but we do try to help each other particularly with issues such as food and diabetic supplies.

I'm not surprised to hear that you've learnt more here than from your vet, but the good thing is that you're here now and can continue to read and learn and ask questions whenever you like. Re your query about recent low readings... could be for a number of reasons and the only way you'll see what might be going on is to test at certain intervals whenever possible - which you are doing so it should be onwards and upwards now!
 
Thanks Diana, it’s nice to meet you (I think that’s your name and not your cat?! It’s hard to tell here!)

Haha, you could tell I’m from the UK then! The support here has been great and the info is the best I’ve come across in one place. Obviously better than my vets!
 
Pink said:
Thanks Diana, it’s nice to meet you (I think that’s your name and not your cat?! It’s hard to tell here!)

Haha, you could tell I’m from the UK then! The support here has been great and the info is the best I’ve come across in one place. Obviously better than my vets!
Click to expand...

Yes I'm Diana! I can tell UKers a mile off - we just have a different way of writing I think :)
 
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