Home testing first timer

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Lisa & Nacho

Lisa & Nacho

Member Since 2016
Hi!

I really want to learn how to home test - even though my vet was more interested in having me get the cat checked there for testing.

I purchased a reliOn human blood glucose monitor (as recommended in many things I read).

What are the first steps?

How do I understand the score vs. what his level is on a human meter?

Any other tips? Or places on this forum?

I also noticed that there is some wording on some of the descriptions on the Lantus forum about +1, and +7 etc what do those numbers mean?

Thank you for your help! I have decided to figure out how I can get Lantus as well as many have recommended against vetsulin and novolin N due to it being much harder to regulate and with my busy schedule (full time work and grad school), I want to get my cat the best and most manageable care :) !
 
+1 +2 +3 is how many hours after the AMPS (am pre-shot) or PMPS (pm pre-shot) and/or injection.
Home testing gets so much easier once you get going. Warm ears bleed the best! You can put some rice in a sock or use a warm cloth to help warm up cold ears. Treats at each step will help kitty be happier about it in the end. There are pictures of the "sweet spot" on the ear to get the best results. I'll try to find it. If you get frustrated give kitty a treat and love then try again in a few minutes. I'm glad you're not letting your vet discourage you. It saved my kitty's life.
 
Good plan on home testing. It's the best way to keep your baby safe and it's much easier on the wallet. There are lots of video's on Youtube that can help you. Here is one I like:
Make sure you warm his little ear first, it helps the blood flow. You want a larger sized lancet, a 26 or 28 to start.
LisaMarie said:
How do I understand the score vs. what his level is on a human meter?
Click to expand...
Lantus is a good choice of insulin for cats. We have two methods for figuring out what Lantus dose to give, one is called Tight Regulation and the other is Start Low Go Slow. Both of them use the blood sugar numbers from a human meter so you just use the number you get.
LisaMarie said:
I also noticed that there is some wording on some of the descriptions on the Lantus forum about +1, and +7 etc what do those numbers mean?
Click to expand...
Most of us keep track of the blood sugar test values in a spreadsheet. It helps us see patterns in their blood sugar and is useful when deciding what to do about the insulin dose. The "+" hours are the number of hours after injection. +1 is one hour after the shot.
 
StephG said:
+1 +2 +3 is how many hours after the AMPS (am pre-shot) or PMPS (pm pre-shot) and/or injection.
Home testing gets so much easier once you get going. Warm ears bleed the best! You can put some rice in a sock or use a warm cloth to help warm up cold ears. Treats at each step will help kitty be happier about it in the end. There are pictures of the "sweet spot" on the ear to get the best results. I'll try to find it. If you get frustrated give kitty a treat and love then try again in a few minutes. I'm glad you're not letting your vet discourage you. It saved my kitty's life.
Click to expand...
Here it is.
IMG_3612.JPG
 
LisaMarie said:
Hi!

I really want to learn how to home test - even though my vet was more interested in having me get the cat checked there for testing.

I purchased a reliOn human blood glucose monitor (as recommended in many things I read).

What are the first steps?

How do I understand the score vs. what his level is on a human meter?

Any other tips? Or places on this forum?

I also noticed that there is some wording on some of the descriptions on the Lantus forum about +1, and +7 etc what do those numbers mean?

Thank you for your help! I have decided to figure out how I can get Lantus as well as many have recommended against vetsulin and novolin N due to it being much harder to regulate and with my busy schedule (full time work and grad school), I want to get my cat the best and most manageable care :) !
Click to expand...
The best insulin is the one that works for your cat. My cat did great on vetsulin and was in remission in four months. Some cats do better in a deposit insulin like lantus. I liked the flexibly vetsulin offered in that it wasn't a problem to adjust the shot time an hour here or there. With lantus you need to keep it 12 hours apart with little wiggle room. Use whatever works.
 
Although I don't think it's a super popular place to get blood, I get a drop of blood from my cats paw. From the beginning I was never able to get blood from his ear. My cat doesn't mind it too much.

You may be able to get blood from his ear on the first try, which would be great, but if not it's always another option to try the paw.

Another tip: I find that when trying to get blood, it is WAY easier to poke the lancet in using your hand, rather than the little lancet shooter thing. You can really see where it is going easier, and I find it's easier to control.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Good plan on home testing. It's the best way to keep your baby safe and it's much easier on the wallet. There are lots of video's on Youtube that can help you. Here is one I like:
Make sure you warm his little ear first, it helps the blood flow. You want a larger sized lancet, a 26 or 28 to start.

Lantus is a good choice of insulin for cats. We have two methods for figuring out what Lantus dose to give, one is called Tight Regulation and the other is Start Low Go Slow. Both of them use the blood sugar numbers from a human meter so you just use the number you get.

Most of us keep track of the blood sugar test values in a spreadsheet. It helps us see patterns in their blood sugar and is useful when deciding what to do about the insulin dose. The "+" hours are the number of hours after injection. +1 is one hour after the shot.
Click to expand...

Thank you! Is there a blank spreadsheet template on this forum I can use? or would I create a version myself?

Thank you for all the informative information!
 
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