Home testing - vet advice

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portana

portana

Member Since 2017
I just spoke with the vet and showed him the spreadsheet for the first time. He doesn't think I should be testing this often (3X/day). He doesn't think I need to test before every shot. He told me to test only 5 hours after the AM shot every 3 days or so and to do the next curve in a fortnight, no change in dosage. This advice contradicts everything I learn here. I couldn't be more confused. I asked what if his BG is too low and I give him insulin without knowing because I didn't test to which he said if Simba seems 'normal' (active, asking for food, drinking, not vomiting, etc) that should mean he's not hypo. If I see any signs then I should put honey in his gums and take him there... I will be so disheartened if all he cares about is to make money :( What do you think of his advice? Thanks
 
portana said:
I just spoke with the vet and showed him the spreadsheet for the first time. He doesn't think I should be testing this often (3X/day). He doesn't think I need to test before every shot. He told me to test only 5 hours after the AM shot every 3 days or so and to do the next curve in a fortnight, no change in dosage. This advice contradicts everything I learn here. I couldn't be more confused. I asked what if his BG is too low and I give him insulin without knowing because I didn't test to which he said if Simba seems 'normal' (active, asking for food, drinking, not vomiting, etc) that should mean he's not hypo. If I see any signs then I should put honey in his gums and take him there... I will be so disheartened if all he cares about is to make money :( What do you think of his advice? Thanks
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I'll tell you why he probably says this... for some reason MY vet thought you have to prick the VEIN to get a blood test. this hurts and makes them bleed way too much. She also thought my cat would grow fearful of me if I tested often. She actually asked me if my cat hates me now after all the tests. ugh All of this was FALSE. no need to prick the vein... the edge is painless and gives enough blood... and my cat purrs through the whole process. She's was more cooperative with the ear tests than she was the insulin shots. There is no reason to not test daily. If it were a person you would never suggest they inject without testing their bg first.
 
I think you already know what most of us are going to say. My question to your vet would be whether he would give a baby insulin without first checking to see if it was safe to do so. I'm sure his answer would be a resounding NO! So why would your cat be any different? Cats can go from acting fine to having a seizure from low BG in a heartbeat...not all of them show noticeable symptoms until things are out of control. I'd also ask the vet if they are willing to provide you a 24/7 telephone number where they guarantee you can get assistance in the event of an emergency because without testing, you could find yourself in a situation you won't be able to deal with at home with a bit of honey.

Curves are helpful to an extent but if you do a curve on that one good or bad day, then the results are not very helpful. Daily testing is the only way to see what is really going on with kitty.

In the end what you do at home is entirely up to you and none of your vet's business. Home testing is not endangering but rather protecting your cat.
 
Hi Ana
It's understandable that you're confused because you're right - what the vet says about testing is not what we here believe to be the best and safest advice. Testing before every shot is imperative in order to be sure your cat's BG is at a level safe to shoot. If you shoot "blind" without testing first, you have no way of knowing what the last dose of insulin did; how long it has lasted and whether it has completely worn off or not. All sorts of things can cause BGs to be higher or lower than expected so if you give the usual dose it *may* on occasion not be safe. You only have to read other threads here and look at members' spreadsheets to see how BGs can vary from day to day, cycle to cycle.

Sad to say, an awful lot of vets don't know much about FD. They have a little training and that's all. Vets are like our GPs, they know a little about a lot of things but are not specialist in any one area. On the other hand, there are hundreds of people on this board who have treated their diabetic cats for years and kept them safe through sensible procedures including testing.

You can of course choose who to believe but all of us here would very strongly suggest that you test before each shot as absolute minimum.
 
Hi Portana,
I'm only a month into all of this, so I can't give great reassurance regarding what you're going through. I can tell you, the people above that have responded to you, are the ones I get advice from the most about my sugarcat.
Take a look at my spreadsheet, Fanby varies almost every day. We are making progress, but without testing I wouldn't actually be able to see that.
My first vet who diagnosed Fabby sent me here to learn about diabetic cat food. (I had already found this site, but it was reassuring my doc sent me here.)
The first vet is quite expensive, so I found a 2nd vet that is non-profit. I showed her our spreadsheet, and she was able to look over the numbers and be very happy and confident with Fabby's progress. I test Fabby 4x a day. So, while I can't guess at what your vets motives and experience is, I can tell you diabetic treatment for cats varies with many vets. It seems almost subjective.
With my own healthcare, as with my cat's care, whatever I'm doing must make sense to me, or I'm just not going to do it. My diabetic Grandma would never shoot insulin without testing, so I'm not going to either.
Since your the one managing the care of your loved one, make sure your treatment advice makes sense. Maybe call up and talk to your vet about your concerns (try to avoid saying The internet says", as medical professionals tend to check out if you say that). Or check around for a 2nd opinion.
For me, I need my medical team to be on the same page with me working toward a common goal, so I don't envy the spot you're in.
What it really comes down to is what you believe is best for your kitty, since you provide the care.
 
portana said:
To be honest what I learn here makes a lot more sense but I guess it's just the initial shock at the advice the vet gives me. I bet I'll be used to it in a couple of months but for now it's all new and surprising...
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I think this is a universal feeling! Welcome to the club!
 
portana said:
To be honest what I learn here makes a lot more sense but I guess it's just the initial shock at the advice the vet gives me. I bet I'll be used to it in a couple of months but for now it's all new and surprising...
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What you're feeling is completely normal. You look to your vet as the medical professional in caring for your kitty and we're a bunch of internet strangers who are saying things that are very different. It's something many of us had to come to terms with - I was one of those people. I think many vets don't want to frighten/overwhelm their clients any more than is necessary after an FD diagnosis so they promote the simplest possible treatment program. I'm sure they have clients who want their pet euthanized when the diagnosis is given. The best case scenario if your vet isn't a diabetes expert is to have a vet who will work collaboratively with you and support your wish to be more hands on in treating FD. What a vet should not do is become aggressively authoritative - ie., do it my way or else ...
 
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