I finally tested Georgie's BG myself

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Georgie

Georgie

Member Since 2015
I am using an AlphaTrak BG meter purchased through the Vet. I was able to finally get a reading on it and it said 76.. Then I realised I don't effin know what this means so I called the vet office. (The booklet with it does not say anything)

Apparently it is a low reading. I was advised not to dose him tonight. She seemed dubious about this number. She said as recently as he was diagnosed it made no sense he would read that way. She questioned if I did it right, I am pretty sure I did. I mean, before when I tried I only got errors as I messed it up or didn't get the blood to it in time before it shuts off..
I told them I ended his dry food a week ago and she was like: "Oh that doesn't really matter. His food doesn't really matter.." I have no idea why she would say that it doesn't matter! How does food not matter in a diabetic cat?

Anyway.. Does anyone understand how to use this meter? I mean, I have no idea what the readings mean. I know that if the BG is too high or low the meter will tell me "HI" or "LOW" Respectively.. He had eaten before the testing. I'm thinking that the reason he is eating like a horse is maybe he didnt need this high 3 unit dose of Prozinc.. Maybe he was too low..I don't know. I am freaking out. I don't want to kill my cat!
 
76 on the AlphaTrak is a normal number and anything under 68 is too low, so it's a good thing you didn't shoot!!

Were you started at 3 units?

and you're totally correct about the food...just like human diabetics have to eat low carb foods, so do our sugarcats so the first thing we do is put them on a low carb canned diet!!
 
And congratulations on joining the Vampire Club!!!
vampire smiley.jpg
 
Chris & China said:
76 on the AlphaTrak is a normal number and anything under 68 is too low, so it's a good thing you didn't shoot!!

Were you started at 3 units?

and you're totally correct about the food...just like human diabetics have to eat low carb foods, so do our sugarcats so the first thing we do is put them on a low carb canned diet!!
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He started at 2 units for the first week. When I took him to the vet after that 1 week, his numbers were still too high when they curved him. She told me to up it to 3 units. Monday he will go in for one more curve. I *Try* to home test him but he isn't having any of it. This was the first time I got a reading all by myself.
After the second Vet curve, I stopped his dry food due to reading all over the internet that I should. I *feel* like he should be low reading but she seemed to make me worry I did it wrong.. Like his number was supposed to be higher? I have been feeding him nothing but well researched wet food. Tiki Cat, Fancy Feast Classics, Kitten wet food (Because it had low carb and was available that time.) I also added water when it was FF Pates and used real plain unseasoned boiled chicken breast as filler in the FF when I wanted to stretch the cans longer. Now he is eating Tiki Cat pretty exclusively the last few days. I feel like he should have a lower number. I don't know. Her words made me wonder.
 
Squeaky and KT said:
First, BREATH!

Second - definitely no shot tonight!

Getting away from dry food will cause numbers to plummet - food DOES matter!

Your 'normal' should be 68 - 120 on alphatrak.
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Thank you. I think I should try to test him again soon. Man this stuff is freaking me out.
 
Georgie said:
Now he is eating Tiki Cat pretty exclusively the last few days. I feel like he should have a lower number. I don't know. Her words made me wonder.
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It sounds like she just doesn't know that low carb food is one of the most important parts of treatment.....don't feel bad....most vets don't!! To give them a little credit, they don't really have the time to stay up to date on the latest treatments for every disease in every type of animal they see though. That's one of the best things about this message board...the only thing we are concerned with here is the treatment of feline diabetes and the diseases that tend to come with it, so the real life experience of the people here is so valuable!

A lot of us don't even see our vets for the diabetes anymore (including me and China)...I listen to the people here that have been doing nothing but FD for years and when we do go to the vet for something else, I just tell her what dose she's on and the kind of numbers she's getting and that's the end of it. If she does make any "suggestions", I nod my head and smile....and continue doing what the people here recommend!

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

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!
 
We also don't ever increase in whole units and usually start new cats at .5 to 1U doses unless they're very large, so that 2 unit dose may have been too much to begin with....without more testing and seeing how low it takes him, it's impossible to know (which is why we like our spreadsheets so much!) Increases here are done in .25 to .5unit increments so we don't go too fast and possibly bypass a "perfect" dose.

Too much insulin can look like not enough! That's where learning to home test will answer a lot of questions and most important, will keep Georgie safe! A doctor would never have you give insulin to a child without knowing what the blood glucose was first....it's the same with our furkids! Also, just the stress of being at the vets office can raise the blood glucose up to 200 points..the vet see's those high numbers and thinks the cat needs more insulin and you take them home, shoot the increased dose and end up in a hypoglycemic crisis since the cat is back home where it's comfortable.

There's a "protocol" that the people here have come up with to use with ProZinc...here's the Link to the ProZinc protocol

Keep asking questions!! The people here will do their best to help you and Georgie learn all the steps to the sugardance!
 
Hi Georgie's Person (Sorry! I don't know your own name. :oops:)

Well done with the home testing and catching that 76!

I see that you've already had great input about effect of diet change on numbers (and also that not all veterinary professionals understand how significant an improvement it can make to blood glucose levels), plus where to seek input on Prozinc.

I'm a fellow Alphatrak 2 user. I can remember how flustered I got when I first started testing. With practice, it definitely gets much easier. I usually insert the test strip into the meter before testing to make sure the strip is good and that I have the right code number. Then I pull the strip part way out of the meter so that it switches off again. I get the poking device and a little strip of kitchen paper ready (the paper is used to support the 'underside' of Saoirse's ear when drawing the blood droplet). I slide the test strip back into the meter as I start warming Saoirse's ear. That gives enough time to collect the sample before the meter switches off again. In a relatively short time from now it should get much quicker to get a blood droplet from Georgie's ear so the time pressure to collect the droplet on the meter should become much less stressful. :)

Sometimes you can get 'wonky' readings on a glucometer. It's trickier to spot them when you first start gathering data because you have no 'pattern' to act as a guide to when a BG reading looks 'out of whack'. While you're getting this early data it might be a good idea to take a second test strip out of the pot and leave it somewhere handy (e.g. on top of the pot lid after you close it). That way if you get a reading you're not sure of you'll be able to quickly pop another test strip into the meter and do a second test quickly and easily. (Note: it is likely that the readings won't be identical but if they are in the same range then it will give you greater confidence in their validity.

You can also test the meter using the control glucose solution provided. Instructions are in the manual. If you do perform a control solution test, as soon as the test result displays press and hold the 'C' button until a little test strip icon appears at the top of the display. Doing this tells the meter to exclude the calibration test result from its running BG averages (7-, 14- and 30-day averages). (I nearly always forget to do this ... :rolleyes:)


Mogs
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Hi Georgie's Bean! Just a couple of suggestions, if you have trouble testing with the ear, try the paw pads. They have very little feeling and bleed quite easily. You really should put on your "brave face" and do your own curve at home. The stress from the trip and a day at the vet can raise those BG numbers considerably, which can make the dosage amount inaccurate. Typically, ProZinc dosage starts with 1 unit or less.
 
He isn't having the testing once again. I tried treats, etc.. I tried his paw this time. He screamed but there was a very nice drop of blood appearing, I was excited but then he wasn't having any of it once I put the tester to it. He fought me to the point I am now bleeding..... Didn't get the test. :( He probably thinks I am evil. Once again almost... almost... then fail.
 
Fret not; you will get there. :bighug: Of course he doesn't think you're evil! Barmy for having developed a preoccupation with pointy things, perhaps, but definitely not evil. ;)

I was very nervous but very determined when I started testing Saoirse. My first attempts were cack-handed but eventually effective. I found that I wasn't warming the ear long enough at first. When I warmed it for longer I had more success.

Does Georgie like to be groomed? If yes, then maybe you could make testing time a pamper fest. Groom, wait till he's more relaxed and then do a shneaky wee blood test?

BTW, remember to give Georgie treats at every test attempt, including the ones where you don't quite manage to get the blood sample.


Mogs
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Hi Georgie's parent.

I'm new to all this too. But I hope I can give you a little encouragement.
I've been home testing for two weeks now. I read all over here, and it seems like so many cats are either indifferent to testing, or even enjoy it (because of the treats and attention).
My cat is one who does not like it, as it sounds like yours is. She has yowled and yelped, bitten and scratched. At first I felt like I was doing something wrong, because no one else seemed to have those problems.

But I can definitely say that it's slowly getting better overall. She still yips most of the time (not yowl, not yelp, but just a bit of a yip), but she also now tolerates it (yesterday she took a swipe at me, but she mostly stopped those after about a week).

One major thing that I think has helped us is to have a consistent testing routine. I get the materials together in the same order, set them in the same spot, go and get her and put her in the same spot, sit myself in the same spot, give her ear rubs to warm them up, and then poke in the same way. She doesn't like it, but I think knowing what to expect has helped her, instead of being scared about what I'm doing.

The other major thing is to not get upset or lose patience. I know it's hard sometimes :banghead: But Georgie will sense how you are feeling, and respond to it. If you're upset, he'll get upset. I would just go through our routine, and if it wasn't successful, I'd just end it, walk away, and start from scratch a little while later. It still helped her to learn that routine - because she didn't know whether or not we were successful, she just knew how I responded to her.

Another tip - I may not know much about diabetes, but I do have a lot of experience with animal training. If you really can't get through the process, then you might try taking it in steps. For example, you said you were able to poke him but not get the reading and it ended up in a big fight. You might be better off celebrating the poke, making him feel good about what he did, and leaving off with both of you happy. Go in with that your sole goal for a little while, and only when he stops reacting so dramatically to the poke, then try to add the reading onto it. The most important thing is to try to end on a good note. It's better to make progress and not get a reading, than to have a fight and not get a reading. If you end good, the next session should go better. If you end bad, the next session should go worse. So celebrate the small bits of progress, and don't push too hard if he isn't ready.

I will say that despite our issues with testing, she still climbs in my lap all the time, still plays with me, still purrs away while I rub her ears (as long as we're not in "the" location). So it hasn't affected our relationship any. It's just one of those things that she's now learning we have to get through.

Good luck. Testing is not easy at first, but it's absolutely worth it for your own peace of mind as well as Georgie's health.
 
I finally got the testing done. Apparently I should stick to the ears as he fights me less. I got his ear and got a reading pretty quickly. He was hard to get to sit still but maybe he was tired from fighting me all day. It was a bad reading 288! I gave him his shot.. which he does not mind.... And a treat.. I give him Vital Essentials Vital Cat Freeze dried raw meat treats. 2 ingredients.. Chicken liver, Chicken heart. He wasn't mad at me this time. :)
I appreciate all the tips and this board greatly. I have been reading stuff all over the site.
 
Congrats on the tests. Keep those treats coming and remember to warm the ear well. Often a rice sack (thinnish sock filled with raw rice and warmed in the microwave) or pill bottle filled with very warm water is needed. When was the 68? Was it at shot time? If so, it indicates the dose is too high.

The 288 is not a bad reading, especially if it has come after a skipped shot. If he was 288 24 hours without insulin, you need to try to get a test in 5-7 hours after the shot to be sure he doesn't dip too low (68 and under is time to intervene)

I am concerned he is getting too much insulin and bouncing from highs to lows. One thing that can happen is when his body perceives a level lower than it is used to, it releases extra glucose. This causes a bounce up in levels, higher than usual.

Please note that the levels you got at the vet can be much higher than the levels you get at home, and doses based on those numbers can be too high. Cats can be stressed at the vet and stress can raises the levels, sometimes 100+ points higher than at home.

For reference a regulated cat is in the mid 200s at preshot and for AlphaTrak users above the 70s at nadir. We suggest newbies not shoot under 200 until they have enough testing in to know how their cat might react.
 
Last night before his regular shot time (8pm) he tested at 76. I skipped the shot. This morning after 8am 288.
I will definitely test his BG again in a half hour or so, if I can get him to agree to it. I am curious about his numbers bouncing. He has been off dry food and I have been EXTREMELY picky about what he puts in his body. I pretty much expect his numbers lower. I will admit though .. After the 288 reading, I did not give him the full 3 units. It was 2.5.... I thought if his numbers are in good shape after a half unit less I am on to something? Maybe I am crazy!
 
He may be fine with the 2.5. I am just concerned as the low carb food can drop the levels and 2.5 is still a substantial dose. If he is above the 80s in that 5-7 hour after the shot range, you are fine. If he drops below 70, come on and get advice to help bring up his levels.
 
Last night 8pm- 76 Skipped shot
This morning 8am -288 Gave the shot but 2.5 units rather than 3units
This afternoon 1pm -80 ....
Maybe I could go to 2 units.....
 
Could we get you to start using our spreadsheet program? We really do consider it every bit as valuable a tool as a low carb diet and good insulin! Here are Instructions on getting the FDMB spreadsheet

With him getting down to 80 at +5 (5 hours after the shot) and you not getting any more tests in, I'd make sure you get a test in tonight before shooting and if he's under 200, make sure you ask for advice before shooting.

I don't know if @Sue and Oliver (GA) will be around tonight ...I know she knows ProZinc well as do @Robin&BB
 
I looked at the spreadsheet doc but sorry, I do not understand the sheet. I get how to add it and all that but not all the stuff on the sheet.
 
Hey there Georgie's Bean (sorry, I don't know your name)

SPREAD SHEET EXPLANATION

On the spreadsheet... It's really not hard!

AMPS is the AM Pre-shot test (always test before shooting to make sure they're high enough to give insulin)...then the U column is for "Units" (how much you gave)

The +1, +2, +3, etc are for how many hours since shooting...so +2 is 2 hours after the AM shot, +9 is 9 hour after, etc.....Since we're all over the world here, saying "he was at 148 at 8pm" doesn't tell us anything...we need to know how long since his last shot

At the end of a 12 hour cycle, it's PMPS time! (PM Pre-shot) and the whole thing starts over.

This explanation helped me to understand it. If this one doesn't work for you, tell me and I have another one. We will help you understand it so that you can use it to help us help you and Georgie. ;)
 
OK...the AMPS is the AM Pre-Shot....the test you get before shooting in the morning...PMPS is the PM Pre-shot

You should always test before shooting to make sure they're high enough to give insulin at all

The U column is for Units...so if you shoot 1U, you'd just put 1....if you shot .5, you'd enter .5...etc....

The + columns correspond to how many hours it's been since you shot....so +3 is 3 hours after the shot, +7 is 7 hours after, etc.....all the way up to +11....then it's time for a new cycle so everything starts over!
 
You have enough strips for the pmps test? I would definitely not shoot under 200 but would stall, without feeding and retest. You want to be sure he is rising, not still falling and over 200. If he is under 200 for the preshot and even if he rises, I would definitely shoot less insulin - maybe even 1.5 as you are going into nighttime and you wasn't be testing.

Even if he is higher for the pmps, I would reduce to 2 units. If he is higher, it's probably a bounce from the low number mid cycle.

BTW, spreadsheet looks great!
 
123 is too low to shoot. We suggest new diabetics not get insulin under 200. You can stall without feeding for 20 minutes and retest, to see if he is rising and over 200. But I would guess he will not come up enough and you will need to skip.

In the morning, he will likely be high but I would still reduce the dose. (Because you don't want a repeat of today's cycle with a preshot too low. Ideally you want two shootable preshots daily.)
 
Thank you for that. This thing is new and kinda scary. All of this is such a hard learning curve. It makes me scared to be in charge of a life in this way.
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
123 is too low to shoot. We suggest new diabetics not get insulin under 200. You can stall without feeding for 20 minutes and retest, to see if he is rising and over 200. But I would guess he will not come up enough and you will need to skip. In the morning, he will likely be high but I would still reduce the dose.
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Hi, Georgie's person (& sorry to be late to the party). I absolutely agree with Sue's advice on this, so hope you don' t plan on shooting any insulin into Georgie tonight. (And just think: You'll get a good night's sleep, too!;))

A dose reduction tomorrow @ AMPS is most definitely in order. :)
 
Ah, My name is Aria. In US Mountain time currently. His shot time is 8am/8pm Which was 45 mins ago now.
 
Cool, Aria - we're in the same time zone! I'm up & about by 6:30 a.m. (our usual AMPS), so will be around (@Sue and Oliver (GA) is on Mountain time, too) - will you be posting your AMPS for us in the morning before you dose?
 
I will attempt to for sure. I usually get up later than I should for work so often do not have much time. I will certainly try to be up earlier this time.
 
I will definitely test before a shot. Especially after that first 76 reading and I almost didn't check before it!
 
Georgie said:
I usually get up later than I should for work so often do not have much time. I will certainly try to be up earlier this time.
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Welcome to the world of Feline Diabetes and Sleep Deprivation, Aria!!! ;)

I am a HORRIBLE morning person...I hate them...I even remember being in elementary school and still wide awake at 5am knowing I had to get up at 7 to go to (yuck) school!! When we first started this dance, I figured I could just make China's shot schedule at 11am/11pm since I'm a late night person but it didn't take long for me to realize that when you're alone, stressed out and your cat is running low at night, it's also really hard to sit up until 5am to make sure they're OK!

So I bit the bullet and changed her shot times to 6am/6pm...Yes, I still HATE getting up at 6am, but when I need to leave in the mornings to take my mom to the doctor or something, I can always get a +2 before I have to leave (and that lets me know if I need to leave down some higher carb food to keep her safe or if I need to try to cancel and stay home) and I can always get a +6 at night when cats tend to go lower anyway....and then if I can sleep, I can sleep the rest of the night without worrying what China might be up to!

I've also learned I can get up at 6, test/feed/shoot and usually sneak back to bed...usually without waking up a whole lot....LOL
 
I am very much the same. I used to always work at night but now here in this place I have a day job, early day job at that. I hate it and find it really hard not to go to bed at 2am and super hard to wake up at 6 when I am supposed to. His shot times are at 8 am when I am supposed to leave for work and 8pm so I can still go out at night.. I'm just going to have to test his BG before the 8 o'clock shot time like I did tonight. There seems to be so much more to this stuff than I imagined. My vet did not make it seem so detailed. She was like 2 shots a day 12 hours apart. We will stable the dose eventually. Test once in awhile..... Try to do one all day curve.... blah blah but I had no idea ..
 
That's about the usual advice people get from their vets :(

I can't imagine giving something as potent as insulin without testing....it's too easy to come home to a tragedy that way....you'll develop a routine though and it'll come easier as you learn more about how Georgie responds
 
Nothing to worry about....He's probably going to "bounce"

They "bounce" when the 1. drop too low 2. drop very quickly and 3. drop lower than their body has become used to (or any mix of all 3)....Georgie probably has been living in higher numbers for awhile before you got him diagnosed, so that drop into normal numbers today is something his body isn't used to anymore.

His liver releases stored sugar and hormones to bring him back up to where he's "used to" being....he "bounced"!! It's totally normal (although frustrating) and you just have to ignore the bounce numbers. It can take up to 6 cycles to "clear" a bounce

If he's still headed up at your next test, you can plan on going to bed and getting some sleep!!
 
What is happening is ... his #s are improving. These #s are great on the AlphaTrak meter.
I'd say he does not need a dose this morning - esp. as this BG # you got is AFTER eating.
 
By the way ... the AMPS/ PMPS sequence is: test blood glucose, then feed, then shoot - IF a shot is needed.;)
Just for future reference, ok? Because you're doing really GREAT on the testing!:bighug:
 
I have him scheduled to go to the vet today for a curve too. They said I need to feed him and give him his shot first before bringing him. I agree I do not think he needs a shot but I don't know what to do about it now.

Ok test, feed, shot... Sometimes it is hard for me to deny him his breakfast when he is screaming at me. :)
 
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