I messed up!

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nckitties3

nckitties3

Member Since 2013
I let him try the Sheba food, not thinking that I would be using a different meter, now I don't know what has caused the jump in his numbers. :?
I don't want to up his dose, so I'm going to give him the same dose and check again in 2 hrs maybe?
Suggestions please!
 
ok, so you fed the wrong food. it happens, don't stress.

you don't change the dose because of the food. stick with your same dose and test to see just how high he goes. you may see him high for a couple of cycles until the food is out of the system.

some tricks I used to help regarding food are:

- take a sharpie and write the carb % on each can/container, this will help you to quickly identify what you want
- separate the high carb foods from the low carb, put the high carb foods on a diferent shelf, in a container, in your hypo kit

by doing these two things you will avoid feeding the wrong foods.
 
Its not supposed to be high carb, not according to the info I got. But it was about 2 hrs before his test. AND I was using a blasted TruToGo meter before this test, had no choice, bought the Relion today, cause the meter w/50 strips was cheaper than 25 strips for the TTG and I had heard the TTG was not accurate. I have ordered the ArKray w/strips, but went ahead and bought this for now, plus, if I need a '2nd opinion' so to speak, I will have both. I'm afraid the better #'s he had was due to an inaccurate meter and he's not doing as well as I thought. But he has been so talkative today and even got in the bed with me last night, neither of which he has done since he came home Friday.

Should I test him a couple times during the night, what is a good time? Every couple hours? Shoot, I'll stay up if I have to, I want to know he's alright.
 
Debbie -

Good advice about the food. I think most of the Sheba pates are medium- to low- carb. My other cats have eaten it, but Grayson has not, so I can't tell you definitively.

I do know that Grayson's numbers were all over the board when we first started, then they got stuck in pinks & reds. The fact that you're seeing yellows is great. If you look at any of our early spreadsheets, you'll see we all had ups & downs. Also, Grayson used to get a 30 point food spike from a can of Fancy Feast when we were on ProZinc. Now that we're on Lev, the onset (when the insulin kicks in) is later, so we continue to climb after the shots... for 4 or more hours usually. Some of that is food spike, the rest is part of his curve. I know Lantus usually responds quicker, so you may not see as much of a spike. Unless G is acting oddly, I don't usually test until at least +4.

How's the new meter working out? I've used the ReliOn Ultima and Confirm, but not the new one. Curious to know if you like it better than your other meter. The strips make it really appealing!

Is the testing going pretty smoothly now? Hoping so. Just remember - BREATHE!!! If you can relax a little, so will he!
 
The one I bought is the Prime, don't know is it's the new one or not, it was all my Walmart had in the ReliOn line. According to the info, it is the same as the ArKray I am waiting for, as far as strips, I can use the Prime strips in both, if need be.

As per the info, the food is the same or less carbs than what he has been eating, usually about 5 or 6, but he ate about 2 hrs before the test, he's been fussing at me more often for food today. He had his dinner at 4 pm, then should test at 7:30, shot at 8, my time of course. But he was wanting something about 5:30 so I gave him a little more, not as much as he usually gets. Would that little bit, 2 hrs prior, jump him up that far? I've been so pleased with his numbers yesterday and then to see almost 500, just threw me! He has been so much more 'himself' today.

So if Lantus works quicker, should I test him in a couple hrs or 3 or 4?? I don't want him on a roller coaster, I know that isn't healthy. What should I do tonight?

OH! I like the TrueToGo better, just because the strips slip right in and this one you really have to work at. I thought I was putting it in wrong at first, it was so hard to get it. But I want the one best for him.
 
I think I told you... I was advised to take tests at +5 and +7. See which one was lower. Then next time, test the hours around the lower reading: either +4 and +6, or +6 and +8. This will help you see when his nadir is (lowest reading of the cycle). Then you'll know when you'll need to watch if he goes low down the road. At this point, it's mostly about data collection. I would test as often as you can, without giving up too much sleep, that is!
 
Well, he ate before his shot at 8pm, so I will check him at midnight, should be down some by then, I hope. If not, I'll stay up and catch him a couple more times. Not like I have to go to work! Which would be funny if not so pathetic. But that will work itself out, right now, I just want to do what's best for Lucian.

Thank you so much!

I got the pic of my Lucian! He's a silver boy and normally very handsome, but right now looks a little ill but I hope he'll be better soon.
 
Prime is the new one.

I test, feed and shoot, in that order, within about 5 minutes. If he doesn't have spit-up issues, you should be able to do that. I don't usually feed within 2 hours before shot time. But if you give him something, keep it small. Some people say to feed early in the cycle and then nothing til the next shot time. Others every 6 hours. You'll get the best advice on the Insulin board for Lantus - they've got many more eyes and LOTS more experience than me. Also, because of Grayson's Acromegaly, he's been like a teenage boy,

Also keep in mind that if you get too big of a drop of blood, or if it is too little, you can get a "wonky" reading. Take your time when you're testing to ensure you're consistent from one test to the next. And don't let yourself be interupted. No phone, no anything else. I've messed up a couple of times... actually did everything BUT shoot, cuz I was distracted!

Some folks here have had problems with meters named True... my first meter was from Walgreens, and it was a true something... I ran simultaneous tests with Kim's Accu Chek, and we were off by a few points - and then over a hundred. The ReliOn Confirm (also Arkray) has to have the strips pushed in a little harder as well, but seems to give fairly consistent readings. If you want to look at my spreadsheet, you can see the xxx.xxx readings under another reading. The top is my Accu-Chek Aviva; the left one is the Bayer Contour, and the right one is the ReliOn Confirm. The Bayer is about to be discontinued, so I'm doing meter testing for DCIN (Diabetic Cats in Need) for their fosters to use, and we needed to see how accurate/consistent it is. Just don't freak out when you see Grayson's doses, as I said yesterday, he's insulin-resistent, so it's HUGE< and definitely not something anyone else should do!
 
He's VERY handsome! I don't have any silver ones. A gray tabby, Opie, and then Grayson, and his littermate Ashley (long hair). It took a few months for Grayson's coat to look nice again. Just remember, Rome wasn't built in a day!
 
I'm not sure which ArKray I ordered, but it takes the same strips as the Prime. I figured, in a pinch I can run to Walmart for strips and yes, they are much harder to get in, but both of these are recommended and I want what's best for him.

At shot time, I start getting ready about 7:30, test about 7:40-7:45, then he eats and shot at 8. Don't have it down to 5 mins, it takes longer than that for him to eat! :lol:

It must be hard for your baby, being resistant, I can only imagine.

Normally, he eats about 4pm, then again about 7:45....but he kept fussing and wanting something and I feel bad cause he's sick, but that won't happen again, makes things too confusing. How do you get them to eat on any kind of schedule when they have eaten 'at will' for 15 yrs?? And it seems that they liked the can food for a couple days, but now they are starting to turn their nose up, all of them, which is why I bought the Sheba. Sitting here with my youngest, Patches, in my lap. She MUST be there if I'm on the puter. :smile:

I'm sure Lucian will get back to his handsome self, it will take a while. I lost a black long hair a couple yrs ago to renal failure and it was so sad to see him change. He was 16 and when Lucian's symptoms started I was so afraid it was the same thing. At least you can battle the diabetes, renal failure is an awful thing.
 
Might have found the problem...I was reading the manual that came with the meter, it says, if you get any blood on top of the strip, in addition to what gets sipped up, it can cause an abnormally high reading.......there is a distinct possibility that I may have done that, actually I think I did, I think I moved just slightly and got it on top as I was taking it away from his ear. That would explain the high reading. I'm going to stay up late and do it again at +4 and see what I get and if this happens again, I will immediately do another test to be sure it's actually high or if I messed up. Sensitive little bugger, that meter is!
Keep fingers crossed, it was me and not HIM.

Also, he is bugging me to death, every couple hours, he wants something. And doesn't want whatever I have! I tried holding and loving on him, laying down with him, nothing works, he follows me into the kitchen fussing for something and I'm not giving him anything else! Like I said, he has always eaten whenever he wanted and now he can't and he isn't pleased with that. He has been at it since 9:45 this evening, almost 1.5 hrs, fussing at me for something. I got another 45 min before I test and then I'll try to give him a little chicken.

And I have found out that none of my cats likes flounder.....I cooked a piece for them, for their treat and they won't touch it, not even my feral who eats anything and everything, including salt and vinegar potato chips.
 
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