I'm back- new diabetic

[Kait & Peanut]

I posted before about Peanut. Turns out, he is diabetic after all. He also has aids. The vet wants to focus on his diabetes first as his test showed he was very diabetic. I think the test he is talking about was the Fructosamine test. He said it was 340. His urine also had elevated glucose and bun was 50. This what the vet told me.

So he went to the vet this morning to get his first insulin shot. He gave Peanut 2 units of prozinc. I told him I was doing home monitoring with a human glucometer and Peanut had tested at 202 that morning before breakfast or insulin. The vet then changed my instructions to 1 unit twice a day. He also gave Peanut a fluid hump for dehydration.

Peanut has been doing amazingly well today. I just gave him his insulin for my very first time, 1 unit while he was eating at 9pm est. He didn't even care. I was terrified. It went really well, assuming I did it right. Before his 9pm meal and insulin, he tested at 236.

Now I'm just wondering what I need to be recording, when to test on his little ear, and I keep reading about curves, but I haven't really figured that out yet.

Basically, I'm hoping I'm doing this right and I would love some recording tips or whatever else I should know. Also, how do you properly poke their little ears for testing? My cat is hating that more than anything else. We're doing it, but he's not thrilled.

Thanks!

 

[FurBabiesMama]

vet wants to focus on his diabetes first as his test showed he was very diabetic. I think the test he is talking about was the Fructosamine test. He said it was 340.

That must be a blood glucose test result. That would not be too bad for a fructosamine result. The normal range from the lab that did Mia's is 191-349.

Now I'm just wondering what I need to be recording, when to test on his little ear, and I keep reading about curves, but I haven't really figured that out yet.

You will want to test before every insulin shot then get tests in as you can during the mid-cycle to see what impact the insulin is having. A curve means that you test before a shot then every two hours from that point until the next pre-shot test. It is called a curve because you normally should see the glucose level start higher then go down - the lowest point is known as nadir - then start to go back up so that it is higher again by the next pre-shot test. If that was put on a chart, the chart line should look like a curve, like a smile. That is something you may want to do after Peanut has been on an insulin does a few days to evaluate how he is doing on the dose, especially if you are not normally able to do much mid-cycle testing. (By the way, a 'cycle' means the time from one insulin shot to the next one.)

You will want to record all of your glucose test results in the spreadsheet as well as what insulin dose you give and any other notes you want to keep (such as out-of-the-ordinary behavior, changes in appetite, etc.). If you do not already have this, here are instructions for the spreadsheet as well as info on understanding it:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/

Could you please update your signature to include what kind of insulin Peanut is getting? A link to the spreadsheet should be added once you have that, too.

how do you properly poke their little ears for testing?

Here is a link with info about how to test: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
@JanetNJ has a video in her signature of testing her cat. A lot of people find it very helpful.

 

[JanetNJ]

Welcome

 

[Marie&HerCats RUSTY]

Hi I'm sort of a newbie, 2 months but its taken me a bit to make sense of all the tools and advice in this wonderful forum. So,here are my 2 cents
Watch JanetNJ's video
Read how to create a spreadsheet
Create a spreadsheet and add it to your "signature"
Practice!
I have some learning issues so I still struggle wth the spreadsheet and inputting correctly but I do have the hang of it now. I was SO intimidated and overwhelmed.
This forum & its members are amazing

 

[Kait & Peanut]

I think I've got his spreadsheet set up properly now. He's on prozinc. I added that info to my signature.

I thought he was doing well today, but he still had a minor pee accident and went in front of the litterbox. He just started prozinc yesterday morning when the vet showed me how to inject him.

I'm so proud of him for being so brave, and I'm proud of myself for giving him his shots even though I'm afraid of it. I love this forum!

 

[JanetNJ]

I think I've got his spreadsheet set up properly now. He's on prozinc. I added that info to my signature.

I thought he was doing well today, but he still had a minor pee accident and went in front of the litterbox. He just started prozinc yesterday morning when the vet showed me how to inject him.

I'm so proud of him for being so brave, and I'm proud of myself for giving him his shots even though I'm afraid of it. I love this forum!

Good job!

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

 

[Idjit's mom]

Doing very well, most of us started out scared too. It gets easier.