Itty, 1st dose eatting problem...2

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vansplic

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OK... I am sorry if I am having a newbie moment...

Itty neer returned to her dinner after I poked her. She is very lethargic and wobbling when I make her walk. karo???? is it better to be safe than sorry? I have tried to get a bg read and she has been very patient but I just can't get enough blood yet.
 
how long has it been since the shot? hours or minutes? if hours, could be low bg, rub syrup on her gums. if minutes, doubtful so hold off on the syrup for a few until more eyes get here
 
it has been about an hour since her insulin (1u lantus @ 9pm eastern time). she is a limp noodle in my lap but that is not unusual for her if she is stressed out... which I am sure she is!

the vet tech said something about being able to get blood from the inside of their lip too but I haven't seen anything about that here.

starting to wish I had decided to practice getting bg readings on her sisters while she was at the vet today!
 
I'm newer here and don't know what to tell you, but am bumping the thread to help more eyes notice. Glad you've got the 911 icon. Try and stay calm...I know, easier said than done.

Has Itty ever tested positive for ketones?

What kind of insulin are you using and what dose?
 
the vet tech may have mentioned that because that's how you test a diabetic dog. i've never seen anyone here do it on a cat.

it would be unusual for lantus to kick in that quick but it's possible if her BG was low to begin with that you might be seeing some hypo type behavior. i'd rub just a tad of karo on her gums for safety sake then let's see if we can help you get a BG number
 
If you are unable to test from the ear try her paw pads since she is so limp and try to get a reading this is how I test my cat and maybe you will be able to do this have you been able to get any food into her or a little karo on the gums??
 
Did you see my post on your other thread? I didn't see this one, I'm sorry. I would try again to test her. If you don't get enough blood from your first poke, try poking again close to the first poke. If you are using the lancet pen, try holding it against the ear for the count of 3 after you trigger the lancet...that should make a drop well up better.

It won't hurt her to give some karo syrup if you are nervous. Better safe than sorry!
 
Gave her .3ml of Karo
she is on 1u of Lantus
Yes I saw the other post :-D
and the pen doesn't seem to be working... the lansets are not extending far enough to get out of the pen.
where do I poke the pads?
off to more karo... she seems to be drooling?
 
Have you tried to poke the outer edge of her ear free hand (just lancet, no pen)? That's easiest for me. Rub her ear to make it a little warmer, then kind of flip it inside out and gently pull the top of the ear until it's taught (sp?). Then poke as confidently as you can right along the outer edge. Hesitate for a second or two before pulling it out if you can for a better chance of getting a good drop.
 
vansplic said:
Gave her .3ml of Karo
she is on 1u of Lantus
Yes I saw the other post :-D
and the pen doesn't seem to be working... the lansets are not extending far enough to get out of the pen.
where do I poke the pads?
off to more karo... she seems to be drooling?
Click to expand...

I just freehand the lancets I do not use the lancing device for Do Lou as for where on the pad well I use all areas since I test so much but try for the center it will bleed the best for you probably is she still limp???
 
You can set the lancet pen for depth. Or, you can free hand. I don't use a pen.

And yes, please give more Karo. Try to get a test.

Not to be an alarmist but, how far are you from an emergency vet? Here are hypo symptoms:

MILD HYPOGLYCEMIA
Sudden ravenous hunger
Shivering
Weak or lethargic

MODERATE HYPOGLYCEMIA
Disorientation
Trouble with vision... bumps into furniture
Poor coordination, such as staggering, walking in circles or acting drunk
Changes in head or neck movements
Restlessness
Urgent meowing
Behavioral changes, such as aggressiveness

SEVERE HYPOGLYCEMIA
Convulsions or seizures
Unconsciousness
 
What kind of lancing device are you using? Some allow you to adjust the needle depth. If yours has different settings, try setting it for the middle setting.
 
would you like to talk to someone? don't know if that will help as far as the testing goes but it might in case there's some tip we're missing. i can call you or you can call me. i am going to put my number here for a few minutes until you post again then i will edit it out.

edited to remove number now :)
 
Sienne and Gabby said:
You can set the lancet pen for depth. Or, you can free hand. I don't use a pen.

And yes, please give more Karo. Try to get a test.

Not to be an alarmist but, how far are you from an emergency vet?
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing I think if the cat remains limp and you cannot get a reading you need to get her seen asap I am no vet but I am a vet tech and from what you describe you do not want her to keep getting worse its possible the karo is going to kick in but being limp is certainly not a good sign I do not know your cat or what previous BG readings you have had on her so we do not know what BG she was before you gave the lantus
 
ok, that's good. BG is ok for now.

the next thing though is to figure out if it's from the karo or not. you're gonna have to do more testing tonight, both to figure that out and because the lantus could work for several more hours

i'm gonna go edit out my number now :)
 
130 is not in any way a dangerous BG level. However, it could be a spike from the Karo. That's the good news. The bad news is you're going to do a crash course in home testing! (Sorry!!) So, take a deep breath and eat a piece of chocolate, some ice cream, or any treat you clearly deserve.

You need to get a test in 20 - 30 min. The symptoms you were describing sound a lot like hypoglycemia. We need to see if numbers stabilize or drop. You should probably feed Itty a small amount of food. Is there something your kitty is sure to eat?

One thing to consider. For many of our cats, one ear bleeds better than the other. If you've been testing on one ear, try the other.

Also, are you certain that you gave 1.0u? It should look like the photo in this link.
 
Damn! that is one heck of a way to figure out how to home test!
she is still acting limp and sleepy but that is not entirely unusual for her. Also have our vets home number (e-mailed her after posting) :-D love my vet...

THANK YOU!!!! I never would have figured out the paw pad without you guys!!!!

so now for a true newbie question! How do you get karo out of carpet? :mrgreen:
 
i'd think with all that karo and the stress of paw testing she most likely was too low.
ear testing is only hard at first, but best to keep trying. i really think free hand is easiest.
put a cotton ball of the inside of the ear so you won't prick your finger.
a hypo on the first shot, that is amazing. i want to go back and see what # you shot into.
 
oh yeh, one more thing...

:P to everone who laughed at me for getting a home test kit before picking Itty up! (not anyone here... is there a FDMB term for non-cat humans???)
 
there's only two types of people
cat people
and idiots!

or

there are only two types of people
mommie and not mommie
you are clearly not my mommie

thank god you were'nt waiting for that newbie kit!
 
There are a lot of names for non-cat humans. Some of those names are not appropriate for a "G-rated" Board!

How is Itty's behavior? Has the drooling stopped? Is she acting more like herself? If not, you might want to call your vet just so you get a bit of professional input.
 
Sienne and Gabby said:
130 is not in any way a dangerous BG level. However, it could be a spike from the Karo. That's the good news. The bad news is you're going to do a crash course in home testing! (Sorry!!) So, take a deep breath and eat a piece of chocolate, some ice cream, or any treat you clearly deserve.

You need to get a test in 20 - 30 min. The symptoms you were describing sound a lot like hypoglycemia. We need to see if numbers stabilize or drop. You should probably feed Itty a small amount of food. Is there something your kitty is sure to eat?

One thing to consider. For many of our cats, one ear bleeds better than the other. If you've been testing on one ear, try the other.

Also, are you certain that you gave 1.0u? It should look like the photo in this link.
Click to expand...

This is important...you need to get another test soon. You should also see if you can get Itty to eat something now. If the karo brought her numbers up, she will drop again soon...it's fast acting, but doesn't last. The food will help her keep her numbers up longer.
 
yep, gave the right ammount nailbite_smile
she is still staggering...
is not eating anything I have pu in front of her... several varieties of wet and a can of cooked chicken.
 
vansplic said:
Damn! that is one heck of a way to figure out how to home test!
she is still acting limp and sleepy but that is not entirely unusual for her. Also have our vets home number (e-mailed her after posting) :-D love my vet...

THANK YOU!!!! I never would have figured out the paw pad without you guys!!!!

so now for a true newbie question! How do you get karo out of carpet? :mrgreen:
Click to expand...
If you stay with pad testing rather then ears which I have too since my cat will not let me touch his ears just keep a eye on them for any signs of infection I always worry about this because of the LB I use neosporin cream on his pads after every test just a wee bit and so far after 5 months of hometesting I have had no problems there are not many people here I think that use the pads most use ears
 
vansplic said:
yep, gave the right ammount nailbite_smile
she is still staggering...
is not eating anything I have pu in front of her... several varieties of wet and a can of cooked chicken.
Click to expand...


Do you have anything with gravy most cats will eat that
 
she should not be staggering really. i'd put a call in to the vet and tell her everything....shot.....staggering....karo.....drooling...more karo....got BG....still staggering....won't eat anything

there may be something else going on. not sure if it's possible but what does everyone think about an allergic reaction to the insulin? contaminated insulin? something like that? wasn't there a cat recently (last couple months) that had a bad reaction to lantus? i can't remember the details though

how do kitty's eyes look? like there's someone in there or just zonked out?
 
how long has it been since the shot.
let's start doing
+1
+2
each being an hour since shot given.
you can do +1.5 for 1 and 1/2 hours since shot.
lantus folks, how long before her nadir on a first shot?????
 
cindy i'm thinking she's having a reaction to the lantus. i mean she's not even built a shed yet so it does'nt really make sense does it?
 
she is trying to sleep if mom would quit jabbing her! But she will look at me when I start fussing with her and her eyes appear to be focusing.

I have been using a suringe to get karo in her... should I do the same thing with the gravy from wet food? would that be longer acting???

calling the vet
 
vansplic said:
she is trying to sleep if mom would quit jabbing her! But she will look at me when I start fussing with her and her eyes appear to be focusing.

I have been using a suringe to get karo in her... should I do the same thing with the gravy from wet food? would that be longer acting???

calling the vet
Click to expand...

Let us know what the vet says about her symptoms and I would try to keep track of how much you are giving her in case the vet asks what all she has had
 
OK, shoulda called emergency vets today to make sure they knew about diabetic kitties... I HATE talking to a professional who knows less than me! Especially when I am a newbe!

she is responding to the sound of my opening the wet food (which she did not do earlier) and is starting to "pull herself together" and not be so limp.

she is licking at the gravy a little half heartedly so we are force feeding... which is offending her but she is not having difficulty swallowing.

1st successful BG was 130 @ 10pm, 1hr after insulin
2nd reading was 153 @ 11pm, 2hrs after insulin

just a reminder:
she is on 1 unit lantus at 9am and 9pm
She only weighs 4lbs if that makes a difference.
 
vansplic said:
OK, shoulda called emergency vets today to make sure they knew about diabetic kitties... I HATE talking to a professional who knows less than me! Especially when I am a newbe!

she is responding to the sound of my opening the wet food (which she did not do earlier) and is starting to "pull herself together" and not be so limp.

she is licking at the gravy a little half heartedly so we are force feeding... which is offending her but she is not having difficulty swallowing.

1st successful BG was 130 @ 10pm, 1hr after insulin
2nd reading was 153 @ 11pm, 2hrs after insulin

just a reminder:
she is on 1 unit lantus at 9am and 9pm
She only weighs 4lbs if that makes a difference.
Click to expand...

Sounds like she is doing better what did the vet advise??
 
don't over feed now as you might need her appetite and some room in her belly in another hour or so. she could still go back down.
 
ER vet one... clueless... ER office two is trying to get a vet that knows diabetic kitties. nailbite_smile

she is fighting me now with the wet food and starting to struggle with the testing.

she has gotten a little over 1ml of gravy in her so far and I will keep pushing the gravy and retest at 12 until the vet calls.
 
This is one heck of an intro course!!!! DANG!
Ok nix the gravy for a bit little slow on the terms... read the glossery but it didn't have time to sink in yet... so if I have this right:
+1 130
+2 153
+3 225
 
There is a formula for calculating the starting dose of Lantus: initial dose = 0.25 x ideal weight in kilograms.
I don't know if 4 lbs is Itty's ideal weight but the starting dose, based on the Tight Regulation Protocol would be 0.5u. So, your vet recommended that you give what would amount to double the starting dose.

I did a quick search regarding allergic reactions to Lantus in cats. It looks like there tends to be a localized reaction at the injection site or hives. I didn't find much else.
 
yeah let's not overfeed her now. wait, she may or may not go back down.
well, we got this lesson in how to treat hypo rather early on huh?
 
since she's in the yellow now, can anyone suggest what cam should do in the morning regarding shoot?
 
well, two weeks ago I didn't know cats could be diabetic.

today I learned how to shoot insulin

In the past three hours I have mastered rubbing the belly with one hand while with the other hand:
open the test strips
load tests strips
open lancet
poke a paw
and get a BG

and the other hand only leaves the belly if I have to massage the paw because I am not getting enough.

I think I have learned enough for today! ;-) no other tests or pop quizes please :mrgreen:

still waiting on an ER vet to get back with me.

Guessing I would have lost Itty tonight if it weren't for you guys. THANKS!

BTW... not going anywhere just getting mushy.

Oh, and about tomorrow...
1. she will be tested
2. she will eat most of her breakfast before I shoot/if I shoot

and... I am thinking we will be shooting a .5 if anything. I thought given her weight she might be a micro kitty. OH yeh... can't forget #3... NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE! it is going to be a lot more difficult to get me to not stalk her after this intro!
:mrgreen:

yes... vet gave 1u w/no problem @ 9am. dose 2 was @ 9pm
 
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