Joey's first home test (I did it! I did it!)

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RuthV

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You'd' think I'd scaled Everest. I am so happy to have crossed this hurdle.

I got a reading of 97 at 10:15 am. He got his food and 2 unit shot of Lantus at 8 am. Now I am wondering where to go from here. More testing? I am not sure how much of this he'll endure. I would like to get one tonight just before his 8 pm feeding and shot. If I get another low reading, should I continue to shoot?

The thing is--when he was boarded from Sept 8th thru 14th, he virtually stopped eating.
They gave him an appetite inducer and he had a 213 after he ate on Sept 10th..

On the 11th, he had 144 prior to the 8 am feeding. and 124 at noon and they gave no insulin. When I picked him up, they told me to cut him back to 2 units (he'd been getting three prior to boarding due to a curve they did in mid August. I do not have those figures tho.)

They told me to return in a week for another curve, but I didn't go. Had family problems, I knew he'd hate it and of course 100 dollars looms large right now. I am just not sure of my course of action at this point. The last thing I want is to get yelled at for not returning for the curve and possible they 'll refuse to consult with me if I don't. I feel like I'm about to be held over a barrel.

Thanks for any advice.
 
Ummm did your kitty have any other health issues? I dont want to scare you but 97 is almost a non diabetic number. Do you have any high carb food in the house as I understand lantus takes a while to have an effect.
 
That is a low number to start off with today ....you will need to keep testing to see what Joey's numbers are throughout the day. Do you have high carb canned food with gravy on hand? You might need to feed just the gravy to Joey to get his numbers to rise....and karo syrup or honey will help if he goes too low.

I do hope you come back and update...the insulin will drive the numbers lower possibly....so please test again and post the result, okay?
 
I copied this original post in the thread you started in LL. I am waiting to hear a new BG number and hoping that Ruth will come back to let us know what is going on.
 
Ruth, I know how hard it is to hometest when you first start out, but if you could get a number and let us know how he is, that would be great.

Like others have said, your numbers are low to begin with. I wonder if you might be able to get Joey diet contolled instead of using insulin. But you would need to do some hometesting to try that.

But, for right now, could you get a BG and so we can make sure he doesn't dip too low today.
 
amps - unknown
+2.25 97

hi ruth. congrats on your first test at home!
the others have offered some good advice. it's time to test again. please post the number after you get it.
 
HI ruth GOOD for you!! please post asap on the BG number since lantus is long acting and 97 is non-diabetic.. wouldn't want you to send your kitty into hypo state.. and end up in the ER.. please POST ASAP so the experienced ones on here can help you. :)

paws and meows and kitty "support" sending your way! :)
 
Pat+Raja+Shadow said:
I keep checking for an update....wish you would come back and read all the replies to your post Ruth....
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Sorry but trying to get dh packed for a short-notice trip out of town.

Joey has seemed his usual happy self today.
 
That's great. How do you feel about trying to get a BG? It would be important to know if at shot time he went up or down from where he is now, plus it will help you decide if at shot time you really want to give him a shot.

Some cats do not show signs that the BG is going to low until it's really at a dangerously low number.
 
Hi Ruth. I, too, have been checking your thread, hoping you would return.

I urge you to take the little time it takes to test. That's a low number to be shooting 2 units of lantus without much data on how he's been running on that dose. Lantus is a long acting insulin, so a drop in the BG could occur mid to late in the cycle, possibly, and if you don't test, you may not realize it until the signs are such that you will need to act quickly. Nothing may happen, but it's best to be as safe as possible and that's why hometesting is oh so important. Some not so good things can happen without it.

Please give Joey another test and let us know the number and relative to the last time Joey ate.

Congrats on your first test!
 
tuckers mom said:
Ruth, I know how hard it is to hometest when you first start out, but if you could get a number and let us know how he is, that would be great.

Like others have said, your numbers are low to begin with. I wonder if you might be able to get Joey diet contolled instead of using insulin. But you would need to do some hometesting to try that.

But, for right now, could you get a BG and so we can make sure he doesn't dip too low today.
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________________________________________-----


I tested at 2:15 - got 99.
I posted this before but it didn't show up.

I offered food at 2:30, which is his normal time.

I usually offer food again at 8 pm with a shot. I'll try to test prior to that and post results here. I really appreciate everyone's interest, concern and advice.
 
We've all been new here at one time. We all want what's best for you and for your little man :)

Do post before you give a shot, that would be great if you could.
 
I'm new here and have to say the low number can come in quick. it has happened to me now for the last 3 nights. without the every 3 hrs testing and then closer every 2hr testing I would not have known his BG was dropping from +0 (416) to +2 (202), +4 (52!!).. which has now occurred for 3 days!! If I wasn't awake or not home I don't want to know what would of happened. Keep posting- your doing great. I'm sure the experienced ones here will keep watching your BG numbers.

Paws, meows and kitty purrs sent your way!!
 
Ok--I'll be a little forward here. This is a sketchy situation. 2 units of Lantus is a lot of insulin and it lasts a long time. Those numbers can continue to go down for 12 hours. And usually the first couple days the cat still hovers in whatever high numbers he/she was in when you first started.

Many cats don't show symptoms of a hypoglycemia episode--as mine didn't and when I finally tested her (vets had convinced me that testing often was not only unneccessary but neurotic) she was below 40.

So, I know it's annoying and that we seem over-the-top, but it's based on knowledge of the insulin and how cats react to it.

You've got to test the cat as soon as possible. They do not always show symptoms of being low. And it's highly likely you'll have to lower the dose or not give any shot tonight at all.
 
weeble said:
Ok--I'll be a little forward here. This is a sketchy situation. 2 units of Lantus is a lot of insulin and it lasts a long time. Those numbers can continue to go down for 12 hours. And usually the first couple days the cat still hovers in whatever high numbers he/she was in when you first started.

Many cats don't show symptoms of a hypoglycemia episode--as mine didn't and when I finally tested her (vets had convinced me that testing often was not only unneccessary but neurotic) she was below 40.

So, I know it's annoying and that we seem over-the-top, but it's based on knowledge of the insulin and how cats react to it.

You've got to test the cat as soon as possible. They do not always show symptoms of being low. And it's highly likely you'll have to lower the dose or not give any shot tonight at all.
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I plan to test him again at 7:45, as 8 pm is his next meal and shot. At what number should I NOT give the shot? What is my cutoff point? Or should I just go down to 1 unit? I will offer him food at 8 no matter what.

Then he won't get any food until 8 am tom'w and I of course will try to test him prior. What's my cutoff number then, also?

Thanks for all of you seeing me thru this day. My dh is starting to think that the whole diabetes diagnosis is a big error on the vet's part, with their assumption that no one will be home testing and being in the dark as to the cat's numbers.

I personally think that getting him off the dry food was a huge factor in his low numbers, plus maybe he DID need the Lantus--for a while. WhadduIknow.

I sure hope my glucometer is not in error, but I tested myself and got a 92 which is about par for my course.
 
Hi Ruth,

This is a sticky from the lantus forum which you might find helpful regarding what numbers to shoot.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=147

As said above, lantus has a long duration and those numbers can still drop. I would test again to be safe.

I don't know what your pre-shot number was, so it's hard to tell whether you should have shot at all, shot the regular dose or shot a reduced dose. We also don't have a lot of data on how our kitty has done daily on lantus, since you haven't been testing yet. That's why folks are so concerned. I recall one night a newly dosed kitty going low on .5 units. It can happen.

This is the lantus forum and there are other stickied threads on lantus and how it works, which you might find helpful.

viewforum.php?f=9

The way to determine how much insulin is needed or whether insulin is needed at all is through hometesting. Hometesting also eliminates the common "vet stress" factor which tends to result in elevated levels when the kitty goes to the vet. I used to test Calliope at home before she had to go to the vet, so I could be sure that if a high number came up there, it was due to vet stress rather than her needing insulin again. It's cheaper to test at home, also, in addition to keeping kitties very safe.
 
You really need more data to know what your cat's cutoff number is. There is no solid rule that works for every cat. I would read the stickys up above the main page on the forum, lots of good info there. To really know how the insulin is affecting your cat you need more than just an AM blood sugar check and a PM blood sugar check.


Q4.4. My cat's pre-shot level was way below the usual value. Should I give the injection?


A4.4. There's no hard and fast rule, but if you don't have data on how your cat responds to insulin, here are some general guidelines. Below 150 mg/dl (8.3 mmol/L), don't give insulin. Between 150 and 200 (8.3-11.1 mmol/L), you have three options: a.) give nothing; b.) give a token dose (10-25% of the usual dose); c.) feed as usual, test in a couple of hours, and make a decision based on that value. Above 200 (11.1 mmol/L) but below the cat's normal pre-shot value, a reduced dose might be wise. In all cases, if you are reducing or eliminating insulin, it's wise to check for ketones in the urine. Above the normal pre-shot value, give the usual dose, but if the pre-shot value is consistently elevated, it's a good idea to schedule a full glucose curve to see whether a change in dose or insulin is appropriate. In most cases, the target "peak" value should not be below 100 mg/dl (5.6 mmol/L), and for some cats it might be higher.

Keep in mind that these are general guidelines, and they should be personalized to your own cat's reactions to insulin. If your experience is that your cat does not became hypoglycemic with a dose which is close to her usual, then your experience should be your guide.

Lantus and Levemir users: Because Lantus and Levemir are gentler insulins, you may find that these guidelines are stricter than you need. If you have some data on how your cat responds to insulin, please read Jojo and Jill (Team J)'s guidelines at FDMB (http://www.felinediabetes.com/phorum5/r ... 22,1017956).
 
I just saw the help post in the Lantus ISG and stopped in....looks like everyone is giving you some really good advise. I have to chirp in here and say that I too, believe that 2u of lantus is a lot to start with...and top that off with such a low amps number, more testing would be the best thing to do. If you read this before his pmps, I suggest that you get a test now to see if he is going up or down and then we can see what to do for his pm dose.

Also, it may be a good idea to leave a little bit of food out for Joey to snack on during the evening. If you are worried about him eating it all at once, you can mix some wet food up with some water, freeze it, and put it out right before you are ready to go to sleep. It will thaw in a few hours and Joey will have a snack to eat. Before I got my timed feeder, I used to freeze mine in ice cube trays or the littlest rubbermaid containers with the cranberry lids.

So, I'll be checking in a bit later and see how things are going!
 
It's 8:35 pm. I gave food at 8. I tried three times and cud not get blood. So I decided not to give a shot. He's very wary now, so that's it for today. Either I cudn't find the right spot or the lancet device didn't fire right. This is frustrating.

I'll try again in the morning prior to feeding time.
 
What are you having trouble with? Maybe we can help for tomorrow.

I found it important to have something to poke against - we used a small makeup sponge. Also, be sure to angle in the lancet. Did you take the clear cap off? That always helped me.
 
I use a cotton pad. I warm the ear up by rubbing gently. I place Khan between my legs while I squat over him and reassure him by petting. I have found just using the lancet with the cap off works. I look for the vein on the ear, line it up and go in quick - so I don't jab the lancet too deep. I sort of pinch the area to get the blood drop to show up..very quickly it will. Has worked great the last three nights when the BG numbers were low and I needed a reading rt away. I just put the cotton pad in water and press the cold wet pad to his ear to stop the bleeding. Hope this helps.
 
It's 8:00 am Wednesday. I tried twice - cud get no blood. He's eating right now and I won't give a shot until I can get a reading. I so wanted a bg number, but I think we're both nervous and I'll just have to get us relaxed before I try again. Maybe during our morning grooming session.....
 
Ruth, congrats on getting that first test, I knew you could do it! :-D

Sometimes it looks like the lancet didn't poke because no blood shows up, but then it starts to bleed when you bend the ear back. I poke on the inside of the ear, and gently fold the ear back so the blood drop is at the top of the fold...helps encourage bleeding, and makes it easy to see and get the blood to sip into the strip.

What size lancets are you using? I use 31 gauge, but many people use lower gauge lancets because they say it gets the ear to bleed more.

You are doing great, keep trying! You'll figure out what works best for you if you just keep trying different things!
 
We are here for you! Relaxing is really the key. Joey can feel your anxiety and is picking up on it. Eventually you will get used to doing the testing and it will come as second nature. I timed myself last night....alarm woke me up at 1 am....got up, gave Spot his test, went out to the kitchen and opened his timed feeder, went to the bathroom, and was back in bed by 1:06 am. Like clockwork....easy peasy. You will get there too!!!
When I was teaching my mom (75 years old) to test Spot, I had her hold him throughout the day, take the lancet devise w/o the lancet, and had her kind of practice doing the test. This way it got her and Spot used to her doing it (Spot is a one cat type of man, isn't nasty with others, but prefers his me, lol). Maybe this will help both you and Joey get used to a routine...
Good luck on your next testing try!
 
Deb & Spot said:
We are here for you! Relaxing is really the key. Joey can feel your anxiety and is picking up on it. Eventually you will get used to doing the testing and it will come as second nature. I timed myself last night....alarm woke me up at 1 am....got up, gave Spot his test, went out to the kitchen and opened his timed feeder, went to the bathroom, and was back in bed by 1:06 am. Like clockwork....easy peasy. You will get there too!!!
When I was teaching my mom (75 years old) to test Spot, I had her hold him throughout the day, take the lancet devise w/o the lancet, and had her kind of practice doing the test. This way it got her and Spot used to her doing it (Spot is a one cat type of man, isn't nasty with others, but prefers his me, lol). Maybe this will help both you and Joey get used to a routine...
Good luck on your next testing try!
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I just tried again around 10:30 - he escaped from his burrito towel. I gave him the treat anyway, tho.

ONE TIP I learned - I painted a band of bright nail polish around the clear cap of that firing device - I kept mislaying it which added to the frustration. Hope this tip helps others.

(I painted the clear tip of my Tweezerman tweezers too - kept losing it on the vanity. Btw, BEST tweezers ont eh market, girls.)
 
Ugh, I totally sympathize. I really was terrible at this in the beginning and I'm still not great. The key too success is really twofold: relax and take your time, and heat, heat, heat those chilly ears.

When I started to panic, so did she. When I didn't panic but was still unsuccessful (pricking her ear multiple times) she sat there like it was nothing. I used a little water bottle with hot water that fit perfectly in the curve of her ear. Sometimes I just pet her ears for 5 minutes. I also found that a tightly folded square of toilet paper behind the ear under the lancet was better than a cotton ball or a paper towel since it provided more stiffness and support. Then again, maybe it's my cheap, not fluffy toilet paper. So anything that provides support...

Also, what number is the device on? I started out trying the 3, but soon realized that the 4 actually worked better. Also, if you prick a couple times without success, change the lancet; it gets dull and will start to hurt and won't work as well.

So, start early. Like 20 minutes before shot time so you don't feel rushed. Take your time, take a break if you need to and go back and try again. You'll find a routine that works for you.

Good luck!
 
Sue and Oliver said:
Ruth,

Another alternative until you get the routine down is the clothespin trick, to keep him in place while you do the poke. It mimics the way the mother cat carries the kitty by the scruff of the neck. Lots of people use it at first and then once it becomes routine, they don't need it anymore: http://www.felinecrf.org/giving_sub-qs_ ... _peg_trick
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(expression of shock and amazement) Oh, yes!! The ol' Mother Cat trick. I use it all the time when I want to settle him down for a groom. I'll try it. Thanks.
 
Sue and Oliver said:
What are you having trouble with? Maybe we can help for tomorrow.

I found it important to have something to poke against - we used a small makeup sponge. Also, be sure to angle in the lancet. Did you take the clear cap off? That always helped me.
Click to expand...


Thursday morning: I tried three times last night and twice this morning. Either the lancet is not piercing the skin enough, or it's just not hitting the right location. I KNOW he's feeling it, as he's flinching now.
I fed him at 8 am and no shot. I'll try again later. Going to watch those videos again.i I feel like a dope. DH is out of town, or else I think he'd be willing to help me now. He has seen me try, but would rather not let Joey associate him with this task.

I have been using the sponge. I've rubbed the ear, gave it the hot breath treatment, bent it back and forth....
he doesn't like the warm sock.

Anyway, his appetite is perfecto, and he's using the box normally. Not lethargic either.
 
Ruth,

Sorry you are struggling. It does take awhile to get confident in your technique and get blood every time. It will happen!

Would you like to see if anyone on the board lives close by and might come help? If you post your city and state, we might have someone near you.

What size lancet are you using? In the beginning, it helps to use the larger sizes - smaller numbers are larger sizes so 29 maybe. And don't be afraid at first to poke in the same place more than once - quickly once/twice. Have you milked the ear after poking? On either side of the poke, push gently toward the "hole" to get the blood up.
 
Forgive me for asking if the question has already been asked and answered, but where are you located? Perhaps we can get another member of the board to come over and give you a hand??

Glad to see that Joey is feeling good, tho :-D
 
Deb & Spot said:
Forgive me for asking if the question has already been asked and answered, but where are you located? Perhaps we can get another member of the board to come over and give you a hand??

Glad to see that Joey is feeling good, tho :-D
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North central Florida.
 
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