Just started glucose meter testing and have ????

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olivia1173 said:
167. I'm good to not give a shot....right? I'm nervous!!!!
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olivia1173 said:
He did not want dinner...just some cuddles! I'm so bad at getting blood from his ears...they are like Swiss cheese right now. Poor guy!
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Well, then it's especially good that you can give his little ears a break overnight.:) You might try to give him a little something to eat before you go to bed ...

For tomorrow morning: Test at his usual pre-shot time; if you're above 200 (which I'm assuming he will be by then) go ahead & feed him his usual meal, then shoot: I'd recommend going down to 0.5U (like where your vet had started him on 8/18), then get a mid cycle # or two, around +4 to +6. If you see him start to drop below 80 on your AT2 meter, give him a little (about .75 oz.) - that's about 2/8ths of a can of FF - then recheck him in 15 to 20 minutes. I think he'll do much better for you tomorrow at the reduced dose. At least this is what I would do if this was my cat. I would rather see him run a little higher than too low again until we see how he does at a lower dose.

P.S. You've handled all of this so well today; I'm really proud of you!:bighug:
 
Robin&BB said:
Well, then it's especially good that you can give his little ears a break overnight.:) You might try to give him a little something to eat before you go to bed ...

For tomorrow morning: Test at his usual pre-shot time; if you're above 200 (which I'm assuming he will be by then) go ahead & feed him his usual meal, then shoot: I'd recommend going down to 0.5U (like where your vet had started him on 8/18), then get a mid cycle # or two, around +4 to +6. If you see him start to drop below 80 on your AT2 meter, give him a little (about .75 oz.) - that's about 2/8ths of a can of FF - then recheck him in 15 to 20 minutes. I think he'll do much better for you tomorrow at the reduced dose. At least this is what I would do if this was my cat. I would rather see him run a little higher than too low again until we see how he does at a lower dose.

P.S. You've handled all of this so well today; I'm really proud of you!:bighug:
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Ok...this is the plan for tomorrow! I will let you know how it goes.
 
And don't worry - his ears will "toughen up" some over time. It's really more like a mosquito bite to a kitty, because there are few nerve endings in the edges of the ears - not at all like when we prick one of our fingertips! But I know it's hard at the beginning, when you're worried that you may be making your kitty uncomfortable. But trust me: They really do get used to the routine. And all the cuddles after testing are a very good thing. Give Bubba an extra scritch under the chin for me & tell him I think he's a real trooper. (And that Bat-Bat thinks he's a hottie!:D:cat:)
 
olivia1173 said:
I'm so bad at getting blood from his ears...they are like Swiss cheese right now. Poor guy!
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Have you got some Neosporin with pain relief ointment?? A little dab can really help heal those ears as well as providing a little extra relief from any little stings he might be feeling (but it's true...there really aren't many pain receptors in the edges of their ears)

The ointment can also help by getting the blood drop to "bead up" (like oil and water)....just a thin film is enough
 
Ok...tested at 8am (normally begin feeding cats at 830 for a 9am shot). And his number is 167!!!!! I'm sure it's because he didn't eat much last night but he was hungry this morning.

So....he just ate a little...I will test at 930-10am and see where he's at.
 
Hi Olivia ~ it could be very well be because he didn't eat last night. When the number is that close to 200 you can also stall 20 minutes without feeding and retest. Sometime, you might have to stall without food for several 20 minute cycles before you can shoot. If he is 200 or above you can shoot. Glad he is eating.
 
Did not eat very much....did his normal lick it and take a bite or two. I just tested him again and he is at 86. What the heck is going on???
 
olivia1173 said:
Did not eat very much....did his normal lick it and take a bite or two. I just tested him again and he is at 86. What the heck is going on???
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This may have been a bad test (it happens sometimes). Please recheck now, using his other ear.
 
Ok, you're going to skip his dose this cycle, as he's not going to rise for you. I want you to feed him, though - don't overfeed, just see if he'll go ahead and eat his usual meal. As he has no insulin in his system right now, that 80 BG is NOT a danger. Actually, that's a darned good number, given that he's off insulin since yesterday morning!

ETA: And my next question is: How's his behavior in general? Is he peeing/ pooping/ purring/ playing/ preening (bathing himself) as usual?
 
Cleaning himself in his chair and purring when I pet him...he seemed tired this morning....he usually wakes me up for food but this morning I was worried about him so I woke up early and went looking for him. Then he ate like normal and went to his chair in the sunroom....everything very normal other than the early morning wake up call.

Should I put down the food I know he will eat (ff dry) or the grain free food he only eats when starving?
 
Are both foods you're talking about here dry food formulas? Can you give me the Fancy Feast dry formula name on the bag, as well as the name on the grain free that you're mentioning?
 
So does Bubba not like canned food? Is he what you'd call a "dry food addict?" (As some cats can be ...)
 
Yes...he is a dry food addict. He will lick the canned stuff but rarely eats it unless it's one of the broth kinds which I was told are not good.
 
I have a question: Are you at home with your kitties most of the time? (i.e., not working outside the home, I mean, where you'd have a less flexible schedule in your life ...)
 
I am at home. I free feed because I worked outside the home for 12 years of our cats life so now they are just used to having food there all the time. Since bubbas diagnosis I have switched to grain free dry and I put cans down for him when he begs. Making sure that he has eaten something before his shots.
 
Sorry ... really long post ahead here!;)
olivia1173 said:
I free feed because I worked outside the home for 12 years of our cats life so now they are just used to having food there all the time.
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I understand, Olivia, I really do! My cat used to be a dry-food addict, too. Bat-Bat was free-feeding for almost 10 years, mainly because (if I'm totally honest with myself about it:oops:) it was just a heck of a lot more convenient for me, given my very busy schedule over those years ...

I am now firmly convinced that free-feeding her almost 100% dry kibble was a big factor in her developing diabetes, and Bat-Bat had ballooned up to 18 lbs.:eek: (Her optimum weight is 11 lbs; she's pretty big-boned & long, for a female cat.)

So then I started trying to slow my chow-hound, dry-food-addicted kitty down on the eating, & cut back on her dry rations some: Used a "kibble ball" (she had to play with it/get exercise in order to retrieve the dry kibble bits inside), and even a bought a special bowl that looked like a flying saucer (she had to dig the dry kibble out of various holes in her "spaceship" in order to eat it).

When she'd lost a lot of weight over time, at first I was relieved ... until I found out that the reason she'd lost all that weight (oops, down to about 9.5 lbs!) was because she was - by then - severely diabetic.:arghh:

I have attached two documents here: Both are by veterinarian Dr. Lisa Pierson, who is known as one of the foremost experts on healthy eating habits for cats in general - and on the whys/hows of feeding of diabetic cats in particular! One is a food chart for your reference - there are so many, many choices in low-carb canned foods.
(I feel confident that you'll eventually find some on that list that Bubba ends up loving!) :cat:

The other doc provides great tips for transitioning dry-food addicts to wet/canned foods - I strongly encourage you to read this. (And yep - it usually does take some time!:rolleyes:)

Olivia, I know that having a diabetic kitty in the household is stressful:nailbiting: and overwhelming:(. Believe me, everyone here knows the kinds of feelings you've been having since being told that your kitty has diabetes. (There were days, in the beginning, when I just wanted to crawl into my bed and cry!)
Some of the changes/challenges we face in learning to treat our sugar-kitties effectively can feel really daunting at first, but it's all "do-able" - just ask anybody here! Please know for sure that all of us @ FDMB "have your back" ... we're here to support you; to cheer you on and to help ensure your success in treating Bubba.

Let me know how Bubba's eating for you today (as we definitely want him to eat) and please avoid that two-hour window before his p.m. pre-shot time, as we want him to be hungry so that he'll eat right before he gets another shot of insulin. Tonight, if he's around the 160's when you test at shot-time, WITHHOLD FOOD, wait another 15-20 minutes and test his BG again to see if it will rise on its own while he's anticipating his dinner. This may take 2-3 rounds of withholding food & retesting before his BG rises. (It has taken me up to an hour of that routine sometimes to get my girl's BG to rise all on its own.)

As to why he had to skip a dose again this morning: It may be that his body is still recovering from too high a dose yesterday morning & the resulting deep BG drop mid-cycle; it could even be that his pancreas is actually starting to kick in. (Wouldn't that be great!:))

Time and careful monitoring over the next few days will start providing you some clearer direction. (Am I correct in assuming that your vet didn't give you much in the way of instructions when he started Bubba on insulin, except to tell you to bring him in for those BG curves in-office?)

:bighug::bighug::bighug: - Robin (P.S. Please don't forget to put up a shout-out thread on the Main Forum if you need help getting a spreadsheet up & running; unfortunately, I'm of no use there - I needed a lot of help with that, too!:rolleyes:)
 

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Great info...thanks again Robin.

The free feeding is totally out of convenience for me. Bubba has always been a food hog and when I would feed them all at the same time (wet) he would literally push the others out of the way and lick theirs (then they wouldn't eat it). I tried lots of different methods for correcting this and the easiest was to put lots of wet food down in different rooms and hope for the best (I have 4 very fussy cats). Then I left a small bowl of dry food in case they didn't like what I put down.

Bubba did eat again shortly after my last post. Now his normal routine is to sleep for a good portion of the day.

You are correct...my vet gave me ZERO information! Just to keep doing these curves at the office until we get the dose correct.

I'm going to pray that his pancrease is kicking in.

I will give this info a read when I get a second.
 
Boy, except for you having more than one cat, your feeding situation with Bubba sounds so much like mine had been!!! Before our dear old dog, Glassy passed away 4 years ago (age 17, liver cancer), I'd actually catch Bat-Bat trying to steal HER food, too - we ended up having to feed poor Glassy outdoors!

One thing I've come to face about myself: I allowed Bat-Bat to turn into a "finicky" dry-food addict. I realize now that cats are a lot like young children: They can be taught - via our own habits/reactions in dealing with their behaviors - to be pretty darned bratty. Did Bat-Bat like having to be fed on a schedule? Heck, no! Did she yowl at me & follow me around, begging for more food, a lot of the time? You bet'cha! But I held my ground, even though it was really hard and resulted - at first - in some skipped insulin doses that I would have preferred not to have skipped ... but if she wasn't eating at preshot time, I was afraid of the insulin making her crash hard later. Putting our kitties on a schedule to eat - whether those total daily rations (based on each cat's optimum weight) are divided up into two meals a day or four meals a day (whatever works) - ultimately makes your life easier ... and the cats end up healthier, too!

If Bat didn't eat her scheduled meal within 45 min to an hour after I set it down, it got removed until the next scheduled meal time, regardless of how mad she was at not being allowed to free-feed anymore. She really rioted, but I forced myself to hang tight to my resolve to get her eating habits turned around. Portion control is an important part of keeping a diabetic cat regulated, too - and for maintaining that kitty's healthy weight. (I was actually weighing Bat-Bat every day for a while; now I generally weigh her only once a week, since her daily rations are carefully measured.)

What I found out: My cat really was not going to starve herself to death because I was transitioning her over to canned foods & a onto tighter feeding schedule; changing those old eating habits didn't harm her one bit! (Even though she wanted me to believe I was totally torturing her. You should have heard the racket she made around here for awhile - yikes, some days I thought I'd lose my mind!)

Anyway ... enjoy reading Dr. Pierson's tips & I'll check in with you later on. :bighug:
 
olivia1173 said:
Great info...thanks again Robin.

The free feeding is totally out of convenience for me. Bubba has always been a food hog and when I would feed them all at the same time (wet) he would literally push the others out of the way and lick theirs (then they wouldn't eat it). I tried lots of different methods for correcting this and the easiest was to put lots of wet food down in different rooms and hope for the best (I have 4 very fussy cats). Then I left a small bowl of dry food in case they didn't like what I put down.

Bubba did eat again shortly after my last post. Now his normal routine is to sleep for a good portion of the day.

You are correct...my vet gave me ZERO information! Just to keep doing these curves at the office until we get the dose correct.

I'm going to pray that his pancrease is kicking in.

I will give this info a read when I get a second.
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Olivia, my Bubba is part hog too, which is probably how he got to be a diabetic. He also ate dry food too, which I quickly stopped after his diabetic DX. Robin really helped me with the feeding schedule thing too. With our kitties grazing all day, it is impossible to find the nadir of their schedule. Your Bubba will probably cry a bit too at first but it did not take long for my Bubba to realize that momma bear meant business. Also, since he is a food hound too, you might want to isolate him in another room away from the other cats. Whenever I get lacks and think I can feed my two cats side by side, Bubba , my Bubba,(Red Bubba) quickly reminds me that he will scarf down Forrest's food in a heart beat if I turn my back. Geez.......:( Cats are very territorial with their food source it turns out. And, It turned out that it was a matter of me sticking to a routine that was in everyone's best interest. I understand your dilemma.
 
I totally agree that they are like toddlers...bubba was used to even eating off my plate at dinner time which caused all sorts of problems! He would watch you eat and try to swat the food as you ate! We broke him of that habit many years ago but he has always been very territorial when it comes to food.

He never eats the whole can of food....just licks it to death and walks away...then he wants a fresh can in a few hours. I feel guilty so I open a fresh can and it all starts again.

I will do the reading and figure out a plan. I feel like I've done nothing but research and read for the last month but I'm beginning to get a clear picture of what needs to be done.
 
My Smokey is a big fluffy hog. My two civvies knew when to stop eating. Smokey doesn't. No free feeding in this house. If the two civvies miss the mealtime. Oh well they wait till next time (wish I followed the rule for myself) lol. They are fed at 7am, +3, +6 then they all sleep and meals start again at 7pm, +3, +6. Smokey gets boiled chicken at the 3 & 6 times. Seems to be working.
 
olivia1173 said:
He never eats the whole can of food....just licks it to death and walks away...then he wants a fresh can in a few hours. I feel guilty so I open a fresh can and it all starts again.
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If you're guilty, you're in good company!! I think we all have life sentences! China only likes the "wettest" part of the food, which usually lasts about half a can of Fancy Feast...after that, you'd think I was trying to get her to eat chalk......so the civvies get the leftovers and China gets a fresh can!!

But seriously...if he likes the "wet part", you could try adding a little warm water to each serving...a lot of times it'll help get them to eat a little more...and the extra water is great for their kidneys
 
olivia1173 said:
I totally agree that they are like toddlers...bubba was used to even eating off my plate at dinner time which caused all sorts of problems! He would watch you eat and try to swat the food as you ate!
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Bobbie And Bubba said:
Red Bubba, stands on his hind legs while we are eating and tries to swat food off my plate too!, so oh, I know what you are going through!
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woodsywife said:
My Smokey is a big fluffy hog. My two civvies knew when to stop eating. Smokey doesn't.
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Chris & China said:
If you're guilty, you're in good company!! I think we all have life sentences! China only likes the "wettest" part of the food, which usually lasts about half a can of Fancy Feast...after that, you'd think I was trying to get her to eat chalk......so the civvies get the leftovers and China gets a fresh can!!
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Wow! Only goes to show: We all have LOTS in common in dealing with our sugar-kitties! Sure does help to know we're definitely not alone in dealing with things like this, doesn't it?
 
Gotta tell you, Olivia ... from here it's looking like Bubba may actually be going for yet another skip tonight, as he's hanging in with some really marvelous a.m. & p.m. BG #s! As long as he's eating for you and the 5 P's are fine (peeing/pooping/purring/playing/preening), I'd say: Count your blessings! Go, Bubba, go!!!:D
 
Yes...he ate fine today. I did the normal open a can when he cries for food (4 cans total...mostly licking)...also left the grain free dry down for him today.

So next steps.....test again in about an hour? Can I feed him now?
 
What you need to know: After the first BG am/pm test, you withhold food & test again in about 15-20 minutes after the first test. But I really don't think he's going to rise enough for you to warrant a dose. Can you go ahead and do a recheck right now with the other ear to confirm his low #?
 
Spinning for joy, I hope? Because tonight is most definitely a skip-the-dose night! Go ahead & feed him his usual dinner meal. And you'll be able to get a good night's sleep, Bubba's ears will get a break & just test him again in the morning at the usual pre-shot time.:)
 
It's looking very nice for Bubba. What a testimony for home testing rather than the vet's office where our kitties are so stressed and resulting in higher numbers and higher doses based on those numbers. Good job Olivia!
 
olivia1173 said:
Yes...very happy! he is eating now....he is really sick of me touching his ears....I swear he is giving me the evil eye!
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Oh, I know! Although Bat-Bat is generally good about her ear pokes, every time I have to pick her up to put her on the chair to "assume the position" she makes this little tiny "reh"-type meow; her own little brand of complaint which makes me think she's saying, "Oh, crap .. THAT again ..."
 
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