Just started glucose meter testing and have ????

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Thanks....I'm so excited but trying not to get my hopes too high. I'm just feeling a lot of guilt for not texting earlier.
 
I know!!!! I'm not changing anything! Leaving grain free dry down all day and feeding him cans when he wants them.
 
olivia1173 said:
Thanks....I'm so excited but trying not to get my hopes too high. I'm just feeling a lot of guilt for not texting earlier.
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Olivia, I am just SO excited for you & Bubba!!! Just keep on keepin' on: Testing at the usual AM & PM shot times, and we will all be keeping our fingers, toes & paws crossed that he keeps on showing you these GREAT numbers - it may just be that his pancreas woke up, big time. Wow.

Really can't tell you enough how thrilled I was when I woke up & saw he'd had yet another beautiful number this morning! So now I can hardly wait until Bubba's pm test time ... :bighug:
 
Me too!! I had totally braced myself that yesterday was an anomaly but I could tell when he tried to knock me down for food this morning that he was feeling good.

My vet told me that it was rare to have a "recovery" and not to get my hopes up but I promised bubba in the car on the way home that we would figure this thing out and one way or another get him healthy! I'm truly kicking myself for not testing earlier...I felt bad that we were poking him with a needle so the idea of poking his ear made me so upset. I knew something was wrong when after I would give him his morning shot he would be so tired and sometimes vomit. I would tell the vet and we would do another curve at her office and each time they would up the dose! The last time I was at the vet she wanted me to start doing 2 units....I held off after some advice from this board...thank God! In my gut I think he was getting back to normal with just switching foods and eliminating treats and the insulin was too much.

I'm praying that he continues to heal and that his pancrease is indeed waking up. I will post his evening numbers!

I truly can not thank this board enough for the support!!
 
olivia1173 said:
I felt bad that we were poking him with a needle so the idea of poking his ear made me so upset. I knew something was wrong when after I would give him his morning shot he would be so tired and sometimes vomit. I would tell the vet and we would do another curve at her office and each time they would up the dose! The last time I was at the vet she wanted me to start doing 2 units....I held off after some advice from this board...thank God! In my gut I think he was getting back to normal with just switching foods and eliminating treats and the insulin was too much.
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Unfortunately, Olivia, your experience in working with your vet is not at all uncommon! Perhaps part of the problem is that most veterinarians - just like so many humans' physicians - are so darned busy & overbooked with patients that they simply don't have the time to read up on the latest trends in treating feline diabetes (such as the effectiveness of home BG monitoring). I would imagine that a lot of them just go by what they'd been taught back in vet school (i.e., after DM diagnosis, prescribe insulin, have patient brought regularly in for in-clinic BG curves, fructosamine tests, etc.) - and they leave it at that.

When Bat-Bat was first dx'd in 2013, even though my first vet (a truly caring professional with good intentions) had read that Lantus was a great choice for a newly diagnosed cat, he sent us home with the insulin, prescription canned & dry food (both turned out to be way too high in carbs:rolleyes:) and a Lantus dose based on a single in-office BG reading. He did tell me he'd "like" to get me started on checking her BGs @ home; however, he had me dosing her for the first 3 weeks without home BG tests; had me come in after that with my newly delivered Alpha Trak2, then showed me how to test her. I ended up finding Dr. Rand's tight regulation protocols for Lantus on my own via a Google search, and was a good darned thing I did: Turned out I had been shooting her at some dangerously low numbers (too scary to report here). After reading through Dr. Rand's dosing protocols, I immediately called him up and said, "Hey! I think her does is too high ..." He'd never given me a "no-shot" BG #, nor did he have me checking for a nadir, either. And having never had a diabetic cat before, I didn't know to ask about anything like that on the day she was diagnosed!

In my (imaginary) perfect world, a vet seeing a cat that tests with a single high BG # in-office (assuming the cat had no other health problems, tested negative for ketones and the BG test was not alarmingly high) would send the patient and caretaker back home with instructions on immediate in-home BG testing prior to AM/PM mealtimes, with advice to transition to a lower-carb food (if cat's been eating high-carb), daily ketone tests and monitoring water-drinking/ urine output for the next several days. Then - if BGs aren't dropping to within normal limits - return for insulin and dosing instructions. I think that might result in more accuracy when a vet's trying to determine a starting insulin dose; and in some cases - where cats have extreme stress reactions at a vet clinic - it may even turn out that a diet change alone is enough to drop the cat's BG levels back into normal range.

Looking back on that first go-round with Bat-Bat's diabetes, I wish I had not hesitated to consult with the experienced folk here at FDMB --- as when Bat-Bat fell out of remission last February, I quickly discovered what a wealth of good advice and caring support exists among the membership here.
And it turned out that my current vet loves the spreadsheet that @Sue and Oliver (GA) and @BJM got me set up with; said this tool makes it so easy for him to track her progress!

And speaking of spreadsheets, I want to copy something here that @Carl & Polly & Bob (GA) wrote not long ago; I think this was pretty darned wise advice:
Carl & Polly & Bob (GA) said:
Instead of looking at specific numbers, back away from your spreadsheet and look at colors. They reveal trends. And trends tell you more than any specific numbers will tell you:

- If the trend is that the numbers are improving, the dose is probably a good one.
- If the numbers aren't trending any better, then you probably need more juice.
- If the numbers go down too far, you might want to cut back on the dose a little bit.
- If there are more colored blocks on your spreadsheet than blank ones, then you probably need to put the meter down and find a hobby.
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Not that there aren't times when someone needs to do a full curve, or test more frequently at some times than at other times, but I think maybe what Carl was saying there was: Avoid becoming obsessed with the numbers; watch those trends. Because it's true: Your cat is more than a BG number. Over time, I learned to relax. While I remain vigilant now, as I learned (the hard way) not to take for granted that Bat-Bat would stay in remission, I don't make myself crazy anymore if I see an occasional higher-than-usual BG#. Olivia, you may not ever need to set up a spreadsheet for Bubba; he sure is doing fantastically right now! But if it were to turn out later on that you decide to use one, I think that - just over the past several days - you've already realized that trusting your gut instincts, along with sensible home testing habits and watching the "Five P's," can combine beautifully to help you restore your kitty to a healthy, happy state!

And on that note, I'll end this post - and eagerly await your report on Bubba's evening test! (Fingers & toes still crossed.)
 
Ok...so I put the food up 2 hours before test time like normal but my newly perky cat jumped up on the counter to get to the food. Higher than he has jumped in 8 months I might add...I think that speaks to his new found energy!

First test was 90
Waited 15 minutes tested other ear
92

Just given his previous numbers I think it's pretty clear he ate....are these numbers still ok? Typically he goes down after he eats...you don't think he will go too far down do you?
 
Since he hasn't had any insulin recently, I wouldn't think he would go too low. Normal for a cat is 60-120. Maybe just to ease your worry, give him a test before you head off to bed.
 
Robin&BB said:
Unfortunately, Olivia, your experience in working with your vet is not at all uncommon! Perhaps part of the problem is that most veterinarians - just like so many humans' physicians - are so darned busy & overbooked with patients that they simply don't have the time to read up on the latest trends in treating feline diabetes (such as the effectiveness of home BG monitoring). I would imagine that a lot of them just go by what they'd been taught back in vet school (i.e., after DM diagnosis, prescribe insulin, have patient brought regularly in for in-clinic BG curves, fructosamine tests, etc.) - and they leave it at that.

When Bat-Bat was first dx'd in 2013, even though my first vet (a truly caring professional with good intentions) had read that Lantus was a great choice for a newly diagnosed cat, he sent us home with the insulin, prescription canned & dry food (both turned out to be way too high in carbs:rolleyes:) and a Lantus dose based on a single in-office BG reading. He did tell me he'd "like" to get me started on checking her BGs @ home; however, he had me dosing her for the first 3 weeks without home BG tests; had me come in after that with my newly delivered Alpha Trak2, then showed me how to test her. I ended up finding Dr. Rand's tight regulation protocols for Lantus on my own via a Google search, and was a good darned thing I did: Turned out I had been shooting her at some dangerously low numbers (too scary to report here). After reading through Dr. Rand's dosing protocols, I immediately called him up and said, "Hey! I think her does is too high ..." He'd never given me a "no-shot" BG #, nor did he have me checking for a nadir, either. And having never had a diabetic cat before, I didn't know to ask about anything like that on the day she was diagnosed!

In my (imaginary) perfect world, a vet seeing a cat that tests with a single high BG # in-office (assuming the cat had no other health problems, tested negative for ketones and the BG test was not alarmingly high) would send the patient and caretaker back home with instructions on immediate in-home BG testing prior to AM/PM mealtimes, with advice to transition to a lower-carb food (if cat's been eating high-carb), daily ketone tests and monitoring water-drinking/ urine output for the next several days. Then - if BGs aren't dropping to within normal limits - return for insulin and dosing instructions. I think that might result in more accuracy when a vet's trying to determine a starting insulin dose; and in some cases - where cats have extreme stress reactions at a vet clinic - it may even turn out that a diet change alone is enough to drop the cat's BG levels back into normal range.

Looking back on that first go-round with Bat-Bat's diabetes, I wish I had not hesitated to consult with the experienced folk here at FDMB --- as when Bat-Bat fell out of remission last February, I quickly discovered what a wealth of good advice and caring support exists among the membership here.
And it turned out that my current vet loves the spreadsheet that @Sue and Oliver (GA) and @BJM got me set up with; said this tool makes it so easy for him to track her progress!

And speaking of spreadsheets, I want to copy something here that @Carl & Polly & Bob (GA) wrote not long ago; I think this was pretty darned wise advice:


Not that there aren't times when someone needs to do a full curve, or test more frequently at some times than at other times, but I think maybe what Carl was saying there was: Avoid becoming obsessed with the numbers; watch those trends. Because it's true: Your cat is more than a BG number. Over time, I learned to relax. While I remain vigilant now, as I learned (the hard way) not to take for granted that Bat-Bat would stay in remission, I don't make myself crazy anymore if I see an occasional higher-than-usual BG#. Olivia, you may not ever need to set up a spreadsheet for Bubba; he sure is doing fantastically right now! But if it were to turn out later on that you decide to use one, I think that - just over the past several days - you've already realized that trusting your gut instincts, along with sensible home testing habits and watching the "Five P's," can combine beautifully to help you restore your kitty to a healthy, happy state!

And on that note, I'll end this post - and eagerly await your report on Bubba's evening test! (Fingers & toes still crossed.)
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I know my vet is good and she means well. I tried changing his food and we did 2 blood tests 2 months apart before we started insulin so I know it wasn't something she rushed me on but I was totally uninformed and the more I read the more overwhelmed I got. We came home from a long weekend and bubba was sleeping while hugging the water bowl...and I swear he lost weight over the weekend. After the diagnosis I began to look at everything I feed him and it was a gut punch. He has had a crazy addiction to temptations treats and I would give them to him multiple times a day. Now I could kick myself! He still begs for them.....poor guy!
 
olivia1173 said:
After the diagnosis I began to look at everything I feed him and it was a gut punch. He has had a crazy addiction to temptations treats and I would give them to him multiple times a day. Now I could kick myself! He still begs for them.....poor guy!
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Oh, wow - me, too, Olivia! I swear, I think they put opium or something in those Temptation treats; I was doing the same as you had been with those - Bat would go totally insane when she saw that little bag appear in my hands. Oh well ... we live & we learn, eh?
 
olivia1173 said:
robin...how often do you test? do I understand correctly that your kitty is in remission?
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Nope, she's not quite there yet (unfortunately). And I've come to accept the idea that she may never make it back to true remission land; all I can do is try, watch ... and wait. (It is what it is, you know what I mean?) As for testing, she gets a test before her AM meal and before her PM meal. For a while there, she wasn't being dosed every cycle - when not dosing, she didn't get any small snack between meals, nor did I test then at her usual nadir time. But whenever she does gets an AM or PM dose (which lately is every 12-hour cycle) she also gets tested at her usual nadir time (for her that's early, at +3). So, in summary: She at present gets tested twice a day at minimum, and up to 4 times a day when she's getting dosed in both 12-hour cycles.
 
Ok. So for awhile bubba will be getting tested am and pm. How long without insulin until he is considered recovered?

This morning 80!!!

His behavior is also changing....he actually came to my room for a cuddle last night! We live in a 140 yr old farm house and the stairs are tricky so he hasn't had to energy to climb them in about 8 months. He has always been my cuddle bug...since birth! Also he woke me up for food this morning! He is back to pushing the other cats out of the way for their food. Glad he has an appetite but it's time to get his food under control. im cautious to try anything new since it's working for now.
 
Yeah Bubba, he needs to come have a talk with my Bubba. 14 days without insulin then they are considered in a honeymoon. It will be very important that you continue to feed low carb food for the rest of his life as once they are diabetic, they are always a diabetic, just in remission. Glad he is back to himself, but just don't let him overeat and eat up the other cats food. That could play havoc on his numbers. I am feeling your happy vibes!!:)
 
YAHOO!!! What a great morning number!:joyful::cat:
Bobbie And Bubba said:
It will be very important that you continue to feed low carb food for the rest of his life as once they are diabetic, they are always a diabetic, just in remission. Glad he is back to himself, but just don't let him overeat and eat up the other cats food. That could play havoc on his numbers.
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olivia1173 said:
He is back to pushing the other cats out of the way for their food. Glad he has an appetite but it's time to get his food under control. im cautious to try anything new since it's working for now.
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Can totally understand why you're hesitant about making any changes, Olivia - this must feel like a dream come true! But what Bobbie said above is true, too: Once a diabetic, always a diabetic - although once a kitty's in remission, we always hope that's the way it will stay. Might be a good time for you to go back and re-read my post #79 on the first page of this thread; also (now that you're seeing such great BG#s from Bubba that you don't need to load up a syringe & shoot:)) I hope you'll have time to read through that great doc from Dr. Pierson re: transitioning dry-food addicts to lower-carb foods. As - like you - Dr. Pierson has a multi-cat home, she's very well-versed in the special challenges one faces when there's a diabetic kitty within the kitty-clan that lives together in one household. (That's something I have zero experience with, but I can empathize!)

I'd suggest you should start a brand new thread today on this forum, titled something like "Bubba's OTJ Trial!" because - as of tonight - you can officially call this Day 3 of being "off the juice" (i.e., off-insulin, or OTJ for short). Everybody here really loves seeing a kitty doing as well as Bubba is, and your current thread title just doesn't do your happy situation justice! I'm sooooo excited for you, Olivia.:bighug:

P.S. Your Bubba must have sent some luck out our way, as Bat-Bat just popped me a 138 this morning - and that's the first time I've seen a green pre-shot # from her since Sept 6th! THANK YOU, Olivia & Bubba!:D
 
woodsywife said:
:joyful: :joyful: so happy for both of you. I'm seeing green but it's with envy :D.
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Hey, I'm loving that "mellow yellow" I see on Smokey's SS this morning! GO, Smokey!!!:)
As Kermit the Frog sang, "It's not easy, bein' green ..." (In Bat's case, that's especially true, except at nadir time.:p So for now I have to content myself by getting my thrills from Olivia & Bubba!!!:D)
 
Yeah bat-bat!!! I swear there is something in just believing it will happen. Positive vibes to you and kitty! Cheers to more days of stable BG's!!!!

I will start a new thread beginning tomorrow. Bubba has been eating so much today (ate the whole can I put down for him instead of just licking it) that I'm a little nervous for his BG tonight. If it's fine i will start a new thread tomorrow if not I will post here.
 
Thanks, Olivia - you're my good luck charm! I was so happy to hear that Bubba climbed those stairs last night to cuddle up to you! (That report actually put a little lump in my throat when I read it.) Will keep my fingers crossed for tonight. (I know how you feel; Bat-Bat is a little "piglet," too.:rolleyes:)
 
Robin&BB said:
Hey, I'm loving that "mellow yellow" I see on Smokey's SS this morning! GO, Smokey!!!:)
As Kermit the Frog sang, "It's not easy, bein' green ..." (In Bat's case, that's especially true, except at nadir time.:p So for now I have to content myself by getting my thrills from Olivia & Bubba!!!:D)
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He had to look good for his vet visit today. I think we are all getting our thrills from Olivia & Bubba.
 
olivia1173 said:
Good test......91. Huge appatite today...tried to knock me down for food today.
I came home from running errands today and bubba was curled up on my bed in the sun. That made me so happy I cried!
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Which means he went UP the stairs again, right?
Bubba the StairMaster!:cat: And with tonight's test, this is now officially Day #3!!!:D
 
Going good....sorry I haven't posted. His brother Brutus had a mega colon episode so I've been focused on him...also home with a sick 4 yr old...now I'm getting his cold....good times! The very bright spot is that bubbas numbers continue to be stable. Yesterday he was 87/82 and today he is 72/77. Are these still ok? Not too low?
 
Those are awesome numbers for Bubba! I am so happy about Bubba and sorry about Brutus and his mega colon......ugh and a sick 4 year old! Calgon take me away! Here's hoping you can knock out the cold before it really grabs you, extra C and lots of water. :bighug:
 
olivia1173 said:
Yesterday he was 87/82 and today he is 72/77. Are these still ok? Not too low?
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Those numbers are MARVELOUS!!! Which is especially great because you have a LOT on your plate right now ... (Yikes, Olivia! That's a whole lot of juggling...)
So am hoping that you, your 4-year-0ld and brother-of-Brutus are ALL feeling better soon!:bighug:
 
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