"Lo" Blood sugar reading on Freestyle Neo meter?

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whiskeysmom

whiskeysmom

Member Since 2016
OK I finally got the stupid meter to work, and it came up as "Lo"???

Now, is that "low"/hypoglycemic in human terms? SHould I worry about this? My cat seems fine. And I'm taking him to the vet at 2 anyway, I just wanted to get a reading before he goes.

He's happy, wagging his tail..doesn't seem nervous/anxious

Maybe this is "lo" for human level but not for cats?
 
Also wondering if I didn't feed him enough when I gave him insulin. I fed him less than normal because I always have to use food to lure him into his carrier, to go to the vet..
 
My understanding is that 'Lo' usually means below 20 (1.1). That is hypoglycemic.
You'll need to give some syrup/glucose (onto gums if possible) to raise the level straight away.
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How many hours since you gave insulin?
Which insulin?
What dose?

Ideally you want to get your kitty up to around 50, and not let him drop below that.
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From an earlier post it appears they are using Prozinc.


ETA Last dose I can see on posts from a few days ago was 1 unit
 
Unfortunately I don't see them showing in the "Members Online " listing.

Another test right away is really needed :nailbiting:
 
Don't panic everybody..I'm taking him to the vet now. He already had an appointment. Yes I was having trouble with the stupid meter. He takes 1 unit of ProZinc in the morning and he got it around 9a. He's not showing any signs of hypoglycemia at all
 
whiskeysmom said:
Don't panic everybody..I'm taking him to the vet now. He already had an appointment. Yes I was having trouble with the stupid meter. He takes 1 unit of ProZinc in the morning and he got it around 9a. He's not showing any signs of hypoglycemia at all
Click to expand...

Not all kitties will show signs of a hypo. Whenever you get a reading like that it is important to redo it.


ETA If we seem like we are having a panic it is because we are. We have seen what a real hypo can do.
 
I'm at the vet now and they tested him right away. 350. Not low at all.

I knew he was fine.

I told you guys, that meter is junk.
 
whiskeysmom said:
I told you guys, that meter is junk.
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'Possibly' but 'not necessarily'... .....Quite often cats with a very low blood glucose level will have their body 'respond' to a 'low blood glucose situation' by releasing stored glucose and raising the blood glucose level so as to try to prevent/avert the affects of hypoglycemia. ...This can, sometimes - if effective - raise the blood glucose very fast...

@whiskeysmom (What is your name, BTW?) ..... This was a scary situation... And please don't 'discount' the info from this meter, as it may actually be valid. (We just 'don't know' with the limited amount of BG data). But, as Diana suggests above, maybe it's time for a new/more reliable/better functioning meter, so we can all get a more accurate picture of what's really going on with your kitty's blood glucose..?

Based on today's evidence from the current meter it is clear that your kitty needs a reduction in insulin dosage. And it's always 'better to be safe, than sorry'...

Huge hugs to you,

Eliz
 
My Callie doesn't show any symptoms when she has had hypo numbers. It's really scary because my vet warned me to watch for the symptoms and give her honey or syrup. I didn't know she could have those kind of numbers without any symptoms. I was lucky that my vet said to be prepared in advance with honey. Also we should be aware that those low numbers are usually followed be the BG shooting up to high numbers for several days of bouncing. New people just don't understand how dangerous these low numbers can be. I see members trying to explain it all to newbies and sometimes it doesn't sink in. We still have to keep trying.
 
FWIW I used the freestyle Neo and it never ever gave me a faulty reading like some meters do. If there wasn't enough blood or there was some other problem it would give an error message not a false read.

At any rate, with a reading like that I would have given syrup first and then stopped to think about it.

You can hear the panic in everyone's 'voices' and that is with good reason. By the time a kitty is showing symptoms of a hypo you are in pretty deep trouble. Those of us that have been around here long enough have seen kitties go from seeming fine one minute to seizing the next. The bouncing mechanism doesn't always work.

For safety I would also reduce the dose. It's not worth risking your kitty's life over and while you have a meter that may not be operating effectively the risk is even greater.

If you get on to the manufacturers they will send you some control test solution to check the meter.
 
Vyktors Mum said:
with a reading like that I would have given syrup first and then stopped to think about it.
Click to expand...
Vyktor's Mum is right.

My first advice was to retest. But in fact in that kind of situation time is of the essence, and seconds can make a difference. Better to give the syrup/glucose first and then retest.

Eliz
 
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