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Yes I had the correct code for cat. Prior to running his sample I use the control to make sure everything was ok. The glucose n urine results were prior to switching food.
That's very reassuring to hear! Now you know the 131 and 133 test results you got last night were indeed valid. And yes, the food change really, really can make that much of an improvement in BG levels - and that quickly.
To give you an idea of just how quickly things can improve here's an example:
@MerMor is another recently-joined member who switched their cat, Merlin, from dry food to low carb wet food around Thanksgiving time. Here is a link to Merlin's spreadsheet:
Merlin's Spreadsheet
It's a slightly different layout to the FDMB standard template. Don't worry about the format, simply look at how quickly Merlin went from BG numbers in high blacks, reds and pinks down to very healthy BG numbers in the green range! Merlin's BG numbers are also measured on an Alphatrak meter so the reference range used is the same for Merlin and Junior. Merlin only needed insulin for a few days and he has been running in the lower part of the normal reference range for nearly a week without any insulin at all. If he continues to run in the normal range for 14 days he will be considered to be officially in diabetic remission (fingers and paws crossed!).
You are doing a wonderful job of looking after Junior. You made the decision to home test BG from the outset and you made sure you checked Junior's BG before giving any insulin to see whether or not it was safe to do so. If you had given the 2 unit dose last night it might have taken Junior too low so you did a great job of keeping your boy safe with your testing!
FDMB doesn't have a defined normal BG reference range for use with an Alphatrak meter; you'll need to confirm with your own vet about what s/he considers to be the appropriate BG reference range to use with an Alphatrak. In the meantime I'll give you the information my vet provided to me. I'm in the UK and my vet told me that the normal BG reference range for a cat not on insulin (the normoglycaemic range) as measured on lab equipment is 3.9 - 8.3mmol/L. Converted to US units that gives 70 - 150mg/dL (1mmol/L is equivalent to 18mg/dL). Alphatrak meters are designed to give readings for animal blood that are similar to lab values. For the purpose of illustration you can see that the 133 and 131 results you got last night put Junior's BG levels within the normal range for a cat not on insulin. This is most encouraging news!
The next steps are as follows:
1. Call your vets to let them know about the improvement in Junior's numbers.
2. Try to get some more BG readings for Junior
at home today before taking him in for his check-up.
(It is much better to get these readings in the home setting because travel/vet stress can temporarily elevate BG. Any dosing decision is better when based on Junior's BG levels in his normal environment. Obviously you can also ask your vet to test Junior's BG during the consult as well.)
3. When you do the morning urine test check both ketones and glucose levels. If the glucose is negative then that will be another bit of good news because it will show that Junior's BG was under the renal threshold in the period since his previous pee. (Note: the renal threshold is the level at which excess glucose starts to be excreted by the kidneys - typically it is somewhere in the 200s but it varies significantly from cat to cat.) With regular BG testing urine glucose tests become less valuable as a monitoring aid because your glucometer readings will provide you with more accurate information about BG status over the course of the day. That said, it is good practice to regularly check for urine ketones as part of a diabetic kitty's regular monitoring.
(For information: If you ever get a trace ketone result call your vet straight away for advice; if higher than trace kitty needs to be taken to a vet
immediately for emergency treatment to prevent problems with DKA.)
4. Ask your vet about what to do about insulin treatment based on the BG data you gather. If Junior stays in mid-range numbers your vet may advise you to give a very small dose of insulin for a short period of time to allow Junior's pancreas to rest a little bit in order to restore further function of the beta cells which are responsible for production of insulin.
(For an example, see how Merlin was treated above - numbers with a grey background show his dosing but Junior's dosing would need to be tailored to his own
specific needs; every cat is different!)
As you can see I'm barely sleeping. Just worried. I'm so very appreciative for your quick response. It means the world to me to know there are those out there caring enough to help us through such a difficult time
Oh, we know
all about sleep deprivation and worry round these parts! Goes with the territory, especially when it's all new and scary.
We're only too happy to be here to help you both when you need us.
When Saoirse first started treatment I could not get any support from her vet at the time for my wish to monitor her BG at home and for the first few weeks I had to give her insulin without any idea whatsoever how it was affecting her BG levels; I would not wish that fear and worry on anyone. Thankfully we found another vet practice closer to home who were much more progressive and switched-on about feline diabetes treatment and the relief was immeasurable when I was at last able to monitor her BG levels. I'm glad to be able to help you and Junior; in my turn I have received help from many, many of the kind members here and I am only too pleased to pay forward.
Be sure to let us know how things go during the day and just shout if you need anything. You're doing great!
Mogs
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). I followed the advice of Dr Pierson about switching to a wet diet and adding a little extra water to her meals and there was no recurrence of problems with uroliths.
