Maybe I am feeding all wrong!

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Lynn & Rupert

Lynn & Rupert

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Arghhh! I thought I understood about feeding/testing/shooting, but now not sure! :nailbiting: I give Rupert a little food while I test, he might get a few bites in before I actually draw blood. Would that affect his BG readings? He eats the bulk of his food while I shoot. It helps to distract him and I read they should eat during or after shooting. Correct? I always wait 2 hrs after he has eaten to do a BG test, but once in awhile he might get a small piece of freeze dried salmon, but not too close to testing time. Should I wait to give any food till after the test? Also, when first pricking his ear, I had to "milk" it to get enough blood, now seems it really bleeds! I read that happens, but it sort of freaks me out, I have tried to prick less deep or hard, but still seems to be a lot of blood. Maybe a smaller gauge lance? I am using a 26 gauge now. Sorry to be a pest, just worried I am doing everything wrong tonight! :nailbiting: Maybe it's because of the late hour and I am tired.
 
A lot of people test while the cat is eating so it shouldn't be a problem. The important thing is that Rupert has food in his stomach for I believe a half hour before you shoot. You don't want to give insulin on an empty stomach with ProZinc.

If the ear is bleeding a lot, you might be hitting the vein. You want to aim for the sweet spot between the vein and the edge of the ear. Somewhere in one of your earlier threads is a picture of the sweet spot. I have been poking for awhile and still use the 26 gauge. But you can try a smaller gauge (the higher the number, the thinner the gauge) and see if you get less blood. Many people here do "graduate" to the smaller gauge. See what works for you.

There are no pests here :) You're doing great!
 
Cat Ma said:
A lot of people test while the cat is eating so it shouldn't be a problem. The important thing is that Rupert has food in his stomach for I believe a half hour before you shoot. You don't want to give insulin on an empty stomach with ProZinc.

If the ear is bleeding a lot, you might be hitting the vein. You want to aim for the sweet spot between the vein and the edge of the ear. Somewhere in one of your earlier threads is a picture of the sweet spot. I have been poking for awhile and still use the 26 gauge. But you can try a smaller gauge (the higher the number, the thinner the gauge) and see if you get less blood. Many people here do "graduate" to the smaller gauge. See what works for you.

There are no pests here :) You're doing great!
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Thanks, Cat Ma, I am trying but, gosh, I feel very incompetent sometimes! I am still confused on the feeding, if he eats 1/2 hr before his shot, won't that influence his BG reading?
 
I'd give him a snack (a tablespoon) as an incentive for the test While testing or a few minutes before, if he is sure that is what he needs. And then you can feed him his regular meal while giving the shot. A tiny amount of food less than 20 minutes before shouldn't impact his test numbers.

CatMa, you don't have to feed before shooting with ProZinc. It is a milder insulin than the N you used.

catX4, once you get a test you can base your dose on, feeding won't impact that planned dose so feeding is up to you. Before the shot, during the shot - your choice.
 
CatX4 - This is how we do it. First of all, I make sure that I do not feed two hours before I test for his pre-shot. I do not want his test to be influenced by food. Then we test. I do not feed during the test because his head moves. So he has learned to sit or lay down while we test. I give him plenty of massages just before and after the test. After I test, I go fill the syringe. I bring him his food and I make sure that he is going to eat; maybe just a few minutes (typically at that time, I go and feed the three other cats in different areas of the house). Then I get the syringe and while he is still eating, I shoot. All this takes less than 10 minutes.
 
CatX4 said:
Also, when first pricking his ear, I had to "milk" it to get enough blood, now seems it really bleeds! I read that happens, but it sort of freaks me out, I have tried to prick less deep or hard, but still seems to be a lot of blood. Maybe a smaller gauge lance? I am using a 26 gauge now. Sorry to be a pest, just worried I am doing everything wrong tonight! :nailbiting:
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Don't worry, nobody here thinks you're a pest, because we've all felt - at one point or another - what you're feeling! I use 28-gauge lancets (Freestyle) & that gives me an ample drop of blood without it being too much. There are also 30-gauge lancets readily available (I haven't tried those, though).
 
Lynn, you are doing everything right! Rupert is so lucky to have you. Diabetes is a horrible disease and you are tackling it head on.

I use the same lancets as Robin. When I first started testing, it seems that either I was getting no blood or I was getting a gusher. The more you test, the more the ear will compensate and create additional capillaries towards the edge of the sweet spot of the ear so you won't have to hit the main vein. After a while, it will be easier to draw the blood. I try to stay near the edge and sometimes I have to massage the ear to bleed a little more to get more blood so I don't have to poke more than once.
 
Thanks for all the great info, I read it, but didn't respond, so wanted to say "thanks", hope everyone has a great Sunday!
 
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