Missing multiple shots

[Cherish4]

Hey all. So unfortunately Little B has missed two shots this week. One on Monday morning as he didn't come back until just as I was leaving for work and then another on Wednesday evening, as he'd settled right under the hedge and I couldn't get to him.

Now tonight he ended up having his shot 45 minutes late (9.30pm) as he decided that he prefered running around the garden like a loon rather than have his injection! Anyway, this means that the earliest he could have his shot in the morning would be 8.30 am (due to the 1 hour leeway with Caninsulin) but I have to be at work for then so it means he'll be missing his shot again Monday morning. Now he has no history of ketones so logically I'm telling myself he'll be fine as long as I get him back on track Monday evening but I can't help feeling a little anxious that he's missing his third shot within just over a week.

Am I worrying unnecessarily? He missed those two shots last week and has seemed perfectly fine. It's not something that I want to make a habit of but it's definitely become harder to keep his schedule now that he's spending more time outside due to the warmer weather.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

I would get a test in for ketones just to check there are none in the urine. When did you last test?
It is not good to miss doses if at all possible but sometimes these things happen. Make sure Little B is eating well and doesn’t have an infection.
Can you keep him inside until he is fed and the dose has been given?
I don’t use caninsulin but will tag @Rachel to see if she has anything to add.

 

[Cherish4]

I would get a test in for ketones just to check there are none in the urine. When did you last test?
It is not good to miss doses if at all possible but sometimes these things happen. Make sure Little B is eating well and doesn’t have an infection.
Can you keep him inside until he is fed and the dose has been given?
I don’t use caninsulin but will tag @Rachel to see if she has anything to add.

I last tested for ketones on Saturday night. Usually I test everyday but he went to the toilet outside yesterday so I couldn't test.

He's eating fine but how would I tell if he has an infection?

I might be able to keep him inside sometimes but he's often outside before his shots at the moment and will refuse to come inside to eat when the weather is nice. Plus if he even gets a hint that I'm up to something he puts himself out of reach!

I'm feeling so anxious and guilty about the whole thing. We're still really struggling with home testing so it was important to me that the injections went right and yet they've been difficult too. Unfortunately I only have a limited window on a Monday and I can't be late as I have to open up the shop, otherwise if it'd been any other day I would have been here to give him his shot.

It's hard not to feel like I'm failing him a little right now.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

First of all, you are not failing. All you can do is the best you can. Sometimes things (or cats!) work against you.
Keep testing for ketones when you can. Make sure he is eating well. If he seems well, then he probably doesn’t have an infection.
Can you keep him inside on a Sunday night (or whenever you know you have a small window to get things done)?
You are doing a good job and you have to still go to work etc. It is great you are home testing. I notice you are not testing before the shots... is that because you are having trouble or because you were told by the vet to just check every so often??

 

[Cherish4]

First of all, you are not failing. All you can do is the best you can. Sometimes things (or cats!) work against you.

Thank you, I appreciate that. I love him to pieces but sometimes I wish we'd both adapted to this whole thing better than we have.

Keep testing for ketones when you can. Make sure he is eating well. If he seems well, then he probably doesn’t have an infection.

I will do. Like I said, he was running around like a loony last night, playing with my eldest cat so fingers crossed he seems alright!

Can you keep him inside on a Sunday night (or whenever you know you have a small window to get things done)?

I think I'm going to have try to yes, otherwise this will likely keep happening. It's hard because when he gets stressed and upset then I do too but I suppose it's a case of tough love in order to keep him healthy.

You are doing a good job and you have to still go to work etc. It is great you are home testing. I notice you are not testing before the shots... is that because you are having trouble or because you were told by the vet to just check every so often??

The second one, because I'm having trouble. At the start I managed one AMPS and one PMPS but to do them I had to restrain him, as he's too busy wanting food instead of relaxing and he got mega stressed, very upset and struggled like crazy. He's a big cat and I found it really hard to hold onto him and go through the process of testing at the same time. Also I can't do it when he's eating either as he hates being touched whilst having food. I want to do the pre shot tests as I know how important they are but I just can't figure out how. I try to get mid cycle tests when I can but it has to be done when he's relaxing and with me messing with his ears as little as possible, as they appear to be quite sensitive. I can't make them bleed very often which makes things difficult and he throws a wobbly if he notices the meter near his ear or when I use a cotton pad to stop the bleeding. I really hoped that after a couple of months it would get easier but it's just got harder.

I'm supposed to be doing a blood curve at home this week and I've no idea how I'm going to do it. Based on his last curve done at the vets, they wanted his dose raised slightly to 2.75u as they think that little extra might be the magic number for him but I've been too afraid to do it as I've been unable to get a single successful test over the last two weeks. Now I'm supposed to do this curve at home as the charity that's been helping me with financial costs can't pay for anymore at the vets and I've got no clue what to do.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

I would not increase the dose unless you are testing frequently.
I would encourage you to try and get as many Preshots as you can. Do you have anyone else to help you with testing.
Are you giving food during the cycle as well as at Preshot.

 

[Cherish4]

I would not increase the dose unless you are testing frequently.
I would encourage you to try and get as many Preshots as you can. Do you have anyone else to help you with testing.
Are you giving food during the cycle as well as at Preshot.

My brother has said he could try and help me with PM tests sometimes but again it would mean restraining Little B, which causes him a lot of stress and upset which could affect his reading. However in the morning I'm on my own, so it makes any tests then nigh on impossible.

As for his food, he has small meals at regular intervals throughout the day as that seems to be what works best for him.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Have you looked at this link for home testing?http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

 

[Cherish4]

Have you looked at this link for home testing?http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Yes, more than once actually. I've also watched plenty of videos, tried all the tips and advice from people on here and on Facebook but nothing's worked. Occasionally he will actually let me try to test him when he's relaxed enough (as he did yesterday and Monday) but I then can't get his ears to bleed. I can only try so many times before he's had enough. I'm completely out of ideas at this point.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Have you used a sock with rice in it and warmed the rice and held it on the ear for a minute.
Also try milking the ear up towards the tip before you trick the ear.

 

[Cherish4]

Have you used a sock with rice in it and warmed the rice and held it on the ear for a minute.
Also try milking the ear up towards the tip before you trick the ear.

I tried to do the sock thing yes but he freaks out if you hold anything against his ears, it's why I stopped putting a cotton pad underneath when I poke because he hates it. I tried desensitizing him by touching and fussing his ears a few times a day, rewarding with a treat etc... But it made no difference.

 

[Djamila]

One thing that can sometimes help is to give him a little food first, and then do the test. Sometimes they are so fixated on food that they can get a little wild, but a small snack can make them more willing to cooperate. It takes a good 15 minutes for the food to impact anything, so as long as he eats and you test right away, it won’t change the test results. Then you can give him the rest of the food.

My kitty was pretty wild when he was diagnosed, so I had quite the process to get him to accept testing. If you click on the word “profile” in my signature below and scroll towards the bottom of the document you can read the steps I took to get him trained. Maybe there will be something in there that might help.

 

[Cherish4]

One thing that can sometimes help is to give him a little food first, and then do the test. Sometimes they are so fixated on food that they can get a little wild, but a small snack can make them more willing to cooperate. It takes a good 15 minutes for the food to impact anything, so as long as he eats and you test right away, it won’t change the test results. Then you can give him the rest of the food.

I've tried that too but it made no difference I'm afraid. Even with his injections I have to take a lot of time to get him to settle before his shot and then I have to hide the syringe so he can't see what I'm doing.

My kitty was pretty wild when he was diagnosed, so I had quite the process to get him to accept testing. If you click on the word “profile” in my signature below and scroll towards the bottom of the document you can read the steps I took to get him trained. Maybe there will be something in there that might help.

I'll definitely take a look thank you, I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point. I actually got his ear to bleed a short while ago, when he was relaxing in the garden but as soon as I put the meter near his head, he freaked out and moved. By the time I got hold of him the blood was gone. First successful bleed in 3 weeks and I still couldn't get a reading.

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

I'm reading that CBD oil is helpful for, among other things, anxious cats -- I wonder if it's available in your area, or if it might help; I've thought about using it for Catcat since it's readily available here, but he seems to be accepting that I *will* get that test, even at the risk of claw or teeth

 

[Cherish4]

I'm reading that CBD oil is helpful for, among other things, anxious cats -- I wonder if it's available in your area, or if it might help; I've thought about using it for Catcat since it's readily available here, but he seems to be accepting that I *will* get that test, even at the risk of claw or teeth

I can certainly look into it but it would depend on cost as I'm on a very low income.

Unfortunately I also suffer from anxiety so I find it hard to push things if he starts getting really upset. You know he's such a darling cat and can be very affectionate and loving but there's always a wariness there that partly comes from being a stray I think. It makes forcing the issue hard to do when he's resisting so much.

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

I understand -- I'm dealing with a lifelong needle phobia myself -- so I'm probably more anxious/upset/stressed than Catcat is -- at least he tends to live "in the moment" and his retaliation is short-lived