New here please help make sense of BG numbers

Status
Not open for further replies.
lbrown

lbrown

Member Since 2017
hi! I'm brand new to this. I'm using a Kroger brand glucometer. Vet didn't suggest home testing so I'm not sure what these readings mean. I understand 100-200 is "ok" (??) but closer to 100 is best. She tested 500 at Vet on Tuesday 3/21.

Today 3/26 at 11am I tested her before her meal and vetsulin. BG- 170.

-vet prescribed 2u but I this morning I gave 1u, since her BG was significantly lower than I expected. I also fed her 1 small can of FF classic in lieu of the w/d dry food from vet.

Left her 2 tbsp of the dry w/d to graze on. She ate some of it.

Tested at 3:45 pm, BG 248

Do I appear like I know what I'm doing?!

Do these numbers look promising for her 2nd day of insulin or is it way too soon to tell? I really hope I can regulate this with diet and we aren't doing insulin forvever.

Thanks!
 
You're doing a lot better than me and my cat seems fine. How much was the Kroger brand glucometer? How did you learn how to do the tests? I've used up at least 20 test strips in the last 2 days trying to get a reading. Chloe is in the too low numbers at 40. I think 248 is not bad. It's a lot better than 500. I guess I'm a slow learner.
 
A vet tech showed me how to do the testing on an alpha track In case we decided I needed to do a curve at home. After reading here it felt crazy to me that I was blindly giving insulin, so I bit the bullet and bought the Kroger one for $10. 25 test strips were $7. I'm having a hard time getting enough blood from the ear, though. And couldn't get any out of paw. Her ears are bruised from my multiple attempts and she's starting to hate me. Maybe I need a bigger size lancet? She's been such a trooper so far.
 
lbrown said:
A vet tech showed me how to do the testing on an alpha track In case we decided I needed to do a curve at home. After reading here it felt crazy to me that I was blindly giving insulin, so I bit the bullet and bought the Kroger one for $10. 25 test strips were $7. I'm having a hard time getting enough blood from the ear, though. And couldn't get any out of paw. Her ears are bruised from my multiple attempts and she's starting to hate me. Maybe I need a bigger size lancet? She's been such a trooper so far.
Click to expand...
Yes, my Chloe's ears are all bruised. Are you using a lancet pen? Sieden made an excellent video with great tips. Also, I had a really soft towel I bought for my car, but decided to use it for Chloe's testing spot. She seems to be getting used to me mutilating her ears now.
 
srk3cats said:
Yes, my Chloe's ears are all bruised. Are you using a lancet pen? Sieden made an excellent video with great tips. Also, I had a really soft towel I bought for my car, but decided to use it for Chloe's testing spot. She seems to be getting used to me mutilating her ears now.
Click to expand...

I'm using the pen thay came with glucometer. I'll be sure to check out the video! Thanks and good luck to you and Chloe!
 
srk3cats said:
You're doing a lot better than me and my cat seems fine. How much was the Kroger brand glucometer? How did you learn how to do the tests? I've used up at least 20 test strips in the last 2 days trying to get a reading. Chloe is in the too low numbers at 40. I think 248 is not bad. It's a lot better than 500. I guess I'm a slow learner.
Click to expand...

When did Chloe test at 40? Have you retested? She was extremely low yesterday too wasn't she? Why don't you come to the Prozinc Forum and introduce yourself and let's see if we can help you get Chloe regulated.
 
lbrown said:
Today 3/26 at 11am I tested her before her meal and vetsulin. BG- 170.
Click to expand...
Congrats on taking it upon yourself to home test! That BG was too low for a dose of 2 u for sure. Actually, we would recommend no insulin at all with a pre shot number under 200 until you have a lot more data and experience using insulin. At least you dropped the dose substantially - very wise! The next BG you have from about 5 hours later looks like what we call a bounce number - the result of kitty's body overreacting to going low by dumping stored glucose into the bloodstream.

lbrown said:
Do these numbers look promising for her 2nd day of insulin or is it way too soon to tell?
Click to expand...
These numbers tell me that the 2 u dose is too high. You don't have enough data to evaluate the 1 u dose. BG numbers can be erratic in the early days. The kitty's body is getting used to insulin and you don't know yet whether you have a good dose. We can help you figure it out.

lbrown said:
I really hope I can regulate this with diet and we aren't doing insulin forvever.
Click to expand...
It's too soon to tell. Some cats go into remission and become diet controlled diabetics for varying lengths of time from months to years. Some never get there.

Here's a plan that will help going forward:
  1. Learn all you can about how Vetsulin works: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/vetsulin-caninsulin-user-guide.302/ Note especially the need for a full meal on board before injecting Vetsulin because it acts fast. We recommend: test/feed/wait 30 minutes/inject.
  2. Standardize your home testing routine by testing AM and PM before feeding and dosing (no food at least 2 hours before these tests) to see if the planned dose is too high. That saved you this AM! Get at least one other test in the middle of a cycle (the 12 hours between doses) or before bed to see how low the BG goes. Aim to do extra tests on days off.
  3. Set up a spreadsheet like the one we use here to log all the BG data. It's viewable by all members and is the first thing we look at when you ask for advice: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/ There are techies to help you set it up if needed.
  4. Post here for advice whenever you're unsure about dosing.
  5. Be prepared to change doses in very small increments of 0.25 u so you don't go past a good dose. Vets often suggest increases in half or even whole units.
 
Sharon14 said:
When did Chloe test at 40? Have you retested? She was extremely low yesterday too wasn't she? Why don't you come to the Prozinc Forum and introduce yourself and let's see if we can help you get Chloe regulated.
Click to expand...
Chloe tested at 40 an hour ago. I immediately gave her the wet food she likes and she ate it all. I'm about to test again. I don't really understand what the low numbers mean and the difference between hypoglycemic and the other one.
 
srk3cats said:
Chloe tested at 40 an hour ago. I immediately gave her the wet food she likes and she ate it all. I'm about to test again. I don't really understand what the low numbers mean and the difference between hypoglycemic and the other one.
Click to expand...
Please start your own thread on this forum so it doesn't get lost in this poster's thread. We can answer all your questions on your own thread.

You can also post on the ProZinc forum.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Congrats on taking it upon yourself to home test! That BG was too low for a dose of 2 u for sure. Actually, we would recommend no insulin at all with a pre shot number under 200 until you have a lot more data and experience using insulin. At least you dropped the dose substantially - very wise! The next BG you have from about 5 hours later looks like what we call a bounce number - the result of kitty's body overreacting to going low by dumping stored glucose into the bloodstream.


These numbers tell me that the 2 u dose is too high. You don't have enough data to evaluate the 1 u dose. BG numbers can be erratic in the early days. The kitty's body is getting used to insulin and you don't know yet whether you have a good dose. We can help you figure it out.


It's too soon to tell. Some cats go into remission and become diet controlled diabetics for varying lengths of time from months to years. Some never get there.

Here's a plan that will help going forward:
  1. Learn all you can about how Vetsulin works: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/vetsulin-caninsulin-user-guide.302/ Note especially the need for a full meal on board before injecting Vetsulin because it acts fast. We recommend: test/feed/wait 30 minutes/inject.
  2. Standardize your home testing routine by testing AM and PM before feeding and dosing (no food at least 2 hours before these tests) to see if the planned dose is too high. That saved you this AM! Get at least one other test in the middle of a cycle (the 12 hours between doses) or before bed to see how low the BG goes. Aim to do extra tests on days off.
  3. Set up a spreadsheet like the one we use here to log all the BG data. It's viewable by all members and is the first thing we look at when you ask for advice: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/ There are techies to help you set it up if needed.
  4. Post here for advice whenever you're unsure about dosing.
  5. Be prepared to change doses in very small increments of 0.25 u so you don't go past a good dose. Vets often suggest increases in half or even whole units.
Click to expand...
Thank you!!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top