New here w/ Rusty

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emilyrose

Member Since 2023
Hi all

I came her per recommendation from members of Tanya's CKD group.

Rusty was hyperthyroid first, then CKD Stage 3 after radiation treatment, and now he's diabetic and having some confusing issues, including potassium running low even with fluid therapy, and issues with back leg balance/"walking on hocks".

Sorry if I don't have all info immediately, I'm burnt out from life and from being hyper vigilant with him.

I have a spreadsheet of his last labs in the Google drive linked below. I'll try to figure out how to export his meter data within the next couple days and throw that in the Drive too.

His diabetic issue is that at 1u Vetsulin 2x a day, his blood sugars are remaining high. He just had his fructosamine tested on the 15th and vet thinks he's either in diabetic remission spending too much time low (we aren't seeing low numbers) or having some other internal issue. We took him off insulin completely from Monday to yesterday, and his numbers were mid 300s-mid 400s at both his normal dose times as well as lunchtime. Yesterday he actually spiked to 540, so it was good I had vet approval to restart insulin.
After being advised of this, the doctor is at a loss, and recommended next step is to do a UA to make sure he doesn't have an infection interfering with insulin. We also lowered his 1L subq fluids infused with 2 vials of potassium to 50mL/day instead of 100, as the vet felt the higher amt may be contributing to the low potassium.
She also said his kidney disease has progressed due to creatinine rising.

He's just getting worse today and I don't know what to do. He's tired, his potassium won't stay up, therefore he's weak in the back legs. I'm worried sick and I'm doing everything the vet is telling me to do in lieu of being able to afford/find an internal medicine specialist, but nothing is helping.

I can try to post some of my conversations with the vet if anyone has questions or needs clarification.

Sorry if this is rambling. I'm just so confused and flustered and worried. Thanks for your time reading this
 
Hello and welcome. A post that we suggest new people read:
New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

The walking on hocks might be diabetic neuropathy, post here Feline Diabetic Neuropathy. On Youtube you can find videos of cats with neuropathy to see if that's what Rusty has going on.

Are you testing his blood sugars at home? I presume so, your meter data can go in a spreadsheet. If we can take a look at the blood sugar numbers you are seeing (note that most of us have a spreadsheet in our signatures), then we will be able to help you better. I have a couple theories, but data will help us point to what might be happening.

One of the problems is the insulin Rusty is getting. In the rest of the world, Vetsulin is called Caninsulin, because it's a good dog insulin, however cats have different metabolisms and Vetsulin doesn't last that long in cats, leaving them high more of the time. My girl started on Caninsulin too. In the (2018) AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats you will see that Lantus (or it's biosimilars) and Prozinc are the two recommended insulins for cats. They both have much longer duration, lasting much closer to the full 12 hours.

How is Rusty's appetite?
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Hello and welcome. A post that we suggest new people read:
New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

The walking on hocks might be diabetic neuropathy, post here Feline Diabetic Neuropathy. On Youtube you can find videos of cats with neuropathy to see if that's what Rusty has going on.

Are you testing his blood sugars at home? I presume so, your meter data can go in a spreadsheet. If we can take a look at the blood sugar numbers you are seeing (note that most of us have a spreadsheet in our signatures), then we will be able to help you better. I have a couple theories, but data will help us point to what might be happening.

One of the problems is the insulin Rusty is getting. In the rest of the world, Vetsulin is called Caninsulin, because it's a good dog insulin, however cats have different metabolisms and Vetsulin doesn't last that long in cats, leaving them high more of the time. My girl started on Caninsulin too. In the (2018) AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats you will see that Lantus (or it's biosimilars) and Prozinc are the two recommended insulins for cats. They both have much longer duration, lasting much closer to the full 12 hours.

How is Rusty's appetite?
Click to expand...
Hi,
His appetite is good. I have now updated my signature with the spreadsheet link. Some data wasn't present on my device, not sure why, but he is tested 2x minimum daily. I filled out what I could.
We have discussed switching to Prozinc as it seems like this insulin isn't effective like it initially was. We went with Vetsulin first due to cost.
Thanks for your help
 
Hi Emily, I see you're also feeding Vetlife Renal Dry, I looked it up and it's about 46% carbs, not good at all for diabetic cats
I wouldn't take away the dry food until you start to get more tests in ,then you can transition to all wet food
Friskies is ok but it's most likely high in phosphorus which isn't good for CKD .
Have you tried any of the Weruva wet foods


They are low carb and low phosphorus both good for diabetic kitties who have Kidney Disease
Tap on this link and look at post #32 Post numbers are to the right of each post
There is a list of wet pate foods that I gave to another member
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-member-11-8-and-i-am-tired.283363/#post-3124085

Also look at post #4
I gave some information about Lantus insulin ,you can use the generic which most members do. The Prozinc is more expensive


Looking at your spreadsheet you are only testing the AMPS and PMPS almost most of the time
You need to be getting some more tests in after that for both 12 hour cycles
We adjust the dose by how low the kitty drops during each cycle ,not the Pre Shots
I not an expert at giving dosing advice but you have held that dose way too long, but without getting more tests in you have no idea how low he was dropping

Most of us use human meter because they are more affordable and that's what our numbers are based on

If you are interested most members use the Relion Meter
Here is the link for the meter and test strips so you don't have to search for them
Relion Premier Classic Meter at Walmart for 9 dollars
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Premier-CLASSIC-Blood-Glucose-Monitoring-System/552134103

The tests strips are 17.88 for 100
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Premier-Blood-Glucose-Test-Strips-100-Count/575088197

Any time you get a number under 90 you need to reduce the dose by 0.25 units


About the neuropathy tap on this link
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-member-could-use-some-help-advice.283213/#post-3120394
I gave some information on what to buy for it
Look at post # 15
 
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↑Wendy and Neko
Hello and welcome. A post that we suggest new people read:
New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

The walking on hocks might be diabetic neuropathy, post here Feline Diabetic Neuropathy. On Youtube you can find videos of cats with neuropathy to see if that's what Rusty has going on.

Are you testing his blood sugars at home? I presume so, your meter data can go in a spreadsheet. If we can take a look at the blood sugar numbers you are seeing (note that most of us have a spreadsheet in our signatures), then we will be able to help you better. I have a couple theories, but data will help us point to what might be happening.

One of the problems is the insulin Rusty is getting. In the rest of the world, Vetsulin is called Caninsulin, because it's a good dog insulin, however cats have different metabolisms and Vetsulin doesn't last that long in cats, leaving them high more of the time. My girl started on Caninsulin too. In the (2018) AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats you will see that Lantus (or it's biosimilars) and Prozinc are the two recommended insulins for cats. They both have much longer duration, lasting much closer to the full 12 hours.

How is Rusty's appetite?


..
Hi,
His appetite is good. I have now updated my signature with the spreadsheet link. Some data wasn't present on my device, not sure why, but he is tested 2x minimum daily. I filled out what I could.
We have discussed switching to Prozinc as it seems like this insulin isn't effective like it initially was. We went with Vetsulin first due to cost.
Thanks for your help
 
emilyrose said:
Hi,
His appetite is good. I have now updated my signature with the spreadsheet link. Some data wasn't present on my device, not sure why, but he is tested 2x minimum daily. I filled out what I could.
We have discussed switching to Prozinc as it seems like this insulin isn't effective like it initially was. We went with Vetsulin first due to cost.
Thanks for your help
Click to expand...
@Wendy&Neko
 
emilyrose said:
Hi all

I came her per recommendation from members of Tanya's CKD group.

Rusty was hyperthyroid first, then CKD Stage 3 after radiation treatment, and now he's diabetic and having some confusing issues, including potassium running low even with fluid therapy, and issues with back leg balance/"walking on hocks".

Sorry if I don't have all info immediately, I'm burnt out from life and from being hyper vigilant with him.

I have a spreadsheet of his last labs in the Google drive linked below. I'll try to figure out how to export his meter data within the next couple days and throw that in the Drive too.

His diabetic issue is that at 1u Vetsulin 2x a day, his blood sugars are remaining high. He just had his fructosamine tested on the 15th and vet thinks he's either in diabetic remission spending too much time low (we aren't seeing low numbers) or having some other internal issue. We took him off insulin completely from Monday to yesterday, and his numbers were mid 300s-mid 400s at both his normal dose times as well as lunchtime. Yesterday he actually spiked to 540, so it was good I had vet approval to restart insulin.
After being advised of this, the doctor is at a loss, and recommended next step is to do a UA to make sure he doesn't have an infection interfering with insulin. We also lowered his 1L subq fluids infused with 2 vials of potassium to 50mL/day instead of 100, as the vet felt the higher amt may be contributing to the low potassium.
She also said his kidney disease has progressed due to creatinine rising.

He's just getting worse today and I don't know what to do. He's tired, his potassium won't stay up, therefore he's weak in the back legs. I'm worried sick and I'm doing everything the vet is telling me to do in lieu of being able to afford/find an internal medicine specialist, but nothing is helping.

I can try to post some of my conversations with the vet if anyone has questions or needs clarification.

Sorry if this is rambling. I'm just so confused and flustered and worried. Thanks for your time reading this
Click to expand...
Try tagging Suzanne again since she's familiar with Vetsulin and can look at your SS also. Suzanne it looks like the meter Emily is using is for felines so the last 2 color coding are wrong
@Suzanne & Darcy
 
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I see you are having to skip a lot of shots because he's too low at shot time. That means it's a good idea to reduce his dose, so you can get numbers you can actually shoot. Plus with our Vetsulin dosing methods here: BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO CANINSULIN/VETSULIN you reduce the dose anytime they go under 90. Do you have syringes with 1/2 unit markings on them? I think I'd try a 0.75 unit dose (you have to eyeball that), or go with 0.5 units both AM and PM. One unit is too much insulin for him.

We change the dose based on how low the dose is taking the kitty. With Vetsulin, that is 4-5 hours after the shot time. On your days off, you might want to try getting spot checks then.
 
@emilyrose
I just happened to notice on your spreadsheet that you are starting with the most recent date first, you should have started with 10-20-23. It's much easier for members to look at and see what's happening.
Edit, I'm going to tag Chris to get in touch with you to fix it and to draw a blank line after the dates are fixed and put Started Relion Meter above the date you will start using it which you said will be tonight 12-23-21
@Chris & China (GA)
 
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Diane Tyler's Mom said:
@emilyrose
I just happened to notice on your spreadsheet that you are starting with the most recent date first, you should have started with 10-20-23. It's much easier for members to look at and see what's happening. I can tag Bhooma to fix it for you unless you can do it yourself.
I also notice the meter you are using is specially made for pets am I correct ? If so the last 2 color codes up top on your spreadsheet need to be changed , The dark green should be 68-99 and the lime green should be BG<68 Bhooma can also fix that for you
@Bandit's Mom
Hi Bhooma , do you think it matters about the dates ? I just think it's easier to see what's going on with Rusty's BG
Click to expand...
I apologize, I had to do it that way because when I click through my meter, it displays most recent first and works backwards. I didn't have access to a computer to upload data to.
Yes the meter I'm using is a pet meter. I was pretty sure I selected the appropriate spreadsheet for that? Maybe I didn't read far enough in the instructions but I dont recall seeing changing codes.
Like I said I'm new and this is confusing. Sorry
 
Wendy&Neko said:
I see you are having to skip a lot of shots because he's too low at shot time. That means it's a good idea to reduce his dose, so you can get numbers you can actually shoot. Plus with our Vetsulin dosing methods here: BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO CANINSULIN/VETSULIN you reduce the dose anytime they go under 90. Do you have syringes with 1/2 unit markings on them? I think I'd try a 0.75 unit dose (you have to eyeball that), or go with 0.5 units both AM and PM. One unit is too much insulin for him.

We change the dose based on how low the dose is taking the kitty. With Vetsulin, that is 4-5 hours after the shot time. On your days off, you might want to try getting spot checks then.
Click to expand...
Initially he was responding to the Vetsulin and the shot was cutting his blood sugars numbers in half. I think that was just his body getting used to it, but I have not had to skip shots recently since he's been consistently high.
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Hi Emily, I see you're also feeding Vetlife Renal Dry, I looked it up and it's about 46% carbs, not good at all for diabetic cats
I wouldn't take away the dry food until you start to get more tests in ,then you can transition to all wet food
Friskies is ok but it's most likely high in phosphorus which isn't good for CKD .
Have you tried any of the Weruva wet foods


They are low carb and low phosphorus both good for diabetic kitties who have Kidney Disease
Tap on this link and look at post #32 Post numbers are to the right of each post
There is a list of wet pate foods that I gave to another member
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-member-11-8-and-i-am-tired.283363/#post-3124085

Also look at post #4
I gave some information about Lantus insulin ,you can use the generic which most members do. The Prozinc is more expensive


Looking at your spreadsheet you are only testing the AMPS and PMPS almost most of the time
You need to be getting some more tests in after that for both 12 hour cycles
We adjust the dose by how low the kitty drops during each cycle ,not the Pre Shots
I not an expert at giving dosing advice but you have held that dose way too long, but without getting more tests in you have no idea how low he was dropping

Most of us use human meter because they are more affordable and that's what our numbers are based on

If you are interested most members use the Relion Meter
Here is the link for the meter and test strips so you don't have to search for them
Relion Premier Classic Meter at Walmart for 9 dollars
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Premier-CLASSIC-Blood-Glucose-Monitoring-System/552134103

The tests strips are 17.88 for 100
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Premier-Blood-Glucose-Test-Strips-100-Count/575088197

Any time you get a number under 90 you need to reduce the dose by 0.25 units


About the neuropathy tap on this link
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-member-could-use-some-help-advice.283213/#post-3120394
I gave some information on what to buy for it
Look at post # 15
Click to expand...
Yes I have used weruva with a prior CKD cat but unfortunately, since I moved here 2 years ago every single rescue i brought with me has gotten sick at the exact same time, with mysterious weight loss, diagnoses of CKD and hyperthyroid, etc. and the constant stream of tests and treatments for all these diseases has left me in debt. So unfortunately it's hard to afford an order of 12 weruva cans for over $20 :'(
I only chose Vetlife to try to get him on some kind of renal food instead of the Iams everyone else eats for dry. We have many rescues and it's near impossible to keep any of them from eating off the communal bowl. I've tried to get them on a schedule, but if there isn't food in the bowl at all times, some of them start misbehaving.

I did do a series of tests one day where the vet had me test him every hour for 12 hours. Unfortunately I cannot test him after the morning dose at 7am, as that's when we leave for work until 540pm. Then of course I only have a few hours home until it's time to go to bed and start all over. That's why there aren't more tests.
This week I've been checking him a couple hours after the shot in the evening, and it only seems like his blood sugar is going down a small amount. He's never getting back into the low 200s or normal range anymore
 
emilyrose said:
I apologize, I had to do it that way because when I click through my meter, it displays most recent first and works backwards. I didn't have access to a computer to upload data to.
Yes the meter I'm using is a pet meter. I was pretty sure I selected the appropriate spreadsheet for that? Maybe I didn't read far enough in the instructions but I dont recall seeing changing codes.
Like I said I'm new and this is confusing. Sorry
Click to expand...
Hi Emily no need to apologize at all. :bighug:
It is confusing in the beginning , Don't worry about it Bhooma can fix it for you :cat:
 
emilyrose said:
Yes I have used weruva with a prior CKD cat but unfortunately, since I moved here 2 years ago every single rescue i brought with me has gotten sick at the exact same time, with mysterious weight loss, diagnoses of CKD and hyperthyroid, etc. and the constant stream of tests and treatments for all these diseases has left me in debt. So unfortunately it's hard to afford an order of 12 weruva cans for over $20 :'(
I only chose Vetlife to try to get him on some kind of renal food instead of the Iams everyone else eats for dry. We have many rescues and it's near impossible to keep any of them from eating off the communal bowl. I've tried to get them on a schedule, but if there isn't food in the bowl at all times, some of them start misbehaving.

I did do a series of tests one day where the vet had me test him every hour for 12 hours. Unfortunately I cannot test him after the morning dose at 7am, as that's when we leave for work until 540pm. Then of course I only have a few hours home until it's time to go to bed and start all over. That's why there aren't more tests.
This week I've been checking him a couple hours after the shot in the evening, and it only seems like his blood sugar is going down a small amount. He's never getting back into the low 200s or normal range anymore
Click to expand...
Yes the Weruva is expensive. Bless you for having all those rescues.
Maybe if you don't work in the weekends you can get a few more tests in.
You're doing the best you can :bighug:
 
Actually, I just checked and my reorder for his test strips from Amazon is severely delayed until Thursday :( if I test him throughout the day I won't have any left.

If I get a human meter from walmart, are the BG numbers going to be accurate?
 
Welcome to FDMB!

Wendy and Diane have provided great information and many of the links that can be helpful. If your vet didn't discuss feline diabetes with you, two of the most important aspects of treatment are food and insulin. Just like with humans, a low carbohydrate diet is very important. All food is metabolized into glucose. However, carbs are basically like eating sugar. The higher the carb content of a cat's food, the more it's like feeding your cat cookies and ice cream at every meal. It's not only not an ideal diet for a diabetic, there's an additional problem for cats. Cats are obligate carnivores -- in other words, they can't metabolize carbs. They need meat. Dry food is not an ideal source. This is a link to information on feline nutrition. There is also a chart on the site that provides a long list of canned foods available in the US and the amount of carbs in the food. We consider low carb as less than 10% although most members feed their cat in the 5% range. You have lots of choices. However, you will want to be attentive to the phosphorus levels if your cat has kidney issues. Diane has provided that information.

The other issue is insulin. Cats have a fast metabolism. You want an insulin that lasts closer to 12-hours and preferably an insulin that has a gentle method of action. Vetsulin does neither of those things as Wendy noted. As far as cost, Lantus is available now as a generic/biosimilar (i.e., glargine). It is far less expensive and comparably priced to other insulin. Again, you have choices.

I'd also suggest testing at least 4 times/day. You always want to test prior to giving a shot. Getting a test closer to nadir (lowest point in the 12-hour cycle) will tell. you how well the insulin is working. The nadir with Vetsulin is around 4 - 5 hours after you give a shot. However, nadir times can and do vary.

The Walmart Relion meter is accurate. The measurement system for a pet-based meter is slightly different than for a human meter but it's not a matter of accuracy. Keep in mind that pet-meters have only recently become more widely used. Most vets would use a human meter in the office or a serum chemistry analyzer when they sent out for labs. All of our dosing materials are based on human meters given that FDMB has been around for over 25 years.

Please let us know how we can help.
 
Thank you for all of that. I am getting the meter and test strips here in a minute and I will start using that tonight and doing additional testing over the weekend. Unfortunately, I'm not able to get a hold of the vet to change his insulin until next week so I'm hoping to at least make the Vetsulin work until then.

Since I guess I put all of my data in the wrong spreadsheet, should I transfer that data into the appropriate spreadsheet and keep it in the Google Drive, then make a separate spreadsheet for the new data from the relion?
 
Don't worry about starting a new spreadsheet. We have people who can help you fix the spreadsheet so that when you start the new meter it'll work for the human meter numbers. @Bandit's Mom

We have many people who enter data on the spreadsheet through phone or tablet. If data is in the order with oldest data first and newest data at the bottom, you just have to scroll down to the bottom of the spreadsheet and fill in a row. The biggest problem is that those of us who try to help by looking at spreadsheets are used to having the oldest data on the top, and the newest on the bottom. I'm glad Diane caught that bit. We can see patterns in numbers, but only if the data is in the right order. I suggested reduction assuming the most recent data was at the bottom.

If you a day off over the holidays, it can be really helpful to do a curve. Which is to test every 2 hours for one 12 hours cycle, or every 3 hours for 18 hours. Knowing how Rusty uses the insulin can help you know when it's best to test to find low points.
 
@emilyrose
Hi Emily ,The color codes up top of your spreadsheet can stay the way they are now that you are switching to the Relion human meter tonight, so all is good there.

I'm going to tag Chris to get in touch with you to fix it and to draw a blank line after the dates are fixed and put Started Relion Meter above the date you will start using it which you said will be tonight 12-23-21
 
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I tested him with both meters, same poke site, same time.
The PetTest shows him at 344. The ReliOn says 250. Both are in mg/dL, whatever that means. Which one am I supposed to base his treatment and care off of? That is a large discrepancy margin that could be dangerous for dosing. How do I know which is right?
 
emilyrose said:
I tested him with both meters, same poke site, same time.
The PetTest shows him at 344. The ReliOn says 250. Both are in mg/dL, whatever that means. Which one am I supposed to base his treatment and care off of?
Click to expand...
If you are going to test with the Relion from now on you will use the Relion BG number
I suggest you stick with the Relion since that's what our numbers are based on
Are you going to stay with that from now on? Can you let me know please
Also
I'm going to tag Chris to get in touch with you to fix it and to draw a blank line after the dates are fixed and put Started Relion Meter above the date you will start using it which you said will be tonight 12-23-21
@Chris & China (GA)
@emilyrose
 
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I just found the date from the curve day we did on 11/20/23 with the Vetsulin / PetTest meter, and these were my notes at that time, just for reference so all can compare it to the next time I do it:

1030am 409 (then gave 1u)
12PM 480
130PM 428
3PM 482
430PM 460
6PM 415 (then gave 1u)
73OPM 298
9PM 130

I did add this to the sheet as well.
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
If you are going to test with the Relion from now on you will use the Relion BG number
I suggest you stick with the Relion since that's what our numbers are based on
Are you going to stay with that from now on? Can you let me know please
Also
I'm going to tag Chris to get in touch with you to fix it and to draw a blank line after the dates are fixed and put Started Relion Meter above the date you will start using it which you said will be tonight 12-23-21
@Chris & China (GA)
@emilyrose
Click to expand...
I will stick with it over the weekend until I can talk to the vet, because I simply don't have enough test strips to get through until Thursday when Amazon said the PetTest strips would be delivered by. I'll message the vet on Tues or Wednesday to make sure she's aware I'm using a human meter and talk to her about the change to lantus even though she recommended the more expensive Prozinc.

Just trying to get him through the holiday weekend, but his gait and attitude just seems to be getting worse.
 
emilyrose said:
I just found the date from the curve day we did on 11/20/23 with the Vetsulin / PetTest meter, and these were my notes at that time, just for reference so all can compare it to the next time I do it:

1030am 409 (then gave 1u)
12PM 480
130PM 428
3PM 482
430PM 460
6PM 415 (then gave 1u)
73OPM 298
9PM 130

I did add this to the sheet as well.
Click to expand...
I see you added it to the SS ,it's added to the date 11-18-23
 
emilyrose said:
The PetTest shows him at 344. The ReliOn says 250. Both are in mg/dL, whatever that means. Which one am I supposed to base his treatment and care off of? That is a large discrepancy margin that could be dangerous for dosing. How do I know which is right?
Click to expand...
Honestly, it doesn't matter. Both of them say his blood sugar is too high. The numbers for the two meters will be much closer together in low numbers, where it counts. We decide to change the dose based on how low the dose takes the cat. A more current curve can help you figure that out.
 
emilyrose said:
I will stick with it over the weekend until I can talk to the vet, because I simply don't have enough test strips to get through until Thursday when Amazon said the PetTest strips would be delivered by. I'll message the vet on Tues or Wednesday to make sure she's aware I'm using a human meter and talk to her about the change to lantus even though she recommended the more expensive Prozinc.

Just trying to get him through the holiday weekend, but his gait and attitude just seems to be getting worse
Click to expand...
Why don't you just cancel the Amazon order for the strips for the pet meter
If you don't want to that's fine
I just don't want to make Chris put you are now going to use the Relion and then have to change it back
I see the strips for the pet meter are way more expensive than the Relion strips
You can just tell the vet you can't afford them any more , that's what I told my vet in the beginning when I first joined
@emilyrose
 
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Wendy&Neko said:
Honestly, it doesn't matter. Both of them say his blood sugar is too high. The numbers for the two meters will be much closer together in low numbers, where it counts. We decide to change the dose based on how low the dose takes the cat. A more current curve can help you figure that out.
Click to expand...
Gotcha. He's really grouchy today, so I will shoot for doing the curve tomorrow.
I'm just really hoping all this trouble isn't because the vial has gone bad and he's getting little to no benefit.

Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Why don't you just cancel the Amazon order for the strips for the pet meter
If you don't want to that's fine
I just don't want to make Chris put you are now going to use the Relion and then have to change it back
I see the strips for the pet meter are way more expensive than the Relion strips
You can just tell the vet you can't afford them any more , that's what I told my vet in the beginning when I first joined
Click to expand...
Yes I just did cancel that. It's more expensive to maintain anyway.
 
emilyrose said:
Yes, sorry i sent it to the vet on 11/20 when they opened after a weekend so I neglected to edit that after doing the ss. 11/18 is the correct date of curve test
Click to expand...
Do you know how to color code this curve in manually
The numbers in the 400's you would color code in Red
The 298 BG you will color code in yellow, if not don't worry about
@emilyrose
 
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emilyrose said:
Yes I just did cancel that. It's more expensive to maintain anyway.
Click to expand...
Great !:cat:
You can do one thing now if you want to go to the top of your post, tap in your name
then tap on the word signature and after the word Pet Test Meter put this
after that Relion as of 12-24 -23 then tap save

Then go to your spreadsheet and do the same where you have the Pet Test Meter
@emilyrose

I want to get the dates fixed for you as soon as possible so you can start entering the numbers for the Relion
 
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@emilyrose
Emily I just spoke to Chris about fixing your SS
She said
I can't do anything unless she gives me access to edit. She needs to click on "share" and then add chrisronkoski@gmail.com
So you can do this now so you can get the SS started the correct way and enter the Relion number
 
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I don't know how much this helps, since you've gotten so much great advice already, but I used to use a pet meter as well. Now I just use the human Relion meter. It's less expensive and more convenient.

My vet is awesome but still prefers a pet meter. So I use the human meter on a day to day basis, and use the pet meter if I am doing a curve for her or something like that.

I don't argue about this particular point or anything. I don't think she even knows I use a human meter. It just works easier this way for me. Hopefully your vet is open to your ideas :)
 
Snickers and Chrissy said:
I don't know how much this helps, since you've gotten so much great advice already, but I used to use a pet meter as well. Now I just use the human Relion meter. It's less expensive and more convenient.

My vet is awesome but still prefers a pet meter. So I use the human meter on a day to day basis, and use the pet meter if I am doing a curve for her or something like that.

I don't argue about this particular point or anything. I don't think she even knows I use a human meter. It just works easier this way for me. Hopefully your vet is open to your ideas :)
Click to expand...
Yes, they have been very kind with all my chronic cases, especially ones that are complex like Rusty.
Rusty went through a period of severe anemia, he was almost to the point where the ER wanted a transfusion.
I researched Epogen, as I had an FIV+CKD old man who was also incredibly anemic. Despite it being a human medicine, there was evidence of use for that purpose. They were willing to jump through hoops to try to get it from Walgreens or anywhere and lo and behold, it worked for both of them! It was a hassle but they were willing to listen to my questions and work with new ideas that members from the CKD group suggested. I'm sure she won't have a problem, otherwise I can always just bring him in to calibrate readings with their AlphaTrak2.
 
emilyrose said:
Just did so, hopefully they got notified
Click to expand...
Hi Emily, Chris got your message but she doesn't know that she can fix the dates meaning putting the older dates first, but she is going to add a new tab for you for 1-1-2024
You will see she already added the 2024 tab for you, so when 2024 comes just tap in it and start entering the numbers , ok or when Jan 1 comes just right click on the 2024 tab and choose move left
Maybe to fix the dates you can write down what you have on a piece of paper write down the dates and the BG numbers and then start deleting each date and the BG numbers one by one or just delete everything and start with the older dates first. I have a tablet so when I want to delete something I just press down on what I want to delete and the word delete comes up and I just tap on it . There really isn't that much data you will have to copy and write it down

Then I see Chris added to your SS when you switched to the Relion you would also type that above the date you started the Relion. If it's to much for you to do then just leave it . Go take a look at your SS and take a look at it. Don't forget to add
What you said above which was
The PetTest shows him at 344. The ReliOn says 250. You might as well put the Pet Test numbers in. When and if you want to change to generic Lantus we can just add that to your signature and to your spreadsheet
@emilyrose
 
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emilyrose said:
Yes, they have been very kind with all my chronic cases, especially ones that are complex like Rusty.
Rusty went through a period of severe anemia, he was almost to the point where the ER wanted a transfusion.
I researched Epogen, as I had an FIV+CKD old man who was also incredibly anemic. Despite it being a human medicine, there was evidence of use for that purpose. They were willing to jump through hoops to try to get it from Walgreens or anywhere and lo and behold, it worked for both of them! It was a hassle but they were willing to listen to my questions and work with new ideas that members from the CKD group suggested. I'm sure she won't have a problem, otherwise I can always just bring him in to calibrate readings with their AlphaTrak2.
Click to expand...
Oh wow, that's awesome that you're very is so open to your input. They sound great! :):bighug::)
 
Hi all,

So I did kind of a mini curve test for him tonight starting at 6pm to now, which was 1230am 12/24. I used both meters just to get an idea of how close they are. I know it isn't a full 12 hours, but since his sugars are already going up and he's very upset with me for poking him so often today, I'm going to just leave him alone.

The results are on the spreadsheet; PT is for Pet Test and RO is for ReliOn. This was just done today for record keeping/comparisons.

12/23
1pm PT 354, RO 250
6pm PT 453, RO 400
Then gave 1u
830pm PT 267, RO 218
1030pm PT 198, RO 172
12/24
1230am PT 425, RO 314

As we can see, his lowest point was about 4.5 hours after insulin dose, which matches perfectly with y'all's feedback about Vetsulin not lasting very long, then started going back up.
So I think it's appropriate to assume this insulin just isn't controlling his BG for more than a few hours a day, which is probably causing the assumed neuropathy as well as contributing to the low potassium.

Like I said, with him feeling unwell and being grumpy from being turned into a pin cushion, on top of his numbers already trending up, I dont think it's necessary or helpful to keep getting up to poke him at 2, 4, and 6 am for a full 12 hours of results.

Any thoughts? How can I help him control these numbers until the vet opens Wednesday morning? I likely will not be able to get a change of Insulin or an Rx for lantus until Wednesday afternoon. I'm sure the vets will be swamped with messages and they may not even get back to me same day.
 
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Yes, somehow it ended up as view only and I had no access to edit. My signature should have the correct link
 
emilyrose said:
Yes, somehow it ended up as view only and I had no access to edit. My signature should have the correct link
Click to expand...
Emily, regarding the view only message, are you using the app on your phone? If so, uninstall the app from your phone ans reinstall it. This is a problem with the app that I've researched. This is the only thing I have found that works.

You don't want to delete your spreadsheet with this happens though. Your SS is fine, it is the app that glitches. When I click Rusty's SS in your signature, it states "Document look up failed. It is possible the document was deleted."

If you can retrieve it, let us know.
 
Basic's Mom said:
Emily, regarding the view only message, are you using the app on your phone? If so, uninstall the app from your phone ans reinstall it. This is a problem with the app that I've researched. This is the only thing I have found that works.

You don't want to delete your spreadsheet with this happens though. Your SS is fine, it is the app that glitches. When I click Rusty's SS in your signature, it states "Document look up failed. It is possible the document was deleted."

If you can retrieve it, let us know.
Click to expand...
I did so and somehow the document was still locked in view only mode, so I made a copy.
I freshly copied the link to the copy, so please try my signature link again.
 
My spreadsheet usually gives me the error when I look at other's spreadsheets. It is goofy. The only thing I've found that rectifies this error is deleted the app and reinstalling. Sorry that didn't work for you. Hopefully, you don't get it anymore.
 
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