? New home tester-getting strange readings

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Smokey and Jessica said:
It was recommended above keep giving the honey for anything below 40. Keep testing and giving snack and honey and post an update if you go to the vet if you can! It’s after midnight for me but now that I know you’re hanging in there and some other people have checked in I’m going to try to get some sleep.
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Thank you for all your help!
 
I'd give a bit more honey at this point. If he's still low at the next test when your husband gets home, take him to the ER, he is making you work really really hard and he's not coming up enough. Hopefully soon, with all the food/honey.

Updated numbers:

AMPS 56/60 (AlphaTrak)
+2 30 (most of a can of FF + 1/4 c glycobalance dry)
+2.5 lower than 30 (honey, pea-sized amount + dry Iams)
+3 LO (honey)
+4? 35 (dry Iams)
+4.5 46 (wet food + honey)
 
You are looking for 2 hours of stability = above 70... 2 hours after last food/sugar. You need to keep testing every 15 minutes and applying food or honey/karo. And the 2 hour mark needs to be after the nadir (at +6).
 
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JeffJ said:
You are looking for 2 hours of stability = above 60... 2 hours after last food/sugar. You need to keep testing every 15 minutes and applying food or honey/karo. And the 2 hour mark needs to be after the nadir (at +6).
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It's an Alphatrak.... Not human meter. She will want to get at least 70.
 
JanetNJ said:
To get the reading, POKE WITH DETERMINATION. It's OK to poke all the way through.
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One thing that really helped me is to warm the ear and then poke on the very edge of the ear, almost on the other side. For my cat, the very edge of the ear seems less sensitive and so it's easier to get the blood and less stressful for both of us.
 
JeanW said:
One thing that really helped me is to warm the ear and then poke on the very edge of the ear, almost on the other side. For my cat, the very edge of the ear seems less sensitive and so it's easier to get the blood and less stressful for both of us.
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the poor guy has a super red ear. I can't seem to test off his right ear (he is missing a small chunk maybe not great blood flow?) so I'm having to do it all off the left ear :(

He just walked up the stairs without much problem so that's a good sign. I think He's fooded out as he isn't showing much interest in eating anymore, but I will continue to test and try to get him to eat periodically If he goes back down we will head to ER.

I am planning on skipping his 7pm insulin dose tonight. Thank you everyone.
 
So glad he's starting to come up! Phew!

I hate to say it, but try to get another test in 30mins to make sure he's going up for real (if it's just honey, it wears off quickly).

Great job keeping calm through a long run of scary-low numbers!
 
felicia__nicole said:
the poor guy has a super red ear. I can't seem to test off his right ear (he is missing a small chunk maybe not great blood flow?) so I'm having to do it all off the left ear :(

He just walked up the stairs without much problem so that's a good sign. I think He's fooded out as he isn't showing much interest in eating anymore, but I will continue to test and try to get him to eat periodically If he goes back down we will head to ER.

I am planning on skipping his 7pm insulin dose tonight. Thank you everyone.
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remember he will be very sensitive to insulin for at least a week.... and obviously you need to lower the dose quite a bit.
 
felicia__nicole said:
the poor guy has a super red ear. I can't seem to test off his right ear (he is missing a small chunk maybe not great blood flow?) so I'm having to do it all off the left ear :(

He just walked up the stairs without much problem so that's a good sign. I think He's fooded out as he isn't showing much interest in eating anymore, but I will continue to test and try to get him to eat periodically If he goes back down we will head to ER.

I am planning on skipping his 7pm insulin dose tonight. Thank you everyone.
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If you have a little neosporin with pain relief at home you can put a small bit of that on the ear to make it feel better.
 
felicia__nicole said:
the poor guy has a super red ear. I can't seem to test off his right ear (he is missing a small chunk maybe not great blood flow?) so I'm having to do it all off the left ear :(
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Oh poor little guy! When you're done testing for the day, dab some neosporin/polysporin on it. They heal up quickly, but this kind of day is really hard on the ears, especially if it's early in hometesting when it's harder to get the blood out. :(
 
How should I proceed from here? We normally feed 7am, 5pm, 7pm and 10pm (vet recommended 3-4 feedings/day and as we both work this is the only way we could fit in 4). Should I feed him his normal meals for the next 3 feedings?
 
felicia__nicole said:
107!!!

@JeanW I tried pricking the edge of the ear and that seemed to work well. Thanks!
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Great on both counts! You're welcome!

Also I meant to add my vet suggests putting the tiniest bit of regular kitchen flour on the poked area in the ear when done testing. It helps to stop the bleeding. I do this only sometimes but it does seem to work.
 
I don't see any reason not to feed normally (other than the fact that he might be full from all the extras today!).

I think you can take the '911' down from the post now, but you can replace it with the '?' for this and other questions. It's not too early to be thinking ahead about tomorrow's shot, too, both the dose and the "no shoot" number. Given how low he went today, and the fact that (I'm guessing) you'll be at work an unable to monitor all day, I'd go very very conservative on both, but you'll want to get input from Vetsulin folks for details. @JanetNJ has already been here and I'm hoping she'll have some thoughts, and @Kris & Teasel is another member who is good with Vetsulin dosing and might be able to help here.
 
Nan & Amber said:
I don't see any reason not to feed normally (other than the fact that he might be full from all the extras today!).

I think you can take the '911' down from the post now, but you can replace it with the '?' for this and other questions. It's not too early to be thinking ahead about tomorrow's shot, too, both the dose and the "no shoot" number. Given how low he went today, and the fact that (I'm guessing) you'll be at work an unable to monitor all day, I'd go very very conservative on both, but you'll want to get input from Vetsulin folks for details. @JanetNJ has already been here and I'm hoping she'll have some thoughts, and @Kris & Teasel is another member who is good with Vetsulin dosing and might be able to help here.
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Yes, I was going to ask about that too. I don't normally, but I can get home on my lunch break if necessary to take a mid-day test. If I could get an idea of what range to dose him in (and how much) in the morning, that would be awesome. I'm also getting super low on test strips. I think have 6 left *eek* I never imagined I'd go though almost 20 in just a few hours.... I have ordered more but even with expedited shipping they won't be here until Wednesday.
 
felicia__nicole said:
Yes, I was going to ask about that too. I don't normally, but I can get home on my lunch break if necessary to take a mid-day test. If I could get an idea of what range to dose him in (and how much) in the morning, that would be awesome. I'm also getting super low on test strips. I think have 6 left *eek* I never imagined I'd go though almost 20 in just a few hours.... I have ordered more but even with expedited shipping they won't be here until Wednesday.
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Ooh may need a human monito as a backup? I think they’re kinda cheap in cost???

I couldn’t find your spreadsheet for history and dosages and type of insulin? Is it Prozinc?
 
felicia__nicole said:
I just joined today so I haven't done any of that yet. sorry! He is on Vetsulin 3u 2x/day
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I don’t know about that insulin perhaps @Kris & Teasel woukd know? It seems high judging from what just happened. I’m guessing here but I would go 1 or a little more of 1.5 U ( 1 1/2 u) depending on if 40IU or 100IU insulin type - I would be interested in hearing addl responses
 
Magic Johnson said:
I don’t know about that insulin perhaps @Kris & Teasel woukd know? It seems high judging from what just happened. I’m guessing here but I would go 1 or a little more of 1.5 U ( 1 1/2 u) depending on if 40IU or 100IU insulin type - I would be interested in hearing addl responses
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As, I reported earlier, he recently had a diet change from all dry to all wet so we think that has accounted for the drop in BG
 
A diet change can make a tremendous difference in BG. And that is just one reason why testing is so important.

Through testing, you more than likely saved Benny's life today. It's too early in the cycle yet to determine what a safe dose is for the next shot. Obviously, 3 units of Vetsulin is too high a dose (and some cats do become insulin sensitive after a hypo experience). Let's wait and see what the Vetsulin veterans have to say about it.

A human meter from Walmart (a lot of people use the Relion Micro or Confirm) works just fine and will save you $$$ over the long haul.

Here is the link to the Vetsulin guide: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/beginners-guide-to-caninsulin-vetsulin.186099/
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
A diet change can make a tremendous difference in BG. And that is just one reason why testing is so important.

Through testing, you more than likely saved Benny's life today. It's too early in the cycle yet to determine what a safe dose is for the next shot. Obviously, 3 units of Vetsulin is too high a dose (and some cats do become insulin sensitive after a hypo experience). Let's wait and see what the Vetsulin veterans have to say about it.

A human meter from Walmart (a lot of people use the Relion Micro or Confirm) works just fine and will save you $$$ over the long haul.

Here is the link to the Vetsulin guide: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/beginners-guide-to-caninsulin-vetsulin.186099/
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Thank you. I will read though the guide. I literally *just* bought this meter (it came yesterday afternoon) so I really don't want to turn around and buy another at this point. Perhaps later down the line. I appreciate the input!
 
I've been out and have just read about all of today's drama - very scary! The 3 unit dose is far too high and as Janet said above this hypo episode will leave him extra insulin sensitive. If it was my kitty I'd drop the dose down a lot to 0.5 u twice a day for the next couple of days. This might be too low but with the extra sensitivity it's safer. It should get him calmed down some in his responses and it can be very gradually increased as needed.

Here's the new member's hand out I made up:
______________________________________________________________________________________________

It would help us if you set up your signature (light grey text under a post). Here's how:
  • click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
  • click on "signature" in the men that drops down
  • type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using /glucose meter you're using/what he eats/any other meds or health issues he has.
Another thing that will help us help you now that you've started BG testing at home is to set up a spreadsheet like the one we use here. We can all see it and look at it before offering advice: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Here's the basic testing routine we recommend:
  1. test every day AM and PM before feeding and injecting (no food at least 2 hours before) to see if the planned dose is safe
  2. test at least once near mid cycle or at bedtime daily to see how low the BG goes
  3. do extra tests on days off to fill in the response picture
  4. if indicated by consistently high numbers on your SS, increase the dose by no more than 0.25 u at a time so you don't accidentally go right past a good dose
  5. post here for advice whenever you're confused or unsure of what to do.
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Here's an explanation of what we call "bouncing". It explains why a kitty's BG can go from low to sky high:
  1. BG goes low OR lower than usual OR drops too quickly.
  2. Kitty's body panics and thinks there's danger (OMG! My BG is too low!).
  3. Complex physiologic processes take glycogen stored in the liver (I think of it as "bounce fuel"), convert it to glucose and dump it into the bloodstream to counteract the perceived dangerously low BG.
  4. These processes go into overdrive in kitties who are bounce prone and keep the BG propped up varying lengths of time (AKA bouncing).
  5. Bounce prone kitty repeats this until his body learns that healthy low numbers are safe. Some kitties are slow learners.
  6. Too high a dose of insulin can keep them bouncing over and over until the " bounce fuel" runs out and they crash - ie., have a hypo episode. That's why we worry so much about kitties that have had too high a starting dose prescribed by the vet and the owner isn't home testing.
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Here are some tips on how to do urine ketone testing (VERY important if BG is high and kitty isn't eating well!):
  • put the end of the test strip right in his urine stream as he's peeing
  • slip a shallow, long handled spoon under his backside to catch a little pee - you don't need much
  • put a double layer of plastic wrap over his favourite part of the litter box and poke some depressions in it too catch pee.
Most test strips have to be dipped and allowed to develop for 15 seconds before viewing the colour change in very good light.
______________________________________________________________________________________________

The systematic testing routine I described above is how you can keep Benny safe. You'll be surprised how quickly it becomes second nature to you. You don't want a repeat of today's stressful situation.

The description of bouncing was posted above by Jessica (and Smokey). This is the reason you've seen some very high BG numbers along with those lows.

Re meters: your vet will likely want you to use the AlphaTrak meter but the strips are very expensive and you've seen how fast you go through them in a low BG situation like today. It's worth considering a human meter backup that uses cheaper strips that you can buy on short notice on weekends, etc. The ReliOn brand from Walmart is popular and two models, the Micro and the Confirm, take only a tiny blood drop to give a reading. Strips are $30+ per 100. You should be testing Benny before any further insulin doses because of what happened today and because you're resetting his dose for safety's sake.

You had a true baptism by fire today and can see why we're huge proponents of home testing. We don't want you to have to go through this again. :confused::)
 
felicia__nicole said:
Yes, I was going to ask about that too. I don't normally, but I can get home on my lunch break if necessary to take a mid-day test. If I could get an idea of what range to dose him in (and how much) in the morning, that would be awesome. I'm also getting super low on test strips. I think have 6 left *eek* I never imagined I'd go though almost 20 in just a few hours.... I have ordered more but even with expedited shipping they won't be here until Wednesday.
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In the future, amazon ships them next day.
 
Go ahead and feed him while waiting for word from Vetsulin folks, but here's my opinion for what it's worth: if you had a good stockpile of test strips and were willing to stay up tonight if need be, you could probably shoot 0.5U, BUT: by my count, you only have 5 strips left, so if he went low again tonight, you'd be stuck. I think in those circumstances, I'd skip and just see where he was tomorrow morning.

Important exception: if he's ever had ketones or a DKA after his diabetes diagnosis, that would push things more towards the "go ahead and shoot" side.
 
felicia__nicole said:
Update...I just tested him and he's at 468. Should I still skip his insulin dose? @Kris & Teasel @JanetNJ anyone else?

ETA, he ate about .5 oz a little over 2 hours ago and I'm about to feed him his 7pm meal[/Q
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I wouldn’t skip with such a high preshot. I am inclined to tell you to lower the dose to 1-1.5 ... if you can test. you had him on 3, correct? but it would be so incredibly helpful to have a spreadsheet link so we can see the data better. If you need help setting that up we can get someone to set it up for you.
 
To explain my reasoning a bit more (sorry, Janet, I'm going to disagree with you here): the high number right now could be a bit of an artificial high after the super-lows today, not an indication that he's still the kind of diabetic that is running in the 400's and needs insulin to bring him down. I think he may come down on his own. Consider the history of the "practice" tests (82 and 86 in mid-cycle) and the AMPS this morning (59 and 60).
 
Nan & Amber said:
To explain my reasoning a bit more (sorry, Janet, I'm going to disagree with you here): the high number right now could be a bit of an artificial high after the super-lows today, not an indication that he's still the kind of diabetic that is running in the 400's and needs insulin to bring him down. I think he may come down on his own. Consider the history of the "practice" tests (82 and 86 in mid-cycle) and the AMPS this morning (59 and 60).
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I am fine with erring on the side of caution... esp given we have no data to look back on.
 
JanetNJ said:
I wouldn’t skip with such a high preshot. I am inclined to tell you to lower the dose to 2 ... but it would be so incredibly helpful to have a spreadsheet link so we can see the data better. If you need help setting that up we can get someone to set it up for you.
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I looked at the spreadsheet earlier today with the instuctions and everything but I don't understand AMPS??

I decided to give him 1 unit as I would rather he be high than low but as he gets another meal I didn't want to leave him with nothing. He ate about .6 oz at 7 and gets fed again at 10. He normally eats more that that but I fed him so much earlier trying to get his numbers up I think he is full.

Here are my numbers from today (1st time I've done home testing so I don't know If I'm missing needed info)

6:45a- ate 3oz wet food
6:58a-3 u insulin
7:04a- 60 mg/dl

8:55a- 32 mg/dl
9:42a 21 mg/dl
10:50a-Lo
11:16a-35 mg/dl
11:39a-46 mg/dl
12:10p-82 mg/dl
12:44p-107 mg/dl
**during this time frame he ate another can of food, 1/4+ of dry food and we treated with honey as well
4:50p- .5 oz wet food
6:52p-468 mg/dl
7:00p-.6 oz wet
My syringes are only in 1 unit increments (I'll see about 1/2 unit ones) so i shot 1 unit.

I will test again before his next scheduled shot.
 
AMPS is "AM pre-shot" (PMPS similar).

Can you test again at 10pm (+3 hrs after the shot)? If he seems to be taking another dive down (below 150, say), instead of using your last few strips to test, you would have the option to abort the cycle by feeding a bunch of high carb food then.

I will not be around at that time, but hopefully others will be if you run into problems.
 
Perhaps a vet clinic would sell you some strips to get you through until Wednesday. You would have to keep them in a proper strip container.

Or …
I must preface this by saying I've no personal experience, some people have success using FreeStyle Lite strips (available at Walmart) in an AlphaTrak as long as the code is set properly.
Thoughts, anyone?
 
I read the link earlier...still confused. What does AM preshot mean? What would I put there, a time? I can test again at 10 but I was planning on using my last 5 strips to test before each dose on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning. This would leave me without a test strip for one of those days. I guess i can skip Wednesday morning as hopefully I will have a handle on this by then.

My husband tried calling a bunch of places, but pet stores don't have them and the vet clinics can't/won't sell. I'm going to check with my vet in the morning to see if I can get them there.

If I try the freestyle strips how would I know what code to set them at? My understanding is there are no cat codes on those just people codes

If I do test at 10 should it be before or after I feed him?
 
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Test results go in the actual cells.....so if you test before feeding/shooting at 7am, the test number you get goes in the AMPS cell, and when you test before feeding/shooting at 7pm, that test result goes in the PMPS cell. Take a look at China's spreadsheet (in my signature below this comment) for examples

If I were you, I'd get a Relion Confirm or Micro from WalMart to hold you over until Wednesday. Human meter's aren't that far off from pet meters and it'd be a lot safer than shooting without testing at all. At least you'd know if you were running into trouble.

Thousands of us have used human meters to test our kitties
 
felicia__nicole said:
I read the link earlier...still confused. What does AM preshot mean? What would I put there, a time? I can test again at 10 but I was planning on using my last 5 strips to test before each dose on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning. This would leave me without a test strip for one of those days. I guess i can skip Wednesday morning as hopefully I will have a handle on this by then.

My husband tried calling a bunch of places, but pet stores don't have them and the vet clinics can't/won't sell. I'm going to check with my vet in the morning to see if I can get them there.

If I try the freestyle strips how would I know what code to set them at? My understanding is there are no cat codes on those just people codes
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Amps is morning (am) preshots test. The test you give prior to the insulin dose. So if you shoot at say 8 am, your amps test might be at 7:30-7:45. In that column you would put whatever the reading was that you got. No food for at least two hours, then test, then feed, then shoot. The +1, +2, are the number of hours after the shot. Then pmps is the evening (pm) preshot test before the evening dose of insulin.
 
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