New member 8/30/25

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Leopard

New Member
Hi all,

My 11 year old cat was diagnosed as diabetic on July 30th. He was started on 2 units twice daily of Vetsulin on August 2, and after a 1-week and 3-week check-in, his veterinarian has decided to keep him on such and see him again in 2 months.

At my cat's last visit, Wednesday 8/27/25, his blood sugar read 66 on a human meter around 3 PM (he gets his shots at 10am and 10pm). The vet said he was doing perfect but I was a little unsure about this number as it sounded very low compared to his 1 week reading which was 167. He assured me this was normal. Wanting to be sure, I went home, found this board, and ordered a glucose meter for at home. It arrived today some time after his morning injection so I decided to wait until his nighttime dose to test for the first time.

I expected to have quite a bit of troubleshooting to do with the meter, and I did. It's a ReliOn Platinum meter and has thrown me errors 4, 6, and 13 (not enough blood, inserting before ready, and foreign material in the slot). I've poked him about a dozen times and only gotten two readings.
Around 9:40pm it gave me a reading of 77. Since it had thrown so many errors before hand I didn't trust this number and tried to get a second reading, but had no luck drawing any more blood from him. I decided to be cautious and leave him be for a while before trying again. Around 12am I gave it another go with similar results - a slew of error readings before I got it to spit out a number of 74. I, again, would have liked to get a second reading to compare but he was poked up and down his ear at this point and actively fighting so I let him go. I figure missing one dose isn't the worst thing in the world (but correct me if I'm wrong).

But I'm wondering - are these numbers the meter is producing trustworthy at all, or should I not pay any mind to them since they are preceded and followed with so many error codes? I did use the meter straight out the box and it did not come with any control fluid - could this be causing an issue / inaccurate readings? And if so, what should I do from here? I will order control fluid, of course, but in the days it'll take to arrive should I continue with his 2 units or err on the side of caution and hold off? When he was initially diagnosed, he had a blood ketone reading of 3.4 if this influences any decision making (but at his last appointment Wednesday, he had .1 or .01 - they didn't write it down so I can't remember exactly but they said the lowest possible reading).

Thanks in advance for any comments. I'll attempt to set a signature up in the meantime but have no spreadsheet to share as I had intended to start it today.
 
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The meter is accurate enough for a cat. Those error messages are annoying, though. The control solution checks the inner workings of the meter. Common error messages are easily fixed without the need for the solution.

Meters time out if you don't get blood onto the test strip within a certain amount of time. To avoid this, just stick the test strip far enough into the meter so it holds in place but doesn't turn the meter on. Get blood from the cat's ear. When you have the drop ready, then push the test strip all the way into the meter to turn it on and get the ready to test icon whatever it may be. Then touch the edge of the strip to the drop to fill the little area. Set the meter aside to do it's thing while you give the cat a treat and apply pressure to the ear to stop any bleeding.

Not enough blood - get that ear really really warm. Many people use a "rice sock" to warm their cat's ear with. Hold the sock or your method of choice to the ear for a good minute if possible. Then poke to get a nice big drop of blood. Not quite enough blood? You can "milk" the ear to help the blood drop bead up more. You can also try adjusting the depth setting on the lancet device. And don't bre afraid to firmly press the lancet device against the ear. A floppy ear is kind of hard to poke so hold something under the ear to provide a firm surface to poke against - the rice sock, a cotton square, corner of a folded dish towel, etc.

I'm not sure about the foreign material in the meter.

Hometesting tips: Hometesting Links and Tips

Normal blood glucose levels are roughly 65 to 150 mg/dl. A 66 at +5 (5 hours after insulin) is a good number :) Looks like the 77 was just 20 minutes before the 10pm insulin time (what we call PMPS). Did you give insulin? 77 is too low for insulin. The 74 is PM +2 and not much of a change from the 77.

Vetsulin isn't an ideal insulin to use for cats. There are better choices. Are you in the US or another country?
 
Just tested - 10:25am got a reading of 110, immediately gave it another go (with a new prick) and got a reading of 114 around 10:30. Seems somewhat consistent, but still unsure if the meter is any good without being calibrated first?

I read on one of the guides that newcomers should not give insulin until cat is at or above 200, so this number would still not be high enough? If the meter is reading accurately. This is his first time missing one dose, let alone two, so unsure on how to proceed with him.

I'm in the US. And believe error 13 was due to the petroleum jelly? I did not use any this go around.
 
Tried a 2pm test, no luck. Will make another attempt around 4 or 5, depending on how cooperative he's being. Ear testing seems far more painful for him than his injections, which he always sits nicely for. :(
 
Testing is a learning experience for the cat and their care-giver, and it has a bit of a learning curve, but don't despair. You both get used to it pretty quickly, and cats associate the testing and the insulin injections as something that's helping them feel better.

A bit of a low/no-carb treat, including a non-edible treat such as a big cuddle, goes a long way. I give my girl a bonito flake, or something that doesn't spike her, such as a catnip flavoured Feline Greenie.

You'll both get the hang of it!
 
One other tip regarding home testing -- what gauge lancet are you using? Most of the time, the lancets that come with the meter are a 30 gauge. That's likely a bit too thin of a lancet when you're just starting out. It takes a couple of weeks for the capillary bed along the edge of your cat's ear to develop and bleed more easily. I'd suggest picking up some lancets that are 28 gauge or lower. (The lower the number, the thicker the lancet.)

To add to what SqueeM3 noted, Vetsulin is no longer recommended by the American Animal Hospital Assn for treating feline diabetes. It does not have sufficient duration given a cat's fast metabolism. It was also developed for treating diabetes in dogs. (It's "other' name is Caninsulin.) The AAHA recommends either glargine (Lantus -- which is now available as a generic/biosimilar) or Prozinc. Glargine is a human insulin and available at most pharmacies. Prozinc was developed for veterinary use. Both have a solid track record for treating feline diabetes.
 
Leopard said:
Just tested - 10:25am got a reading of 110, immediately gave it another go (with a new prick) and got a reading of 114 around 10:30. Seems somewhat consistent, but still unsure if the meter is any good without being calibrated first?

I read on one of the guides that newcomers should not give insulin until cat is at or above 200, so this number would still not be high enough? If the meter is reading accurately. This is his first time missing one dose, let alone two, so unsure on how to proceed with him.

I'm in the US. And believe error 13 was due to the petroleum jelly? I did not use any this go around.
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So AM 110 / 114. Really good numbers :) No, don't give insulin if your cat tests under 150. Some newbies prefer be safe and not give insulin under 200. More experienced people with spreadsheets full of data often shoot at a low number but they have the data to support it and know how their cat reacts.

Meters don't need to be calibrated before use.

Vaseline helps the blood bead up on the cat's fur. It's not necessary.

Are you warming the ear up first?

How was the diabetes diagnosed? Was your cat showing the common symptoms of diabetes? Did the vet do a fructosamine test? Regular blood work includes a blood glucose test but that number only tells what the level was at the time of blood draw. Many cats are super stressed out being at the vet's office and stress causes the blood glucose level to shoot way up.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
One other tip regarding home testing -- what gauge lancet are you using? Most of the time, the lancets that come with the meter are a 30 gauge. That's likely a bit too thin of a lancet when you're just starting out. It takes a couple of weeks for the capillary bed along the edge of your cat's ear to develop and bleed more easily. I'd suggest picking up some lancets that are 28 gauge or lower. (The lower the number, the thicker the lancet.)
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The kit came with 28 gauge but have used nearly all of them now - have one or two left. After that, have a pack of 30 gauge to switch to as that's all the store had. Not sure if they'll fit my device but I'm hoping so so that I don't have to do it manually. Pen is much quicker than hand, I'm sure, and can hardly get him to hold still for that.

squeem3 said:
How was the diabetes diagnosed? Was your cat showing the common symptoms of diabetes? Did the vet do a fructosamine test? Regular blood work includes a blood glucose test but that number only tells what the level was at the time of blood draw. Many cats are super stressed out being at the vet's office and stress causes the blood glucose level to shoot way up.
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His ears are typically pretty hot from the get-go but I did try warming with a med bottle filled with hot water the first few times. The heat dissipated rapidly and didn't seem to make any noticeable difference to me. After that I swapped to a vigorous ear rub which he has always enjoyed (but is already becoming suspicious of). Still hit or miss but since my poking device is opaque it's hard for me to tell where I'm hitting and I think that may be the bigger issue. Might have to swap to poking manually even though I'd really rather not; he puts up so much of a fight already.

Yes, he was showing symptoms. He had his annual July 11th and was perfectly healthy, but I noticed him acting strangely less than a week later. He was drinking multiple times an hour at all hours of the day. Not urinating more often but much more when he did go - and it was incredibly dense and difficult to scoop. He did begin to lose appetite and interest in his favorite treats which I think is less common? Vet said usually their appetite goes way up. His did not. We returned July 29th and he had lost two pounds, from 17.12 to 15.20. Bloodwork was done and they called the next morning to tell us he was diabetic (blood sugar in 400s). We returned August 2nd to start him on Senvelgo, but upon testing ketones they were 3.4 so he was given insulin instead. At 1 week check-in he was up to 16lbs, and at our most recent appointment he was 17.06. I'm not sure what a fructosamine test is to be honest, but I don't recall hearing that word at any point. But his blood sugars were "in 400s" at diagnosis, 382 when we picked up his insulin, 167 at 1 week, and 66 at 3 week check-in. Knowing stress can make blood sugar higher is part of why I was concerned about the 66 - if he was 66 in a stressful environment what had he been at home? But I suppose blood sugar doesn't rise every time a cat is stressed - it's a conditional thing?

From what I can tell, 2 units is not a small dose so if he was not really diabetic I feel he would have very obvious symptoms of low blood sugar by now?
 
A fructosamine is sort of similar to the AC1 test for Human diabetics. It's a separate blood test the vet has to specify when submitting the bloodwork.

Give the "rice sock" a try to warm those ears up. Take a small old sock, Fill with ~1/4 cup of uncooked rice or dried beans. You can use less rice or beans if the sock is baby or child sized. Knot the sock closed and heat in microwave. Try 10 seconds to start and add more time in small increments until you find what works to get the sock just barely comfortably warm to hold in your hand. Wrap the sock around the edge of the ear for a good minute. Hold the sock in the ear and use it as a surface to poke the lancet device against. The rice or beans hold the heat for a good awhile vs a pill bottle or a hot damp washcloth in a baggie. Ears do learn to bleed more easily so have patience :)

Some lancet devices have clear caps so you can see where you are poking. A Google search will come up with some. You can also just remove the cap end from the current device. Just be careful not to poke yourself.

30 gauge lancets are too thin to get blood from.

Not all cats experience high blood glucose levels at the vet's office. @Wendy&Neko had one such cat.
 
I used a warm washcloth this time. I think it helped as I got a very nice droplet of blood despite forgetting to adjust the needle depth. 😬
It's 7pm and his result was 78. What does this mean? It's way down from his earlier reading of 114. I did not give insulin this morning. Do I need to test again right now?? Or can it wait until just before his shot time? And what if his blood sugar is not up to 150 by then? I am very nervous about him missing 3 doses. Especially since I cannot call his vet, they're closed until Tuesday. I suppose I picked a bad time to start testing.

It seems odd I was able to give him his two units every day - including yesterday morning - with no ill effects but now he's suddenly too low to safely inject? Is there really no chance the meter is incorrect? Not that I can run out and get another right this moment anyway. :( Is it not dangerous for him to miss three doses knowing his ketones were 3.4 at diagnosis? I know they were good at his last check-up, but he was getting his 2 units every 12 hours at that point.
 
A big drop is better than not enough IMO :) Just hold a tissue on the ear to stop the bleeding.

AM +9 78. No, you don't need to test again. 78 is a perfectly healthy normal number. There is no risk of hypoglycemia since your cat didn't get insulin today. Do not give insulin if PMPS (your 10pm shot time) is under 200.

You can buy a new different meter to test your cat and just double check with the Relion is giving you. I use the AccuChek Guide. I think a starter kit with 10 test strips is like $20-ish at CVS.

@Sienne and Gabby (GA) @Wendy&Neko what do you suggest for dosing with these numbers and the fact the cat had ketones at diagnosis?
 
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Are you testing at home for ketones? You can get urine test strips, Ketostix, at any pharmacy. You swipe the stick through your cat's urine and follow the directions on the container and compare the color to the guide on the container.

From what was noted, it sounds like there are no ketones present - or they are negligible. If that's the case, I'd skip if numbers are this low. If numbers jump up, the Vetsulin dose needs to be reduced. I'd suggest posting and asking for help if you see number are over 200. I'd try to get a test in late in the cycle in case there aren't members around who can immediately respond to a question.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Are you testing at home for ketones? You can get urine test strips, Ketostix, at any pharmacy. You swipe the stick through your cat's urine and follow the directions on the container and compare the color to the guide on the container.

From what was noted, it sounds like there are no ketones present - or they are negligible. If that's the case, I'd skip if numbers are this low. If numbers jump up, the Vetsulin dose needs to be reduced. I'd suggest posting and asking for help if you see number are over 200. I'd try to get a test in late in the cycle in case there aren't members around who can immediately respond to a question.
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I am not at the moment but am willing to... but I won't have a chance to get them until Wednesday. Same goes for a second meter, unfortunately.

I'll test him again at 9pm (1 hr from now) and see what he is then. He's just eaten a Churu and very little wet food about half an hour ago. I'm not sure what you mean by "if numbers jump up" - like, up significantly, or like even if he makes it to 200 tonight he can't have his 2units, he needs something smaller?
 
With Vetsulin, we recommend reducing the dose if numbers drop below 90. Since Leopard's tests are below that cut off, you need to reduce the dose by 0.25u. If your PMPS is at 200 (or close to that), you can give a shot.

With our dosing methods, your kitty was started in a higher dose than what we recommend. You'll also note that we encourage testing, feeding your cat, waiting 20-30 min, they giving Vetsulin. Vetsulin is a harsh, fast acting insulin and you need food on board before giving a shot. This is the link to our beginner's guide.
 
Just tested - reading of 88. It doesn't feel like he's going to reach 200 within an hour, but I will reduce by .25 if he does. :(

Both the insert that came with the Vetsulin and my vet said free-feeding is fine, so that's what we've done so far. I will attempt to get him on timed feedings but it may take a while since he's been free-fed his whole life. He has been getting one Churu tube poured on top of his pate after every injection, but 99% of the time he just licks the Churu off and leaves. I'll swap to giving him this before his injection instead of after, but the amount he consumes is really not a lot.
 
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