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Khora Tatyana

Khora Tatyana

Member Since 2020
Hey there! My name is Khora. I run a small cat rescue that previously only really took in special needs kittens. I’ve just ended up with a diabetic 10 year old, and have another one coming tomorrow!!!!

Charlotte is a 10 year old black cat, currently on 2 units of Lantus once a day (Given at 10AM, it’s currently 8PM). I have purchased a glucometer on the way home with her and want to get her into remission! She’s currently on a rx diet that’s 14% carbs, I plan on moving her onto a food that’s 11% but eventually rotating or mixing it with raw food.

I do not know when to test, when to feed her, or how to adjust insulin doses for her based on the glucose readings! I’m very new to diabetic cats. Any advice (especially on what to do RIGHT NOW because I don’t know if I should be testing before I feed her or....?) would be super appreciated! I’m reading through as many files as fast as I can but I feel lost.
 
Hi Khora - the many experienced sugar kitty parents on here will give you all the help you could ever want. As someone else fairly new to all this I just wanted to say welcome to the best and friendliest site you could ever help to find.
Also thank you for taking care of all those kitties who need help and love.
 
WELCOME TO FDMB!
Boy you have your hands full! Well you're about to jump into the deep end! The good thing is this is completely doable.
First of all Lantus need to be administered every 12 hours. Splitting that 1 unit into half every 12 hours
You should test before each shot to make sure its safe to admin insulin.
Let kitty eat. An uncontrolled diabetic is ravenous. They cant metabolize their food properly.

I'd like to give you a proper welcome but I'm in the middle of saving dinner
I will BBL
 
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Hi and welcome to the forum. Thank you for rescuing diabetic cats...that is wonderful.
Can you tell us what type of meter you bought. Human or pet meter?
Lantus works best when given twice a day 12 hours apart. I would split the 2 units and give 1 unit in the am and 1 unit at the pm dose to start with
We recommend testing before every shot to ensure it is safe to give the insulin, and again during the cycle to see how low the dose takes the cat. Around +4 and +6 are good times but you can change that around a bit as well. Also if the blood glucose (BG) Is dropping or low, you will need to test again to ensure it is not dropping too low.

We recommend going up and down in 1/4 unit increments to make sure we don’t go past the best dose and to keep kitty safe.

It is a steep learning curve in the beginning so take one day at a time, keep asking questions and posting every day as you learn. We will help you.
Here are some links to get you started
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/


tips on home testing
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Food chart. Look for foods 10% or less. Most of us use around 5%
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf
 
Uuuggghhh I just discovered I was supposed to buy “control solution” as well. I wish the pharmacist had told me!
 
I also meant to mention that you test the BG first, then feed, then give the insulin in that order.
In the beginning, if the BG is under 200, you stall, don’t feed and ask for help and test again 20 minutes later. Hopefully the BG will have gone up on its own and you will be able to give the dose.
So feed about half the allocated day food before the shot and then give the rest of the food in two lots around +2 and +4 or 5 and the same with the pm food. Is that doable for you or are you out of the house at work?
 
Khora Tatyana said:
Uuuggghhh I just discovered I was supposed to buy “control solution” as well. I wish the pharmacist had told me!
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Not sure how expensive those strips are, but you can always switch to Walmart’s ReliOn later. It’s $9 and 100 strips cost $17. With 2 diabetic cats, every little savings will help.

don’t worry about the control solution. You shouldn’t need that right away. Nice to have but not a must.

Bron is 100% right, split the dose and give Lantus every 12 hours, x2 a day. It only lasts about 12 hours so if you give it once a day only your cat is not covered for the other 12 hours of the day.

less than 10% carbs food. Most of us feed fancy feast pate or Friskies. They’re perfectly good foods and low in carbs.

Thank you for taking them in and welcome!! :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Okay so ReliOn won’t be available for you there. Ideal range in a regulated cat would be 50-120 on a human meter but Charlotte likely isn’t with Lantus once a day. Just be patient as it can take weeks or months to start to see good numbers on a diabetic cat. As we always say here, feline diabetes is a marathon not a sprint!
 
Khora Tatyana said:
Thank you that’s all very helpful!! Not sure if it matters but i am in Canada so not sure if brands may be different.


I’m really having trouble finding the file on reading the numbers on the glucometer. I don’t know what the ideal range is!
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For a human meter the normal range is US numbers 50-120 or if you use the world numbers 2.8-6.6 mmol/l

I’ll tag @Wendy&Neko as she lives in Canada
 
The Onetouch is a good meter. I must admit I didn't get control solution right away. You will probably be OK with it. Not sure what size blood drop the Verio Flex needs, the old OneTouch needed quite a bit larger blood drop, so I started out with the Freestyle Lite, smallest blood drop requirement. I just looked it up, the Verio Flex is much better than the old Onetouch for size of blood drop, you should be good.

For cheaper test strips, check out eBay, many people find good prices there.
 
I tried lancing her ear (following all the instructions in the links!) and now she is very angry and hiding under the bed, and I didn’t get any blood out. OOF it’s going to be a rough night. Ill try again in a few minutes... hopefully she calms down. She’s a very touchy, reserved, distrustful cat. She came from a humane society.
 
If you haven't got any yet, get some Polysporin Complete (black and yellow box). It helps sooth the ears.

What size lancets do you have? In the beginning, it helps to have larger lancets (small gauge numbers), around size 26. Make sure you warm the ears first, it really helps. And above all, make sure you reward her with a nice treat (low carb) whether or not you succeed in getting blood.
 
Khora Tatyana said:
Thank you that’s all very helpful!! Not sure if it matters but i am in Canada so not sure if brands may be different.


I’m really having trouble finding the file on reading the numbers on the glucometer. I don’t know what the ideal range is!
Click to expand...
I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC at home. In in the US, so my numbers will be different from yours. If looking at numbers from the US you will want to divide by 18 to see numbers more in line with what you are going to be using in Canada. So normal on a human meter is 50-120... So you will so 2.8-6.7 ish on your meter.
 
Khora Tatyana said:
Couldn’t successfully test her BG last night, because I couldn’t even get her to come out from under the bed. Finally got a reading this morning thanks to my partner distracting her with a treat, and it was at 15!!! I gave her a unit of insulin, how long should I wait before I re-test?
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Maybe try to get a reading at 3-4 hours after the shot.
 
Hey Khora, is your rescue foster-based or is there a physical location like a shelter? Managing a diabetic cat in a location with lots of cats can be very tricky; they're a lot more prone to infections than the average cat and infections can be life-threatening for diabetic cats. I oversaw feline medical at a rescue for almost 4 years; we had over 20 diabetic cats during those 4 years. There's a steep learning curve, but it's doable :)
 
I wonder if you would consider setting up your signature. It will really helps all of us help you MUCH quicker:
  • Click on Signature. This is where you will put information that helps us give you feedback.
    • There is a limit of two lines which may include two links; you may separate pieces with commas, dashes, | etc. This is where you paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
    • Add any other text, such as
    • Caregiver & kitty's name (optional)
    • DX: Date
    • Name of Insulin
    • Name of your meter
    • Diet: "LC wet" or "dry food" or "combo"
    • Dosing: TR or SLGS or Custom (if applicable)
    • DKA or other recent health issue (if applicable)
    • Acro, IAA, or Cushings (if applicable)
    • Spreadsheet link. Please put the signature link on the bottom line of your signature information, on its own, so it is easy to find.
    • Please do not put any information about your location in the signature for security reasons. If you wish to add your country location, please add it to your profile.
Be sure to click the 'Save Changes' button at the bottom. If you need help urgently it is important we know these things at a glance. We don’t want to waste valuable time finding out information.

thanks
jeanne
 
It should help trying to get her used to just playing with her ears aside from testing time. You’re giving a treat right after as a reward too right? Warming up the ears as well? It does get easier and the larger gauge lancets like a 28 or 26 should help too!

And aiming for the sweet spot right?
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Hi there.

Thanks for all you do to help kitties in need. :bighug:

Here is the method I use to home test. Perhaps it might give you some ideas to add to your own testing technique, particularly if you want to try using the lancet freehand.
  1. Fold a sheet of kitchen paper in four lengthwise and cut it up into 1" strips. You will use these to cushion and support the ear during the test.

  2. Put a thin film of Vaseline or Neosporin ointment (not the cream!) onto the edge of the ear to help the blood sample bead up instead of wicking into the fur. (Wipe off any excess.)

  3. To get a blood sample you need to increase the blood flow to the ear, so make sure the ear is really, really, really warm (but not hot) - especially in the early days of testing. (Note: With repeated 'poking', more capillaries form in the test area, so it becomes easier to get samples reliably.)

  4. Once you have the testing area of the ear well warmed, wrap a strip of folded kitchen paper round your index finger then place finger under the sweet spot area of the ear you're testing to support it during the poke.

  5. Use your thumb and middle finger to lightly but firmly grip the ear and paper strip in place so that the edge of the ear is taut but not overstretched; the little bit of tension will make it easier for the lancet to break the skin surface (and it helps to keep kitty's head from moving around too much).

  6. When using a lancet 'freehand, make sure the bevelled side of the lancet is facing upwards. Hold the lancet at a slight angle to the ear similar to the way you hold a pen when writing, not perpendicular (easier to see where you're aiming and also makes skin prick easier).

  7. When it comes to the actual poke, prick the sweet spot on the edge of the ear in a similar way to how you might quickly prick a balloon with the tip of a needle to make it pop.

  8. When using the glucometer, bring the test strip to where it j-u-s-t comes into contact with the blood droplet and hold it there. The strip should then 'sip up' the amount it needs to run a valid test. Most meters beep or give a visual cue to let you know that enough blood has been collected on the strip.

    If your cat is a wriggler, try collecting the blood sample on the back of your (clean) fingernail and test it from there.

  9. After the test, fold the paper strip over the edge of the ear and apply gentle pressure to the test area for about 15-20 seconds to minimise bruising.

  10. Keep praising your cat throughout the process and reward with a favourite diabetic-friendly treat.
With a bit of time and practice you'll be able to work out a technique and a routine that works best for you and your cat.



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Mogs
.
 
Thank you! I was able to get the sample today by massaging the ear for a while first before applying the warm compress. The hardest part has been that this is an older cat who I’ve never met before, and she doesn’t trust me that much. So last night when I tried it I got attacked, and then she hid! This morning was much better though.

Unfortunately the only thing that keeps her still long enough to do it is Churu tubes, which are about 15% carbs (dry matter basis). She hasn’t liked any other treats, and hasn’t been eating all that much since we got her in last night.
 
It’s important she eats. did she have a vet checkup? Would you know if she’s under weight and needs to gain?

She’s dealing with a lot right now. New people and new environment. I might give her a bit of time to adjust it all. I wouldn’t push too much testing on her just yet. If you can get the preshots for now, that’s great. Then slowly maybe after a week add a midday shot and an evening +2 @Critter Mom do you agree?
 
She’s eating a little, just not tons yet.

she came from a shelter where she was pretty well cared for, hasn’t had a vet check up since arriving last night.

she’s at a good overall body condition score, but has a little bit of muscle wasting in areas. Decent fat padding but limited muscle.

At the shelter she was on varying Amounts of insulin, but most recently 2 units once a day. I’ve moved her to 1 unit twice a day, but upon retesting her blood (3 hours after insulin) she’s still at 10.7.....

she’s doing a LOT better today as far as temperament. Last night was hard for her, but she’s already started to associate needles with treats to that’s good I guess lol. She saw the lancet just now and looked around for her churu tube.
 
Khora Tatyana said:
She’s eating a little, just not tons yet.

she came from a shelter where she was pretty well cared for, hasn’t had a vet check up since arriving last night.

she’s at a good overall body condition score, but has a little bit of muscle wasting in areas. Decent fat padding but limited muscle.

At the shelter she was on varying Amounts of insulin, but most recently 2 units once a day. I’ve moved her to 1 unit twice a day, but upon retesting her blood (3 hours after insulin) she’s still at 10.7.....

she’s doing a LOT better today as far as temperament. Last night was hard for her, but she’s already started to associate needles with treats to that’s good I guess lol. She saw the lancet just now and looked around for her churu tube.
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Wow, that is SO great. Good for her and you! So we say a good rule of thumb for daily calorie intake is 20 times ideal weight but we’re using pounds when we do the math. So Minnie for instance is 16 pounds times 20 means she should be eating about 320 calories a day. If she needed to gain about 20% more than that. I’m sure you’ll find her favorites soon and she’s going to be more relaxed and will therefor eat more as well!!
 
Lantus is a depot insulin, meaning when it is first injected, some goes to the depot and some to the blood stream (simplifying things here). It also means it can take 5-7 days for the depot to build when you first start insulin. Only one shot a day means the depot has been in flux. It also means that her numbers may get better after you've been on this dose a few days of two shots a day.

We've all rather data focused and used to using that spreadsheet that Jeanne linked for you when we comment about dosing specifics. If there's anyway you could set that spreadsheet up, it'll really help us help you. If you aren't as computer technical, we've got people who can help, so give us a shout.
 
Khora Tatyana said:
Should I be worried about her still high glucose level? Or is there nothing really to do until tonight’s insulin?
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Regulation occurs gradually. In the initial stages you'll see high numbers, but as you gather more BG readings you'll be able to safely adjust the dose in small increments and your sugar kitty will start to move into better and better numbers.


Mogs
.
 
As Mogs said it takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight or even in a few days. It may take weeks or months. It depends because every cat is different. Again, marathon not a sprint. Pace yourself. And yes, once you’ve given the shot nothing to do until the next shot 12 hours apart
 
Khora Tatyana said:
Couldn’t successfully test her BG last night, because I couldn’t even get her to come out from under the bed. Finally got a reading this morning thanks to my partner distracting her with a treat, and it was at 15!!! I gave her a unit of insulin, how long should I wait before I re-test?
Click to expand...

That's what we do - we sit Mac on the breakfast bar (also where we do his shots) but for the blood test hubby pulls Mac's bottom against his chest and puts his arm around the top part of Mac's front legs - where our biceps would be. This lets him hold Mac gently but by holding across his legs stops him escaping whilst I do the test. We make sure he gets a sniff of the box of tinned tuna first so he knows what's waiting for him then he gets a couple of teaspoons full as a treat after we're done (Mac that is not hubby!)
Bribery - can't beat it !!
 
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jt and trouble (GA) said:
Oh Mogs...you dont know...:p:D:p:smuggrin:

I told leo (hubby) I'm going to purchase a Libre and stick it on him in his sleep! (hes diabetic) numbers all over the place. DUE to DIET!:mad::mad::mad::rolleyes: Next he gets a collar and joins Zoe on the floor for dinner.
Click to expand...

For low carb food I hope. Don't forget the velcro wrap to stop him scratching the libre off!
 
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