New Member

Status
Not open for further replies.
Summer and Susie (GA)

Summer and Susie (GA)

Member Since 2020
My 8 year, 8 month old kitty, Susie, has just been diagnosed with diabetes. I don't have a problem with the insulin injections but she doesn't like her current prescription diet (expensive). My Vet wants her on a prescription diet but if she isn't going to eat it I am not going to give her the shots. She was given the Hills W/D (wet) and I have also ordered the Hills W/D dry which I have not received. I also ordered the wet Purina DM and wet Royal Canine Glycobalance. If she won't eat these foods I am going to be devastated. I have read, in other sites, that the prescription diets are not necessary and that the Fancy Feast Classic are a good alterative. She like Fancy Feast and has been eating it for years. What do I do if my Vet will not allow it?
 
Summer Devlin said:
My 8 year, 8 month old kitty, Susie, has just been diagnosed with diabetes. I don't have a problem with the insulin injections but she doesn't like her current prescription diet (expensive). My Vet wants her on a prescription diet but if she isn't going to eat it I am not going to give her the shots. She was given the Hills W/D (wet) and I have also ordered the Hills W/D dry which I have not received. I also ordered the wet Purina DM and wet Royal Canine Glycobalance. If she won't eat these foods I am going to be devastated. I have read, in other sites, that the prescription diets are not necessary and that the Fancy Feast Classic are a good alterative. She like Fancy Feast and has been eating it for years. What do I do if my Vet will not allow it?
Click to expand...
Welcome! Hills W/D is not an appropriate food for a diabetic cat. It's 25% carb!!! It's like a diabetic person eating cookies all day. The glyco balance is also too high at 14%.

Most of us feed fancy feast classic or Friskies pate foods. I feed weruva foods because she needs low phosphorus as well. This is a good chart. You want foods under 10 percent carb (under 7 is even better). https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

Simply tell your vet she doesn't like it and that you are going with other low carb choices. There is nothing nutritionally better in these perscription foods and no healthier than store brands.
 
Janet, thank you so much for this information! My cat does like the Fancy Feast Classic and it is so much cheaper than all this prescription medicine. I'm not sure if my Vet is going to agree with your comments but to me it is very important that my cat eat before I administer the insulin injections. Thanks for the link, too. I will certainly pull it up. I am overwhelmed with this diagnosis but she seems like a normal happy cat so maybe I got it before it has destroyed her system. Again, I can't thank you enough for your quick response to my concerns. Bless you and Merry Christmas!
 
Welcome Janet is correct there is nothing special about the prescription food
other than the high price and high carbs.
Dry is the worst food you can feed your cat.

If your vet won't allow it is crazy, it's your cat and you can feed what you want
Anything you got from your vet take it back and tell them Susie won't eat it.
They should refund your money.
If you ordered some of the other stuff off the internet, you should be able to return it

Like Janet said most of us feed Fancy Feast Classic Pates or Friskies Pate
Take a look at the link Janet gave you.

The FF Classic pates are 2 or 3 percent carbs
You couldn't have found a better place to land, many experienced , knowledgeable
members here.
My Tyler is doing amazing and it's all because of the amazing members here.
In my opinion they know more about diabetes than most vets do.

They live is 24/7 365 days a year.
Just keep asking questions.
I have a wonderful vet and she works with me and let's me do what I want
to when it comes to taking care of Tyler's diabetes.

I mean if my cat ever got sick of course I would take him in to see her
I only see her when it comes to taking Tyler for routine blood work and she's fine
with it.
Just keep asking questions, that's what we are here for :cat:
 
Are you home testing ?


  • when you get a chance ,It would be helpful if you can set up your signature so we don't have to ask you the same questions over again. Members will look at this first .
  • It appears after each post in gray, look at mine,



  • On the left, under Settings, 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.


tap on your avatar where it says your name ,then hit profile page ,tap on that ,then go up to the very top, upper right hand side and tap on your name ,it will bring down a drop box, tap on signature, the signature will be under settings, tap on the signature then and you can start to add what I posted above, make sure you hit save ,
Welcome to the best place you could ever be and an awesome group of people
 
Thanks, Diane. I am not home testing yet. I do have the Alpha Trac 2 but am waiting for something called a Genteel Lancing Device to draw blood. A friend of mine, who has a diabetic dog, says this has made her testing so much easier - for her and her dog. I don't have a problem with the injections but hurting my cat's ears, to draw blood, bothers me. I think I set up my "signature" section okay. Thank you for the instructions. I'll see if it works when I post. I'll be talking to my vet today and will inform him that I will stick with the FF Classic unless I find a reasonable prescription wet food that she will eat. She has always been a medically strange cat. When I first brought her home from the shelter, in April 2019, she urinated very, very little. My vet kept looking for a blockage and actually did surgery. No blockage was found and she has continued this behavior since it all changed in late November with massive amounts of urine and lots of water drinking. She also has several other "out of reference range" results in her blood work and I will be speaking to my vet about that today. Thank you, again.
 
Morning Summer , I found it on you tube, you still have to poke Susie's ear whether
you use any lancing device or just use the lancets, ( the little blue things you see in the video )
Most of us just hold the lancet in our hands and prick the cats ear with it, you can see exactly where you are poking.
Believe me it doesn't hurt them
I will post a video below that Janet made , testing her kitty.


The only way to keep Susie safe is to test before each injection
to make sure the number you get is OK to give her the insulin.
Especially with using Vetsulin , it's a harsh insulin and can make their
BG dropped very quickly, you don't want a hypo episode.
That's why we test not only first thing in the morning, but we test during each
12 hour cycle. Example
2 hours after the insulin is given
4 hours. ditto
We vary the testing times to get an idea how low the insulin is taking our kitties

Same with the night time shot

We use a spreadsheet to record this , if you ever need dosing advice our members
need to see how to he testing is going in order to give you any advice

I will post the instructions for you and if you need help just ask
we have 2 wonderful members here that will set it up for you

You can take a look at mine it's at the end of my signature.
It says Tyler's spreadsheet.
Most of us have one.
 
Last edited:
The Alpha Trak 2 is a pet meter , the strips are very expensive, something like
50.00 for 50 strips

I used it in the beginning but it became to expensive. So I switched to the
human meter which most of us use.
The Relion Prime from Walmart or The Premier
It's 9 dollars
17.88 for 100 strips
You will go thru a lot of strips in the beginning
Also will need to buy
26 or 28 gauge lancets
Cotton rounds to put behind kitty's ear in case you poke yourself
Then just hold the cotton round on her ear to stop the bleeding about 10-20 seconds
Always have honey in the house in case she ever drops too low and you need
to bring her BG back up to safe numbers

Also Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers medium carb and high carb to bring her numbers
back up

I'm going to post a link for you to read about Vetsulin
Lantus or Prozinc is a better insulin for cats
You can try the Vetsulin and see how she does but I strongly advise you home test
 
Treats

purebites freeze dried chicken and salmon flavors. :). You can get it on chewy or amazon. For the chicken flavor you can buy the dog size if it turns out she likes them.

Orijen freeze dried treats they crumble well.:)



Vital Essentials Minnows Freeze-Dried Raw Treats. If the minnows work, you can get the dog version which comes in a bigger size and it’s a lil less pricey.

You can Google freeze dried treats for cats and also see what you find

Here is a tip if you ever want to maybe find something go to the top where it says search
Type in treats for example and you will find other members posts about what treats they
use.
I have never used treats myself only because Tyler never asks for any
 
Last edited:
Always aim for the sweet spot warm the ears up first, you can put rice in a sock and put it in the microwave, test it on the inside of your wrist to be sure it's not to hot, like you would test a babies bottle. You can fill a pill bottle with warm water and roll it on the ears also
c2b8079a-b471-4fa6-ac36-9ac1c8d6dcca-jpeg.57072
fec17d29-5ab4-44a8-912b-3a91944c3954-jpeg.57073

6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capilares, it gets easier to get the amount of blood you need on the first try. If she won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there
 
This is what you need to feed if he ever drops to low, don't have want a hypo
Such as

You should always have a few can of these on hand in case you need to bring up


Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Beef Feast in Gravy 20% High Carbs


Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Chicken Feast in Gravy. 15% Med Carbs




Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Turkey Feast in Gravy. 15% Med Carbs


Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken and Beef Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

It's mostly the gravy that has the higher carbs in it

Look at the food link I gave you , you might see other ones you may want to try
 
Welcome @Summer Devlin

This is a great website. My vet also wanted me to feed Hill's science diet M/D wet & dry. I've switched to fancy feast classic pate. I am still working on getting my cat's insulin regulated correctly, but the people here are amazing!

Gizmo doesn't really care for being tested, but she tolerates it very well. I was also very hesitant to test. I ended up getting the Alphatrak 2 and the Relion. We have gone to just using the relion. If you look at my spreadsheet you can see there is a difference between the 2, but as you scroll through these forums you'll learn that just about everything on this website is for a human meter with a description of how Alpatrak 2 is different.

I know most people say they just use the lancet without the lancing device. I am still using the lancing device I got with the Alphatrak 2, and have learned that the relion lancets fit it.
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Good job setting up your signature :cat:
If you ever want to find something just go to where it says forums , you can browse
around there
Click to expand...
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Good job setting up your signature :cat:
If you ever want to find something just go to where it says forums , you can browse
around there
Click to expand...
Thank you for all the information, Diane. It is overwhelming but very helpful. I will think about trying to test her tomorrow after her shot. I know you want me to test before but I am just going to start this slowly so as not to overwhelm myself and pass those feelings to my cat. I am confused about this statement:
  • Mid-Cycle: The BG tests that are done between the two shots. Getting tests at different times is important to creating a full picture of how your cat is responding. So some days you can get a +6 test, some days a +4 test, some days a +9 test, etc...
Where are these numbers coming from? The +6, +4, etc.

Susie goes back to the vet for a brief check this Thursday and then we will do the curve sometime the week after Christmas. I will stay in touch and thank you, again!
 
WYMoreta said:
Welcome @Summer Devlin

This is a great website. My vet also wanted me to feed Hill's science diet M/D wet & dry. I've switched to fancy feast classic pate. I am still working on getting my cat's insulin regulated correctly, but the people here are amazing!

Gizmo doesn't really care for being tested, but she tolerates it very well. I was also very hesitant to test. I ended up getting the Alphatrak 2 and the Relion. We have gone to just using the relion. If you look at my spreadsheet you can see there is a difference between the 2, but as you scroll through these forums you'll learn that just about everything on this website is for a human meter with a description of how Alpatrak 2 is different.

I know most people say they just use the lancet without the lancing device. I am still using the lancing device I got with the Alphatrak 2, and have learned that the relion lancets fit it.
Click to expand...
Yes, this does appear to be an invaluable website. Will have to get up the nerve to start the testing. Shots are not a problem.
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
Cat's ears are not as sensitive as you think. Think of cat fights and how often the ears get scratched.
When you touch a cat's ear and the cat responds by flicking, that is because the cat does not want your finger or anything else shoved in the ear. It's not about poking the skin.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Red & Rover. So sorry to hear you have a cat with acute kidney failure. I too had one two years ago and was also doing the subcu fluids. My girl went very quickly. Is yours still alive since being diagnosed in 2016?
 
Summer Devlin said:
Thanks, Red & Rover. So sorry to hear you have a cat with acute kidney failure. I too had one two years ago and was also doing the subcu fluids. My girl went very quickly. Is yours still alive since being diagnosed in 2016?
Click to expand...
Sadly, no. He went from chronic to acute in the blink of an eye. That is what the (GA) after some the monikers stands for – Guardian Angel, Gone Ahead …
 
Summer Devlin said:
Thank you for all the information, Diane. It is overwhelming but very helpful. I will think about trying to test her tomorrow after her shot. I know you want me to test before but I am just going to start this slowly so as not to overwhelm myself and pass those feelings to my cat. I am confused about this statement:
  • Mid-Cycle: The BG tests that are done between the two shots. Getting tests at different times is important to creating a full picture of how your cat is responding. So some days you can get a +6 test, some days a +4 test, some days a +9 test, etc...
Where are these numbers coming from? The +6, +4, etc.

Susie goes back to the vet for a brief check this Thursday and then we will do the curve sometime the week after Christmas. I will stay in touch and thank you, again!
Click to expand...



This will explain it




https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/


+2. Means you will test 2 hours after giving insulin in the AM (AMPS) means AM Pre-Shot This is when you test them first thing in the morning , then you feed , wait 30 minutes then give insulin
+4. testing 4 hours after giving insulin ditto
+6. testing 6 hours (Mid- Cycle)
+7. And so on up until +11

Then same thing starts over when you give her her night time shot (PMPS) means PM Pre-Shot. This is your night time test (12 hours after your morning test) So if you test at 8:00 AM
your night test would be at 8 PM. Test, feed , wait 30 minutes then give insulin


One important thing are you waiting 30 minutes after he finishes eating to shoot the Vetsulin
You have to with Vetsulin
 
Last edited:
Red & Rover (GA) said:
Sadly, no. He went from chronic to acute in the blink of an eye. That is what the (GA) after some the monikers stands for – Guardian Angel, Gone Ahead …
Click to expand...
I'm so sorry. Kidney Disease is the worst. I was grateful that Susie did not have it but the diabetes is a major challenge for me. I'm going to try and test her blood this morning and I know she will not sit still for it. I might have to wrap her in a towel which will make her more paranoid. Wish me luck.
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
This will explain it




https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/


+2. Means you will test 2 hours after giving insulin in the AM (AMPS) means AM Pre-Shot
+4. testing 4 hours after giving insulin ditto
+6. testing 6 hours (Mid- Cycle)
+7. And so on up until +11

Then same thing starts over when you give her her night time shot (PMPS) means PM Pre-Shot

One important thing are you waiting 30 minutes after he finishes eating to shoot the Vetsulin
You have to with Vetsulin
Click to expand...
I had been waiting an hour after she finished eating until I read I should shoot 20 - 30 minutes after. I started that last night. Thanks for the explanation on the spreadsheet. I haven't looked at that yet.
 
Success! Three hours and 13 minutes after her am shot I got blood but not without many problems. I almost gave up until I wrapped her in a towel and just used the lancet - not the lansing device. She had a glucose level of 299 last Wednesday morning and this morning it is 241 so I guess I am making progress. It is her fructosamine I'm really worried about and don't know how this blood result relates to the glucose. Last Wednesday her blood fructosamine was 778 with the normal range being 143 - 373. Can someone explain the relationship between the fructosamine and the glucose result?
 
Summer Devlin said:
Diane, I got Susie's Spreadsheet loaded on to my signature page but how do I get back to the spreadsheet to update it from this site?
Click to expand...
You have to sign in thru Google docs. I think

To be honest a member created it for me ,did it work?
On your SS on the top you should have the year 2020 and a new one for
2021

Do you need help with that?
I can tag someone who can help you with that and how to add the numbers to your SS

Good job at your first test
So you will be staying with the Alpha Trak 2 , just want to be sure
You can get rid of in your signature where you have haven't started testing yet

Also get a copy of the blood work, in case you have a question for us.
You mentioned she had some out of range results
 
Last edited:
The fructosamine test will take into account the cat's blood glucose ranges over a period of a few weeks before the test and it's not affected by the stress levels caused by a visit to the vet unlike the blood test. It is a more reliable way of diagnosing a diabetic cat, and also will tell you later on how well regulated she is. So until you get Susie regulated with BG levels around 70-120, her fructosamine results are going to be high.
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
You have to sign in thru Google docs. I think

To be honest a member created it for me ,did it work?
On your SS on the top you should have the year 2020 and a new one for
2021

Do you need help with that?
I can tag someone who can help you with that and how to add the numbers to your SS

Good job at your first test
So you will be staying with the Alpha Trak 2 , just want to be sure
You can get rid of in your signature where you have haven't started testing yet

Also get a copy of the blood work, in case you have a question for us.
You mentioned she had some out of range results
Click to expand...
Yes, I need help going to the SS from this site or wherever I need to go to upload info. I'll be staying with the Alpha Trak 2 and updated my signature site. I have a copy of the blood test and will try to upload it for you.
 

Attachments

PerfumedCatMom said:
The fructosamine test will take into account the cat's blood glucose ranges over a period of a few weeks before the test and it's not affected by the stress levels caused by a visit to the vet unlike the blood test. It is a more reliable way of diagnosing a diabetic cat, and also will tell you later on how well regulated she is. So until you get Susie regulated with BG levels around 70-120, her fructosamine results are going to be high.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. It is still confusing. By the way, I am impressed with your kitties spreadsheet. Look like you have gotten a handle on her diabetes. Please remind me what the AMPS and PMPS #'s mean. I know one is morning and one is afternoon. Is the AMPS the very first testing result number you get in the morning, after they have eaten? Where do you put in the time that they eat then?
 
Summer Devlin said:
Yes, I need help going to the SS from this site or wherever I need to go to upload info. I'll be staying with the Alpha Trak 2 and updated my signature site. I have a copy of the blood test and will try to upload it for you.
Click to expand...
@Bandit's Mom Hi Bhooma Summer is having trouble with her SS, do you think
you can help her out and I see there is no year listed up top, might as well add 2021
Just realized it's 2 AM by you

@Chris & China (GA) Chris do you think you can help her out
See #29. Thank you so much :bighug::cat:
 
Last edited:
Summer Devlin said:
Thanks for the info. It is still confusing. By the way, I am impressed with your kitties spreadsheet. Look like you have gotten a handle on her diabetes. Please remind me what the AMPS and PMPS #'s mean. I know one is morning and one is afternoon. Is the AMPS the very first testing result number you get in the morning, after they have eaten? Where do you put in the time that they eat then?
Click to expand...

This will explain it




https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/


+2. Means you will test 2 hours after giving insulin in the AM (AMPS) means AM Pre-Shot This is when you test them first thing in the morning , then you feed , wait 30 minutes then give insulin
+4. testing 4 hours after giving insulin ditto
+6. testing 6 hours (Mid- Cycle)
+7. And so on up until +11

Then same thing starts over when you give her her night time shot (PMPS) means PM Pre-Shot. This is your night time test (12 hours after your morning test) So if you test at 8:00 AM
your night test (PMPS) would be at 8 PM. Test, feed , wait 30 minutes then give insulin


One important thing are you waiting 30 minutes after he finishes eating to shoot the Vetsulin
You have to with Vetsulin

Do not feed anything 2 hours before AMPS and PMPS
You then can feed smaller meals either FF Pate or the treats I mentioned above. at any time

Perhaps 2 hours after giving insulin, then 4 hours after insulin , orv6 hours after giving insulin

Same with the PMPS

On the SS there is a remarks column you can list what time you fed the smaller meals

Example
@+2. FF Pate
@+4. Treats or FF Pate
@+6. FF Pate
Usually 2 or 3 teaspoons or some treats

We do +2 , +3 because we are all in different time zones, so putting 10:30 isn't helpful

Look at my SS and see how I do it

I tagged 2 members about helping you with your SS

You want to test a couple times after the AMPS to see how the
insulin is working and how low it's dropping Susie's BG number

Same with the night time PMPS , you want to scatter the times of the
tests , so it's like a puzzle being filled in.

Look at mine
 
Last edited:
Summer Devlin said:
Yes, I need help going to the SS from this site or wherever I need to go to upload info. I'll be staying with the Alpha Trak 2 and updated my signature site. I have a copy of the blood test and will try to upload it for you.
Click to expand...
Summer what did the vet say about any if the test results that were out if
range
I am going to tag
@Wendy&Neko

@Marje and Gracie

@JanetNJ sorry if I tagged you and you couldn't help her out with the labs

Hi ladies I hope you don't mind that I tagged you, do you
think you can take a look at Summers cats labs.
Cats name is Susie
Summer is new here and I have been helping her get set up
Is there anything she should be concerned about, she also just posted the labs from March 2020, #47. the latest is from 12-16-20 #34

Thank you so much :bighug::cat:
 
Last edited:
Summer with using the Alpha Trak meter if Susie's BG ever drops to 68 that is when you have to feed to bring her numbers up, or if its a big drop from one test to the next
You would have to feed either medium or high carbs food.
If it happens you can start a new post on the feline health board something like
this

Here is an Example
HELP NEEDED BG dropped to 56
We will then help and guide you

This is why it's so important to home test
 
Last edited:
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Summer what did the vet say about any if the test results that were out if
range
I am going to tag
@Wendy&Neko

@Marje and Gracie

Hi ladies I hope you don't mind that I tagged you, do you
think you can take a look at Summers cats labs.
Cats name is Susie
Summer is new here and I have been helping her get set up
Is there anything she should be concerned about

Thank you so much :bighug::cat:
Click to expand...
Vet said nothing about all the other out of range results. Could be that he was worried about me handling the diabetes diagnosis and didn't want to approach other concerns at this time. I do plan on asking him but I am overwhelmed with the diabetes results. My cat, Susie, has been an anomoly since the day I brought her home from the shelter in 4/19. She only urinated in drops. There was nothing normal about her urination and the vet actually did surgery on her looking for a blockage. He did not find a blockage but thought maybe it was scar tissue from a previous surgery. She continued, since then, to only urinate in really small portions. She stayed happy and healthy ( I thought) all this time until the end of November when she started drinking a lot of water and urinating a lot. This was quite a change. We have never understood why she doesn't urinate like a normal cat. I have blood test results from her other appt. in March 2020 if that will help. I have a lot of concerns about her but she seems very happy and content - and always has. Never a sign of sickness other than the occasional throwing up and some "hacking". I don't know what do to or what to think about her very strange clinical history. I just love her and want to do the best for her.
 
Summer Devlin said:
Vet said nothing about all the other out of range results. Could be that he was worried about me handling the diabetes diagnosis and didn't want to approach other concerns at this time. I do plan on asking him but I am overwhelmed with the diabetes results. My cat, Susie, has been an anomoly since the day I brought her home from the shelter in 4/19. She only urinated in drops. There was nothing normal about her urination and the vet actually did surgery on her looking for a blockage. He did not find a blockage but thought maybe it was scar tissue from a previous surgery. She continued, since then, to only urinate in really small portions. She stayed happy and healthy ( I thought) all this time until the end of November when she started drinking a lot of water and urinating a lot. This was quite a change. We have never understood why she doesn't urinate like a normal cat. I have blood test results from her other appt. in March 2020 if that will help. I have a lot of concerns about her but she seems very happy and content - and always has. Never a sign of sickness other than the occasional throwing up and some "hacking". I don't know what do to or what to think about her very strange clinical history. I just love her and want to do the best for her.
Click to expand...
Just hang in there we are all here to help you and Susie
If you want to you can upload the March 2020 results also

I tagged 2 members to help with your spreadsheet
and 3 members to take a look at the labs
Just hang in there
Have you tested anymore today since this morning

I posted a few new things for you above, just so I know you read them please
hit the like button , we all do this so we know that the person has read it :cat:
 
Last edited:
Summer Devlin said:
Thanks for the info. It is still confusing. By the way, I am impressed with your kitties spreadsheet. Look like you have gotten a handle on her diabetes. Please remind me what the AMPS and PMPS #'s mean. I know one is morning and one is afternoon. Is the AMPS the very first testing result number you get in the morning, after they have eaten? Where do you put in the time that they eat then?
Click to expand...
Hopefully @Diane Tyler's Mom 's post clarified what the spreadsheet is about. We don't put specific times in the spreadsheets because this is a very international group of people and the specific hour is never important, only the time that has passed since each shot is relevant. I give Ruby her shots at 7 AM and 7 PM, and you can see in the Remarks all the way on the right side of the sheet that I keep track of everything she eats (and poops!) as AMPS, +1, +2, etc.

There's no miracle involved in how I got Ruby to be tightly regulated. I read every sticky I could on the board so I could learn about diabetes, read other conversations and studied a lot of other cats' spreadsheets to see how they went OTJ (off the juice) to know that remission is possible. I kept adjusting Ruby's dosage with the help of the fine and experienced people here until one day her liver stopped overreacting to low numbers and she stopped bouncing high and has remained in blues and greens for about the last month. She's made huge strides and it shows in how healthy her coat looks now and her playful energy.
 
PerfumedCatMom said:
Hopefully @Diane Tyler's Mom 's post clarified what the spreadsheet is about. We don't put specific times in the spreadsheets because this is a very international group of people and the specific hour is never important, only the time that has passed since each shot is relevant. I give Ruby her shots at 7 AM and 7 PM, and you can see in the Remarks all the way on the right side of the sheet that I keep track of everything she eats (and poops!) as AMPS, +1, +2, etc.

There's no miracle involved in how I got Ruby to be tightly regulated. I read every sticky I could on the board so I could learn about diabetes, read other conversations and studied a lot of other cats' spreadsheets to see how they went OTJ (off the juice) to know that remission is possible. I kept adjusting Ruby's dosage with the help of the fine and experienced people here until one day her liver stopped overreacting to low numbers and she stopped bouncing high and has remained in blues and greens for about the last month. She's made huge strides and it shows in how healthy her coat looks now and her playful energy.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the help Katherine , I was running out of steam typing lol
I hope someone helps her straighten out her SS and read her labs
Thanks again ♥:bighug::cat:
 
PerfumedCatMom said:
Hopefully @Diane Tyler's Mom 's post clarified what the spreadsheet is about. We don't put specific times in the spreadsheets because this is a very international group of people and the specific hour is never important, only the time that has passed since each shot is relevant. I give Ruby her shots at 7 AM and 7 PM, and you can see in the Remarks all the way on the right side of the sheet that I keep track of everything she eats (and poops!) as AMPS, +1, +2, etc.

There's no miracle involved in how I got Ruby to be tightly regulated. I read every sticky I could on the board so I could learn about diabetes, read other conversations and studied a lot of other cats' spreadsheets to see how they went OTJ (off the juice) to know that remission is possible. I kept adjusting Ruby's dosage with the help of the fine and experienced people here until one day her liver stopped overreacting to low numbers and she stopped bouncing high and has remained in blues and greens for about the last month. She's made huge strides and it shows in how healthy her coat looks now and her playful energy.
Click to expand...
You are a great Mom, Katherine, and Ruby is lucky to have you. I hope, with the absolute help of my vet, that I can get my very "clinically unusual" cat off the insulin someday. She came to me with very weird characteristics. She barely urinated - only drops. Anyway, I have explained this in another post. She had surgery in early 2019 for her lack of urine. My other vet was looking for a blockage. None were ever found and until late November of this year she was still barely urinating. Everything then changed. Thanks for all your help. I will just have to pray that what I feed her, when I feed her, when I shoot her and when I test her will all help - eventually. I'm burnt on all of this and so intimated right now. I'm sure everything will get easier as far as the shots and the food and the testing. Thanks and Merry Christmas!
 
It will get easier Summer, I'm sure you will do fine.
We all felt like this in the beginning.
I was really anal and still am :p
Don't forget to hit the like button so I know you read anything I wrote, in case it's really important :bighug::cat:
 
Summer Devlin said:
I'm burnt on all of this and so intimated right now.
Click to expand...
Summer, it's totally overwhelming! I feel like I've been on an emotional rollercoaster for nearly 4 months, every day my moods totally dictated by Ruby's numbers! Arm yourself with knowledge, get used to the language and methods used by the members here, follow the journeys of other cats and their caregivers and trust in the protocol. You will feel more in control of things soon enough. Remission isn't guaranteed for any cat, but one thing I can promise you is that it gets easier. :bighug:
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Just hang in there we are all here to help you and Susie
If you want to you can upload the March 2020 results also

I tagged 2 members to help with your spreadsheet
and 3 members to take a look at the labs
Just hang in there
Have you tested anymore today since this morning

I posted a few new things for you above, just so I know you read them please
hit the like button , we all do this so we know that the person has read it :cat:
Click to expand...
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Just hang in there we are all here to help you and Susie
If you want to you can upload the March 2020 results also

I tagged 2 members to help with your spreadsheet
and 3 members to take a look at the labs
Just hang in there
Have you tested anymore today since this morning

I posted a few new things for you above, just so I know you read them please
hit the like button , we all do this so we know that the person has read it :cat:
Click to expand...
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Just hang in there we are all here to help you and Susie
If you want to you can upload the March 2020 results also

I tagged 2 members to help with your spreadsheet
and 3 members to take a look at the labs
Just hang in there
Have you tested anymore today since this morning

I posted a few new things for you above, just so I know you read them please
hit the like button , we all do this so we know that the person has read it :cat:
Click to expand...
 

Attachments

Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Morning Summer , I found it on you tube, you still have to poke Susie's ear whether
you use any lancing device or just use the lancets, ( the little blue things you see in the video )
Most of us just hold the lancet in our hands and prick the cats ear with it, you can see exactly where you are poking.
Believe me it doesn't hurt them
I will post a video below that Janet made , testing her kitty.


The only way to keep Susie safe is to test before each injection
to make sure the number you get is OK to give her the insulin.
Especially with using Vetsulin , it's a harsh insulin and can make their
BG dropped very quickly, you don't want a hypo episode.
That's why we test not only first thing in the morning, but we test during each
12 hour cycle. Example
2 hours after the insulin is given
4 hours. ditto
We vary the testing times to get an idea how low the insulin is taking our kitties

Same with the night time shot

We use a spreadsheet to record this , if you ever need dosing advice our members
need to see how to he testing is going in order to give you any advice

I will post the instructions for you and if you need help just ask
we have 2 wonderful members here that will set it up for you

You can take a look at mine it's at the end of my signature.
It says Tyler's spreadsheet.
Most of us have one.
Click to expand...
I'm supposed to test before the shot and after? This is overwhelming. The testing is the hardest part.
 
I'm done with the testing. I had my Mom hold her tonight and I jabbed her several times with no blood. She cried every single time. I will not alienate my cat for these test and will leave it to the weekly testing at the vets.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top