New to testing - already confused..

[Jake and Riley]

Hi, I just bought the Pet Test Advocate meter for my cat. It arrived last night so I decided to try it. My cat already ate, and had his insulin shot, (1.5u Caninsulin). By the time I figured out how to work the meter about 1 - 1 1/2 hrs had passed when I tested him. It didn't go well, and the place looked like a crime scene - blood everywhere from one ear prick, don't know what I did wrong. I think it might have been that I used the lancet free-hand instead of in the pen-type device provided, because the needle didn't seem long enough to reach his skin even though I adjusted the depth. Aside from the stress of that, his blood sugar read HI which means above 33, as this is the highest the meter goes. In my naivety, I have increased his insulin to 2u this morning and this evening. I'm nervous to test him again. I find this to be confusing and overwhelming, despite watching many 'how-to' videos. I'm going to attempt a curve this weekend, when I'll have the day with him. I thought high levels means he needs more insulin, but now I'm not so sure, based on other things I've read.. I've been reading up on how to help him for over a month now, yet still feel so ignorant. Help!

 

[JanetNJ]

Ok so what happened is you hit a vein. You want to aim for the area between the vein and the edge. The sweet spot.

 

[JanetNJ]

The other thing you'll want to do is start tracking on a spreadsheet. It's hard to suggest a dose without having data. You don't want to base a dose on just one random test.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

Are you also testing for ketones? With numbers that high you want to watch out for that.

 

[Jake and Riley]

The other thing you'll want to do is start tracking on a spreadsheet. It's hard to suggest a dose without having data. You don't want to base a dose on just one random test.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

Are you also testing for ketones? With numbers that high you want to watch out for that.

Thank you, Janet. I've just finished setting up my spread sheet. I haven't yet tested for ketones, but will also do it this weekend when I do the curve.

 

[JanetNJ]

Thank you, Janet. I've just finished setting up my spread sheet. I haven't yet tested for ketones, but will also do it this weekend when I do the curve.

BTW perfectly fine to freehand poke. It's a lot easier to aim that way.

 

[Kris & Teasel]

Welcome from a fellow Canuck (Ottawa)! Kudos to you for starting BG testing at home and setting up your spreadsheet. You've come to the best place for help and support.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

instead of in the pen-type device provided, because the needle didn't seem long enough to reach his skin even though I adjusted the depth.

The lancet pens are designed so that when you "fire" the lancet pen the needle tip goes beyond the bottom surface of the cap and then goes back below the cap surface so that the needle tip does not present danger.

The "crime scene" could have been caused by when you were manually using a lancet the tip was in the ear and Riley moved and you ripped a little from the ear tip. That happened when I started testing and tried using the lanced manually. I now only use a lancet pen. I have found out tha all lancet pens are not equal. Some work a lot better than others. I found that the One Touchlance pens are best.

 

[Veronica & Babu-chiri]

Hi hang in there, is hard at the beginning, the first test are usually a mess, on the bright side is good you did got blood (maybe to much) but still, as they've mentioned it probably was not so much because you did it free handed, but because you hitted a vein, I poke free handed because Babu ( and my other cats that were used as practice subjects too) hate the sound of the pen, and the first time I actually got blood I went through and made a hole so big I thought I was going to need to buy him an earring to put in it but ears do heal quite fast

Thank you, Janet. I've just finished setting up my spread sheet. I haven't yet tested for ketones, but will also do it this weekend when I do the curve.

With number that high you need to test for ketones every day

 

[Jake and Riley]

The lancet pens are designed so that when you "fire" the lancet pen the needle tip goes beyond the bottom surface of the cap and then goes back below the cap surface so that the needle tip does not present danger.

The "crime scene" could have been caused by when you were manually using a lancet the tip was in the ear and Riley moved and you ripped a little from the ear tip. That happened when I started testing and tried using the lanced manually. I now only use a lancet pen. I have found out tha all lancet pens are not equal. Some work a lot better than others. I found that the One Touchlance pens are best.

Thanks for the advice. I spent an evening playing around with the lancet pen, testing it on myself, and have now used it - properly - 3 times! I'm proud of myself, and of Riley for letting me do it : )

 

[Jake and Riley]

Hi hang in there, is hard at the beginning, the first test are usually a mess, on the bright side is good you did got blood (maybe to much) but still, as they've mentioned it probably was not so much because you did it free handed, but because you hitted a vein, I poke free handed because Babu ( and my other cats that were used as practice subjects too) hate the sound of the pen, and the first time I actually got blood I went through and made a hole so big I thought I was going to need to buy him an earring to put in it but ears do heal quite fast


With number that high you need to test for ketones every day

Thanks. Will do.

 

[MrWorfMen's Mom]

Hello and welcome from a fellow Torontonian! Where in our fair city do you reside?
I found with the lancing devices that they are made for use on a more fleshy body part than our kitty's ears and that removing the cap makes all the difference between successful and unsuccessful pokes. You may have hit the vein which can result in a situation resembling something from a horror movie.
It takes a bit of practice but with time you will, like the rest of us, find a routine and method that works for you!

 

[Kham]

Howdy from Kelowna!!

Yeah, you will definitely have those crazy horror scenes from time to time. The best part is when they twitch and shake their head - spraying the blood all over. It never fails, if I hit a vein - he twitches 10 times making sure the mess gets everywhere.

The lancet device is not made for a cat's hide and is really hard to aim where it hits. I have never gotten a sample without free-handing it.

When you increase the insulin - test for a few days and don't increase it again for a week. Then increase another unit. I know the high sugar levels are alarming, but it will get better - raise his insulin slowly until the levels drop. I have never had any luck at maintaining <7, but we get in the 8-12 range most of the time and he seems to do really well in that range.

If you cat lost a lot of weight, get the weight back up and don't stress too much - the sugar levels might be wacky until your cats appetite stabilizes.