Newbie laniminella and Sheriva need help and guidance

[Deb415andNikki]

Hi everyone, and, of course, all you furries,

They posted in another very long thread. Here's what was written:

laniminella
Sat Apr 23, 2011 6:07 pm


Hello and thanks in advance for any answers. I adopted a 17 pound cat 14 mos ago from a shelter and paid $1200 because they were in cahoots with an animal hospital and wouldn't release her until I paid the bill. She was normal except they thought possibly hyperthyroid, and they did intense blood tests, dental work, xrays etc. She is not very social and hates my other cat. When I took her to my vet to get stitches removed (growth on eyelid was removed) my vet said she was too fat to be hyperthyroid so she wouldn't recommend treating that.
Sheriva is a long haired calico who does not drink excessively, never ate very much, but would go for treats every now and then, and her only other issue was having to stand vertically to poop.
I do not have the test results from the blood test last week, (will get them) but the glucose was supposed to be in the 400s with her thyroid being in the "gray" area. She donated a bottle of Lantus and I've been giving Sheriva 2 units every 12 hours after feeding the cat baby food mixed with a few cat vitamins and a quarter of a cap of Chromium Piccolinate. She is totally inactive and goes under a table all day and night and has lost her appetite completely except for a few treats once a day or so. Before, she was a treat hound, and at least more perky.
I have read everything I can about home glucose tests and would love to know the easiest meter to use. I don't have a microwave or stove but can try putting hot water in a baby food jar and attempting to hold that to the ear.
I want to know if anyone has tried Dia-ionX or Native Remedies Gluco Ensure or Pancreas Booster. I just ordered the latter and was considering the Dia-Ion X but that one is more debatable. They are going to do a Glucose curve on her from 2-5 in a couple of days, but overall....I'm concerned and have to keep force feeding her to give that insulin.
She only seems halfway "normal" for a few minutes long after her insulin is given. Is Vitamin E good to mix in the baby food?----100 mg oil every day? or what?
Thanks again and best of luck to all.

 

[Deb415andNikki]

Hi laniminella, and, of course, you too, sweet Sheriva,

I just sent you a PM (private message) with the new link. Was afraid you and Sheriva wouldn't get the attention you deserve and need where you originally posted because that's become such a long thread...



Okay, bless for adopting your Sheriva!

Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of experience to answer many of your questions. But, I am concerned that she's not eating much and has insulin on board. Can you tell us your general location? No specifics are necessary, okay? Perhaps one of us lives close to you and can help you test her to make sure she's not going too low... Or, can give you some KetoStix to make sure she doesn't have ketones (just requires sticking a little test strip under her when she pees...). I'm in Northern NJ if that helps you.

Is she alert?

Lantus is a gentle, cat-friendly insulin; but, even it needs food on board. Can you feed Sheriva whatever she wants to eat? Whatever she's used to eating? Sometimes sprinkling Parmesan cheese on their regular cat food adds an enticing stinky factor... I'm basically talking the sky's the limit until you can sort things out...

Would you consider cutting her dose to 1 unit twice a day until you can perk up her appetite?

You can request a newbie kit from one of the stickies on the top of the page. I understand it will include a meter kit with extra test strips, lancets, and even a toy or two... My mom doesn't have a microwave either, so when Nikki and I visit her (and Giz and I in the past), I would often use a washcloth after running it in warm water and then squeezing it out to warm her ear. First tried putting the washcloth in a baggie, but sometimes the crinkly sound annoyed her (actually, both hers), which is why I learned to go with just the washcloth... Then again, my mom likes her apartment very warm, so sometimes just gently massaging the ear worked...

Please either answer my PM or post here so we know you know where to look for answers, okay laniminella? We're all here to help you help Sheriva.

Welcome to the place you never wanted to be; but, will be blessed for having found.

Love and hopeful, encouraging hugs,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz, forever dancing in my heart...

 

[Deb415andNikki]

Hi everyone, and, of course, all you precious furries,

laniminella and Sheriva haven't responded here or to my PM. Has anyone heard from them?

Thanks,
Deb



Bump...

 

[Ann & Scatcats]

I haven't seen them. Maybe she is busy with the holiday and will return when she can.


Bump

 

[Deb415andNikki]

Thank you dearest Ann,

I appreciate the calm way you think...

Happy Easter to you and yours!

Love and grateful bump hugs,
Deb and Nikki (dream airfare is free...) -- and, Giz...

 

[laniminella]

Thanks so much for the great advice. I will be taking her into the vet tomorrow and leaving her for a glucose curve test.
I do feed her and make sure if she doesn't eat, I force feed baby food with my new supplements (which I wonder if anyone else has had good luck with) PetALive Pancreas Booster and GlucoEnsure. Then I admin the Insulin.
I have to get into a recording session now but will check this again and for sure give the results of her Glucose curve.
I do allow her to eat whenever she is in the mood as she can't be made to wait 12 hours apart and there is dry DM food left out.
You're all so wonderful and I live in San Diego CA.
Hugs!

 

[Deb415andNikki]

Hi laniminella, and, of course, you too, sweet Sheriva,

Thank you for responding!

I will be taking her into the vet tomorrow and leaving her for a glucose curve test.

Please let us know the results, okay? Although I should tell you that Sheriva's glucose readings could be much higher at the vet's due to vet stress. That's why everyone here recommends home testing. You'll get truer readings in her home environment.

As for easy meters, many require just the tiniest bead of blood. A lot of people here swear by the One-Touch meter (or One-Touch Ultra). A lot of others like Wal-Mart's Reli-On (think there are two versions) because it stands up well next to the One-Touch and the test strips are much cheaper.

Sometimes at my mom's (again no microwave), if it was sunny, would just shift either Giz or Nikki in that warm direction. That, with massaging, often worked. Isn't it almost always sunny in San Diego? It doesn't matter how you warm her ear laniminella. Go solar!

I do allow her to eat whenever she is in the mood as she can't be made to wait 12 hours apart and there is dry DM food left out.

You'll find there are quite a few free feeders here, just as there are quite a few timed feeders. Giz was always a grazer from kittenhood, so I didn't try to change that. And, ironically, DM was the only cat food she'd actually eat. No, I'm not recommending it; but, until things settle down, I humbly suggest you continue leaving it out... Nikki is a rescue, so I'm not all that sure of what she was used to. But, I like knowing there is food around, so she grazes (well, it's more like snacking) too...

Wish I could help you with those supplements; but, have no experience with them. Perhaps you could start a new post asking about supplements. Or, do a search here, as there have been some discussions regarding different kinds.


Well, I've rambled long enough. Please keep us posted...

Love and hopeful, hungry, encouraging hugs for you and Sheriva -- and your other furry who's probably feeling a bit left out right now...
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz, forever dancing in my heart...

PS: Do you know how young/old Sheriva is?

 

[laniminella]

I just picked Sheriva up and they did a test at 2pm and 5pm (she had insulin and food around 9:30am) They said the first number was 405 and the second was 486 so they said to up the insulin to 3 units every 12 hours and they want her back for 3 tests next TH for $10 @. I am only 5 mins away from the vet but they said, "she doesn't seem stressed here at all so it's up to you if you want to leave her all day." I just worry about leaving cats at vets because they can come home with upper respiratory infections or other illnesses. Just like us going to a hospital.
I guess it's time I really spent time getting that meter and strips. I really really appreciate your advice and will continue to hope for your guidance.
The shelter thought she might be around 6 yrs old but they had no history on her, and since they cleaned her teeth, now we definitely have no clue.
I plan on leaving food out for her and she still needs priming with treats before she goes for the wet food. Then when it's time for her to get her insulin, I syringe baby food and those herbs including one dose of 100 units of Vitamin E.
The only times she seems to act semi alert is about 3 hours before her next dose. Is it normal for cats to basically hibernate after getting insulin?
I wish I could give her Sub Q Ringers lactate if it would help lower her glucose, but I doubt it would since that usually only helps with BUN and CREATIN levels with kidney probs.
I've got a case of IV bags from my last cat.
I'll let you guys know if those herbs appear to help, but of course it will be hard to determine if the insulin is on board simultaneously.
Bless you all and best of luck with all your furry loved ones!

 

[laniminella]

I can't believe I actually got light headed and nauseous watching the videos about paw and ear lanceting for blood testing. I had a bad personal experience many times with people trying to draw my blood so I'll have to get over it.
I wanted to ask about where to get the best meter (and can't find the sticky links referred to. But I read a sidebar article on this site here where a woman says she uses a meter which I found by Googling. There has been a recall on the test strips which I hope everyone knows about. Here is the link
http://www.abbottdiabetescare.com/abbot ... d-pro.html
Makes me leery of getting those meters but I'm open to suggestion. Ideally I'd prefer to try alternating between paw and ear and if the meter uses less blood, I think I might be able to handle my queasiness better.
Thanks again!

 

[MommaOfMuse]

Personally I love my Relion Micro from Walmart...the whole thing meter, 50 test strips and a box of lancets ran me like $35 to get started. The other opinion is we offer newbie kits through herethat comes with everything you need to get started. Meter, test strips the works for the price of the shipping ( of cource a small donation is always welcome as well, but not necessary) Most of us here donate to these kits to make them possible for the newbies like yourself that are already stressed out and overwhelmed. Its our way of paying it forward for the help we got when we got here...usually in tears and completely freaked out...lol

Mel, Max & The Fur Gang.

 

[laniminella]

Thanks so much for your advice and I couldn't figure out how to ask for a donated kit and I still want to donate money to your cause...even if I buy a Relion Micro at Walmart as you suggested. At the moment I'm dealing with car issues too, and I have to take the cat in May 5th for an all day Glucose curve check.
I'll be asking the vet to check that glucometer at the time they take their tests to compare and when I just phoned them they said to make sure it was the kind for animals. LOL I told them nope--but we'll compare and then know the difference and I can test knowing that difference in readings.
I hope I get the right lancet size as I may have to try ear and paw. I saw one picture saying not to try to hit ear vein but area between ear edge and vein. Correct? Also it's weird how I see people recommending using the scruff for insulin injecting sites, but on your site I see it's best not to because there are less capillaries there. If I could get those two things cleared up, I'd feel a lot more "confident"
Thanks again soooo much!

 

[laniminella]

More advice sought please for Sheriva

Ok I went to Walmart and waited forever to get the one last Relion mini glucometer and they were out of test strips, until 20 mins later when someone found one box. I bought the lancets the pharmacist handed me. Here is my big question...........When is the best time or times to take a blood sugar test? (assuming I can do it)
I read and read and see where sometimes it says, before feeding, but the vet does blood draws every couple of hours starting 2 hours after her breakfast and insulin shot.
It's hard for me to get Sheriva for more than one handling. If I feed her cat food, I rush to get the insulin ready and prep the baby food with my new herbs so I can make sure she gets enough food. She is through taking a few bites of cat food in a hurry, so often I have to drag her out from the corner behind a table again.
This is why I need to know when to try to drag her out for the testing? And how many times a day? week? etc?
FYI after researching natural cures....I noticed several diabetic herbal formulas contain Alpha Lipoic Acid which is normally a great antioxidant. But somewhere I read that it can be highly toxic to cats. So I bought Cinnamon aromaticum bark, gymnema sylvestre, and banaba leaf and am giving a little of those along with one dose per day of Vitamin E and the PetAlive GlucoEnsure and Pancreas Booster. I don't try to do large amounts of anything, and don't expect miracles. But if someone can tell me when and how often to test, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks!!!

 

[Deb415andNikki]

Re: More advice sought please for Sheriva

Dearest laniminella, and, of course, you too, sweet Sheriva,

Ok I went to Walmart and waited forever to get the one last Relion mini glucometer and they were out of test strips, until 20 mins later when someone found one box.

YAY! You go, proactive sugar mom!

I bought the lancets the pharmacist handed me. Here is my big question...........When is the best time or times to take a blood sugar test? (assuming I can do it)

I use ultra-fine 30 gauge lancets, free hand. Often starting with 28 gauge is a good size to start. It's just ever so slightly -- and, I'm talking slightly -- thicker. I know you're squeamish. It's just a very tiny bead of blood, okay? Personally, I recommend going for the ear, rather than the paw. Why? Because ears just know air and napping. Paws know litter... This could definitely be a me thing...

Best time to take a blood sugar test when you're starting out? Pre-shots (PS) so you know it's safe to shoot. So, in the beginning, the order is test, feed, shoot. So, in the morning, or tonight because of where you live, you'll test your precious girl, then give her breakfast or dinner, wait 15 minutes or so (to make sure she keeps it down), and then give her insulin. Make sense?

Yes, you can do this. Trust me!

It's hard for me to get Sheriva for more than one handling. If I feed her cat food, I rush to get the insulin ready and prep the baby food with my new herbs so I can make sure she gets enough food. She is through taking a few bites of cat food in a hurry, so often I have to drag her out from the corner behind a table again.

Dearest lanimella, I was trained by the most ornery of ornery-est cats, Gizzie! Yet, now have Nikki, who rescued me and is Gizzie's polar opposite! Yet, hates testing after slightly more than three years... Giz was far more accommodating in the greater scheme of sugar dancing... With Nikki, who I occasionally have to nudge out of really inventive hiding places, I've learned to be extremely swift. If I'm not, I just test my own blood. It's good practice.

I read and read and see where sometimes it says, before feeding, but the vet does blood draws every couple of hours starting 2 hours after her breakfast and insulin shot.

This is called a curve -- testing BG (Blood Glucose) readings every two hours. Yes, the vet probably does a vein draw. If you do this at home, you'll just be going for a tiny bead of blood. Cool!

This is why I need to know when to try to drag her out for the testing? And how many times a day? week? etc?

For now, dearest lanimenilla, just promise you'll test Sheriva before each shot to make sure it's safe to give her insulin, okay? Then, when you're both ready, test her about 6 hours after her shot (called +6) as that is halfway between her shots. Sometimes this is only possible on weekends, depending on your work schedule, or if you have insomnia.

Be sure to reward both Sheriva and you with treats after testing! Why? Because you both deserve them! Chances are, though, that they will be different kinds of treats... ;o)

Much love and countless encouraging hugs for you both!
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz, who taught me anything and everything is possible dancing with a sugar cat...