Newbie: What are the ranges of levels??

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elizhope

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My kitty was just diagnosed and I have made an appointment for next week to get her insulin prescription and to learn how to give the shot. In the meantime I have switched her from an all dry diet to an all wet one almost 48 hours ago. I also bought a meter and have started checking her levels (mostly for practice before i start the insulin) and I am somewhat confused by the results....

History: 11 year old female, otherwise healthy just losing weight so I took her to the vet, was free fed dry food her whole life (canned occasionally for treats)

First blood draw on Monday at the vet 562
***Started wet food only on Wednesday morning
My first at home test on Thursday afternoon a couple hours after eating 286
Last night (Thursday) before bed (she had been grazing eating) 302
This morning (Friday) before I fed her 114
An hour after eating (but still kinda grazing on it) 374

Why are there such fluctuations and I haven't even started her on insulin yet? When I start on insulin next week what kind of levels am I looking for and when is the best time to feed in relation to testing her blood/giving insulin? What are the ranges based on when shes eaten last? I guess Im getting nervous on how Im gonna know what Im looking for based on the results and I dont want to give her to little or to much insulin....

Ive been trying to navigate through the site looking for this kind of info, but there is sooooo much information, Im getting a little lost and overwhelmed :(

Thanks for all your help :) Hopefully I will get the hang of it

********JUST EDITED BC I FORGOT TO PUT THE HOUR AFTER NUMBER OF 374
 
114 is a great number for a cat that has had no insulin. It is very possible that you may not need insulin at all and diet change is all that is needed. :mrgreen: Normal range for a non-diabetic cat is between 50 - 80, so you are on your way to falling into that range. Just remember that any BG readings taken at the vets office are also normally considerably higher than you would get at home due to vet stress. This can cause the BG readings to be as much as 100 points higher than you would get at home. So if they test her next week at the vet, she will be higher than what you normally get at home.

Also, great job for learning to hometest so quickly.
 
First off, you'll want to join the support group for the type of insulin you end up using. People in that group will be able to tell you what to look for in numbers in relation to the feeding/shot cycle.

You'll want to test first, then give insulin, then feed. All in about the same 5 minutes or so. At least that's the way I always did it.

I continued feeding only twice a day because it worked for my Max. Other cats are different, and in order to maintain better glucose control, they need to be fed smaller meals more frequently. I think that is the going thinking around here, but remember every cat, and every home situation, is different, so you'll have to figure out what works for you. For us, we'd already been feeding dry twice a day, so we just continued that when we switched to wet, and it was still fine for Max, so we didn't change it.

In terms of the numbers you've posted...cats always test with higher numbers at the vet's office because of stress. You'll have a much more accurate picture of their true glucose levels by testing at home. You'll want to do your own glucose curves (testing and recording every 2 hours for a 12 hour cycle) to see how your kitty responds to the insulin. Well, we did 12 hour curves because Max was on Lantus and only got shots twice a day. For shorter duration insulins, you may want to do a shorter curve time--you'll figure out those specifics once you join your insulin group.

One thing that concerns me is the 114 this morning, without insulin. It's a good thing you're home-testing her BG because it looks like you may not need insulin, or may not need it for very long. Lots of cats can maintain glucose control without insulin if they're switched to a low-carb diet. My Max only needed insulin for 6 weeks (might have been less if I'd figured out a few of the food nuances earlier!), and has been happily maintaining BG readings in the 70s and 80s for a almost a year now. Anyway...I can't give you advice on when to shoot or not because I don't know what insulin you'll be using, but I believe anything under 150 is considered 'normal' and not needing insulin. When we started Max with his Lantus insulin, we were told not to give him his shot if he was testing under 200.

When you go to the vet to get the insulin next week, be sure to take your record of your cat's BG readings. Start writing down the time you tested, and how long it has been since she ate. Your vet will want to see this as it will help determine the insulin dose, if indeed she still even needs it. And absolutely test at home right before you go to the vet--you'll be able to see the difference in stress numbers when they test her there.

Hang in there--you're doing all the right things! And good for you for testing at home and already changing the diet. It makes alllllll the difference in how your cat can and will recover. :mrgreen:
 
So when I wake up in the morning I would check her, then give her a shot, then feed her? But if I cant shoot unless its over 200, should I wait until after I feed her bc thats when her level rises?

When I talked to my doctor he said he works with the PZ one and lantus (and another L one, I cant remember the name) I think Im going to ask for the Lantus. it seems to be a popular choice in here. right?

I would love love love if this corrects itself through diet change alone, but Im never that lucky- lol But I have already noticed she feels ALOT better just changing the food. Much more energy and not as hungry. I started my other cat on all cans as well so this doesnt happen to him. No more dry food allowed in my house :)
 
The reason you want to test before you feed is that, with new diabetics, food usually raises the bg levels. So if you feed and the number goes over 200, that could be a food induced number - not a "true" number - and you could give too much insulin.

If you get a number near 200, you can wait 30 minutes and test again (without feeding) to see if the number rises enough to shoot.

This all seems very overwhelming at first, but once you get your insulin, you can join the Insulin Support groups and get daily input on your numbers and your doses.
viewforum.php?f=5

As a wise person said to me, early in the process, don't forget to Breathe!
 
Welcome to FDMB! You are so ahead of the curve with the food change and testing already. if you are going to go w/ Lantus come over to the Lantus group and look around. There are a lot of permanent "stickie" notes on the top of the forum with a wealth of info. Lantus and Levemir (the other L insulin) are different from other insulins in that dosage is determined by a cat's lowest reading not how high the BG goes.
  • BG is usually highest just before you give the shot,
    raises a bit after the shot and feeding
    then begins to lower after the insulin kicks in,
    reachs nadir (lowest point)
    then gradually climbs back until the next shot is due.

Lantus and Lev also need a very regular schedule and a lot of patience as results don't show up immediately as some other insulins do. Just a couple of considerations when you are choosing an insulin.
 
Ann & Tess said:
Welcome to FDMB! You are so ahead of the curve with the food change and testing already. if you are going to go w/ Lantus come over to the Lantus group and look around. There are a lot of permanent "stickie" notes on the top of the forum with a wealth of info. Lantus and Levemir (the other L insulin) are different from other insulins in that dosage is determined by a cat's lowest reading not how high the BG goes.
  • BG is usually highest just before you give the shot,
    raises a bit after the shot and feeding
    then begins to lower after the insulin kicks in,
    reachs nadir (lowest point)
    then gradually climbs back until the next shot is due.

Lantus and Lev also need a very regular schedule and a lot of patience as results don't show up immediately as some other insulins do. Just a couple of considerations when you are choosing an insulin.
Click to expand...

Which one is easiest to use and gets great results? Since my doctor works with 3 of them I can choose... I think he was pushing the PZ one, but I read that Lantus showed more remission?
 
There is no easy answer to that question and everyone tends to like the insulin they are using. In very general terms, they are all about the same amount of money. It is possible to get a cat into remission or regulation on any of them. There are some differences in the way they are dosed and used. Lantus is probably the insulin that requires the most testing and attention - it needs to be given on a pretty strict schedule 12/12 with testing done in mid cycle on a consistent basis. Cats have done well on it. Levemir is similar to Lantus but is a little more forgiving in terms of schedule. Fewer people use it; cats have done well on it. PZI is the most flexible of the 3. Fewer people here use it - the people who do are having good success.

If I were you, I would check all 3 support groups and read some of the threads and the information in the stickies. There are no right or wrong answers - it depends on you and what fits your life. viewforum.php?f=5
 
Just from my perspective, if I had to use insulin again, I'd try levemir first. Why? Because a 12-12 dosing isn't always possible for me (two young kids, work, etc). The new Prozinc 'sounds' to be a bit finicky and take a fair bit of time at first, and levemir seems to be nice and 'gentle'.
 
just to give you an idea - we're using lantus on punkin. he's only been on it maybe 6 weeks so i can't address "success" yet or compare it to the others, and i only started hometesting less than 2 weeks ago. But I can share our schedule for an idea:

7:30am test BG, feed 2/3 can fancy feast, give insulin shot
+3 test BG feed 2/3 can FF
+6 test BG give treat
+9 test BG give treat
+12 test BG, feed 2/3 can FF, give insulin shot
+3 test BG feed 2/3 can FF

he's a big kitty - 14+ pounds, but i don't think he's overweight, so it might be too much food for another cat. our non-diabetic cat is about 1/2 his size and she eats the remaining 1/3 can each time he eats.

i can do all this because i'm inbetween jobs right now and home without kids (woot for college!).
 
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