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Lilly

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Hello, I am not familiar with how this board works for posting, so right away, please forgive me. My name is Lilly. I was sent here by many on the Yahoo feline Hyperthyroid board. We just spent a year getting a kitty back to snuff. Yesterday another of my kitties a 9 yr old named Buzz was diagnosed with Diabetes. BG 357. We are to start the injections today. I have had great advice from members over there who are members here, yet I am a bit confused.

I was told by the Vet to do the shots twice a day. That's fine. Part of my confusion comes from the Vet saying shot first then food within 5 to 10 minutes. Others that have made suggestions are saying no, it should be eat then the shot. And does he really have to go prescription food? We have been switching all the kitties off the dry food to mostly moist. It was told to me by another diabetic fur mom that Friskies Pate is a good food for this disorder. Can I keep him on the Friskies? FF too has been recommended, mine have all vomited the FF any time we have used it, so would like not to use this.

As I have found on the HT board, sometimes Vets although they are educated, sometimes the group is more knowledgeable from experience. I know, know know I will have other, perhaps many questions, but for today if I could get this answer, I would be very grateful. I did a fast read of the information here, but did not find this answer. I'll bet it is there somewhere, but in my haste may not have seen it. Or maybe I did and it didn't register. Thank you! And thank you for allowing me to join your group. Thank you!! Lilly and Buzz
 
hi there and welcome. i apologize for my short answer as i am running out the door now to drop one of my at the vet's and then get to work but i wanted to answer your food question at least for now.

yes, you can keep them on the Friskies. the goal is a low carbohydrate diet and Friskies, along with other store bought brands, have several flavors that are low carb, i.e. turkey & giblets, mixed grill, country style dinner, liver & bacon, super supper just to name a few.

i'll check in later when i get to work :-)
 
I'm a short-timer, but glad to welcome you. This is the absolute best group you will ever find for anything! YES!! switch to wet food. There are a few great list from the main page on wet foods and dry foods and their carb content - Look for Janet & Binky's lists. You want want under 10 carbs - there are lots to choose from. I saved it to my computer then highlighted the ones under 10 so when I got to the store I wouldn't go nuts! I've switched all 3 of my kitties. Vinney was most reluctant and used to be my "toss his cookies boy" on wet food - but he is doing great now because I mix it with almost equal parts of water. My system was to test, feed then shoot. I think a fair number of people use kitties eating as time to shoot - think major distraction. Maisey was only on insulin for a month, a crazy month, well first week, now off for two full weeks. You will get lots of encouragement and help here.
 
Here is the food chart: Janet and Binky’s chart We pick a food below 8-10% carbs that we can afford that our cats will eat. No, prescription food has no better ingredients than commercial food; it is just more expensive.

With older insulins like Humulin, you needed to be sure there was food on board before shooting, because the insulin took the cat down hard and fast. With the new milder insulins, the bg levels are slower to lower and usually hit their lowest levels about 6 hours after the shot. Lots of us shot while the cat's head was deep into the food dish and they didn't even notice.

Keep reading and asking questions. We are all paying it forward for help we received so we would love to help you help your kitty.
 
Also, wait until your cat is eating before giving insulin. You do not want to give insulin first and risk your cat not eating. That could cause hypoglycemia. Many of us give our cats their shot when their head is in their food. They never notice. :lol:

Also, with insulin, you want to start with a low dose and gradually raise it over a period of weeks. We recommend starting with 1 unit twice a day. If your vet tries to start at a higher dose, I suggest that you tell your vet that you do not feel comfortable with that dose and want to start at 1 unit instead. With a higher dose and the diet change, you have a greater chance of your cat becoming hypoglycemic. Insulin is not dosed by weight, even if your vet says otherwise.

One other suggestion is to learn to hometest. This means using a human glucose meter and testing before every shot to make sure it is safe to give insulin. Hopefully your vet is one that supports hometesting. If not, you do not need your vet's permission to hometest. By testing before every shot, you know if it safe to give insulin and will learn to know if the current dose is working or needs to be increased. If your vet will not show you, don't worry. We have plenty of information available to help you learn.

When you find out your insulin and dose, let us know.
 
Since your cat's BG level was in the 300s at the vet, that could mean that the actual level is lower at home when the cat is not stressed. Sometimes that can be 100 points lower at home. Was this an annual vet visit or was there something wrong at the time? Sometimes infections can show up as being diabetic when they really aren't. My cat's BG was over 500 at the vet when he was diagnossed. He also had a urinary infection. With the diet change to wet food only and more frequent (small) meals, he was off insulin in about 6 weeks so I think he is a diet-controlled diabetic or either was not diabetic at all since he had an infection. You may want to consider a diet change to high protein lo carb wet food without insulin for a few weeks to see if the BG goes down to normal ranges. In Friskies, use only the pate group of food.

Be sure to print out all you can on Hypos because you have to be ready for that. We started out with 3 units twice a day and then went to 4 units twice a day. In the meantime, I changed from dry high carb food to high protein lo carb canned food which can drastically lower BG levels on its own therefore drastically lowering the need for additional insulin. Once the body's supply of insulin filled back up, then my cat had a seizure with no warning signs. Because of this board, I had Karo syrup ready to give him to get his BG level up fast and then followed with high carb food to get BG up too while I took him to the emergency vet. With a diet change and the high dose of insulin without knowing what the BG level was, I believe that is what contributed to the hypo event. In hindsight, we should have maybe changed the diet first to see what changes that made in the BG levels and then if insulin was needed, start at a low dose and make small adjustments. After the seizure, i learned to do hometesting and if i didn't get blood to test, then I did not give a shot. You have to know the BG level before the shot otherwise you could be asking for trouble. I tested, fed, and then shot if the BG level was over 150.

We use the Relion meter from Walmart because it needs only a tiny amount of blood to test. We use a "headlight" flashlight so that our hands are free during testing. We got it at Lowe's or Home Depot. We use freezedried chicken treats which are high protein. I give treats before, during and after testing. I still have to do more than one prick to get blood. We are only testing once a week now that he is off insulin to make sure his bg levels are in the normal range.
 
Welcome Lilly and Buzz to the FDMB family.

You canabsolutely keep Buzz-man on Friskies Pate. Or any of the other commercial foods on that list that you have the link to above. My sugarcat, Maxwell went into remission eating what everyone else eats here. Just good old fashioned Friskies Pate, In fact, not one of my 11 cats would touch the prescription stuff. I fed, Whitefish & Tuna, Mixed Grill, Mariner's Catch, Turkey and Giblets, Country-Style dinner, Poultry Platter, etc. I also basically free feed the wet by mixing a couple tablespoons of water to it. Since I'm a stay at home fur mom, I put fresh out four times a day, but many here leave it down for 8-12hrs without a problem, and/or use timed feeders, or freeze it and put it out frozen if they need to be away from home for long periods of time.

One thing we are going to nag you about is home testing. Once you get the hang of it, it is really easy. We simply use a regular human meter and get a small sample of blood from the edge of their ears. At the very least you are going to want to test, just like a human diabetic, before each shot. Especially since 385 at the vet's isn't really all that high for a newly dxed FD cat. Mine own sugarcat Maxwell was 485 when he was dxed, and with a change in diet from dry to canned he went into remission and off insulin within 2 weeks. Thankful I was already testing him, since I adopted him as a diabetic from this board, so I caught the fact that he no longer needed insulin. If I hadn't been testing at home I could have very easily sent him into hypo since I didn't know him well enough yet to catch subtle personality changes.

The other great thing about testing at home is that not only does it give you truer numbers because Buzz isn't all stressed out about going to the vet's. But it keeps more $$$ in your wallet. Because you can do your own curves and then either take your data in/ or email it to your vet and work with those numbers to adjust the dose if needed.


Mel, Max & The Fur Gang
 
Lisa and Witn (GA) said:
Many of us give our cats their shot when their head is in their food. They never notice. :lol:
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I always gave Bandit his shot while he was eating; in a year full of insulin shots twice a day, he never *once* noticed.
 
Hello all!

Thank you so much for the replies! I am a bit nervous about this whole thing, I learned on the HT board, so hopefully I can learn here too! We found his issue when trying for his senior test. The blood draw was so "fatty" cloudy that they could not run the panel. I fasted him and took him back in, still no luck. But they got a UA which showed the BG (I think - I actually have no idea how they got to this number). Typically as one is getting the news, I had brain freeze and have little idea what they actually said! Gosh I wish I had known that Friskies is ok. The ones you all have mentioned are actually the ones we have been using for years. I will double double check, as the food list here may have indicated one or two that are higher than he needs. I was in the process of taking them all (three of them) off dry kibbles. Not real acceptable yet, they all still seem to need the crunchie munchies. Speaking of which, can he have treats? Like what? I am suspecting not the Greenies style. He will not eat that brand but those hard crunchy treats. I will be proceeding to check now everything in the house that he gets, including the cat sip he loves.

He is as of this morning on 1 unit twice a day (Lantus). They said nothing about doing a monitor for checking, but I think perhaps they are letting me do this for a week, and then they will hit me with the really fun part! LOL! He has to go back next Friday to see where the BG is and see if we can run all the panels I wanted done in the first place! I spoke to a few of the HT people and they actually recommended doing the shot while he was eating, so I did! See this was suggested here too, so I did ok! Yippie! Went well. He didn't eat as much as they said to give him (3/4 of a can), so saving that back for his snack this afternoon.

I have already learned things here, like I am to look for the carbs (8-10), not necessarily the calories. My HT boy is now going to have to watch his Phos levels, so it is going to get interesting real fast for Lilly on the do's and don'ts of all of this. We have an elevated creatinine and a slightly increased bun, with a T4 just in range.

You can bet I will be back and looking for more answers as I get more confused! It doesn't take much admittedly!

This is getting too long, but wanted you to know the rest of my gang. Woody is my HT six month post i131, turned 12 years old in March. Black and white with a white head blaze, short fur. Then Buzz who has had a broken K-9 for which received a root canal last March, basically healthy until now! He is 14 pounds and is Orange and white with a white head blaze, medium long fur. His litter mate is Echo, 13 pounds, also will be 9 in June, Black and white with a white head blaze, long fur. He is my current healthy one! Paws crossed on that one! On the other page where you all have your photos that show in your post, I saw a kitty that looks almost like Woody. I didn't know the pics wouldn't come on over, so I did not notate the name of either fur parent nor kitty. oops! I'll get the hang of this eventually. I already had trouble finding the replies to this! I'll have to spend sometime on that.

Thanks again and sorry this got so long.

Lilly and Buzz
 
Lilly said:
They said nothing about doing a monitor for checking, but I think perhaps they are letting me do this for a week, and then they will hit me with the really fun part! LOL! He has to go back next Friday to see where the BG is and see if we can run all the panels I wanted done in the first place!
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Hi Lilly,

It does not surprise us that your vet did not say anything about hometesting. Most vets don't seem to recommend it to their patients. But even if your vet does not recommend it or even if your vet tries to talk you out of it, hometesting is very important.

Just think of it this way, if Buzz was your human child and had diabetes, do you think his doctor would tell you to give insulin without testing first? For some reason, most vets don't seem to think this way. But as anyone who has been on this board for a while can tell you, hometesting has saved many cats' lives here. We have seen it happen many times.
 
HI! Update. We have a meter for Buzz! I haven't completely figured it out, but it's coming. He will be tested before his next shot. I am sure he is not going to like this much, but it has to be done. You have convinced me of that already. I am going to have to try and establish that curve! Does this have to be done every day forever, every two hours?

I need to be looking at him to be between 80 - 120? If he is at this level do I not give the shot or reduce it? Only if he is over 150 do I give the full 1 unit shot? He was looking good this morning, he has all through out this so far, just acting odd. So not knowing where he was on the meter (not gotten then) I gave him a little less than the full unit! He actually has been by a few times and saying hello. And his eyes don't look as dilated! More like himself. Will that make a difference in when he gets the shot? Or when he eats something? Can I use those lances more than once? I think I read you could, but it don't remember how many times they can be used. I promise to make better notes in the future. Refresher - we were told 1 unit twice a day - amazing huh! It is Lantus. I know I didn't hear much of what was said that day, but I KNOW I heard nothing of how to adjust the insulin if need be.

Interesting that the blood sugar can be that much of a difference at the Vet. This is really good to know. Echo was at 160 on a regular glucose on the senior panel and I was a bit concerned, although the vet was not. I didn't hear that it could be up that much from stress! Thank you. I can stop worrying about him going over the top on me too! At least for now.

Food! I went to the food chart and found that the Hill W/D she put him on is higher in carbs than the Friskies he has been eating all his life! Perhaps she is going for the weight reduction. We use only the Pate varieties. Two days now without DRY food! My other two are going nuts too. (Woody still really kind of needs the extra carbs, as he six months after his i131 treatment in late September has just reached his usual adult weight. He may not hold that without the extra carbs.) We have an appointment on Friday for Buzz and I am sure the Vet is going to be surprised when she finds I have been up too! Lilly is back on a roll, just like she was with that little HT cat! Ha! And could this be from all the exceptional advice she is getting from FD group? You betcha!

Oh and I was told, I thought I was told to feed him 3/4 of a can of Hill's twice a day. That is a lot of food even for Buzz! Did I misunderstand this? 3/4 of a can twice a day, with two snacks of no more than 2 teaspoons of food. So something every 6 hours. As he doesn't eat all that food in the morning, he gets that for the snack at 4:00. He acts hungry during the day, but I haven't given him anything. This is going to change isn't it? He is going to be happy at some point with this routine.

Is this enough questions for today? Thank you all so much! I am so happy so many of you are here giving back.

Lilly and Buzz

P.S. It is Underdawg that looks like my Woody!
 
Lilly,

Okay to try to answer a few of those questions.

First off until you get Buzz's BGs back into normal ranges he is going to be literally starving, because without the proper amount of insulin (either from his own body or via injection) his body can't properly process the food he is eating, that is why he needs to eat so much. When I first adopted Maxwell he was eating 3-4 (5.5 oz) cans of food per day all by himself. Now that he has been in remission and gained back all his weight he eats about 1 to 1 1/2 cans. And he is a big cat (tall & long).

As far as the range you are looking for with Buzz. On a human meter non-diabetic numbers are between 40-120 ( human meters read slightly lower than pet meters)...Usually however, we advise newbies such as yourself not to give insulin if you get a number lower than 200 until you have a bit of data on how Buzz's body responds to the insulin. Good news, you are on a great insulin and were started at a very reasonable dosage. My own boy Maxwell was a Lantus kitty. It is a wonderful insulin for cats and is very gentle and long lasting.

If you haven't already go over to the Lantus Support Group section on this board and read the stickies on how to work with and handle your insulin. A few tips: Have your vet write the script for the cartridges that human diabetics use for the solastar/flex pens. instead of the vial. While the initial cost of the cartridges is more, you will be able to use all of it before it goes bad, where as with the vials you will end up throwing a lot of it out.

As far as testing goes, no the every two hours isn't a daily thing, but you will want to get one in after you have been on your insulin for a few days just to see how Buzz is reacting and where the current dose takes him. (find the highs and lows). Other than that on a daily bases you will want at least a test before each shot and if you can get it at about +6 (6 hours after shot). The +6 should be pretty close to the nadir or the lowest point in BGs. Lantus is dosed off this number not the pre-shot number. But you are still going to want to make sure he is high enough at the preshot to give insulin. Also you can try to catch various other tests through out the day just to gather data, more numbers you have the easier it is to decide on dose.

Lantus also works off a shed that is built up in their bodies, so for the first few days his numbers maybe a little weird, while he builds up that shed. But because of that shed feature, Lantus really likes a strict 12/12 shot schedule. Also you are not going to want to shake or roll the vial/cartridge, don't shoot the insulin back into the vial, and don't store it in the frig door etc, but that is all explained in the stickies over in the Lantus area.

Oh yeah and the most important tips.....Remember to just breathe and when in doubt POST! Unlike the vet's office we never close, we don't take holidays or weekends off, and with members literally all over the world there is always someone around to answer questions or just hold your hand/paw.

Mel, Max and The Fur Gang.
 
I'm already in violation! Where do you store this? I have it in the door of the fridge. The Vet actually showed me not to shake the vial, to invert it a few times and rub it between my palms a few times, then invert the bottle to draw. I can't back flush? Oh dear, I had best go find that Lantus support group! Soon.

I believe we caught this early as he had some tests done in September and the glucose on that regular panel was not at all elevated.

I am having much difficulty in doing the ear stabs. (not the correct terminology I know!) One, he isn't a hang out with us cat, two he is strong and gets away from me easily. I tried twice yesterday after I finally figured out the meter. Ended up poking him once and it looked like I was piercing him for earrings. Then second time I got my finger instead. I quit. I will try again today for at least the two before the meds. THANK you for telling me the REAL range I should be looking to achieve on that meter! SO, If he is lower than 200 on the human meter, DO NOT give the insulin as he is eating. Then what? Do I wait until the next feeding to test and give the shot if he is higher than 200? And again if he is not over 200, still don't give the shot? But he can still get his food and the 'snacks' of food at 6 hours? And is that correct he should be eating every six hours? Heavy sigh.

The food consumption is already down some. It was recommended to me by a member on another board I am on (his was diabetic a few years ago and fixed him with the help all you wonderful people here) to feed him at least 3 oz of food every six hours (he fed FF and mine all vomit FF). Vet said 3/4 can twice a day. He already isn't eating that much at one feeding. And of all the stupid questions I could ask this is going to be the topper. I need to change the feeding schedule. I was working on the idea that hubby is up by about 4 in the morning. Well, that is changing. I had set it up so they all got their food at 10:00 am, 4:00 pm, 10:00 pm and 4:00 am. I now need to change that. How in the world at this point with Buzz on a schedule do I do that. Very carefully! Our schedules are pretty well bonkers. I rarely can get to bed before 1:00 to 2:00 (I'm trying to adjust that back to midnight with little luck) so if can get 7 hours of sleep, I am not up until 8:30 9:00. I can feed them anytime after I get up. They are use to my feet hitting the floor and shortly after words being fed, so is already going to be a 'fun' time no matter what I do, but that last (or first) feed has to move to at least as late as 5:30 better 6:00 in the morning. URG. How can I move the times without hurting him?

I apologize for being so inept and needy at this point. I am so confused. And if I don't figure this out, it will put him in peril. I really don't want that! Funny your telling me to breathe! This is exactly the advice I give to newbies on the HT board!! Breathe and remember how you did this, as you are going to forget how! Yup, done already forgotten how, again. This is way harder than the HT ever was, with the exception of the overdose in the beginning. His life is literally totally in my hands on a daily basis. You can do this, you can do this, you CAN do this! I want to be settled enough to do things like put up his pic and all the fun stuff. No time to waste on the actual fun things.

Thanks to all! I am off to try and find more info on Lantus! And then we stick and then and then and then......;)

Lilly and Buzz
 
There are no needy people and never too many questions. Everyone here is posting to pay it forward for help they received when they were new and terrified.

Regarding the ear pokes. You can try the kitty burrito - wrap the cat up in a towel with only his head showing so you can control him while you poke. We used this with Oliver and he helped a lot in the beginning. Or if you are really having trouble, the clothespin trick: Clothespin trick And if you get blood and he starts to get away, you can get the drop on your fingernail and take the test from there.

Are you sure warming the ear until it is nice and warm? That was vital for us at first. Do you have a 25 - 27 guage lancet? They make a bigger hole. Do a quick double poke in the same hole to get more blood.

If you are really struggling and want some hands on help, post your city and state. Maybe we have someone who lives nearby and can help.

Feeding doesn't have to be complicated. The only stipulation is not to feed 2 hours before a test. So, figure out how you can give small frequent meals but without messing around in that window. Lots of us use automatic feeders so the cats can get when we want them to.
 
We use a "headlight" flashlight so that our hands are free during testing. We got it at Lowe's or Home Depot but you can probably get one at Walmart too. Be sure to have treats available before,during and after testing. I also use just the lancets since I am not really good at getting any blood using the lancet devices for some reason. The Relion meter that I got at Walmart required the smallest amount of blood so that helped me a lot. I used the AccuCheck Aviva at first which required a tiny amount but even that was too much until I got the Relion. You really do have to warm up the ears before testing. For some reason, Bo's right ear gives blood better than his left one.

Don't forget to get prepared for a possible hypo. Bo was sleeping in the bed when he had one. Otherwise, I do not know if I would have known he was in trouble. It was shortly after we went to bed when he had the seizure. He had no symptoms before that at all. This happened only a few weeks after beginning the Lantus. I suppose with the diet change, the high dose of Lantus and his shed filling up caused the seizure. I had not been testing prior to that but I sure did learn how to do it after that. I really should have been testing all along so I am glad that you have started that.

This forum has great people who can give you lots of valuable information and help at all hours.
 
We have a sample!!!! Yippie! He ate this morning and got his shot, but I had not had time to use the suggested Burrito Kitty nor the Clothespin trick. I really didn't think Burrito would do much with out extra help and I can't count on that everytime, so I tried the Clothespins at 2:00 pm. (with a warm washcloth on his ear.) It took 5 of them and he tried to shake them off then tried to roll on them, but I got him! I got HIM not my fingers! I'll be looking for a 'flashlight' real soon, as will need that for sure at night. WOW. Such great ideas. I am so proud of him!! Only took 4 little treats.

Oh the results at 4 hours was 205. Is that pretty good? Our first curve number! I am thrilled! Next test tonight before the 10:00 meds. Under 200 don't shoot! Re-check in two hours. I am so happy to get the sample and crossed paws that it goes this well in the future!!! Thank you all so much!

I have a hypo kit set up in two different rooms, just in case.

Lilly and Buzz
 
This is a nice beginning number! Welcome to the Vampire Club!

The "Don't shoot under 200" rule is for newbies. The idea is if you get 200 or less as the preshot number in the am or pm, you wait 20 minutes and test again, without feeding. If it has risen over 200, you can give insulin, though it may be wise to check out with the forum whether a reduced or the regular dose is a good idea. Once you get data and know your cat's patterns, that rule can be altered.
 
I was going to be quiet and take the day. Ha! Sorry not to be. Last night at his supper time I did the test and he came out at 199! So I went ahead and gave the shot. This morning he tested at 140. I wanted 20 minutes and had trouble with our meter, so ended up being closer to half hour. Meanwhile I have three angry cats who are wanting to be fed! Hollering screaming at me. Even with the Mohawk clothespins, he was upset. He got away from me and shook off all but two of the clothespins. We FINALLY got a good sample and the meter worked. He was 148, so I reduced the shot amount to a least half of the 1 unit he has been getting. I'm going to watch him like a hawk to make sure I didn't hurt him. Of course from his being a bugger and the meter going nuts, I am over the top. Coming down a bit, but did I do this right?

If he continues to be that range, should I not give the shot at all? Then keep testing every 20 minutes? Then what? When can eat? I am going to try (he is not happy about the ear pricks at all) and get a new sample right now which is about a half hour after his eating. Fun way to move the schedule. As we have not yet in our four days, gotten a good range of curve, how do I judge this? Normal is above 100 less than 200, correct? But I give the shot as a newbie at 200, but 150 can can require a shot but lesser amount, so 140 is the same as 150? I hope this makes sense! He ate well, always does, even though he was upset. I never thought to ask about the lower numbers, as I never expected to see this under 150 for now!!! I'll come back and let you know what this new number after eating is for him.

Thanks for the assistance!

Lilly and Buzz
 
What type of insulin are you using? (went back an looked and see you are using lantus--I use prozinc so I am no help there)--I would post this on the Lantus board for their advice.

I would keep a check on him. I hate to give any advice as this is all very new to me--but there really isn't a difference in 140 and 148--the meter will vary that much. Hopefully someone else will respond!
 
The half hour (could be closer to 45 minutes) was 168. I'll watch and make sure I didn't hurt him. He is so paranoid right now of my getting near his ears, it may take some time to get another sample. I'll try again for a two hour reading. Thanks!
 
This morning's read is 109. I wait to shoot and re-test in 20 minutes? Then what do I do if he is still low? How long do I hold off that shot? When can he eat? Lantus is suppose to be every 12 hours, so how do we stay on that too? Confused!
 
Hi Lilly!

Without being able to clearly look at your data, it's hard to say what to do. Can you set up a spreadsheet to keep track of your data? You can then add it to your signature it it will help people give you advice. Here is the link to set up the spreadsheet: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207

For now I would wait 20 minutes or so and test again. If he's still under 200, I would not not shoot. How many units of Lantus is he on right now?
 
Hi Lilly,
It sounds like your cat is responding well to the insulin. Your pre-shot this morning is a great number - good for you for testing.

It might help you to have a member visit you and your kitty so that the testing can get easier. I think that someone else suggested posting your general location (state/city). Adding tricks to your bag of techniques can help a lot.

More data will help others with dosing advice. Have you checked with the Lantus insulin support group?

Good job - lucky kitty.
 
Thank you for the replies. Our testing is going better. This morning was a breeze! I don't think I need someone to show us how. I was concerned that with a good 109, what to do next. I was going to re-test in 20 to 30 minutes, had the supplies in hand and dropped the testing sticker. The top went flying and I still haven't found it yet. Hubby went to town and bought another whole meter with a new sticker. I have been so out of it, I haven't re-tested since the first one this morning. Thought it may have been the universes way of telling me to feed him! We have only been dx since last Thursday the 14th, started the testing on Monday (convinced to do so here although not told to do so by Vet), so have not had much time to establish HIS curve. Thus I have no idea what he 'should' be at one or two hours after eating. So too late today to get the 20 minute reading.

Do I now wait until his next feeding at 4:00 to test the BG? If it is over 200 I shoot even though it is off schedule? So may questions! He is on one unit of Lantus twice a day. Been giving at 10:00 am and 10:00 pm. Eating every six hours.

We only have a few other reading. His first day testing: morning tested at 204, got shot; evening 199, got shot. Second day: morning tested at 140, re-tested 30 minutes (before food) 148, gave reduced shot; evening 214, got shot. Today: tested at 109, was going to re-test, couldn't, did NOT shoot, fed. I am truly a newbie at this and I really don't want to kill him off. But I am impressed with that morning number! Nervous as can be, but impressed none the less!

Should I change the subject line when posting things other than Newbie?

Thanks!!!
 
Lilly said:
Do I now wait until his next feeding at 4:00 to test the BG? If it is over 200 I shoot even though it is off schedule? So may questions! He is on one unit of Lantus twice a day. Been giving at 10:00 am and 10:00 pm. Eating every six hours.
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You can test as often as you like! If you're home and can do a test at 4pm, go ahead. The more data you have, the better you can make dosing decisions. Don't shoot at 4pm, wait until you usually do your PM shot and test and shoot. If he's over 200, then shoot the normal 1u. Then get a +6 and see how low he's going at your nadir.

He's doing really great! It looks like he may need a reduction soon so get as much data as you are able. :-)
 
You have every right to be dancing in the streets with a 109 morning preshot number!!! That is a nondiabetic number, granted still on the high side of normal but still in the normal range. If you have recently changed his diet, you be looking at a kitty that will eventually become diet controlled. So test your heart out for awhile, the more numbers you get at different times of the day the more info you have on how well he is doing on his insulin and if or when he starts coming "off the juice"

Just an FYI, I never use the cap on my lancet pen, I just use it half free hand, I take the cap off so I can see where I am aiming and then use the spring action to do the actual stick.

Mel, Max & The Fur Gang
 
Too funny! I can not bring myself to stab his ear with out that cap! I just can't do it! Silly I know, but that's how it is! We have been having really good readings and I am so happy I got a meter and am testing, or he may have been a dead cat! He has had one reading of OVER 200 and that was 214. Had I have followed the Vet instructions of 1 unit twice a day, without knowing that this was not necessary, my heart just stops!

At this point in time I really think that had I been told to stop all the dry food, not just cut him back, we would have seen stellar results just from that. He is off all dry now and it shows! I'm still trying to convince myself that he may need nothing at all in the way of shots. We have had to skip all morning shots and the evening ones are so close to normal that I hesitate to do them. But I think I am stuck on the idea that he 'needs' to get one, so have been giving reduced amounts when he is close to the range. This is going to change NOW. Indeed, it looks like mom could have stopped sooner. But he seems to be doing quite well and this is the important part. It all about him, but you all knew that, or I wouldn't even be here at all. I am so happy for all the great info and the head reeling has decreased some, that is some, not all!

Since I posted the pre-shot numbers have been that one of 109 in the morning, then 167 that night. This morning he was 131. So if this continues he will be off the juice in less than two weeks. Actually, only four to five shots so far in a week! I was a bit worried about that 109 number, as it seemed as though maybe I did something wrong, like, what would that 6 hour number have been? Really low (could he have gone hypo overnight)? Yet, exciting at the same time, as are the other numbers so far. Ah, the fur mom worries! We will continue of course to test everyday, just to make sure and see if I can get some in between the shot tests too.

I'll be back and let you know how the numbers look, but for right now, although nervous, I am happy as a girl can be!

Very appreciative to all for the suggestions.
 
Update. I posted yesterday mornings 10:00 am pre shot - pre food number. It was 131. Last night at 10:00 pm shot time and supper it was 173. This morning at the shot time feed time 10:00 am it was 95. I got a 3 hour after eating number of 117 at 1:00 pm and a 4:00 pm (that is six hours from the last meal) reading of 72.

This IS on a human meter. So are my numbers off? Or are we on the way to done? Of course I will continue to do the samples for awhile and make sure this is not a fluke, but wow, can this be real? He has not had a shot of any size since Wednesday night and that was a decreased shot then. I think he really was not suppose to get one, but I gave him a small, less than 1/2 dose Wednesday night. Nothing since then.

It was only a week ago he was dx!

Comments? Suggestions? Thanks!!!!
 
Yes it is possible that you are headed towards an OTJ (anit-jinx) kitty. One great way to test and find out is to test him, then feed him then test him again a couple hours after he eats. If he naturally drops in BGs after eating then you have a working pancreas. How much he drops will tell you how well it is working.

My own Maxwell was only on insulin 2 weeks, actually more like one week since he only truly got shots while we were waitng for him to be transported out here to us. He went from 485 at dxed to off innsulin on basically a diet change.

(crossing fingers and paws that Buzz will be honeymooning with Maxwell at The Falls very shortly)

Mel, MAx and The Fur Gang
 
Update. All paws crossed worked! We can uncross most for now. He has been holding the last five (today is six) in the 80's and 90's on all 6 hour tests, with the exception of two times, at 74 (one evening, one morning, not the same day). His 2 hour and 4 hour tests have been between 121 and 102. One 1 hour test he was 103. He received a total of two full shots and two reduced shots since his dx. None as of today, for seven days.

I spoke with Vet today. She was fairly impressed and gave the credit to the prescription food dropping his numbers in such a short amount of time. As I had taken him off that W/D the first day and put him back on his regular food, I had to admit this to her and add that I had eliminated all the dry from his diet. She was almost speechless. Says I can give him a vampire break for a few days then test perhaps once a week. We go the week of May 9th for the fructose test and see if now his blood will spin well enough to get that senior panel I wanted in the first place! Tee Hee.

I sure wish she had suggested doing the dry food thing to start with, rather than putting him through all this. He looks good and is being as he always has been, himself. There is only one change I notice, well other than little ear holes lol, is that the litter box is not as soaked in 'his' spot. All very interesting.

I appreciate all the wonderful suggestions given to us here. Thank you all for the graciousness and generosity of giving of your time and knowledge for those in distress. Lovely gift you have given us. Very grateful.

I will come back with the fructose results.
 
Hello all! I am happy to report that we have the fructose numbers and they are stellar! I could not be a happier mom! The fructose test was 313 (190-365). I was a bit worried until I saw the breakdown. It says that a cat in excellent control range is 350 - 400. With that 313 looks purrfect! The regular glucose with his senior panel shows 135. That must have been up from stress, as his at home numbers have been under 80!

We are still off all dry food and things continue to look good for my boy!

I sincerely thank each of you for all the great information. I could not have done this so well without each of you. The tricks were invaluable and I shall pass them on. I've already had the chance to pass on much of what I have learned here and have recommended others come and join. Thank you for our short but informative stay.

We are officially OTJ!
 
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