Newly diagnosed 15 year old

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It's ok.

If she doesn't come up, be prepared that I may send you to the ER. Do not panic. It would just be precautionary because we don't have any idea how she responds to food, she might not eat, and she still has the depot from a higher dose of insulin. Safety first.

So don't be shocked or panicked if I tell you to go. Have hubby be sure you all know where it is.
 
Okay, well she licked some and now has gone into DEEP hiding. The ONLY way we can get her out is with a broom. I can't even get Karo into her......... what now.
 
Please do what you can to get her out. You might need to put her in a bathroom or somewhere she cannot hide until her numbers are up.

As soon as you catch her, please do the karo and grab a test.
 
About 1/2 tsp...be careful so she doesn't bite you. See if she will lick it off your fingers first. Test her when you get her....I need to know how much she has dropped. Thanks,

Did you catch her?
 
for some reason my reply didn't go through .......gave her Karo- retested. She was at 73 at 11:19 EST. What now?
 
I was wondering ;-)

Is it possible to get her to eat? If she will only eat her regular food with just a drop of karo, that's fine. And you can wait an hour to test but please keep her somewhere confined until I tell you she's up enough.

Any kind of high carb food or syrup wears off in 1-2 hours so we have to stay vigilant.

How you doing? Breaking into that ice cream yet ;-)
 
we have her confined in a room with food. she is pretty wigged out - think we need to leave her alone for a bit - she is not an "eater" but there are THREE bowls of food in there with her -2 low carb, 1 gravy. should I dose all with Karo?
 
No..just a bit in the LC food. And give her a break...love on her. But we do need a test in an hour from the last one, ok?
 
Marje, 15 minutes to go ---- I have a "what if......' She is locked in a room by herself right now with the food. Don't want to go in and disturb her -we did that as we have 2 cats and didn't want Boris to go in and eat / pester her. What if when we go in, she has NOT eaten? Then what? Would you want us to test even then? Or do the Karo syrup - please be specific with me as I am very tired. Also, we only have 2 lancets left and we will need one for the morning :smile:
 
Bernadette....do you have a 24 hour pharmacy? You need more than two lancets and if she's new to testing, I would not reuse them...the sharper the better. That's going to be a must.

When you go in, if she has not eaten, test her. Sometimes low numbers will cause the liver to release hormones wh in bounce the BG up. If she is still below 80 and has not eaten, see if you can coax her to do so. If not, put another's 1/2 tsp of karo on her gums.

So..test her first, then try and get her to eat. Perhaps hubby can post her number here before he leaves to get lancets.

Sound like a plan?
 
Just tested - she had eaten a tiny bit of the Low Carb with a teeny but of Karo. Just tested at 122 - can we (especially Tashie) go to bed now, please . Tomorrow's instructions?
 
I know you are tired but the last test has to be a rising number with no food or karo for a couple hours. She is not even at mid cycle yet. She could come back down when the karo wears off.

I'd like one more test....we could go 1.5 hours. Can you do it.... Please? :-D

Tomorrow...do not shoot if she is below 200, ok? If she is above 200 shoot 0.5u. If there is any way to get a +10 or +11 test which would be 5:30 or 6:30 a.m., you will know if she is still rising or coming back down.

Ok...one more test? 1.5 hours? I will be here. If she's back down, you will have to test again.

Did you get more lancets?
 
We have lancets but I think I have to leave her be now. She really is starting to get very scared. Really, I am worried that we are prodding her too much. I will watch her for a bit and get up early and see how she's doing - seriously, I can tell if she is not okay. Can't do this anymore tonight - husband is seriously upset and he is the tester. I DO KNOW What you are saying - I will keep a CLOSE eye and post tomorrow. I will NOT shoot if she is below 200. If she is ABOVE, will give her 0.5U. Marje, she just can't take any more, trust me.
 
I trust you to know your cat. But I have to be upfront with you that not all cats show signs of low numbers.

My own cat has been in the 20s acting absolutely normal. What concerns me about low numbers like that is we don't have them hooked up to any kind of equipment to see what the low glucose is doing to brain activity and brain cells.

If you feel you absolutely cannot test anymore, then please leave her in the room with more HC and LC food. If you can get up and check to be sure she has eaten.

It worries me but you hold the lancet....she is your cat.

You have the correct information for tomorrow morning. If you have any questions, post. Someone will be around. You can always PM me as well and I'll pop in.
 
I just wanted to jump in and say, "Great job with the all the testing tonight, folks!" :thumbup

Is this your second or third day testing? Either way, baptism by fire! You guys did fantastic! It'll get easier with time and in the future, you won't have to worry about the additional stress of testing because testing won't be stressful anymore for either of you or Nataschia!

Has anyone provided you with a link to the Secondary Monitoring Tools, yet? If not, it's worth a read-through because it gives some helpful hints when first starting out home-testing when either you and/or Kitty have had enough with the ear poking. ;-)
 
Those are great general, observational tools but I wouldn't use them to determine whether kitty is low.

Thanks to everyone who cooperated tonight by watching so we didn't overwhelm Bernadette. Good job!

Bernadette....you did really well. It gets easier.
 
Marje and Gracie said:
Those are great general, observational tools but I wouldn't use them to determine whether kitty is low.
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Yes, exactly. That's why we're such huge proponents of home testing around here and why they're secondary to BG monitoring. Don't worry, though. You'll soon discover a rhythm and routine that works best for you and Nataschia. Managing diabetes is often referred to as learning the "Sugar Dance" around here. You start our with two left feet and trying to lead when you should be following (or vis versa). But over time, as you start to learn the steps, you fall into synch and your dancing becomes a unique masterpiece drawn out on the dance floor by you and Nataschia.
 
Just wanted to say... you did a great job tonight!! Both Bernadette and Marje!! I was following the posts just watching and I must say - you did great testing!! And Marje you did amazing as always helping!

Ya know,.. I too, at first, did not want to test Jupiter very much.. I felt like I was hurting him... So, call me crazy, but I tested myself... I wanted to see what Jupiter was experiencing... let me tell you - it really doesnt hurt... its the littlest pinch... Dont feel bad for testing, because you are doing it because you love your kitty and want to keep them safe. I think it takes time, but eventually your kitty will probably realize that.

Jupiter doesnt seem to mind me testing him anymore at all... Infact I think sometimes he enjoys it because he gets a treat and lots of pets and love! We use freeze dried treats and he LOVES them!


Just keep in mind, that someone is always here to help you whenever you need it. So although you might feel overwhelmed at times, just know you are not alone! You did absolutely amazing tonight taking care of your cat - you should be proud of yourself for keeping her safe
 
I have been up with her all night. She ate, she was fine, watched her very carefully. Just tested now - it said "HI" on the meter - did the test TWICE to be sure. Gave HALF a unit insulin. Don't know what to enter on the spreadsheet or if we should be doing anything special? She is calm and hanging out.
Appreciative, tired mummy
 
In the spot where you put the number, you write the word High. Everyone knows that means over the meter's capacity to measure the number. Just make sure to get a test in soon since your kitty went so low last night and so keep an eye on her!
 
Just try to make sure she eats since you gave her a shot and watch her. Try to get another test in at the 2 hour mark to see where she is. Someone with more experience should be along by then. I know you must be exhausted at this point, but you did a great job with her. This is scary stuff for sure. I know you must be feeling drained and that your kitty must be tired too, so let her sleep for a while after feeding and then give her a test. Hang in there Mommy!
 
Thanks for the kind words - I am ready to shoot myself with insulin! Haven't slept in ages and have the shakes - KNOW I need to take care of myself so I can take care of her but it sure isn't easy. She has a vet appt. tomorrow so at least that is secured ....will have to go buy more lancets in a while too.
 
Put food down after test & insulin. Haven't been up to see IF she's eaten yet - wanted her to stay calm and do it by herself. Have 2 cats but I put 2 bowls down so there will be plenty for her. She was sunning herself on the hammock, seemed just fine and she KNOWS I put food down. Trying to give her some space. I am radiating stress to her - I was going to check in a little while after she's had a chance to eat
 
BorisV said:
Oh, I see you are in Ohio - me too - wanna come over & help? :!:
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I would be more than happy to help you if we aren't too far from each other. If you want, send me a PM as to where your approximate location is; you do not have to name the exact city if you aren't comfortable with that...
 
Hi Bernadette,

Just wanted to let you know that you and your hubby did a great job last night! I am jealous that your hubby helps, as mine won't do anything with any of the "sharp" things. He does help with LB (litterbox) clean up though.

All I can tell you is "it does get better," and you will never feel alone due to this site. This is such a devoted group of people, who know more about Feline Diabetes (FD), than almost any vet. They have helped more cats become regulated, and get completely off of insulin, (OTJ - off the juice), and stay that way through diet alone. There is so much to learn, but one step at a time.

I would check with the experts on this site before I make any changes that the vet suggests. These guys really know more about FD, cause that is their "Specialty." :razz:

BTW, your kitty is adorable!!!
 
Jane, thanks for the words or encouragement! Really appreciated. Don't get too jealous of my husband as he is totally spoiled in all other areas and needed to "step up" ........ I was (am) such a wreak that I've been getting shaky (lack of food & sleep maybe) so I asked him to do it just until I calm down! Wonder when that will be? She has aged me 10 years this week - I may steal some of her allowance for a massage at a spa ...... since she is lounging and sunning herself on her window hammock without a care in the world! Tashie's Avatar makes her look much bigger than she is - she's a little 5 pounder and has big blue eyes, may baby girl!

Have a great rest of the day, and thank you!
Bernadette
 
Good morning! I am on my third ~O) ~O) ~O)

When you are out shopping for lancets you should pick up some of those ketone urine strips too.

She is probably high for 2 reasons this morning

1. all the syrup last night. Make sure thats all taken away now
2. She bounced off the low - explanation of bounce below - but basically this means she will come down to better numbers soon so dont panic about the high. If you can do a +6 test today (that means six hours after her morning shot which is mid cycle) that would be great but if not, thats ok. And make sure you give her a nice low carb treat after every test - whether successful or not!

Bounces: When a cat is first diagnosed, the blood glucose has probably been high for a while. As the insulin starts to take effect and numbers start to come down, the liver has to learn to adjust to the lower numbers. We call this "liver training school". But before it relearns that low numbers are ok, when the BG drops to a number lower than the liver is accustomed, or if BGs drop low, or if the BG drops suddenly, the liver”panics” and reacts by releasing counterregulatory hormones and glucagon. This drives the BG back up. This is what we call a "bounce". Bounces can take up to 72 hours to clear so we are generally careful about increasing doses during the bounce. Once the bounce clears, then you can see the "real" numbers and determine if the dose needs to go up or down.
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Thanks Wendy! You are a pal! Tashie is resting very comfortably and her eyes are nice & bright - not so much last night. Is there something I can put IN the litter box to test for ketones? Not sure how to do this part - will try to read up, can you suggest a page? I think you've sent it to me before but with all that has been going on - can't remember! I will keep her fed and happy today - vet appt. tomorrow @ 11:15. Glad I have that "in the wings" also pulled out the ER info last night just in case we needed it! What a night! And, on top of all that, it was freezing cold! Burrr!
BTW, see you are from Glasgow - I was born in England!
DH going shopping soon - he looks like he's been through the war! Men! I haven't slept in DAYS! Oh, and I have noted that I haven't seen any MEN yest on this board :lol:

Time to switch from coffee to coke! Here's to a CALM day!

xx
 
Is there something I can put IN the litter box to test for ketones? Not sure how to do this part - will try to read up, can you suggest a page?
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Nope but you essentially dip the stick into the pee - here are some tips https://docs.google.com/document/d/1quta5WLEjdO0Y_t2dAYSwN84h-LNZWxOdtVsJDKZ16A/pub

I would stick the ER stuff to the fridge. And make sure your hypo kit is all ready- you never know when you might need it.- see below

Oh, and I have noted that I haven't seen any MEN yest on this board
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You are right its mainly women, but there are some great guys on here too. And maybe many guys lurking who dont want to admit it ;)

N CASE OF EMERGENCY - YOUR HYPO KIT
Put together NOW the following items and put in an easily accessible place!
Phone number of your vet
Phone number, address and map/directions to your nearest emergency vet (or phone number of the cab company and some cash/credit card)
Karo syrup, honey or corn syrup
High carb canned food with gravy – 2-3 cans
Some favourite treats
Spare pack of 25 blood glucose strips
Coffee for you ;)
 
Good morning, Bernadette

I wondered how your night went. I'm not surprised she is high....it is most likely a bounce as Wendy stated. As well, the decreased dose drained her depot a bit. The activity from last night was likely due to the depot from a higher dose and shooting a dropping number ;-) you did great!

Almost all cats bounce; every cat is different (ECID) so some bounce only a short time and some bounce much, much longer. If you scroll back up to TheBowHuntress post (Kat and Gobbles) and click on Gobbles' spreadsheet (SS), you will see he was very bouncy....and now is almost in remission :-D

There are different ways to test ketones but the easiest is to put a small ladle under her bottom as she squats to pee. My Gracie is also a little girl so I make little trays out of foil and put them under her bottom ...you only need to collect a small amount of urine. Be sure you get the Ketostix and not the glucose sticks. You also don't need the diastix....they test glucose and ketones and you are already testing blood glucose so save the money. You should check her urine every day for a while. You dip the test tip of the stick in the urine, hold exactly 15 mins, then check against the color chart on the bottle. We want to see "negative". If you see anything other than that, let us know immediately.

Strong word of advice...no matter what else you have going on, sleep while her numbers are high. Lay off the testing for a bit and take care of yourself.

Husbands are trainable....mine does everything I do with Gracie and he even posts on the board on my work days. Carl is another member you will see on Health and he also helps us out in the Lantus TR ISG when it's busy. He's fabulous..calm, funny, and smart. There are actually several male members....men love their cats, too :-D

When you have rested, it's always good to go back through the thread and reread everything so you will be prepared for next time......there will be one ;-) but we will be here for you :-D

Have a great day.
 
Thank you Marje. Sorry if I zoned out last night, it just got all too much. Going to take a nice hot shower as it's freezing here - one top of all that was going on, had to put sheets on my plants for frost protection - now I have 40+ sheets to wash & fold - WHY do I do this :roll:

I was just kidding about the guys - hey, I NEED Jim to do his part right now! Soon, I will be taking over but need to CALM down first!

Have a nice rest of the day and prey that there are no more posts from ME!

Thanks for all your help! Really!

B
 
:o really? Ha! Just took a hot shower - boy, did that feel good! Drinking raspberry yogurt to get some protein in me!
 
Tash JUST ate a LOT - she is due for 1/2 time testing in 15 minutes -should I wait a bit longer????
 
This is exhausting and you are doing a great job. They are our children these kitties and we do what we have to do to keep them safe. Pat yourself on the back and get some rest. You earned it! :thumbup
 
Just re tested EXACTLY 6 hours from the "HIGH" reading at 7:30 AM. She was doesed with .05U at that time. She is now at 157. Please advise.

Her little ears are looking horrible, ah.
 
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