Newly Diagnosed Sugarcat

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JuJu09

JuJu09

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Hello All,

My name is Matt. My wife and I, Ava, have just brought our handsome boy, Junior (JuJu), home from a week stay at the Animal Hospital under 24hr care. He was being treated for DKA with Hepatic Lipidosis. He didn't make much improvement over the first 48hrs, at which point we were out of money and nearly had to send him to Rainbow Bridge. Thankfully, I was approved for a Care Credit account. That allowed us to move him to the best Animal Hospital in town, Blue Pearl.

Thanks to the amazing docs and their staff, after 4 days of intensive care, he has recovered from DKA. The doc wants to see him again of Friday to check his bilirubin, to ensure the Hepatic Lipidosis is healing. He also has a bit of a fever but the doc isn't overly concerned because Junior has been fairly active. They gave me a quote on a work up for a fever, $1600, but sometimes they still can't determine the cause. So, at this point, we're just concentrating on feeding him twice a day, as well as his BID of Lantus.

My wife had to give him his first dose of Lantus at home on Saturday night. The doc stressed the importance of making sure Junior eats before he receives his insulin. Well, she was concerned that he didn't eat enough, so she didn't want to give him his insulin. I had to leave work (work has been very supportive) so we could take him to Blue Pearl for a free BG check. His BG was 480, so he absolutely need his insulin. Then the next morning I wasn't sure if I gave him his full dose. So we took him back to Blue Pearl for another BG check after 6 hrs. His BG was 430, so it's possible I didn't properly give him his injection. The doc shaved a spot on his back so it would be easier for us to see that we're properly administering the injections.

Having to run him to the hospital every 12 hrs for a BG is obviously stressful and inconvenient for everyone. I went to Walmart to purchase the ReliOn Micro but they didn't have it, so I got the ReliOn Prime. We asked to doc to show us home to before the BG test but she wasn't comfortable using that tester. She recommended the Alpha Trax 2, which has great reviews but the strips are really expensive in comparison to the Walmart brand meters.

I'm curious, does anyone use the ReliOn Prime? Is it sufficient or should I go back and find a different ReliOn model?

I should also note that because Junior received a steroid injection from a different vet the day before he was admitted for DKA, the doc says we need to wait another week before getting an accurate curve. Also, I've read an article on Catinfo.org about the importance of a low carb, preferably canned, diet for sugarcats. Junior is currently only interested in kibble but I would definitely like to get him, as well as our other cat, Kiki, on canned food.

This last week has been a rollercoaster. We are physically and emotionally exhausted. We're extremely thankful that Junior gets a second chance. I'm here to help educate myself on feline diabetes so this will hopefully never happen to him again. Any and all comments are welcome. Thank you.
 
Re: Newly Diagnosed Sugercat

Hi Matt, Ava and Junior. Welcome to FDMB.

You have definitely been on a roller coaster, but I can assure you that it does get easier. So far you are off to a great start. Lantus is a very good insulin and cats respond well to it. What is your current dose? You are right that Junior does need to eat before giving his shot.

I am glad to see you are hometesting. I have not used the Relion Prime, but have used both the Relion Ultima and Confirm meters. All of them are very good meters. Many of us use the Relion meters for testing our cats. You want to test before every shot. We recommend that you test, feed then shoot.

A low carb/high protein raw or canned food diet would be the best food for your cats, but we understand that not all cats want to switch to canned food. At least not immediately. One low carb dry food you can use for transitioning them is Evo Cat & Kitten chow. There are some other brands, but I don't remember which ones. Some of our other members can give you suggestions. For canned foods, many of us feed our cats either Fancy Feast or Friskies canned foods. Pate flavors are lower in carbs and try to avoid anything with gravy in the name.

Ask us any questions you may have. We have all been where you are now and are here to help you.
 
Re: Newly Diagnosed Sugercat

Hello and welcome, Matt and Ava.

You've found a great place to learn more about feline diabetes. I'm glad that you were able to get the help JuJu needed and that he's back home with you.

I'm glad that you found catinfo.org. Low carb wet food is the preferred choice for diabetic cats. Before making the food switch, it's vital to learn to home test JuJu's blood glucose levels because as you make the change from kibble to low carb wet the BG numbers may reduce blood glucose levels very significantly and very quickly and therefore reduce JuJu's insulin requirements. Home testing will help you to keep JuJu safe and well during the transition and you can work with your vets to adjust JuJu's insulin dose as needed. Dr Lisa has included a very useful food chart on catinfo.org which gives details of the carb content of a wide range of commercial foods to help you choose suitable food for JuJu and Kiki.

I've posted a link below to the index page of the Lantus Tight Regulation support group board. At the top of the index you will find some 'sticky' posts that contain lots of information and advice about Lantus and home testing to get you started.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewforum.php?f=9

The early days can be very stressful and overwhelming as there is a lot to take in, but as you learn more and get the hang of things like testing and injecting it does get a lot easier. In addition to the greater convenience, home testing will also help reduce your anxiety about giving insulin injections because you'll have much more peace of mind knowing what's going on with JuJu's blood glucose levels in real time.

You can also home monitor for ketones using urine test strips such as Ketodiastix.

With respect to the Alphatrak vs. human meters, members here use both types but I think the majority of members here use human monitors with pet-specific reference ranges. The human meter consumables are much less expensive.
 
Welcome Matt, Ava and Junior. I certainly can understand your stress levels too...we all can. You probably noticed that on most of our signature links we have spreadsheets that we use to collect our kittie's BG numbers. Collecting your BG numbers is great data and can greatly help you determine Junior's dose. It seems that this is all about collecting data. The other reason to quickly set up your spreadsheet so that you will have the history and that others can review it and help you with your questions. So that would be the first thing that I would set up. There are instructions on how to set up your spreadsheet on this website and instructions on how to add the SS to your signature line.

When I test, I make sure that I test, feed and then shoot all in about 10 minutes. I can tell if Merlin is going to eat pretty much right away. If I can get him to eat at least a couple of tablespoons of wet food, then I am good to shoot. Not sure if you know this but you want to make sure that you do not feed Junior two hours before your AM/PM Preshot time. That will ensure that you are getting the most accurate BG number and it is not affected by food. Also, he will be more likely to be hungry and eat for you.

Rest assure, it will get easier and before long you will be a pro at it.
 
You can purchase a meter through our shopping link above (which will help support the message board) and go to ADW. Then search for the Glucocard 01 or Glucocard 01 Mini, which are unbranded versions of the Confirm and Confirm micro.

There is a link for WalMart online, too, which should list the Confirm and Prime meters.
 
Hi Matt, welcome! Juju is very lucky to have you and Ava! You will find a lot of kindred spirits here with a great deal of helpful knowledge and expertise.

If you do happen to get another Relion meter, the other one that is very common here is Relion Confirm. I have the Relion Micro at the moment and it does not date and timestamp (Micro users - please correct me if I'm wrong), which is a feature that is extra helpful and convenient when you want to transfer to a spreadsheet all at once rather than documenting after each testing. If you get the Micro or Confirm, the Arkray GlucoCard 01 Sensor Test Strips are compatible which is also on sale (buy 4 boxes, get 1 free). This becomes $.28/strip at ADW Diabetes (whereas AlphaTrak 2 are about $1/strip). Arkray is the same company that makes the Relion meters and they too, sell glucose meters.

I think the Alpha Trak 2 would be well worth the money *if* I had a PC to download/import all the data to and generate meaningful dashboards. I'm really surprised it's not Mac compatible in this day and age!
 
Welcome Matt, Ava, extra sweet Junior and Kiki! OUR Junior sends you slobbery doggie kisses!

Meter - the Prime is OK but if you can, I'd suggest your getting either the Confirm or Micro first. Those 2 take a very small drop of blood compared to any other meter including the Prime. The Prime strips are cheaper but I still use a Micro/Confirm 3 years later. I tried the Prime but got a lot more errors, probably just me....

Good job getting him out of DKA and HL! What a struggle that's been for sure. Other kibbles that are low carb are Young Again Zero Carb or Wysong Epigen. Larger areas have some stores that stock these but they're always available online. Both will also send you a free sample if you'll email them. Both are family owned businesses here in the USA. Mine prefer Epigen but lots of others prefer the YAZC. Canned food is best but if you just have to use dry, these are good.

HUGS!! Welcome to the Sugar Dance!
 
Thank you all for the helpful info, encouragement, and support. It's a comforting feeling knowing so many people are willing to help. Especially through these first few weeks until we can get JuJu regulated.

Lisa, JuJu is currently receiving 2 units of Lantus BID.

Critter Mom, Catinfo.org has been very helpful in regards to the proper diet for cats in general, specifically diabetic cats. I have viewed her food chart and JuJu was chowing down on FF Elegant Medleys for a few days prior to him getting sick. We made the switch because he wasn't eating much of his kibble. The FF Elegant Medleys has a good macro profile, although the carbs are a tad over the recommended 10%. I've tried to offer him a bit of the canned after he eats his kibble but he's currently turning his nose up at it. Thank you for the link to the LTR board. I'm gonna get some rest and check it out tomorrow. I was curious about Ketone testing, as that's what got him so sick. How often do you test for Ketones?

Merlin, I have noticed the SS links in the sigs. I'm okay with a comp but it may take me some time to get the SS worked up. I will give it a go tomorrow. Also, 18yo kitty, Awesome!

BJM, I would like to get testing asap, so I will probably go to Walmart tomorrow to get the ReliOn Confirm. I will most definitely use the link to purchase additional test strips. Thank you for the tip about the Glucocard 01/mini.

tylertheragdoll, Thanks for the tip about the time stamp on the Confirm. As well as the current sale on the Glucocard 01 strips. $.28 strips is a great price compared to a bunch of others I've viewed.

squeaky and KT, Thank you for the doggie kisses and hugs. Very much appreciated after a long and stressful week. You put a smile on my face. It seems the Confirm is the popular choice. I was kind of in a panic and purchased the Prime but I will get the Confirm tomorrow. Thanks for the tips on low carb kibble. I'll call around tomorrow to see if I can find one of them locally.

Again, thank you all for the support. It's amazing to have a shoulder(s) to lean on during the transition from unregulated to regulated.
 
With the Confirm it is easiest to record the numbers as you get them. Waiting to enter means having to cycle through the full list again if you time out in transcribing.

Also, while they make a data transfer cable for the Confirm, (which can be ordered from the company), it assumes you have a regular schedule of test times, which is rather inconvenient! If it just transferred them as a simple list, it would be much more helpful.
 
Welcome Matt, Ava and JuJu,

I am still a "newbie" but am getting the hang of it after a month and a half. I have received lots of help and support from this forum so you all have come to the right place. :smile:

I thought that I'd suggest a few tips that have helped me.

First, I watched a lot of Youtube videos on testing and giving injections to a cat. The videos are very good and were helpful to me.

I also made a rice sock (toddler sock, fill half way with uncooked rice, tie off with ponytail rubber band and heat in microwave for 30 seconds). Then test on inside of wrist to make sure that it's not too hot. This is used to help warm the ear for testing. See if the ear isn't warm enough, you won't get blood spot or not enough. Rubbing the ear helps too. As the ear gets used to testing, it will make more capillaries which makes getting blood easier too.

I don't have to hold down or wrap Hank to test. I talk to him in a calm voice, telling him that it's time to test. Picking the same spot helps too. Hank's is the couch. As soon as I start rubbing, he lays down, I sometimes start singing a little song about how it's time to rub the kitty ear; rub, rub, rub. Hank is so cute, purring the whole time. When I'm done, Hank hops down. I'd give him a treat but he doesn't like the low carb ones. Hanks picky. :smile: Oh, I forgot to mention that I do alternate ears too.

You may notice some bruising on inside of his ears a first. This hurt me more than Hank. Pressurizing the spot while you wait for the number on the meter helps. Also check that the "pricker" setting is high enough. Oh, also a 25-28 gauge lancet helps too. When I switched from a 31 to a 28 gauge, I started getting blood most every time. That was the clincher for me. Don't stress. You'll get the hang of it. It takes about 2 weeks.

I hope this helps.

Kimmie
 
Kimmie,

Thanks for the tips. The videos are very helpful. I've still had a little trouble getting blood on the first prick, so I may give the rice sock a try. My wife, of course, is already a pro.
 
JuJu09 said:
I've still had a little trouble getting blood on the first prick, so I may give the rice sock a try.
Click to expand...

When I first started home testing, I warmed Saoirse's ear for what I thought was long enough and I had terrible trouble getting a blood sample. It was only when I warmed it for much longer than I thought would be necessary that I started getting better results. Indeed, now that the weather's getting a bit colder I find that I have to warm my little one's ear a little longer than was necessary in the summer months.
 
Great job on the SS and also great job on your decision to not shoot recently. His numbers are looking good and am so glad that you are home testing.

Glad you didn't get the AlphaTrack. I started with that one but after reading on this website and learned about human meters, I quickly changed. It is so much cheaper and easier just to go down to Walmart to pick up test strips. I have a Relion Micro and it does record all your tests, with date and time. All you have to do is hold down the "up" arrow on the right side of the Micro. It also averages all your test although I don't get much use from that. I am assuming that the Confirm does the same thing. I manually record each number after each test so no need to mess with "downloads." If I forget to, I just need to go back in history on the Micro to see what the number is. I think the Micro holds up to 30 tests. The test strips for the Confirm and Micro are $35.00 for 100 at Walmart (they use the same strips).
 
On the Confirm, the date and time shows up after holding the "up" button but doing the same thing on Micro, I don't see the date and time stamps. Is there something else I'm missing?

One nice thing about the Alpha Trak 2 I'm seeing now is that the numbers and time stamps show up right after pressing a button without holding it down for several seconds.

It would still be great to have a "download" option if you don't have the time to manually record numbers every instance home testing is done (which I hate doing for a number of reasons - fat fingering/human error being one of them). I wish there was a "cloud" option where numbers were automatically downloaded to Google drive.
 
Your welcome Matt.

Glad the videos helped. Aine's right, I've noticed too since the house is a little cooler that I'm rubbing a little longer. Oh well, just a little more singing to Hank. :smile:

About the rice sock, if anything I use it for support for Hanks ear. I put it on the inside of Hanks ear and then rub with my thumbs. Then while holding the ear taught, I position the pricker and "click". Sometimes I don't get any blood cause I figure I got the rice sock. Hey, better the rice sock than my finger. I just try again, rubbing first. Don't get too discouraged.

You, Ava and JuJu are doing great!

Kimmie
 
CM, it could be I just need to be a little more patient. My wife keeps the thermostat <70°. She's crazy :-D

Merlin, I was a little nervous about the SS. With the detailed instructions and template it couldn't have been easier. I'm really not sure why vets don't encourage everyone to home test. Especially a newly diagnosed, unregulated cat. Had I not tested Junior tonight before his PM dose and realized his BG was still dropping, it could have been a bad case of Hypos.

Having a Walmart less than 5 minutes away is super convenient for me. Although, a few FDMB members mentioned to me that the Arkray Glucocard 01 strips are compatible with the Confirm/micro. I used the shop link at the top, then the ADW link. ADW has a buy 4 boxes (50 count) get 1 free. As one member mentioned, it comes out to $0.28 per strip. Plus, this site gets a kickback if you use the shop link.
 
Hi and welcome. I use the Micro and get the test strips from ADW or sometimes I can find the Relion ones for the same prices on Ebay. The generic strips work well. I bought a Arkray meter from ADW as a back up so I can use the same strips with both meters. I test so often that the vet meters would be ridiculously expensive.I don't live close to a Walmart so I bought my micro from them on line and get my strips the same way. I wish one was close as I have to make sure I keep ahead with supplies.

When you buy from ADW join Mr. Rebates and you will get a little back in rewards each time that you order. :smile: My vet taught me to use needles when I test Max and while I use the lancets some of the time I still prefer needles because one stick does the trick. I use 25 gauge. You can also get lancets for alternative sites that are a bigger gauge until the ears bleed easily, usually 25-27g but just look for the words for alternative site on the box. Lancets of course are the cheapest way to go.
 
Greetings Matt, Ava and of course you too extra sweet JuJu

You already gotten some great advice so I'm not going to overload you with information. But will address the Prime verses the other Relion Meters. I've have several different brands of meters here (my mom was diabetic and when she passed I got all her meters and left over strips).. The Prime is an okay meter if you are use to testing but it is fussy for a beginner like yourself. I've been testing cats for over 4 years and several different cats as I have 3 of my own, and have fostered several. I can test just about anything that meows in my sleep and I still hate the Prime because I waste more strips with error reading than any other meter. I love, love, love my Relion Micro/Confirm I have the Micro because I like the small size I have little hands and it just feels better. But the Micro and the Confirm use the same strips. So it would be a personal choice between the Micro and the Confirm. Both are excellent for both old pros at testing and beginners alike.

Keep asking questions and we'll keep answering. You are now in the absolute best place you never wanted to be, but are so blessed to have found. We have no office hours and we will hold your hand and paw at every step on this new journey. Everyone that will be responding to you either has or has had a sugarcat of their own that they have successfully treated or are treating. We live, breathe, eat and sleep feline diabetes here because our own precious babies are living with it. I personally have 2 in remission and one trying darn hard to follow her brothers.

Welcome to the Sugar Dance!
Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Tiffmaxee, I didn't see anything about Mr. Rebates but I will definitely look into it next time. Having a back up meter sounds like a great idea.

MommaOfMuse, I'm sorry about your mom. Mine passed just before my 21st birthday. I purchased the ReliOn Confirm and it has been working great. Although, my most recent batch of strips has had 3-4 errors immediately after inserting them. Of course, it was when I was dealing with low numbers, go figure.

Finding the FDMB has been wonderful. Everyone here has welcomed us with open arms. We've already had assistance from the LTR group getting through some low numbers. Someone stayed awake just to help us get through it...Incredible!
 
That is just kind of what we do here. :-D

Glad you like the Confirm, never used that particular one, but I do love it's baby brother the Micro. And mine's getting a workout tonight as my last of my 3 on insulin is running in low numbers.

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
I forgot to say, Congrats to Max and Cass for being OTJ! Remission is the ultimate goal. GL tonight with the low numbers.
 
Glad you are in a support group. That will (and sounds like already) help you.

I go to the one for ProZinc ,which that is the insulin that Hank is on. With everyone's help, Hank' s pre shot numbers have gone from in the 400's to the 200's!

I pray everyday for Hank to go into remission. Yes, that is the ultimate goal!

JuJu will get there too. Keep up the good work!
 
Juju this is very encouraging to me as a newbie. Its good to see an early spreadsheet. I'm starting mine tonight. My cat is very unregulated at present so I'll be following your progress with interest.
Juliet and Silver
 
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