PLEASE HELP Struggling With Home Testing

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Jenn & George

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Hi, I'm Jenn. My 10 year old kitty George just started on Humulin N insulin about 3 days ago and I trying to get him use to home testing. As I posted in another thread, I am not comfortable with the Humulin and have made up my mind this weekend that it is probably best to switch to another vet that is more knowledgeable about management with Lantus or PZI. That is another story though. In the meantime, I am struggling with just trying to get checks on him. IIt seems like others on here test 2 times daily or even every two hours. I can't even seem to get one to work and poor kitty's ear had got to be hurting with all that poking. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

We (my husband and I) have been trying once a day so we don't stress him. At first, George has been pretty good, but technique (even with nursing training and plenty of experience with humans) has been slow and he is hard to get to bleed. I tried a warm rice sock tonight heated in the microwave and was finally able after 3 tries to get some blood, but then the damn meter errors on me. Probably not enough or hair in the strip. Also tried some Vasoline and got another little drop and then error on the meter again. By this point, he was PISSED and I was ready to start crying. Well, actually I am crying now. I am afraid to change the dosage the vet gave me at 3 units and start monkeying with everything for fear he will have no advantages from a smaller dose or just hypo on me. He is so tired, thirsty, and hungry with or without the insulin that I don't know what to read his symptoms as without a BG reading. I am so worried that we are not going to be able to do this and without the support of a good vet right now I am going to loose him. I know cats can tolerate higher blood sugar levels for awhile, but I also worry about the longer term effects with neuropathy (which my current vet mentioned he is already showing some signs of).

Would it be smart to drop the Humulin down to 1 or 2 units if I can't get the hang of this testing on him and hope I can get him into another vet next week? And what if he cannot cooperate enough to home testing going regularly or let a vet do a blood test? What is done for more difficult kitties?
 
Hiya!! I know how hard it is at first... you aren't the first who's had tears, and certainly won't be the last!

Quick question... what gauge are your lancets? The higher the number, the thinner the needle. I would suggest going with a lancet size under 30... anything over that and you'll have a hard time getting enough blood at first.

Also, which meter are you using? Do you know what size blood drop it requires? Some meters require more blood than others, so that is something to look at as well.

Otherwise, keep doing what your'e doing, making sure you give a treat to George with every poke, even if not successful. He will become more cooperative soon as he begins to associate the process with treats.

I'm not experienced with N, so I'm hesitant to give advice, though from what I know, I would be nervous shooting 3 units until I had hometesting down. I'm sure others will be along soon with more specific advice!
 
Okay, calmer now. Lets see...meter is a One Touch Ultra Mini...blood sample required is 1.0 according to website. Maybe too big? Thought this thing was one of smallest sample size meters, but apparently not so (at least it was only $18 if wasted) The box of launcets I bought at Walmart is marked as 30 G. (ok so more money wasted, but also answers some questions) I try to give him a treat but sometimes he is just so eager to be done, he really doesn't want it. The other concern I had with treats was getting on accurate readings when doing one of the curves. Would it throw off the numbers if treats were being given every 2 hours? I can see the treats helping at least in the mean time till we get this down. We are having to hold him down though and that seems like he would associate the whole process with a negative regardless of getting a treat at the end. In all the videos the cats are so calm and even willing come right over to get poked. Seems like this cat would probably not get to that point, but who knows.

Any suggestions for a good meter that won't break the bank and has reasonable prices for the strips?
 
I'd suggest switching meters. The Relion Micro which is only available at Walmart, is used by many people here on the boards with good results. I used it for Yittle before he finally succumbed to cancer. It costs about $12 and 50 test strips are around $23 ish. The reason it might work better for you is that it only requires a very small blood sample size - 0.3 and it also has sipping style strips. Thats roughly 1/3 the blood your meter uses and should translate into easier testing.

As for treats and curve - giving him treats afterwards shouldn't cause many problems provided you use low-carb treats. A single spoonful of moist pate style food, freeze dried chicken or liver, boiled or cooked plain chicken, a bite of cheese etc. Frankly - we fed Yittle every 2 hours for many months until we got his blood sugar/insulin levels stablized. He was a big cat - not just fat but big framed, and he was losing so much weight but could only hold so much food in the tummy. For a long while he was eating his 1.5-2oz of moist food every 2 hours, 24 hours a day or 12x a day. We'd curve him all the time during that phase... we'd just make sure it had been 2 hours since he finished eating before the next blood test. We also would pick up the leftovers or feed them to another cat. With 7 cats somebody usually ate his leftovers since they were "special" and therefore highly coveted. If you're feeding your cat moist food that is low carb (0-10% calories from carbs) it shouldn't effect blood sugar levels if you wait 2 hours between tests.
 
Hi Jenn:

I'm so sorry you're having so many problems with George's testing. That's too bad because the testing is so essential when giving the insulin doses - so that you know when/how much to decrease or increase the dose.

3U of N is a fairly high dose - but I don't know what George's blood sugar was when the vet prescribed that dose - N is a fast-acting insulin and without knowing the blood sugar number before dosing is a little risky - in my opinion. You don't say whether George has ever had ketones or not but if he hasn't, then I think I'd lower the dose until you can be sure of his numbers at dose time.

Dude has never had ketones and I've used several of the insulins over the past 7 years - I always started out at 1U until I saw how he reacted to the insulin.

I have used several different meters (my husband also takes his blood sugar at least once a day) and we finally found the cheapest and best way for us were the WalMart Reli-On meters. They have a couple of different ones and both are good - and require very little blood. They are very inexpensive (we keep three so that each of the "males" has one and there's one extra) and the strips are the least expensive of any I've found. At least they've worked well for us.

At first, it's really easier if you can warm the ear - which you wrote you have tried - and that's good. It does really become easier as time goes on - Dude is one of the kitties who comes and "yowls Tonkinese fashion" when his numbers begin to fall so that he can get tested. And, of course he (and our non-diabetic) get a treat afterwards. Are you pricking the ear as near the edge as possible? That's where the vein is.

Also, you asked about treats raising their blood sugar if you give them every to hours. Dude is extremely sensitive to carbs - I can raise his numbers just by giving him a little food - even the low carb sometimes will bring the numbers up if he's pretty low. I "nuke" a chicken breast for a few minutes and then dice the meat into little cubes and that's his treat - that doesn't raise his numbers at all whereas other "treats" do.

In what area do you live? Sometimes there is someone near who can help a bit until it gets a little easier.

I do hope that you are able to go to Lantus or Levemir - at least get off the N - before too long. Dude is on Levemir and it's worked well for him.

I'm sending many hopes that George will relax a little and this will all become easier for you - and for him. We love these guys so much and want to do all we can to help them.

Keep us posted.

Emmy & Dude (& Mittsi too)

P S - Jenn, I just went back a day and found your other post in which you state the area in which you live and answered some of the other questions I have in this post. Sorry - i didn't see it before - so you can ignore some of those questions I had. :)
 
Hi Jenn, i am pretty new here myself and I tell you, Me and Rusty went round and round about the testing. I was exactly where you were-In tears! and I was convinced that Rusty HATED me.

I will tell you how it finally works for Rusty.

I take a beach towel (it is HIS towel now), and spread it out on either the coffee table or the bed.

Then I have a little ziplock bag that I take outside on my porch where I have a catnip plant, and I get a few (maybe 6 or 7) leaves from the catnip and put them in the bag.

Then I come back inside and heat up the rice sockie in the microwave and get a kleenex (to catch any blood and to hold pressure on the spot once I have gotten blood)

Once sockie is warm, I go to the beach towel, and start unzipping the meter pouch, and getting all of that ready

Usually by that time, since he is so nosy, Rusty has already jumped up on the towel, because he is after the catnip

Once he is on the towel and I have everything ready, I take one side of the towel and wrap it around him, tucking it under his side, not really tightly, but a little snug, then I do the same thing with the other, so that only his head is sticking out.

next I hold the sockie to his ear, I hold it on the inside of his ear, making sure that it is up against the outside edge of his ear, because that is where you are going to prick him at.

while it is warming his ear, I go ahead with my free hand and stick the strip into the meter and get it into position.

Right before i make the stick, while the sockie is still on the underside of his ear, I will also rub the area of his ear where I am going to prick him
Then I leave the rice sockie on the inside of his ear, and quickly poke, at a slight angle (I do it by hand, not with the lancet trigger thing) just really quick and light, dont go all the way thru the ear

I will do one quick poke, and see if that got a blood drop (usually does)

Occasionally I will have to re-stick, then I just stick the meter over onto the blood drop once it is over, and then I take the kleenex and get any extra blood, then hold pressure for 15-20 seconds.

Then I loosen the towel, and he gets his catnip.

It is unbelievable how still he stays, especially the way we started out with him fighting me and me crying. I him being wrapped up in the towel maybe makes him feel more secure. At first I didnt want to try him like that, because I thought that he was so freaked out already, that restraining him would make it even worse, but it really made a huge difference.

Hope this helps you, and good luck!!
 
I am very new too. I finally timed how long I have to warm Miss Maisey's ear to have success 2 minutes. I started with higher number lancets and it took three quick pokes to get dot of blood. Searched all the pharmacies in our rural area and found one with 21's I can use them in the lancet pen set at one level back from full. The Wal-Mart micro cost me $9 and uses a drop of blood so small, that I sometimes don't even see it but the meter sucks it up. The vets told me to start with 2 units of Pzi. I have only given that dose once. She has gone hypo twice with 1 unit.
 
Update...a little brighter outlook this morning, though I am feeling the sleep deprivation from worrying. After last night's episode with the testing, George was a little leary of me when I came downstairs to feed him. He ate and I tried not to hover, doing my normal morning routine. I am dropping the dose down to 1U for now just to see what happens. He took his shot pretty good after his breakfast but I had to crawl under the dining room table to get to him. Not sure if he was under there trying to hide or not, since he likes to sit or lay under there anyway. I am going to just skip testing today (and maybe tomorrow) to try to give us both a break and build his trust again. I don't want him to associate every time I touch him with a needle stick, treat or not. Anyone else find a little break to be helpful when first starting?

Today I definitely going to hit Walmart and see if that meter is available and price the test strips. The hubby isn't going to be real happy about all this expense again, but it sounds like it could make a world of difference. Also have a name for a potential vet who is good with PZI, so hopefully I can talk with her this week.
 
You sound more hopeful this morning! I would only give myself a cycle off before trying again. N can be a powerful insulin and you really want to know how it is working. (Although going down to one unit is a great step.)

Try the meter on yourself (or hubby :mrgreen: ) first. Be sure you know how long you have before you get an error or it times out. Once you are comfortable with it, try on George.

The larger lancets should help. (At least they aren't $$) You could call the manufacturer of the first meter, tell them you had trouble because the sample needed was so large. (Also tell them you were using it on your boy, George - not our cat, George) Sometimes they will send a refund.

While you are giving George a short break, continue with the routine and the rice sack and the treat. Just skip the poke part. It's all about getting them used to the routine.
 
Dear Jenn, and, of course, you too, sweet (and somewhat pissed off) George,

limemittens810 said:
In all the videos the cats are so calm and even willing come right over to get poked. Seems like this cat would probably not get to that point, but who knows.
Click to expand...

It's a "takes time" thing for you both... When George starts feeling better, he'll recognize you're trying to help him. And then, he'll do the sugar math: test + treats + shot = feeling better. And, when you see him feeling better and have your testing technique down pat, you'll be calmer...

Make sense?



As for sleep deprivation from worrying, well... When Giz was first diagnosed, I was up so late with fretful insomnia, many here thought I lived in New Zealand, Hawaii, or minimally on the West Coast -- and, I'm in Northern NJ!

Now, with Nikki, it's minimal sleep deprivation and without worry. Why? Because Nikki likes to have her buns rubbed when she's eating. She also likes to have a snack around 4:00 am, so comes to my bed and starts head butting my hand. If that doesn't work, she starts smelling my hair. If all else fails -- and I make the mistake of rolling on my back -- she remembers she was a urologist in a previous life and jumps on my bladder and starts kneading it. She waits patiently outside the bathroom (after my leap and run...) and greets me with a look that unmistakably says, Oh! Since you're awake... So downstairs we go and I rub her buns for about five or ten minutes, and then go back to bed -- sleepily smiling...



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

Love and encouraging hugs for you, George, and your family,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz, forever dancing in my heart...
 
Hi Jenn,
I was exactly in your shoes. Frustrated and crying. Had a very difficult cat who growled and hissed and tried to bite. I was sure I would never be able to test her. I promise you, you can do this, and one day look back on it and have a little trouble remembering just how hard it really was. It gets SO much easier once you get the hang of it. I know those cats in the video look like they live in a different universe, but eventually, my Squamee was actually coming over to me when she saw me getting the test stuff together. I found 2 things very helpful---wrapping her burrito style in a fleece blanket (loosely---just so I could hang on to her and she could not get away) and the clothespin trick, which sounds barbaric, but simulates a mother cat holding a kitten. Here is the address

http://www.felinecrf.org/giving_sub-qs_ ... _peg_trick.

Squamee was not interested in any of the treats, so I gave her her regular food after each test.

I warmed her ear with a small medicine vial filled with very hot water which fit the curve of her ear and was useful as a firm surface to poke against. I used 28 gauge lancets and poked freehand, because I found it easier if I could see. (I also tried it on myself---the side of my finger, not the tip which has many more nerve endings and is more painful--and found it very comforting that it really was not painful---so it convinced my I was not really torturing her.

Good luck and keep posting. IT WILL GET EASIER!!
 
Sorry I haven't been able to check back in on you... family in town! I know it is frustrating to feel like you've spent money, but I suspect by now you've made your way to Walmart and found that you can get the relion meter for only $9, and the strips are much more inexpensive than what you were using before... so while the testing debacle was stressful, it will save you money in the long run (yeah, i'm one of those annoying glass half full types. LOL). That will make a BIG difference, as will larger lancets. Believe me, we've all been there... exhausted, crying, with a p.o.'ed cat who doesn't know why we're suddenly poking them all the time!!

As for treats, see if you can find some purebites treats or other treats that are freeze dried meats. Bonito fish flakes work good also. Most cats find both to be quite addictive, and if given with each poke, they begin to associate pokes with treats and the whole process becomes much more pleasant. A zero carb treat won't really affect George's blood sugar, so it is okay.

Hang in there! You're doing great!
 
I agree with everyone else, that a meter that needs a lower blood sample (the relion micro is great, I used it when I started), and lower gauge lancets should help you out. I think 26g lancets ended up being the magic size to get enough blood.
 
Getting a meter that requires less blood will help a lot.

Also -- test yourself several times to figure out just how much blood is needed.

With my kitty, I adopted a 3 strikes and I'm out -- if I couldn't get a good test in 3 tries -- I'd stop and praise and give treats and loving and worry about testing again later.

Before I found FDMB, I had been injecting my kitty with Humulin N for over a year with NO hometesting -- just a test at the vet every Saturday.

So - if you need to inject with no test - be familiar with the signs / symptoms of Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and know how to treat it (high carb food).

If your kitty is really woozy from Hypo, you should be able to test him. We can help with advice and whether or not a trip to the vet is needed. Minor hypo events can be treated at home with high carb food and/or karo syrup.
 
I use the One Touch Ultra Mini, too, and it does work well for us, once I got used to it.

I do use a heavier lancet, though...28 gauge. Maybe just switching your lancets would help draw more blood. And, of course, over time the ears do bleed much more easily.

Hopefully testing has already gotten easier for you!
 
Good news! I got George in for an appointment with another vet in our area who knows more about feline diabetes and prescribes the ProZinc. I could tell a difference immediately just in talking with her on the phone compared with my other vet who was trying to prescribe the Humulin N. That is such a huge relief in itself. Thanks to Blue (Beth) for the referral.

The home testing is coming along slowly. We tried again this morning with a new meter and some larger gauge lancets and got a reading. While he is in this transition from the Humulin to the ProZinc, I am not too concerned, because the new vet suggested lowering the dose to just 0.5U just to hold him over. She recommended just using this as a trial period just see how he is going to do with it. She didn't feel it would be absolutely necessary to test him all the time on the ProZinc once he was regulated, but supports it as a precaution, especially while we are adjusting he doses. Now I just need to learn to get a little faster on draw and get him use to a schedule. Thanks to everyone for their help and wonderful suggestions. Hopefully I will be able pay it forward someday with all this new found knowledge.
 
This sounds encouraging. That.is a nice safe starting dose. Here's some info on how ProZInc works:

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=32799

We have a PZI support group. You might come over and check out some of the threads and see how others are doing.

viewforum.php?f=24
 
where are you located? Maybe someone is local to you and can help you get started with home testing.

Maui loves to be brushed. She loves it more than food treats. So, when I tested her, I gave her a brushing session after. Even if it was only a couple minutes. She associated testing and brushing and if I would test and not brush, she would refuse to move and stay in position until I came back and brushed her a couple times.

Find something George loves and use that as your "treat" for pokes. If he loves his treat, he will tolerate the pokes to get more treats. He may also run to your testing spot just to get his treat.
 
you sound so much better! yay! i'm glad you're getting it figured out. we've only been doing this for a bit also, but i think what really helped with the testing and getting blood was time. seriously, i tried every single idea people gave me but after about a month i got blood every time. we used the rice bag, the beach towel burrito, the flashlight underneath the ear, the vaseline (really, really light coating so it doesn't clog the test strip), everything. it took 1/2 hour each time and i felt like that was all i was doing and we were all frustrated.

now, the only "help" i use is the vaseline, once in the morning and it basically lasts all day. no heat, no massage, no beach towel, no flashlight. he doesn't come running, though, but he does purr through the first couple of pokes. he's done at that point. now i give his treat before i poke because he wants to leap off the sofa as soon as he hears the beep of the monitor.

i read on here somewhere that their ears grow more capillaries when they are constantly being poked. people refer to their ears "learning" to bleed." i really think that was it.

in the meantime, just keep at it. your persistence will pay off.

and yay for your awesome new vet!
 
another tip folks have mentioned: pick up some antibiotic ointment with anesthetic in it. Apply to the ear 5-10 minutes before you test. The slight numbing will make it more comfortable and may reduce resistance to the testing.
 
BJM said:
another tip folks have mentioned: pick up some antibiotic ointment with anesthetic in it. Apply to the ear 5-10 minutes before you test. The slight numbing will make it more comfortable and may reduce resistance to the testing.
Click to expand...

Bandit fought me pretty bad until I started doing this...it was like night and day when I started using the neosporin. He just stopped struggling.
 
Anybody here from Jenn or George?


Yes, Lori...CrossRoads is another great vet in the area. He is just up the road from Strongsville! Literally...just up the road.
 
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