PS BG test before or after eating?

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shadycat

shadycat

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Hi everyone,

I feel like the more I read, the more I don't know. I am getting the sinking feeling that I may be doing some very basic things wrong.

My routine is to feed Shady, then about a half hour later test his glucose and immediately give insulin based on the reading. I thought that the BG numbers were supposed to be after eating, but before insulin, but reading some posts here I get the impression they are testing before feeding? I use a sliding scale, so I am afraid I am basing the dose on the wrong number. Should I be testing before or after feeding?

Also, I am using an AlphaTrak meter, so when I read numbers here that use human meters, I should be adding 30-40 to compare it with my readings? But when you read ranges of BG levels on websites, like the main site here or other FD sites, are they based on human or animal meters? Because if 200 is the cutoff for requiring insulin, Shady usually tests above 200 on the AT, but if you adjusted that for a human meter would often be under 200, so am I overmedicating? eek.

(for that matter, I don't understand why they are different. Blood glucose is an quantitative measurement, it is what it is. If I test with the AT and BG is 250, and test with an Aviva and it is 200, which is the correct number?? I know there is a margin of error, but seems strange for one to be calibrated higher)

Not sure if I am overanalyzing, but this is all really confusing to me. And I am even a scientist and work in a research lab (with plants, not animals), but still, understanding data and numbers shouldn't be this hard for me! :oops:

Thanks,
Sheri
 
Yep testing is done before eating, the reason being is that food can raise the BGs but food will wear off before the insulin does. So the order should be test, feed, shoot.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette, Autumn & The Fur Gang
 
It's test, feed and shoot, Sheri. It might be that the food hasn't hit (started to raise the number) in 30 minutes, but it's that Every Cat is Different thing. It works best to test before feeding so you are sure.

With the AlphaTrak, I am glad you included it your signature so we will know if you hit lows. That would be the only time it would be really important. If you got a 40 on the AlphaTrak, that would be a lower number than the 40 we usually use as getting too low with intervention necessary. So if you get low numbers, be sure to mention your meter. And you are looking at an intervention range of 70 and below, rather than 40. With the 200, you need to get used to thinking in -30 terms also, but it is not as big a deal. We use 200 until you have some data; then people often shoot a little lower than that. The most important issue for me is that the number is rising, not dropping when you get around that 200 range.

I don't know the science between the pet meter. There are people who do believe it is more accurate; there are those that argue blood is blood....Maybe someone else will be able to ask those questions.

This dance is all about learning about your cat. What is low for him/high for him? What does this dose do? What did a smaller or larger dose do? Data gathering is the name of the game.
 
You want to test first. This is so the test won't be food influenced and you know your cat isn't too low to give insulin. Older fast acting insulins required food before shooting. But the slower acting long carry over insulins give a lot more leeway. Dosing for Lantus and Levemir is based on the nadir (lowest number in the cycle) not the preshot number. I'm not sure about PZI.

It is the calibration in the Alpha Track that is different to account for a slightly different blood chemistry in cats. However, most of the studies have been done using and recommending a human meter. Also meters are only required to be accurate to within 20%. In higher numbers that can be a big spread.

As for the 200 cutoff. :YMSIGH: Not many pet owners monitor closely and vets like to play it on the safe side. When you are just starting out it is safer to skip a shot below 200, but once you know how to monitor your cat closely it is better not to skip shots. Post here if you get a low number like that and someone should be around to walk you through it when you ar ready. I'm not that familiar w/ PZI, but many of us using lantus and Levemir will shoot as low as 50 IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF DATA to understand your cat's cycles and will BE THERE TO MONITOR CLOSELY.

Also, although 200 is a higher than normal reading for a cat not receiving insulin therapy, most vets will not rx insulin below this number. However, for a cat already on insulin it is not necessary to skip a shot.
 
blaaah! I feel like I am doing everything wrong! :( Thank you for setting me straight. I don't know why I thought testing should be post feeding.

With the meters, Shady did hit a low of 87 the other night, so that is pretty low considering it was on AT. I think considering all this, I am going to lower his dose and see what happens this weekend.

The dosing scale my vet gave me is based on the preshot number, but I am occasionally checking midcycle just to see where he is, and my vet had me do a 12 hour curve a couple weeks ago and recommended another one soon, so I have a little nadir data. I am going to do some midcycle testing this weekend to see about lowering his dose.

You are all very helpful and kind to give your time to help other pet owners that have so many questions, especially when I'm sure you see the same newbie questions over and over. :smile: :oops:
 
Lantus and Levemir users do shoot much lower numbers than ProZinc. I am not great with the science of things, but because they are shed insulins they tend to lower the numbers over a longer time frame. With ProZinc, we base the dose on amps and pmps and nadir because after 12 hours, the insulin is almost always gone. With Lantus and Levemir, that might not be the case. If we have a cat in the 40-50 range at nadir, we would most likely suggest lowering the dose by a small amount. We would never advise shooting at 50. When going off insulin and mini dosing (0.1 -0.3 range), some people shoot in the 120 range but rarely lower than that, and then only after they really have the data to know how their cat would react.

Remember, you are the only newbie who is asking the question you are asking for your situation and for your cat. The only stupid question is the one NOT asked. We don't expect you to read every thread and see what we have told every other newbie. (It's good info for you, but we don't expect it) In the beginning, this dance has an incredibly steep learning curve. We try to tell you what you need, but don't want to overwhelm you either. The only way we know what you need to know is if you ask the question.
 
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