Question about testing glucose

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Jeannie & Cairo

Jeannie & Cairo

Member Since 2014
Ok, so I'll give, anyone answering, as much info as possible about my question.

1) My cat was recently diagnosed but has not started insulin yet (however, she is supposed to start--Lantus--in about 9 days)
2) I'm transitioning from dry food to wet (she's a good eater and will eat almost anything) would like to go completely wet. :smile:
3) I'm learning how to test her glucose at home (I have all the stuff, watched videos, practiced multiple times) --all 3 cats are now mad at me! Ha!
4) I'm keeping track on the spreadsheet provided through this site.
5) I'm a teacher and start back to work on Thursday so testing, giving insulin, feeding during the day are going to be a challenge and on some days impossible.

My question is: How often should I test glucose (i.e.: times per day, AM and/or PM), When is an optimum time to test glucose? (Time as in before or after eating, how long before and/or after eating). I really want to have as much data as possible before she goes to the vet for the insulin consultation.

Remember, she doesn't take insulin yet so my next question will be, when she starts insulin THEN when do I test, frequency, etc.? I'm sure my vet will go over everything I just feel like they're not the most knowledgable about this. I have much more faith in the people (experts) on this site! ;-)
 
Since she isn't on insulin yet anytime is really fine, but I would test first thing in the morning before her meal and then 2 hours after her meal to see what her pancreas is doing. Testing more often is fine as well. I know this question was asked not long ago but cant seem to find it at the moment. Also, I know you said she hasn't started Lantus yet and you are switching her to wet (I'm assuming 10% or less carbs)it would be good to get her completely switched prior to insulin, food can make a big difference, as well as mini meals. Im a big fan of the mini meals lol Miini meals and diet changed with a small time period of insulin kicked Hidey into Remission.

Once on insulin though, definitely test before EVERY injection and then 6 hours after to see how the insulin works. (I believe the +6 is the same, Hidey was on Prozinc and nadir was about +6) Heck, Hidey's been in remission for about 5 months and I still test him often. Some days a few times a day, and some days I'll skip. Luckily he's used to it now and he LOVES his chicken (freeze dried and boiled) that is the other thing. Dont forget the diabetic friendly treats! ;-) makes life easier.

What are her numbers looking like now? And what is her weight?

Oh and way to go on home testing!
 
When the vet first dropped the "diabetes" bomb on me, I think her glucose was something like 480ish. I tested her once yesterday and once today (still trying to get the hang of it). Yesterday it was 264 and today 263 (she is 14 lbs.)

Doc had me put her on 1/2 can in the morn. of Purina DM and the other 1/2 can in the evening. I've heard mixed things about the DM but figured I would use it since I bought a case of it (she also suggested I give her dry, which I have not been using at all). I started mixing the DM with Fancy Feast Classic Chicken (which she LOVES and is much more affordable). I'm hoping to switch over completely to Fancy Feast (Any thoughts on that?). Switching her to completely wet food is not a problem at all (she LOVES it). The problem is that I have 3 cats and one of them can't handle the Fancy Feast and throws it up. The "vomiter" does well with the DM but she only eats a few bites, she won't touch the Fancy Feast anymore. She does better with dry. Any advice on the vomiter would be helpful too :-) Oh, and how do I "freeze dry" chicken or can I buy it somewhere like that.
 
Those numbers arent that bad, theyre high but not INSANE lol. When Hidey was diagnosed his was 600+. As to the DM, I think thats just a vets impulse to push that stuff lol. It is not needed and is higher carb than we recommend especially the dry. I really dont think vets have remission in mind, just treat. Fancy feast is a great choice. I know a lot on here use fancy feast or friskies. I use Merrick, its lower phos than fancy feast. You may want to try to go 100% fancy feast, and try mini meals several times a day if possible. As to the vomit-er maybe try a different flavor of fancy feast pates. What flavor is the DM, maybe the chicken is too rich, you could also try adding some water to it. Maybe if it is too rich it will help her stomach. I always add 1/2 can of water to their food for 2 reasons. 10 HIdey has had 5 teeth removed over the past 2 years so its harder for him to eat, so the water helps him get it up. 20 the extra moisture. Which brings up the fact of dry food, it can lead to kidney issues and other issues due to lack of moisture. If you haven't already read catinfo.org it gives more detail. If you MUST feed dry the only ones really diabetic friendly are Young again Zero carb (5% carbs), EVO cat & kitten (12% carbs), Stella & Chewys freeze dried (1% carbs I THINK) Once she's on 100% low carb her numbers may drop to a normal number. I honestly wish I would have read more and had a chance to digest the info before Hidey was put on insulin. I would have tried diet first. The first month and a half he was on Vetsulin (although I was told it was prozinc-until dummy me read the vial) his numbers wouldnt budge. Then I changed his diet, and demanded prozinc brought his numbers down DRASTICALLY and they were still a bit high but safe enough for his dental, where he had a cleaning done and 2 extractions and now after about 3 months of trial and error he is in remission. Just keep at it :)

I either get my freeze dried chicken at amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Halo--Littles-Nat ... ed+chicken

or at chewy

http://www.chewy.com/dog/halo-liv-littl ... 0/dp/29214

Unfortunately the days of temptations and things a like are out the window. Way too high carb. There are also small packages that you can get at the pet store, I think the brand is pure bites, Im not certain though.
 
Here is a cat food chart listing carbs. You want one with less than 10% carbs. I'd try a few a see what works for all your cats. DM wet isn't awful, but many cats do not like it after a while. You can return any of the food to the vet and just tell them your cat will not eat it. You should get a full refund.

http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf

As to when to test glucose (we call it BG), you want to check before each shot to make sure it's safe to give a shot. Ask your vet what glucose level you should NOT give insulin. We usually suggest 200 or below for newbies. Also, it's ideal to check glucose mid cycle, but many people can't do that daily. Just do it as often as you can.
 
Thanks for all the great information. So, let me get this straight. Are you saying that I should BG test first thing in the morning before she gets breakfast, than I'm supposed to wait 2 hours and test again to see if she needs insulin? Then I repeat that whole process again in the evening? Or, in the middle of the day AND evening? Her poor little ears already look extremely sore :cry:
 
Hi Jeannie, and welcome to FDMB,

JeannieB said:
Thanks for all the great information. So, let me get this straight. Are you saying that I should BG test first thing in the morning before she gets breakfast, than I'm supposed to wait 2 hours and test again to see if she needs insulin? Then I repeat that whole process again in the evening? Or, in the middle of the day AND evening? Her poor little ears already look extremely sore :cry:
Click to expand...

For cats ON insulin the sequence is: Test, Feed, Shoot.
1. We test to check that the blood glucose level is high enough to warrant being given insulin.
2. We feed because we need to know that the cat is actually going to eat (as we're about to give it insulin).
3. We give the insulin shot.

The tests we do prior to giving insulin are called 'preshot' tests.
We also try to get other tests at some point during the insulin cycle. How many tests you do will probably depend on your schedule. Many folks here are out at work for a large part of the day.
Any tests you can get during the insulin cycle will help you to understand how the insulin is working in your kitty. And in particular, what you really need to find out is how low her blood glucose is dropping at the peak of the cycle (with Lantus that may be between 5 - 7 hours after the shot.)
Some folks only manage to get a few extra tests in during the working week, but do more testing on weekends.
Many folks are fans of the 'before bedtime' test, to get a feeling for how low the kitty's blood glucose may drop during the night.
You will find a pattern that works for you and your kitty.

Regarding your kitty's sore ears: Are you pressing firmly on the test site after each test? That can help to prevent bruising. And some folks here use Neosporin on the kitty's ears after testing.
The ears do seem to get used to being tested too. My kitty has been on insulin for seven and a half years, and I work from home and test him a lot. (He likes being tested because he gets a treat. He's actually sitting on my desk and pawing at the computer screen as I type this to try to attract my attention so I'll test/treat him!) Even with all the testing I do his ears are just fine.

But, as your kitty isn't on insulin yet you can take your own time learning to test, and just test when you want to.
The suggestion in 'dirtybirdsoaps' post above that you test before feeding and then again two hours later is to try to determine if your kitty's pancreas is producing insulin of it's own. Food will raise the blood glucose level; but if the pancreas is working you may find that the blood glucose drops again a bit later on.

Very few folks get the hang of testing straight away. Be patient with yourself. :smile:

Eliz
 
Thanks so much Eliz! I think I understand, so basically there is not a hard, fast rule. That makes much more sense. I go back to work tomorrow (I'm a teacher and summer is over :sad: ) so I'm trying to get a system going that will work with my schedule. Like many others, it will have to be a morning and evening thing since I'm gone most of the day. I wish I was able to work from home! It's so cute that your kitty sits at your desk with you and paws at the screen, mine is starting to see the relationship between getting poked and receiving a treat. I love this site and all the amazing (and knowledgable) people here. It's been a savior!
 
Oh and you will want to know this as well... (if you don't already) We give insulin shots at 12 hour intervals. This means that if you test, shoot and feed at 6:30 am - you will do the same at 6:30 pm.

I am adding this because it was a surprise fact to me. I learned it the day AFTER taking in my sugarfoster :lol:

I learned to work my schedule around it though.
 
Thanks Robin! I did read that somewhere. I do have a question about that now that you brought it up :smile: How forgiving is the 12 hour rule. I mean if I'm running a little late or need to give it a little early, can I do that or is that out of the question.
 
When you can anticpate needing to change your times, adjusting 30 minutes per day OR 15 minutes per meal is the smoothest way to do that.

If you're more than 30 minutes late, shift back to the regular time adjusting as above.

Shooting early acts like a dose increase due to more overlap.
Shooting late acts like a dose decrease due to less overlap.
 
Yes, finding two times, 12 hours apart, where I could reliably give a shot 99% of the time within a half hour was possibly the hardest part for us. Our lives are just not structured for that to be easy right now, so I feel you on that one. Testing, injections, spreadsheets - easy! But trying to get the timing felt impossible. It wasn't perfect at the beginning, but once I had enough data about how she reacted, I learned which directions I could wiggle without a problem. I hope you get there fairly quickly yourself! It sounds like you're well on your way.
 
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