Remission - when/how often to test?

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Parteecia

Parteecia

Member Since 2016
A week ago today I finally got a glucometer. After practicing on myself and my boyfriend I tested my cat Raquel ("Raqi") 3 hours after breakfast and 2.5 units of Prozinc and she was at 55. That was her last dose. Since then she has tested between 62 and and 95. I did a curve the next day and a daily pre-breakfast test since then.

How often should I test her from here on? Is there a best time? She gets a can of FF Classic Chicken Feast at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., and a half can for lunch. Her only treat is Halo freeze dried chicken.

Longer version: she is 14 and overweight (13 lbs.) and was diagnosed on May 29th with a BG of 461 and put on 2 units of Prozinc twice a day, to be gradually raised to 3 units each time. I did some reading and switched from her lifelong dry Science Diet to FF. She improved instantly and I thought I could control it by monitoring her symptoms and behavior.

She went "drunk" hypo on her first 3 unit dose so she stayed on 2. Gradually the thirst and hind leg weakness returned so I increased her dose 0.25 units per week. When she didn't improve I finally went to Walmart for the ReliOn Prime and accessories. That may have been the best $24 I've ever spent. Her water intake has returned to normal and I've never been so happy to see her up on her haunches shredding the bedsheets.
 
At first I tested my Dulce weekly and not test him monthly.
I test before feeding just like before.
Dulce was adopted as an untreated diabetic and went into remission after about a month on Lantus
 
Very good to hear that Raqi is doing so well and great job with the BG testing. I'm very glad she's feeling so much better.

I suggest testing her morning and evening plus an occasional spot check about 3 hours after eating a meal. If Raqi stays in the normal range for 14 days then Raqi will be officially in remission. (Normal range for cats as measured on a human glucometer is 50 -120.)

Fingers and paws crossed! Be sure to let us know how Raqi gets on. :)


Mogs
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Thank you for your replies! I will keep testing her at the more frequent level for at least another week (I still have lots of strips to use up anyway) then slowly back off to longer intervals as I gain confidence that she's holding steady.
 
Fingers and paws crossed here! Be sure to let us know how you both get on.

That's a great picture of Raqi; she has the loveliest little face. :)


Mogs
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So many cute kitties in the photos ...

Happy new year! I continued testing her for a third week after her first good numbers and they stayed under 97. I will do a curve once a week for a month or two, then switch to a monthly test as long as her numbers hold - unless someone has a better idea.

Thank you all for your advice, encouragement., and support.
 
With my kitty in remission I now test about once monthly (we've been a year in remission, I tested more frequently early on - going from daily, to biweekly, to weekly to every other week, and finally to monthly).
But I also stay alert for any signs that might mean something. If her coat looks a bit scraggly one day, I test (it's usually just because her arthritis is making grooming more difficult). If she's eating more or less than normal, or drinking more or less than normal, I test. If she's walking more slowly, I test (again, usually just arthritis acting up - but testing is quick and easy and gives me peace of mind).
The biggest thing is just to be aware of your kitty's normal behavior, and if you see anything abnormal do a test - don't wait for your normal monthly date - so you can at least rule that out and then decide if anything more is going on or if it's just an off day.

I also always test the day before vet labs. That way if the BG on the lab report looks way off, I know to question the other results, as well.
I do this because I had an issue of a bad lab. Came back on my other cat, who is not and has never been diabetic, saying his BG was through the roof, and all kinds of other values were out of whack, and he was basically on death's door. Once I finished crying, it occurred to me that it didn't make sense - because he acted happy and healthy. I tested his BG at home, and it was in the normal range. I called the vet, they re-did the test for free, and everything was normal that time (other than the start of kidney disease, but at 15 that was to be expected). It was really my being able to test BG at home that saved me from a bunch of other expensive tests and procedures that were completely unnecessary.
 
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