Started Insulin but don't have an at home BG reader yet...

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HaileyandTulip

HaileyandTulip

Member Since 2019
Hello!

My sweet Tulip was diagnosed yesterday. I made an introductory post about an hour ago, which has a lot more information on what has happened since then.

The vet prescribed 1u of ProZinc every 12 hours after she eats at least half of her normal amount of food.

I've been trying to learn as much as I can about FD so that Tulip can have the best, most comfortable life possible.

However, I've become worried about hypoglycemia after reading up on it. Currently she is doing great and not exhibiting any symptoms. But I am worried because I don't yet have a home BG testing system.

My vet is closed today but I plan to call them tomorrow just to check in and update them on her info.

Do you think she will be okay?

Thank you all so much for your time and assistance.

Love from Hailey and Tulip
 
Hi again Hailey, I just finished responding to your Introductory post. As Chris said you can get a ReliOn Prime meter and strips, plus some lancets from Walmart. A human meter is perfectly acceptable to test a diabetic cat.
Here is some information about testing:

Hometesting Links and Tips

Testing and Shooting Tips

JanetNJ made an excellent testing video: How to test your cat's bg at home: Video I made showing how to test your cat's blood sugar

Here are some words on getting you and Tulip comfortable with testing that Chris & China (GA) shared with us:
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Here's something I wrote up for others for testing...maybe it'll help you too!

It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you.

Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well

For new kitties, using a heavier gauge lancet is also really helpful. A 25-28 gauge lancet pokes a bigger "hole" than a 31-33 gauge lancet does, so look for "Alternate Site testing" lancets that are usually a lower number

Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!
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Testing is a process of practice and patience, on both human and kitty's part. Not many of us were entirely or even close to successful in the beginning, but don't give up. It does happen, and it's such a relief to know what's going on with the insulin therapy. :)
 
Thank you so much @Chris & China (GA) and @Idjit's mom for your responses! I really appreciate it.

Earlier today I ran to Walmart and picked up the ReliOn Prime meter, lancets, test strips, Neosporin with pain relief, and things to complete my hypo emergency box.

It took a few tries but I was able to get some blood from Tulip's ear and test it. At 5:36pm MST her level was at 383.

I fed her at 7:35pm and gave her the insulin shot at about 7:47pm. She's chilling by the fireplace again contentedly :cat:

I am worried about tomorrow because I have to go in to work and leave her alone from 8:30am to about 1:20pm, then again from 2:20pm to 5:45pm.

Will she be okay if I test in the morning before feeding and shooting, and the reading is above hypo levels? I know I am being overly cautious but I fear the worst may happen if I leave her.

Thank you!!
 
HaileyandTulip said:
Will she be okay if I test in the morning before feeding and shooting, and the reading is above hypo levels? I know I am being overly cautious but I fear the worst may happen if I leave her.
Click to expand...

You don't want to give insulin if she's below 200 in the morning if you can't be there to test. It's too soon.

Once you get some more experience and data on Tulip, you can gradually learn to shoot lower numbers.

As long as she eats well in the morning and you're giving 1U that's a pretty normal starting dose....you might want to consider getting an autofeeder like the PetSafe 5.....then you can program it to open while you're at work and offer her some snacks during the day.

There's lots of good ideas in this "Is TR possible with a full time job" thread....even if you're using ProZinc, there's still some good ideas!
 
Chris & China (GA) said:
You don't want to give insulin if she's below 200 in the morning if you can't be there to test. It's too soon.
Click to expand...

I tested her at 7:36am and she was at 340, so I went ahead and gave her the 1U after she had eaten almost all her wet food. I have been leaving dry food out for her for if she is hungry, and it seems like she starts nibbling on that a few hours after wet food mealtimes.
 
Welcome, and good job on being on the ball with getting prepared! You will find yourself to have a little more sanity when you don't have to scramble later :)
 
Hailey, I imagine you are at work today, but, I'm hoping you will check back in sometime today and let us know how you are feeling about all this so far. I wanted to point you in the direction of the Prozinc Insulin Support Group forum HERE , where you will find the Beginner's Guide to Prozinc, and some other yellow tagged stickies at the top of the page. Very valuable information that you will be able to use going forward as you take care of Tulip and learn more about the "sugar dance". This is also the forum you would post in if you have questions about Prozinc or dosing changes.

You can post questions and concerns about diet, testing, the spreadsheet etc right here on the Main Health forum.
 
Thank you @majandra!

Thank you so much @Idjit's mom , the information and support you have been giving me is invaluable.

To be honest, I am feeling very anxious a lot of the time. I am just so worried that I will do something wrong, or something unexpected will happen and I'll come home and Tulip will be dead. I know that's unlikely but I can't help but worry. I am extremely glad that this forum exists and that you are all such kindhearted and helpful folks.

I will definitely be checking out the ProZinc forum and all of the information!
 
Hailey, I wish I could ease your anxiety some. Feline diabetes is a very treatable disease, and you are taking steps to get educated and have already accomplished much. Yes, it does feel scary at first, I think because you just don't know what's going on in that fuzzy little body and you don't know what to expect.

The insulin dose is a good starting dose. Tuilp is still eating dry food which is probably higher carb so that is not going to allow the blood sugar to tank. You are making sure that she eats and is safe. You are testing her blood sugar so that you can learn how the insulin is working.

Please get the spreadsheet set up and linked into the signature so that we can see insulin dose and BG test results. If you are working from a cell phone (with the smaller screen) or a tablet that might not support Google, then we have members that can set it up for you. I had help, then used my cell phone, as I had a GMail account on it, just d/l'd the Google sheets from the Playstore and I could enter the data. (It's my first "smart" phone, and I am an old lady..if I can do it, you can too!)
It's doable. This is an incredibly creative and innovative bunch and there are ways to get where we need and want to go.

After you have begun to get comfortable with testing and entering the info on the spreadsheet, we can look at Tulip's diet. I know, one more thing? But, it's an important component of effective diabetic care, just like for humans. But you have time, so don't be anxious about this, OK? One step at a time, and it is going to become part of your, and Tulip's, routine.
 
It's hard to accept that I can't know everything and control everything when I love and care about sweet Tulip so deeply. But I need to keep reminding myself that I am doing the best I can for her (I like the quote in your signature ;)).

I've set up my spreadsheet and the link is now in my signature! I hope I did it correctly. Here's the link again, just in case:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...jG5_rAVGZI6Oh2j61Eu0YD1iEkeqIgNy1nzzu/pubhtml
 
The spreadsheet is set up and linked correctly. Good going! When you can, begin getting some tests during the 12 hour cycle between shots. You probably are at work during the day, but depending on timing, perhaps a test before you leave for work, or when you get home and on another day, a test right before you go to bed. On weekends you can get tests at times when you would be at work on weekdays. If you happen to stay up late on a Friday or Saturday night, grab a late night test.

All data is good data and we want to see how low the insulin is taking Tulip's BG during the cycle. Those are very important numbers, just as important as the pre-shot numbers actually. Be sure to always test right before a shot time though, to be certain that BG is high enough to shoot. I noticed you got a +10 test yesterday, then did you shoot 2 hours later?

Tulip is going to be getting the benefit of the insulin now, and may be experiencing lower BG during the day or night, then "bouncing". That bouncing is just a physical reaction to lower BG levels than she is used to, and the body releases stored sugars into the bloodstream to compensate..make it more normal, or what the cat is used to. Then the pre-shot test might be high and people think, "oh no, it's not working" (vets do this too) and increase the dosage. So, just for now, test as much as you are able, and let's see what happens.

Just a reminder from the Beginner's Guide:
In the beginning, if your cat’s BG is not up to at least 200 mg/dL , if your schedule allows, you can stall (without feeding) for 20+minutes, then retest the BG. You are looking for a number that is rising, not falling and up to 200 mg/dL. If you stall once, but can’t do another round of stalling and your cat hasn’t reached a BG of 200 mg/dL, you’ll need to skip the dose and wait until the next cycle.

Just a side note, the cat is in control and in charge and always has been. :D
 
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