Starting home testing today...need help

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pascuzzi

Member Since 2012
I got an accu-check aviva glucose monitor from a friend. Is this a good monitor? What size lancet works the best? Should I take away the dry food now and only give wet food? Check the bg before I give him food and the shot? What should hid number be for no shot?

Thanks,
Katie
 
The meter should be fine. Be sure to test it on yourself first to make sure it is reading accurately, and to be confident in how to use it before you try it on the cat. :-D

We'd suggest getting a few numbers before completely switching foods. You might start by adding a bit of wet along with the dry, gradually increasing the wet while decreasing the dry. Once you are confident with testing and have some numbers, then you can safely take away all the dry.

We test, feed and shoot. We want a number that is "true" - not influenced by food - so we test before eating. We would like some food in their tummy before giving insulin, so we feed next. Many of us give the shot while they are eating and they don't even notice.

For now, until you have some history of numbers and how he is reacting to the insulin, no shot under 200.
Just for reference, a regulated cat, on insulin, is in the 200s at preshot and double digits at nadir, but not under 40. If you get a number in the 40-50 range, come on and ask for help. You may need to intervene with higher carb food to bring the number up. (Be sure to print off the hypo info in the thread at the top of this page)

A cat in remission, off insulin, can range from the 40s to 120s with the majority of the time in double digits.

What insulin and what dose?
 
His insulin is humluin which I know is bad but don't have the money right now to get a different insulin. The vet said to start him at 3u but the people on this board said that waas to much so I have been giving him 1u after he eats. I'm not sure what size the lancets are with the monitor I got so should I go out and buy a high gauge lancet? I have always fed thumbs wet food am and pm with dry food through out the day to graze on. So should I just keep a little bit of dry food in the dish until I get this testing at home down? I'm scared to give him a shot if I don't know what his numbers are at if hes not eating dry food.
 
Also, how much food should I be feeding him a day of wet food? AM and PM or more often then that?
 
pascuzzi said:
.... I'm scared to give him a shot if I don't know what his numbers are at if hes not eating dry food.

SUCCESS MY FRIEND!!!! You're on the right 'thinking' track now!! The Aviva is a good meter, the strips tend to be expensive to me but we use WallyWorld's Relion so am spoiled with that lower strip price.

You've NOW got your arsenal together for your baby, you CAN do this just as well as ANY of us! We've just been doing it longer...just don't forget to BREATHE!

BIG HUG!!!
 
The lancets that seem to work best at first are the larger ones - 25 to 28 gauge - rather than the tiny 30-31 gauge that humans use. If you are using a lancet device, make sure they will work together.

You can buy your strips on ebay for less than half the price of the drug store. Just make sure it is a reputable seller and the expiration dates work.

Please add Humulin to your signature. (Go to Control Panel, Profile and then edit signature) It's important that we know that when you are looking for dose advice. With Humulin, it is important that you know he is eating and it will stay down before you shoot, as Humulin often has a sharp drop fairly early in the cycle.
 
pascuzzi said:
I got an accu-check aviva glucose monitor from a friend. Is this a good monitor? What size lancet works the best? Should I take away the dry food now and only give wet food? Check the bg before I give him food and the shot? What should hid number be for no shot?

Thanks,
Katie


The Aviva is good :smile: Test strips are pricey, though. You can buy them online for a little less than what the local pharmacy sells them for. AmericanDiabetesWholesale.com is one place. You could also try looking on Ebay for extra test strips a Human diabetic may have. Be sure to check the expiration date before you buy. You don't want test strips that expire shortly after you receive them.

The Aviva comes with the MultiClix lancet device which uses a lancet drum that is loaded with 30 guage lancets. 28 guage lancet is the best to use with cats. Here is a lancet gauge chart: http://www.walgreens.com/marketing/library/centers/diabetes/lancets.jsp The MultiClix only uses the preloaded lancet drums. If you want thicker lancets, you'll need to buy a box of individual lancets and either freehand them or use them with their compatible lancet device. I like the AccuChek SofClix lancet device. It uses 28 gauge lancets.

Have you read the Humulin N primer? http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=303 There's info there about feeding and when to give insulin and when to test.

Make 200 your cut off number for insulin. If bg is below that, skip the insulin.
 
Re - Aviva and expired strips....the Aviva will not LET you use expired strips. There's a chip that comes with them that must be inserted with each new bottle. It checks against the internal clock of the meter and will say "EXPIRED" instead. I have about 100 expired Aviva strips for my Aviva meter but can't use them. I tried to reset the internal clock but they've now protected it from change....shucks! I warn of this just so you'll be aware if you purchase them off eBay or Craig's list....

Another big hug!
 
I love my Aviva Accuchek but definitely get the strips online rather than in the store. I order mine off amazon or ebay. However, if money is an issue for you (as it seems to be), unless your friend is also giving you test strips, you would be better off with the Relion Confirm or Micro from Walmart (Called the Glucocard 01 on the American Diabetes Wholesale web site, where you can get really cheap strips). You want to be able to afford to test several times a day, and this is very important.

The food change will likely help, but unless your cat goes into remission from the diet change alone until you switch insulins you're not likely to see a lot of improvement, so definitely make saving up a priority. Once you get the prescription for Lantus, you can order it online from Canada, where it is way cheaper than the US: https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1FCnrPxpYD02Gp5hWtEIbhLXm0VOyaZlAT_qeCjlx-Js&pli=1. Also remember that a pack of 5 Lantus or Levemir pens will last you at least 6 months, but most likely a year or more if you're handling it properly, so even though it costs more up front, you're saving a ton of money in the long run than you are buying NPH.

The sooner you start Lantus or Levemir, the more likely remission is, which is the best place for you to be financially and your cat to be health-wise! So you guys have the same goal.
 
Just did the first bg test. Thumbs did well it took me two times to actually get enough blood to test. His bg was 447. I feed him his wet food and shot 1u of insulin. Heres the hard part, I have to do this before I leave for work so I don't get the chance to check it again +2 and so on. I can check it on my days off. What do you suggest I do?
 
Also how much wet food should I be feeding him in a day? I feed him friskey's classic pate. Have been doing 1/2 can twice a day but now that there is will no dry food how much wet do I fed?
 
You can feed multiple small meals throughout the day. Many people use a programmable timed feeder for this. Some people feed their diabetics a 5oz can a day, sometimes more depending on the cat.

pascuzzi said:
Just did the first bg test. Thumbs did well it took me two times to actually get enough blood to test. His bg was 447. I feed him his wet food and shot 1u of insulin. Heres the hard part, I have to do this before I leave for work so I don't get the chance to check it again +2 and so on. I can check it on my days off. What do you suggest I do?

Many people here work full time as well and can only feed/test/shoot and head off to work right afterwards. You can get your +2 and ther random bg checks in after the evening insulin shot. It doesn't matter if your random bg checks are done in the morning or in the evening. The most important thing is to be able to bg test and start collect bg numbers so you can track your cat's progress. Most people here use an online spreadsheet to keep track of bg numbers. The instructions are here: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=50130
 
I'm so glad to see you're on the right path! I was just wondering how you were coming along - bravo! Great job on your first testing attempts!
 
I just got home from work and checked Thumbs bg 7+ and its at 330. I think he is starting to catch on to what I'm doing. Had a harder time this evening getting his bg. What are some good treats for diabetics so I can give him one after I'm done testing? I'm trying to feed him through out the day but making sure hes hungry by the time I need to give him his shot. Is there an easier way to get his bg? On the floor or in your lap? I feel like I have to go in the ear more to get blood to come out but I'm also using 30 gauge lancet should I which to 28?
 
With his bg getting high again after 7+ should I be giving him more insulin than 1u? The vet wanted me to start out at 3u but people said that was too high so I changed it to 1u.
 
Treat suggestions: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9172 There are many other brands of low carb treats out there that aren't on the list. Look for treats that are 100% meat. Some brands are meat with a couple other ingredients. Just make sure those other ingredients aren't sources of carbs like starches or sugars. My civies love [urlhttp://salmonpaws.com/index.html]Salmon Paws[/url]. Cat nip and cat grass can also be given.

Use a programmable timed feeder so that your cat can have meals throughout the day. You just put the canned food into the compartments, set the times you want your cat to have access to the food, and then go about your day :smile: The PetSafe 5 compartment feeder is a popular one members here use. Catmate is another good brand.

Yes, you'll get more blood with a 28 gauge lancet than a 30 guage. Are you freehanding the lancet or using the lancet device?

I would get the bg while kneeling over my cat as he was eating. He didn't notice or care. For random bg tests, most of the time I would kneel over my at as he was loafing around or even sleeping. Some people prefer to have the cat up on a table for a bg test.
 
This morning I checked his bg and it was at 291 so I shot 1u. I freehand the lancet. I think Thumbs would run if I used the pen. Hes a skittish cat. I'd try to get the test when he eats but he moves his head so much. He isn't getting dry food anymore so I'm hoping he will not need insulin at some point. Can I use the lancet more in the ear instead of on the edge? His ear is so thin on the edge.
 
You want to poke on the edge of the ear - either ear, up and down the edge. This page (step 5) shows the capillaries that you are aiming for, just off the vein.
Sweet spot see step 5

You can see them on your kitty by using a flashlight behind his ear.

We had to use the kitty burrito on Oliver for the first few weeks. We would wrap him up in a towel with only his head showing. The other part to remember is the treat. Once they know a treat is coming after the poke (or during it at first) they will learn to associate something good with something necessary. :-D
 
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