Test in any of the back paw PINK FOOT/ PADS?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Re: Rocky's New BG reading

Tina,

Many of us here give our kitties Bonito flakes for treats. You can find them at Amazon.com (use the link at the top of this page and the board gets $). You can also find them at Asian grocery stores, but they call them something else, so you might want to find a picture of them online before you go shopping so you know what you're looking for. I also feed Cinco freeze dried salmon and chicken (he prefers the salmon). You can get it at Petsmart or at Amazon, where it's cheaper.

Have you tried using the Img button on the tool bar to post pictures?

Also, no one else here has mentioned this, but it makes it easier to follow what's going on with Rocky if you start a new condo every day. You can put a link to the previous day's condo in there, too. Just use the URL button and add a =, followed by the address of your last condo after the first url, and the name you want to call it after the first set of brackets: Name here.

Hope Rocky lets you get a little rest after this marathon you've been on!
 
Re: Rocky's New BG reading

it would be a good idea to start a new post tomorrow. the trouble with these really long ones is that it can be hard to find the person's questions! I"m glad Tricia gave you the directions for it.

I gave punkin boiled chicken breasts. put a couple in enough water to cover, simmer it for about 10 minutes til it's done inside. cut in very small pieces, like 1/2" cubes. save a couple of tablespoons in the fridge and freeze the rest. you want pokey treats to be small volumes of food.
 
Re: Rocky's New BG reading

Hi, Tina Marie. I'm a Tina Marie as well! I have only been here a few months and am still feeling things out so I don't have much to add. I will mirror what everyone else is saying about testing, however. I was previously in the medical field and while I do understand that cats are not people, the mechanism of disease seems to be the same. It is beyond me why vets tell people to home test at these wide intervals or not at all. I know it has been said, but I feel it is important to repeat that if you had not tested when you did last night, you and your new friend could have been in some serious trouble. It is very likely that home testing saved Rocky's life. We have had a few episodes like that here. Sometimes they can drop from high to low quickly, too. The more you test in the beginning, the more you will start to develop a second sense about what is going on. I can about tell where Frank is at now by his behavior. If you are busy, it is good that you are getting in the tests you are. Speaking from my own experiences, however, getting a few extra tests in during the day beyond the four necessary have helped me.

As far as taking them to the vet, I feel your frustration. The emergency vet is astronomical here and they never will tell you anything without seeing the cat, not even if they saw it hours previous. I feel it is better to be safe than sorry, though. I'll tell you the same thing I have told many of my human patients. As much collective knowlege as the people on this board here have, this is not a substitute for seeing a doc., just like having a paramedic come out to your house. They are trained well, but they are not a substitute for seeing a doctor. To that end, nobody can decide if you have an emergency, but you. That being said, have also spent more on vet bills than was necessary, in the long run. All I can say is that hindsight truly is 20/20. You will learn along the way. If you ever think you have an emergency, for now, I would say that is a good enough reason to go.

I know it is all a lot to take in and even having support here does not mean that you won't get thrown another curve-ball. As someone mentioned, and I have been told by three different vets...diabetes can be difficult to regulate in cats. It is is getting easier for us, however, and the support here has been invauable. Good luck to you and Rocky both!
 
Re: Rocky's New BG reading

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=79693 This is the pancreatitis link. Toward the end of the "new to the Group" sticky (after the pictures of the insulin doses is a list of links for more information.

http://www.lantus.com/sign-up/offers.aspx This is the link for the coupon. We don't use it, but others may have some insight on the best way to sign up.

To put a picture in a post it must be stored online or you need to up load it here. If you store your photos somewhere like Picassa or Photo Bucket, open the picture in an individual window, copy the URL. When you are witing a post click on the Img button and paste the URL between the brackets. (Clicking the button will insert into your text,
.

If you don't have online storage, under the the box where you compose the message:
  • - click on the "upload attachments" tab
    - click on the "choose file" button, that will prompt you to locate and select your picture on your computer
    - when the name of your picture appears in the box click on "add the file" button
    - Once it is uploaded a new box appears where you can type in a title for the picture, under that is a button marked "Place inline" , put your cursor where you want the picture to show up and click the button.
    - To upload attachments the must be less than 600 pixels wide and 400 pixels high. If it is larger you must use a photo editor to reduce the size before up loading.
 

Attachments

  • cat~silhouette~for~website.jpg
    cat~silhouette~for~website.jpg
    16.8 KB · Views: 994
Re: Rocky's New BG reading

Hi Tina

Sorry...I've been gone all day but a few things I do want to really concur on:

1. Tumil-K is a potassium supplement for cats with low potassium. Usually these are cats with chronic kidney disease but if your vet determines your cat needs a potassium supplement, it must be very closely monitored. There are some supplements/vitamins that are just excreted in the urine if you give more than the cat needs. Tumil-K does not work that way and too much can cause as serious health problems as too little.

2. As Sienne said, unless a cat has been specifically dx with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), they should not get pancreatic enzymes.

3. Tomorrow, I would call my vet and tell him you need a prescription for the Lantus Solostar pens (5 x 3ml). There was just a post on Solostar Pen Coupouns.
 
Re: 160mg - Rocky before dinner - Shot tonight?

Hi,

I just tested Rocky and he is at 160mg tonight. He's eating his Instinct Venison now. I guess that would make him about 180mg with the vet's machine?

Should I still give the 1.5 dose when he's finished?

I didn't expect him to get to the 100s today.
 
Re: 160mg - Rocky before dinner - Shot tonight?

I can't tell you either way. Generally though, if you are going to stall, you want to withhold food. It has been over 30 minutes. Can you get another test to see which way he is going?
 
Re: 160mg - Rocky before dinner - Shot tonight?

I gave Rocky his 1.5 unit dose. I don't think I should report here his every reading, just when I think there is an emergency.

Marje, will you still help me with filling in the chart for a little while? laptop_smiley I don't have the time to figure out how to use it just yet. I'm taking care of so many other cats and I still have so much more to do tonight for all of them. Clean cages, completely clean litters boxes, give Revolution (everyone has round worm!) I'll be lucky if I get to bed before 2AM tonight.

Thanks everyone for all of your help today. I bought the DOG Duck and Pea pill pockets. Will begin giving Rocky the Clavamox antibiotic.

Sounds like Bonita flakes are a good idea for a treat after the ear poke. It didn't occur to me until just a bit ago that 1/4 of a sardine would work too.

Tried to get the Target coupon for the Lantus Solaris Pens today but it said my info. isn't matching up. I will call them tomorrow.

I will also check out Walmart's Relion 3/10 syringes tomorrow.

Later tonight after I've finished all of my cat duties I will read again about how to start a new cat "condo." I just briefly glanced over the instructions earlier this evening.

I looked at Dr. Pierson's food chart at the canned Instinct Venison again and saw that it gets most of its calories from fat. I don't like that but I also don't think I have any other option right now as I want to try Rocky on a novelty protein for about 4 months.

The Witch Hazel for Rocky's face....is that a soothing lotion? He continues to scratch himself RAW and it looks so painful. He is bleeding in several places now. You know, I had a female cat who also was also constantly scratching her face due to a hormone imbalance she had when she was lactating and starving to death. (That's how I rescued her, nearly dying, skin and bones) After she got to her right weight all of her fur grew back and no more scratching at all. I wonder if Rocky's severe itchiness could be a symptom of a hormone imbalance? :roll:
 
Re: 160mg - Rocky before dinner - Shot tonight?

Frank was doing that pretty bad for a while. Seems that it gets worse when he is dehydrated and he scratches less the closer he gets to being healthy again.

Eta - never mind on the extra test, since you already gave him the shot.
 
Re: 160mg - Rocky before dinner - Shot tonight?

Tina

I wouldn't worry about what he is on the vet's meter. Just watch the numbers and trends on your meter.

Remember how the liver reacts to lower numbers by releasing counterregulatory hormones which we call a bounce? Well the bounce is now clearing and his numbers are coming down. Please be sure you do a +1 and +2 test.

I can update for you tonight. The SS is easy to fill out. Normally, the PS test is at +12 and the rest of the tests are the number of hours after you gave the shot. We are all on different time zones so if you tell me you tested at 9 PM, I have no idea when that is in relation to his shot. But if you tell me you tested at +1, I know exactly when you tested.

You put the PS test in either the AMPS column for "a.m." Preshot or in the PMPS. Oleum for "p.m." Preshot. Under the U column is how many units you shot.

If you can get that as a basic, we can help you learn how to enter other tests but you can also see how I've done it.
 
Re: 160mg - Rocky before dinner - Shot tonight?

Sorry Marje, what is the PS? Is that pre-shot?

Ok.. I gave the shot at 8PM and if I had tested him at 9PM it would have been recorded on the SS as +1? If so, I missed the +1 after shot reading. I re-check at +2 then.

Thank you for your continue help with the SS. Marje. You are one awesome woman in my book. dancing_cat

Going to go scrub clean as many litter boxes as I can in a 1/2 an hour now. Fun, fun, fun!

Will post the +2 here. Should I post it in the subject line of the very first thread too?

How should that look again, if I post it in the subject line? I was given directions for that but I don't remember.. Thanks!
 
Re: 160mg - Rocky before dinner - Shot tonight?

Yes, PS is pre-shot and his +1 is 9 your time since you normally shoot at 8. The +2 will be at 10.

When you get that test, you could please change the subject line to read "1/12 Rocky PMPS 160 +2 xxx" with "xxx" being his test result.

Tomorrow, you should open a new condo. Just click on "new topic" and do your subject line as:

DATE Rocky AMPS xxx

And then add your tests as you get them....always re opening the first post of the day to change the subject line. We do one condo per cat per day so everything about Rocky goes in the same condo. If you have questions, same condo...everything.
 
Re: BG 35mg - ROCKY +2 after pm shot!

Help!

Should I feed Rocky the Friskies Beef and Gravy again? Rocky lethargic :!:

Going to feed 1/2 can of high carb right now :!: :!:
 
Re: BG 35mg - ROCKY +2 after pm shot!

Fed 1/2 can of Friskies Beef and Gravy before I saw your post Marje. Dipped my finger in the Karo syrup and rubbed it over his tongue and gums.

He ate all of the food and tried to eat the ceramic bowl as well.

Then he drank his water. I noticed that he has drank about 1/2 of the water in his bowl tonight. That's more than he has been drinking.
 
Re: BG 35mg - ROCKY +2 after pm shot!

Remember that the highest carbs are in the gravy. When you test him again, give him a couple tsp of the gravy, if you can and a few drops of karo. You want to get him up. We call this aborting the cycle. Carb him up and get his numbers up or you will be up all night fighting numbers. This is really low for this early.

You need to drop his dose back again in the morning. Because you only shot 2u once, skipped, and then shot 1.5u once then I think I'd take him down to 1u tomorrow morning and see where we are.

I'm sorry no one was around to help you when you shot tonight. Any time you shoot a lower number or a dropping number, you need to get a +1 to start.
 
Re: BG 43 mg - ROCKY moving up after Friskies carbs and Karo

BG 43mg after 1/2 can Friskies Beef and Gravy w/ 2 drops Karo.

Just fed him ONLY 2 tsp Friskies with 1/8 tsp. Karo in it. He's still hungry. He ate it.

Caught him chewing on his toes very bad!! I now think what might be happening is that he scratches and chews on his toes during his lows during the nighttime, when I haven't monitored.
 
Re: BG 43 mg - ROCKY moving up after Friskies carbs and Karo

Glad he's up but please give him gravy with the syrup and retest in 20.
 
Re: BG 43 mg - ROCKY moving up after Friskies carbs and Karo

good.

you're going to have to keep up testing him every 20-30 minutes for a while - probably a couple of hours, maybe longer. just like yesterday you want to see him rising and staying above 50 for at least 2 tests after you've stopped giving him carbs. at least an hour, maybe longer. err on the side of longer if you aren't sure.

at this point, give him a little more carbs - either the gravy or the karo, to get him above 50 and staying there.

does that all make sense?
 
Re: BG 43 mg - ROCKY moving up after Friskies carbs and Karo

tina, marje is going to bed.

you can take off the 911. i'll stay with you.

see you in 20 minutes with a new #, ok?
 
Re: BG 43 mg - ROCKY moving up after Friskies carbs and Karo

I don't have a "gravy" cat food other than that Friskies Prime Filets with Beef in Gravy. It's all blended together so I cannot give him only the gravy portion. It's this one: http://www.friskies.com/Cat-Food/Wet-Ca ... f-In-Gravy

I DO have some Friskies Supreme Supper. That will sometimes have some gravy in a thick form stuck on the insides of the can.

Do you want me to open one of those and scrape off all of the gravy inside of there? I think it is only about 1/2 tsp, maybe even less:

http://www.friskies.com/Cat-Food/Wet-Ca ... eme-Supper
 
Re: BG 43 mg - ROCKY moving up after Friskies carbs and Karo

no, the first one is 19% - i suspect the other stuff is more gelatin, which is not high carb. i don't want to take the time to look up the carbs right now. use the first one. people put the lid back on the food while it's in the can, flip the whole thing upside down and press really hard to squeeze out the gravy.

if you can't get it to work, then give some food and add a couple of drops of karo to it.
 
Re: BG 43 mg - ROCKY moving up after Friskies carbs and Karo

sorry - i think that wasn't clear. use the 19% food and add the karo.

would you could retest 20 min from your last test - the 43 that you posted at 10:47 - and post that number. so 11:07ish.
 
Re: BG 43 mg - ROCKY moving up after Friskies carbs and Karo

Tina

Sorry I have to get to bed. Up with Gracie twice last night and she's coming back down on me tonight so I need to get a couple hours sleep when I can. You don't need us both anyway and Julie has you covered.

Good luck...I updated his SS with his latest numbers.

Thanks Julie. \M/ \M/ \M/
 
Re: BG 62 mg - ROCKY at 11:07ish

good - glad to see he's up to 62. the carbs are doing their thing. we don't know enough about his patterns yet to know when his nadir (low point) is to know how long we have to keep it up.

i think at this point, you can wait 30 minutes and retest. probably don't need to carb him this round. let's see how he is without it.

i'll see you at 11:40. :-D you're doing great.
 
Re: BG 62 mg - ROCKY at 11:07ish

BG 62mg at 11:07ish.

Ok, so I've fed Rocky high carbs + Karo at the same time 2x now.

At BG 37mg Rocky got 1/2 can of the Friskies Beef and Gravy. I checked the board and saw Marje said to add Karo. I then went and dipped my finger in the Karo and ran it across his tongue and gums.

At 43mg Rocky got only (2)tsp Friskies Beef and Gravy, but I added about 1/8 tsp of Karo to it.

So now we're at BG 62mg.

I'll wait until I see a post from you saying IF, what, and how much to feed him.
 
Re: BG 62 mg - ROCKY at 11:07ish

THANK YOU Marje for jumping right on it again with me and Rocky!! I didn't know your little girl was going through highs and lows yesterday. Can hardly believe you were able to help me with that much stress going on for you. Hope you get some good sleep tonight. I-)

THANK YOU Julie for staying with me through this, again. :YMHUG:
 
Re: BG 62 mg - ROCKY at 11:07ish

i posted right above you.

don't feed him any more carbs now. retest in 30 minutes from your last test, so 11:40. i'll check back with you and see how he's doing.
 
Re: GOING BACK DOWN! BG 53mg at 11:40

BG 53mg... so going down again.

Feeding more Friskies Beef and Gravy with the Karo right now. I think he's looking worse.
 
Re: GOING BACK DOWN! BG 53mg at 11:40

not a surprise. the carbs do wear off. what's your time right now - ie, how many hours past the last shot?

at least he's still over 50. give another bit of food + karo. maybe a tablespoon of food and a drop of karo.

see you in 20 more minutes. 12:10
 
Re: GOING BACK DOWN! BG 53mg at 11:40

i missed your last post - i thought you'd just updated the subject line.

53 is a very normal, healthy number. he might feel yucky cuz he's getting a lot of carbs or because this is lower than he's used to, but this isn't a dangerous number at all. non diabetic cats can run in the 40's. we use the 40's as the safety zone and pull cats out of them just because there isn't room for error if they go below 40. but Rocky's doing ok at the moment.

i want to just give you a heads-up that i'm going to have to call it a night after your next test. i have to be at work at 8.

we jokingly call this process lather-rinse-repeat. you've got to keep this process up until he's staying up without you giving him carbs for at least an hour. we like to make sure we're past the nadir, too, i just don't know when Rocky's nadir is.

do you feel like you have a good idea what you need to do tonight? Here's the post from your first page if you need a refresher:





julie & punkin (ga) said:
When you have a chance, please print out this post and keep it where you can find it. Especially with the winter weather and potential electrical outages, you might need help when you can't get online here. This has all the details on how to handle low numbers at any time - at some point you'll be faced with one when you're ready to give a shot and this is really helpful: Shooting and Handling Low Numbers

For now, here's the part on just dealing with a low number like you are doing right now.

DON'T PANIC! or HOW TO HANDLE LOW NUMBERS

First, try to not panic. Post to the Lantus Insulin Support Group or on the Health Board. Make sure your subject line indicates you are concerned about a possible hypo and/or add the 911 icon to the first post in your condo. People who are experienced in dealing with low numbers will be there to help. After posting, remember to refresh your browser periodically to see if people have replied.

It’s important to recognize that just because your cat may be experiencing low BG numbers doesn’t mean that your kitty is critically hypoglycemic. Many cats will have low numbers and never have symptoms. It’s important, though, to bring those numbers up into a safe range. ALWAYS make sure you have a stock of test strips, high carb (HC) canned food that contains gravy and is over 15% carb such as Fancy Feast grilled, marinated, or Gravy Lovers varieties (see Dr. Lisa's Cat Food Nutritional Composition List for a full list of options), and/or a simple sugar solution such as Karo/corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, etc.

If your cat is experiencing symptoms, especially if those symptoms are severe, you need to rub Karo syrup, honey, or maple syrup on the gums or, if symptoms are very severe, administer rectally and get your cat to the nearest 24-hour emergency facility. Take the bottle of syrup with you to administer on the way if necessary. (Note that it is rare that we see episodes of symptomatic hypoglycemia with Lantus and even rarer to see severe symptoms. But, you need to know what to do should they occur.)

The symptoms to be concerned about include but are not limited to:
staggering, uncoordinated movements, 'drunken' walk, wobbling, balance problems
ataxia - usually lack of muscular coordination, but maybe changes in head and neck movements
disorientation (yowling, walking in circles, etc.)
twitching
stupor
convulsions or seizures
coma
If your cat is testing in low numbers and you are not getting a quick response to your post, there are several things you need to do. (Low numbers are under 50mg/dL or 2.8 mmol/L.)

Depending on how carbohydrate sensitive your cat is, feed approximately a teaspoon or less of gravy from high carb food or high carb food only.
(If you have a cat with GI issues, using a couple of drops of syrup plus low carb food is an alternative.)
Test again in 15 – 20 min. Depending on the numbers, give more HC food.
Repeat the above steps every 15 – 20 min. until your cat tests in the 50 mg/dL (2.8 mmol/L) or above range for 2 consecutive tests. Continue to feed in small amounts to keep numbers in a safe range.
Test in 30 - 40 min. and repeat the test and feed process until there are 2 consecutive tests where numbers are stable or rising.
Test in an hour and follow the same steps.
DO NOT become complacent. If number have risen after one or two tests, it’s important to continue testing. Numbers may bobble up and down as the HC food and/or Karo wear off. DO NOT get one test where your cat has risen from low numbers into the 50s and go to sleep or leave the house. You are putting your cat in a risky situation. When in doubt, leave HC food out.

In the case of an accidental overdose or should there be symptoms of hypoglycemia, even if you have caught this in the early stages, you may need to monitor for literally 16 or more hours. Lantus and Levemir are long acting types of insulin. This means if your cat is over dose, you will need to stay alert for hours in order to closely monitor and to keep your cat safe.

Please post your numbers. Those people who are helping you will not abandon you. In fact, they are staying up with you. The experienced people will even work in shifts to make sure your cat is safe and you have the support you need. Remember to refresh your browser to see new posts and keep posting so we know all is well.

~ written by Sienne and Gabby
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Re: GOING BACK DOWN! BG 53mg at 11:40

i'm off to bed. hope you're doing ok and rocky is holding or rising. just keep up the process checking every 20-30 minutes, giving carbs if he's 50 or below.

if you have any doubts about shooting in the morning, post and ask for help before you shoot.

:YMHUG:
 
Re: BG 50mg .. Going LOWER

BG 50mg .. so lower than 1/2 hour ago.

When I got that reading, I immediately fed him the last TBS in that Friskies can and added 1/8 tsp Karo. So now he's eaten one entire can of Friskies through this episode.
 
Re: BG 50mg .. Going LOWER

You are doing the right thing. Keep checking him every 30 minutes and feeding him if he is 50 or below. Since you've run out of the one high carb food, you can add more karo to the other Friskies to simulate high carb if you should need any more. When he gets over 70-80, you can switch to testing once an hour. If he goes for two tests and keeps rising, and hasn't had any food for those tests, you can relax a bit. The thing to keep in mind is that high carb food can boost the numbers for a couple of hours, but then can wear off. You'll have to keep testing for a couple of hours after the last high carb food is given, unless he really zooms up over 100. Good luck tonight.
 
Re: BG 81mg, Rocky back up again at +6 after PM shot

For anyone who is following, Rocky is back up to BG 81mg again, +6 after PM shot. I wasn't sure how to start a new condo so posted a new Topic for Rocky, for Monday January 12, 2014.

I'll re-check in 1/2 hr. then post results in the new condo. I appreciate everyone's help here. You're awesome. :thumbup
 
Re: BG 81mg, Rocky back up again at +6 after PM shot

I would suggest to do the BG test in the back paw to avoid any more irritation in the ear and face area. It may be a better spot for now. I always do them in hte paw and always have as Oliver hates his ears messed with.
I would also suggest adding water to his food making it like an applesauce consistency. This will help with some dehydration issues. I always run the sink water a trickle when I am around or getting ready and Oliver Loves fresh running water. Its also very normal to go Up and down with #'s just have a look at Oliver's SS. Roller coaster. Just breath and take each reading at a time. I also love my vet and appreciate his advise, but have found that I am better off as is Oliver by following those on this site. Its FREE too. :)
Just a few thoughts hope today is going well.
 
Re: BG 81mg, Rocky back up again at +6 after PM shot

Thanks Kelly,

I will do the test in his back paw from now on. I didn't know that I could do that. It will be MUCH better. Rocky's ears are torn up from being an abandoned outside cat for so long, and now he's scratched and chewed them so bad, as well as they have lost most of their fur. I was putting that hot rice bag behind them and he was in pain. He would cry.

Will be posting in the new condo today. Thanks again for the heads up on the paws.
 
Rice bag should be warm not hot. If you can't put it on your inner forearm, its too hot!
 
I think I might have burned Rocky's ears last night. They were bright all bright red when I took him to vet at 3AM. ohmygod_smile :oops:
 
You are so welcome, Yes just hold him like a baby have plenty of light and test in the back paw on the large back pad. It works way better then the ear. I just make sure I clean his back feet ever so often and the litter box more often so he does not get dirty feet. I have been doing this since Sept when he was diagnosed. I was not changing the BG needle each time but in my earlier post I was told to do that so he doesn't get an infection. I think I will just be changing it once a day. As well as the Insulin syringe.
I am glad this will help and be easier for you both. I really think it is. Oliver is a cuddler so it works well for us.
Again don't sweat the higher #'s and remember you can always raise the low #'s as long as you are testing regularly. Oliver is still all over the place and believe everyone when they say that it takes a long time usually to get regulated.
I buy my test strips on amazon but I do not have a relion monitor so may want to see if they have your supplies too.
Its also fine if he is drinking water and is usually a good indication that the #'s are higher and urination will be very huge when high as well.
Thinking of you and keeping up on Rocky. Blessing s on a calmer night.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top