Tester

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mccat2

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Could someone recommend a good blood tester. One that is easy my Sampson won't be very receptive to this. He is 16 and getting frail from sugar but he is not a lap cat.



Vicki & Sampson
 
The easiest ones I've used that sip blood really fast and take a small amount are Accu Check Aviva and the Contour by Bayer, but the Wal-mart Relion does well too if you need something with cheaper test strips.

Freestyle is also good too, but when first starting out, trying to get the blood on the side of the test strip and on the black spot is not as easy as Accucheck or Contour's test strips, in my opinion.
 
You can use any meter. You also may find it easier to use the lancet free hand instead of using the lancet pen.

Also, make sure you reward Sampson with a low carb treat every time you test him, even if you are not successful. Soon he will associate getting tested with getting a treat and that will help make him more cooperative. Freeze dried meats make very good treats and cats love them.
 
The new Freestyle strips (Freestyle Lite for sure, I'm not certain about other Freestyles) are a completely different ball game than the old strips. With the new design, they sip very easily. No more difficulty with getting the blood on the exact right spot on the side of that black half-moon.
 
If he is not a cuddly guy, you might warm him up to this process. Make a spot where you can going to poke and start by giving him a treat there. Maybe try warming his ear there a few times at your spot before poking. Talk to him about what you are doing, with confidence.

If he is especially hard to handle, we do have methods that have worked for others. We used the kitty burrito until Oliver got used to the routine. We put a towel down on the couch next to the arm, set him on it and wrapped him up so only his head was showing. He couldn't get away but didn't feel terribly restrained. Some people also use the Clothespin trick It mimics a mommy cat picking up her kitty by the nape of the neck.

We all have ideas to help that worked for us --just ask!
 
From reading your other thread it seems your kitty needs to be at the Vet ASAP. Please head the words of these experienced people. They know what they are talking about.
Sending prayers for you and your kitty.

jeanne
 
Just to tie up all these threads,Sampson's owner had a seperate post last night.When I read the symptoms she was describing over the past three days (weakness in his legs,falling over and being disoriented) it sounded like an emergency and I started a 911 post.In the meantime Sampson's mom started a few post about meters.The good news is that she posted on this thread that she did take him to the vet.Her vet for some reason has taken a wait and see approach and wants to try and manage the diabetes with diet only for now. I disagree with this because even if the BG is in the 200s like she reports, it can still cause problems.The second time my cat went DKA his BG was only 240.The only thing I can say is I am glad this wasn't a life threatening emergency.Some things still don't make sence in this situation; Maybe she should consider finding another vet? :)
 
Don't let the price of the Contour or Freestyle Lite test strips scare you. With patience, I can always find my Contour strips for around $15 per box of 50! In a pinch, the Relion Micro/Confirm meters are great and only $20 per box of 50. I started out using a Relion Micro for my Oscar.
 
Good News on Sampson. I took him to the VET yet again on Monday to have his glucose checked. I take him weekly. We are now down to 171 with diet. I have now put him on a wet kitten food Diet and we shall see. More good news (I think) I have purchased a one touch glucometer and practiced on his ear at the Vet's office. I need to do this myself and have a question for anyone that can give me advice. We are going to try this tonight & tomorrow night and see how he reacts at home. I will try & use all of the advice that I have been given by this group. What is the best times of day to check him? Keep in mind that I work full time and am gone a good portion of the day from 8 to 6 at least. They get fed around 7:30 a.m. & 6:00 p.m.


Thank you again.

Vicki & Sampson
 
Great news on both fronts. I would hometest before each shot and then if you can try to get spot checks. If you're working one day, see if you can get an evening spot check at 2-3 hours after his shot and on weekends try for 4-6 hours after shot, this will give you a general idea of how he's utilizing the insulin.
 
Love my OTU. Always, always test before feeding and shooting. You can do spot checks at any time of the day or if he acts weird, throws up, whatever but......always test to see where he is at before shooting insulin. When you are home for the day you can do a curve yourself.
 
are you giving insulin or trying a diet change first? If the latter, please make sure you are testing for ketones as an untreated diabetic is at risk.

If you aren't giving insulin you can test any time of the day. BG numbers will fluctuate according to food but if you aren't injecting then there is less of a need to test at regular times.

Jen
 
My understanding is that Sampson is not currently on insulin. So I think testing his sugar before each meal would be good. Then maybe try a test every so often an hour or two after he eats to see how his body is reacting to the food. But any testing during the day is better than no testing. Great job learning to test! You should buy some ketostix from your pharmacy to test his urine for ketones. If they build up in his body it can lead to ketoacidosis-a potentially very dangerous situation that happens when his body is burning fat for fuel. If he's not pee-shy it's very easy to tape a strip to a skewer or a ruler and hold it in his urine stream while he goes.
 
Hi Everyone;

Well tonight was our very 1st poke on our own with the glucose test. I set the lancet to 2 and then 3, I didn't get enough blood to even get on the strip. It was difficult at best, put Sammy on the bed, sort of held him between my legs. Overall he was pretty good and I would have been able to test if only I had gotten more blood. Any suggestions? I did keep squeezing & massaging his ear but no go. We will try again tomorrow.
P.S. I gave him a massage with a hand held massager that he loves and also a little cat nip.
Thanks for your support & help.


Vicki & Sampson
 
A diet change can lower the blood glucose but Sampson might still need insulin eventually. If the diet change doesn't make a difference within a couple of weeks, I would then ask that your cat be put on Lantus, levemir or prozinc. I think the reason your vet is hesistant to prescribe insulin is because the other vet in the practice had increased the insulin so much your cat had the hypo episode that almost killed him. Is there any reason why you are still using these vets?
 
Good news. I tested Sampson tonight and it went smoothly. We used a rice sock and the opposite ear. His reading was at 141 and he had eaten just a couple of bites of the kitten food (apparently he didn't like that brand). Took it about a half hour after he ate. I will continue to test him. Also to answer your question I really like my Vet and it is my belief as well that his associate screwed up and I am only seeing him at this time. He is happy that I am attempting to home test and I will continue to take Sampson in to be seen, as I have been.
I will read more on the glucose curve and try that as soon as I get Sammy acclimated to the testing more.


Vicki & Sampson
 
Great job on the test! And not too shabby of a number not being on insulin. I sure hope you can get his numbers controlled with food alone!
 
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