Testing Curt

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ThomasCat

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So as I said, Curt was put on 1 unit of PZI twice daily.. he tested over 400 at the vets office.. but they told me I really didnt need to test him daily. Should I worry about him going hypo right now? Its only his 4th day on it. They also told me the only way to test him is to stab his ear with a lancet. They demonstrated on a diabetic cat that lived at the vets office (it was a cats only clinic.) It looked ridiculously painful to shove that through the poor cats ear. Will I have to do this if I want to home test him, or is there a better way? I dont want to shoot blind, but i dont know if i have to worry if he was running so high and on such a low dose of insulin


Tom
 
Tom,

Actually they are sort of right about how we test our cats, by using a lancet to prick the edge of their ears, but you don't shove it all the way through anymore than a human diabetic shoves the lancet all the way through their finger when they test their blood sugar..I've seen my cats do more damage to their own ears with a claw trying to scratch an itch.

I, personally have 2 diabetic cats...Musette my insulin dependent one has had her ears tested at least 6 times a day for the last 7 months, and sometimes up to 10 times a day, and unless I have just tested her and there is a little bit of dried blood on her fur, you wouldn't know what ear I was testing. They are just as pretty as the first time I laid eyes on her.

Musette also wasn't my life long friend and companion before she got diabetes, I adopted her 7 months ago as a diabetic after her first owner wanted her put to sleep rather than have to treat her. But you know what, not only does she come for snuggles and cuddles, she sleeps curled up on my pillow and wakes me up in the morning with whisker kisses and head butts all the time purring madly and making biscuits. Now do you really think if I was hurting this kitty 6 to 10 times a day, everyday, for the last 7 months without having any former relationship with me, she would be so loving towards me? But she does, and more than that if I'm running late on a test she comes and looks for me, and when I get her test kit out she climbs in my lap purring away to wait for her test and she purrs the entire time I am testing her.

Now Maxwell my other diabetic who I also adopted as a diabetic rather than see him put down for just being a little extra sweet has been in remission for over a year now. But when I first got him, he had only recently started on Lantus and had just had his diet changed to low carb canned food from a high carb dry food diet. The woman tha fostered him and the vet that started treating him while we set up his transport are very familiar with diabetic cats, in fact his foster mom currently has 7 diabetics that she is treating with insulin. So she started him on 1u twice a day before he came here...but after he arrived I only gave him 2 shots total, one of his full dose and one of half a dose and he never needed another shot now going on 16 months...but if I hadn't been testing him from that very first night that I picked him up at the airport, and just blindly kept giving him that standard 1u twice a day at the very least he would have hypo-ed if not worse. Because I didn't know him well enough in the beginning to know what normal behavior was for him. I only knew him as a sick cat. But even after being put on a plane and shipped across country to a woman that the very first thing she did was pull out a lancet and prick him in the ear, Maxwell is currently sitting here trying to convince me it is time for bed and he is sleepy...but he won't go to bed until I do, because he sleeps curled up either on my pillow or draped over my neck every night.

Neither of these cats had any reason to trust me in the beginning let alone grow to love me, and surely if I was hurting either of them by testing their ears, they should run from me everytime they see me, but they don't. I have 11 other cats besides them, and if you didn't know which of those 13 cats in total were my diabetics, you wouldn't be able to tell who they were by their behavior towards me.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
Hi again Tom. I understand your concerns about home testing, and some vets like to make it sound like it's going to be so horrible, you might as well be cutting your cat's ear off. That's really not the case, though.

I adopted Scooter just in mid-October - his previous owners knowingly neglected and ignored his condition until he deteriorated to the point where they got rid of him. They veiled it in the excuse of "we don't have time for him any more" and I was the lucky duck that got to clean up after their negligence. A college kid with no job, no less.

Anyways, my point of saying that is, Scooter didn't even have enough time to bond with me before he was diagnosed on December 22nd. We started the ear pokes shortly after. I won't sugar coat things at all - it was extremely stressful and hard, at first. Scooter fought tooth and nail against me and I had to pretty much strangle him in a towel to get him to hold still. And even then, his ears didn't always bleed - the first few days I had to poke him until his ears were bruised and swollen just to get the blood.

Sounds awful, right? But if you watched me test him today... you would never think we ever had to go through that. He comes running to the kitchen where we do the "pokeys" now, lays on the floor and waits patiently... I put him in my lap and he stretches out... I give him some rubs and love, and he purrs up a storm and tucks his head in my left elbow while I warm his right ear up with a rice sock. After 20-30 seconds, I poke him on the edge of the ear with the lancet device, and 9/10 times I get more than enough blood on the first poke. While the meter is counting down, I use a towel to apply pressure to his ear to stop bruising. And we're done.

And the best part of it is - he doesn't want to leave my lap when we're done! He looks up at me like "done already?" and will hang out with me for a few minutes until he decides he wants his reward - which is small pieces of freeze dried chicken breast. Treats and rewards are a big big factor in getting through this - find what Curt likes. It might be treats, it might be a spoonful of his normal food, it might be catnip, it might be a good pet or brush. He will catch on very very fast. ;-)
 
Good morning Tom and Curt! ~O)

My original vet was adament against home testing, saying I was being just down right cruel to Poopy and only causing stress for myself. My new vet thanked me for home testing, saying it was best for Poopy! Why such a big difference? My new vet deals with diabetes on a day to day basis. The old vet? Knows just what little he deals with and remembered from his education in school.

When I first started testing Poopy, he wasn't a fan. He would fight me every step of the way. While I had always been his momma, and we were very close, I became the "evil woman that pokes" and Poopy would hide from me and avoid me. It tore me up. I was ready to quit trying to home test (I wasn't being successful). The folks here continued to encourage me. I knew, having grown up with two diabetic brothers, knowing what the BG is was very important to helping Poopy manage his diabetes. So even with a heavy heart, I continued. I resigned myself it was possible Poopy would always hate me...but I had to do what was best for Poopy.

As Poopy came to realize I wasn't hurting him (he was more uncomfortable with the restraining than anything else), and he was getting treats whether I was successful or not, he not only calmed down, but I was no longer the "evil woman that pokes"! Today, Poopy perches on my lap and purrs throughout the testing. Wow! What a change. :-D

I know it's tough. I know it can break your heart. It will get better. :-D
 
hello to Tom & Curt!

Please please please do not let the vet tell you this is not the way to go. Home testing is the only way to go.

You may glance at Beans spreadsheet and see what our first successful home test was. I tried several times to test and either could not get enough blood, Bean would move her head or the silly meter would turn off cuz I took too long - momma did not have a routine down yet...that is what I blame the unsuccessful tests on. But I kept trying with the gentle nudge from here. Thank gosh I did! I fully believe that without home testing, my Bean would not be with me today..... Now, she is not only still here looking great, gaining her weight back, but she is also in remission as you can see from her spreadsheet....
I would have never ever known to stop insulin if it werent for home testing....well until the most terrible thing that could have happened would have..... and she would have hypoed and I would have lost her!

I will be honest too, it was not that easy for about the first week...as I said, I did not have our routine down. I picked a specical place, offering the treats she gets only in pokey time....That makes all the difference..

You will find that when you start to home test, there will be a lot of suggestions, support and tips to help you and Curt...

Furry support hugs coming your way!
 
Hello Tom & Curt,

Welcome! I am a newbie here as well having just found out a week ago my cat Jakob has diabetes and actually just did my first home test today. One thing I can say is it's easier than it sounds! Every cat is different too, they don't all struggle tooth and nail. Jakob was more curious to try see what I was doing and held decently still for his first test(s) (It took me 2 tries). One thing I I found was the lancing device that came with my glucometer had too much force for Jakobs delicate ear tissue even on its lowest setting - a tiny prick on the outer edge of the ear with just the lance on its own is really all that's necessary and the youtube video listed above is fantastic. Anyway, that is all the advice I can offer from one newbie to another. Good Luck!

Glynnis
 
will it not work with the automatic quick prick like humans use? I think I could do that...
you guys have me scared now :(
 
Tom, take the lancing device and when Curt is just sitting in your lap, start clicking it in circles around his head. Get him used to the sound. Now, this may sound crazy, but talk to Curt. Show him the meter, the lancing device. the test strips.......explain everything to him.....tell him he has a disease and that he needs the insulin. Cats do understand. Many of us have also used animal communicators to help us with our cats.
Relax because Curt will pick up on your tenseness. If it truly hurt our cats. none of us would be testing or able to test. Don't let your fear stop you.
 
ThomasCat said:
will it not work with the automatic quick prick like humans use? I think I could do that...
you guys have me scared now :(
Click to expand...

I really hate to admit this...the difficulties in learning to home test Poopy? I can lay almost all of it on me, to all of it being new to me and to my fears. True, Poopy had to learn me holding him so close, and messing with his ears, wasn't going to hurt him (remember, he purrs through it now so it's not hurting him). And that's easily helped along with those yummy treats. ;-)

I tried doing to open pen prick. Not for me. Once was quite enough, thank you very much. I use the lance pen as humans would, quick prick. Sometimes I hit a spot that just won't bleed and have to do it again. Keep in mind, every poke you do IS progress - as it helps Curt form new capillaries, which means easier blood for the future. :smile: So even if you're not always successful getting blood, you're still being successful! :-D

So keep up the good work...it will pay off. :-D
 
Some freehand it, some use the lancet device. I use the device, personally. I've gotten used to using my finger to judge where the lancet is going to hit, and I've gotten really accurate with it now. I found when I was freehanding, my hands would jitter, and I would either not poke hard enough, or poke too hard and put it through Scooter's ear lol.

Not trying to scare you, just trying to be realistic. It's going to suck the first few times you do it, no doubt. But you NEED to do it, for Curt's safety and your own peace of mind. Give it a try. Go slow. Poke 3 times and if you're not successful, give him a treat and try again later. :smile:
 
The most important things for us were to use a large enough lancet and heat the ear. Lots of humans use 30 gauge. Some new diabetic cats need 25-27 gauge at first. And second, heat his ear. Either use a sock filled with raw rice in the microwave until very warm or a pill bottle filled with hot water. With some cats, it takes a minute of heating.

Lots of us had a less than successful test the first few times. We spent a weekend poking poor Oliver before getting a drop. The kitty in the video is a veteran and it shows you that it does become easy. But if not successful, keep trying. 3 tries and then a break and treats all round. Come on and ask for help.

It will work. We are all testaments to that.
 
I think I can do it with the lancet device...but no way would i be able to free hand it. Curt is about to go to the vet for follow up and then im going to try and get a meter. What kind of meter should I get?
 
Here is a shopping list for you:


A human glucometer. Any one that sips and takes a tiny sample is fine. The meters are often free at drug stores; it’s the strips that are expensive. You can, however, buy them on ebay at less than half the price of stores. Lots of people here also like the ReliOn from Walmart. It is an inexpensive meter and its strips are the cheapest around. Try the meter out on yourself or someone else before you try it on your cat. You want to be familiar with it before you poke the cat.

Lancets and a lancet device. Usually, until the ears “learn” to bleed, a 26-28 gauge is good. Any brand will work as long as the lancets match your device.

Ketone strips. (Ketostix) Just like human diabetics use. You will sometimes need to test urine if the numbers are high.

Rice sack. Make this out of thinnish sock, filled with raw rice or oatmeal and then knotted. You heat this in the microwave until very warm but not hot. Then heat the ears before poking.

Also nice to have. Flashlight: so you can look at the ears and find the little capillaries that come off the vein running down the ear. Vaseline: Put a tiny smear where you want to poke. It will help the blood bead up.

And some lo carb treats to give your kitty, successful test or not Lo carb treats
 
Well, he had a good vet visit. He tested 260 about 6 hours after his shot. His coat is looking nicer and some of his dandruff is going away. He gained a half pound since last week monday when he first went for diagnosis. He is only on his 5th day of treatment and seems so much better already. They did tell me i could test him at home if i wanted to, and showed me how during the visit. They manually did it and Curt didnt even blink. I dont know if he will be that good at it for me, since i really wont know what im doing. They also shaved his other side so i have 2 places to give him shots.. he looks so silly with 2 bald spots. i guess the worst is over now and its just time to make a routine of it, huh?
 
Yep. Time to get out the treats and start poking.

260 at the vet is a good number. Some cats test 100 points higher there. It will be interesting when you get some numbers at home.
 
yeah, but Curt is a very very docile cat. He doesnt mind the car ride at all to the point where I dont bother to cage him up in a carrier he behaves so well. When he was younger I actually took him on a 20 hour cross country trip with me in the car, he hung out in the back seat the whole time, used the disposable litter box like a good boy, and loved looking out the back window at traffic. lol. So a short trip to the vet isnt a big stressful deal to him like it would be for some cats. My other cat makes these god awful low pitched meows in the car all the way to the vet and makes you think shes dying or dead by the time you get there. Im so lucky Curt is so sweet. :)
 
ThomasCat said:
Well, he had a good vet visit. He tested 260 about 6 hours after his shot. His coat is looking nicer and some of his dandruff is going away. He gained a half pound since last week monday when he first went for diagnosis. He is only on his 5th day of treatment and seems so much better already. They did tell me i could test him at home if i wanted to, and showed me how during the visit. They manually did it and Curt didnt even blink. I dont know if he will be that good at it for me, since i really wont know what im doing. They also shaved his other side so i have 2 places to give him shots.. he looks so silly with 2 bald spots. i guess the worst is over now and its just time to make a routine of it, huh?
Click to expand...

Hey! this sounds positive! Hoping he'll be good to you at home. I like the way the dandruff goes away, that happened for me too. Well, for Akbah, it was his dandruff, and now ... it isn't his dandruff anymore because its gone. ;-)
 
Finally got a blood sample to test Curt, and then he shook his head and sprayed blood all over my face. LOL!! He was 244 and its shot time. Is that safe??
 
ThomasCat said:
Finally got a blood sample to test Curt, and then he shook his head and sprayed blood all over my face. LOL!! He was 244 and its shot time. Is that safe??
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Congratulations on getting a hometest! Sounds like you hit a gusher! I'm replying to 'bounce' you back to the top of the list.
Probably you've already decided anyway. What did you do?
You should make a spreadsheet, so others can see your numbers and comment. Its really helpful, I found it helped me anyway.
There's a link to the spreadsheet somewhere, let me go looking for it.
 
akbahsMum said:
There's a link to the spreadsheet somewhere, let me go looking for it.
Click to expand...
Can't find that link to the spreadsheets anywhere. Hopefully someone else will post it for you. :-|
 
Great job!!! You're not the only one to wind up looking like a murder scene... :lol: Not super familiar with how PZI works, but I think anything above 200 is considered safe for newbies. Here's a thread about low preshots with PZI.
 
party_cat
CONGRATS ON THE POKEY POKE! Seems like you might have hit the vein, but you did get a reading! Way to go Curt!
I am sure treats and lots of gooood boy praise was offered...
You are doing great and wonderful that you did decide to home test... Now, lets try for OTJ???
 
He seems to be doing so well! His readings have all come back in the
220-226 range in between and right before shots. Could he be regulated already? It's only
A week tonight that he's been getting the shots. Feels like forever.
 
ThomasCat said:
It's only
A week tonight that he's been getting the shots. Feels like forever.
Click to expand...

Especially with learning the pokey pokes. :-D

When you say he's at the same numbers between shots, do you know about how long after the shots & food you're getting the readings?

For example, if I test Poopy right before feeding and shot, I could get a 250 off him. If I wait 2-3 hours after he's eaten and had his shot, it's going to be darn close to the same number, If I'm testing 5-7 hours after his shot, it dips even lower in most cases. If it's been 9-11 hours after, I'm back around where I started. Theoretically, anyway. Poopy likes to throw me curve balls to keep me on my toes. :-D

This is where that spreadsheet comes in handy for folks to peek at Curt's numbers. :-D
 
Well, Curt has always been a 'grazer.' he likes to eat
4 or 5 bites at a time all day long. Since he got diagnosed
I give him 2 big canned meals as I'm shooting him (nice
Distraction) and then leave some DM dry food on his bowl
So he can graze all day. I do that because he always
Acts like he's starving :( so when he got his first test at the
Vet Monday he was 226 about 5 hrs after his PZI shot. Last nights
Blood fest (lol) he was 224 almost exactly 12 hrs from last shot. I was
Kinda worried and got no replies to my post so I shot him
Anyways and we had another blood fest around 3 hours after his shot
And he was 220. This morning right before his shot almost exactly 12
Hrs since his last one he was 226 again. Could that be because I let him graze
All night?
 
These are good numbers for preshots. What we need now is a midcycle number to see how low the insulin takes him. We tell new diabetics not to shoot under 200, but to wait 20 minutes without feeding and retest. If the number is over 200 and rising, a reduced dose may be wise. Your preshot numbers are getting close to that threshold.

If you can get rid of the dry food, you can probably reduce the dose. For his grazing, you can freeze the wet food and let it thaw as he grazes. I use a silicone cupcake pan. The cups are the exact size of a Fancy Feast can. I dump 6 cans in, freeze and then put in a Baggie in the refrigerator. They are ready for me to use.

If you do stop the dry, I would reduce the dose to .5 units and plan to test every preshot and midcycle. It may be that he will need only a small amount of insulin, if that.
 
It's possible. Some kitties seem to keep a lower BG when they eat (Mr. P is stimulated by the food intake and is kicking in) and others show higher BGs when they eat. ECID (each cat is different).

If you were to remove all dry (which I wouldn't do until your home testing is going great and you can be home to watch Curt closely and test every other hour or so), I wouldn't be surprised to see his numbers drop to within normal cat range (40-120), and possibly without insulin. Without insulin is what we call diet-controlled diabetes. (Note: while a normal cat can have a BG as low as 40 with no problem, for our diabetic kitties we take a 40 as a call to action - we call it getting close to hypo even if there are no symptoms and we work to keep the BG from going any lower).

It will be interesting to see if Curt is going to be a diet controlled diabetic. :-D
 
The test he got at the vet Monday was mid shot, or almost
I guess at 5 hrs in. I'm just kinda worried since he was almost
500 pre treatment and now he's staying so stable in low
200s.
 
His lower numbers are probably a combination of the insulin and diet change. Not unusual. About a third of the new diabetic cats we see only need a few days/weeks of treatment with the change to wet low carb. Dry is that bad! And some cats are over 100 points higher at the vet due to stress.

As Teresa said, you could change to all wet and stop the insulin for a few cycles, testing to see how he does. Then add it back in as low a dose as he needs.
 
Mr. Tom & sweet Curt,
My sugar Bean is one of "those" that only needed insulin for a short bit...can view her spreadsheet if you would like. I am too sure she possibly would have gone into remission earlier if I was home testing... But besides the point, she is now and that is cuz I was home testing...
If he is diet controlled, that is wonderful news. But, he will always be diet controlled...no more high carbs...ever! My Bean pretty much stays in the 40ish range, but I am not afraid of hypo cuz she is not receiving insulin any longer.
Paws crossed for you and Curt to become diet controlled!
Keep us posted & great job :smile:
 
No, he was in remission after only 6 months of diet change and PZI. But he was pretty old - 16 at that time and died a year later of heart disease.
 
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