Testing Time

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RoysMum

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When Phoebe came to visit she explained when Roy should be tested (why didn't I write that down!!!). Since I haven't been giving Roy any juice and his numbers are still within 2.2-6.6 I only check him once per day (yesterday 4.4). Some days I test before he eats and on some days it is after he eats also, should I be checking him more than once per day?
Would someone kindly advise me on when to test Roy, so that I can write it down.
Thank you.
 
Well I can only tell you how I tested Maxwell when he went off the juice. The first two weeks I tested him at what would have been his regular shot times twice a day. Then on his 14th day off the juice I did what is called a food trial. I tested him before I fed him, waited 2 hours and tested again to see if he would bring himself down with food, after that since he did bring himself down and was officially OTJ I tested him once a day at varying times for 2 more weeks, then once a week for a couple of weeks and now that he has been OTJ for a year I test him about twice a month.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
Beauregard has been 3 weeks without insulin, but I'm still trying to regulate a bit more with his diet so he's still getting a lot of tests. The numbers right after eating were a little uncomfortable for me, so I'm I'm trying to tweak his food and get him from 5-8% carbs to 3-5% carbs. An ideal day would be one before eating, one 15-60 minutes after eating (food processing starts, so blood sugar goes up), one 2 hours after eating (insulin production increases because of food) and then one somewhere between +2 and +10 (the surfing times). I haven't been able to do that very many days, but I'm getting some good data points to analyze.

Every kitty different though, so something else might be better for you and Roy.
 
Since I do not recall EXACTLY when I made the decision to take Roy off insulin (but it has been for more that a week), I think it would be prudent if I tested him before he eats and about 2 hours after just to be on the safe side for the forthcoming week; I hope they will be good as they have been thus far. I'll start the twice a day testing at regular times tomorrow. His reading was 4.5 this morning about 3 hours after he ate. I have been writing his numbers down on my desk pad piggly-wiggly, so I have set up a chart in word to keep track of all of this, since the spreadsheet available here is all in numbers I do not understand.
Thank you, Ladies.
Kindest regards.
 
If you know how to use Excel, I could send you a spreadsheet that will do the conversion and color coding. It does NOT work on Google documents yet so you wouldn't be able to upload and share it that way, but in Excel 2007 it works fine and would probably be easier than using Word (I think Word is possessed by demons from hell - I hate it!)
 
Your plan about testing before and after a meal is a good idea. It will assure you that his pancreas is functioning the way it is supposed to, by lowering the BG boost caused by his food.

During Bob's 2 week OTJ trial, I continued to check at "shot time" just in case he actually needed a shot. He didn't, but I figured that made sense. After that, I tested him just at random times 2 or 3 times a week. Then it because just once a week. Now it's every other week. I rely on my eyes to tell me if something changes. He's given me a number in the 60s every time I have tested in the past few weeks. He still loves to be tested too, which is great. He still gets a fresh shrimp or two after each ear poke. I think that's the real reason he looks forward to the ritual!

Carl
 
Karl, I go thru the tortures of the damned when I test Roy. One good thing is that I am well over the shaky hand thing. Oh gosh, that was terrible. I put a small amount of rice in a face cloth, warm it up and use that before the dreaded poke, but, as we all know, sometimes no matter how we try, no blood comes out. I stick with the 3 strike thing. Roy runs when he hears me put a lancet in the poker thing. I wrap him in his favorite - my bathrobe when I test him, but he squirms something fierce. I even give him kisses and a treat after the test. I hope it gets to the point where I only have to test him once per month.

Interesting observation: The other day when I was testing Roy, my big cat Mags (who is a gentle giant), jumped up on the desk and started hissing at me...I think it was his way of telling me to leave Roy alone.

Cats are smarter than we often give them credit for.

Fresh shrimp? I never thought of giving that to Roy as a poke treat.

Kindest regards.
 
Some folks find that using neomycin ointment (not cream) on the ear a few minutes before testing makes it more comfortable (less annoying) for the cat, especially if you need to make multiple pokes. It also helps any blood to bead up, making easier to collect on the strip.

Also, if you absolutely must (ex. on the 3rd attempt), you can aim for the peripheral vein on the edge of the ear. It is almost guaranteed to bleed well and you must clamp your finger on it for a minute or so after you've done the test or blood drops will be shaken all over the area and a large clot may form. As you get more proficient, you'll be able to move away from the visible vein.
 
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