Thanks for advice and support, keep it up

[CandyH & Catcat]

beginner's luck, and thanks for all the hints, tips, information, and encouragement -- just did the first PM pre feed blood test -- on the first try !!!! --- the fingernail hint worked a treat since Catcat, though he likes his ears rubbed, does not like them being held nor anything held against them -- number on the ReliOn Prime (thanks also for the recommendations) was 367, which means as soon as he finishes eating, he gets the prescribed 2 units of Vetsulin -- that pretty much confirms his diagnosis even though he's been on low-carb wet food and getting the insulin since Monday (diagnosis day) --- not sure if I will be able to get a post-injection (+2 ?) test before bedtime tonight -- thank goodness lancets do not expire, as I had some Accu-check Softclix ones left over from hubby using them 15 years ago or so, and it worked a treat, hand held (no device) with just a gentle milk towards my thumbnail after I pricked his ear, he hardly bled at all and it was just enough to trigger the result -- he wasn't real happy until I opened the Merrick Surf&Turf Pate, as soon as I could -- now he's chowing down and I'm letting the shakes drain out of MY body ... while he has been looking much happier and perkier and purring as he drapes his paws over my left arm and cuddles close

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

beginner's luck, and thanks for all the hints, tips, information, and encouragement -- just did the first PM pre feed blood test -- on the first try !!!! --- the fingernail hint worked a treat since Catcat, though he likes his ears rubbed, does not like them being held nor anything held against them -- not sure if I will be able to get a post-injection (+2 ?) test before bedtime tonight --

(big sigh) yes, beginner's luck -- no AM preshot test, got the blood but cat struggled and ear hair wicked it away so not enough on my nail nor on the strip applied to the ear, then Catcat yowled and struggled as I poised to give the insulin after he ate, HOPE I got it in him okay but not sure (fur wasn't wet, I didn't stick myself); not so sure now that I can get a home-curve done soon to save the $ and stress if the vet does one

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

It's tricky. It gets easier with time and practice. It's okay if you aren't able to sometimes, you can learn from the experience so it is still valuable!

Dont feel like there is pressure to be perfect out the gate. Grab another test later mid-cycle if you can and that's just more data in your pocket.

Testing before shots is important for a number of reasons, and one of the most serious ones is so you can avoid giving a shot when your cat is at risk of hypoglycemia.

But you're also just starting out on this so dont be hard on yourself! Its frustrating for us all at times.

I dont know what you were previously advised on dosing without a PS number, and I'm not condoning shooting without a PS number, but I just wanted to say you're doing great! The easiest times I had getting blood have been when my cat was too sick and weak to protest. I know kitty is cranky about getting his ear poked, but that's awesome he's well enough at least to argue about it.

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

It's tricky. It gets easier with time and practice. It's okay if you aren't able to sometimes, you can learn from the experience so it is still valuable!

Dont feel like there is pressure to be perfect out the gate. Grab another test later mid-cycle if you can and that's just more data in your pocket.

Testing before shots is important for a number of reasons, and one of the most serious ones is so you can avoid giving a shot when your cat is at risk of hypoglycemia.

But you're also just starting out on this so dont be hard on yourself! Its frustrating for us all at times.

I dont know what you were previously advised on dosing without a PS number, and I'm not condoning shooting without a PS number, but I just wanted to say you're doing great! The easiest times I had getting blood have been when my cat was too sick and weak to protest. I know kitty is cranky about getting his ear poked, but that's awesome he's well enough at least to argue about it.

will see what the vet (new one, recommended by many in the area) says Monday afternoon -- she wants to do a curve in-house even if I can get one done before then; initially she wanted to see and check him tomorrow (4 days after diagnosis) but after phone call yesterday prefers a week-after-diagnosis curve; he seemed only minimally stressed after a few minutes at vet, elected to come out of carrier and look around by himself, curled up beside me on the couch (usual habit at home) and purred; despite being several pounds under normal weight he is active, up and down the stairs between the three levels of our house and out with me to the barn at the back edge of our acre property when I took food out for the barn cats (ferals -- yes, altered, vaccinated, and microchipped) -- cranky is understating it a bit, he's not a biter but I was hissed at, growled at, spit at, yowled at, swatted with paws (I keep front nails clipped), luckily had a good pinch hold on him to "tent" or he'd have been down the stairs and behind the dryer, probably -- he seems otherwise pretty happy, drinks water but no longer excessively, is using the litter box back to "normal" more or less, loves food and begs and begs (vet said okay for him to graze all day since he's pounds underweight, but I'm overriding that and putting down only 1/4 of a can of FF pate every 2 to 3 hours, with enough water added to make it chunky gravy, and he scarfs that up immediately) -- he may be a sick cookie (367 preshot on human meter is NOT normal!) but isn't acting like it

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

Regarding food and weight: what was his healthy weight and how much has he lost?

Every Cat Is Different, but it is often the case that a diabetic cat will not utilize the nutrition from their food as well and they may need more than "normal"...

There's a link somewhere about feeding....

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/feed-kitty-as-much-as-they-want.205171/

Here it is.

It sounds like you're off to a good start! Keep checking in on the site and there is so much information and support!

Best wishes to Catcat and his recovery! (Cuuute name too. )

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

Regarding food and weight: what was his healthy weight and how much has he lost?

Every Cat Is Different, but it is often the case that a diabetic cat will not utilize the nutrition from their food as well and they may need more than "normal"...

There's a link somewhere about feeding....

not sure what his "normal" weight should be -- I never weighed him before this, would guess 16# would be close -- but with his flanks caved in, and every vertebra knob visible through skin and fur -- even so, I was shocked to see 10# on the vet scale, for a sturdy-framed mature neutered tom -- that's what my delicate little female Korat weighed ... so it's no wonder he is begging and begging and meowing for food, particularly since he loves the wet food, and I add water and mash it so it's easier for him to lick up -- as long as I've known him, he hasn't been able to curl his tongue as most cats do; when he drinks water he splashes it up all over his face and out of the water dish, we've been known to call him Chief Rain in the Face

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/feed-kitty-as-much-as-they-want.205171/

Here it is.

It sounds like you're off to a good start! Keep checking in on the site and there is so much information and support!

Best wishes to Catcat and his recovery! (Cuuute name too. )

thanks for the link, I think I'd read that before, and of course it makes sense, that's why I overrode the vet's advice to allow Catcat to graze all day; I also noticed several postings suggesting the inbetween snacks be given primarily during the first 6 hours or so if cat is on Vetsulin, my feeling is, that might alleviate any hypo crashes until I can regularly test his blood, at this point he fights me and even if I can get the lancet poking him, I've only gotten sufficient blood once, and I think that time I might have caught the edge of the vein .. the red mark is still there .. twice now, not enough blood for the meter to register -- it's hard to prick kitty and restrain him while trying to remove a test strip from vial, get it into the meter, get a sufficient drop welling, and get the blood oozing onto strip before meter shuts off -- oh, his name? he refused to respond to either of the names his former owners used, but when I said "oh, come on, cat cat", (normal owner to cat speak), his ears pricked up, he looked at me and acknowledged -- and he comes when I call

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

Lol I love that about his name. My Alice's bio mom was a half-feral cat my mother fed and just called Kitty.

Okay I have a routine. Some of it is made easier because Alice is recovering from DKA and I am rearranging and cleaning so she stays in the bathroom for now, that just makes the "capture" and organization a little simpler.
But anyway, I get all my supplies out, I put my strip into the meter almost all the way, but I dont stick it in far enough to turn it on until I am almost ready to get that blood. I keep it very close so I am ready fast. This will buy you time on that. I've had it shut off on me before too. I've gotten a good sample before then had her shake her head and shake off the blood.

I got great advice when someone told me the blood flows downward from the tip, so if I press my finger below the pricked spot, more blood will pool out.

And bruises: I tear a cotton ball in half then hold it for a few seconds and press firmly but gently enough on her ear. This should give her a chance to clot more quickly before the blood pools in her ear and creates a hematoma.

The more you practice, the more you'll figure out the right routine. You can study it but will still have a trial and error process, and that's okay!

Vetsulin is usually a bit shorter acting so it will be good when you have more BG numbers. Alice was on a similarly-timed, shorter-lasting insulin before and it did not cover her for a full 12 hours. But again, ECID!

Keep plugging along and know it's for the greater good. =^.^=

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

not sure what his "normal" weight should be -- I never weighed him before this, would guess 16# would be close -- but with his flanks caved in, and every vertebra knob visible through skin and fur -- even so, I was shocked to see 10# on the vet scale, for a sturdy-framed mature neutered tom -- that's what my delicate little female Korat weighed ... so it's no wonder he is begging and begging and meowing for food, particularly since he loves the wet food, and I add water and mash it so it's easier for him to lick up -- as long as I've known him, he hasn't been able to curl his tongue as most cats do; when he drinks water he splashes it up all over his face and out of the water dish, we've been known to call him Chief Rain in the Face

Oh poor baby! Alice has been similar. A terrifyingly bad feed-the-children-commercial level of emaciated that broke my heart. Changing her insulin has helped. So hopefully Catcat will do well with some insulin finally in his system.
Fancy Feast, feeding the 3oz cans? How many cans a day total is he getting? Curious about his total calories.

 

[Jasper Blue and Jay]

On the Prime meter... can't you just hit the button to turn it back on?

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

On the Prime meter... can't you just hit the button to turn it back on?

I wonder if there's a button on my freestyle lite that does that!

 

[Jasper Blue and Jay]

I wonder if there's a button on my freestyle lite that does that!

The ones I've been using are both Premier, one is called "Compact" and the other is called "Voice" and luckily all I have to do if it times out before I'm ready is hit the power button.

What happens if you just turn it back on if it times out?

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

Oh poor baby! Alice has been similar. A terrifyingly bad feed-the-children-commercial level of emaciated that broke my heart. Changing her insulin has helped. So hopefully Catcat will do well with some insulin finally in his system.
Fancy Feast, feeding the 3oz cans? How many cans a day total is he getting? Curious about his total calories.

vet sent 4 cans of Purina DM home with him (no they weren't free though she did give a senior discount), but I wasn't overjoyed to read "soy protein isolate" nor "oat hulls" on the ingredient list, so went shopping, independent farm & pet supply first because I like to buy local if I can, then Walmart and Del's/Tractor Supply .. so he's been getting the 5.5 oz DM every morning (when he's hungriest) and a 5.5 oz can of whatever lowcarb wet food I found initially (Wellness, Blue Wilderness, Merrick) in the evening, with several spoonfuls of Fancy Feast pate when the yowling becomes unbearable or he climbs the cabinet drawers to get to the counter .. about every 2 hours or so -- I tend to hypoglycemia myself, at risk for diabetes (A1C still barely into prediabetic range) and know that frequent small noshes make life easier -- Catcat's backbone appears to be just slightly more padded, he no longer hangs around the big water dish all day, he's stopped urinating or dripping where he shouldn't (I should have bought stock in Nature's Miracle ! ) -- we will see, it was a big change from free-fed Nutro MaxCat dry food to all low-carb canned, but he loves it, no fussiness yet though he did leave some of the Merrick behind for a couple of hours until he came back to polish it off, everything else he inhaled

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

On the Prime meter... can't you just hit the button to turn it back on?

will have to check to see if that might work when I already have the test strip fully inserted -- I was thinking you need to restrict the test strips from ambient air, open the vial and remove quickly, then insert into meter quickly, the product info guide makes such a point of reclosing the vial without delay, so was waiting to retrieve strip until after I had blood drop nearly ready to touch to it, difficult to juggle all that particularly when cat was doing everything to fight to get away; would be great if it works as you say, would have saved me a couple of strips, even the cheap ones are "dear" as far as I'm concerned

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

I've used a Prime.....it's not so delicate that you have to worry about the strip being exposed to air for a few minutes.

Just put the strip part way into the meter (but not enough to "activate" it)…...when you get your blood droplet, push it in the rest of the way and touch it to the blood

If it times out on you anyway, just take the strip out and put it back in (as long as it's still totally clean, it'll work)

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

@CandyH my vet had me try Alice out on purina DM at first too. She hated it and I agree about the ingredients. Miss Meowliss (Alice) has tummy troubles with various foods. So all that extra stuff that makes the food cheaper makes her worse!
My rough total calorie estimate is maybe 400ish then? My FF flavor is the chicken and liver pate and one can is 96 calories, one DM can is 176, and one friskies 4% carbs 5.5oz can is 183 (I dont have your random cans to check lol)....

Alice could probably eat just as much at barely 5lbs. Lol.

Anyway that sounds pretty good where you're at on his food too!

Google says "The average indoor cat shouldhave 20 calories per pound to maintain weight. The average outdoor only cat should have 35calories per pound to maintain weight. Indoor/outdoor cats are somewhere in between. o If your indoor cat weighs 10 pounds, then they should be eating approximately 200 calories perday."
But for gaining and because of the diabetes that would be different of course.

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

@Chris & China (GA) a much clearer explanation than I could give! =^.^=

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

Probably not needed, but since I was just doing a +4 anyway, this is my step-by-step strip insertion. Lol.

I dont push the tip in (pic 3) until I've got my lancet open and ready, and Alice is where I want her, sitting, warmed ear, and calm. Then while I poke, it has a chance to get ready for that blood. (Pic 4)

Pic 2 is where I leave it right before I finish getting ready.

 

[Jasper Blue and Jay]

Oooo Im confused lol... the Premier collects the blood at the tip of the strip... so I never touch the tip....so wouldn't be able to easily take it out or push it back in...

What happens on those meters when you just turn it back on after it times out? Mine just tells me to collect the blood just like when I first put the strip in..

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

@CandyH do you have pics of Catcat?

This pic I just took shows the severe wasting on Alice, especially around her hind area.

(And it looks like my hand is holding her tightly, but it's not at all.)

Is Catcat like Alice?

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

Oooo Im confused lol... the Premier collects the blood at the tip of the strip... so I never touch the tip....so wouldn't be able to easily take it out or push it back in...

What happens on those meters when you just turn it back on after it times out? Mine just tells me to collect the blood just like when I first put the strip in..

I looked up a manual for mine and the ridiculous thing says to throw out the strip if it times out! And it cant be turned on or off except with the strip or memory button afaik.
If mine times out I pull the strip out and push it back in again. It just flashes the "feed me blood" thing again like in pic 4. (Careful not to touch the sides that sip the blood up, of course.)

 

[Jasper Blue and Jay]

I looked up a manual for mine and the ridiculous thing says to throw out the strip if it times out! And it cant be turned on or off except with the strip or memory button afaik.
If mine times out I pull the strip out and push it back in again. It just flashes the "feed me blood" thing again like in pic 4. (Careful not to touch the sides that sip the blood up, of course.)

Wow! Good to know! This one just lets you hit the on/off button if it times out! Easy peasy!
I'm going to have to pay attention to what the Prime does cause been answering people asking about which meter to get.

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

@CandyH do you have pics of Catcat?

This pic I just took shows the severe wasting on Alice, especially around her hind area.

(And it looks like my hand is holding her tightly, but it's not at all.)

Is Catcat like Alice?

with all that's going on (am sure you understand LOL), I haven't had time to dig out my camera and then the patch cord to connect to computer, no smartphone and hubby's iPad is not working correctly, was just startled and upset when we returned from trip and saw Catcat looking like a cannonball had hit him amidships; at first I thought "tapeworm" (fairly common in our area, all of my cats have had to be dosed occasionally, they've always been primarily indoor cats but go outside to use litterbox or nice soft fir-needle piles in the adjoining forest or side-property-line, and most have had Siamese or Oriental genes = hunters) -- so, Catcat appears even more emaciated than your beauty, mostly because he's a bigger sturdier cat; many males with some Oriental genes become fairly sturdy, though not up to the Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest Cat class -- and he also has the rear-torso dandruff and sensitive skin problem ("don't touch me there" -- swat !) so he hasn't been grooming himself as much and he has clumps of loose winter-fur sticking out, which I'm gently grooming away even if he hates it

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

Oooo Im confused lol... the Premier collects the blood at the tip of the strip... so I never touch the tip....so wouldn't be able to easily take it out or push it back in...

What happens on those meters when you just turn it back on after it times out? Mine just tells me to collect the blood just like when I first put the strip in..

I guess I'll have to do a practical test for this if it happens again, the Prime manual doesn't say anything about that, other than to state that you should discard the test strip if meter doesn't count down or turns off -- since the blood is collected at the end of the strip, and that's where you push it to insert it (harder to insert into meter than to push credit card into POS machine), it's awkward for me to insert it only partway, I was protecting end of test strip from my fingers (perspiration, possible contamination) by holding cotton ball against it to push it in, had no luck holding the sides of the strip for insertion

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

I guess I'll have to do a practical test for this if it happens again, the Prime manual doesn't say anything about that, other than to state that you should discard the test strip if meter doesn't count down or turns off -- since the blood is collected at the end of the strip, and that's where you push it to insert it (harder to insert into meter than to push credit card into POS machine), it's awkward for me to insert it only partway, I was protecting end of test strip from my fingers (perspiration, possible contamination) by holding cotton ball against it to push it in, had no luck holding the sides of the strip for insertion

My freestyle strips are much easier to hold because I can touch the white parts of the strip a bit. I don't know if you have the means to change meters, but perhaps a new post with questions about the strips, and any difficulties or limitations you have, might yield some helpful feedback!



To your last response to me, no worries, cats get tapeworms sometimes. No judgment.
Alice was skinnier too. Your poor baby. No rush or necessity on kitty photos. Life is stressful and we all know that. I am truly hoping insulin will bring him back for you.

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

My freestyle strips are much easier to hold because I can touch the white parts of the strip a bit. I don't know if you have the means to change meters, but perhaps a new post with questions about the strips, and any difficulties or limitations you have, might yield some helpful feedback!



To your last response to me, no worries, cats get tapeworms sometimes. No judgment.
Alice was skinnier too. Your poor baby. No rush or necessity on kitty photos. Life is stressful and we all know that. I am truly hoping insulin will bring him back for you.

I do have a Freestyle Lite meter left over from when hubby was trying out checking blood glucose, before he went more or less into remission (his A1C is about the same as mine, shows as prediabetes on Kaiser's scale) -- and I bought a new 2032 battery in case I wanted to use it, but am not sure the Freestyle Neo strips work in a model from, possibly 2006 ... I read somewhere it's wise to replace meters every 2 years (I assume that means for those used daily) .. and of course those strips are considerably more expensive than the ReliOn ones -- or I read somewhere that it can take alternate strips which need to be ordered online (I dislike putting card numbers on computer, once upon a time had a keystroke logger, those are hard to detect)

 

[Jasper Blue and Jay]

I guess I'll have to do a practical test for this if it happens again, the Prime manual doesn't say anything about that, other than to state that you should discard the test strip if meter doesn't count down or turns off -- since the blood is collected at the end of the strip, and that's where you push it to insert it (harder to insert into meter than to push credit card into POS machine), it's awkward for me to insert it only partway, I was protecting end of test strip from my fingers (perspiration, possible contamination) by holding cotton ball against it to push it in, had no luck holding the sides of the strip for insertion

You actually read the manual! I always admired people who do that!
I have a hard time putting the strip in in the first place cause I'm afraid to touch the part that collects blood and afraid to touch the part that the meter reads...so I hold it sideways on the middle which makes it awkward to slide in , I was just saying yesterday, I don't know how people with bigger fingers do this cause I've dropped a couple.

So I can't imagine having to wrangle a cat WHILE doing all that!

I have everything all set up before I even get the cat! lol

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

You actually read the manual! I always admired people who do that!
I have a hard time putting the strip in in the first place cause I'm afraid to touch the part that collects blood and afraid to touch the part that the meter reads...so I hold it sideways on the middle which makes it awkward to slide in , I was just saying yesterday, I don't know how people with bigger fingers do this cause I've dropped a couple.

So I can't imagine having to wrangle a cat WHILE doing all that!

I have everything all set up before I even get the cat! lol

LOL - I had to read at least part of the manual, to set the date and time when I first turned it on -- I had just scanned through it then, pulled it out and re-read it carefully to see what to do about the strips and the turn-off .. says the turn off period supposed to be 2 minutes after strip insertion but believe me, it felt like a MUCH MUCH shorter time when I was crouching there, all adrenalined-up and trying to soothe panicked cat! whose blood was not getting "sipped" in correctly, I think it ought to take triplets to get it all done the first few times, crossing fingers that Catcat will mellow out though so far he's been getting crazier each time

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

You actually read the manual! I always admired people who do that!
I have a hard time putting the strip in in the first place cause I'm afraid to touch the part that collects blood and afraid to touch the part that the meter reads...so I hold it sideways on the middle which makes it awkward to slide in , I was just saying yesterday, I don't know how people with bigger fingers do this cause I've dropped a couple.

So I can't imagine having to wrangle a cat WHILE doing all that!

I have everything all set up before I even get the cat! lol

I've got very small fingers, but was using a cotton ball to push it in and it kept jamming and hanging up, and it DOES NOT HELP that I have a long standing needle phobia, and the smell of isopropyl alcohol alone will trigger that; my mother blamed a clumsy nurse from when I was a child, but they did a hypnotic regression to find out, and it turned out to be my paternal grandmother laughing at me and shaming me when I cried after a vaccination .. I would have been only about 2 years old at the time .. in many ways she was a "witch with a B"

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

smell of isopropyl alcohol alone will trigger that

You really don't need to use alcohol …..especially if it would make it less stressful for you

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

You really don't need to use alcohol …..especially if it would make it less stressful for you

(huge sigh) -- vet was quite specific when instructing how to draw insulin, put alcohol on cotton ball then hold against rubber top of vial while shaking for 30 sec minimum, I've thought about asking her if I could use hexylresorcinol instead, doesn't smell, doesn't sting, primarily used now as an antibiotic wash for the mouth since a few people had skin reactions to it when it was in more general use (pre Bactine, pre Neosporin) .. but I take it with me when I need vaccinations or blood draws (or ear piercing) since it .. doesn't sting, doesn't smell, doesn't make eyes water .. and may in fact be more effective than alcohol

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

Very few (if any) of us old-timers bother with "sterilizing" the rubber stopper. The needle is sterile so there's really just no need

 

[Jasper Blue and Jay]

I've got very small fingers, but was using a cotton ball to push it in and it kept jamming and hanging up, and it DOES NOT HELP that I have a long standing needle phobia, and the smell of isopropyl alcohol alone will trigger that; my mother blamed a clumsy nurse from when I was a child, but they did a hypnotic regression to find out, and it turned out to be my paternal grandmother laughing at me and shaming me when I cried after a vaccination .. I would have been only about 2 years old at the time .. in many ways she was a "witch with a B"

Oh wow! That's interesting!


I was starting to wonder about using alcohol for their ears but yeah I think the smell and the extra step would just slow us down and I never see anyone use it here or in the youtube videos.

Then again with prozinc we're not supposed to shake the vial so I never have to touch the top, cause I'm paranoid about that. (I saw a photo someone was showing their vial and had their finger on top of the rubber stopper and my ocd flared up! lol)

I almost passed out when they handed me the needle to practice in the vets office, I had to sit down and drink some water while my wife practiced...lol I couldn't even do the practice shot in the office I was still so shaky and felt confident I would be able to do it at home without an audience lol and if not my wife could do it til I learned. But the first time I did it was easy peasy so I was able to get past it and I just stopped thinking about the needle as a needle at all... especially when I see how he barely notices it at all...actually he doesn't seem to notice the needle itself at all, just the weirdness of me lurking behind him while he's eating and grabbing his fur lol!

It's awesome you were able to conquer such a traumatic association with needles, the things we do for our babies!

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

Oh wow! That's interesting!


I was starting to wonder about using alcohol for their ears but yeah I think the smell and the extra step would just slow us down and I never see anyone use it here or in the youtube videos.

Then again with prozinc we're not supposed to shake the vial so I never have to touch the top, cause I'm paranoid about that. (I saw a photo someone was showing their vial and had their finger on top of the rubber stopper and my ocd flared up! lol)

I almost passed out when they handed me the needle to practice in the vets office, I had to sit down and drink some water while my wife practiced...lol I couldn't even do the practice shot in the office I was still so shaky and felt confident I would be able to do it at home without an audience lol and if not my wife could do it til I learned. But the first time I did it was easy peasy so I was able to get past it and I just stopped thinking about the needle as a needle at all... especially when I see how he barely notices it at all...actually he doesn't seem to notice the needle itself at all, just the weirdness of me lurking behind him while he's eating and grabbing his fur lol!

It's awesome you were able to conquer such a traumatic association with needles, the things we do for our babies!

yes, my mother, an RN from the old days when nurses did everything, tried several times over the years to desensitize me, but sticking a needle into an orange is a far cry from doing so to a living being; I thank medical research for Ativan when I need blood drawn myself, it puts me into twilight sleep and amnesia afterwards, so the phobia doesn't worsen over time; I managed to make a mind-association between lancet and blackberry brambles (those don't bother me though rose thorns do and so do mosquito bites), and years ago I had to learn how to give kittens their first "jabs" back when I was carefully breeding the cats I showed; however despite assurances that cats don't feel same pain when lanced or injected, Catcat howls in pain for each of those -- I've decided to go ahead and give the insulin while he's still eating, even though several have recommended delaying the injection half an hour after eating, when on Vetsulin -- since it doesn't seem to affect him as much then; if I could get at least a PM preshot test I would feel better about supplying insulin right away -- oh well, he's scheduled for a curve at the vets on Monday, hubby found enough $ so we could have that done at least -- and I'll be getting lentils at the food bank tomorrow, to fill the alternate litter box so we can test for ketones (they occasionally have canned cat food there, and last week they gave me a can of Nature's Variety Instinct GF rabbit pate which does have peas and carrots as 6th and 7ths ingredients but according to the food chart it's only 3% carbs)

 

[Jasper Blue and Jay]

yes, my mother, an RN from the old days when nurses did everything, tried several times over the years to desensitize me, but sticking a needle into an orange is a far cry from doing so to a living being; I thank medical research for Ativan when I need blood drawn myself, it puts me into twilight sleep and amnesia afterwards, so the phobia doesn't worsen over time; I managed to make a mind-association between lancet and blackberry brambles (those don't bother me though rose thorns do and so do mosquito bites), and years ago I had to learn how to give kittens their first "jabs" back when I was carefully breeding the cats I showed; however despite assurances that cats don't feel same pain when lanced or injected, Catcat howls in pain for each of those -- I've decided to go ahead and give the insulin while he's still eating, even though several have recommended delaying the injection half an hour after eating, when on Vetsulin -- since it doesn't seem to affect him as much then; if I could get at least a PM preshot test I would feel better about supplying insulin right away -- oh well, he's scheduled for a curve at the vets on Monday, hubby found enough $ so we could have that done at least -- and I'll be getting lentils at the food bank tomorrow, to fill the alternate litter box so we can test for ketones (they occasionally have canned cat food there, and last week they gave me a can of Nature's Variety Instinct GF rabbit pate which does have peas and carrots as 6th and 7ths ingredients but according to the food chart it's only 3% carbs)

Aww I wonder if the gauge of the syringe is too big?

I've been thinking about trying different syringes but have to research if the gauge is different.

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

Aww I wonder if the gauge of the syringe is too big?

I've been thinking about trying different syringes but have to research if the gauge is different.

package says they are 29 gauge (Vet One brand) but next to my Delica lancets, which I think are 31 gauge, to me they look the same, definitely thinner than the Softclix lancets which are 28s -- when I reorder I plan to get the ones that Janet recommended, I think I'm going to need the half-unit markings and the wider spaced markings due to the smaller inside diameter of those, should be more nearly accurate (have to use strong reading glasses, senior division)

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

another preshot test not accomplished; since Catcat has been nothing but a prowly-growly all day, I tried to get things going while he was snarfing up his evening meal (I tried out Special Kitty turkey & giblets, you should have heard the "iwantit iwantit iwantitnowwwww" meows as I added some water and mushed it up) -- got the prick on the ear, got a nice blood drop, but the %^& test strip wouldn't "sip" the blood and I got a E13 "not enough blood" error message on meter though there was plenty there to draw from; so since I was at it and he hadn't hissed nor growled, I went ahead and shot the insulin since he'd already eaten most of the 4 ounce portion I put down, and that went in smoothly with no more than a pause and a little grunt -- and he kept on eating, cleaned it all up, licked the spoon and fork shining clean -- and meowed for more -- he seems to be adding a little bit of padding to his backbone and his rear torso hair looks shinier, feels silkier, though the dandruff is as bad as ever or perhaps worse, and he does NOT want that area touched

 

[Amina&M'row]

M'row had a ReLion Prime. It occasionally times out before I can put the end of the strip to the blood. Then, I just pull the strip out and push it in again. I've never been careful about touching the strip anywhere except at the end which sucks up the blood. And agree with everyone about alcohol on ear not needed; maybe even a bad idea, as maybe alcohol in fur could dilute blood, giving a false reading? Anyway, you're doing great to keep at it; this does get easier!

 

[Amina&M'row]

Forgot to mention: our routine is to check blood glucose, then inject insulin, then feed. After a while M'row figured out that the food didn't show up until after the pokes!

 

[Joyce and Kallie]

Hmmm. I just got back from seeing a new veterinarian because the one that diagnosed my cat a few days ago was overwhelming and didn’t care for my input. Anyway, this new veterinarian was SHOCKED that I am testing Kallie’s BG and that I would ever do such a thing! I don’t know what to do. Does this veterinarian really know how to treat a diabetic cat?

 

[Jasper Blue and Jay]

Hmmm. I just got back from seeing a new veterinarian because the one that diagnosed my cat a few days ago was overwhelming and didn’t care for my input. Anyway, this new veterinarian was SHOCKED that I am testing Kallie’s BG and that I would ever do such a thing! I don’t know what to do. Does this veterinarian really know how to treat a diabetic cat?

Ha, it's not just them, lol, seems to be a lot of them are surprised we are capable! lol Our vet was surprised by a lot of stuff all around but when I took out the meter and tested him right in front of her like it was nothing she was really surprised and she said she was very surprised how accurate it was.

 

[Mrs.Peck]

Hmmm. I just got back from seeing a new veterinarian because the one that diagnosed my cat a few days ago was overwhelming and didn’t care for my input. Anyway, this new veterinarian was SHOCKED that I am testing Kallie’s BG and that I would ever do such a thing! I don’t know what to do. Does this veterinarian really know how to treat a diabetic cat?

I'm fairly new to this whole thing too, but what I've quickly realized is that most vets seem to have very little experience with and knowledge of diabetic cats. I don't mean this as anything negative towards vets. I feel like they get very little education in it and most seem like they see very few patients with the disease. I truly think most are doing the best they can with the knowledge they have. It can be difficult as a professional to realize that maybe you need help and need to do additional research and change what you've been doing for years. I love my vet, she can be kind of gruff but she's normally fantastic at what she does. However, when my cat was diagnosed she put him on prescription food and never even suggested home testing. I had no idea about a lot until I found this site. It's very difficult to find a vet with experience and who is on the same page about home testing! It can be very discouraging and frustrating! Sometimes I feel like we just have to keep on keeping on and do what is best for our fur babies and sometimes that's acknowledging that maybe you or someone else is more knowledgeable at this moment about diabetic cat treatment than your vet. It's not easy to do!

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

M'row had a ReLion Prime. It occasionally times out before I can put the end of the strip to the blood. Then, I just pull the strip out and push it in again. I've never been careful about touching the strip anywhere except at the end which sucks up the blood. And agree with everyone about alcohol on ear not needed; maybe even a bad idea, as maybe alcohol in fur could dilute blood, giving a false reading? Anyway, you're doing great to keep at it; this does get easier!

oh, alcohol not on ear, horrors !!!, stings me like crazy, would not do that to Catcat; alcohol on cotton ball to wipe the rubber top of the insulin vial, I can see that it might not be that crucial since I wash hands before pulling vial out of packaging, carefully refrain from getting fingers on the top of the vial, handle it only by sides, then as Chris says, the needle is sterile

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

Forgot to mention: our routine is to check blood glucose, then inject insulin, then feed. After a while M'row figured out that the food didn't show up until after the pokes!

had an AHA minute this morning, doubt that there would be much variance of pre-shot test if cat had eaten only a few mouthfuls, and when I tried to get that last eve, not much reaction from Catcat, he was too busy; will try it again -- and as far as the recommendation to delay the insulin for a half hour or so when cat's on Vetsulin, I thought, why not feed two half-servings a half hour apart, shoot while he's eating the second batch -- alternatively, give him more than just a snack a half hour after his main meal, he would happily eat three times as much as "prescribed", rarely does he leave anything, bowl and spoon licked clean, except for the Merrick pate which he didn't seem to like as much

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

had an AHA minute this morning, doubt that there would be much variance of pre-shot test if cat had eaten only a few mouthfuls, and when I tried to get that last eve, not much reaction from Catcat, he was too busy; will try it again -- and as far as the recommendation to delay the insulin for a half hour or so when cat's on Vetsulin, I thought, why not feed two half-servings a half hour apart, shoot while he's eating the second batch -- alternatively, give him more than just a snack a half hour after his main meal, he would happily eat three times as much as "prescribed", rarely does he leave anything, bowl and spoon licked clean, except for the Merrick pate which he didn't seem to like as much

I'm gonna say, let him eat!

He's underweight. He is diabetic. So he needs extra food.

You just want your pre-shot number to not be muddled by food intake over the past two hours so you can be confident it is safe to shoot. I don't think a bite while testing takes instant sugar action, but I might err on the side of cautiously using the lowest carb choice you have available.

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

took me awhile, but I just got a second PM preshot (+11) 218 on the Prime ... tomorrow he goes to vet for a curve, will see what her results show, but I'm guessing that the food change has made a HUGE difference in the last 4 days, he's getting his post test treat snack (actually the first half of his PM feeding) and I'll feed the second half and shoot the insulin in 45 minutes or so, since the advice to get food into him roughly half an hour before shooting with Vetsulin, makes good sense to me, since I've dealt similarly with my own prediabetes tendency to hypoglycemia ... if I eat the protein and fat first, I can then eat veggie carbs or dessert afterwards without getting symptoms -- given the advice here on the board, if I was managing his diabetes myself, I'd be tempted to reduce insulin to 1 unit, but since the vet will evaluate first thing in the morning (before his normal AM feed), I'm sticking to her protocol just for today, and will show her my two paltry test results -- Catcat's ears are learning to bleed better (or else I was lucky to hit the same spot two days in a row even though yesterday's was zilch) but to ease some of the stress, I bought the very last Confirm in this area, this morning at Walmart, am sure the smaller test amount will be a relief both to me and to Catcat (next time I test, I may check the drop with both meters, just to see ... )

 

[Jasper Blue and Jay]

took me awhile, but I just got a second PM preshot (+11) 218 on the Prime ... tomorrow he goes to vet for a curve, will see what her results show, but I'm guessing that the food change has made a HUGE difference in the last 4 days, he's getting his post test treat snack (actually the first half of his PM feeding) and I'll feed the second half and shoot the insulin in 45 minutes or so, since the advice to get food into him roughly half an hour before shooting with Vetsulin, makes good sense to me, since I've dealt similarly with my own prediabetes tendency to hypoglycemia ... if I eat the protein and fat first, I can then eat veggie carbs or dessert afterwards without getting symptoms -- given the advice here on the board, if I was managing his diabetes myself, I'd be tempted to reduce insulin to 1 unit, but since the vet will evaluate first thing in the morning (before his normal AM feed), I'm sticking to her protocol just for today, and will show her my two paltry test results -- Catcat's ears are learning to bleed better (or else I was lucky to hit the same spot two days in a row even though yesterday's was zilch) but to ease some of the stress, I bought the very last Confirm in this area, this morning at Walmart, am sure the smaller test amount will be a relief both to me and to Catcat (next time I test, I may check the drop with both meters, just to see ... )

Same! I figured that out that hard way, lol, if I eat something too sugary or carby for my first meal of the day my day is ruined.

Good job getting the preshot! Don't be discouraged if the vets numbers are much higher from the stress of being poked and prodded at the vet.

Good luck, CatCat you're doing great!

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

Same! I figured that out that hard way, lol, if I eat something too sugary or carby for my first meal of the day my day is ruined.

Good job getting the preshot! Don't be discouraged if the vets numbers are much higher from the stress of being poked and prodded at the vet.

Good luck, CatCat you're doing great!

thank you, thank you, the support has been so important to me, like nearly everyone faced with that diagnosis (hey, this hit me harder than when I got my own cancer diagnosis 6 years ago) -- stress, worry, sympathetic cringing, frustration that I can't make it better NOW, and having to fight with my emotional support animal and cuddle bug, less vitamin P (purr), and the intense desire to learn all I can to help

I imagine the vet's numbers won't match mine since she'll probably be using a pet meter and mine tests humans -- had to laugh, in putting away the syringe after the shot, I pricked myself, got a nice round blood droplet, so what the hey, shoved another test strip in the meter and got MY result (115, not bad since I'd already eaten half of my own dinner, LOL) .. now wouldn't it be great if Catcat's lancet ear prick produced as nice a drop as his smaller syringe needle did on the side of my palm (thumb side)-- I barely felt it, didn't think anything til I saw the blood well up

 

[Jasper Blue and Jay]

thank you, thank you, the support has been so important to me, like nearly everyone faced with that diagnosis (hey, this hit me harder than when I got my own cancer diagnosis 6 years ago) -- stress, worry, sympathetic cringing, frustration that I can't make it better NOW, and having to fight with my emotional support animal and cuddle bug, less vitamin P (purr), and the intense desire to learn all I can to help

I imagine the vet's numbers won't match mine since she'll probably be using a pet meter and mine tests humans -- had to laugh, in putting away the syringe after the shot, I pricked myself, got a nice round blood droplet, so what the hey, shoved another test strip in the meter and got MY result (115, not bad since I'd already eaten half of my own dinner, LOL) .. now wouldn't it be great if Catcat's lancet ear prick produced as nice a drop as his smaller syringe needle did on the side of my palm (thumb side)-- I barely felt it, didn't think anything til I saw the blood well up

LMAO! I did the same thing, early on I was scrambling to do everything in the right order and was rushing getting their food and cut myself on their can lid...so I tested myself! lol

Sorry to hear about the cancer dx, how are you doing now? The caregiver has to remember to take care of themselves even when the patient is a feline not a human!