When and how often to test?

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dirtybirdsoaps

dirtybirdsoaps

Member Since 2014
Newbie looking for information on testing.

Hidey (my 13 yr old male, yes male-he hides, not Heidi the little girl LOL) was diagnosed last Tuesday. Since Tuesday he's been getting 1 unit 2 x a day of prozinc. I will be testing with Alphatrak 2 and I just got it in today. When he did his curve last week my vet showed me how to test but she told me to test every so often. I love my vet, shes been so helpful, cares, and takes the time to actually explain things but is so educated in diabetes? Id assume I should be testing more often. How often does everyone test? I noticed also that everyone seems to test on the ear, but my vet told me his paw pad. Whats everyone's opinions on that. Pros, Cons for paw pad vs ear?

Thank you again for the tips and advice I've received here.
 
Test before each shot to help ensure that the cat is not too lost to shot. Periodically do cures, a BG every two hours or so. Also, periodically you take BG between shots at just to check that things are going OK. At the beginning you take more between shot tests.
 
Welcome to FDMB!

Paw tests may not be as hygienic due to walking around, litter box, etc. Ear testing doesn't hurt them and most barely notice after awhile. Just be sure to give a low carb treat every time! Mine like freeze dried chicken.

ProZinc dose is based on the nadir (5-7 hours after shot) so like Larry said, at first get as many as you can.

Testing can be stressful at first but it becomes old hat eventually. Let us know if you need help! And remember a treat for you too!!
 
Here are some tips on home-testing that might be helpful. As to frequency, I recommend at minimum three to four tests a day:
  • Always test pre-shot. With ProZinc, this will be twice a day, one in the AM and one in the PM. The pre-shot number lets you know if it's safe to give insulin and/or if the dose is too high/too low.
  • Mid-cycle test about 4-8 hours after the morning shot, when possible (sometimes I have to skip this test due to work). This lets you know how the insulin is working and if he's dropping too low on the dose and when his nadir might be (it can move from cycle to cycle).
  • Before-bed test. This lets you know where he might be headed overnight while you're asleep. If the number seems low, then you might want to set an alarm to wake yourself up in a couple of hours to test again or leave out some medium carb food, depending on the number.

Then, any additional tests you can get throughout the day/night and across the week help add data on how your cat reacts specifically to food, to insulin, to the environment, etc....

We have this handy spreadsheet that we all use that helps us keep track of the numbers. Here is some spreadsheet-specific terminology that might help with filling it out:
KPassa said:
Questions on understanding how to use the spreadsheet get asked a lot, so I thought I'd share a quick run-down of spreadsheet-specific terminology:
  • Fur shot: when the syringe needle pokes through almost like a sewing needle through fabric and it is unknown how much, if any, insulin actually made it inside the cat. Usually detected by wet fur or the smell of insulin (it smells like band-aids or scotch or antiseptic). IT IS ALWAYS ASSUMED THAT THE CAT GOT THE INSULIN AND YOU NEVER GIVE ANOTHER SHOT. It is always better to miss a shot than to give too much insulin.
  • AMS/PMS: morning (AM)/evening (PM) shot
  • AMPS/PMPS: morning pre-shot test/evening pre-shot test (it's assumed the shot is given within 15 minutes or less of this test).
  • +1, +2, +3...: How many hours after a shot, i.e. +1 would be one hour after their last PS (pre-shot) test
  • BG/BS: Blood Glucose or Blood Sugar (numbers). Usually used in relation to testing and dosing and what "level" or "point" the cat is at. Used in a sentence: "Michelangelo's BGs have been high so I've been increasing his dose."
  • AMBG/PMBG: morning/evening Blood Glucose. Used when no shot has been given at the regular shot time.
Click to expand...
 
Some cats are more accepting of having their paw pad poked. Some are ok with the ear. The bribes, errr I mean treats, like freeze dried chicken are one of the keys to testing. Warming up the ear with a rice sock or rubbing it or blowing on it with your breath to get the blood flowing is very helpful

When Wink was still getting insulin, I would always test him before the shot, and then, several times during the cycle to see how he was doing. I wanted to make sure he was high enough before he got any insulin, especially since I was also changing his diet to a low-carb canned diet.

In the beginning, you want to test a bit more to get an idea of the duration and the nadir or low of the insulin you are using for your cat. Since ECID (Every Cat is Different) this can vary.

The test before you shoot the insulin is called the pre-shot test. Ideally, this would be non-food influenced, with no food fed 2 hours prior to this particular test. The morning pre-shot test is also called the AMPS and the evening pre-shot test is called the PMPS.

Hope this is helpful.
 
Also I usually recommend 3-4 tests a day

- always before the shot - this is mandatory as you don't want to shoot when too low. As a newbie this too low number is 200 but is reduced over time once you have the data to know if its safe.
- mid cycle - 5-7 hours after morning shot depending on your schedule. This is to see how low the cat is going. The low point "nadir" is what you base dose changes on since you don't want her dropping too low (under 50).
- before bed (2-3hours after Pm shot) to get an idea of what the cats overnight plans are. If this number is less than the pre shot test number you may want to set the alarm for a test a few hours later as this implies an active cycle.
 
dirtybirdsoaps said:
... I will be testing with AlphaTrak 2 and I just got it in today. ...
Click to expand...

it is quite possible to use inexpensive human glucometers to do the blood testing. The WalMart ReliOn Confirm, Confirm Micro, and Prime all use small blood droplets and have inexpensive test strips, compared to the AlphaTrak 2.

Comparing a human glucometer to a pet-specific glucometer is like reading temperature in Celsius vs Fahrenheit. Both are correct. You just need to know the reference ranges to interpret what the numbers mean.

[Glucose reference ranges are unsubstantiated and have been removed by Moderator]


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *​

How to use the glucose reference values chart:

When you get a test, look for the number on the chart that either equals, or contains, the test value you have. Read the information. As needed, make a decision and act.

Ex. You are a new insulin user and you test your cat before giving insulin. The test is 300. It probably is safe to give insulin.

Ex. You are an established user of Lantus, following the Tight Regulation protocol. You've tested around +5 to +7 to spot the nadir. It is 200 mg/dL. You probably need to increase the dose, following the instructions for the protocol.

Ex. Your cat is acting funny. The eyes are a bit dilated. You are concerned and test the glucose. The number is 35 mg/dL. ACK! The cat may be in a hypoglycemic state. You quickly follow the HYPO protocol linked in the glucose reference values chart. (which we really, really, suggest you print out and post on your refrigerator.)
 
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