When to test?

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I think it is fine to skip tonight. It is better to have a cycle with higher numbers than give too much insulin. It may be that 1.5 is too much insulin on top of the really low numbers he probably had last night, and he may be having a really long cycle.

Tomorrow he is likely to be higher (after 24 hours the previous shot). But I would still be cautious with the dose - not 2.5, maybe not even 1.5.

Tell us about his not eating. What have you tried? (There are lots of tricks for reluctant eaters)

Easy touch should be okay. Have you tried it on yourself or your husband to see if it gives reasonable numbers for you?
 
okay I'm going to skip tonight he's eating like maybe three bites of the WD treats he's turning his nose up at wilderness can food and WD canned food and WD Dry food. he wants to eat my other catfood( I have 4 other indoor cats) instead of his or my dog food and the other cats are wanting to eat his foods.
 
Ok. I shared it with her like I did you yesterday on the other one. What else do I need to do? Or should I just share it with you and let you do it? LOL! I have email address this time.
 
Ijust tested myself and I don't think I'm getting enough blood from him because I got a good reading with my finger and then when I put less blood in it was a lower reading.
 
Dana, up at the top of the page, click on forum, then scroll down to the prozinc link, or the main feline health link, and at the top, right hand side, once you click on one of those forums, you should see a button that says post new thread.
 
what happens if you give him a shot after the 12. I just had to take a xanax myself I'm freaking out. omg. I'm so sorry I'm bothering you with this you guys are helping me out a lot
 
You got a reading you think is accurate and certainly high enough for insulin. Your 1.5 should be a good dose. I'd give both you and your kitty a treat and relax for a few hours. Before bed, get another test to make sure he is in a safe range.

With ProZinc, it is fine to give insulin 30 minutes late. No problem.
 
We were all overwhelmed and scared in the beginning and needed help. Feline diabetes treatment has a steep learning curve. You already are doing lots of things right. You are testing (a HUGE step toward keeping him safe) better lower carb food and a mild long lasting insulin. The more you learn, the more confident you will feel.

Everyone who has replied to your thread today is paying it forward for help they received. That's what we do and how the forum works.
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
We were all overwhelmed and scared in the beginning and needed help. Feline diabetes treatment has a steep learning curve. You already are doing lots of things right. You are testing (a HUGE step toward keeping him safe) better lower carb food and a mild long lasting insulin. The more you learn, the more confident you will feel.

Everyone who has replied to your thread today is paying it forward for help they received. That's what we do and how the forum works.
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you just brought tears to my eyes.I feel sorry for those cats out there that have this problem that the owners don't take it upon themselves or don't know that they could.So when should I give him his dose tomorrow if he needs one ?at 8 o'clock like tonight or could it be a little earlier before I go to work at like 730? tonight's dose was an hour and a half after this morning what kind of issues can that cause?
 
Dana, I'm sorry, I missed your messages. Storming here, so trying to catch up around the lightening. I think you mean tonight's dose was 1 1/2 hour after what it should have been, if you were going on 12 hour cycles? I'm not familiar with how prozinc works, so I will leave that to others. But you are doing great. and just remember to breath! And if you have to skip a dose because you aren't sure, better to be high for a while than too low!
 
It would be best if you could give the shot at least 11 hours after tonight's shot. I wouldn't shoot under 200. If you get a number near 200 but lower, wait 20 minutes without feeding and retest. You want to make sure the number is going up, not falling down. If you are unsure, start a new topic (that blue bar at the top of the forum) and ask for advice.

If you are nervous, you can always give him one unit. Then, over the next few cycles, based on your tests, see how he does and increase slowly, if needed. Leave out some food while you are gone. Cats usually eat if they feel themselves dropping low.
 
Ok great.I really think that I just was not getting enough blood to get a high reading I think that's why all my readings were low.I love you guys
 
Hey, it's going to be fine! You're doing a great job. I remember how scary it was at first...it's a steep learning curve for sure, but you'll get the hang of it. Trust me, one day you'll look up and realize you've got this down!

What time do you normally try to give the shot in the morning? 6:30 if I'm doing the math right? Hmmm...do you leave the house at 7:30 or is that what time you have to be at work?

Here's what I'd suggest. When you get up, test. If below 200, wait 20 minutes WITHOUT feeding and test again. That gives the numbers time to rise without being influenced by food. You may have a lower number at normal shot time, but that's okay since the shot was late tonight. If the number goes above 200, you might shoot before leaving. If below 200, I wouldn't shoot before leaving.

Generally speaking, it's okay to go 30 minutes one way or another. If you have to give a shot late, try to work your way back to the normal shot time slowly. That way, you won't run into overlap hopefully.

Give yourself a break. You're doing a great job, and your kitty is lucky to have you!
 
I actually get up at 5 o'clock and I normally have to leave by 7ish to take my daughter to school. I'm a dental hygienist and I have studied diabetes but I haven't learned anything about feline diabetes. Wow what a day. OK I will test around 6 o'clockI will test around 6 o'clock and go from there. my poor cat is very angry at me
 
dana moore said:
Ok great.I really think that I just was not getting enough blood to get a high reading I think that's why all my readings were low.I love you guys
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This occurred to me too. If we throw out those low tests, he had a normal cycle - from the 200s down to 137 and back to the 200s. Wouldn't want to count on that being what happened, but it is a possibility. Future tests will give you more info
 
Oh good. It would be best to shoot no more than 30 minutes early if possible. Then by that night, and the next am (30 minutes each) you'd be back on track.

You guys did a great job today. Talk about being thrown into the deep end of the pool!
 
Use a low carb treat after each poke - I like the PureBites freeze dried chicken - after a while, your cat will actually come to you for testing and shots.
 
386 at 6: 00. Before food. I thk I'm going back to 2.5 units at 7:30. I made sure I got a good reading this time
 
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Good! If he can just keep an eye on him and maybe get a test around +3/6, that'll give you an idea how the dose is working.

It will be interesting to get some data and see if he drops low mid cycle and then bounces back up for the next pre shot or if he has a normal nadir. (Generally we think that a 50% drop from pre shot to nadir is about right.)
 
I buy PureBites from PetSmart. Once you're sure he likes them, you can get the dog sized bags cheaper. They are freeze dried meat treats. Also good to sprinkle over wet if he is being picky.
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
Good! If he can just keep an eye on him and maybe get a test around +3/6, that'll give you an idea how the dose is working.

It will be interesting to get some data and see if he drops low mid cycle and then bounces back up for the next pre shot or if he has a normal nadir. (Generally we think that a 50% drop from pre shot to nadir is about right.)
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IT WAS 280:(AT MIDPOINT HE GETS LATHARGIC AT 3 UNITS SO I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO. DR SAYS STAY AT 2.5
 
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Dana, Shiloh didn't take to them the first time, but the second and third time, OMG! Then she turned up her nose when I switched to something else (Orijen), and she glares at me every time I switch to a different flavor. But keep trying!
 
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