Wondering about my meter.

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JoyceOlive

JoyceOlive

Member Since 2014
Does anyone know anything about the Diastar Caresens meters? I had watched a lot of videos and my husband is a computer Geek and this one was a Caresens N Pop, that hooks up with a cable to computer and all,don't have cable yet.Of course he thought that was nifty and talked me into it,but I don't see anyone else on this forum using one!I am new at all this diabetes stuff the past month and when I wanted one I naturally went to Amazon,lol...looking for a deal,my husbands favorite place to shop and I was too lazy to run to Walmart for a more popular one ! I really like it, but wonder if anyone knows if it is reliable.And the test strips are available on Amazon but not the lancets.I know I could purchase another lancet device at Walmart so I can easily purchase lancets and am planning on it..that is another question.I need feedback on best one to use for a cats ear and what gauge is best,ultra thin or what? 33,28,30guage? which will give me best results and maybe hurt kitty less?Thanks guys!
 
I need feedback on best one to use for a cats ear and what gauge is best,ultra thin or what? 33,28,30guage? which will give me best results and maybe hurt kitty less?Thanks guys!

In the beginning, before the capillaries start regularly filling up with more blood, a 27-28 gauge may be best. It makes a little bigger hole. After the ears "learn to bleed" a 30 gague may be fine. You can buy neosporin with pain relief (ointment not cream) and put a little smear on the ear to help with any bruising. Also, it helps to hold the ear for a few seconds after the poke to minimize bruising.
 
Thanks Sue, I always hold pressure and use pain free neosporin and it seems to help him heal up real quick.i only got 10 lancets with this caresens device and I reuse them, about 3 times.I know I shouldn't right? but am anxious to find out what lancet device you recommend for best results,that I can purchase at Walmart and easily get lancets..are ultra thin the best for cats,they seem to be 33 gauge.I need to get some soon as I hope to do my own curve( with your assistance) by this coming weekend perhaps,it will be 2 full weeks then. Hey,thanks again for setting my SS up..I hope it looks ok and am doing it right..!Am really trying to get the hang of ear testing still.Lol.
 
The 26-28 gauge lancets work best at first until the ear "learns to bleed", i.e. develops more capillaries. Any brand is OK.
Always use a fresh lancet.
Warming the ear to increase circulation improves the odds of getting a blood droplet.
 
The spreadsheet looks great. You have held the one unit for quite a few cycles. If you feel comfortable doing it, and can monitor for that first cycle, you certainly could raise the dose to 1.25 or 1.5

We generally consider a cat regulated if they are in the lower to mid 200s at preshot and double digits at nadir (but not below 40 which is hypo territory) He definitely has room to drop both for preshot and nadir.
 
In reply to Larry..I went to that page and it is basically the same one,only mine is the " caresens n pop " and it is smaller and hooks up to an iPad,iPhone or regular computer all using special cables.I got a " kit" that includes everything to get started with,for around 39 dollars and free shipping. wish I would have down my research more. I did not know about this forum at the time and the SS ones you use here and was planning on using theirs.I had installed app on iPad called "smart log" and planned to send info to vet that way.Oh well..I am thinking of keeping it for me ( I got free extra meter with it) as I have been diagnosed prediabetic. So to make a long story short,am thinking of just purchasing a more popular one at Walmart for my sugar baby. thanks for feedback
 
Thanks Sue,yes I am thinking the same thing.should I wait to do curve on this weekend? And do you recommend doing a 12 hour or 24 hour schedule ( at this early date,I thought I would do every 2 hours for 12 hours.) He is still pretty thirsty but his appetite has really gotten under control.He naps a lot during the day ,but is pacing around more and looking up at me for food or something during the night when shot seems to have worn off.I am a light sleeper and seem to hear him walking around and it keeps me up wondering about my baby boy.
 
If you mean next weekend, I think I'd raise the dose before then. And a curve doesn't mean you have to set aside a whole day or night. You can just get some numbers at various times and see patterns. So one cycle get a +2/+5, the next a +4/+8 etc. Soon you 'll have a good picture of what is going on.
 
Thanks Sue..I just realized that today is Sunday,my husband is laid off and every day seems the same to me! I meant next weekend the 11th,12th.I will take your advice and do that these next couple of days and get back to you with my numbers and see what you think.I have to hurry up and buy more lancets though!
 
Thought I would share something with all of you.I picked up a new meter yesterday at Walmart,called the ReliOn Micro/ Confirm. the test strips and lancets are a lot more economical than the other brands that they carry,that was a major factor in my purchase.Well,I decided to test it yesterday against my Diastar Caresens meter with my blood sample,and it is 11 digits lower.I am going to be doing a curve this weekend,and will use it from start to finish,but am giving my little guy a break for a few days,on the advice of my vet,I guess to let his ears heal up a bit.
 
I think you'll like the ReliOn. I would continue to get preshot numbers though. Even though we think he needs a higher dose, often a kitty throws a lower number than expected and the dose planned would be too much.
 
To reduce bruising and improve healing, use Neosporin ointment (not cream) with pain relief.

Apply a dab before testing, wait a couple minutes and wipe. This reducfes annoyance with testing and helps the blood bead up.

Apply direct pressure for a minute or two after testing. This reduces bruising and scabbing.

Optionally, apply another dab of the Neosporin to help the ears heal.
 
I haven't tried using neosporin before testing, but have been putting the pain relief cream on afterward.Will try doing that trick beforehand,thanks.I think why his ears look so frightful to me is that he is all white with very pink thin skinned ears( like an albino) and they seem very fragile.I just get freaked out looking at all the purple bruising!I have been keeping a close eye on his urine and his behavior.Will probably start preshot testing tomorrow as his ears look much better already and I bought new 30 gauge lancets,hoping these will do better than the other ones.Should I be concerned that my new meter is 11 digits lower? This test was done on myself with lower100 range.Going to test both on him at next test,as he is much higher.
 
No 11 points is more than okay. All meters have a 20% variance, so a two tests ten minutes apart can vary by 20%. Since we are generally looking for patterns rather than specific exact numbers, there's no issue. Any meter, pet or human, any brand can vary by that variance.
 
JoyceOlive said:
I haven't tried using Neosporin before testing, but have been putting the pain relief cream on afterward....
Click to expand...

It needs to be the ointment, not the cream. The ointment will help the blood bead up; the cream will not.
 
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