? First time home testing question

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RhiannonR

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ok so it's 11pm, and I just got my home glucose testing kit this morning. I waited for the kids to be tucked into bed, reviewed all the online info I had and had my first go. Didn't get quite enough blood, so let my cat relax for 40 minutes (at the outset of which I gave him his second 1 unit insulin shot of the day), and tried again. magic! It worked beautifully until I got the result...3.9. That's way too low, isn't it? My cat is in awesome shape since starting his low carb diet and insulin in September. He's gradually losing his 23lbs pot belly, his fur is shiny and soft, he's playful and happy, so I wan't even remotely worried about the results I would be getting.

I should explain, my vet is new to me (we moved across the country a year and a half ago and the first vet I tried was a dud), he seemed great, but our initial diagnosis, testing, insulin, needles and diabetic food cost a fortune we did not have. So I went straight home and started doing my research, which is when I came across home testing, so I don't have vet reccomendations on what levels I should be looking at, just what I've read online and heard from a friend who is home testing.
 
What food are you giving - how long ago and what insulin are you using?

ETA - what meter are you using?
 
We just changed him from the purine DM wet, to friskies pate about a week ago? He's on one unit of prozinc twice daily (he had his shot maybe 35-40 minutes before the test) and I'm using the Avila accu-check.
 
ok - did you feed at the same time? Can you do another test now and post the result.
 
ok - do you have any gravy containing food available, or high carb food? 3.9 is low for this stage of the cycle and the important thing is to try to get that number up as the low point with Prozinc can be at 6 hours or later. Do you have syrup available? The important thing is not to fill him up with food but to give small quantities to bring the level up. With gravy containing foods you give a tablespoon of just the gravy at a time. You could be in for a long night and will need to keep testing until the number comes up. 3.9 on a human meter is not a dangerously low level but the risk is he could drop further in the night. Print this out http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/
 
Alexi's signature (at the bottom in blue) tells you how to take blood from the paw.

Below are suggestions on how to take blood from the ear. The diagram is very helpful.
From here: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/testing-and-shooting-tips.85113/
Testing
We all know the basics:
  • Warm the ear with a rice sock or a warm washcloth wrapped in a plastic bag.
  • Either freehand or use a lancing device; new members usually start with a larger gauge lancet such as 28g or 29g until the ear learns to bleed; then progress to a 31g or 33g which are finer.
  • Be sure to poke in the "sweet spot" and not the major vein that runs along the length of the ear. Poking the vein will not only hurt, but will result in a lot of blood. The sweet spot is on the edge of the ear.
earpokey_zpsc6584fc3.jpg


But did you also know there is a particular way for the lancet to be used? It has one side that is bevelled so the sharpest part goes in first, if used correctly. In the photo below, you can see the lancet is angled. When you poke the ear, it should be held in the position shown below so the longest side of it is on the bottom. Lancets should only be used once to ensure they are at their sharpest.
IMG_0555_zps452342a5.jpg



I'm not familiar with Prozinc.
 
Have you given any more food yet? Can you also add the 911 prefix to your title as you are going to need some more help on this and I have to be out in an hour.
 
Yes sorry, freaking out over here as he has become completely uncooperative the testing and I can't get enough blood to save my life now. I'm sure it's because I'm no longer relaxed enough and also he's just had enough. I've given him the dry food I have with some gravy spooned in. He's still acting 100% himself.
 
ok - it happens, give yourself a little break and then try again, the higher carb food will be helping bring his levels up so he is safe at the moment, just keep watching him closely and help him relax until you are both ready to try again. If you are anxious he will pick up on that.
 
I have to go offline now, @Larry and Kitties is around, try to get another test, and monitor closely for behaviour. If you are worried or no-one is online to help you then phone the vet for advice. What we are looking for is a number where it is safe for you to relax for the night but with no previous numbers to go by we don't know when his low point is. I will be back and check in later on. I will also post in the Prozinc forum to see who is around there who could help.
 
Ugh. Rough night! He is fine now. 7.6 (at 1hr until next shot which I'm skipping). Vet has been called and he was acting fine all night (other than royally pissed at me and no longer allowing testing).
 
Glad you both made it through the night. With few tests, skipping the shot is a good idea.

You might try associating tests with a treat after. There are fried dried cat treats (just chicken, no carbs) that some cats like. Or a bit of human food.

Keep posting - especially before the next next shooting time. Generally, you do not feed during the two hours before a shot. That way, the BG numbers you get before the shot are not food influenced.

Prozinc users will give better suggestions and advice throughout the day.

What did the vet say?
 
Good idea about the treats, the freeze dried ones are fine for them. That's what I used to do with Angel. It's possible (keeping fingers crossed for you) he could be going into remission.
 
Sky has quickly learnt to tolerate the ear testing - helped with lots of ham before and after. She is placid anyway but does try and get away from it. She will now stay still with minimal pressure on her. Daft as it sounds, I do explain to her why I'm doing it - not sure if it calms me or her!
 
Yah, I think with time we'll get there. Thurman is not usually a cooperative guy, but he did great right up until I poked him 5 times with nothing and got all upset. I was trying hard not to show it but he was definitely picking up on it. I'll have to run out and get the treats suggested, as I'd gotten rid of the temptations we had before.

I've spoken to the vet and he's lovely, though all his suggestions are different from my research which is difficult. He doesn't like curves, says they stress cats too much and are inaccurate, he's adamant that purine DM wet is all I should be feeding him, etc. I think I may have to be sourcing a second opinion.

Red and Rover, my vet explained that I had to give my insulin shot within 30 minutes of feeding, so I feed Thurman twice a day, and give him his insulin 15-20 minutes after (I set a timer when he walks away from the bowl). How do you time your shot out?
 
RhiannonR said:
Vet has been called and he was acting fine all night (other than royally pissed at me and no longer allowing testing).
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Your vet CANNOT tell you whether to test or not. If you weren't testing and the number was too low to shoot you could easily put your kitty into a hypo. Human diabetics are instructed to test before EVERY shot and several times in between. A person can feel when their blood sugar is going too low and take steps to prevent a hypo. Unfortunately a kitty cannot "tell" us and some kitties do not show symptoms until their glucose is very low. Kitties should be tested the same way that people are..insulin is a powerful hormone and needs to be monitored. A visit to an ER for a bad hypo can easily cost $1000 and there is always a chance of permanent neurological damage to the kitty if not caught in time. No pet parent wants to wait until their kitty collapses, seizes or falls into a coma to realize there is a problem.


RhiannonR said:
he's adamant that purine DM wet is all I should be feeding him, etc. I think I may have to be sourcing a second opinion.
Click to expand...

Most vets have been brainwashed by the pet food companies into believing that prescription food is "better" than commercial. If you read the ingredients list they are very similar except that Purina DM' main meat/protein source is liver. Personally some liver is fine, but it is not something I would care to feed my kitties on a regular basis. Unfortunately the pet food manufacturers are the ones who sponsor the nutritional education during vet training and obviously they are going to be rather self-serving in their advice,

One thing that would be helpful would be if you add some information to your signature..just hold your cursor over your name at the top of this page and slect "Signature" from the drop down box. You can add your kitty's name and yours if you like..date of diagnosis..type of insulin..type of meter....type of food you are feeding...any other health problems. This allows anyone who has advice or insights to know what the treatment plan is for your kitty.

Also when you get a chance setting up a spreadsheet to record the data is most useful. Instructions are here:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

If you have any problems just ask and someone can help you out with it.
 
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Glad everything turned out ok - but must have been a difficult night. I think the dose needs to come down a little so skipping this morning is the safest thing for now. Here is the Prozinc beginners guide for you to read - it is a lot of information there but all the stuff you need at this stage. http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...prozinc-pzi-insulin-for-diabetic-cats.164995/ Curves at the vet are not that useful but home curves are the way to determine how the cat responds to the insulin and helps to guide dosing decisions. Once you have a signature and spreadsheet set up come on over to the Prozinc forum if you need help with dosing. Ask away here with any other questions. Welcome by the way - bit of a baptism of fire, I think you can replace the 911 with a ? now the immediate crisis has passed.
 
Thanks everyone, I deeply appreciate the support. The vet I'm with is really one of the traditional types who would greatly prefer if you just follow their directives exactly, with no home testing and with no compromise as to costs and what you can afford. Not an ideal fit for me at the moment. He's a nice guy and says to feel free to call for help but I'm not entirely sure I agree with some of what he's been telling me. Especially after reading so much on diet, and finding he hadn't warned me appropriately about Thurman's weight loss and monitoring his glucose (which he didn't want to do for three weeks and never mentioned home monitoring as an option at all).

His advice for today was to test a couple of times, and then once a day for the next three weeks. To only give a shot of insulin if my numbers were 15+, but that it sounded like I might have reached dietary control. I'm debating if I should leave Thurman be until before his evening shot (9pm), or if I should test him mid afternoon as well. since I poked him a lot last night and really put him off, I'd like to just do it tonight and let him relax so he doesn't develop bad associations with the whole process. Also I have a 10 month old and a 3.5 year old, so middle of the day can already be a bit wild for his liking. But clearly I don't want to risk his health if I should test earlier.
 
My vet seems similar to yours and it is really hard to go against them as they are supposedly the professionals. However, my view is unless they are specialists in diabetes management they can't know everything and real life experience is just as valuable, if not moreso, than what the vet has learnt. My vet didn't mention testing unless they wanted a curve, didn't discuss anything on diet and started Sky on way to high a dose which could easily have killed her. Since then I am wary of them!!!

As Tuxedo mom said, human diabetics test before each shot so why aren't we told to do the same for animals.

The more you test, the more confident you will get and the more relaxed Thurman will be about it all - lots of treats helps :) It really gives you a feeling you are more in control when you test - even if you get high numbers.
 
Argh!! Decided to err on the side of adjusting him to the monitoring slowly and just took his next reading now. 4.7. He was eating while doing it and I clearly won't be giving him insulin but should I be worried about how low it is again??
 
Hopefully, someone with knowledge of Prozinc will come online. In my humble opinion, 4.8 is a no-shoot number (normal range). You don't want to drop the cat further.
 
It could be that just changing to a low carb diet is controlling his glucose and he won't need any insulin. We do have quite a few diet controlled kitties. I wouldn't give him any shots until he has some much higher numbers. I use the Alpha track meter with a different number system so I can't recommend a no shoot number. With the AT, I don't shoot under 200- 225. You just don't want to risk going too low. With ProZinc, his nader can be as late as +6 . It is a very slow acting insulin
 
Sorry I didn't see this last night. 4.8 is definitely a no shot number. Your signature says he's been on 1 u twice daily since diagnosis in September and that you began home testing on November 9. It's great that you've decided to do that, especially since Thurman has decided to give you a lovely number. Would you be willing to list here all the BG numbers you've logged since Nov. 9? If we could see them we might be able to give more advice.
 
RhiannonR said:
Argh!! Decided to err on the side of adjusting him to the monitoring slowly and just took his next reading now. 4.7. He was eating while doing it and I clearly won't be giving him insulin but should I be worried about how low it is again??
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Thank goodness you did not follow your vets orders. The change to a LC wet diet could cause a big drop in glucose numbers. Just keep on testing and post for advice. Great number!!!

ETA As Kris suggested if you could list the numbers you have been getting or even do a spreadhseet it would give a better idea what may be happening. Seeing a visual of the numbers can sometimes tell a much better story that the odd number here and there.
 
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