Getting the BG down with exercise

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by cmb, Jan 5, 2018.

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  1. cmb

    cmb Member

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    Dec 29, 2017
    Hi, I was wondering if any of you had success with getting your cat to exercise and moderate the BG spikes. Archie is currently experiencing crazy bounces and I'm wondering if there is anything else we can do besides waiting those out. He is not a very active cat (has never been) but the new Da Bird Toy makes him run at least a bit for 5 min (the most active I've ever seen him).
     
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  2. lovemycat444

    lovemycat444 Member

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    Jul 10, 2017
    Hi, I haven't had this with Taco but it's such a good idea to look into! Archie sounds very similar to Taco, and vice versa. Taco has never been big on exercise. He also likes Da Bird Toy! Recently I noticed Taco will run after one of those plastic small ball toys that have a bell inside. They're about $5 for a pack of 3 at Pet Co. I started jumping near him when I noticed he was doing that cat about to chase after it's prey kind of wiggling his rear end, as if they're running in place warming up to attack their prey (even if it is just a plastic ball!) I wish you the best of luck finding this answer. It is such a good good question. Thank you for asking it. it did not occur to me at all. and i'll look out for an answer I hope you get ones that do say the BG can be regulated as much as possible via exercise. I'm so sorry to hear about Archie's crazy bounces. I'm wondering (I read somewhere) does he eat often throughout the day? I think I read for diabetic cats it's best that they eat twice a day to maintain the BG. I don't know if that's accurate. It seems to make sense to me. For one aspect (I hope?) to help- Archie. I wish I had more to parlay. Wishing you and Archie the best of luck and excellent health.
     
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  3. lovemycat444

    lovemycat444 Member

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    Jul 10, 2017
    Also I was just thinking is Archie relatively new to having the ear prick BG test? I'm sorry I'm new to this site and am not sure if I misread / didnt' see the date he was first diagnosed. But, the thought occurred to me is that my vet said Taco (cats) can get very stressed out when their BG is taken at the vet (bc they're so scared at the vet) and when they're so stressed out their BG can spike, to very high. So I was wondering if when Archie's BG is taken is he very very stressed out at the time? I had to hire a friend pay them because it is really a job! to give Taco a kitty burrito and soothe him while I would get the little machine i forget the name glucometer? i would get it ready with one of the tabs almost pressed in but not acivating the machine yet bc it has to be done so fast! and my friend would hold taco lightly and try to distract and soothe him while i'd do the ear prick / blood test reading but when I first started and did it by myself poor Taco was SO STRESSED out. He really hated hated it and I think he most likely picked up on my total blind fear and panic and the thought of hurting him was terrifying to me. So he might of been picking up on my own stress. I don[t know if that helps but I really hope Archie's BG spikes get normalized. You're an awesome cat / Archie Mom! and btw HE IS SO SO CUTE :) !
     
  4. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

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    May 10, 2013
    Exercise does help lower blood glucose because muscle cells store glucose...by working the muscles, they burn up the glucose they store which has to be replaced from the blood glucose, thus lowering the amount in the bloodstream.

    Here's a pretty good article about exercise and lowering blood glucose
     
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  5. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

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    May 10, 2013
    Not the same way as he'd be at the vet....by the time you get them to the vet they've been crammed into a carrier they probably hate, thrown into a car that messes with their balance, dragged into a building full of barking dogs and yowling cats and then hoisted onto a cold steel table to be poked and prodded by a strange person they've never liked much in the first place.

    Home testing is a snap compared to that!!

    Here's something I wrote up for others that needed help with testing...maybe it'll help you too!

    It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

    You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him
    ...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

    It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well.

    When you're first starting, it's also important to use a lower gauge lancet, like 25-28 gauge
    . Most of the "lancet devices" come with 33 gauge lancets and they are just too tiny to start with. The bigger lancets (that are lower numbers) make a bigger "hole". As you poke more and more, the ears will grow new capillaries and will be easier and easier to get blood from...we call it "learning to bleed"

    Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!
     
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  6. cmb

    cmb Member

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    Dec 29, 2017
    thank you at @lovemycat444 and @Chris & China ! We're testing at home, Archie is a pretty mellow cat (hence also not much exercise, I guess) - even though we've only started testing a week ago, he's starting to get the hang off it. Me too. I started testing in the ear, but it was too much. First holding the crinkle ziplock bag against his ear, than sometimes I would get so much blood that it would start dripping down his face, sometimes nothing or it would get soaked up by the fur. Argh. I read somewhere in the forum that people do it on the paws and it's much easier for me - and I think therefore easier on him too. I can alternate on toes and paw pads, no fur that diverts the blood, no need to heat up the ear, etc.

    I will try to get Archie to exercise a bit more. His cracking and weak hind legs always made me treat him very gently, but we're starting zobaline as soon as it arrives and hopefully he keeps getting so excited about the toy. Seriously, this is the first time I've seen him lunging and running after something, it must remind him of the birds when he was a feral cat.
     
  7. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

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  8. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    Jun 8, 2016
    Exercise definitly helps!

    I'll have to check out that toy!
     
  9. lovemycat444

    lovemycat444 Member

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    Jul 10, 2017
    Archie is such a cute cat. You're a great cat Mom! This is such a great site . There's prob a lot of info about ear prick tests here . I wished I'd been a part of this group when I began BG testing for Taco. I found it traumatic for both of us! I was terrified of hurting him. But I'm guessing hopefully Archie gets used to if
    I'm so sorry to hear about the tough experiences with it
    Again you're a great Archie's cat mom!!
     
  10. cmb

    cmb Member

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    Dec 29, 2017
    Aww @lovemycat444 - thank you! So are you! And Taco is such a great cat name - I love it!
     
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