Home testing??

My cat, Patches was diagnosed in November 2019 with diabetes. Our vet started her in the Bravo study which was going great until she showed slight Ketones in which we immediately took her off the study and started on 1unit every 12 hours of Lantus. When asking our vet about home testing, he said we don’t have to worry about that till she is regulated?? She is now up to 3units every 12hrs after her last curve that showed her levels up in the 400’s. I have been reading about home testing and have a few questions on which kind to get. She has also been having diarrhea for about three days and can not get in to the vet until Monday, could this be due to the insulin increases?

 

It really doesn't matter what kind of glucometer you buy. With Lantus, the dosing methods are based on the use of a human meter and many people here use a human meter if for no other reason than the strips are far less expensive than the strips for a pet meter. Strips for an AlphaTrack (pet) meter cost about $1.00/strip (which is ridiculous). The least expensive strips are for Walmart's Relion meters. You want to find a meter that uses the smallest amount of blood possible since in the beginning, testing can be a bit frustrating. In addition to a meter, you will need lancets. The meter will likely come with lancets that are around 30 gauge. You want to initially get lancets that are 26 - 28 gauge (The lower numbers are wider lancets so it's easier to get blood.)

This is a link to a post that has links to the Consumer Reports ratings of glucometers.

We are huge fans of home testing. It is the best way to keep your cat safe. It also gives you control over dosing and understanding how insulin is effecting your cat.

It's rare that a cat would have diarrhea due to an increase in insulin. If you can track it down, S. boulardii is a type of probiotic that is excellent at stopping diarrhea. You can order from Amazon (I use ReNew brand). You would give your cat about 1/4 of a capsule for a day. If the diarrhea persists, increase to 1/2 a capsule. There is wonderful information on this website in the section on meds & supplements about treating diarrhea.

If you are looking for help and/or support around managing Patches' diabetes, we'd ask that you set up a spreadsheet. The instructions are linked. It's also helpful if you can create a signature (directions are here) that provides some basic information about your kitty.

 

Thank you Sienna and Gabby (Ga), I appreciate the information and am going to go to my local walmart ASAP to get my meter to start home testing. I will look into the probiotic, I have been reading about using Punkin for her diarrhea is this something to try? I also am working on my spreadsheet

 

Pumpkin (pure pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie filling which contains all sorts of things including sugar) can help. My experience was that probiotics work more quickly. If you can't find S. boulardii, I would get ReNew Ultimate. It's a more general probiotic.

Please let us know how we can help.

 

I just want add that you don’t need your vet’s permission to home test. And that curves done at the vet are often way off because of vet stress.

 

Thank you and I will update as things happen but definitely starting home testing tomorrow

 

I notice she's on Royal Canin Glycobalance food. The "prescription" foods are really a waste of money and don't treat or cure disease.

The entire prescription food industry is nothing more than a clever marketing tool developed by Hills. By requiring a vet to "prescribe" it, it gives the impression that it's somehow special and that couldn't be further from the truth.

Check the ingredients. They're really pretty lousy. And despite it's name, it's not low enough in carbs for a diabetic cat (especially if it's kibble)

Most of us feed our own cats Fancy Feast Classics or Friskies pates because they're under 10% carbs, easy to find and a lot more affordable!

One caveat though....don't change to a lower carb diet if you're already giving insulin until you're able to test. Dropping the amount of carbs can drastically reduce the amount of insulin needed.

 

I’ve been trying home testing and it not going the best, I watched several how to video’s but still unable to get a regular proper reading using her ears. I called a friend who is a vet tech and she said I could use the toe pads?? It’s been working better but I wasn’t sure if this was okay?

 

It's absolutely fine if it's easier for you and Patches! Blood is blood...get it wherever works best!

 

Looking at your SS (spreadsheet) you doubled the dose of insulin from 4 to 8 Units. Why?

Increases should never be more than 0.25 to 0.5 units at a time. Please, please drop the insulin dose back down before your cat has a hypo.

@Chris & China (GA) @Sienne and Gabby (GA) @Bron and Sheba (GA)

 

That’s great to hear, still having trouble getting the test done but I feel like that I normal at first. I also have been trying to transition her from the prescription food to one of the cans you suggested. I’m doing it slowly in hope she will stop being such a dry food lover.

 

Our veterinarian told us to go up in dosage, we use the Lantus pens which goes by units, I already gave her a dosage tonight but in the morning can I just go back down to 4 or should I slowly bring her down? Is there a reason my vet said to go up I’m still learning.

 

Hi Fisheer and Patches
I’ve just been reading through your thread.
PLEASE GO BACK DOWN TO 4 Units at the next due dose.
and in the meantime please get a couple of tests in overnight in case the BG drops low. I see you gave 6 units tonight.

It is absolutely fine to drop back down to 4 units. Your vet must know nothing about feline diabetes to suggest such an increase for a little animal like a cat. That is doubling an already large dose

We go up in 1/4 unit increments only when we can see it is necessary and definitely not when we are swapping over to a low carb food.

For now go back to 4 units and keep testing as you have been doing. Try and get a before bed test in every night to keep Patches safe. If the before bed BG is the same or lower than the Preshot number you will need to get up later to check the BG has not dropped lower.
We will ask you to buy some suitable syringes so that you can give smaller increases and keep your precious kitty safe. More about that later.

I am so glad you are testing the blood glucose levels.. well done!!
Try and get some tests in during the cycles if you can as that will tell us how low the insulin is taking Patches. Around +4 to +7 ( 4 to 7 hours after each insulin dose.
And I’m so glad you have found us!
Keep asking lots of questions.

 

You can use an insulin syringe to withdraw insulin from the Lantus pen. Sounds to me like you are using the pen (like a small, long vial of insulin) with pen needles. With those pen needles, you can only change doses in 1 unit increments. You also have to prime the pen each time you give insulin (the instructions call it giving an 'air shot' after you attach the needle) and you waste 2 units each time with the needed priming of the pen cartridge.

If you use an insulin syringe instead of the pen needles, you can change doses in 0.25 Units.

Go buy U100 insulin syringes at any drugstore and go to the pharmacy section. Look for U100 1/3 cc syringes with half unit markings. These hold a total of 30 units. Walmart sometimes carry them, but many of the pharmacy techs don't know it so have them double check behind the counter.

Your profile says you live in Oklahoma and insulin syringes are available over the counter. Individual pharmacies may have a policy against selling syringes (to cut down on illegal drug use). Call around and ask. You may need a prescription from your vet. Oklahoma City restricts sales of syringes, do know if you live there, so that is why I suggested getting a prescription for the syringes from a vet.

There was a cat over in the Prozinc forum that recently had a hypo (hypoglycemia from too much insulin), an insulin overdose. Ended up at the vet for 3 days at around $1000 a day. Here is her post about that hypo. Click on the blue highlighted text and it will take you directly to that post. Talks about some of the symptoms.

Scary to have this happen to your cat

 

a

Thank you, I am starting to question are vet, and I will be looking into switching possibly for sure. I did drop back down this morning and will be staying at 4 units durning the switch from high carb to low carb food. I can do the 4+/+7 check until, I go back to college in about a week and during the day she is left alone with my other cat in my apartment. Should I be concerned with leaving her home alone for a good chunk of the day?

That is definitely scary, I am looking up information about the syringes and I do not live in Oklahoma City but it might be the same rules here. Thank you for the help. I will keep you updated!

 

The syringes you need are the U-100 3/10 ml 30 or 31 gauge 6mm or 8 mm insulin syringe with 1/2 unit markings.
They are available from ADW online, walmart stores or from pharmacies.
Brands include Unicare, Carepoint, Sure Comfort and B/D
Walmart has ReliOn brand for $12.58/100 syringes.

If you have to leave your kitty during the day I would look at getting a timed feeder that will open at specific times during the day and night. Do you think your other cat would eat the food before Patches?
It is best if you can give a couple of smaller meals during the day and night around +2 and +5 (2 and 5 hours after the insulin dose) as well as the meal before the shot.

 

Thank you for the information on the syringes i will be making a trip to my local Walmart. But until i can get her switched over to a full wet diet i am going to stay at 4units and hopefully the food switch will help. I do have a healthy cat who is still on dry Friskies food, she is not a wet food lover so i may be ok if i get a timed feeder. So for feeding i would give Patches wet food after insulin, +2, +5, and then repeat for pm? Should i try and switch the healthy cat (Cinder) to wet food as well, not sure if that would be easier or not. Sorry for all the questions!

 

The order is test, feed, shoot. You want to make sure your cat has eaten before giving any insulin.

Yes, it's much easier if both of your cats are willing to eat the same food. Low carb foods are good for all cats.

Here are some Transitioning Tips for Dry Food Addicts. Might get some ideas of how to get your civie (non-diabetic) Cinder to eat the canned food if she is reluctant. Does Cinder have any medical conditions?

Switching to low carb food can make a dramatic change in the BG levels. You'll want to test a bit more during the food switch to make sure your cat is not headed to hypo (hypoglycemic) territory. A hypo is low blood sugar, from too much insulin.

 

Video for you of how to draw insulin from a pen (or vial) using an insulin syringe.

 

I unfortunately did not know to a full meal before insulin, since starting home testing I have been picking food up for about 2hrs before testing then I give her a treat, insulin, finishing with feeding her. I will be switching now that I know, is there a reason to do it this way? Just trying to learn as much as I can to help Patches.

It definitely will be easier to feed them both the same thing again, I appreciate the article and will definitely be reading that to help them both transition easier. Cinder has no health conditions, she is 6 and about 10 lbs but definitely is a dry food addict. She is my active playful cat and loves going on walks.

 

Food should be picked up 2 hours before your pre-shots (AMPS morning pre-shot and PMPS evening pre-shot) tests. The reason for that is so that the pre-shot tests are not food influenced and may show artificially high from the food. Pre-shot BG readings can make a difference between giving a cat insulin, stalling, temporary reduced dose, or skipping the insulin shot.

Treats at test time are fine.

You want your cat to eat before you give insulin because if they do not have any food, the insulin could drop them too low. Sometimes cats don't want to eat, so if you have given insulin before food, that could lead to very low BG (blood glucose) numbers.

Some people shoot the insulin when the cat has their head in the food dish. I do this for a diabetic that I cat sit. Let him start eating first and give the shot of insulin while cat is eating. That is fine too.

Your cat does not need to eat a full meal, but at least an ounce or 2 of canned food, to help counteract the insulin you give. Food needs the insulin to get digested properly. Insulin and no food in the cat can be dangerous.

Wink was a charter member of FDFAA - Feline Dry Food Addicts Anonymous. I used every tip and trick in that "Tips for Transitioning" document.

 

Thank you! I am going to print up a version of this to have to help me start this schedule. I do believe I will need to use a lot of those tricks for Cinder but Patches will be easier as she is very food motivated. Here is a picture of Cinder ( civie)
!

 

Here is a picture of my civie Dancer. She's a tortie and white, with white paws all four feet and that white bib like a tuxedo.

 

Dancer is beautiful and I love her markings. Cats are such amazing creatures and I don’t think I could live without one.

 

Had a successful test, feed, shoot tonight, took me two tests to get a read but that better then it has been. She was 436 at the test, ate about 2-3 oz of wet food before I gave her 4units and I set out the rest of her food so she can continue to eat.

 

Sounds good. I'm an early to bed person so will be saying goodnight. If you have any problems, modify your post title and put the ? in there so people see you need help. If it's a life threating problem to your kitty, put the 911 icon in front of your original post title.