Ketosis testing - am i collecting sample correctly?

For gobbles ketone testing, i have been sticking the test strip directly in his stream of urine while he is squatting in the litter box. Is this the best way to do it? When i see him heading towards the basement, i see if he goes to his box...i have a few test strips lying out on a shelf near his litter box then get the sample...is this acceptable? Also,
It would be very hard to do it otherwise as i have three cats who use one large box

 

Sticking the strips in his pee sounds perfect to me, nice and uncontaminated by litter etc.. although it works ok in non clumping litter too. Dont leave the strips lying out though as they can get damp - best to keep them in the container they came in - with that sachet of dehydrating stuff that it comes with. In a cool dry place (but not too cold). I saw your post on the other forum about the shots. Sounds like you are having possibly issues with regulating Gobbles- do you have a spreadsheet we could see?

 

i just added it to my signature...as you can see, i don't do an excessive amount of testing...some periodic testing is done..makes Gobbles very stressed and depressed...and for personal reasons...if he is not himself, I can usually tell and then will test him...

 

You cannot tell by looking whether the glucose is too high or too low.

Using Neosporin ointment w/ pain relief helps reduce the annoyance of testing.

Giving a low carb treat every time you attempt testing helps associate something positive with the process.

Spending other, non-testing time, playing with or grooming him helps dissociate you from the testing process (ie you spend time with him besides testing)

If you're not going to blood test, please use as many of the Secondary Monitoring Tools in my signature link as you can.

 

urine ouylet =cups...five P's...has the first 4, waiting on the fifth...

 

Cannot see the spreadsheet.
It needs to be shared/published to the web for others to see.

Thanks.

 

I cant see the SS either - can you:

1. go back into google docs
2. select the file so it opens
3. go to the top menu , under "file"
4. choose "publish to the web" and "start publishing"
6. the link will appear in the box below it, put that one in your signature...


i think that should work.. if not I have another suggestion.

 

Hi, his BG was 304 AMPS and 154 +4. Also, I tested for ketones this afternoon and no present (no color change on the dipstick).

 

Done...I tried it, and it works for me--thank you.

 

That's much better thanks! Ok so it looks like the pink was a bounce. The question is what he was bouncing from.., how low did he go? And he is coming down again.. How far are you from PMPS? Will be good to see if he goes back up again or lower...

 

Thank you so kindly for not berating me due to my lack of testing....some of us cannot and/or will not test a billion times a day. I don't withhold his food at any time (there is always food down for him) so the bounce may be from his eating...some of the time, I do not know hour many hours before, or after, that he has eaten before a BG test or his shot.

 

I have food down all the time for my boys too... Are you feeding low carb wet? I doubt the spike is food, I would bet $ it's a bounce looking at these numbers.

I know what you mean on testing but I think you are struggling here getting him regulated and if I can ask for a couple more tests over the next few days, it will give us a really good idea of what's going on and how to proceed.

I am wondering if in fact his dose is too high which is causing bouncing, but I won't know that unless we catch his low. So if you can do a preshot tonite that will help. And depending what it is we can decide if he will need another test tonite or tomorrow morning. But it's up to you!

Let me know what time zone you are in, and if you can do the preshot test tonite and I will stay up and respond...

 

Sounds like a good idea, however, I already shot him (no pre-shot, very sorry). I will though test him before his AM shot. I try to give him his shots relatively early because I have a hard time staying up too late due to meds I myself take. BTW, I am EST (Ohio). You are so sweet for willing to stay up--there are so many good, helpful people here and I am so happy I have you all to help me. Isn't 154 a pretty good BG number?

 

When did you shoot? Can you test now? Last test of 2012.... 154 is great but he may have dropped lower since then..

 

I tested him last night = 230 +3, then this morning AMPS 201, then +1 this morning = 230. Please note that last night when I tested him, he had eating 2 hours before the +3 test (230), then this morning he was begging for food but I did a AMPS (201) before I fed him, gave one less drop of Lantus, +1 this morning (230) would be one hour after I fed him. It is all on his spreadsheet. BTW, about how long does it take for the Lantus to start working (he gets 1 U. every 12 hours)? When should I test him again today?

 

Happy new year!

Lantus kicks in usually after 2 hours so +2. It reaches its maximum effect around +6 but that can vary a lot by cat, by impact of bounces, by feeding etc etc.
Your AMPS and +1 are practically identical, they are within error of the meter.

How about you do a +6 ? lets see what he is doing today.. he could come down to a nice low.. or he could be going up if he is bouncing off a low from yesterday or we could see an impact cos you gave him one less drop of insulin..

So a +6 and then PMPS would be great!

 

I am gong to do the testing on the meter and will share results with you.

 

I just ran a Control Test and the meter falls into range.

 

That's good but what i was trying to say is that every meter has a variance so say you test five times using the same blood or within the same time frame you will get five different results. Meter companies say the variance is about 20%. So the cat might be at 200 but your meter could read anywhere between 180 and 220.

 

+3 = 174

 

Oh..wow, i didn't know that! Thanks (p.s. Say he reads @80 -- I should be concerned he may go hyps?)

 

a +3! Cool! Be really interesting to see the +6.. how low will he go!? nobody knows... Hope you are both getting treats (low carb for him) for this testing

At 80 the variance is 20% still so thats only an error of 16.. so he would be anywhere between 72 and 88 .... whereas a hypo can occur under 40.

But of course it depends when he goes to 80. If he is 80 at pre shot or in the first couple of hours after it then I would watch him closely because the insulin still hasnt reached its peak action and he may drop low. You dont have enough knowledge to know yet how he will behave at low numbers.

However it also depends on your cat, with Tiggy I dont worry since he tends to approach 50 and sit there all day and then do a big bounce to over 300 the next day! I keep hoping he will go lower so he gets a dose decrease but he is fighting it!

 

I really wouldn't feel comfortable shooting him if his pre-shot is 80...he was 180 the other day I didn't shoot because I thought that was a pretty good number but especially because we had to drive my daughter to the airport, with blizzard warnings, to Cleveland which is 85 miles one way and there was a good chance we get stranded....

 

Good because I wouldnt recommmend it until you are comfortable with it and understand what you would need to do.If all goes well though, at some point if he approaches remission you might need to know how though but lets deal with that when it comes to it!

 

Do you know about how llong, if at all, cats go into remission (though I do realize that some never do)? He was diagnosed about 6 weeks ago (but I believe he has had it for at least 2-3 months) and as of 12/29/12, he has been on Lantus 1 U. every 12 hours (so a little over 5 weeks)...BTW you are so awesome, just curious--where you located? Kathleen

 

+6 = 161 :!:

 

There is always a good chance of remission especially in the first six months if you are lucky - assuming they get lantus on a regular consistent basis, eat low carb canned food, dont have an underlying infection or medical issue, and the gods are willing....!!

Maybe read this http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=147 at some point - its a good explanation of how to deal with low numbers.

161, interesting the decline has slowed. Maybe he ate a little bit or his liver is slowing the drop. Up to you now, test in three hours if you are curious, or give him a rest until preshot. Remind me what meter you are using?

BTW I am in Toronto Canada! and thanks!

 

Ok...tested him +9 = 256. Spreadsheet has been updated. I have been feeding him 7% and less wet food, occasionally raw steak or venison plus everytime I do a BG test or give him his insulin shot, he gets 1/2 of a treat--probably why he doesn't fight me. Although he's not real thrilled at me right now being jabbed 6x, but it is for the good.....BTW, I will BG test him tonight PMPS! I use a True Result meter, but also have a True2Go and a Reli-On. I sometimes use the True2Go if I think his True Result number may be off, but rarely.

 

ok cool! His numbers today so far arent that bad, he had a nice curve and responded to the insulin.

Now we see how high he goes at PMPS .. whether he bounces off the blues or not. If you can do a PMPS+2 or +3 that will tell us which.

Then tomorrow if we can do similar i.e.
AMPS
AMPS+6
PMPS
And any other tests you feel you want to do in there!

I want to see if he gets an occasional green in the next few days. he has done it before.

 

PMPS 230 and he had eaten 2 hours prior (I will try for +2 or +3)

 

Ok cool! I am actually a little surprised as I was expecting a bounce.

I have been looking into the true result meter and the feeling is that it isn't good.. How do you feel about using the relion instead? See http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?p=763665 or... maybe run a few tests where you use both to see how much of a difference between the two when you are over 200?

The issues with the true resukt meter seem to be the same as the ones I used to have with my freestyle lite meter, it was ok under 100 but over that it would read low ie 200 when Tiggy was actually nearer 300 so I thought he was stable but he was in fact bouncing all over the place. And I heard the relion is cheaper too... I ended up getting a bayer contour instead since we can't get the relion here in Canada

 

Yes, I have a Reli On as well.... dang, just bought test strips for the True Result but they also work in the True2Go....I think probably the cheapest place to get strips may be at Walmart...I will pick some up this week. Is there ANYWHERE where the strips are less expensive? I paid $28 for the 50 True Result test strips!

 

Not sure the true2resukt is any better wih numbers...

I think probably since the relion is a Walmart product that's the only place you can get strips. Maybe you can return the true strips if not opened?

I get 100 strips for $50 for the bayer contour on eBay from a company called shorebird medical but that includes $10 for shipping to Canada when it's free to the US. Might be worth looking into.

Meanwhile do you have a few relion strips you can use to compare to see what the difference is?

 

Yes, but someone gave them to me and they are expired. Note: Gobbles made a pretty good-sized clump of pee in the litter box, but as far as I can tell, that was only the second time he used it today....also, I have been mixing water into his canned food and make it kind of "soupy" (a friend told me to do this)....???

 

More water intake is good, I wish my boys would do that. I add water and they refuse to eat it! and its good to watch his urine output. Mark it on the chart if you can, it's a great indicator of how they are doing. My boys pee 2-4 times a day with a two inch diameter patch when their BG is good and three to four inch patch when the BG is high.

How expired are the relion strips? How about you do a test on yourself with both meters? Should give you an idea if the relion strips are working or not, half the time the expiry is just the manufacturer playing it safe. You should be reading 70-125 or so depending on when you last ate.(or if you are diabetic or not)

 

Hi, I've done quite a bit of testing and added some notes to Gobbles' SS. Can you take a look for me?

 

very interesting on the Relion numbers- you can see the difference. I am more inclined to trust the relion though - do you have enough strips to keep using both meters for at least the +6 and PMPS? I suspect that if you get a 200 for PMPS on the true meter you will see a pink or high yellow on the relion...

Good that the relion gave you a blue at +4 though.

 

I have just 2 of the relion strips (exp, date of 5/2012)...so I guess I do unless he jerks when I go to get the blood sample...(sidenote: it really seems to me that the relion strip needs more blood on it than the trueresult...?)

 

It might do. My old (bad Freestyle meter) needed less blood too.. maybe another reason it didnt give good results?

Keep the relion strips for PMPS so we can finalized our conclusions but I am thinking you are going to have to switch to relion, the Truemeter is telling you Gobbles is blue when he is actually yellow or worse.

 

Will do a pmps with both and then update his SS

 

cool! "talk" to you then

 

We have done some testing with the relion and true meter today and its showing quite clearly that the true meter is ok at BG numbers under 175 or so but is inaccurate (readings are too low) at anything over that... I am recommending Kat uses the relion only from now on.

Here is the data.. You can see the discrepancy..

Relion 140 - True meter 163
Relion 185 - True meter 141
Relion 238 - True meter 159
Relion 304 - True meter 232

The true meter issues explain why she is having problems regulating Gobbles.
Wendy

 

Don't increase yet. Lets get the relion strips and do a few days of proper testing to see where he really is first. Lets get AMPS, PMPS and +6 or nadir for the next few days and then we can make a dose decision. For the short term 300 isn't going to hurt but we don't want it long term. (I thought relion strips were in Walmart only? Not got Wally world in Canada so not sure what it is)

I would test tomorrow morning even with the true meter just to make sure he isn't too low. Personally I never shoot without a test first. And you know the true meter is at least ok at low numbers.

 

Wallyworld is slang for Walmart...LOL...too funny I will have to do the AMPS with the TrueResult because I'm out of the Reli-On strips...but should be back from town in time to do the +6...thanks again! Kat

 

274 AMPS using the TrueResult...Two hours after he ate...I am so worried....he pee'd excessively this am...drank a bit of water then hung around the water bowl for about 3 minutes....I wasn't in time to get a ketones test...what can I do in the meantime until I get the Reli-On strips (planning to get them later)...I am mixing a little water in his food when I feed him...

 

You can use some of the secondary monitoring tools in my signature link.

What size are the pee puddles?
How are the 5 Ps?
How much water is being consumed? Include how much is being added to his food.
How's his appetitite? Any food left after eating?

Once you get to WalMart, pick up more urine ketone strips, as well as the glucose test strips. And by the way, our shopping partner ADW carries the strips for the Confirm under the brand Arkray Glucocard 01, as its the same meter, just labeled for WalMart.

I suspect you may safely drop your 'no shoot' number to 190 with the ReliOn meter. As you get the test data accumulated, the no shoot number can be lowered so long as the nadir is always above 50 and so far, it has been, even with the other meter, which tends to read lowish.

As far as increasing, jumping an entire unit is too much. At most, a dose increase or decrease would be of 0.25 units, and only if the nadirs stay between 50 and 150.

 

I gave him 1-2 drops more of his insulin AM

 

Whenever you change a dose with Lantus, you need to hold it steady for a minimum of 3 days, then test the nadir(s), to see if it needs adjusting.

Lantus, because it is a depot insulin that builds up in the body, works best with consistency, so changing doses frequently doesn't let you really see how a dose is working.

 

His dose is 1 U. every 12 hours, I just very slightly went over the 1 U. dose--no more than .25 or less....there was a lot of room between when I moved the dose and the 2 U. line

 

That small increase (0.25) still should be held at that amount for the 3 days so you can determine if that is a better dose.
It may be an improvement, and keeping it at that level will let you test the hypothesis.

 

Purring - is the cat exhibiting customary signs of contentment or happiness?

Playing - will the cat play and interact with others? Plays a little as is his norm but in the past basically usually looks at me like "yeah, right", he stretches his self up the cupboard where his food is and makes sure he leaves some claw marks (I did cap him in the past, but he hates it so my husband told him to take them off and leave him be)

Preening - is the cat maintaining its fur and cleanliness? He does clean himself (as well as my Nigel grooms him--who has a grooming disorder...LOL)

Peeing - occurs, and is a normal volume? Peed this morning before AMPS exceedingly--about a 6" clump and peed this PM at 1:00 pm (+4 insulin injection) a very normal amount. Dranks a lot of water this AM.

Poohing - fecal material is formed and passable? Yes

I always add water to his food...on the average, I would say 15% of his can of FF is water. Also, as is his norm, he usually doesn't purr HOWEVER as his norm he licks my face to wake me up and gets toilet paper off the roll for me when I sit on toilet!!!

 

Went all the way to Walmart and I think I must of got the wrong strips. I have the Ultra model and the strips are for the "Prime". I tried 6x to get BG at +4.5 and it wouldn't work and I was using a lot of blood. So then I grabbed the TrueResult and was so flustered I couldn't get it....8 jabs...poor little guy--he is actually moping. The Reli-On strips I got are shorter than the ones I had that I ran out of.

 

Ok hello! here are my thoughts, sorry for delay as I am in the office today with limited access.

1. See if you can get a ketone test. And/or can you smell acetone on his breath? If the answer is YES to either of these go to the vet immediately!
Even if you cant grab his pee as it comes out you can cheat a little to get a rough idea if he has ketones.
a) dig a tablespoon of clean litter out the box. Mix it well with a tablespoon of water. test for ketones. Should be negative - if its not this wont work and dont bother with step b.
b) if the clean sample is negative ... repeat the test with 1 tablespoon of peed on litter and 1 tablespoon water. test for ketones. If you see any go to vet! Note that if this is clear he could still have ketones, this way of doing it isnt accurate. But if you see ketones then its vet time.

2. 274 on the true meter means Gobbles BG is probably 300+. That explains the drinking as he tries to flush the sugar out his system, and the peeing is due to the drinking. Adding more water to his food is a good idea. Maybe give him kitty milk or mix water into his wet food to help support his system. Dont panic though! -Assuming no ketones above, his body can handle this for a short while but lets try and get him regulated asap. Some peoples cats on here are much higher for much longer.

3. When will you get the strips? By tonite please? As soon as you get them please mark his SS with the new meter - and you might as well update yesterdays numbers to the new relion numbers instead.

4. Since you gave him a few more drops, we call that "fattening the dose" so in the SS put "1.00f" in the dose column. Thats an increase. As BJM says, you need to hold that for three days to see how he does. No more increases unless we tell you lol It might seem counterintuitive but he could be getting too much insulin and thats causing his high bounces and hig BG symptoms. Until we can do some good measuring for a few days under a steady dose, we wont know for sure what is going on.. so no more dose changes for now! The key to lantus is consistency and slow dose changes. Lets keep him on 1.00f for three days (6 cycles) unless he tells us otherwise ie he drops below 50.

5. I would like to see you weigh him once a week and mark it on your sheet.

Get the new strips!

Wendy

 

Poor boy! Give him lots of treats, and get yourself some while you are back at Walmart

his 5Ps dont sound too bad. Cleaning and playing a little is good.

When we got Bailey he had been diabetic and untreated for 6+ months. He was so thin and all bones. He wasnt cleaning properly and was dirty - you could feel it when you touched him, his face and nose had food stuck to it. He smelled. He would literally crawl from his food bowl (he ate tons) to stand with his head in the water fountain and drink and drink. he peed like crazy and would hunch near the water bowl to sleep for maybe 10 minutes and repeat. he wouldnt play. he could barely walk. His eyes were cloudy (glucose damage). he was a mess. he wouldnt have lasted much longer we dont think which is why we adopted him from my husbands sister.

A year on, he is heavier (although not as much as I would like), clean shiny fur, clearer eyes, playful running up and down and fighting with Tiggy, energetic, small pees mostly. Doesnt eat as much or drink as much. And all for less than 0.25Iu of insulin twice a day. Its amazing really.

 

AMPS +6 = 184 (truetest) Oh gosh, no need to be sorry...though I can't work, I use to work in an attorney's office and it was always deadlines, chaos, etc. OK: 1. I did a keytone test this afternoon directly into stream of urine = negative. No, I smell no acetone on his breath. 2. Is Kitty Milk the milk sold for kittens? He used to like milk, but I took it away from him as soon as he was diagnosed. I always mix water in his food and warm it slightly--he really likes it that way. 3. I will most likely get the strips tomorrow-I can't go back today as I don't/can't drive (husband drives though), unless it would be an emergency. I WILL get them tomorrow though because I have a doctor's appointment and will be near the Walmart. BTW, I can't return them as I used 3 of them. Any idea what to do with them? Do the strips HAVE to be labeled as Reli-On "Ultra" because the Walmart I went to today did not have any of those (only 2 others) though I will go to a different Walmart tomorrow. 4. So I will give him the few extra drops for the next 5 shots...BTW, my vet told me that if he was over 300 AMPS +4 he was INCREASING HIM TO 2 U. (Lantus every 12 hours). After being informed by ya'll here, that seems a bit excessive to me.... Although I know next to nothing re: everything, I don't think a few extra drops would make him hypo low. 5. I will have to buy a scale with ounces...he was weighed at the vet, the time before that (at the local shelter -- Angels For Animals), then vet before that. I decided I am NOT going to take him to the shelter for weight as it may be risky that he'll be exposed to some type of disease. Please note the weights that I do have (they are on his SS). His SS has been updated...

 

I have given him very minute nibs of turkey for treats (I know, I know...it was a from our family turkey dinner on this past Sunday)...I figured it was better than the whisker lickins' but then had the grand idea to give him ground venison (just a dab)--very lean- fresh from the field to the grinder (very small amount of suet added to keep it together due to super-leanness, and most certainly pure and healthy! I think the venison is a better treat than the turkey (which I'm aware that it probably has some sort of sugar in it as it was purchased whole from the freezer of the local grocery store).

How wonderful that you saved the little guys life--I am so happy Bailey is getting better and .25!!! Wow, God is good

 

So do either or you think that his 184 BG +6 (from TrueResult) is fairly accurate, since the TrueResult is generally close under 200?

 

I also have a True2Go gluconometer that was sent to me by Webmaster Rebecca (from this website--the free kit)...I thought maybe that would be more accurate than the TrueResult since it was sent to me....I am going to use both the True2Go and the TrueResult when I test him PMPS and post the results here...I forgot I had it! Anyone know about how accurate the True2Go is (vs. the TrueResult)?

 

Also, The Reli-On Prime test strips I bought cost me $9/50...the cost of a Reli-On Prime meter is $16.24... The cost of the Ultima strips are $19.98/50 ... Therefore, I plan on just buying a Prime meter and using the Prime strips I can't return.... Make Sense? What are your "reviews" re: the Prime?

 

Sounds like a good idea, it's cheaper and it looks like a number of people use it on the forum and are happy once they get the hang of it. You might want to look online to see if you can get a coupon as some meters come free when you buy xx strips. And you'll probably use them!

 

PMPS - 236 TrueResult & 233 True2Go - SS updated

 

Check this out https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AjcBiiIVLby8dDUzZmMzUmNmVUtWWERST2xidWxnUVE... get the relion prime strips as soon as you can! I have been reading about it and it looks good and cheap!

Not sure why you got sent a free one true2go that isn't good but maybe they think its better than nothing...

I am having issues today too, my hubbie gave Tiggy mozzarella and bits of pork on New Year's Eve, didnt affect his BG but it did upset his stomach we think and now he has diarrhea bad... Last time this happened he stopped eating and it caused all sorts of problems... Paws crossed it clears up soon!!

 

Thanks for the SS-enlightening! I will get the Reli-On Prime tomorrow and also get another box of strips....should be home about AMPS +6 or +7....to test (but will also test AMPS) Yes, it certainly is better none and my Gobbles just loves the little catnip pillow she sent me and I truly appreciate the gift (and lancets, rice bag and strips were included!!!) as the Reli-On I had was actually borrowed (have to return it!!!)...Poor Tiggy! Sounds like something my husband would do...LOL....so is it OK to give the kitty milk to Gobbles now & then--doesn't it have carbs in it? Also, I'v e read that there is absolutely NO okay dry food--including Wellness?

 

No dry food ever! None. Only dry they can have is freeze dried chicken or liver

Kitty milk is ok but you have to find the right kind of cat milk so I don't use it any more... Unless they are dehydrated like Tiggy will be soon if the diarrhea keeps up.. And then worry about his BG later. Whiskas cat milk has corn syrup in it supposedly .

I am home tomorrow so will be around to see how it's going!

Can I persuade you though to come over and start posting regularly on the lantus tight regulation forum? You get a lot of eyes there and they give a lot of advice.. They can be tough on you at times if you do something they disagree with, but they only have your kitty's welfare at heart and you can choose to ignore them.. Not as if they can reach through the computer and smack you ... Lol.

 

i figured the dry was out, but thought i 'd ask...he hasn't had any since dx and has been eating wet food 7% or lower (a few cans 8%) excepting the day i accidentally gave him a serving of 18%...and won't bother with the kitty milk because it would maybe give him the squirts. From what i read some raw food is ok...does that include beef, venison, chicken? We had deerburgers for dinner and he begged at the table (always has been his norm) and so i gave him some cooked venison (no spices)...was that okay? I also give it to him sometimes raw but he likes it cooked better. So you're a Lantus mom? What exactly is the "tight regulation" about? I"ll be home for a few hours then back home later with a Reli-On Prime! Hopefully I can be back by AMPS +6...I got a chance to check for keytones from his stream last night, which was negative...I noticed that when after he eats is the time that he goes downstairs to the litter box...right now he is at the water bowl and seems a little excessive...on my way to litter box to check urine output...

 

forget to ask...what meter do you use?

 

Raw food is considered better by some people although if you feed it exclusively there are nutrients you need to add. I give my boys pieces of raw and cooked meat often.. beef venison chicken turkey rabbit!. I dont give pork only because Tiggy is sensitive too it and bacon and stuff can be salty - and some countries it can have parasites in it if uncooked. Here is more info on a raw food diet http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood

Tight regulation is a way to get cats regulated and possibly into remission. It ideally gets them down to normal cat blood glucose levels. Many vets like diabetic cats to stay higher than a normal cat BG because of the fear of hypos, but tight regulation forces them into that range to allow the pancreas to heal . As such it requires more testing to watch for hypos, and dose changes are based on the nadir or lowest point of the day. Here is more info http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1581

 

Gobbles' SS updated.

 

shite---just checked wet he ate yesterday: FF turkey & giblets feast = 8 carbs & Friskies mixed grill = 11 carbs...can be reason for amps today?

 

Until you get the new strips I wouldnt assume anything. He could be bouncing from a lower number overnight. But the 11% doesnt help. Try and keep him under 10% - I aim for under 8% usually.

Dont throw out any cans of higher carb though - they may come in useful later on (if/when we get him into lower numbers he may try and drop too low sometimes and higher carb is great for bringing them up).

 

this am feed FF tender beef & liver feast classic...i am leaving now

 

I bought a new Reli-On Prime glucometer this afternoon. AMPS +6 = 253. I went through all food and double-checked % of those in there...I did find one Friskies Tuna & Egg, which I set aside. At the initial appointment with my (new) vet, he gave me a Tripod Binky's Food list and said he would like me to keep his diet under 7%....

 

Cool! under 7% is even better! Looking forward to seeing his numbers over the next few days! yay!

 

This list is more updated http://www.catinfo.org/docs/Food Chart Public 9-22-12.pdf

 

thanks Wendy, I have that one printed out and have highlighted the FF & Friskies that are less than the 7% and keep it in my purse

 

If you look at Gobbles' SS, either a coincidence or trend: for the last 3 days the AMPS is about 90 higher than the AMPS +6...just an observation as I was just now taking a look at his SS...

 

That's good.. Means the insulin is working. But the big question is, how high is he really going, and how low. Once we know the low especially we can see if a dose change is required..

 

Well, his +6 was with the spanking brand new Reli-On Prime....I will check him PMPS and update his SS...I'm still doing the 1.00f...

 

How was his PMPS?

 

294...poor little guy--it took 6 jabs and 3 strips before I got enough blood on the strip....then to make matters worse, he flinched slightly when I shot him, and I fear it may have been a fur/partial fur shot

 

Did it feel wet? Can you smell the insulin from the fur?

Poor boy, make sure his ear is warm first before you test so that you get enough blood. Do you use neosporin on his ears?

 

It didn't feel/look wet but I did smell insulin--I mean, I'm pretty sure I got him--I tent and then kinda move the fur out of the way...Yeah, poor little guy I did his foot four times, then ear twice...The Reli-On takes a little more blood than the TrueResult; after the disaster this evening, I will make sure there is a bit more blood. Well, off to bed for me. Sidenote: I got the grand (not) news today at my neuorsurgeon's that I need a test where I have to lie still for 48 hours thereafter AND get another back surgery which entails 3 or more days in hospital, then totally in pain/laid up the first few days thereafter, then another few weeks in/out of bed...(though it can always be much worse My husband said he can do the testing and shots, but I just don't feel comfortable with anyone (except myself) doing that. My cousin (who had a sugarcat for years) said I can bring him to her house for a few days (not going to happen though because, God bless her, she has 3 Danes and 8 cats and I know it would totally stress him out. I am waiting for the test to be scheduled and then the surgery will be scheduled....I think hubby and I should start practicing soon

 

Sorry to hear that, I hope the surgeries go well. Sounds like a good time to train your husband anyway.. Unless your friend can pop over and do it?

It's good to have support. My husband is ok at it although he struggles still to get blood from bailey..
Enjoy your sleep, I might ask for a PMPS +6 one of these nights just as a spot check.

Also I would really like you to come over to the tight regulation forum. Every day start a new topic with the subject
Date, gobbles name and reading ie today would be "1/4 gobbles AMPS 347" and then in the post you put a note but about how he is doing etc ie "got a new meter today, gobbles is peeing a lot ....etc...." And add a link to the prior day post. Then update the subject when you do a test ie 1/4 gobbles AMPS 347 +6 253 PMPS 294.
That way you get support from us all, and more than just my eyes on him.

Here is an example of mine from today http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=86291

Wendy

 

When starting out, it helps to use a 26 or 27 gauge lancet.

 

Yes - if you read the sticky on the protocol http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1581 you can see the logic for increase and decrease. I am trying to get them into green and stay green without going too low. The more green they are, the more recovery the pancreas can have and the more likely remission.

Not sure what you mean here.. when I gave a fur shot I had to assume some may have gone in... and so I would just shrug and give the next shot 12 hours later as per schedule.

The cat probably cleans it off if its outside the body. But even with a fur shot, some insulin may still have gone in to him, and you dont know how much so you dont want to shoot again in case you overdose. So you just wait the 12 hours till the next shot.

Yes, many cats have their nadir during the night and you can see a few lows with both my boys at night. One time Bailey had a hypo at night and was almost comatose (September 5th) so now I am too scared to sleep through. I tend to wake up at night anyway to go pee and whatever so I poke them then. Although I do set the alarm just in case but it rarely goes off since I am up before it. Plus I dont want to miss it if they got under 40/50 at night because that means a decrease!

Yes, I use the ear all the time. It doesnt seem to bother them except if I do it too much in one spot and then I move or switch ears. I dont like using paw pads since it means they have a wound on their feet, and they are walking on the litter tray etc so i worry about infection. Plus Tiggy HATES having his feet touched.