Looking for Home testing advice

I am very new to fd and am hometesting, and my vet asked me to call in my #s today. So I did and the vet tech who answered told me she didn't have time to write down 10 numbers and then basically proceeded to called me a bad mama bean for home testing. She said that his ears are going to be "mangled" and that I'm causing him more stress than it would to bring him in to the vet's to test him. I've been crying now. I believe in my decision to test, but will it mangle his ears??? Will they ever stop being fire-engine red? I may have to switch vets over this cuz they made me feel very uncomfortable in their treatment. Please shine some light on me! Tell me it gets better, please.

 

You made the right decision. I too got a lot of misinformation from my vet initially and got really confused. For the first week I tested my cat a dozen times a day and his ears got lots of little scabs and it was sad for ME - but all in all, hometesting is the way to go and keeps your kitty in the comfort of your home; and trust me, they eventually get used to it and go unfazed! Some here even say that their cats look forward to it. Mine now tolerates it which is good enough for me. Your vet, like my original vet, doesn't seem very progressive. Plus, the more often they get you in there, the more money they can make. If you've got a meter and strips, there's nothing they can do there that you can't do in the comfort of your own house.

Read over this site and you will learn so much. It seems like most people are so overwhelmed and confused in the beginning but eventually it'll make sense and become second nature to you. I am living proof of that!

 

It gets better. No, you are not mangling your cat's ears beyond help. Ears heal up remarkably fast. If you can do enough tests to have 10 numbers to report, you must be doing something right. If you were really hurting the cat, you couldn't get hold of him to do 10 tests!

As for the stress, look at your cat. How stressful is the testing, as far as you can observe, compared to taking the cat to the vet? In my case, Megan started out yipping a little at each test but now either purrs or is quiet (and she comes running when I get out the testing equipment). Testing started out a bit stressful, but still not as much as a car ride. Now, though, I can detect no stress at all.

 

Oh no... I'm so sorry for what they told you. Maybe if you stay with them you can teach them through your experience and then lots of new kitties under their care may get better advice.

I can PROMISE you that the ears DO NOT get mangled. I even put that in all caps, that's how confident I am :mrgreen:

I've been hometesting Tucker since 2005, not a bump or bruise on his beautiful ears. The ears get trained to give blood so fast that the amount you need just pops right up. I never see any spots on my handsome little man.

For now, after you test, put a tissue on the ear for a few seconds and apply pressure, that will help minimize bruising. In time you probably wont need to do that.

Really, you are doing the right thing. You're keeping your cat safe and healthy. Awesome!!!!

Regarding stress, when I spot check Tucker he doesn't even wake up. Can't be any pain or stress there.

 

one thing i would suggest is going to that tech's superior. obviously if the vet wanted you to call in the numbers, he/she has no problem with your testing. the tech was completely and utterly 100000% out of line and their boss needs to know that and that they made you feel like switching clinics.

 

oh give me a break. why do these vets/ techs/sec. say things like this?? uninformed is why. if ears were to get mangled, you think we would not have told you by now. wheezer does have some bumps/scar tissue but that is my fault. I tend to stick the same spot all the time, DUH but look mangled, never!!!!!
and stress?? now HITH do they figure there is more stress at home than going to vets. another give me a break. I would say to them, I see you folks are not willing to work with me and if that is the case, maybe I should move on. why do you not have the time to write down these numbers? is it you just do not care? oh I could go on and on. just do what you are doing and if ya want to get together one day, let me know. we are about 2.5 hours from each other and we could meet half way. AND put the PGH people on your calendar for the next get together in august sometime. date to be negotiated yet

 

So, I've got to ask the vet (if I could)...

If your child had juvenile diabetes, would you give the child insulin without testing their blood sugar first to see what the BG number was, or would you risk shooting insulin without a test when your child's blood sugar may actually be in a nondiabetic number and the insulin can cause a hypoglycemic incident?

Do you believe, Ms. Vet Tech, that it is cruel to test your child's blood sugar because the testing stresses your child out and mangles his/her fingers, arm or test spots? If your child cries that the tests hurt and it is upsetting your child, will you then just stop testing their blood sugar and just shoot insulin without any knowledge of where their blood sugar actually is right now prior to shooting? Or will you bring them to the doctors and add additional stress onto them with repeated trips to the pediatrician to test their blood rather than doing it quickly in the comfort of their own home?

Now, what is your fax number? I will fax these numbers to my vet and you will then only have to pick up the paper and carry it to him. Thank you, Ms. Vet TECH.

 

claudia you are doing the absolute BEST thing for your kitty. and his ears will be just fine.
are you comfortable with you ear testing knowledge? did you see the ear testing video?
that vet tech is sooooo wrong that it's not even funny, it's really rather terrible.
i might be late to the party but what insulin are you using?
what dose?
know about our feeding thoughts?
if you already have all this down don't bother to answer, if not please do.

 

never mind, found your info...your doing great!

 

PS - yes. It really does become easier and even routine for you both.

 

So let me get this straight. The Vet tech is usurping your Vet's instructions? I agree with Cindy. That Vet tech has NO business telling you those things.

You are doing a great job, keep up the good work.

jeanne

 

Thanks for the tips everyone! The vet ended up calling me back and liked that his #s are coming down after a shot, but she still wants him to increase to 2 units bid since his lowest reading was in the upper 300s. I'm going to try for a ss tonight, but in the meantime are there any opinions on that high of a dose increase? I worry we may overshoot his best dose by increasing in whole units! (all his #s are in health forum under:Charlie dosage help please).
Thanks for all the kind words!

 

Did you happen to mention to your vet that the tech was rude? I definitely would do so in a nice way.

I had a hard time testing Calliope and her ears were like leather, so I had to use the deepest setting. She was not bruised or mangled in any way. She was just plain old pissed off, to be blunt.

Anyway, my vet told me if I was going to treat her, I HAD to hometest. When I came to understand FD more, I also understood that testing at home was just plain old logical like people with diabetes must test themselves.

I'm sorry I can't help you with the dosing advice, but I know you were worried about the testing. I think it will get better. You're doing such a good job.

 

OMG, the vet needs to be talked to about that vet tech. I also would not want a pet of mine handled by her. As for ears, no vet would be able to look at Mishka and tell which ear I test several times a day for the last 7 years.

 

Hi Claudia,

I second everything the others have told you about reporting the Tech., but I also suspect that the Vet was PO'ed too when the tech had no answer about Charlie's numbers.

If you're uncomfortable with the dose, I'd go ahead and do 1.5 units BID. You are using PZI and you should see the numbers shift downwards. Keep in mind you want Charlie to get below 200 for long periods of time. Charlie's lowest reading is still nearly double your desired reading.

Some here might disagree with the vet recommendation, but I would do 2 too. But, I have experience in recognizing hypo's and dives. You clearly state you are uncomfortable with going to 2u BID, so go for 1.5u with confidence you have the numbers literally in the palm of your hand!!!

If you have not already done so...review this sticky: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=15887

I have my kit sitting on my kitchen counter. Karo, Carb wet, extra strips, and even feeding syringes. I emphasize the EXTRA STRIPS, because I have them stipulated for hypo use. Not, daily use...only for hypo use.

It sounds like you might be ready to dial back on the lancet too. ;-)

 

ahhh so sorry. I thought for some reason you were on lev. I used to do PZI but cannot remember how I did it but I think I dosed according to ps number and would/could use a sliding scale of sorts. if wheez was higher, I shot a larger dose and lower, a lower dose but I had nadir numbers also.
so sadly,I have no advice on this and sorry if I mis led

 

i would increase in smaller increments.. 1.5 sounds good. i have to check and see if you have a spread sheet up...good to have mid cycle #'s when changing dose.

 

oh boy, yes those are some high #'s stick with that 1.5 for a few days then if nothing happens go to 2. just to be on the safe side. i am curious when i see a SS like this, makes me want to check and see if everything is right. like you have the correct syringe, handleing the insulin correctly etc. you need the u40 syringe right?

 

Yeah, u-40 syringe with prozinc. Kept in back if fridge in box, gently rocking the bottle before dosing. I'm also not missing with my shots, I watch the needle go in and no wet fur! I don't understand his bouncy numbers! I wasn't able to test tonight, so I just shot 1u. Will increase to 1.5 tomorrow. Hope that helps!

 

i thought but am probably wrong that pro zinc was u100...

 

The box says 40 units per ml. That's u-40, right?

 

yes it is.

 

Some people wet their fingers with a little cold water and apply pressure after an ear poke to prevent bruising and stop any bleeding. Others have used something like a drop neosporin if the ears look really sore. It will get easier - the ears learn, and you will get better as you get more confident. Try to remember you're not hurting, you're helping. Give a nice treat afterwards and all will be forgiven quickly. My cat loves dehydrated chicken chunks so I save that for testing treats. : )

 

those red ears...your poking at the edge of the ear right. the very very edge? your kitty may benefit from some gentle ear massages if he'll tolerate it. get him used to having his ears touched plus will make them bleed easier.
one thing i think it is safe to promise you is this...it WILL get easier. i'm pretty sure nearly every person here suffered from anxiety and worry when we first started. it's par for the course. and btw, i have not found a vet to like, nor has my tom. that seems par for many too. you are not alone. or even unusual. ;-)

 

Maybe I'm testing too far in. It's tricky to tell with my lancing device where the poker is! I was extra careful this morning to poke right on the edge and got blood on the first poke. I'm going to draw a line on the side of my lancing device that lines up with the lancet hole so I can tell exactly where on his ear I'm lancing. That should help!

 

One thing that helped me was removing the little cap with the hole in it from the pen. I felt I had a better idea of exactly where the prick would be. You can do that and see if it helps. It's not necessary to have that little cap on and I think it was more comfortable for Calliope with it off. Just a thought....

 

or get rid of the divise and free hand it...i found that easier for both me and tom. it should not be on the ear per say but the very edge of the ear. you sure you viewed the video?

 

I would not be jumping around on the dose. When you first start ProZinc (or other insulin for that matter) it takes time for the cat's body to acclimate to getting insulin. I would pick a dose (1 unit is fine) and stick with it for several days. We spent 2 weeks at the initial dose with ProZinc...it had little to no effect at first, but the numbers started to come down after the first week or so. Give it time....it's a marathon, not a sprint. Don't increase too much too fast...you will end up missing the right dose that way.

Vets seem to like to increase by full units, not the way to go with ProZinc. Increase by 0.25u at a time....small adjustments often yield big results with ProZinc. There is an adjustment period with Prozinc, if you try to go too fast, you will get frustrated and confused.

 

is this pro zinc or pzi?

 

Looks like ProZinc to me...please clarify if it isn't...it does make a difference!

 

ok i stand corrected, did'nt remember that.

 

No sweat, her signature says PZI...I just caught the ProZinc when I was reading through the thread! But if it is a mistake, I hope the OP will let us know. ;-)

 

I am so sorry for what your vet said I can so relate with you I am a vet tech myself and have worked for my vets for 16 yrs and I got this long drawn out lecture myself about how mean and stressful it is for your cat and of course I disagreed with them my vets are very old time FD they believe in only the 8hours post test for your BG and thats it and for my cats first 4 months of being dxd I followed how they did it but then he started to get so much worse I knew things at to change and so I started to learn how to hometest I cannot use my cats ears so I use his paw pads. Either way the cat will get used to it in time I freehand with the lancet tried using a device at first but it just did not work for me I find holding the lancet so much easier and after a while you and your cat will work out a routine I always give a freeze dried treat each time and this has helped to. Good luck with your vet its terrible they did not want to listen to your numbers but this board is here to help you as well there is the insulin groups as well you can join

 

Changed my sig for clarification. He is on prozinc. We increased to 1.5 units yesterday am. I will stay there for a week or so. I'm giving his ears a break and only testing ps. I will do a curve this weekend. His ps bgs have crept down since yesterday amps. Thanks for all the advice and info!

 

claudia, well, normally i would say yay to giving the ears a rest but if you see any major difference between an am and a pm ps than please check his nadir at least. it's not the best time to not be seeing how low he goes but i understand why you are doing it.
still....maybe one nadir two or three days into it?

 

I'm sorry if Charlie's ears are sore, but it is important to get a spot check when you increase dose....you could be risking a hypo by only getting PS #s. It's important for his safety. Please get at least one spot check somewhere in the mid cycle.

We've had a lot of people surprised by low #s out of the blue. It has happened to me, and other more experienced people here. The great thing about home testing is the ability it gives you to avoid life-threatening emergencies. Better to have red ears than a kitty at the ER!

 

I agree that you need to get at least a nadir check when you have upped a dose. Take a look at Tess's SS from last night. She had been high for days, pink at PMPS, and then boom :shock: dropped to the green from yellow and I was up testing all night. If I hadn't been testing she would have hypoed.

And look at the number of tests last night! Her ears are fine this morning. We use Neosporin with a drop of Vitamin E Oil once or twice a week. The Neo is an antibiotic to prevent infection, some people use the type w/ pain relief. Vitamin E Oil helps speed healing and prevent scarring.

I'm with Lori, I freehand with a lancet, no device. I can see much better where it pricks and I can control the force better, it doesn't take much w/ Tess, she has very thin ears not big fuzzy ones. I'm lucky in that I can see the vein very clearly. I aim for anywhere between the vein and the edge of the ear, anywhere from halfway up, inner or outer edge. The "sweetspot"is a good place to start, but I like to move the site around a lot and alternate ears. If you are freehanding, go in at a 45º angle, give a second prick if you see no blood right way right next to the first (try doing that w/ a device.) Giving a slight twist opens the prick a little too. The angle also makes it less likely to go all the way through the ear.

I use BD Ultrafine 30 gauge lancets. I think they are sharper and don't seem to hurt like the larger gauges do. I can test Tess in her sleep and she barely wakes up. Some people say they get no blood w/ the finer gauges, but the twist and/or second prick takes care of that.

I hope this helps, you look like you are off to a great start.