Oscar Update

Hi All,
Just wanted to say Oscar is doing OK! Thanks to my new friend (in Aus.that I was introduced to through this website) I now have a BG monitor and am getting the hang of keeping track. He is fluctuating but I am changing the Caninsulin for Lantus as soon as the vet can get some (it is on order) and I can travel to collect it. Even though his reading is a little high at times he has no Ketones and is much happier and alert than he initally was. He is very good about the injections and the lancing but sometimes I have trouble getting enough blood from the ear (even when it is warmed) - any tips would be appreciated.
Cheers Joan :smile:

 

Terrific!

What meter did you get? How much blood is required? (x microliters ul) It should say on the box and/or instructions

Different human meters require amounts from 0.3 ul to 3.0 ul
Of course the ones that require 0.3 have the most expensive test strips.
0.3 ul is like the head of a pin
1 ul is like a sesame seed
3 ul is like a small pea (a huge amount to try and get from a cat's ear!)

My meter requires 0.5 ul - a compromise for what I can afford since I do not have pet insurance.

 

Great! It is wonderful to hear from you and Oscar. I am glad Marilyn is helping you out. You will probably see much better results with the Lantus. Have you read the stickies on the Lantus Support group page? If your vet has not used Lantus before, the information will be a great help to you and to him: viewforum.php?f=9

If you ever have any concerns, post your numbers and we may be able to give you some ideas. If you are having issues testing, we all have our own tips that helped us get blood. Welcome to the Vampire Club!

 

Hi Phoebe and Sue,
My monitor requires .6ul for testing it is a Optimum Xceed, it certainly is very quick to give a result which is great. Marilyn has the same and it has a good track record with her. She has suggested rubbing the ear which I did but maybe I am not doing it for long enough. It is still quite wintery here and I guess that doesn't help. Poor little soldier layed his ear flat against his head when I tried today, funny he never complains and let's me do anything to him (cut claws, inject etc) but that was his only sign of revolt, not in an angry way, more pitiful!
Certainly I will be glad to change insulin as I have read more about the difference and a much better chance of stability with Lantus (glargline), than Caninsulin (lente).
I feel I have come a long way since the first post but still lots more to learn. Thank you for your help.
Cheers Joan

 

What I found that helped in cold weather -- I would let Norton lay on the upper back of my soft chair close to my reading lamp -- made him easier to reach for testing (standing beside him) and his ears were nice and toasty from the reading lamp

 

Your other option might be a rice sack. Oliver's ear wouldn't give us enough blood unless we really got it warm - particularly in the beginning. Take a thinnish sock, fill with regular rice, tie a knot in the end and heat in the microwave until very warm but not hot. Hold it against his ear for 15-20 seconds. (Some kitties love it; maybe Oscar will too.)

Also, be sure to have something behind the ear to poke against. We liked using a small makeup sponge. Some people just use a folded kleenix.

 

As much as possible we make the bg testing a team effort. David holds him on his lap and I do the testing. LB has come to really enjoy the attention. He is not a lap cat but he likes to stay on David's lap after the test for the stroking and attention. (5 mins - which is a long time for him).

I think it's a matter of finding the right spot where the vein is most vulnerable and sometimes I go in at an angle (if you imagine getting a splinter from a piece of wood).

I have done a few that have been way too aggressive, resulting in an aggressive bleed. Having learned from that I try to go very lightly even though light pricks tend to give trouble bleeding. This morning I lightly pricked the same spot about 3 times and it eventually provided a sample. Joan, give yourself a few pricks get an idea what you are dealing with. I've done it a few times and the feeling is very transitory and it will help you to understand how it feels for Oscar.

With the meter I could have got you one that required less blood but they told me it was the difference between a pin head amount.

Another trick is to get them while they are napping. LB pays no attention when he's sleeping. He looks up, and always has to smell the meter and pretty much says "oh this again" and lays back and lets me do it. He knows the little tune will sing after the fiddling and we are done. They are so smart - they catch on really fast to this being part of their life.

Keep trying different parts of the ear. I bleed the inside of the ear but I noticed the guy on the youtube video takes blood from the outside.

you sound extremely competent to me so I am sure you will do very well with Oscar!

Marilyn

 

Thanks for all the hints. Tried the rice sock this morning and had a win. Marilyn the monitor is fine - I love the way it sucks up the blood from the end and it really is only a small amount but just had a bad run over the weekend. Also lamp idea is good, we have a wood stove lit in the arfternoon which Oscar lays next to, so that will be a good time to try. Sometimes it's just helpful to toss ideas around.
Definite peaks and troughs in the day but I gather that the Lantus when I finally get it will smooth those out? Also I can see the change from dry food impacting.
Cheers Joan