SOS

Louie woke me up. Walking funny. Took BG—187. Did test with control solution and it was 133. Range high end is 104.
I’ve given him syrup and Fancy Feast gravy lovers. With high test solution, I’m guessing 187 is high and it’s lower than that but not sure how low. He is on normal dose, no increase. He typically runs high 500 or so. Worried!! He wants out but scared to let him. It’s 4 am!

 

Hi.
I don't really understand what you are saying when you say 'did the test with the control solution and it was 133'.......'range high end 104'......' with high test solution, I'm guessing 187 is high and its lower than that but not sure how low' .
I'm sorry I don't know what all of this means.
I had a look back at your previous two posts and it looks like you are using Lantus...is that right? What dose is he on? Saying normal dose does not help us.
And can't quite work out if you are using a Relion or an Alphatrak meter.
We could help you much more if you set up a SS....and a Signature. They both give us a lot of information about Louie.

I'm not sure why he is walking funny. If his BSL is 187 that is OK and not hypo. Have you taken the BSL again after you gave syrup and FF gravy?

All I can advise is that if he is acting in a strange manner and you are worried about him I would take him to the ER. I would not let him outside at the moment while you are concerned about him.

 

I use lantus 1.5 units. I tested his BG at 187. Low for him so I decided to check monitor with test solution. The normal range is like 80-104 for control solution-/it was 133. Took cats BG after fancy f ast and syrup and it was 223. Just worried bc the control solution measured outside the normal range, so maybe his BG is not accurate,

 

I don't quite understand this either but 187 is not low by any means. Sometimes cats do throw us unexpected numbers! But as Bron says, without a spreadsheet for us to look at to see how unusual a particular number is, it's hard to comment. But yes, if kitty is acting abnormally, call the vet - explain the symptoms and the situation with bg and control solution, and see what advice is given.
Good luck!

 

Ok. I get it now! I don't use a meter with the control solution so can't really help there.
How is Louie acting now?
Are you testing the BSL before every insulin shot and then again about 5 or 6 hours later to see how low the BSL is going ?

 

Yes please do give us this info and please work on setting up a spreadsheet and signature. There are people here to help you if it's tricky.
Meanwhile, do you have another cat(s) who is not diabetic? In situations like this it can be helpful to test a civvie's bg - if that's normal, it would at least give you a starting point to decide if the strips are ok or not.

 

He is an only kitty. He’s acting better. The control solution is supposed to verify that the Glucometer is accurate. It is apparently not. My vet opens at 7. Man, does he want out. Before when it’s been low I’ve gotten it up with food and syrup then taken him to vet.
I had been taking his BG on a fairly regular basis and it was always high—500-700. Someone volunteered to help me do a SS but he stabilized and I got really busy and haven’t done it. She scolded me and judged me and really upset me. Like I tell my kids, I’m doing the best I can—sometimes that sucks but I am doing the best I can. I love my kitty. I have kids and am homeschooling and working. He was running from me and I worried about our relationship. He’s been acting totally normal. I can tell by his eyes when his BG is high or low, so I’ve been counting on that. Please don’t judge me. I already blame myself that he’s even got this.

 

And to clarify, I didn’t think you were judging me.

 

I think it was Marje who was wanting to help you with the SS........honestly she is the loveliest person you could hope to meet and I know she would not judge you. She would just want to help you and Louie. And she is an absolute whizz at fixing the SS. She helped me when I first joined and I was hopeless with tech things.

No one would be judging you....they just want you to get set up so you can manage Louie the best way possible.
It really is very worth while setting up the SS and documenting all the numbers. That way we can see at a glance what is happening to Louie and if you post with an SOS we can look up and see what has been happening and it saves valuable time. It's the same with the signature. That tells us what insulin you are using and what meter you are using, any other health problems and medications and how long he has been a diabetic. Otherwise we have to ask you the same questions every time you post and ask for help. And we love to help!

I'm glad he seems to be feeling better!
Just one thing, please don't count on being able to tell what his BSL by looking at his eyes. That is very risky. My cat was looking very normal and I tested her BSL and she was 26 and I had no inkling that she was that low and I used to watch her very closely......she did suddenly get ravenously hungry just as I took her BSL but up until then, nothing. And she was dangerously low.

You sound like a very busy lady and you obviously love Louie. I hope you get the meter sorted out. You could test yourself to check the numbers.
Bron

 

Absolutely no-one is judging you, we all only want the best for you and your kitty and that does mean that we need as much info as possible if we're to help as much as we can. Do get in touch with Marje, she will get you up and running with a spreadsheet in no time, and then all you have to do is keep it up to date - it soon becomes part of your routine and won't be an extra chore at all. Honestly - the extra minute or two a day is very well worth it because it's an extra safeguard to your kitty's health and in situations like you've described today, you would probably get more answers and feel more in control!

 

Thanks, y’all. I know I’m very sensitive and it was just bad timing and made me feel guilty. We will get thru this and try again.
He’s resting now and I guess has given up on my letting him out. I’m about to get dressed so I can be at the vet at 7.
I’ll order my solution too bc that’s what’s prompted my SOS. 187 is within normal range, but that Glucometer being off had me worried. I’ve been up with him since 3:30 and he is definitely better—walking better. I’ll get the vet to test him and get him normal if needed. I’ll also talk to accucheck customer service and likely order new solution. I opened it in April and their website says it only lasts 3 months.

 

When we are tired and busy, things upset us. Don't feel guilty about Louie having diabetes. You are doing a great job looking after him. He is lucky to have you

 

No other advice to offer, but you can always test your own blood to verify the meter is working

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems that you used the control solution to verify if Louie's blood glucose reading was correct or not. The control solution reading is only to tell you if the meter and test strips are working together correctly. The solution contains a concentration of some sort of sugar that should give a reading within a certain range that's marked on your test strip vial. The solution also has an expiry date once it's opened so won't work well after that. Check the box it came in. Once you've established that your meter and strip combination gives you a reading in that labelled range you know that the meter is working properly. That's where control solution usefulness ends. Most of us don't even bother using it.

The reading you get when you test Louie's blood is then a reliable number but has NO connection to the control solution values. You take the blood glucose numbers from Louie at face value unless you think a strip might be wonky (maybe you get a number that doesn't fit the current pattern at all - too high or too low), the blood drop might have been too small, you get an error reading on the meter, the meter battery is low, etc.

I hope this clarifies it for you.

 

Thanks for clarifying that @Kris & Teasel.
My meter does not use a control solution so I was no help there.

 

Glad to help.

 

Thank you. I don't bother using it either but recently got a lecture from my vet's office about not using it. So was wondering if I'd made a big error.

 

Seconded. Also, we test the Relion Confirm strips against a civvie (57) and human bean (101) if we're ever concerned about a new box of strips.