Testing BG after food

I am wondering if it is generally agreed upon that testing BG should be done a minimum of 2 hrs after eating?

 

I'd say yes because it can take about that long to get the food influence out of the bloodstream. It can even take a bit longer sometimes.

 

If you’re talking about pre shot tests then yes. You should always pick up food 2 hours before you test/feed/shoot. If you’re talking about mid-cycle tests the 2 hour rule doesn’t apply. You can free feed for the rest of the day, if that’s what you want to do.

 

I give snacks every four hours and try to test before each snack. Seems to work well for Grandpa.


Unfortunately I've developed the habit of snacking every four hours with him.

 

Thank you both, @Kris & Teasel and @SpotsMom. I have been waiting two hours to test, regardless of when or if it will be a preshot. Good to know that I can test an hour after he's eaten. I always make sure not to give any food two hours before I'll be testing am/pm preshots but wasn't sure about other mid-cycle tests.

 

I time my mid cycle tests so there's no food effect. I do them either just before a meal (no food several hours before) or at least 2 hours after.

 

That's what I have been doing too but I thought it would be helpful to be able to test sooner than two hrs. I'm trying to be as gentle with Hemi as I can be and I hate having to wake him up so I can stab him in the ear again. This has gone terribly wrong a couple of times already. Very stressful for both of us.

Sometimes it would be nice just to be able to do it because he's awake and there already.

 

I know what you mean about disturbing them. I've been at it so long with Teasel, though, that when I call him and shake the treats container he comes to our testing spot (on the bath mat in the bathroom).

 

Holy moley! In all my years on the FDMB, this is a new one on me. I've never heard of caregivers timing mid-cycle tests so they're not influenced by food. Even the "picking up of food 2 hours prior to shot time" is a suggestion for newbies just until they learn how food influences their cat's numbers. It was never meant to be something that became "a rule" for the rest the cat's life.

I understand the reasoning behind carefully timing mid-cycle tests so there's no effect from food, but then how do you ever learn how much of an effect food has on any given point in a cycle... let alone the effects of different foods? How a cat responds to the combination of food and insulin will give you a rounded out picture of what's happening. Part of data collection includes how the cat responds to different amounts of carbs and/or different flavors... which will be different depending on where kitty is in the cycle.

Just a suggestion...
We used to ask caregivers to note feeding times and the amount fed with an asterisk in the corresponding cell on the spreadsheet. That way you'll have an instant visual of information you need to help regulate your cat. See Alex's spreadsheets for an example.

Restricting feeding times in order to get a BG number that's not food influenced is only making this harder on the caregiver. Instead, why not take advantage of the info/data presented and use it to regulate the cat?

There's no reason not to "do it" if one notes of when kitty was fed.



Let's not make this harder on ourselves.
Just my thoughts...

 

You JUST started this, so I would think you would want to remove food two hours before the pre-shot test, just to be sure you are not getting a food-influenced number. That is a safety measure so that you do not risk giving insulin on a number that is lower than you think it is. Beyond that, I would say feed as normal and get your mid-cycle tests in at various times so that you begin to gather enough data to have a feel for when the insulin onset and peak occur. I would not alter feeding for testing because the whole point is to get the glucose levels at various points during the cycle under normal circumstances. If you withhold food for testing, how do you ever find out what the glucose levels are normally going to be when you are not withholding food?

I feed four times a day (I see that you do, too). I leave the leftovers out for the girls to graze on, so they pretty much always have access to food. (It has been quite some time since I took up food two hours before the pre-shot test. I have been at this a while.) So, when I test, Mia may or may not have eaten within two hours before.. that is up to her.

 

I'm an an insulin dependant diabetic and I regulate my dosage myself, based on data I have previously collected but just as importantly, based on how I FEEL. I know, if I'm feeling a little shaky, sweaty, etc., I am probably running a little low and in need of carbs. I don't always test my BS. I just eat something or drink some juice. If dinner is 20 minutes away, I test before I eat. No waiting.

The only time I really have a "zero food" or what I call "fasting" number, is when I wake up in the am. I give myself three injections per day. Two of them are fast acting insulin injections and the other is slow. The fast acting I take right before I eat a meal with 15 carbs or more. The slow is right before bedtime.

I have gotten a little carried away trying to regulate Hemi by adjusting his insulin without enough data to rely on but for whatever reason, I have this two hour post feeding wait period stuck in my brain, which has been conflicting with treats, snacks, sleep, etc., and I just wanted to see if I was being too strict. From the feedback I've been getting, I have been. It also appears, I'm not alone.

I was wondering why the spread sheet didn't include a way to track food in some way, as I always consider what I have had to eat when I decide how many units to give myself.

I'll check out Alex's SS to get a better idea of how to document Hemi's food intake. Thank you.

 

My 2 cents: Harley is so Unbelievably Picky I am not able to feed at specific times. I tried timed meals and he just Will Not Eat. He takes 1-2 bites and walks away. My cats were free fed dry kibble their whole lives so that is what they are used to. I have canned and dry down at all times. I basically wing it when time for shots. If low and he is eating I will give insulin as I know his sugar will go up. At times I will give him 2-4 Temptation Treats as I know that will shoot his sugar level up. Fortunately, I am gone from home less than 6 hrs/ day and someone is home to monitor him (but won't test his sugar).

The experienced people on this forum can now stop screaming and tearing out their hair when I say I "Wing It". He has had low episodes but never symptomatic and corrective action was taken immediately.

I like to live life on the edge. If I didn't, Harley would surely give me a nervous breakdown. Actually, I think he already did.

 

Off topic (donning my Moderator hat):
@Harley Baby & Michele

I don't know what this is about or why you felt it was appropriate to bring up on this particular thread. If there is/was a problem, we strongly encourage you to report the post and it will be dealt with accordingly.

That said, if this comment has anything to do with the lows and the aftermath seen on Harley's spreadsheet, I applaud those who brought up the subject with you. This board was founded on helping caregivers manage feline diabetes... and that includes offering suggestions and guidance to keep every cat who comes through our doors healthy, happy, and most of all... safe. I can only hope that members continue to respectfully speak up for all the cats.

Again, if there's a problem, please report the post or PM and it will be dealt with on the next level.
Thank you.

 

I think my warped sense of humor may have been very misunderstood. I did not mean anyone has complained to me about my comments, care or my spreadsheet and there was absolutely no issue that I was complaining about. I fully realize how committed people are on this forum. My second paragraph was my Hypothetical thought of what people Might say or think when I stated I "WING IT" as written in my first paragraph. I was only trying to inject a bit of levity into my comments regarding my frustrations with Harley and his appetite issues.

 

Whew! Happy to hear there's not a problem.

 

@Jill & Alex (GA) i always thought Food had to be picked up two hours before preshots. I never knew that was reserved for newbies.

 

I'm not surprised. It has been presented as a "rule" for quite some time now.

Unfortunately, far too many rules have been born from "suggestions"... usually without knowing, understanding, or explaining the logic behind the suggestion. These "rules" are simply a product of "repeat-speak"... much like the children's game of "Telephone". All you need is a few prolific posters incorrectly passing off suggestions as "rules" and BAM... it's repeated so often that it quickly becomes a new convoluted fact/rule on the FDMB.

 

Sticky time?

 

@Jill & Alex (GA) I definitely think a sticky maybe called myths and misconceptions possibly? I hate it when I give the wrong suggestions although meaning well.

 

Shouting from the rooftop, "If only people would read stickys!" And reading once isn't enough if one sticks around to pay it forward. There have been so many changes and improvements since I started this journey with Alex that if one wants to stay current they must review stickys on a regular basis. I bet I'm adding something new or changing something in stickys every month!

Truth be told, it would be far more effective if the 212 people who have viewed this thread so far gently make the correction when they see the subject come up.

 

I forgot to mention this in the above post...

There are a few exceptions, but historically, those who put together the stickys in each Insulin Support Groups have taken on the responsibility of updating, fixing links, and/or adding info when necessary. This particular info could easily be added to existing stickys in the ISGs by those people. However, getting people to read the stickys is a another problem...

 

I'm new here and new to treating a diabetic cat (about a week) but I read the stickies. Had I of been told or had I of read the answer to my question in a sticky or elsewhere, I wouldn't have asked the question that started this thread.

It feels almost like people are trying to find someone to blame rather than simply come up with a solution. I know I will be able to tell others what I've learned here but it would be a heck of a lot more effective, IMO, if there was a well thought out explanation that everyone could point to.

 

I'm sorry you feel that way. It's not how we operate. If we didn't care and take responsibility for what we do we'd simply walk away and get on with our lives... and there would not be an FDMB. After all, the pay really sucks at this strictly volunteer "job".