Who DOES NOT do BG readings?

I am very concerned I will not be able to do readings on my cat.
I have yet to even try it.
I will try often, but he is a stinker....can be a very nasty stinker.
Do any of you NOT test? What do you do? Rely on the vet?
Any info really appreciated.
Lauri.....Pixie 10 just diagnosed yesterday.

 

You do the best you can.

Postive reinforcement with low carb treats (ex Purebites) can really help shape behavior. Do short sessions multiple times each day.

Start by rewarding your cat for letting you pet his head and massage the ears. Do this in multiple locations, so it isn't associated with only 1 place.

Pick a spot for testing. I used a half bathroom - the other cats couldn't get in to "help" and Spitzer couldn't get far if he struggled. Go to that spot with your cat. Pet head, massage ears, treat, and release.

When you're ready to test, set up everything first - meter with strip halfway in, lancet with cap off, tissue of cotton ball to blot, Neosporin ointment with pain relief. Put a dab of the ointment on the ear a minute or two before testing. Wipe off, then test. The less restraint you can use the better, but do what works.

There is a protocol for using more subtle observational data to adjust insulin dose here See my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools for ideas.

 

Get him used to having his ears touched and fondled.To get him used to the process like BJM suggested.

He may surprise you in coming for those treats after a while. Associating something he loves, like a yummy freeze dried chicken or turkey or liver treat, with a test can get him to be more accepting of the process.

You may not be successful at first. Let us know and we can suggest diffent techniques. It takes time to get a blood drop for most people. Warming the ear is key.

If he does not like the rice sock to warm his ear, try vigorous rubbing to get the blood flowing.Talk to him and praise him. Tell him what a good boy he is. Make him want to come to you.

Is there anything he really loves? This does not have to be food.

 

The other answer to "Who does not do BG readings" is the person with a cat who hypoed.

We had one just this past week and now has to work on doing physical therapy and rehab with the cat due to the neurological injuries suffered.com plus the vet bill from rushing to the emergency vet.

 

Hi,

As BJ said, 'You do the best you can'.

Most people on this planet with diabetic cats do not hometest. Not everyone has heard of hometesting. And not everyone who hears about it actually tries doing it. Those of us who do hometest have an enormous advantage in managing feline diabetes.

I was a very reluctant hometester. I was totally convinced my cat would be impossible to test. He didn't like being handled at all, and he weighed nearly 7 kilos and had very sharp teeth and claws...and...was a bit of a 'stinker'... However, he did have a weakness for freeze-dried chicken treats...and I exploited that... But our involvement with testing didn't happen overnight...

I'd get the test kit out, let him look at that, and give him a treat. I'd click the lancet pen close to his ear, and give him a treat. I'd rattle the test strip vial, and give him a treat. I'd massage his ear for a few seconds, and give him a treat. When I actually came to trying that first test for real it wasn't impossible at all. (Which is just as well because Bert has turned out to be a particularly difficult diabetic). Now, I rattle the test strip vial and he jumps on my desk. Then I put down a couple of crushed chicken treats and test his ear while he's eating those. I don't have to hold or restrain him at all. I can even test him now when he's dozing in his basket; something I wouldn't have thought possible in a million years!

When I first asked my current vet about diabetic cats in his care and what their prognosis was he said that they usually lived for maybe up to two years after diagnosis. So far Bert has lived for six and a half years. My vet is amazed!
Bert is the only cat in his care that is hometested. Those that aren't hometested go to the vet's clinic periodically for fructosamine tests and 'curves' (ie, they stay at the vets for a day and blood glucose tests are taken periodically to test out an insulin dose).

The truth is that hometesting has helped me manage Bert's diabetes in a way that never would have been possible otherwise, and it has also saved his life more than once.

Not everyone who hears about hometesting can actually manage to hometest. Some folks have really feral cats for example that cannot be handled at all. But it seems to me that those of us who even might be able to hometest owe it to ourselves (and our kitties) to have go... After all, what is there to lose by trying...? If we try and don't succeed then we did the best we could and are just back where we were before. If we try and succeed then we have probably found the single most valuable tool there is (apart from insulin) to help us manage our cat's diabetes...

Eliz

 

It looks like you can cross your name off of the "who does not home-test?" list, Lauri!

Great job!

 

Yes, I did it and will continue. 2nd time was harder....used a pen and didn't get the desired result.
So I just freehanded it with a lancet. Bled a bit more than I thought it would, but I was afraid I was going to
be hesitant.
This will still take some getting used to, but I am more worried about having him end
up hypo than I am about testing.
Baby steps...baby steps....
Off to the vets in the am.

 

You are doing very well with those baby steps....baby steps.

 

Lauri, I found it was much easier to freehand the lancet than to use the device. It just seemed I was much more able to see what I was doing.
Each time you do it, it will be easier.
And as long as you associate the test with a "reward", Pixie will get easier and easier to test. It doesn't have to be a "treat", just something special, like if he likes being brushed for instance. Something special that he knows happens after the test is accomplished. And even if you aren't able to get blood, give the reward anyway.

 

Hi Lauri,

Great news that you are testing. It is so important.

When we first tried, we were very sure that no matter what everyone else could do, we'd never be able to test Basil. My husband, adult son and I all did the first tests together--one holding, one petting and another (the loser) testing. It went o-kaaay. But one day, I just said let me try this alone. I got very relaxed. Got a little freeze dried chicken, sat in the chair and petted Basil a lot. I used a rice warmie for his ear and massaged him all over with it. And voila! A good test first try all by myself. So, If I can do it, anyone can!

Best of luck!