CURVE attempt failure ready to quit

Hello,
I have been at it for almost an hour trying to coordinate getting a blood sample to do a curve today. It's been a week and 4 days since his last test. I am so frustrated right now that I am in tears and have given up.
I followed directions and still not any good. I am all alone and have no help or special lights or anything at all to help me to do this.

I warmed up the ear, I put Vaseline on the inside, I tried to hold the cat the flash light, the lancer, and the ear with all of my 8 hands and got a good blood sample but got ERROR 3 which meant that I didn't wait till the symbol appeared on the tester. But, I did wait though. I grabbed more blood within 60 seconds and still the error wouldn't stop.

I tried again for another sample, but the vein is tiny and the lancing device has a big clear plastic tip on it and I cannot center it correctly over the vein I guess. So, I had to stab him quite a few times. I got a smaller sample but an ERROR 1 this time! OMG which means either a too small sample or very low blood glucose.
OR control solution issue? It says to do a test using the control solution and it needs to be within range of what's on the test strip bottle. I threw out the first two blood test strips and now the control solution test strip too.

I have some place to go and today was the ONLY day I could do this, until next week. I was gonna start the curve this morning, go out do what needs to be done and get back before the next one.

I am using ALPAH TRAK 2 and it cost me some $$$!$$! but, I thought it would be easier and without the complications that I realistically do not have time for. I have searched the forum and couldn't find any posts related to this, I apologize if there was one that I missed.

I am all out of steam on this. I am calling the vet./doc now.
Meowski

vet says I was supposed to not turn it on. I was supposed to insert the strip while it was OFF.. ok, I would never have guessed that.
And since it's an Alpha trak2 , it needs to be code set to cat. wow I don't know how to do that either.
So, I was going to give him some food, test him, them give him his shot, and test in 2 hours to get a better feel of what he is before and after shot. But, he ate at 8 and it took me until after 9 or so to finally give up. Then he had his shot.
Now I am dead in the water and he just threw up everything he ate this morning.
I just fed him some canned chicken. I hope he holds it down.
sorry to express such frustration, but I am really trying and read how easy this can be to do at home, and am not finding any of it easy at all. I tried to educate myself, followed directions and failed. :'(
Meowski

In the beginning its tough but here's a tip that helped me immensely. Take the cap off just use the pen without it so you can see what your doing. Also you aren't aiming for the vein just the edge of the ear. Hold the lancer like a pencil and angle it at about a 45 degree angle an just insert it free hand without using the spring loaded feature. Like you would use a straight pin to pick out a splinter.

Now to free up a couple of hands...wrap kitty up in a big towel with just his head exposed. Put him between your hip and the arm of a chair or couch. Even better if you can find a place where you can sit where you can either sit the flashlight so it shines on the ear without holding or my favorite trick because I have wide window sills. Put him in a window and let natural sunlight be your flashlight.

Mel and The Fur Gang

Aw so sorry you are having so much trouble and frustration. We have been there. My first meter required a lot of blood and I repeatedly failed on it so I ran to Walmart and picked up the Relion Confirm which requires a smaller amount. Also, the more you poke the more the ear will learn to bleed. Your cat's body will learn that it needs more capillaries there. I barely touch the skin now and get a drop.

So hang in there and keep trying and let us know how you are doing. I don't use the flashlight because I can't hold it and the ear and the cat and the lancet... I just put a cotton pad behind the ear and steer the lancet toward it - then wrap the cotton pad around the ear to stop the flow when done. He gets a treat at that point.

You will find your routine - it's hard at first but it will become easier as you figure out what works best for you and your cat.

Oh and Mel has a good suggestion about natural light. My testing spot is in a window with a little lamp. He looks out of it while I am poking. And yes, I free-hand poke. I find this easier to get exactly where I want that little poke to be.

Don't give up! It's natural to feel frustrated and discouraged. We do talk about how it's easy to test at home but we are experienced at it. I doubt you'd find anyone here who said they mastered it first time. It took me at least a week to figure it out. Even then, I still had days where it was tough. Are you aiming for the edge of the ear? Hitting the veins on the inside is hard...better to go for the edge of the ear.

Where do you live? We might have someone nearby who can help. It's frustrating but you'll get the hang of it!

If you absolutely, positively, must.get.blood (ex you think he is low), you may aim directly for the vein. Just be prepared to blot quickly if it bleeds profusely. You may snag a droplet on a clean fngernail and test from there.

I test Gracie on a shelf and snuggle her between my left hand and body. She thinks she's being cuddled, though she can be squirmy.

I also found that using the lancet free-hand worked best for me. I had more control over where I poked. Also, it will not hurt if you hit the vein. However, make sure that you have either a paper towel or cottonball handy. It is amazing how far one drop of blood can go if your cat shakes his head. :shock: My cats would do that occasionally and my wall looked like a scene from CSI. :lol:

I would also like to suggest that you also get a human meter as a back up. If you get Walmart Relion meter, they are not expensive and it will cost you less money to use. This could be very helpful while you learn your testing routine. Plus, since the strips are available at any Walmart, if you need them in a emergency, they are easier to get then the strips for the Alpha Trak. You can use any human meter brand. I only suggested the Relion meters since they are inexpensive but very good meters.

<<update>>
I was able to "code the meter" to CAT 37 I got a blood sample of 263 the battery kept dying on me.
He threw up his breakfast and just now threw up again before I did the test.
the vet is going to be giving me **** for feeding him fancy feast and NOT their $250 a can WD food!
thank you for reaching out to me. I am really feeling defeated and do not know what to do. He is hungry but keeps puking.
:'(
Meowski

Try giving him very small amounts at a time. Some cats will scarf and barf where they eat so fast it bounces once it hits their tummies. Another trick is spreading it out on a large plate so he has to work to get it all.

If he's doing a lot of lip licking you can give him a 1/4 of a 20mg regular Pepcid just not the Pepcid Complete. That might help settle his tummy.

You can do this and it does get so much easier I PROMISE right now I have 3 diabetic kitties of my own plus a kitty I'm fostering for one of my vet's other clients while he's having surgery. And all of mine were adopted after they were diagnosed as diabetic. Now if this didn't get easier do you really think I would have adopted 3? Especially if you look at my signature...yep all those names down there are my cats lol. Besides my 3 diabetics I have 13 healthy and happy kitties. With 13 I certainly didn't need 3 diabetics but you know what I wouldnt trade a moment with them. There is an incredible bond like nothing I've ever known with another cat that happens between a sugarcat and their care giver.

Mel and The Fur Gang

Hello. My name is Cindi and I used the AlphaTrak2 for almost 6 1/2 months. Five days ago, I just switched over to the Relion Micro Meter from Walmart. Anyway, I am still familiar with the AlphaTrak2 and definitely know the pains that you are going through.

Every time you purchase new test strips, you will need to check the "cat code" on the side of the container. You were correct to change the code to 37. I just checked my container and the code is 38. So I suspect the next time you purchase test strips, it will have a code of 38 or maybe even 39 and you will have to change the code again. So always check the container. I know that I forgot for a couple of tests. Not sure if it really made that big of difference but I finally noticed it and changed the code.

I remember getting those errors too. The manual will explain those errors. Those test strips are expensive so I know, you want to get the blood the first time with one test strip. I couldn't find it any cheaper than $1 per strip or 50 for $54.00.

Anyway, what helped me was to get everything set up first before I performed the test. So with the AlphaTrak2, I would get two test strips out. One I would use and the other one would be a backup (just in case I get an error). So, I would put one in the meter only half way just enough so it would not turn on the meter. That way, once I drew blood, I would grab my meter, push the test strip in all the way, wait a few seconds for it to turn on, and then draw the blood.

Eventually, you may want to take a look at a cheaper meter that have cheaper test strips but that can be down the road.

Hopefully this will help a little. It will get easier for you and your kitty with each day and each test. Don't hesitate to holler if you have any more questions on the AlphaTrak2.

One thing you can do to help with the light is to get one of those headlamp things, like people use for camping. I use one and it's very helpful because then I have two hands for cat. I also use a table-top magnifier with a light to draw up the dose. Hang in there - we can help and YOU CAN DO THIS!

Here's some general tips that might help: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=85113

When I first started testing I found it helpful to watch a video of how to do the testing a couple times before each test until I got the hang of it. Watching the video helped reassure me and lessened the stress of trying to remember everything at once.

As for the flashlight, I use mine to find the vein and determine where I am going to poke on the ear then put the flashlight away. I use cotton pads instead of balls because i find it easier to use them as a backer to protect my fingers and when I am done testing I can just fold the pad over the ear to blot and apply pressure.

Testing is tricky at first but you will get the hang of it with time and practice!

It is easy...once you've been doing it for a while. Don't get discouraged because it didn't work out too well today. And it probably won't work out so well tomorrow, either. ;-) It takes time and practice for you both to get used to the process. Here are some more testing tips that you might find helpful. One thing worth remembering is the "three strikes" rule: try three times and then take a break and try again later.

I also wrote up this document for help on getting both you and your kitty used to the testing process and creating a conducive ear-testing environment to make the learning process easier on both of you. Give both of you guys a couple of weeks to get used to everything and have patience. :YMHUG: Everything will eventually fall into place for you guys.

thank you.
I will try again after the weekend. It's hard to get it quiet and calm in here with my 7 year hyper kiddo.
Meowski

How is his appetite today? Is he keeping the food down now?

Just wanted to say that the first curve I did with Tommy was very stressful as well. At one point I was sobbing. I posted my frustration and these wonderful people gave me the strength to keep going. I joined the vampire club that day. :mrgreen: We have come a long way, Tommy and I. Most of the time he tells me it's time for his poke and he purrs throughout the entire time. Take deep breaths, and relax a bit. If you are stressed sometimes that will be picked up by kitty. Give your sugar baby lots kisses and snuggles before testing. Soon you will be pros....promise. (It also might help to sing. The hokey pokey was his favorite :lol: !)

This is going to sound really weird but it works. My vet had me use a 22g needle instead of a lancet. Once I got comfortable with that I bought 23 and 25g needles, the terumo ones that are very sharp. They are more expensive but at least I draw enough blood every time. Yesterday I saw Ralph's market had boxes of lancets for $1 so I bought some 26g and 30g. I am working my way up to the 33g lancets that I bought when I first started this. I figured the smaller the lancet, the more comfy for Max. That is fine and dandy but first you need to get good at hitting blood every time. One thing I can promise you is that it will get easier.

You can also get larger diameter (smaller gauge number) lancets. The ones marked for alternate site testing in humans are larger diameter. You do not want "thin" or "ultra thin" lancets.

Hi everyone,
My boy has been keeping his food down. I think it was just that one day. He got onto the other dry cat food in the other room. I usually pick it up or shut the door when I know he is lurking around.
I am going to try this again tomorrow. I have decided to use natural window light, but we don't always get a whole lot of sunshine these days. Seems like it rains or snow storms every other day or so now. wicked weather!

I bought new batteries. I am going to do as you had suggested and put the strip part way into the meter, and THEN do the stick, hold the ear with one hand and reach for the tester with the other. I was doing to much at once, and having dead batteries right out of the box was the real kicker! OMG that was really something! I will hope to have no other distractions and will try to have faith in what you have said about this being tough at first, but that it will get better.

I wish it would be better and healed. I don't know. There is always a chance. But, for now, we have to get through this testing day. I am also trying to put some meat on his bones. He needs to gain some body fat or muscle back. skin and bones. Lord help us!

thank you for the kindness. I will let you know how the first test goes tomorrow. Now that I have the new batteries, don't have to hit the vein, it might make all the difference in the world.
~Meowski~ :idea:

OK IN TEARS AGAIN, Giving the heck up, AGAIN!
I did everything right, and he was fine and so was I, but the damned thing didn't register the blood~ god help me! :'(
CODE 1 either not enough blood, extremely low glucose or problem with meter. really???? After everything I have been through. Today was my only day, until next week sometime. I had today off and have tomorrow off. Except tomorrow I have to spend the entire day in the emergency dental clinic waiting to see if they can do work on my teeth.

I am all out of effort right now. I am sick of the tears. I have had very limited windows to do this in. And each time it's fail fail fail. My female dog is very sick and I think she is diabetic and would like to know. But, I guess I have to spend another $1000 to find out the hard way.
WHAT IS TESTING SOLUTION? WHY IS IT IN THERE? HOW DO I USE IT? WHAT IS IT FOR? WILL IT TELL ME IF SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MY METER?
god is not on my side today, at all, AGAIN
~Meowski~

Have you tried testing your kitty's paw? Jack would not let me near his ear, so I picked him up and set him in my lap like a baby and poked his paw and was able to get blood quite easy. It's taken months but the testing part of this whole diabetes thing has been easy since I started that method.

hI,
yes, I have tried the toe/paw pad. It didn't work. Where do I pick it? On the inner sides? Oh gosh! That has GOT to hurt like mad!
I was not able to reach the vet today. I was able to reach someone from tech support at the manufacturer. They ran me through a cleaning process with the meter. It test correctly with the testing solution. I even tested my dog. She got a 88.

I quit because of the "three strikes" rule. Besides, I ran out of time, and had to go pick my child up from where she was, by the time I got done the whole circus.
Is there a place on the forum that explains topic another area about testing??????
When do I pick? Before and after he eats? Before he eats? After he eats, then test, then shot? then start my 2 hour deal? Do I test one hour after eating? Or do I test right at the 2 hour mark? I feed him about every 3 hours so.

I want to know what he is 12 hours after his night shot, before food and shot. Essentially, test at wake up time in the morning. then give shot, and let it be in his body for 2 hours and test again. I think that might be a good way to do this. What do you think???
There has got to be a way for me to do this! Lord help me :'(
~Meowski~

Hello again. I am sure everyone's schedule is probably a little different but this is how I go about things. Merlin gets his insulin at 7am and 7pm. So around 6:45am (or 6:45pm), I start getting ready. I get my SS up on the laptop (that is where I refer to for my sliding scale), get the food ready, get the syringe out and insulin out of the refrigerator and start crushing his pills (he gets lysine and methyl-b12).

Then I go into my daughter's room where all the testing stuff is. I get the poker, meter, test strip, treat, and gauze out and lay it on the bed. I sit on an old wooden box that is in front of the bed (this is Merlin's step so he can get on the bed). Merlin then comes over and lays on the box in between my legs. I test him and then give him a treat (freeze dried chicken or Catswell treats).

I make sure that he has not eaten two hours before AMPS and PMPS test. So no food starting at 4:30am and 4:30pm. I test at 6:45am and at 6:45pm. Then I go to my SS to determine what I am going to shoot. I fill the syringe, get the food and go into the bedroom where he eats. I put the food down to make sure that he is going to eat. After I am sure that he is going to eat, while he is eating, I give him the shot.

Sorry, I probably went into too much detail but to answer your question and to summarize:

1) No food two hours before AMPS & PMPS
2) Test
3) Feed
4) Give insulin shot

All of this is done within 15 minutes. Of course, throughout the day, Merlin eats a lot of little mini-meals (approximately 4-6 of them) even though I am testing. That is ok to feed throughout the day while testing but not before AMPS & PMPS.

I think you were also asking about the blood curve test throughout the day. I think you can do that every two hours. So if you shot at 7am, then the test would be like 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, and then the PMPS is at 7pm. The experts can chime in on that question.

Oh, one more thing, I don't put the test strip all the way into the meter prior to his test. I just stick it in just a little, just enough but not enough to turn on the meter. Then I poke him. Once I know that I will have enough blood to test is when I push it in all the way. That way, I am not wasting any testing strips.

You are doing fine. You just need to find your groove, one that works for you. This takes a few weeks.

Meowski said:

I did everything right, and he was fine and so was I, but the damned thing didn't register the blood~ god help me! :'(
CODE 1 either not enough blood, extremely low glucose or problem with meter. really????

Click to expand...

Are you still using the AlphaTrak? If I were you, if you're in the US, I would run out to Walmart and buy a ReliOn Micro or Confirm. They're much easier to use and the strips are a heck of a lot cheaper than the AlphaTrak. That way, you're not wasting a $1-2 a strip as you learn to test.

Meowski said:

Is there a place on the forum that explains topic another area about testing??????
When do I pick? Before and after he eats? Before he eats? After he eats, then test, then shot? then start my 2 hour deal? Do I test one hour after eating? Or do I test right at the 2 hour mark? I feed him about every 3 hours so.

I want to know what he is 12 hours after his night shot, before food and shot. Essentially, test at wake up time in the morning. then give shot, and let it be in his body for 2 hours and test again. I think that might be a good way to do this. What do you think???

Click to expand...

Since you're using Vetsulin, it's a much faster-acting insulin than is recommended for cats. Because of this, you need to feed about a half hour before you give the shot. So, you'll want to test first, feed about 2/3rds of the meal, wait a half hour, feed the rest of the meal, and give a shot.

For running a curve, that means every two hours from the shot. As Cindi said, if you give the shot at 7, that means you're next test will be at 9. Since you're still having some difficulties with testing, I would suggest you take some of the pressure off yourself and make it a goal to simply attempt to test every two hours without worrying whether or not you're successful at it. Just use it as a day of practice and take your time. Once you get the testing down in a couple of weeks, then revisit doing the curve "for real" but you don't need the added stress right now of trying to do it when you're still learning. :YMHUG:

Ok DOING THE CURVE TODAY
I messed up though, on the first test. I forgot to check the code on the meter, it was still set on "dog" and my reading was 571
I retested 2 hours later and got 551

I tested before eat, then gave shot. Even though he got a shot at 1:30 pm his test showed like the insulin was not working at 2 1/2 hrs later. I think it should've been lower than 551!!!! Am I ok to feed him again before 12 hours goes by? Oh Lord! :'( What is this testing showing me? How his body manages throughout the day without food? Or do I feed him? maybe on the third hour?
FEEDING : I give food every 3 hours small amounts like 1 1/2 oz or less. But the vet said to basically starve my malnourished cat, not to feed him during the day. Only twice a day, once in the am and once at night. I am sorry, but I will not let him starve to death. He has lost a ton of weight and is nothing but skin and bones. No meat anywhere on his body. He looks like death right now.

what are you thoughts on his mg being so high 2 hours after his shot?

probably should not give you advice since I have just started this March 21 2014!

But regards the weight of the cat, in my opinion you should feed a lot of food (proper, no carbs), but you need to keep weight on the cat until the insulin treatment can work.

-My cat is large boned and was 14 pounds when I found her june 2013. Thinking she was a stray and that was why she was acting so hungry, I fed (and fed). By December she was 18 pounds and the vet cautioned me, saying that although she was a large cat, we did not want her to be TOO large. Then I noticed how much she was urinating and really, by now she was eating 13 oz during day and another 7 or so overnight. Could not be that cold in the garage and very little exercise.

Off to vet end of Feb and she is 16 lbs 14 oz and high blood glucose readings (500+)-I opted to go on low carbs (fancy feast) instead of her loved dry food. This vet advised me to cut back to 12 oz of food/day. But what she did not consider is that the diabetes was eating her up at this point.

So a month later I have another vet from the practice and the cat is 13 lbs 3 oz. So we start heavy on the lantus (I had been going SLOW) and she also told me to skip the dieting and feed her FF can every 3 hours (that is about 8 cans/day or 24 oz). We also did blood work again and treated her for pancreatitis which eliminated the smelly pudding like stools (for a bit anyhow).

A month later, she has cut back on her food by herself, no longer wolfs the entire can of FF at a sitting but will nibble and come back to finish. She eats about 6 cans a day now and is still maintaining her 13 lbs 3 oz (next week we will see but she feels a bit heavier to me now).

Vet's comment to me was-as long as the food is low carb, let her eat because the disease is eating away at her body tissue and she needs protein etc. No sense starving the cat to death while treating her.

When my mom was doing chemo for lung cancer, she had already lost 10 lbs per week, just while waiting for test results etc. She had gone from plump 160 down to 110. And when she started the chemo she did not want to eat. The Dr said to eat everything and anything (ice cream sundaes, milk shakes, French fries etc) cause the important thing was to fuel the body and keep it alive.

So while you need to avoid carbs, you still need to keep your cat moving and breathing.

Feed him as you normally do. We can work on a feeding schedule with the Vetsulin later once you get the testing down. ;-)

The high number could be food-influenced still, could be the insulin hasn't started "onset" yet, could be that he's bouncing from a previous cycle, could be that you have a fur shot, could be that the dose isn't high enough, could be lots of things.

The idea of the curve is to be able to see how his numbers fluctuate over the course of a cycle. Another test in a couple of hours should hopefully give you lower numbers and we'll get more of the picture of what is going on.

OK
Reading so far
571 (was set on dog code)
551
462
432

Silly question. Can I use the same lancet more than once if I wipe it with a hot water cotton ball? The kit only came with 10 lancets and I will run out if I toss them after every use.
thank you for your encouragement.

I tested him about a half hour ago. He is hungry and I am going to feed him. His shot isn't till several hours from now.
~Meowski~

With each use, the lancet becomes more and more rough, leading to more discomfort with each prick which could make him more difficult to test.

Pop out to a pharmacy and pick up a box of alternate site testing lancets as they are a bit thicker and make getting the blood easier.

oh ok thank you BJM for the information.
I am not able to go get any lancets from the store. They will not work with this device. I will call the company and see if they will send me a small amount, considering all of the trouble I have had so far. They said they would mail me some new test strips. I have not seen it yet though.
I am not doing a good curve today, because I didn't do it exactly on the 2 hour mark.
~Meowski~

I free hand the stick - its easier for me to see exactly where I'm pricking the ear.

Yes, I reuse lancets. I didn't know until 6 months in that you're "not supposed to." I had just been following suit of all my diabetic relatives who have always reused theirs on the claim that the more you use them, the less "sharp" the feeling of the poke, but the more blood you get. They change them out once every few weeks to few months. I've never been that extreme, especially because I test Mikey more than they usually test themselves. I change them out about once a week instead. You just don't want to reuse syringes.

As for "exact" time when testing, I always give myself 15-minutes leeway on either side, so I basically have a half-hour window to get a test in for the time I'm looking for. This takes the pressure off me to get it right now and also lets me give Mikey some time to cooperate if he's in a particularly ornery mood. :lol: My suggestion would be that over the next few days till you're able to attempt another curve, you instead try testing just a little bit each day. For example, make your goal tomorrow that you'll get in one successful test at any time you can. Then the day after that, give yourself a goal of two successful tests, and so on and so forth....

Hi Meowski,
I've been reading all your posts, and replys, and my heart goes out to you. When my Dante was diagnosed in Nov. I felt the same way that you do. I was very frustrated, and sat down on my bedroom floor and cried till I sobbed. Then I got my crap together, and just made the decision to do what I had to do, cause I know that God puts us in charge of taking care of the animals no matter what they need. I first read all that I could and checked out you tube videos, and learned alot but I still have alot more to learn. Most cats seem to take the needles well, but Dante has times he just hates me for the sticks which just kills me. Dante is also a thin cat, so I give him as much as he wants to eat, and in small amounts cause he throws up too if he eats too fast. I feed him fancy feast because the canned prescription food that the vets want to give is higher in carbs and money then fancy feast turkey and giblets. Go figure!! Anyway, I wanted to let you know, that after treating Dante for a month he went into remission and did not need insulin for 3 months. I prayed real hard and tried to keep a positive attitude, and was grateful every day for the remission. Unfortunately his sugars went back up the beginning of april so we are back to every day testing and insulin. I'm getting his teeth cleaned next monday, so I'm hoping after that he will go back into remission.

I know it's really hard to go through this, but I think you're a wonderful mom for sticking with it. Try to take some deep breathes, think positive, say a little prayer, and focus on the moment so you don't get overwhelmed with everything else around you. I actually started doing meditation so that I could be more calm to deal with this. Your baby loves you and needs you.
The people on this message board are so understanding, caring, helpful and wonderful, and I think it's an awesome way to reach out and be there for each other. "Thank you to everyone for taking the time to be there for those of us who get so frustrated and confused."

I will keep you and your kitty in my prayers, and hope that things will get better with each day. Give him hugs and kissed from me and Dante.
**Lisa**

My vet told me to feed him as much as he would eat.
That it was important to get his weight up (he was around 4.7-5 kg should be about 6.5 kg and has gained 1 kg already).
So feedhim, I say.
Don't give up with the testing, I also cried and now he comes running when he hears the sock in the microwave.

thank you for the outpouring of kindness. I was getting so frustrated. I found a new way to get the test done better. I put his food in the room, up high, so he knows he is going to have it in a few minutes. I put him on his perch at the window, lay a heavy towel over his back, and put a warm water cotton ball on his ear to get the blood flow. Now when I stick, it comes out perfectly and I can get a good test. I understand if I do not get enough for test the first time, I have 60 second to attempt to get more onto the tester.

He is doing well with our process.
ALARMING ~ ! He threw up in the night, and had diarrhea a few times yesterday and in the night. Even went into my daughter's tent and pee'ed in there. I tested him out this morning at
601! OMG,
gave him his food and shot, then tested again 2 1/2 hrs later he
tested out at 88!
last one was at 254
I do not know what spiked his sugar! holy cow! then he dropped to 88 after the shot. I am going to go test right now then feed and give shot!
Lord help us
thank you for you love and fellowship friends
Kim

Wheneve you get a funky test, retest. Best 2 out of 3 if they are very different.

Also, Vetsulin may wear off before 12 hours are up (in the cat), so you may get very high numbers by the next pre-shot. A way to deal with that is to add up the total daily dose, divide by 3, and give that every 8 hours.

If you are using a human glucometer, he is OK if he remains above 50 mg/dL. Around his lowest point 9nadir). With a pet-specific, you want him to stay above 80 mg/dL.

The GI upset could be pancreatitis.

How's things going now?

We are doing ok.

what is the biggest factor against re using syringes? Which is worse, using a syringe or going without the insulin. I am not going to be able to get new syringes in time before we run out. We still have a half bottle of insulin but will be screwed shortly with syringes.

I have had to do it in an emergency situation only. The syringe needle tends to get dull after even a single use. There is a picture floating around here somewhere that is very telling.

When can you get syringes? Can I send some to you?

I have been in an urgent hardship and being forced to move out, had an ankle injury, on crutches now, and been in so much pain etc. that I didn't calculate my needles, and ran out over the holiday weekend. These are needles that have to be specifically had with the Vetsulin I was told, that I couldn't get any others and would have to order them on line.
How do I sanitize the syringe? I am calling my vet again to see what I can do to get through the next couple of days.
Meowski
Monoject U 40 1/2 ml
29 G x 1/2"

To see images of reused syring needles:
http://www.diabetesdaily.com/voices/201 ... a-syringe/

Hi, thank you for the photos. Ya, that looks pretty horrendous after 6 uses! ouch!
I still have 100 once used syringes. I will not be using one 6 times like that though. I am going to see how soon the co. can ship me some new ones. I can use these here once again only. I have enough to do that. I don't want him to go without his med. He is already showing signs of frustration.

He came in the kitchen and pissed all over my kitchen cupboard door and floor! I cannot deal with that! Attitude changes and I have wall to wall carpets in here. He pissed on my daughter's carpet earlier and in another room as well. I have to be moved out of here by this weekend, and it smells horrid.

this is more than I expected to have to deal with, but it's happening at a terrible time in my life too, on top of having my ankle shattered in one area, being on crutches. Lord have mercy
Meowski

Perhaps some of these Financia Resources may be helpful.

You can use U-100 syringes to shoot a U-40 insulin by using a conversion chart. And they aren't terribly expensive.

When using a U-100 syringe with a U-40 insulin, each 0.5 on the U-100 gives you a dose of 0.2 units of the U-40 insulin. This is because the U-40 insulin has only 40% of the concentration as U-100. The number after the U dash is how many units are in 1 milliliter.

U-100 mark * 0.4 = U-40 dose
0.5 * 0.4 = 0.2 units of U-40
1.0 * 0.4 = 0.4 units of U-40
1.5 * 0.4 = 0.6 units of U-40
2.0 * 0.4 = 0.8 units of U-40
2.5 * 0.4 = 1.0 units of U-40
3.0 * 0.4 = 1.2 units of U-40
Etc

Hi,
thank you for the help.
I was able to order from one of my online pet supply sites my U-40 .5 yea! And for half as much as the vet sold them to me before! It will take a few days to get them in. I will not make this mistake again.

Hello Kim! Boy it sounds like you could use an adult beverage! drinking24

I know you're going through a lot right now, but when you have some time to think, I wanted to add some information for you.

Feeding..your vet is totally wrong. Our diabetic cats are actually starving to death because without insulin, their bodies can't convert their food into the glucose needed by the cells, so despite the fact that they eat LOTS of food, they lose weight. As you get the diabetes under better control, the amount of food he'll need to eat will go down. It IS important if you're going to continue using the Vetsulin that he eats first, and gets the shot about half hour later, just because of the way Vetsulin works. However, you don't want him eating anything for 2 hours before your "pre-shot" tests so the result you get isn't influenced by food. Other than those 2 hours, feed him as often as you like.

Testing...You can save a LOT of money by going to one of the Relion meters from WalMart. The meters are about $15 and the Confirm or Micro models strips are about $18 for 50. Once you have the ears bleeding well, you can use the Relion Prime too...it's strips are only $9 for 50!! That's a BIG savings for you from the Alphatrak and most of us here use human meters for that very reason! There really isn't any reason you must use the Alphatrak, so you might want to keep it for a backup meter and use one of the human ones for "everyday".
You can also use ANY lancet you want to to poke with! All a lancet is is a needle, so there's no reason you need any special brand. Human lancets are just as effective at poking holes as animal lancets...and again, they're a lot cheaper!

Syringes...Again, you can't beat WalMart, although you would have to use the conversion chart if you continue using Vetsulin since it's a U40 insulin, but you can get 100 U100 syringes for about $13. Most of us use the 3/10ml, 30 or 31 gauge, 5/16" (short needle) insulin syringes with half unit markings (because we do dose increases and decreases in .25 increments, half unit markings on the syringes is really helpful)

Insulin..Vetsulin really isn't the best insulin for cats since their metabolism is too fast and most of the time it's not going to last the 12 hours from shot to shot. Unfortunately, the 3 insulins that do work well in cats are more expensive, but maybe if you save some money on the other stuff, the expense of going to one of the better insulins won't hurt so bad. The only 3 that work well in cats are Lantus, Levemir and ProZinc. Lantus has a proven protocol we use that has been shown to get up to 84% of newly diagnosed cats into remission (off the juice!) in 6 months. These 3 insulins are also longer lasting than the Vetsulin, so twice/day dosing works much better with them.

If you are interested in trying one of the better insulins, you will need to find a vet that will write the prescription for you (Lantus and Levemir are both human insulins available at any pharmacy) and ProZinc is only available at your vets office. We can help with all kinds of tips on how to make it last (as long as 6 months) as well as ways to get it cheaper (like the Lantus Savings Card) or if you know what to watch for, a lot of times you can get it from people on Craigs List for very little money....but it's important to know what to watch for so you get insulin that's not expired or contaminated.

Frustration...We ALL know this all too well, and we all suffer from it! Some days are always going to be worse than others too, but as you continue down this path, you are going to find that you are going to develop a deeper relationship with your sugarcat than you could ever imagine! I knew I loved China before she was diabetic, but our relationship now is so much more than love. It's truly a partnership.

When you find yourself getting frustrated, stop. Take a few deep breaths and try to compose yourself. Our cats feel it when we're stressed, and then they think there's some reason why they should be stressed too and everything goes downhill quickly from there! Come to the message board and whine, cry and dump on us..Trust me, we've ALL been there and we understand and will never think less of you for it. The sugardance is difficult, frustrating and at times, seemingly impossible, but you can do it!

You're making huge progress too! Looks like you've just about conquered how to test, and that's the hardest part! Congratulation and welcome to the Vampire Club!

Ask questions, let us know how we can help, and keep in touch. We will do whatever we can to help!

thank you Chris & China
I need to get the good stuff, but it's over $240 here at walmart
I do not have any other resource. the vetsulin leaves us with peaks and valleys. and he is a nervous wreck if I don't give him his food and shot on time. I fell asleep one night, was so exhausted (from another hardship situation) that I passed out in the chair without giving him his needs. He woke me up in the am making quite fuss, and was not patient to say the least waiting for me to get him situated.

Lord have mercy
thank you for the heart felt kindness you have all show us here. <3 you friends!
Meowski

Have you asked your vet about BCP PZI? It's a compounded insulin which some people don't like, but it is inexpensive and is milder and longer lasting than Vetsulin. -- I think the last price I heard was about $40 a vial. There is also a way to buy individual pens of Lantus and maybe a coupon. You might ask over on the Lantus forum.