So I just learned I should wait 30 minutes to inject after eating, switching that up tonight. I'm also working on home testing. The problem I am having is getting Pan to sit for a test pre meals. He knows when food time is, and starts talking to me (yelling loudly in my face) about an hour before. Once he starts that, getting him to sit still is a battle. What kind of window do I have pre feeding/post feeding to test? I want to make sure I'm not still getting numbers affected by the previous shot, but also in the mornings can I feed and immediately test after?
@MrWorfMen's Mom Since vetsulin is a shorter acting insulin, I would think it would be okay to test 30 minutes or possibly even an hour before you feed him, as the numbers should be getting higher with time not lower. That being said, if you get a lower number than you’re used to when you test him early, you should probably wait without feeding and retest closer to shot time. I tagged Linda who is wise and amazing, so she may have a better answer for you! It definitely is a struggle getting them to sit still when you’re first starting out!
I tried to test prefood this morning and he was NOT having it before eating. I ended up testing him as soon as he finished eating and I'm hoping that works because that seems the easiest for everyone. I know if he's going to fight me on something my husband will never get him to do it. Pan and I are super bonded. He will let me fuss with his ears, teeth, face, whatever without protest but complains when my husband doesn't pick him up the exact right way. He was 556 last night pre eating, so I decided to work on cutting back his kibble sooner than I originally planned and he was 476 immediately after eating this morning. 289 at +2. I'd much rather lower his carb intake than up his insulin where ever possible. We're working to all wet but I'm hesitant to do that without having done a full curve on his combo diet and a curve on his first day of all wet. Goal is to be on wet food only next week. He will put up with it once he eats, but treats or a mouthful of wet food aren't fooling him.
The ideal routine would be to withhold food for a minimum of 2 hours, test, then feed, then wait 30 minutes to give the shot. Now if kitty is "hangry" and unco-operative about testing while waiting for their food, you could give him a tsp or 2 of food to calm him down, test immediately after, then feed the remainder of his meal as a reward for being a good boy. If that doesn't work and you have to feed him his whole meal to get him calmed down, then test immediately after he finishes his food. Food will take a few minutes to start hitting the blood stream so while it's not ideal, it's doable.
Glad to see he’s at least letting you get some tests in, even if it’s on his own terms lol. Cutting out the dry food completely can definitely lower his BG, so it’s good that you’re testing!
He's not free fed, we're a multicat house and he's a food bully. He's gotten controlled portions most of his life. So he hasn't eaten for 12 hours at meal times and he is uncooperative at best. The mornings are tough because our normal schedule is I wake up at 6:15, feed cats, make coffee. We get home from work around 5:45 and that gives us a half hour to relax, change out of work clothes, decide on dinner or whatever, and then feed cats. That way we can eat in peace or go out if we choose to that night. So I'm not a fan of getting up at 5 to test his BG. Lol Do you have any advice for switching to wet food only? I'm terrified of him going hypo. My brother did once (human diabetic) and it was traumatic to say the least. His only protest seems to be pre meals. He's been really accommodating otherwise!
Are you only feeding him two meals a day? It might help if you’re able to feed him more, maybe even just one extra meal at lunch or something. I’m not sure how feasible that is in your multicat household, although I think there are people who do manage it somehow. Vetsulin can drop the blood sugar very hard and fast so an extra meal around +2 or so can help with that
I would make the transition gradually not only to keep check on his BG but also to ensure the diet change doesn't cause any GI upset. Most kitties do better with multiple meals during the day but in a multi cat household with him being a food bully, the only solution I can think of would be to get a microchip feeder for him. You program it to only open for the one cat. That way you could leave some food out during the times when you are not there and that might possibly tone down the morning and evening hunger issues. The extra food availability will also provide a way for Pan to bring his own BG up should he feel the need as you make the transition. There are great tips about transitioning HERE. With proper dosing and testing, you can prevent hypoglycemia and we can help you figure out what will work best for you and Pan.
So basically instead of an overnight change, I should do it slowly? How slow? He's literally getting a tablespoon of kibble in with his wet now. He's also not chipped. At least if he was chipped as a kitten no one told me. He doesn't go outside, he's indoor only so I never considered it. I could give him half his wet at +2 most meals. There's one evening where that will be tough, but probably doable. We have a standing social dinner weekly at 7 that tends to run to about 9 or 10. Also cutting his kibble from 2 tablespoons to 1 got me a significant drop in his +2 number. It's been high 3s since I've tested, we've gotten a low 200s with him zonked on Xanax at the vet, but a high 200 today at +2. I'm hoping that's pointing at eventually managing this by diet alone although I know this is wishful thinking at this point.
You can get collar activated microchip feeders: https://www.petfeedertips.com/collar-activated-rfid-microchip-cat-feeder/
I would just reduce to 3/4 tbsp. and try that for a couple of days then reduce to half for a couple of days and so on. If you need to slow down the transition, reduce by 1/8 tbsp. instead. Just be aware of any GI issues like upset tummy or bowel changes and slow down if any symptoms show up. On days when testing at specific times is not possible, do what you can. No issue doing a test at +1 or +1.5 if you are crunched for time. It's about getting the data and all data helps and knowing what he is up to before you wander out so you can give him more food/ or higher carb food if he seems to be dropping quickly or a lot.
You can get collar activated microchip feeders: https://fluffykitt.com/the-best-automatic-cat-feeders/
