Glucose Readings

Glucose readings are tough.  We don't take them everyday.  I know that some people out there do.  My vet has doing the curve every two weeks.  The numbers are looking fantastic lately.  I thought though I would give you a glimpse of what we do.

On the weekends we will go and poke their little ears.  The reading can be all over the place so be ready the first few times you do this.  It might just make you worry and panic. Never fear though!  Keep honey and Karo syrup on hand at all time.  If your kitty goes under 65 then put this on their gums.  Make sure they eat if they are this low and give them some treats.

OK... so one things that is probably important is to keep a log on the days when you do this.  We mark it with the time the cats received their shots, which ear we poked (very important because you probably will forget through out the day and you want to rotate which ear), the time you took the reading, and the name of the cats (if you happen to have more then one cat with diabetes like me).

This is a great video on how to take a reading. We use One Touch Ultra for our glucose reader.  I will say that my vet told me NOT to use the type of needle used in the video to poke my cat.  This is because the needle in the video will go right through your cats ear.  We use BD PrecisionGlide Needle REF 305122.  This allows you to just poke the vein on the outside... though.... lets be honest.  We have pierced the cats ears a couple of times.  One time we poked Merry and he moved and the needle was hanging through his ear!  I was totally panicked.  He acted like nothing though.  So I was more scared then he was. 




The cats do know when it's time. We get out our little bag of cat medicine goodies and then hold them down!

 

So here is today's readings:

Merry 7 units of Prozinc, 3 units of vetsulin, 5mg glipizide
Pippin 4 units of Prozinc, 5 MG glipizide, and 1 whole steroid at night (tomorrow we start half a steroid). 


Time           Merry      Pippin

7 am          215           277
9 am          159           243
11 am        74             125
1 pm           52            97  

630 PM      81            321

As you can see Merry is very low.  The vet has us switching him to 6 units of Prozinc and 1/2 a pill of glipizide starting tomorrow.  We will do the results again in two weeks.  These numbers are very good for Pippin and Merry.  We are finally getting them under control. Luckily... our vet will monitor these readings for free.  We email in the readings and she usually responds in a couple of days.... sometimes she responds right away.  Hopefully you can find a vet who will also do this.  Make sure your vet uses a glucose reader that pokes the ear.  The first vet we went to actually made us bring in the cats and actually drew blood from their legs.  There is no reason for this and only causes more stress to the cat.  

You really should invest in buying a  glucose reader yourself and just do it at home.  You can find readers for like $40!  Don't buy your reader from your vet.  Go to Amazon.com and get a great deal on one.  You can use any reader. 

10 years... adopt your pets!

This month I have had my two kitties for TEN years!  I adopted them both from a no-kill shelter called No More Homeless pets in Utah in 2003.  Merry was already 3 1/3 and Pippin was 6 months.  I almost didn't get two cats but my mom was there with me and when I went to adopt Pippin my mom was like "he needs a friend"!  The guy working there told me he and Merry got a long so that is how Merry came home also.

I did learn one thing that I would like to share.  When adopting a microchipped animal, which mine were, MAKE SURE THE AGENCY CHANGES THE ADDRESS!  I turned in a piece of paper with my address and they were supposed to change it for me.  I just assumed they did.  Then years and years later when we moved I called the microchip company to change it and they said I had to pay like $100 a cat to change it because it wasn't a change of address but a change of owner now.  (The company told me they are still registered under No More Homeless Pets).

I tried to call the agency that I adopted my cats from who of course by now had changed names they are now Best Friends Animal Society... no one would email me back or call me.  Hell I was even willing to pay the $15 fee (that was included in my $165 fee that I had paid to adopt both of them) to simply change the address (I need them to do it though) 10 years later I still have all the adoption paperwork too, so I could prove I adopted them from this agency (which I did say on the messages I left them).  So in the end .. I don't have $200 to switch owners for the microchip.  I think the cats suffer because this adoption agency won't step up and help me.  I know that it is a non-profit so I was willing to do what I could on my end, I just need them to call since they are technically the "owners". I mean... if they get lost does this agency still have the paperwork with who adopted them?  I doubt it. So please if you adopt your pet and it is microchipped included check with the company of the chip to make sure the address is updated. 

Don't Shop, Adopt!!