Duchess is gonna LOVE this

[cjsmith]

Duchess went in for a glucose curve on Monday. After hours I got a call from the head vet tech: "Dr. Griscom is holding her head in her hands and doesn't know what to make of this." The next day I got a call from Dr. Griscom: "Dr. White doesn't know what to make of this either." It seems that her blood glucose levels throughout the day started too high, ended way too low, did not form a curve, and showed no signs that they would bottom out.

I am now the proud owner of a new glucose meter, test strips, and lancets. (WOW those supplies are expensive.) Unlike the vet clinic, I can do a twelve-hour curve, and mine won't be distorted by the effects of the cat's panic during the morning vet trip. I'm a little surprised that I was the one to suggest this, but Dr. Griscom seemed enthusiastic once I did.

Comments

[redgrrl.livejournal.com]

You are SUCH a good mom! Hugs to Duchess!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm doing my best. I am SO fortunate that she's such a good-natured cat! I wouldn't even consider this if it were Jackie.

[ohhjuliet.livejournal.com]

Good luck Duchess!!!!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Aww, is that your kitty in your icon? I don't think I've ever seen that icon before!

[ericainohio.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness! Best of luck to you with all the pricking and sticking and testing and all. I'll bet your poor kitty is going to be so mad at you, poor thing. Keep us updated!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

She's gonna be ticked all right. She already hates rides to the vet ten times more than she used to, because they mean a full day in the cage and ten needle-sticks!

[lizzie-omalley.livejournal.com]

Goodness, what a challenge. I don't think that I have ever had a cat that I would have attempted to do that with. I know I wouldn't have tried to take such readings with my kidney cat. It was hard enough just to water her. (I had to do subcutaneous fluids with her)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm fortunate that Duchess is very calm and docile. If it were my feisty black cannonball, there's no way... she's the kind of cat the vet techs have to put a muzzle on. Thank goodness Duchess is a sweetie.

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

oh wow. poor dutchess. poor YOU! are the lancets easier to deal with than actual big scary needles?

you are such a good kitty-momma. *hugs* to you and *scritches* to your girl.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I don't know yet. :-) Fortunately, needles get a lot less scary when I'm using them twice a day. I got my flu shot (the needle kind) with absolutely no problem. The one I feel sorry for is Duchess. That's got to hurt.

[hnybny.livejournal.com]

Its a bummer, there are a number of companies who'll help with supplemental funding of diabetic accessories, but only if you're human.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yes. Insulin and needles have already given me sticker shock. It's too bad I can't use a tiny smidgen of my health coverage to help with Duchess. She'd automatically be covered if she were my spouse, my same sex registered domestic partner, or my child. Since I have none of these, and since any one of them would be way more expensive to provide health care for than a cat, I think I oughtta have a little extra allowance! :-) (But I know how popular THAT notion would be.)

[nosrednayduj]

Home testing is totally the way to go. I found that the ear gave the best blood. Hold a flashlight behind the ear, see the vein, prick NEAR it but not IT (or you'll get a gusher). Sometimes I had to warm Mottle's ear with a hot compress first (warm wet washcloth in plastic bag works great).

I hope you got the kind of meter whose strips use a capillary action to suck up the blood and uses an electrical process to test. Those are the best. I had a "Glucometer Elite" but that's been discontinued and I don't know the name of the next generation model. The other kind have a chemical embedded in a pad that changes color depending on the amount of glucose, and takes more blood and is harder to apply the blood. I ended up with two meters because I didn't understand this difference and started with the bad kind.

Good luck!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I don't know which kind I got, and I can't even remember its name (it's out in the car). It will give a digital readout, so I suspect the testing is electrical. I did tell the pharmacist that I was working with a cat and thus would need one that didn't require much blood. She recommended one. Fingers crossed. If I need a different one, I'll likely also need all different test strips, and those are over a dollar apiece!

[nosrednayduj]

The meter should have come with some sample strips. Use those first and return the unopened box of other strips if it's a loser. Here's hoping it's a winner... I used it on myself when learning how to use the meter so that I didn't torment the cat for no good reason.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Good idea! I think it did come with samples! Thank you.

I get special training at the vet's tomorrow afternoon. They probably want to show me the flashlight and hot compress tricks. :-)

[nosrednayduj]

My vet was totally unsupportive of home testing. I have no idea what they'll show you. But be prepared to make up your own instructions if theirs don't work once you actually get home.

I got an enormous amount of info from http://www.felinediabetes.com/ including advice on how to do the home testing stuff.

[portia.livejournal.com]

So I take it you never found out what the results were? How frustrating, but at least now you can take matters into your own hands.

Two of my parents three cats are now diabetic and require insulin, although last I heard, Erma had a seizure and they thought she was getting too much insulin. I think she might have gone into remission like your cat did. (That's so weird.)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I have all the numbers for the "curve" they did on Monday (which was more like the trajectory of something falling off a cliff than a nice glucose curve, apparently). O'course, I can't make any sense of those numbers.

Wow, two out of three on insulin? That's a bunch of work! How old are they? And yeah, a seizure could indeed mean Erma has gone into remission. Cats do that way more than humans do. Some of them do it repeatedly all their lives. It's very weird!

[portia.livejournal.com]

I think their cats are over 11-12 years old now. They have quite a routine when it's shot and feeding time. Their third cat has crystal issues so all of them have special dietary and medical needs. Fun times!

Sure hope you can keep Duchess on an even keel.