When I had a diabetic cat, I only tested once a week, but that was with the urine strips. If you're testing more frequently that may be necessary just until she's stabilized. So a box of 50 will last most of a year.

I do test with a glucometer.

It is a good idea to test before every injection because you can adjust the dose of insulin - or maybe discover that your cat does not need any right now.

For instance, your kitty tested at 222 - using the insulin and dosing scale I use, you would shoot a dose of 2.25 to 2.5 units of insulin. If you gave 3 units of insulin (which many vets subscribe to - 3 units 12 hours apart) you MAY end up causing the liver to dump MORE glucose into the blood stream to combat the overload of insulin, perpetuating an up and down swing of blood sugar.

As for the cat tolerating testing... at first you will likely freak out and think

I'm doing something wrong, I'm not getting any/enough blood

This isn't working

I'm totally stressing her out!

There is NO WAY IN HECK this is going to work...

But it will... just keep trying and it will become old hat to you and kitty. Elmo actually comes and "tells" ME when it is "test time"

Be prepared when you first start testing (the learning phase) you WILL waste a LOT of strips. Unless you can find really cheap store brand strips to fit a store brand meter I would opt for a meter that requires less blood (Freestyle is one I used) because that will probably be one of the biggest hurdles at first. Eventually, the cats ear "learns" to bleed - meaning that through repetition of testing in similar sites on the cat, that area becomes easier to get a sample from.

I'm not sure how much you have researched regarding this, so some of what I've written might seem strange. E-mail me through MyPage or post here any questions.

Test strips are the bread and butter of the diabetes treatment conglomerates! I used to be able to buy generic (store brand) strips for about $11 for 50. A takeover of my preferred store landed that price at $41 - FOR STORE BRAND STRIPS!!!
I am back to work now (was laid off a little over a year ago - and boy was that a struggle) and only test 2X a day, but prior to that I tested about every 6 hours (tight regulation.)

Check out e-bay and such. There are sometimes deals to be had - according to what I read from other folks with diabetic animals.

If you have any questions or concerns about testing please e-mail me or post here. I was there and it really throws you a little at first.

You'll (both) be ok.

Thanks, Puc!! I updated the original post, the second test at the other vet came back at 388, and lots of glucose in the urine, so definitely diabetes. The vet is going to start her out with one unit once daily and see if that regulates her. She is being switched to canned food, no more dry. I am also looking into the b vitamin to help with her rear weakness. And, the biggest problem, how to manage her asthma, arghhhh...I checked the aerokat inhaler, but she would never go for that. She hates having anything close to her face, and a face mask would be impossible. Oh well, we have a vet appointment this afternoon, I will see what she says about other options.

I would definitely recommend buying a glucometer (a good one) for home testing on your cat. It saved my boy's life.

Noddy was in a great deal of pain one day, so I rushed him to the vet. Turns out he had a partial urinary blockage that cleared in the carrier on the way to the vet. I didn't realize that at the time, however, so continued on to the vet. Noddy is EXTREMELY stressed in the car and screamed the entire 1 hr 15 min trip to the vet. When we got there, I had Paul (vet) run a blood panel, and Noddy's blood glucose came back at around 600! YIKES!

Of course Paul immediately diagnosed diabetes and prescribed 5 units of insulin once or twice a day (I can't remember which right now). Noddy weighed 26.5 lbs at the time.

My housemate happens to be diabetic, so I am fairly familiar with the disease. But I'd never had any experience with it in cats, so I immediately started researching online and read about at home glucose testing for cats - something my vet hadn't bothered to even mention. I went out and bought Noddy his own meter (a cheap, American Fare brand from K-Mart which I would NOT now recommend) and spent the next week getting Noddy used to having me handle his ears and warm them in preparation for the blood draws.

I was still trying to get up the nerve to actually stick his ear a week later when he became severely hypoglycemic. Fortunately, I knew how important it was to monitor him after insulin administration, so I checked him every hour to make sure he was OK. When I checked him that morning and found him in his favorite napping spot under a small table in a corner of the bedroom, I called to him and he didn't even raise his head. All he could do was let out a tiny whisper of a mew to let me know something was wrong. I picked him up, and he was completely limp and very cool to the touch. I knew immediately what was wrong and ran to the kitchen for the Karo Syrup. I kept smeariing Karo on his inner cheek and gums until he was able to lift his head a bit, then I finally got up the nerve to stick his ear! Of course being the novice I was, I had to stick him a half dozen times before I managed to get a blood drop big enough to test, but he was still so weak and out of it that he couldn't object.

That first test didn't even register on his meter because his BG had dropped below 20, and the meter couldn't measure that low. My housemate's meter could, though, so I tested him on that one and got a reading of 16. I kept rubbing Karo onto his gums until I got a reading above 80, and Noddy was able to get up and move again. What a horrible scare, but he came out of it just fine.

The next day I gave him his insulin again, and again he became hypoglycemic, though I caught it and corrected it before his BG bottomed out the way it had the day before.

I called two different vets to discuss the problem with them and was told that, although both Noddy's extreme stress on the trip to the vet's the week before AND his extreme pain at that time undoubtedly caused his BG to spike during that diagnostic blood test at the vet, that there was no way the stress and pain alone could account for his BG being as high as 600. They both assured me that he was, in fact, diabetic. They were both wrong.

After the second hypoglycemic episode, I was told to withhold insulin for three days and retest his BG, which I did. It was normal. I was told not to give any more insulin until and unless his BG went up out of normal range. I continued to test twice a day for a week and once a week thereafter, and his BG remained normal.

Spontaneous remission from diabetes is a known phenomenon in some cats, though I don't believe that is what happened with Noddy. I believe that Noddy WAS so stressed and in so much pain at the time of diagnosis that his BG soared up to 600 as a result of those factors alone, and that he never actually had diabetes at all.

Regardless, at home BG testing was the ONLY way I would ever have known what was going on with him. If I'd had to take him back to the vet's for testing, the stress of the car trip would have shot his BG back up again, and I never would have gotten an accurate diagnosis. I could have killed him with repeated hypoglycemic episodes on insulin.

So, YES, get yourself a good meter and learn to do testing at home. The link below is a godsend for information and instructions on management of feline diabetes, including step by step instructions for BG testing at home.

All the best,

Laurie

Here is a link that might be useful: Feline Diabetes

Laurie, thanks for the link, I've been reading the feline diabetes forum for several days now, very good info. I am glad your Noddy survived, what a scary experience!! Our kitty does have diabetes, her urine glucose level was around 1000 and the vet told me even though her blood glucose still wasn't that high at 388, if she were not diabetic, she would not have glucose in her urine. She likely came down with it because of years of steroid shots to control her asthma. The vet said she has not seen any remissions in the cats she treats, but that could be because she does push dry prescription food. From what the people on the FD forum write, dry food is a no-no because of carbs, and canned, along with insulin, might support a remission.

That's one reason why I switched foods. I now feed Innova Evo dry, which is very low in carbs for a dry food, and Wysong au Jus canned (turkey, chicken, and beef flavors only) because they, too, are exceptionally low in carbs.

The dry food she sold us is Hill's M/D, we normally feed Eagle Pack or Solid Gold Katzenflocken. I haven't checked the carb content of those, but they have a comparison list on the FD forum, so I'll look later. I bought Wysong canned for the critters several years ago, the dogs loved it, the cats hated it. ;o]

I'd love to see that comparison list. Do you have a link you could post?

Here you go, this is the main page and you can check dry or canned, plus treats.

Here is a link that might be useful: Food Comparison Charts

Ah, yes, Janet & Binky's Food Charts. I consulted those charts to help me research foods before I switched to Innova Evo and Wysong au Jus. Unfortunately, there are a number of foods that aren't listed in those charts that I wish I could compare.

Thanks for the link, anyway. I'm sure it'll be helpful to folks who haven't ever consulted it before.

petra - you are in control, girl! You are on top of this with all the research and learning you've been doing you and kitty will be just fine! Which insulin will you be using?
I am so glad to hear you are switching to canned food - it does make a difference in management of the disease.
HOWEVER, if one MUST feed dry Innova Evo (good choice laurief) is the only one I would go with (we used that as the transition from Hills M/D which both cats were already eating due to other reasons.)
I must say - I haven't met a cat (yet) that can resist Fancy Feast (Gourmet Chicken and Chopped Grill Feasts are the favorites here - both are under 5% carb)

Puc, she is on PZI. One unit per day, for now. She will have her levels tested next friday, the vet said she is not too optimistic about getting this under control with one daily dose, but she wants to start slow. So starting next weekend, we might have to switch to one unit twice daily.

I was surprised how easy it is to administer the shots, nothing to it. Minnie doesn't mind either, it does not seem to hurt her. Now I'll just have to learn how to home-test her, arghhh. I want to have that down pat in case we have to go to twice daily.

Petra, I agree with the vet about the "low and slow" approach at the beginning. It seems to be a safe way to determine what "your" cat needs for insulin. Every cat is different and some respond to a small dose, others (like mine), need more.

Yes, learn to test glucose so you (and kitty) feel comfortable with it. It may take a little while to get the hang of it and kitty will likely freak out and be mad the first few (or many) times. But, they do get used to it and may even "understand" the connection between "She poked with a sharp thing in the ear, and then a sharp thing in the [belly, rump, shoulder, wherever] but I feel BETTER!" And then it becomes routine.

Keep us updated.