Diabetic Feline Blood Glucose Monitoring At Home
Author: Bobbi
Testing your diabetic feline's Blood Glucose (BG) levels is a very important part of successful and effective treatment for this disease. It is critical to know what the BG level is BEFORE administering an insulin injection to lessen the risk of hypoglycemia.
Home testing with a glucometer can save your companion animals life, and can help you to better manage their illness. Regulating diabetes is close to impossible without accurate blood glucose readings, and unregulated diabetes can lead to much more serious problems, such as Ketoacidosis, which is a life threatening complication of uncontrolled BG levels. It is important to use Ketostix or Ketodiastix to check urine for ketones.
BG readings at your vet's office are often inaccurate due to stress which can cause a rise in blood glucose levels in some cats. In the comfort of your own home, you will likely get much more accurate readings because stress levels are lower, and the cat is in his/her usual surroundings, eating normally, playing, etc . You can also perform your own "curves" at home. This will give you much better control over dosing, and will also save you much stress and money from more frequent vet visits.
What Works
Home testing your cat's blood may sound frightening and intimidating, but once you get the hang of it, it really becomes second nature. There are several techniques that are used every day by many experienced diabetic pet care givers. I will share with you the techniques I use, which have worked very well for me and my diabetic cat, Trixter.
Keep in mind, pricking the outer edge of the ear does not harm the cat. Most cats do not even flinch. However, if you find that your cat does not want to let you test, you can use a technique called the "Kitty Burrito", where you wrap the cat in a towel to keep him/her from wriggling away or scratching. Often though, this technique is not needed if you use food or treats to distract the cat while you test. You may want to try some "run through", pretend tests first, if you feel uncomfortable. Familiarize yourself and kitty with the testing supplies to ease any nerves or discomfort.
Blood Glucose Meters
There are many meters available to use, such as the Freestyle Flash, One
Touch Ultra, Ascensia Breeze, etc.
You likely want to find one that uses a very small drop of blood. You
also want to be sure that the strips specify that they "sip"
the blood.
Step By Step
- Breathe! As long as you can stay (at least somewhat) calm and let your cat know that you mean business, the cat will likely remain calm as well. Have the testing supplies out and ready (after reading all the directions for your meter, of course).
- Fill the toe area of a long sock with uncooked rice (people have used raw oatmeal as well), and tie the sock. Put it in the microwave for about 15 seconds, until warm. Squish the rice around to check for hot-spots.
- Have your lancet device (or just a lancet, if you plan to poke free-hand ) set up and ready. Also, put a testing strip into the meter until it is ALMOST all the way in. That way, once you get the drop of blood from the ear, you can push the meter strip all the way into the meter and it will be ready for the blood within seconds. A lot of meters have a timer, so if you have not gotten a drop of blood by the time the timer is up, you will have to reinsert the strip. That is why I would wait to push it all the way in, until you are sure you have the drop of blood, at least in the beginning. However, make sure to read the instructions for your meter and strips before you begin. Some test strips must be used within 3 minutes of taking it out of the container.
- Place the warmed rice sock against the inside of the ear, so that the ear is resting against it, and gently massage to get the blood flowing. A warm, massaged ear tends to give a better drop of blood for the meter. Once you feel that the ear is warm enough, look closely to see the vein. Aiming for the outer edge, between the vein and edge of the ear, push the trigger on the device (or poke free-hand if you choose). You can also use Vaseline or Neosporin if there is too much hair, so that the blood can form a drop on the surface of the ointment.
- If you see only a tiny bit of blood, massage the ear upward toward the drop, (do NOT smear the drop) to help the blood flow and a drop to form (bending the ear may also help). When you have a good drop of blood, push the strip all the way into the meter and when the meter is ready, touch the edge of the strip to the drop of blood so that the blood can be "sipped" into the strip. When the meter beeps, it is letting you know that it is now testing the blood glucose level.
- While waiting for a reading, gently apply pressure to the spot you poked with a tissue to prevent bruising and stop bleeding. Dab an ointment (like Neosporin) on the wound (optional, but will help the wound to heal faster and prevent infection).
- When the meter beeps again, look to see the reading! All Done! Give kitty (and yourself!) a treat!
For more information on Feline Diabetes, visit felinediabetes.com. There are many experienced, diabetic feline caregivers on the forums 24/7, with lots more tips on testing.
Next, see our Pet diet advice page...
More Resources
Cat Diabetes
[ www.felinediabetes.com
]
[ www.sniksnak.com
]
[ www.vetinfo.com ]
[ www.petremedy.com
]
Dog Diabetes
[ www.caninediabetes.org
]
[ www.vetinfo.com ]
[ www.canismajor.com
]
[ www.petremedy.com
]
[ www.sniksnak.com
]
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