What's the best time to test my diabetic cat after starting insulin?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think this is Veterinarian preference. If your Vet wants you to be doing this at home, double check with them on what time they want you to check Nappy's blood sugar so they can accurately guide you on changes. With that being said, I like the reading to be right before the insulin is due to be given or 6 hours AFTER it has been given (which should be the lowest point of the day). I sometimes have owners do full blood sugar curves at home, which requires measuring the blood sugar every 2 hours for 12 hours, starting right before the morning dose of insulin. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is not a set number of times per day or anything like that. That is something that is determined based on the current control of the diabetes and is adjusted accordingly. That should be recommended by the veterinarian who is prescribing the insulin and keeping tract of the case closely. There is no way to accurately measure glucose in the urine for these cases. How long it takes to achieve steady levels also varies widely per case but possibly within a week or so. Best of luck!

Based upon the context of your question, I'm assuming that you are inquiring about the timing of insulin injections in a diabetic cat. If this is the case, yes, it is best to feed Kitty and then wait half an hour before giving her a dose of insulin. The reason for this is that eating food increases the blood glucose (sugar) level shortly after eating. Insulin then forces the glucose into the cells so that her body is able to use this glucose as an appropriate energy source. Diabetic animals should be fed twice daily half an hour before each dose of insulin. Food or treats throughout the day should be avoided since they will cause random spikes in the blood glucose. I hope this helps to address your questions about Kitty! If this does not answer your questions, feel free to post another question or request a consultation for more in depth follow up.

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If glucose was high on blood work and glucose is also present in the urine, then this is a diagnosis of diabetes. Insulin should begin as soon as possible when a diabetic is first diagnosed. Unless the patient is really ill or unstable, one or two day delay for insulin should be okay. A 12 hour glucose curve at the hospital should be run with the insulin Bella will be on for her first day of insulin treatment so the proper dose can be calculated and to make sure Bella does not have any negative reactions to the insulin or become hypoglycemic at any point. I hope this helps!

In general, try to make the injections as close to every 12 hours as you can. Most pets will still do well even if the injections are sometimes 13 hours apart.If it is going to be longer than 13 hours, talk with your vet about maybe adjusting the amount of insulin to give. You and your daughter should devise a treatment plan each week based upon your work patterns and write it down. Then keep the paper by the insulin and MARK down when the insulin was given (time). This will eliminate confusion. You must treat the diabetes. A special diet like RC Glycobalance will help. You may also look into asking a friend to help give injections or hire someone to do it. many technicians will make extra money helping out others like this. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, it depends on the test. If you suspect your cat has diabetes, you could just start with a urine test which is pretty cheap but can give lots of information. If your cat has diabetes and is on treatment your vet might recommend a general biochemistry panel, check her pancreas, and a fructosamine test, depending on his clinical findings and that would be more expensive. We also perform blood glucose curves in cats that suffer with diabetes, to see if the insulin dosage is appropriate.. I would recommend to see your vet and discuss all the various options with him. Hope this helps !

Herpes can be difficult to get under control and it is not uncommon for cats with a history of herpes to develop secondary infections during times of stress. If Gizmo is still having nasal discharge or eye problems after two rounds of antibiotics you may want to ask your vet about additional testing or referral to a specialist for advanced testing like a CT or rhinoscopy. It can also take some time to regulate diabetes and not all cats are well controlled on the same dose of insulin. As long as Gizmo isn’t showing signs of hypoglycemia its best to give the current insulin dose time to reach equilibrium and then test the glucose again to see if the dose needs to be adjusted. This is typically done every 1-2 weeks.