Not Mandatory ([info]enemabagjones) wrote in [info]felinediabetes,
@ 2007-10-05 14:44:00
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We're doing curves! Kind of!
We did Tux's first 12-hour curve a week ago and took the results to our vet for analysis. She phoned today and gave us the green-light to reduce his dosage (from 2.5 to 1.5 units), which is what I'd kind of suspected. And she said our glucometre readouts nearly match their IDEX machine's, so I was pleased; this will help us do testing more independently. She also gave us a $50 discount on services for doing the curve ourselves. And we got a go-ahead to give him more food, which will make him happy and help him regain some of what the initial ketosis took out of him.

Now, here's my thing; we're to do another mini-curve a week from Sunday to see if the new dosage is a good fit...and Tux hhhhhhhhated the last one. I'm planning to rewatch the magic YouTube video with the cute guy a million times, and reread everything I've encountered on the subject, but if you guys have anything to share re: making kitty comfortable with repeated ear sticks, let me know.

Seeing as, in the next couple months, we're also going to move to the house we just bought, I want to minimize his stressors as much as possible.

Thanks as always.

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[info]minjo
2007-10-05 08:58 pm UTC (link)
I give Max two ear sticks a day. He doesn't like them, but he knows once they're done he gets food.

What I do is this: I sit on the floor cross-legged, and he knows 'it's time' and comes over and sits on my lap. I give him some loving scratches and pets and ear rubs to calm him and make him happy (it also helps get the blood flowing in his ears). Then, it's a quick poke (usually, although he knows he needs it to be done, he doesn't like it and will flatten his ears out, so unless his ears are really warm, it can make getting a successful ear stick kind of tricky). While I'm waiting for the glucometer to give me a reading, he gets some more love on my lap. Once it's done, he gets either a treat (carb-free dried beef liver, if I'm doing a random test) or his breakfast/dinner. I purposely give him an award with affection and a treat whenever he needs to be stuck, and that seems to be helping a lot. I don't think he'll ever get to like it, but he's come to realize that he gets something in return for sitting still, so he usually puts up with it.

Hope this helps!

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[info]enemabagjones
2007-10-05 10:28 pm UTC (link)
It's refreshing to hear that even well-mannered cats hate it. I have a feeling it's that practice-makes-perfect thing; I just feel so awful that he has to be what I practice on.

Thanks for the rundown of how you do it. It sounds like you have a pretty good thing going!

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[info]nikon6
2007-10-30 12:02 am UTC (link)
well Jing didn't mind it, but I think that's because I made it a really positive experience for him. Don't just rush over poke him and leave. Make it a comfy loving time, involve treats (sugarcat friendly ones) and when you're done, you can brush, pet, play with or whatever he likes best. :) Once he associates it with positive things, he won't mind the pricks so much :)

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