Diabetes – Simba 2006-2008
Foods, insulin dosaging, ”bouncing” ”erratic” blood glucose curves at our vet’s animal hospital.
Regulation Part 1 – Remission period (normal bg values 3,3-9,7) (59-175)
2000-08-29 ”Gastritis” 5,8 (104) ordered to eat dry i/d
2002-07-31 “Gastritis” 6,1 (110) weight 7.8 kg
2003-12-19 6,9 (124) ordered to diet and change food from dry i/d to dry r/d
2004-05-13 6,4 (115)
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2006-10-28 FD diagnosis 18,9 (340)
Vet curves
2006-10-30 admitted 4.4 (79)
3 U BID Insulatard NPH 21.0 (394)
Accutrend meter 13,6 (254)
3,4 (61)
2,1 (28)
9,3 (167)
2006-10-30 admitted 2 U 13,9 (250)
BID Insulatard NPH 3,4 (61)
2,1 (28)
23,8 (428)
7,2 (130)
4,7 (85)
9,5 (171)
18,7 (337)
4,6 (83)
17.1 (308)
14,3 (257)
3,0 (54)
3,2 (58) – they gave 2 U anyway!!
1.3 (23)
1,9 (34)
8,7 (157)
11,4 (205)
17.1 (308)
13.3 (239)
19,8 (356)
2,3 (41)
25,4 (457) – they changed food to dry m/d
12,3 (221)
13,2 (238)
2,6 (47) – they sent him home with this low number! and didn’t tell me!
Vets instructions when sending Simba home:
2 U BID Insulatard NPH. dry m/d food, back in a week for a new day curve 0, +3, +6, +9, +12. Perhaps a fructosamine blood test or too soon?
Vet instruction 2006-11-08:
Should measure blood sugar herself in home environment – Vet dog diabetes specialist Birgit Holm.
2006-11-13 Weight 7,9 kg
Vet curves
9am 5,3 (95)
11am 4,1 (74)
1pm 4,2 (76)
5pm 7,2 (130)
Dose lowered from 2 U BID to I U BID – and food changed again to dry w/d + dry m/d
2006-11-20
Hemocue check 4,7 (85)
9am 4,2 (76) no insulin
3pm 5,0 (90)
Vet instructions:
No more insulin for a month, back then and perhaps be taught to measure on my own at home.
2007-01-05 Weight 8,2 kg
Plasma glucose 9 (162)
2007-08-27
Plasma glucose 12,4 (223)
Alat (ALT) 3,02 (normal 0,00-1,20)
Vet instruction:
Change from Insulatard NPH insulin to Lantus insulin, 2U once a day.
Vet curves:
11, 7 (211)
4,8 (86)
6,2 (112)
12,1 (218)
14,8 (266)
Vet instruction:
Change to 1U Lantus once a day.
Vet curves:
2,6 (47)
6,2 (112)
12,1 (218)
14,8 (266)
13,8 (248)
22 (396)
14 (252)
6,2 (112)
12,9 (232)
6,1 (110)
5,2 (94)
3,1 (56)
16,9 (304)
16,1 (290)
10,1 (182)
3,1 (56)
16,9 (304)
2008-08-30
First Fructosamin test 611 (normal 160-380)
Vet instruction:
Change insulin again to 0.5 U BID, spot checks after +6 hours, and food change again to dry m/d.
At home: Trying to home test, have gotten one PMPS number off 18,4 (331) and another of 27,5 (495). Have tried with both 1U BID and 1,5U BID.
2007-09-18: Have tried 5U BID but now 3 U BID. Discontent with Lantus, blame it all on it, the glucose levels are just getting higher and higher and now up on 30 (540). Allowed to change back to Insulatard, 1U BID.
2007-10-04 Weight 6,55 kg
Now on 2U BID Insulatard 11 am and 11 pm, but acute to ER emergerncy because of severe pancreatitits and DKA
ER I–STAT
Hypo sodium 135 (147-162)
Hypo chloride 110 (112-129)
BUN 11,20 (2,90-5,50)
Glucose 26,60 (3,70-6,80) 479 (67-122)
HCO3 17,4 (24-34)
Texas fPLI 343.1 (2.0-6.8)
B-ketones (0.2-1,6)
5.1
5.8
6.6
1.8
0.8
Vet instructions:
After 2 weeks in ER hospital, new change of Insulin from Lantus tried at hospital while Simba was so very ill, to 2U BID Insulatard NPH, and food change – back to ….dry i/d. Come back for a follow up visit 2007-10-25.
2007-10-25 Weight 6 kg
At home: Still Insulatard, Simba is eating a mix of dry w/d and dry m/d
Second Fructosamine test 715 (160-350)
Accutrend glucose 17,9 (322)
Vet instructions:
Increase insulin to 3U BID.
2007-11-27 Weight 6,15 kg
At home: Have tried 5U BID
Third Fructosamine test 798 (160-350)
Texas fPLI test 10.4 (2,0-6,8)
B-ketones 0,2 (0.3-1.6)
Vet instructions:
Thinks Simba is insulin resistant and has Cushings disease, might investigate Cushing’s disease. Increases Insulatard to 6U BID and orders Glucobay (acarbose).
2007-16-16 Vet instructions:
Vet dog diabetes specialist Birgit Holm and clinic manager Bert Jan decides I should withdraw the insulin for a couple of days and measure. The values I then got were 20-30 (400-500).
2007-12-20 Simba staphylococcus attack all over face and in ears, became paralysed by the anaesthetic and almost in coma.
2008-01-11 Simba has gotten Lantus insulin and 2U BID since a couple of days with 30 (540’s) in blood glucose. Clinic manager Bert Jan questions whether if I am measuring all wrong, as Simba’s very high glucose numbers will not come down, or questions whether it is a somogyi effect.
2008-01-18 I finally join FDMB.
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In the end one can see the clinic manager blamed it on ME – but what about their own practice when it came to the constant change of what food Simba should eat, how much insulin Simba should have, and more?
Summary
1. “Gastritits” in 2000-08-29, 4 years old – ordered to eat dry i/d: 26 % carbs, 41 % fat, 33 % protein.
2. Health check up 2003-12-19, weight 7,6 kg – both Simba and Gustav was ordered to diet and eat dry r/d: 40 % carbs, 25 % fat, 35 % protein.
3. Aftre 3 years of eating dry r/d, Simba developed diabetes. Glucose level was at 18,9 (340) …. But he neither Gustav had lost any weight …..
4. Simba’s starting glucose level at the vets was 18,9 (340), which isn’t “that” high, yet they started him on …. 3 Units! Of Insulatard NPH insulin, immediately dropping him down to low numbers he didn’t even have as a normal non-diabetic!, numbers such as 4,4 (79), 3,4 (61), 2,1 (38), 4,7 (85), 3,0 (54), 2, 3 (41), 3,2 (58), and they even gave him 2 Units of insulin when he was only at 3,2 (58) sending him into a several- hours-long hypoglycaemia with only 1,3 (2,3), 1,9 (34), and they even sent him home only having 2,6 (47) without telling me. In fact, they told me nothing of how they nearly killed him.
5. They changed Simba’s food again, to dry m/d: 15 % carb, 44 % fat, 43 % protein.
6. They did the opposite with the insulin. Instead of start low and go slow,k they started high on 3U BID, hypoed him, reduced to 2U BID with the m/d giving numbers such as 5,3 (95), 4, 1 (74), 4, 2 (76) and 7,2 (130). Rather than sticking with the dry m/d food and lowering the dose to 1 or 1.5U BID, they again! changed Simba’s food, to dry w/d: 37 % carb, 24 % fat, 24 % protein.
7. They also even had me give insulin ONCE a day, when the insulin lasts no longer than 12 hours. What was THAT about??
.
8. These are the vet’s instructions from 2006 to 2008:
1. 2U BID Insulatard NPH, dry m/d food, back in a week for a new day curve 0, +3, +6, +9, +12. Perhaps a fructosamine blood test or too soon?
2. . Vet dog diabetes specialist Birgit Holm: Should be in home environment and measure the blood sugar herself.
3. Dose lowered from 2 U BID to I U BID – and food changed again too dry w/d + dry m/d.
4. No more insulin for a month, back then and perhaps be taught how to blood glucose measure on my own at home.
5. Change from Insulatard NPH insulin to Lantus insulin, 2 U once a day.
6. Change to 1 U Lantus once a day.
7. Change to 0.5 U BID, spot checks after +6 hours, and food change again, should be dry m/d.
8. After 2 weeks in ER hospital, new change of Insulin from Lantus tried at hospital while Simba was so very ill, to 2 U BID Insulatard NPH, and change food yet again – back to ….dry i/d.
9. Increase insulin to 3 U BID.
10. Clinic manager Bert Jan thinks Simba is insulin resistant and has Cushing’s disease and contemplate investigating whether he has Cushing’s disease.
11. Clinic manager Bert Jan increases the Insulatard to 6 U BID and orders Glucobay (acarbose).
12. Vet dog diabetes specialist Birgit Holm and clinic manager Bert Jan decides I should withdraw the insulin for a couple of days and measure. The values I then got were 20-30 (400-500).
13.Clinic manager Bert Jan questions whether I am measuring all wrong since Simba’s
very high glucose numbers will not come down, or questions whether it is a somogyi effect.
_________________________________________________________
Diabetes – Simba 2008-2012
Foods, insulin dosaging, ”bouncing” ”erratic” blood glucose curves at the vet’s and home.
Regulation Part 2 – Post-Remission period (normal bg values 3,3-9,7) (59-175)
2008-01-08
Simba is having 2 IU Lantus BID, and eats mix of w/d and m/d, and the latest fructosamine 2007-11-27 was sky high 798.
2008-01-18 I finally become a member at FDMB.
Changed from m/d dry food to m/d wet food + raw ground beef.
Fasting glucose 14 (252).
Circa 3 days after the food change, the glucose had gone down to +6 5,6 (101) and + 8 ca 6 (144).
Lowered the insulin to 1.5 U BID.
2008-02-15
Now give 0.5-0.75 U BID. The glucose curve now stable with single high 20.1 and low 2.2. No hypoglykemia yet.
Fourth Fructosamine test 636 (160-350)
Plasma glucose 14 (252) (3.3-9,7) (59-175)
Urine glucose 3+
2008-03-13
Give different doses of Lantus each time due to the glucose jumps up and down. Varies between 0.5-1.5 U BID but mainly 1-1.5 U BID.
Glucose after eaten 14,3 (257), one morning glucose 8,5 (153).
Hemocue test 27,9 (486) (3,3-9,7) (59-175)
Plasma glucose 29,9 (522) (3,3-9,7) (175)
Bg curves AMPS, +3, +6, +9, +12 PMPS
Lantus 1 U BID
9,6 (173)
+3 3,4 (61)
14,6 (263)
11,3 (203)
9,4 (169)
9,9 (178)
20,4 (367)
17,7 (319)
13,7 (247)
22,6 (407)
29,1 (524)
27,1 (488)
33,3 (599)
31,4 (565)
21,9 (394)
21,3 (383)
26,2 (472)
Vet instructions:
They want me to stop taking AMPS and PMPS every day, consider it pointless. It is enough with +6 checks. And not change the insulin dosages from day to day.
2008-05-23
Lantus 1 U BID
2008-06-16
Lantus 0.5 U BID
2008-06-12
Last glucose measuring at home 2,9 (52)
2008-07-31 ER
No insulin. Food change to no carb commercial food Mjau (Bozita) and raw ground beef since April 2008.
I-STAT Glucose 8,10 (146) (3,70-6,80) (67-122)
Plasma glucose 7,5 (135) (3,3-9,7) (59-175)
2008-09-07
Simba’s second pancreatitis.
Texas fPLI 129,0 (4,1-12,9)
B-ketones 0,7 (0,3-1,2)
6am glucose 23 (414)
1,45pm 15,4 (277)
Plasma glucose 13,8 (248)
Bg curves while pancreatitis
24,9 (448)
20,4 (367)
12,6 (227)
5,0 (90)
21,2 (382)
18,3 (329)
15,3 (275)
14,8 (266)
Biopsy of Simba’s pancreas.
Vet instructions:
Continue to give m/d at home and check his blood glucose regularly. They don’t want to change the insulin dose 1 U BID in spite of that he has been high when admitted, because glucose level most likely affected by the pancreatitis.
2008-09-25
I divide the 1 U BID to 0,5 U four times a day. He is just so very hard to lower the bgs and regulate on a BID schedule.
2008-10-09 Weight 6,5 kg
Now getting 1.5 U BID.
Fifth Fructosamine test 548 (160-350)
Plasma glucose 20,7 (373) (3,3-9,7) (59-175)
2009-06-10
Now getting 2 U BID and now eats k/d (high creatinin 2008-10-09)
Sixth Fructosamine test 549 (160-350)
Plasma glucose 16,5 (297) (3,3-9,7) (59-175)
Urine glucose 3+
2009-12-15 Weight 8,1 kg
Now gets 4 U BID. Eats k/d. Don’t check blood glucose at home.
Seventh Fructosamine test 504 (160-350)
Plasma glucose 14,5 (261) (3,3-9,7) (59-175)
Vet instructions:
Raise the insulin to 4,5 U BID.
2010-05-26 Weight 8,2 kg
Now gets 5 U BID. Eats k/d. Haven’t measured the blood glucose at home.
Eight Fructosamin 357 (160-350) (finally a regulation break through)
Plasma glucose 13,6 (254) (3.3-9.7) (59-175)
Hemocue test 11,4 (205) (3.3-9.7) (59-175)
2010-05-28
Dentist visit
Urine glucose 0
Blood glucose 14 (252)(3.3-9.7( 59-175) – got 2 IE Lantus
Bg + 30 min 17 (306)
Bg 1.30pm 9 (162)
U Sed bact cocos + (UTI)
Parodondit
2010-10-29
Plasma glucose 13,4 ( 241)(3.3-9.7)
Nineth Fructosamin 368 (160-350)
fPLI 7,6 (0-3,5)
Urine glucose 3+
U Acetone 1+
U Protein 2+
U Sed bact c++
2011-06-21
Now food changed from k/d to m/d
Eosinifila 2,6 (0,0-1,5)
Plasma glucose 18,2 (328) (3.3-9.7 (59-175)
Hemocue test 13,9 (250) (3.3-9.7 (59-175)
Tenth Fructosamine test 312 (160-350)
Texas fPLI 9,9 ( 0-3.5)
B-blood ketones 0,2 (0.3-1.6)
——————————————————————————————-
Summary
1. 2008-01-18 I finally become a member at FDMB.
2. Changed from m/d dry food to m/d wet food + raw ground beef.
Fasting glucose 14 (252).
Circa 3 days after the food change, the glucose had gone down to +6 5,6 (101) and + 8 ca 6 (144).
Lowered the insulin to 1.5 U BID.
3. 2008-09-07 Simba’s second pancreatitis. Texas fPLI 129,0 (4,1-12,9) B-ketones 0,7 (0,3-1,2) 6am glucose 23 (414) 1,45pm 15,4 (277) Plasma glucose 13,8 (248)
Bg curves while pancreatitis
24,9 (448)
20,4 (367)
12,6 (227)
5,0 (90)
21,2 (382)
18,3 (329)
15,3 (275)
14,8 (266)
Biopsy of Simba’s pancreas.
4.. 2010-05-26 Now gets 5 U BID. Eats k/d. Final break through with the fructosamine
Eight Fructosamin 357 (160-350)
5. This is the noteworthy vet instructions from 2008-2012
1. They want me to stop taking AMPS and PMPS every day, consider it pointless. It is enough with +6 checks. And not change the insulin dosages from day to day.
2. Continue to give m/d at home and check his blood glucose regularly. They don’t want to change the insulin dose 1 U BID in spite of that he has been high when admitted, because glucose level most likely affected by the pancreatitis.
_________________________________________________________
Simba 2007-09-17
Blood glucose numbers as beginner home testing
Mond 27/8 arrival ER – 18 (324) – 2 U
+ 3 – 11 (198)
6pm – 4.8 (86)
Tuesd 28/8
02.30 am – 2.6 (47)
No insulin
Later – 12 (216) – 1 U
Wedn 29/9
Morning – 13 (234)
+ 3 after insulin – 6 (108)
+ 6 – 5 (90)
Sent home with 0.5 U BID
Frid 31/8
Fructosamine test the latest 3 weeks
160-380
611
Sund 2/9
12noon – 21,3 (383) – 0.5 U
6pm – 18.4 (331)
11pm – didn’t measure – 1 U
Mond 3/9
11.30am – didn’t measure – 1 U
6pm – 27,5 (495)
11pm – didn’t measure – 1 U
Tuesd 4/9 – didn’t measure – 1 U BID
Wedn 5/9
11am – didn’t measure – 1 U
5pm – didn’t measure
11pm – 30.3 (545) – 1.5 U
Thursd 6/9
11am – 27,3 (491) – 1.5 U
5pm – didn’t measure
11pm – didn’t measure 1.5 U
Friday 7/9 to Thursday 13/9 – didn’t measure, paw rest and 1.5 U BID every day.
Fred 14/9
11am – 32.4 (583) – 2 U
5pm – 21.9 (394)
11pm – 29.9 (538) – 2 U
Saturd 15/9
5am – 26.2 (472) (Gustav in comparison 8.4 (151)
11am – tried with 7 strips, only showed HI (I in comparison 5.9 (106) – 2.5 U
5pm – didn’t measure because didn’t want to hurt him so bad
11pm – 27.1 (488) – 2.5-3 U
Sund 16/9
5am – didn’t measure
11am – 30.4 (547) – 3 U
5pm – 23.8 (428)
11pm – didn’t measure – 3 U
Mond 17/9
7am – 24.9 (448)
11am – didn’t measure – 3 U
5pm – 28.8 (518)
11pm
This becomes this development since Sunday 2/9 to Monday 17/9
At insulin time 11am
Sund 2/9 12am – 21.3 (383) – 0.5 U
Thurs 6/9 11am – 27.3 (491) – 1.5 U
Frid 14/9 11am – 32.4 (583) – 2 U
Sund 16/9 11am – 30.4 (547) – 3 U
+ 6 hours later daytime
Sund 2/9 6pm – 18.4 (331)
Mond 3/9 6pm – 27.5 (495)
Frid 14/9 5pm – 21.9 (394)
Sund 16/9 5pm – 23.8 (428)
Mond 17/9 5pm – 28.8 (518)
At insulin time 11pm
Wedn 5/9 11pm – 30.3 (545) – 1.5 U
Frid 14/9 11pm – 29.9 (538) – 2 U
Satur 15/9 11pm – 27.1 (488) – 2,5-3 U
+ 6 hour later night time
Satur 15/9 5am – 26.2 (472)
Mond 17/9 7am – 24.9 (448)
It doesn’t seem to matter whether he is getting 1 U, 1.5 U, 2 U or 3 U, he seems to have the same numbers at the same times no matter what, and this is really not what it was like before. I become so frustrated! He is not receiving any nutrition into the cells now! And that is dangerous for him.
Wedn 26/9
12.09noon – HI
7pm – HI
And this is since then he have started to moan when he is laying down and sleeping, and have become weaker and weaker and so sick now.
Little did I know that the seemingly insulin resistant and the moaning all depended on a severe pancreatitis in development, and 4/10 I found him laying in hiding like this http://felinediseases.weebly.com/pancreatitis.html not wanting to move or respond to anything, he had stopped eating and drinking too, so off to ER we went and the results was this
2007-10-04 Weight 6,55 kg
Now on 2U BID Insulatard 11 am and 11 pm, but acute to ER emergerncy because of severe pancreatitits and DKA
ER I–STAT
Hypo sodium 135 (147-162)
Hypo chloride 110 (112-129)
BUN 11,20 (2,90-5,50)
Glucose 26,60 (3,70-6,80) 479 (67-122)
HCO3 17,4 (24-34)
Texas fPLI 343.1 (2.0-6.8)
B-ketones (0.2-1,6)
5.1
5.8
6.6
1.8
0.8
No wonder I couldn’t regulate him then with such a severe pancreatitis going on.
_____________________________________________________________
Conclusion
Since 2006 to 2012, soon nearly 6 years, we’ve been both up the ladder and down the ladder many more times than just once.
The fructosamines (160-380) have been:
1. 2007-08-30 – 611
2. 2007-11-05 – 715
3. 2007-11-27 – 798
4. 2008-02-15 – 636
5. 2008-03-15 – 638
6. 2008-07-31 – 307
7. 2008-09-25 – 548
8. 2009-06-10 – 549
9. 2009-12-15 – 504
10. 2010-05-26 – 357
11. 2010-10-29 – 368
12. 2011-06-21 – 312
It took 3 years, 2 severe pancreatitis, one DKA, one severe hypo, one paralysation and neuropathy, before I could get him better regulated.
The pancreatitis Texas fPLI tests (2.0-6.8) have been:
1. 2007-10-05 – 343.1
2. 2007-11-27 – 10.4
3. 2008-02-15 – 11.6
4. 2008-09-07 – 129
5. 2009-12-15 – 4.4
6. 2010-05-26 – 6.0
7. 2010-10-29 – 7.6
8. 2011-06-21 – 9.9
Even my vets at the animal hospital say the bg numbers goes all wonky with no rhyme and reason to them or the insulin dosage at all, when the pancrea lipase is acting up.
_________________________________________________________
Diabetes Veterinärinstruktioner 2006-2012
1. 2 U BID Insulatard NPH. dry m/d food, back in a week for a new day curve 0, +3, +6, +9, +12. Perhaps a fructosamine blood test or too soon?
2. . Vet dog diabetes specialist Birgit Holm: Should be in home environment and measure the blood sugar themselves.
3. Dose lowered from 2 U BID to I U BID – and food changed again too dry w/d + dry m/d.
4. No more insulin for a month, back then and perhaps be taught how I measure on my own at home.
5. Change from Insulatard NPH insulin to Lantus insulin, 2 U once a day.
6. Change to 1 U Lantus once a day.
7. Make changes to insulin again to 0.5 U BID, spotschecks after +6 hours, and food change again, should be dry m/d.
8. After 2 weeks in ER hospital, new change of Insulin from Lantus tried at hospital while Simba was so very ill, to 2 U BID Insulatard NPH, and yet a food change – back to ….dry i/d.
9. Increase insulin to 3 U BID.
10. Clinic manager Bert Jan thinks Simba is insulin resistant and has Cushing’s diseases and contemplates a Cushing’s investigation.
11. Clinic manager Bert Jan increases the Insulatard to 6 U BID and ordered Glucobay (acarbose).
12. Vet dog diabetes specialist Birgit Holm and clinic manager Bert Jan decides I should withdraw the insulin for a couple of days and measure. The values I then got was in 20-30 (400-500).
13.Clinic manager Bert Jan questions me if I am measuring all wrong since Simba’s
very high glucose numbers will not come down or questions whether it is a somogyi effect.
14. They want me to stop taking AMPS and PMPS every day, consider it pointless. It is enough with +6 checks. And not change the insulin dosages from day to day.
15. Continue to give m/d at home and check his blood glucose regularly. They don’t want to change the insulin dose 1 U BID in spite of that he has been high when admitted, because glucose level most likely affected by the pancreatitis.
___________________________________________________________
If a person brings in their 2 year old child to the hospital because the child seem sick, the hospital runs blood sample and urine sample tests. Of course the parents are worried sick that it is something serious and that the child will die. After a long wait the doctor comes out to the parents and say: I am sorry, your child suffer from …. diabetes. And he only give them ONE option and that is TREATMENT.
If a person brings in her cat to the hospital because the cat seem sick, the hospital runs blood sample and urine sample tests too. And of course the person is worried sick from all the waiting and that it is something serious. Also after a long wait the doctor comes out to the person and say: I am sorry, your cat suffer from …. diabetes. BUT he doesn’t stop there, he continues with giving the person TWO options and the first is DEATH SENTENCE right there and then, or TREATMENT.
This is what happened to me and Simba when he was 10 and we found out he had diabetes in fall 2006, and since he is my kid I chosed TREATMENT of course.
Human diabetics in Sweden gets all their supplies for free, as insulin, syringens/pens, bloodsugar meter and more. Animal diabetics however have to pay the full price and no discounts. But I can live with that, it is my Simba and the only Simba I have.
This is the supply costs we have:
Insulin – Insulatard vial 184 kr/$24
Insulin – Lantus vial 394 kr/$51
Insulin – Lantus 5 cartridges 582,50 kr/$85 (1 cartridge last a month, so 116,50 kr/mån/$17/month)
Syringes – BD Microfine+Demi 100 pack 165,50 kr/$21.50
Blood sugar meter – Bayer Acsensia Contur 0kr/$0 – Thank you vet hospital
Blood b-ketone meter – Abbott Precision Xceed 0kr/$0 – Thank you Abbott Sweden
Ascensia Contour Microfill 50 blood test strips 362,50 kr/$50
Abbott Precision Xtra 10 blood b-ketone test strips 270,50 kr/$38
Urine testing – Keto-Diabur-Test 5000 50 urine test strips 97.50 kr/$14
Urine testing – Keto-Diastix 50 urine test strips 91 kr/$13
Urinanalysis – Bayer Multistix 10 SG 100 urine test strips 371 kr/$58,56
Special low carb diabetic dry food Hill’s m/d 5 kg bag/month 600 kr/$85
Special low carb diabetic wet food Hill’s m/d 24 cans 504 kr/$72
Lactiplus probiotics 60 capsules 198 kr/$28
Fortiflora probiotics 30 leaflets 299 kr/$43
Cat litter 4 boxes of 8 kg each/32 kg/month 268 kr/$38
The Insulatard insulin we used in the beginning, before the hospital was learning about the long term insulins Lantus and Levemir. Besides that they act different the price for Lantus is a huge difference than the price for the Insulatard – and it is insulin we use the most of! Simba’s current dose is 5 IE BID and on that we use half a bottle of Lantus every month. Lantus doesn’t last as many weeks as Insulatard did, Insulatard lasted for 6 weeks but Lantus for only 4 week.
So take the Lantus cost times 12, a year, that is 4728 kr/$657 for the insulin every year.
The other supply we really need so we can administer the insulin are syringes. They are less expensive than the insulin, and cost for a year 1986 kr/$276.
Now we come to the really expensive supplies and I simply fail to see how the manufactures can justify these high prices on so few strips. A home tester need many test strips, both blood test strips and urine test strips. There is different methods in taking the blood glucose tests. Some do it every morning, in the middle of the day and in the evening, and this they do EVERY day. Let’s say they test 4 times a day, every day, 50 test strips won’t last long, instead they will need 120. Others don’t test every day, but does curves instead over 1 to 3 days. If one do that 50 strips will last. I have my own method to see how Simba’s daily BID does function. I can do test at home and do it very seldom, but know from previous testing how he works with his food and insulin. Now I don’t test him but govern him by going to the vet hospital and take a fructosamine blood sample every halfyear. When he had over 500 in fructosamine I knew his insulin dose was too low and I raised it to a comfy zone at 5 IE BID, which was just right for now he is in 360, which is very good regulated for a diabetic.
Another supply we have is the Keto-Diabur-Test 5000 which is a urine dip stick. It measures urine glucose level and a-ketone level. It DOES NOT measure the crucial b-ketone level, no matter what advice others give. Moreover it cleary state that in the information sheet that is in the box. To get into the biological technical stuff, the b-ketones are from the long fatty chain and they are so long they can’t enter into the urine, but float around freely in the blood system.
The acetone or a-ketones that are what is measured in the urine, are the short fatty chain that has already been broken down.
The only thing that measure the crucial b-ketone level is the blood meter Blood b-ketone meter – Abbott Precision Xceed 0kr/$0. Abbott gave mine for free. I can understand that they can give the meter away for free, when they charge 270,50 kr/$38 for a pack of only 10 blood test strips!
The last supply we have is Urinanalysis – Bayer Multistix 10 SG 100 urine test strips for 371 kr/$58,56. This is the same as the vet hospital use for their urine analysis there. I have used it for screening at home, first learning what is normal on us all three, I, Gustav and Simba, so I can determin when it is not normal and something the vet hospital needs to check.
Through it all, since 2006, Simba is my hero. He is an expert on himself and he has been the teacher and I have been the student.
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PA-C 