October 19th 2008 8:09 pm
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By the time I learned how I could better help Gandalf with his diabetes, doing the shots was already routine. Gandalf enjoyed sitting on the bathroom sink while I got ready for work. He quit after we moved to our house, but the uncontrolled blood glucose levels gave him an insatiable need for water, so he'd hop on the sink regularly wanting to drink from my glass. It's so cute because he will dip his paw in a cup and lick it off. What I did not realize at the time was that his cute drinking meant he was very sick because his diabetes was out of control. He actually laid by the water bowl dipping his paw in it.

I learned that in order to get his blood glucose levels under control I needed to test his blood just like a human diabetic does, in fact, I use the very same equipment, a glucometer and lancet needles. I could either prick his ears or his paws for blood. Well, he would never stand his paws to be messed with, so I chose the ears. I tried a couple times with the lancet device, getting him used to it by clicking it by his ears. I sat on the floor and held him between my legs the first couple times. How anyone uses those devices on a cat, I have no idea, but many do. I however, could not tell where it was sticking him and since I didn't want to hurt him, I simply used the little needle which is held inside a small plastic barrel. One quick stick to the outside of the ear, between the vein and the outer edge, not the vein itself and ta-da, you get a droplet of blood!

I don't remember when I started this, but I realized I could put him on the bathroom sink for his tests and his shots since he liked being there anyway. I found a piece of panelling about the same size as the counter to lay across the sink so neither of us would fall in and our diabetes testing lab was born.

Eventually I'll try to upload a video of our routine. He won't always go in the bathroom on his own, I frequently pick him up and carry him in, but sometimes I can coax him in and once he's in, it's all up to him. He jumps on the toilet, then onto the sink once I have the board across it. Every time he knows he's going to get stuck at least twice - in the ear to test his BG and in the side for his shot. Sometimes I must stick him more than once in the ear to get enough blood and sometimes I have to warm his ear when it's cold to get enough blood, but he jumps on the counter every time, often purring and giving kisses.

Having diabetes is not fun for him nor me. But it has brought us closer together and I wouldn't trade the times we spend in our lab for anything!