About glucose curves

What is a blood glucose curve used for?

A blood glucose curve will help determine:

1. If and when the insulin given to your cat starts working.
2. How efficient the insulin dose is at reducing the blood glucose level.
3. How low your cat's blood glucose falls and when this occurs.
4. How long the insulin works in your cat.

This information is used to:

1. Monitor the response to an insulin dose—especially at the start of treatment or after a change in insulin dose.
2. Investigate cats that appear not to be responding to insulin treatment—sometimes after a period of stability.

How is a blood glucose curve performed?

1. Your cat may be hospitalized for up to 12 hours.
2. Food and insulin injection(s) will be given according to the schedule you use at home.
3. An initial blood sample will be taken upon arrival at the vet clinic, preferably after the cat has been fed at home.
4. The Vetsulin dose will be administered.
5. Blood samples will then be taken every 2 hours for up to 12 hours.
6. Blood glucose will be measured in each of these samples.
7. The blood glucose levels are plotted against time to produce a curve. This curve indicates the changes in blood glucose levels after the insulin is injected.

Ideal blood glucose curve

Below is an example of how an ideal blood glucose curve would look in a stable diabetic cat.

Ideal blood glucose curve Click on icon for full image: