Table of Contents 7. Controlling the Blood Glucose Now that you know how to measure blood glucose, you may be wondering how to use this information. First, we need to think about when to measure the blood glucose level. I basically follow the procedure used for a diabetic human. I measure twice per meal/insulin shot.  Just once is okay if the glucose level is more stable, but in the case of my dog, it's not. Before I could cut down the measurement to 2 times per meal, I used to have to measure every hour for 6 hours, starting just before the meal (I gave an insulin shot right after the meal), and monitoring every hour thereafter.  This provides the idea of how the glucose level shifts along with time. Usually, blood glucose increases after the meal, then the insulin kicks in, and it gets lower. For my dog, the highest level comes about one hour after the meal, and the lowest point comes 3 hours after the shot (which is the same time as the meal). By knowing the transition pattern, you can measure it at the possible lowest point after the insulin shot. This will depend on your dog's condition and the type of insulin. Once you know when the lowest point will happen, you can measure it at the that time to make sure that it does not get too low. For my dog (possibly due to the Cushing's disease), the blood glucose is not stable. I measure before the meal (background level) to determine how much insulin I should give him. I change the amount of insulin by +/- 5 units, depending on the background insulin level. I monitor it more frequently if I increase the amount. I also give him some dog treats (e.g. Milkbone) to increase the glucose level in case it gets too low. After some trials, you can create a chart for the inslulin amount and the blood glucose before the meal. That's all. I hope you can find your own management pattern. Live long and proser. Copyright 2005, A.K.