My meter shows a number. What should I do?

What I can't help with here

I won't give you a colour chart, a range, or a rule like 'at this number, change the insulin'. I can't judge a reading from a photo of a meter either.

I also won't translate a reading into what it means for your dog. Take the meter in and let the clinic read it themselves.

What to do instead

• Write one line: time, number, last meal, how he seems.
• If he is weak, wobbly, vomiting or very flat, stop writing and call your vet now.
• If he's his normal self and it's just one odd number, send it to the clinic. Don't change the evening insulin yourself.
• If they asked for a glucose curve, that tells them far more than one number. The curve sheet is left blank for you to fill in.

What to take with you

Take what you wrote, and the meter if the clinic wants to check it against theirs. One number can't show how his whole day went. That's why vets often ask for a glucose curve, which is a set of readings taken across one day.

What glucose range means my dog is well controlled?

Your vet's goals are about avoiding lows, easing symptoms and keeping weight and daily life steady. A target chart from the internet can't tell you what good control looks like for your dog, or what to do with the insulin after a reading.

Ask your vet to write down which readings to report, which signs need urgent help and how they'll review the pattern. Keep the meter name with your records. If your dog seems fine, they still need regular checks, and if your dog worries you, get help even if one reading looks normal.

When does insulin peak, and what is the lowest point of the day?

The lowest point on a glucose curve is called the nadir. When it happens and how long the insulin lasts vary from dog to dog and product to product, so there's no set hour to plan treatment around.

Ask your vet what monitoring they want and what the pattern shows for your dog. Daytime readings can miss lows overnight. A high morning reading doesn't prove the insulin wore off. If your dog is struggling, get help, whatever time the peak is expected.