2/12 CRYSTAL AMPS 374 +5 351

[suki & crystal (GA)]

Good morning everyone

Haven't posted Crystal's BG levels for a few days but she continues in her favourite pink colour for days on end now despite increasing 1.5u every 4 cycles. Hopefully the introduction of R on Sunday will see an improvement for her. She seems well enough in herself, out and about in the sunshine, eating okay, purring and seeking cuddles but I just worry about the damage being done while she is running such consistently high and flat numbers. Roll on Sunday!

 

[Peg and Toby]

Suki, I am hoping the R will help Crystal's bg. It seems to be bringing Toby down from the high numbers. We are keeping fingers and paws crossed for good results on Sunday. We will be watching to see how you made out. Good Luck, Peg and Toby

 

[suki & crystal (GA)]

Thanks Peg we need some good vines for a successful outcome, don't know what else to try if this doesn't work.

 

[Suzanne & Cobb(GA)]

I think you'll see a big difference once you introduce R and develop a scale. It's just a matter of learning the R curve and being ready to up the dose when you need to. You certainly won't reach the doses that you're using now. I think even Black Kitty topped out at 6 or 7 units of R -- max. But I could be misremembering. Apparently that's happening a lot these days

 

[suki & crystal (GA)]

I really hope so for Crystal's sake. But you have the best possible excuse for "misrembering" lately!

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Come on down Crystal - we are all tired of pink! I'm be watching to see how R works for her. It really does seem to help a lot of the higher dose kitties.

 

[suki & crystal (GA)]

You're right Wendy, we are tied of pink but to make matters worse, I've just found her with her head in the contraband food and looking very pleased with herself so I suppose her bedtime test will be even higher, thanks to DH forgetting to cover it up.

 

[Tiger(GA) and Ruth]

Shame on your DH for leaving the contraband food uncovered!!!! Suki, is it possible this has happened before? I remember reading about someone who had a cat who was regularly getting into the civie's dry food, when the Caregiver said it wasn't possible!

I am waiting anxiously for Crystal's trial with the R-insulin and wishing you luck with it!

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

Contraband can raise a kitty's BGs several hundred points, depending on how carb sensitive a cat is and how many carbs the contraband has. Ruth is thinking of Scooter, who was in a household of 13 kitties and Linda was pretty sure he wasn't getting any dry food. But when the dry food left the whole house, Scooter went from 5.5u to OTJ in one and a half very long days. His ss is here. His very long day when the dry food disappeared was Feb. 19th.

 

[Tiger(GA) and Ruth]

Ruth is thinking of Scooter, who was in a household of 13 kitties and Linda was pretty sure he wasn't getting any dry food. But when the dry food left the whole house, Scooter went from 5.5u to OTJ in one and a half very long days. His ss is here. His very long day when the dry food disappeared was Feb. 19th.

@julie & punkin (ga)

Thanks Julie, that is precisely who I was trying to remember!! It was an amazing transformation for Scooter!

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

Yes it was. Linda went through everything in the process - it took a dental and then the dry food to work the miracle. it was very amazing.

I don't think that dry food can account for all of Crystal's highs, though. We know she was diagnosed with acro - and it's likely that underlying everything. She may have some insulin resistance too - but we'll get it! Resistance is futile! LOL

 

[Tiger(GA) and Ruth]

Resistance is futile! LOL

@julie & punkin (ga) Goodness, you sound like someone else:

 

[Sandy and Black Kitty]

In the beginning it will be a one shot at a time process Suki.
The goal is to figure out how much R to use and when (in the cycle) to use it to best support the Lev so that Crystals BGs float down, eventually to safe numbers.
Along the way you will still be evaluating the Lev dose and increasing as needed until you reach a Lev dose that keeps Crystal in safe numbers - with only the occasional need for a shot of R.

Keep in mind that Crystals counter-regulatory systems will still have to be re-trained to once again recognize that a BG of 200 or 110 or 90 is not life threatening.
For some kitties this can't be rushed.

We will help you develop an R scale to use as a guide. Along the way it will evolve and just about the time you think you have it all figured out it will likely change.
As you gather the data on how Crystal responds you will gradually gain your 'sea legs' and learn to navigate
To 'go with the flow'.

@Suzanne & Cobb(GA) - no memory problem for you - max R for BK was 6.5u

Each kitty needs as much insulin as they need. ECID .
Black Kitty was and remains very very D - an enigma really.

 

[suki & crystal (GA)]

@Tiger and Ruth @julie & punkin (ga) @Sandy and Black Kitty
Morning ladies, thank you all for looking in last night and for your comments. Love the comment from Julie "Resistence is futile" and brilliant pic Ruth (so will DH as he's a Star Trek fan). As it was when I did Crystal's bedtime test at 1.0 pm she was lower at 318 so interestingly it didn't have any influence. The contraband was actually just wet food (Felix in jelly) that the 3 civvies eat - we have been a totally non dry house for months now, apart from dog biscuits, but I buy the ones that are too big for the cats to eat and they are strictly monitored as well. Perhaps she didn't get to scoff as much as I thought but at least it had no bad effect.

Talking of having no dry food, since we have stopped both Tiggy and Chloe have both lost weight. We used to just let them free graze on Purina kibble. Tiggy had an episode of urinary tract infection when she was passing a little blood in her pee. The first time this happened my previous vet gave her, yes you guessed, prescription dry for urinary problems and unfortunately I didn't know better then so she went for quite a few months on it. After reading Dr. Pierson's article on cat nutrition/UTI I dumped the prescription diet but still had kibble around for grazing. After Tiggy's second episode roundabout October last year (she was given AB and rehydration fluid) we went totally over to just wet food and the difference in Tiggy is amazing. We hadn't realised how quiet and withdrawn she had become but now she is back to her old self, busy and out a lot and generally so much perkier and happier. I got "that look" when I told the vet and soon changed vets anyway but even the new vet had a go at trying to push the prescription diabetic rubbish which was politely declined.

Sandy, thank you for clarifying the R procedure for me, I'm anxiously looking forward to giving it a trial and hope Crystal responds well, 2 days to go!