Jubalee (OTJ 5/14/15) PMBG 159=114/+3

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Kadie (Juba's Mom)

Kadie (Juba's Mom)

Member Since 2015
I posted earlier today, and I'm just needing to vent.

I'm having troubles dealing with Jubalee and her higher BG numbers. She has been in "remission" since May 14 of this year, however her numbers haven't always been where they "should" be.

About 8 days ago her numbers sky rocketed into the mid to late 200's. We went to the vet, did blood scans, etc. Couldn't find anything wrong with her except elevated lymphocytes. The vet didn't believe it to be pancreatitis. She wasn't constipated, no UTI, no teeth infections, nothing. So our vet advised us to monitor her, and if her numbers continued to climb, start her on insulin.

Well I started experimenting with her diet. I heard that beef can make kitties BG's climb, so I cut out the beef, and poultry, and started with seafood, salmon in particular. Fancy Feast is what I resorted to, since it seemed to have the most "salmon" types of meat, and no chicken or beef.

About 1.5 days of eating her salmon diet, and Juba's numbers were back to normal again. So I slowly introduced Fancy Feast Turkey and Giblets. Again, her numbers didn't change with Turkey. So then I introduced Fancy Feast Chicken into her diet. The first morning after the day of chicken Juba's AMBG was in the 190's. I didn't think too much of it because she dropped down into the 60's-70's about 4 hours later.

Yesterday we had some friends over for a short while. Juba (of course) ran and hid. She didn't come out for about 1 hour after they left. That's what she always does.

Now on to today:

We had to take our other kitty (Butters, our civie) into the vet to get some more answers on his feline asthma (I don't know what is it with us and special needs pets.) Well it looks like Butters needs to go back on steroids, and also needs to use an inhaler. Awesome, super, great.

I'm frustrated. I'm stressed. Every time I see Juba's BG's higher than normal, I get so anxious, and honestly, some days I just want all this to be over with. Ever since April of this year my life has turned completely upside down. I can't leave the house more than every few hours, in order to feed the cats (timed feeders do not work because Butters bullies Juba and won't let her eat.)

I'm just not sure how much longer ( I ) am going to be able to handle this. I am now dealing with health issues, and have just been a complete wreck. My husband just wants all this to be over, and to consider putting Juba to sleep if this doesn't turn around. He hates seeing me like this...sad, anxious, moody, not sleeping, etc.

I just can't get myself over the hill of considering putting Juba to sleep. She seems SO happy, and a completely different cat than before her diagnosis. She begs to go outside, she begs for food, and attention.

I don't want to give up on her, but I NEED to get my life back to somewhat normal. I can't mentally handle these higher BG numbers, and her scans completely normal. I've taken away the chicken, and introduced salmon (keeping the turkey) back into her diet.

Juba is going to have to get over with guests coming over. I like having physical people to talk to.

What should I do for my sanity? We have spent thousands of our savings on Jubalee. Because we love her. Because we hoped this would be a simple one time occurrence. Because her numbers kept dropping into the 40's with every dose decrease.

What am I doing wrong??
Advice and words of wisdom please. This was a long vent, and I apologize.
 
Are you using a timed feeder to spread out the food consumption?
Spreading the food thinly on a wide plate to slow her eating?
Freezing part of the meal to be eaten as it thaws?
Adding some water to increase the volume a bit so she won't feel as hungry?
 
Numbers in the 200's doesn't sound terrible to me. Look at Fred's SS! Sometimes I just want to stop the insulin, keep him on FF classics less than 5% carbs, and just keep testing him and see how it goes. Regulation can be so frustrating. I'm dealing with the first green numbers, tonight, at PMPS on TRP for 9 days. Vent away! But please don't put Juba down. You're his mama. :bighug:
 
BJM said:
Are you using a timed feeder to spread out the food consumption?
Spreading the food thinly on a wide plate to slow her eating?
Freezing part of the meal to be eaten as it thaws?
Adding some water to increase the volume a bit so she won't feel as hungry?
Click to expand...

We bought timed feeders, but our civie cat bullies Juba (the diabetic in remission) out of both feeders. And the feeders are in separate rooms.
I've been adding water to their wet feed to make it soupy, and they both have been urinating so much more, that we're going through a box of litter per week.
She usually gets half a Fancy Feast can 4 times/day and then a few teaspoons at night for her 5th meal. Our other kitty gets Friskies pate, and they are separated, and monitored while they both eat.
 
Not seeing anything to change.
Sometimes a diabetic remains on insulin for life. And is still a happy, loving, healthy cat.
 
I know what you mean about the frustration and the expense. I have a sugarbaby cat, a cat with hypothyroidism, a cat with athsma, laryngeal polyps and quite possibly squamous cell cancer in her larynx. And until last Tuesday, a 15 year old Pekignese dog with congestive heart failure and kidney failure, we had to put him down as he couldn't walk anymore. Plus, 2 of my cats HATE each other and have to kept separated. I'm terrified that my polyp kitty is going to die as her breathing is so terrible ( oh, did I mention she has a heart murmur?). But, I could never end one their lives to make mine easier. My family thinks I'm crazy, but when I look into my furbabies eyes, I just think to myself, it's wonderful and important to be wanted and needed.
 
Thank you everyone for the replies.
Tonight Juba's PMBG was 159 and at +3 she was 114. Chicken has been completely removed from her diet (since last night) and she even went outside for a bit (our backyard with a harness, supervised.)
She was hungry, so I gave her a small bite of her salmon.
For now she'll just be eating turkey/giblets and salmon. We're planning on keeping the salmon to a minimum though, as like a treat and on the weekends.
My worries have subsided tonight. We'll see how she is tomorrow morning.
I'll post with a new thread and attach this condo.
Thank you Juba for a good number tonight!
 
Oh Kadie, I'm so sorry things are difficult for you at the moment. :bighug:

It does look as though Juba's higher numbers might be a food allergy - maybe the chicken as re-introducing that seemed to affect them. And you know, if she has to go back on a drop of insulin, it's not the end of the world. She was on insulin such a short time that you barely had time to adjust to a new routine before she started throwing you low numbers to deal with - I'm sure that can't have helped at all. If she had to go back on a very low dose, it might even give you a chance to find a routine and relax with the whole thing a little more. Though I do think that as you identify and eliminate the foods she can't eat, she won't actually need that - her numbers look fine on the days when she's only had the seafood and turkey foods. And yes, you have to live too - if that means that sometimes she has to manage a few hours with only the food you've left out for her, then she will cope. Maybe try freezing some of the food to defrost during the day when you want to go somewhere so that they can't eat it all at once - and put plates in 2 different rooms so that Butters can't keep her away from both plates of food. Please don't give up on her when it looks as though you're so close to finding an answer to those higher numbers. :bighug:

ETA: Just saw your latest post after I'd hit "post reply". I'm so glad she's doing better today. :) Rosa loves going for walks on her harness too - I won't let her out on her own, but she insists on going out every day. It makes her happy and it the exercise does help to keep those numbers down a bit too! :)
 
manxcat419 said:
Oh Kadie, I'm so sorry things are difficult for you at the moment. :bighug:

It does look as though Juba's higher numbers might be a food allergy - maybe the chicken as re-introducing that seemed to affect them. And you know, if she has to go back on a drop of insulin, it's not the end of the world. She was on insulin such a short time that you barely had time to adjust to a new routine before she started throwing you low numbers to deal with - I'm sure that can't have helped at all. If she had to go back on a very low dose, it might even give you a chance to find a routine and relax with the whole thing a little more. Though I do think that as you identify and eliminate the foods she can't eat, she won't actually need that - her numbers look fine on the days when she's only had the seafood and turkey foods. And yes, you have to live too - if that means that sometimes she has to manage a few hours with only the food you've left out for her, then she will cope. Maybe try freezing some of the food to defrost during the day when you want to go somewhere so that they can't eat it all at once - and put plates in 2 different rooms so that Butters can't keep her away from both plates of food. Please don't give up on her when it looks as though you're so close to finding an answer to those higher numbers. :bighug:

ETA: Just saw your latest post after I'd hit "post reply". I'm so glad she's doing better today. :) Rosa loves going for walks on her harness too - I won't let her out on her own, but she insists on going out every day. It makes her happy and it the exercise does help to keep those numbers down a bit too! :)
Click to expand...

Thank you so much April!!!
I was honestly surprised to see that nice 114 at +3 after dinner.
Now I know chicken isn't something to feed her, and we are ok with that. She loves her turkey/giblets, and if she gets the occasional salmon, that won't be as bad as eating it every.
She really means so much to us!
I just get easily frustrated when I see those numbers creep higher, and she's acting perfectly fine.
If for whatever reason she needs to go back on insulin, you're right, it won't be the end of the world.
She is a little trooper!
And I'm wondering if the time outside helped with her numbers? It was after she ate, I believe, and she LOVES to go outside!
Here's hoping tomorrow will be nice numbers again!
 
The turkey and giblets is a favorite flavor here too - it's one of the few that all the cats will eat. :) Though I have to say most of the cats here love salmon too and I do let them have it sometimes - life's too short to deprive them of everything they enjoy, right?
It is very, very frustrating when things aren't going well but Juba's given you some great looking numbers again today - and she really barely went over the renal threshold at her highest point so she's likely to be feeling just fine. And that's at least as important as the number on a meter.

I'm convinced the time outside helps Rosa - I'm testing her later in the day now it's just once a week so unless it's raining she's been out for a bit before her test time. She has her breakfast, then she has a little rest (or a wander around the house depending on her mood) while I drink coffee and figure out what I'm doing with the day. Then I take her outside for a while. The exercise definitely helps, but I'm sure her being relaxed and happy to be outside (she just loves being outdoors) helps too. When it's something they love and it's doing them good too, some time outside is a fairly easy answer to making them happy and keeping their numbers a little lower. :)

Paws crossed for another great day for Juba tomorrow! :bighug:
 
That's true Chris - for people as well as cats. I think it only makes a 5-10 point difference to Rosa, but I've seen exercise alone take a couple of hundred points off my step-son's reading (though he's not as well regulated as most of the kitties here).
 
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