Rusty/Jen & Ernie
Member Since 2015
Ernie & myself, his humble servant, chef, medic, & chauffeur went to the vet again yesterday (the new vet, that we actually have faith in!) (I do have a question at the bottom BTW. Figured I would point it out since this post ended up being so long winded! SORRY)
And she 1st took his chart & looked over it & then we reviewed it together. She made note of the changes from free feeding, to meal based. Then Ernie climbed out of his carrier to say hello, so she got down & petted him while looking him over. He was his old charming flirt, talking & rubbing, etc. So, at that point, she left him alone & we went back to discussing how things have been.
She suggested possibly buying an automatic feeder, which I told her I had 2 ordered already that feed 5 meals per day (Hooray, the Petsafe 5 units arrived today as well & Ernie is eating out of one of them as I type!) She also mentioned a scale, so we could start to track his weight to make sure we keep him from bulking up, but also notice any drops in weight. (She was shocked when I said it was ordered already!)
So, at this point, she suggested that we stay the course. His clinical signs are perfect for his age, his numbers over the last 13 days, at various points through the feeding cycles are averaging around 140 (especially after discontinuing the free feeding.) And his bathroom habits are normal as well. She doesn't feel that insulin is needed right now. His highest point over those 13 days was a 233, which I believe I may have given him too large of a frozen puck & helped to inflate that number. (The next morning was right back down to 121)
She instead wants to focus on further portion controlling his food via the automatic feeders & then see how his numbers respond. (I am hoping his sisters will adapt to them as well & figure out ways to eat their fair share. I will try staggering the times in hopes of him being committed to another feeder when the next one rotates!) She just does not feel insulin is warranted when his numbers are consistently hovering around the 150 mark.
She did tell me if time tells us that maybe insulin is needed, she would explore the possibilities of using Lantus instead, maybe in micro doses. And she also gave me kudos for the home testing regiment, the dedication to fully caring for him, & told me "really you don't need me unless something changes. He seems to be in good hands at home & is responding, so why stress him out with a vet visit if we don't need to!"
It was refreshing to hear the genuine excitement from her, when we hear so many other stories that are the exact opposite & we have had that experience as well in our own Sugar Symphony!
My question, if you are still with me, is "should I be satisfied with having him loosely regulated at a steady 115-160 range, or push for a little tighter regulation aiming for 80-120?
And she 1st took his chart & looked over it & then we reviewed it together. She made note of the changes from free feeding, to meal based. Then Ernie climbed out of his carrier to say hello, so she got down & petted him while looking him over. He was his old charming flirt, talking & rubbing, etc. So, at that point, she left him alone & we went back to discussing how things have been.
She suggested possibly buying an automatic feeder, which I told her I had 2 ordered already that feed 5 meals per day (Hooray, the Petsafe 5 units arrived today as well & Ernie is eating out of one of them as I type!) She also mentioned a scale, so we could start to track his weight to make sure we keep him from bulking up, but also notice any drops in weight. (She was shocked when I said it was ordered already!)
So, at this point, she suggested that we stay the course. His clinical signs are perfect for his age, his numbers over the last 13 days, at various points through the feeding cycles are averaging around 140 (especially after discontinuing the free feeding.) And his bathroom habits are normal as well. She doesn't feel that insulin is needed right now. His highest point over those 13 days was a 233, which I believe I may have given him too large of a frozen puck & helped to inflate that number. (The next morning was right back down to 121)
She instead wants to focus on further portion controlling his food via the automatic feeders & then see how his numbers respond. (I am hoping his sisters will adapt to them as well & figure out ways to eat their fair share. I will try staggering the times in hopes of him being committed to another feeder when the next one rotates!) She just does not feel insulin is warranted when his numbers are consistently hovering around the 150 mark.
She did tell me if time tells us that maybe insulin is needed, she would explore the possibilities of using Lantus instead, maybe in micro doses. And she also gave me kudos for the home testing regiment, the dedication to fully caring for him, & told me "really you don't need me unless something changes. He seems to be in good hands at home & is responding, so why stress him out with a vet visit if we don't need to!"
It was refreshing to hear the genuine excitement from her, when we hear so many other stories that are the exact opposite & we have had that experience as well in our own Sugar Symphony!
My question, if you are still with me, is "should I be satisfied with having him loosely regulated at a steady 115-160 range, or push for a little tighter regulation aiming for 80-120?
