TiTi 's BG is 622 at 4:30pm

[Kathy and TiTi]

Yesterday it was 618, the day before 200. She shows no signs of Ketonic crisis, but is drinking lot of water and peeing like mad. What is happening? What ought I to do. When I took her blod just now, she was quite happy and purring, so it isn't stress. 4:30 pm is in the middle between her morning and evening doses (9:30am & 9:30pm).

She's never tested this high.

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

When you say she's showing no signs of Ketonic crisis, do you mean you are testing her urine? That's the only way to be sure there are no ketones.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

When you say she's showing no signs of Ketonic crisis, do you mean you are testing her urine? That's the only way to be sure there are no ketones.

I cannot check her urine. I am in a multi cat situation here. I was told that only the BG was critical.
I do have the strips but to catch her peeing when the other cats are not is close to impossible.
What I mean is she shows no outward physical symptoms of a ketonic crisis.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Just looking at TiTi's SS .........I think you need to do more testing of the BSL. Is there any reason why you are not testing preshot? Also if you do not test inbetween the cycles, you don't know how low the insulin has taken TiTi. And the dose is determined by the nadir...lowest point that the insulin takes the BSL.
Also wondering how you reached 13 units so quickly.
On 5/9 you were giving 8 units and on the 5/19 she was getting 13 units. Am I reading that correctly? Insulin needs to be increased by 0.25 units at a time.
Also I noticed you gave TiTi 6 extra units at +4 on 5/18. We would strongly advise not to do that.
Those black numbers could be from bouncing, or she could be getting too much insulin, or she could have an infection.
I agree with Tricia, you need to test for ketones. Can you isolate the other cats somewhere while you wait for a urine from TiTi?
It is hard when our kitties are not doing well

 

[Photorecon]

Small Kitty went into a KTA (not saying it's the case with your cat) I have been successful getting urine using this
technique :

If you know his/her timing it goes smoothly. Just a bit of massaging like in the video, with ketostrix ready, you can put a plastic bag
on top of the litter and digging a hole in the middle. He's gonna release, you and all you need is test.

Hope it's not that. *be careful on dose adjustement, setting to high or to low can trigger that kind of thing. Test all the time
to know what's going on in period of crisis.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

Just looking at TiTi's SS .........I think you need to do more testing of the BSL. Is there any reason why you are not testing preshot? Also if you do not test inbetween the cycles, you don't know how low the insulin has taken TiTi. And the dose is determined by the nadir...lowest point that the insulin takes the BSL.
Also wondering how you reached 13 units so quickly.
On 5/9 you were giving 8 units and on the 5/19 she was getting 13 units. Am I reading that correctly? Insulin needs to be increased by 0.25 units at a time.
Also I noticed you gave TiTi 6 extra units at +4 on 5/18. We would strongly advise not to do that.
Those black numbers could be from bouncing, or she could be getting too much insulin, or she could have an infection.
I agree with Tricia, you need to test for ketones. Can you isolate the other cats somewhere while you wait for a urine from TiTi?
It is hard when our kitties are not doing well

I cannot, but I cam isolate her for a while in the bathroom. SHe drnks so much water, peeing is pretty frequent. I know now I did a bad thing. Won't do it again.,
My vet - the does not understand about increases. I do now.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

Small Kitty went into a KTA (not saying it's the case with your cat) I have been successful getting urine using this
technique :

If you know his/her timing it goes smoothly. Just a bit of massaging like in the video, with ketostrix ready, you can put a plastic bag
on top of the litter and digging a hole in the middle. He's gonna release, you and all you need is test.

Hope it's not that. *be careful on dose adjustement, setting to high or to low can trigger that kind of thing. Test all the time
to know what's going on in period of crisis.

This I can do. Great method. But I am at work now. I work from home. Thank goodness in cases like this. ON my next break.

I cannot check her urine. I am in a multi cat situation here. I was told that only the BG was critical.
I do have the strips but to catch her peeing when the other cats are not is close to impossible.
What I mean is she shows no outward physical symptoms of a ketonic crisis.

No. I mean she is not staggering around or behaving in any way abnormally.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

Just looking at TiTi's SS .........I think you need to do more testing of the BSL. Is there any reason why you are not testing preshot? Also if you do not test inbetween the cycles, you don't know how low the insulin has taken TiTi. And the dose is determined by the nadir...lowest point that the insulin takes the BSL.
Also wondering how you reached 13 units so quickly.
On 5/9 you were giving 8 units and on the 5/19 she was getting 13 units. Am I reading that correctly? Insulin needs to be increased by 0.25 units at a time.
Also I noticed you gave TiTi 6 extra units at +4 on 5/18. We would strongly advise not to do that.
Those black numbers could be from bouncing, or she could be getting too much insulin, or she could have an infection.
I agree with Tricia, you need to test for ketones. Can you isolate the other cats somewhere while you wait for a urine from TiTi?
It is hard when our kitties are not doing well

Yes, I have very few stripsleft, and they are expensive. I will order more. I am using alphatrakII, and no as of now I cannot buy another nmeter etc.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

She is drinking so much because she has a high BSL
She needs to drink to stay hydrated.
She might be very hungry as well because her body is not processing all the food properly because of the high BSLs.
We all understand how hard it can be when things go wrong. Everyone here will support you and help you get TiTi back on track. Hang in there

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

Yes, I have very few stripsleft, and they are expensive. I will order more. I am using alphatrakII, and no as of now I cannot buy another nmeter etc.

I am just beginning the testing, and I still get a bit anxious. I have settled at doing it in midday, halfway between her shots.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

She is drinking so much because she has a high BSL
She needs to drink to stay hydrated.
She might be very hungry as well because her body is not processing all the food properly because of the high BSLs.
We all understand how hard it can be when things go wrong. Everyone here will support you and help you get TiTi back on track. Hang in there

Yes, that's what I figured. And yes, she is very hungry. She is just recovering from a very nasty inection. She was on antibiotics for 10 days. Only off them now for I think, 3 days today.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

Yes, that's what I figured. And yes, she is very hungry. She is just recovering from a very nasty infection. She was on antibiotics for 10 days. Only off them now for I think, 3 days today.

Would subq fluids help? Maybe give her more room in here stomach for food? Like chicken or another high pprotein?

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

A lot of times there are offers where if you buy a package of strips the meter is free. A package of strips for any human meter would be cheaper than a package of Alpha Trak strips. You said you were going to order some of those. Why not get the human strips and free meter with that money? You'll save money in the long run, too, when you buy more strips.

Testing before shooting is VERY important. You don't know if it's safe to shoot without doing so. You are very fortunate that you haven't had a symptomatic hypo, shooting such high doses blindly. The way Lantus works, you also need some mid-cycle test so you know how low the dose is taking the cat. That's what you base your dose on, not the preshot numbers.

Do I understand you to say that your vet told you to increase the dose the way you did?

 

[Dan & Alley]

If you'd like I can have Amazon Prime send you a Nova Max Plus meter along with 10 ketone strips. This way, you could get the ketones via an ear-prick instead of trying to get kitty to pee on demand. I believe the ketone number on a blood test where you should start worrying about DKA is 2.4 mmol/L. Message me if you'd like to go this route. No worries, you can pay it forward.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Would subq fluids help? Maybe give her more room in here stomach for food? Like chicken or another high pprotein?

Unless she is dehydrated I doubt the vet would do subq fluids.
If she is drinking she is probably maintaining her hydration. Are her gums tacky or wet and slippery?
Is she a good weight or has she lost weight..?
What was the infection?
Chicken or a red meat should be fine. I feed my cat raw kangaroo and cooked chicken every day in place of canned food.

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

BTW, can I ask you to please remove the 911 from your subject line? It's for emergencies only, and I think you've gotten the attention you were hoping for, so no need to give people heart attacks when they see it!!

 

[Photorecon]

If you guys are in the US and short of money, you can get you human diabetic supplies there :

http://www.diabetesexpress.ca/testing-supplies-c-36.html

It's in Canadian $ so you get 20% rebate on all you buy with the difference in currency value.

 

[Dan & Alley]

If you guys are in the US and short of money, you can get you human diabetic supplies there :

http://www.diabetesexpress.ca/testing-supplies-c-36.html

It's in Canadian $ so you get 20% rebate on all you buy with the difference in currency value.

I see that they have 10 mL Lantus vials for 70.23 CAD (53.56 USD at current exchange rate). Do you know if US prescriptions can be sent to Canadian pharmacies? This price is a couple hundred dollars lower than I can find in the US.

 

[Vyktors Mum]

I see that they have 10 mL Lantus vials for 70.23 CAD (53.56 USD at current exchange rate). Do you know if US prescriptions can be sent to Canadian pharmacies? This price is a couple hundred dollars lower than I can find in the US.

A lot of Americans order from Canada because of the big price difference. The place most use is called Markies, or something close to that (I think I'm mixing the name up with one of our kitties!) - @Chris & China will know

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

Small Kitty went into a KTA (not saying it's the case with your cat) I have been successful getting urine using this
technique :

If you know his/her timing it goes smoothly. Just a bit of massaging like in the video, with ketostrix ready, you can put a plastic bag
on top of the litter and digging a hole in the middle. He's gonna release, you and all you need is test.

Hope it's not that. *be careful on dose adjustement, setting to high or to low can trigger that kind of thing. Test all the time
to know what's going on in period of crisis.

well, best time is before her next shot right?

 

[Vyktors Mum]

Any time you can grab it is a good time.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

A lot of times there are offers where if you buy a package of strips the meter is free. A package of strips for any human meter would be cheaper than a package of Alpha Trak strips. You said you were going to order some of those. Why not get the human strips and free meter with that money? You'll save money in the long run, too, when you buy more strips.

Testing before shooting is VERY important. You don't know if it's safe to shoot without doing so. You are very fortunate that you haven't had a symptomatic hypo, shooting such high doses blindly. The way Lantus works, you also need some mid-cycle test so you know how low the dose is taking the cat. That's what you base your dose on, not the preshot numbers.

Do I understand you to say that your vet told you to increase the dose the way you did?

Yes. She has coverted to TiTi as high dose, but discounts the intervals. I now know a lot more than I did 498 hours ago. extra lantus is useless to help, but can mess TiTi up. my strips for urine testing are important., intervals are at .25 which means I need different syringes, and I am in trouble with my TiTi right now.

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

It's okay. You're here now and we'll do all we can to help you.

Unfortunately, most vets don't know much about feline diabetes, and even less about Lantus. They get only 5 hours of training on diabetes in vet school, and that covers both cats and dogs (which are very different). The people here have lived this 24/7 for ages. Some of us have/had more than one diabetic cat. We have one member who has five (she fosters them). There's nothing you're going through that someone here hasn't been through. Please let us help you.

 

[Photorecon]

It's okay. You're here now and we'll do all we can to help you.

Unfortunately, most vets don't know much about feline diabetes, and even less about Lantus. They get only 5 hours of training on diabetes in vet school, and that covers both cats and dogs (which are very different). The people here have lived this 24/7 for ages. Some of us have/had more than one diabetic cat. We have one member who has five (she fosters them). There's nothing you're going through that someone here hasn't been through. Please let us help you.

Called my vet this week and following his advises; Small Kitty ended into a near hypo situation, 1 month before, a KDA.
Buddies in the Lantus Forum bough him back to ''normal'' but you need to document everything.

Read about the start low go slow and know you kitty. Feeling is something Vets do not have.

 

[Marje and Gracie]

Called my vet this week and following his advises; Small Kitty ended into a near hypo situation, 1 month before, a KDA.
Buddies in the Lantus Forum bough him back to ''normal'' but you need to document everything.

Read about the start low go slow and know you kitty. Feeling is something Vets do not have.

I think you mean DKA instead of KDA or KTA although that might be the abbreviation for it in French in Quebec.

@Squiffer you can get syringes with 0.5u markings at Walmart or at American Diabetes Wholesale on line. I’ve heard the Care Point Vet syringes are really great. And just to be sure you saw Tricia’s post....the 911 is for emergencies...typically low numbers or very ill cats.

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

What's your name? Or do you want us to just call you "squiffer?"

Some of us are talking about Titi's dose. Now that you've got the numbers in the spreadsheet, it really helps to be able to see the big picture. Thanks, @Marje and Gracie for doing that!!! You're an angel!

Believe me, you are not the first person to arrive here not knowing anything about Feline Diabetes - most of us were in the same boat. We were using the wrong type of syringes with punkin and he was actually getting 2.5x as much insulin as we thought. It's not uncommon for vets to not understand how to dose with the depot insulins, Lantus and Levemir. So many people euthanize their cats when they are diagnosed that I doubt vets actually get much experience with it. Much of the dosing isn't very intuitive unless you understand how a depot insulin works. Don't worry one bit about anything that's happened in the past - there is no one judgmental here - people will just tell you what you need to know so you can help your sweet TiTi move forward. It's certainly not your fault that your vet didn't know how to guide TiTi's dosing. Fortunately, there is a wealth of experience here and people will help you.

I want to tell you a little about high numbers. Not all high numbers mean that a cat needs more insulin. That's the first counter-intuitive thing about diabetic cats. When a cat's body gets used to high blood sugar it begins to perceive that as the normal range. If they are always over 400, the body will begin to accept that as normal.

Then when something happens to move the cat lower than that range, say to 200, the body perceives that this is a hypo and will release stored sugars and counter-regulatory hormones to raise the cat's blood sugar back up high. We call that a "bounce." It's a survival mechanism that serves the cat well in many cases. In any case, this is one circumstance where high numbers don't require more insulin. The cat's body will usually clear out those excess hormones and sugars in 3 days or so. Then the blood sugar will drop back down. There is a little more explanation of bouncing in the second post here.

A second cause for high numbers is something we call "New Dose Wonkiness." That scientific term, lol, is used to explain what happens when a cat experiences high numbers after a dose increase. For whatever unknown reason, sometimes when a dose is increased, the cat's blood sugar will go high for a day or so. There is an explanation of that in the first post on the link I gave you in the paragraph above.

A third cause for a cat to have high blood sugar is if the cat is overdosed. There are times when the dose has been increased too quickly, or in too large of an increment, or when the increase is not needed, and the cat's blood sugar can go high in response.

Bless your heart for taking in so many cats. Thank you for your big heart!

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

I see that they have 10 mL Lantus vials for 70.23 CAD (53.56 USD at current exchange rate). Do you know if US prescriptions can be sent to Canadian pharmacies? This price is a couple hundred dollars lower than I can find in the US

All the information on the place most of us are buying our insulin is in this "Insulin from Canadian Pharmacies" Dan....Marks is GREAT and once you've submitted a prescription (and yes, US scripts are fine!) you never have to do it again. We've gotten ours 4 times and never had to submit another script after the first one.

It usually takes about a week from the time you send them the script until it arrives (sometimes sooner) and they will give you a tracking number so you can watch as it moves through the postal system

The 5 pack of pens is the best buy instead of the vials....You can use the pens until the expiration date on the box (usually at least 2 years) instead of having to throw away a bunch in a vial when it loses efficacy

 

[Marje and Gracie]

Thanks, @Marje and Gracie for doing that!!! You're an angel!

So I’ve been told However, I have also been told the converse.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

It's okay. You're here now and we'll do all we can to help you.

Unfortunately, most vets don't know much about feline diabetes, and even less about Lantus. They get only 5 hours of training on diabetes in vet school, and that covers both cats and dogs (which are very different). The people here have lived this 24/7 for ages. Some of us have/had more than one diabetic cat. We have one member who has five (she fosters them). There's nothing you're going through that someone here hasn't been through. Please let us help you.

Of course. I am letting you help me.

My vet freely admitted she doesn't know a great deal about diabetes, but she 's young and cannot stand to lose an animal, and she learns quickly. Just sometimes she gets jumpy about not knowing something, or missing something. Then she can get defensive. She is over worked as well, so I go carefully with her. She did think that going up a unit at a time, or down a unit at a time, with a day or two in between jumps is okay. I thought that as well. Now I don't.

TiTi's fructomasine test came back high, so she finally decided that yes, TiTi is a high dose kitty. I could have told her that. TiTi.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

All the information on the place most of us are buying our insulin is in this "Insulin from Canadian Pharmacies" Dan....Marks is GREAT and once you've submitted a prescription (and yes, US scripts are fine!) you never have to do it again. We've gotten ours 4 times and never had to submit another script after the first one.

It usually takes about a week from the time you send them the script until it arrives (sometimes sooner) and they will give you a tracking number so you can watch as it moves through the postal system

The 5 pack of pens is the best buy instead of the vials....You can use the pens until the expiration date on the box (usually at least 2 years) instead of having to throw away a bunch in a vial when it loses efficacy

I just bought a case of 5 pens from Alan Hammon(sp?)
They expire sometime in 2017. so I'll be fine with them.

My vet's boss, the owner of the practice,won't allow her to write scripts for Canada. I don't know exactly why. He says that they are, perhaps, illegally obtained, or tampered with, and therefore diluted or contaminated or whatever.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

What's your name? Or do you want us to just call you "squiffer?"

Some of us are talking about Titi's dose. Now that you've got the numbers in the spreadsheet, it really helps to be able to see the big picture. Thanks, @Marje and Gracie for doing that!!! You're an angel!

Believe me, you are not the first person to arrive here not knowing anything about Feline Diabetes - most of us were in the same boat. We were using the wrong type of syringes with punkin and he was actually getting 2.5x as much insulin as we thought. It's not uncommon for vets to not understand how to dose with the depot insulins, Lantus and Levemir. So many people euthanize their cats when they are diagnosed that I doubt vets actually get much experience with it. Much of the dosing isn't very intuitive unless you understand how a depot insulin works. Don't worry one bit about anything that's happened in the past - there is no one judgmental here - people will just tell you what you need to know so you can help your sweet TiTi move forward. It's certainly not your fault that your vet didn't know how to guide TiTi's dosing. Fortunately, there is a wealth of experience here and people will help you.

I want to tell you a little about high numbers. Not all high numbers mean that a cat needs more insulin. That's the first counter-intuitive thing about diabetic cats. When a cat's body gets used to high blood sugar it begins to perceive that as the normal range. If they are always over 400, the body will begin to accept that as normal.

Then when something happens to move the cat lower than that range, say to 200, the body perceives that this is a hypo and will release stored sugars and counter-regulatory hormones to raise the cat's blood sugar back up high. We call that a "bounce." It's a survival mechanism that serves the cat well in many cases. In any case, this is one circumstance where high numbers don't require more insulin. The cat's body will usually clear out those excess hormones and sugars in 3 days or so. Then the blood sugar will drop back down. There is a little more explanation of bouncing in the second post here.

A second cause for high numbers is something we call "New Dose Wonkiness." That scientific term, lol, is used to explain what happens when a cat experiences high numbers after a dose increase. For whatever unknown reason, sometimes when a dose is increased, the cat's blood sugar will go high for a day or so. There is an explanation of that in the first post on the link I gave you in the paragraph above.

A third cause for a cat to have high blood sugar is if the cat is overdosed. There are times when the dose has been increased too quickly, or in too large of an increment, or when the increase is not needed, and the cat's blood sugar can go high in response.

Bless your heart for taking in so many cats. Thank you for your big heart!

That explains a lot! Thank you.

I had read something by a Cornell cat doctor about the cat adjusting to too high a dose of insulin, and then treating it as normal. He also said that in his research, he found that such a cat may start to require or seem to require ever higher doses, thus the caretaker inadvertently increases the insulin dose more and more. I wondered about that.

TTiTi's numbers were complicated by an extremely nasty infection in her left maxilla. She was treated for 10 days, and I hope the infection is not re-instating itself. I'm going now to print out and read the rest of your recommendation.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

That explains a lot! Thank you.

I had read something by a Cornell cat doctor about the cat adjusting to too high a dose of insulin, and then treating it as normal. He also said that in his research, he found that such a cat may start to require or seem to require ever higher doses, thus the caretaker inadvertently increases the insulin dose more and more. I wondered about that.

TTiTi's numbers were complicated by an extremely nasty infection in her left maxilla. She was treated for 10 days, and I hope the infection is not re-instating itself. I'm going now to print out and read the rest of your recommendation.

Kathy is my name. lol.. Call me Kathy, it's shorter, easier.

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

My vet's boss, the owner of the practice,won't allow her to write scripts for Canada. I don't know exactly why. He says that they are, perhaps, illegally obtained, or tampered with, and therefore diluted or contaminated or whatever.

That's a real shame. I know the pharmacy manager at Marks has talked to several vets in the US to explain to them that their Lantus is the exact same stuff we get here. The problem is that there are all those Canadian "website" pharmacies that DO have horrible reputations ...and they sourced a lot of their medications in other countries too. Doesn't make you feel real confident to have your insulin arrive with Turkish writing on it!!

When I found Marks, one of the things that eased my mind was that they are a REAL pharmacy and connected to a real doctors office. I had a friend who lived in Vancouver and knew of them. Then I spent about 2 hours talking to Jordan (the pharmacy manager) before I felt comfortable ordering from them. He'll answer questions all day long if he needs to!

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

I think you mean DKA instead of KDA or KTA although that might be the abbreviation for it in French in Quebec.

@Squiffer you can get syringes with 0.5u markings at Walmart or at American Diabetes Wholesale on line. I’ve heard the Care Point Vet syringes are really great. And just to be sure you saw Tricia’s post....the 911 is for emergencies...typically low numbers or very ill cats.

Sorry, until I heard from y'all, I thought TiTi was in big trouble. Thanks for the info about the syringes.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

It's okay. You're here now and we'll do all we can to help you.

Unfortunately, most vets don't know much about feline diabetes, and even less about Lantus. They get only 5 hours of training on diabetes in vet school, and that covers both cats and dogs (which are very different). The people here have lived this 24/7 for ages. Some of us have/had more than one diabetic cat. We have one member who has five (she fosters them). There's nothing you're going through that someone here hasn't been through. Please let us help you.

Dunno if anyone is awake. How do I remove the 911 emergency red from this thread?

And just to be clear. I only tagged it as such, because the value was in the black of the SS, and since I know very little, I feared I was missing something that could kill her .

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

That's a real shame. I know the pharmacy manager at Marks has talked to several vets in the US to explain to them that their Lantus is the exact same stuff we get here. The problem is that there are all those Canadian "website" pharmacies that DO have horrible reputations ...and they sourced a lot of their medications in other countries too. Doesn't make you feel real confident to have your insulin arrive with Turkish writing on it!!

When I found Marks, one of the things that eased my mind was that they are a REAL pharmacy and connected to a real doctors office. I had a friend who lived in Vancouver and knew of them. Then I spent about 2 hours talking to Jordan (the pharmacy manager) before I felt comfortable ordering from them. He'll answer questions all day long if he needs to!

Thank you. I'll give all this info' to me vet. I think that might do it.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Hi, it looks like you have managed to remove the 911 from the post. Just so you know next time, go to the top of the page on the right and you will see edit thread. Press that and you will be able to change the title or add to it or take off the 911.
It was fine to put the 911 if you were very worried for your cat. The reason someone mentioned to remove it now was because there were people helping you and once the problem gets sorted they ask us to remove the 911. Plenty of people are asked to take it down later, so don't feel bad

Another option is to put the ? Option in. That will alert people too.

 

[Marje and Gracie]

Dunno if anyone is awake. How do I remove the 911 emergency red from this thread?

And just to be clear. I only tagged it as such, because the value was in the black of the SS, and since I know very little, I feared I was missing something that could kill her .

You got it!! There is usually always someone around as our members span the globe. There ar several of us on Pacific time and a couple (not me ) are night owls. The east coast people are often coming on as the west coast people are hitting the sack and then we have our members in Europe, Australia, etc. who are also around.

Hyperglycemia is scary and if it is prolonged, can be of very serious concern but if she seems to be feeling well and is eating, purring, peeing, pooping, playing, and preening, she's probably ok.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

Unless she is dehydrated I doubt the vet would do subq fluids.
If she is drinking she is probably maintaining her hydration. Are her gums tacky or wet and slippery?
Is she a good weight or has she lost weight..?

The infection was in her left maxilla. Showedup on the xray. None of the corresponding teeth appeared abscessed, but she was drooling. The left side of her face was so swollen that her eye was squinted. she had 10 days on clindamycin (I think). It works on aerobic and anaerobic infections.
She's well hydrated,an back to a good weight: 12 pounds.
I can cook chicken for her. I have a heap for my allergic/IBD kitty

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

TiTi's fructomasine test came back high, so she finally decided that yes, TiTi is a high dose kitty. I could have told her that.

A high fructosamine doesn't necessarily mean that TiTi is a high dose kitty! The fructosamine only gives you an average of where the blood glucose has been over the past 2-3 weeks....It can't tell you if she's been going from 400 to 40 and "bouncing" back to 400 by the next shot time! (we've seen it before here!) When you average the numbers, you don't know how low they're going on any particular dose.

There are two "high dose" conditions that can be tested for...One is acromegaly and the other is IAA (Insulin resistance) and the only place in the US that does that specific testing is Michigan State University. Your vet has to draw the blood and send it to MSU for the testing

Lots more information in the "Acromegaly and Other high dose conditions--what we know" thread

Acromegaly was once thought to be pretty rare, but new information says it can be as common as 1 in 4 cats.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

A high fructosamine doesn't necessarily mean that TiTi is a high dose kitty! The fructosamine only gives you an average of where the blood glucose has been over the past 2-3 weeks....It can't tell you if she's been going from 400 to 40 and "bouncing" back to 400 by the next shot time! (we've seen it before here!) When you average the numbers, you don't know how low they're going on any particular dose.

There are two "high dose" conditions that can be tested for...One is acromegaly and the other is IAA (Insulin resistance) and the only place in the US that does that specific testing is Michigan State University. Your vet has to draw the blood and send it to MSU for the testing

Lots more information in the "Acromegaly and Other high dose conditions--what we know" thread

Acromegaly was once thought to be pretty rare, but new information says it can be as common as 1 in 4 cats.

Oh hell. I paid 150 for that danged test. My vet thinks it tells us that TiTi is insulin resistant. So it's useless? And like I am going to find another couple hundred times two by asking Santa Claus? Dang this is a mess. I have my money reserved to pay her off for that last visit, which included the fructomasine test. That was a cool 500. Not to sound mean, but no wonder so many other owners give up right at the beginning. They look at at the cost of insulin, testing equipment, time involved, constant vet visits, specialized testing, and who can afford it? I can't. The cost of kitty litter for my 16 cats has doubled since TiTi got diabetes. That may not sound like much, but it's another hundred a month. And I love that furry little, black beastie. If it were not for that... Sorry i went on a rant. i just feel over whelmed. In the last 6 months , TiTi had 3 crisis. 500 for each one. And she's not getting any better. If I can stabilize her, I save 100/month just on kitty litter. That would be heavenly.

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

So it's useless?

It's not totally useless...it can tell you how well your cat is regulated, but by home testing, you'll never have to do another fructosamine because you'll have the numbers right in front of you and KNOW what's going on!

I was really lucky....when China was first diagnosed, I spent that night searching the internet and found this place! If it weren't for the people here, I don't know where we'd be, but I know China wouldn't be as well regulated as she is (and I seriously doubt if she'd even still be here)

She was an awfully sick kitty when first diagnosed, but within 4 months, she was back to the healthy looking kitty I know and love!! (Look at China's Profile and you'll see the difference between when she was diagnosed and 4 months later!)

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

Since you say your vet is open to learning, you might suggest she come to this website and read some of the stickies about how Lantus works, and the TR protocol (or you could print that out for her), etc. Once you start getting more control of TiTi's numbers, you can show her the spreadsheet, too.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

It's not totally useless...it can tell you how well your cat is regulated, but by home testing, you'll never have to do another fructosamine because you'll have the numbers right in front of you and KNOW what's going on!

I was really lucky....when China was first diagnosed, I spent that night searching the internet and found this place! If it weren't for the people here, I don't know where we'd be, but I know China wouldn't be as well regulated as she is (and I seriously doubt if she'd even still be here)

She was an awfully sick kitty when first diagnosed, but within 4 months, she was back to the healthy looking kitty I know and love!! (Look at China's Profile and you'll see the difference between when she was diagnosed and 4 months later!)

Gee, yea. That is impressive. I would love for TiTi to have her pretty black coat again, and not all that water weight hanging off of her.

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

Cinco's numbers were off the chart when he was diagnosed. He had DKA and the vet told us to euthanize him more than once. Then we found FDMB and realized he was overdosed. We followed the suggestions here and he was OTJ (Off the Juice) in less than three months! So there is hope.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

Since you say your vet is open to learning, you might suggest she come to this website and read some of the stickies about how Lantus works, and the TR protocol (or you could print that out for her), etc. Once you start getting more control of TiTi's numbers, you can show her the spreadsheet, too.

She was kinda' stunned to hear I was doing a spread sheet that you guys supplied. She has just had her first baby, a boy, only 6 months old; recently a horse fell on her and broke her leg; and since she is really good and cares a lot, she is way overworked with loyal patients. But I think she will read what I can print out for her, along with the proper credits from the various scientists and researchers that I have just read.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

Cinco's numbers were off the chart when he was diagnosed. He had DKA and the vet told us to euthanize him more than once. Then we found FDMB and realized he was overdosed. We followed the suggestions here and he was OTJ (Off the Juice) in less than three months! So there is hope.

Good to hear. It's been 2 years and 3 months since her diagnosis, and from what I'm learning here, my vet and I have made quite a few mistakes. I think TiTi must be a very strong kitty to make it through all this. The BG numbers are scary. And I need to to get her back in Monday to check out her teeth on the upper left side. If that is the problem, we need to fix it. Pull the danged tooth, fill it whatever.

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

Here is a link to the actual paper published by Roomp and Rand on the TR protocol. She might like to read that.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

Cinco's numbers were off the chart when he was diagnosed. He had DKA and the vet told us to euthanize him more than once. Then we found FDMB and realized he was overdosed. We followed the suggestions here and he was OTJ (Off the Juice) in less than three months! So there is hope.

My vet, thank goodness, fights for her patients to the last second. I rescued a kitty from dogs trying to eat her. Made an emergency Sunday trip to my vet. By Monday the kitty developed septicemia in her guts.The lead vet said it was hopeless. I asked him for some time to think about it. 1 hour later, I got a phone call from a new vet in the office. She said, "I think I can save your cat. I want to operate, and remove the infected intestines. " I said absolutely do it. She did, and that is how I acquired Layla, a dilute tortie, sweet as the day is long. She only has 3 legs, yet her former owner, my neighbor, stuck her outside for a 5 day holiday with no food, no water and no shelter. When my neighbor came calling for her cat, I said, "well, you do need to reimburse me 1700 bucks"She turned kind of green in the sunlight, and never did answer me coherently. Just mumbled as she breathed in quickly and left.

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

what a terrible story! fortunately with a happy ending.