Java, elder cat

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Hairball Control Treats: Protein 29 + 19 fat +6.5 fiber+ 11 moisture = 34.23% - 38.76% dry matter carb content. I made a calculator in my signature too, should do the math for you if I'm not around :)
 
Do you still have your horse? What kind?
I had riding lessons as a kid, it's an area where foxhunting and steeplechasing was/is a thing, and then I was given a horse, my dad built a little barn, a neighbor gave me all his horse equipment and access to his 16 acres of blue grass planted pasture. I was never the best rider, but I really loved taking care of a horse. She was a sweetheart. Brown bay, 16 hands, thoroughbred, was 16 yrs old when I got her. In her youth she had been Grand Reserve Champion at the National. Quite a Comedown to end up with me!
 
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Yong said:
Hairball Control Treats: Protein 29 + 19 fat +6.5 fiber+ 11 moisture = 34.23% - 38.76% dry matter carb content. I made a calculator in my signature too, should do the math for you if I'm not around :)
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That makes much more sense, thank you very much. Did not make sense that it was 138% carb!

I just found the food chart by dr. Lisa Pierson, and the thread in this website on community and off-topic stuff. Which is probably where all of my Yakety Yak this morning should be. That's as far as I got.
Edit, yowzah, that is an amazing and fabulous chart.
 
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Oh heck, oh heck, while I'm being Chatty Cathy, I don't understand what is going on with Java or what to do.
+5, left ear 655, right ear 648
New box of AT test strips, range test done on one strip before testing Java, was in range.
I would swear it was not a fur shot, although this makes me wonder.
Do I do something?
 
I caught it in a handy clean plastic from the recycle container and it did get some cat litter in it. I tested it three times and the ketones were negative every time. although the BG test was all over the place but very high. I'd done a blood glucose test recently enough that I figured the cat litter was messing with the G test on the strip
 
Okay here's what I've done. He drank a lot of water. I collected a completely clean pee sample. I used two test strips. Both were 100% negative for ketones. Both showed glucose in the 500 range.

My new Henry Schein test strips came in. I ran a control on one strip, it reported in range. I also did the same with my AT strips just a couple of tests ago.

I ran a BG test using both meters. It was a huge fat drop of blood. The AT meter was 619. The HS meter was 558.

His eyes are clear, he made his way back to his usual pillow from the litter box while I was doing the Ketone test, he's cleaning himself a little, and is ready to settle down with Lily for a nap.

One usually does not introduce any extra insulin in the middle of a cycle. I was wondering if that is something I should do, but I will not.

I have to leave for an event, someone is counting on me for a ride I will be gone for about 2 hours. My conclusion is that while his blood glucose is ridiculously high, and while I feel absolutely terrible for being chatty and not checking sooner, that I simply have to wait it out and that he does not seem to be in any imminent danger.
 
Lois and Java said:
Oh heck, oh heck, while I'm being Chatty Cathy, I don't understand what is going on with Java or what to do.
+5, left ear 655, right ear 648
New box of AT test strips, range test done on one strip before testing Java, was in range.
I would swear it was not a fur shot, although this makes me wonder.
Do I do something?
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Those two numbers are essentially the same. Sort of looks like you had a fur shot. Time today will tell.
 
Lois and Java said:
I caught it in a handy clean plastic from the recycle container and it did get some cat litter in it. I tested it three times and the ketones were negative every time. although the BG test was all over the place but very high. I'd done a blood glucose test recently enough that I figured the cat litter was messing with the G test on the strip
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I only pay attention to the ketone part of the dual function test strips. The meter testing is much better for BG.
 
Lois and Java said:
Do you still have your horse? What kind?
I had riding lessons as a kid, it's an area where foxhunting and steeplechasing was/is a thing, and then I was given a horse, my dad built a little barn, a neighbor gave me all his horse equipment and access to his 16 acres of blue grass planted pasture. I was never the best rider, but I really loved taking care of a horse. She was a sweetheart. Brown bay, 16 hands, thoroughbred, was 16 yrs old when I got her. In her youth she had been Grand Reserve Champion at the National. Quite a Comedown to end up with me!
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I've been riding over 30 years and this is my second horse. I'm not much of an athlete but love it anyway. Where I am now we have 240+ acres of grass and wooded trails to ride on. Fantastic! My current horse is an American Quarter Horse that I ride in English tack.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Those two numbers are essentially the same. Sort of looks like you had a fur shot. Time today will tell.
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I'm on my way home. I pulled over to type this question. would I give him any more insulin tonight because of the high today? I think probably not not but I'd love to hear from others.

I know, it does seem like a fur shot. It had to have been. What's funny is that I was super aware of this shot, I can recall it completely, and I remember thinking congratulations that was not a fur shot. I'm going to experiment with an old needle when I get home. Maybe I somehow ejected the insulin while I was walking around with a needle? The ones with the half markings are not as stiff as the 1 U 40 s.
 
When you say give more insulin...do you mean give extra in the middle of the cycle? I wouldn't...looks like it's going to be a high cycle, but you just have to ride it out and give insulin at normal time.
 
We've all done it. One time I shot clear through this skin - in one side, out the other. I knew I had shot him, so I could not figure out at first how there was that tiny wet spot on his fur. So frustrating!

Don't worry, Java will get back on track. :bighug:
 
Rachel said:
When you say give more insulin...do you mean give extra in the middle of the cycle? I wouldn't...looks like it's going to be a high cycle, but you just have to ride it out and give insulin at normal time.
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I meant at than usual PM shot time tonight. Here's a related question comma we had daylight savings change last night, so what was 6 p.m. last night is 7 p.m. today. I'm wondering if I can give him insulin an hour early.... Which is actually two hours early because of the time change... Or is that just a bad idea, wait longer. His BG is 639 right now.
 
Yong said:
I would just treat it as a fur shot and stay on schedule for his PM cycle :)
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He normally gets his test at 8 my time and his shot 15 to 30 minutes later after he's eaten some FF. It's now 7 o'clock my time, except it's really 6 o'clock because of the time change. If PZI is flexible enough that I could give him a shot an hour earlier or an hour later than his usual time if I have to..... What about doing it now which is two hours early. Does that make sense? It's so dang high.
 
Djamila said:
We've all done it. One time I shot clear through this skin - in one side, out the other. I knew I had shot him, so I could not figure out at first how there was that tiny wet spot on his fur. So frustrating!

Don't worry, Java will get back on track. :bighug:
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Thanks. It had to have been that the insulin got ejected before I got to his skin. There was no wet spot.
 
Lois and Java said:
He normally gets his test at 8 my time and his shot 15 to 30 minutes later after he's eaten some FF. It's now 7 o'clock my time, except it's really 6 o'clock because of the time change. If PZI is flexible enough that I could give him a shot an hour earlier or an hour later than his usual time if I have to..... What about doing it now which is two hours early. Does that make sense? It's so dang high.
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Two hours early is too much if you're not certain it was a fur shot. One hour early is doable.
 
Hey, I have another question, if anybody's up (StephG?)
He just came looking at +2, good timing. His BG is 393. I did not offer him FF, instead I gave him some chicken. He had about 1/5-1/6 can of FF before his shot.
Giving him FF should slow down the drop rate, because FF has carbs? Slowing the drop rate is a good thing?
He has YA free feed.
 
Lois and Java said:
Hey, I have another question, if anybody's up (StephG?)
He just came looking at +2, good timing. His BG is 393. I did not offer him FF, instead I gave him some chicken. He had about 1/5-1/6 can of FF before his shot.
Giving him FF should slow down the drop rate, because FF has carbs? Slowing the drop rate is a good thing?
He has YA free feed.
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Yes FF can slow down his drop. I would hold off on steering with food until you see +3 or +4. He has plenty of room to drop.
 
Yes if he's dropping too low at +3 or +4.
Looking at your SS... I would steer with a little bit of food if he's under 200 at +3 if you need to get to bed. Or you can test again at +3.5 to see how quick he's dropping. If you can monitor you can just wait to see where his numbers are going.
 
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It's hard to tell. When he's that high for preshot the insulin is taking care of the high numbers to start with then the increase from food (if any).
Morning of 3/11 makes me think he might be ok without steering with food. If he usually gets snacks you can just stick with those if you feel comfortable.
 
StephG said:
Yes if he's dropping too low at +3 or +4.
Looking at your SS... I would steer with a little bit of food if he's under 200 at +3 if you need to get to bed. Or you can test again at +3.5 to see how quick he's dropping. If you can monitor you can just wait to see where his numbers are going.
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Thanks very much. The rate of drop, -60, -200, now -120. I'll be up for one more test.
 
He came looking for food again exactly an hour after last time. BG is 212. So the rate has slowed, and he would really like some Fancy Feast.
I'm going to see if I can divert him with YA. It doesn't look like he would go hypo. I don't know or maybe let him eat a little bit of FF?
 
That's up to you if you want to give him FF or YA. I don't think he will go hypo. If he eats FF he might not drop any more for the night and possibly surf where he's at.
 
He wanted fresh water. I let him eat a little bit of FF slurry.

Can anything stop a bounce? The highs today is going to cause bouncing, right?
 
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StephG said:
Chuck probably would bounce from the somewhat quick and big drop from 600s to 200s.
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Yeah. I'll probably see that.

Observations one day after the Gabapentin. He's still very tottery on his hind legs, but he seems comfortable and able to get into a position where he's relaxed. And he's himself. So out of it yesterday.

I hope the zobaline works and works fast.

I just heard about a cat that was dropped off at a local shelter with a note saying 12 years old, diabetic, please euthanize. We have night drops at our Humane Society. I can't imagine doing that, yet am glad that person was responsible enough for that instead of dumping the cat outside somewhere.
I read somewhere in this website a memorial to a beloved cat who had been found on Mount Diablo and then moved across the country to the East Coast. Less than a year before he died, a co-worker told me he had once taken a kitten that he didn't want and had dumped it somewhere in Contra Costa County, which is where Mount Diablo is. I was horrified by this. I wonder if it was the same cat.
Turning off the screens. thank you so much for your responsiveness, I really appreciate it a lot.
 
Chuck was dumped near our house as a 4 month old kitten. Someone put cat food on our porch and I thought what the heck? I brushed it off and forgot about it. Few days later we had a starving chuck crying on our porch. Opened the door and he walked right in like he owned the place! He's ruled the house ever since. :cat:
You're welcome. I enjoy helping when I can!
 
StephG said:
Chuck was dumped near our house as a 4 month old kitten. Someone put cat food on our porch and I thought what the heck? I brushed it off and forgot about it. Few days later we had a starving chuck crying on our porch. Opened the door and he walked right in like he owned the place! He's ruled the house ever since. :cat:
You're welcome. I enjoy helping when I can!
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Got an email from a friend offering to help with Java so I'm still up.
Both my cat are from Oakland Chinatown, the exact same driveway of an empty house, 15 years apart. I'm retired, our building was on the edge of Chinatown. My coworker noticed Java eating leftover Chinese food from a paper plate (turned out to be a regular neighborhood thing) from the residents. She started bringing cat food for Java. One day he was looking the other way when she was on her way home so she grabbed him and put him in the trunk of her car and took him home, and to the vet. He was filthy, covered with fleas, and had all kinds of intestinal problems. I got him on Thanksgiving weekend. He was about four months old too, and also walked in like he owned the place. It's one of my favorite things about him. He is extremely confident that he is the center of the world around him, and gosh darn it, it works out that it is.
I credit his longevity to his fondness for drinking lots of water his entire life, and getting regular teeth cleanings, and getting several fluoride treatments from my people-fluoride from my dentist.
 
Hi Lois,
I'm glad Steph is up when you're on. She's a master of steering/dosing. :) If you think the gabapentin was helpful maybe try a really tiny dose next time?
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Hi Lois,
I'm glad Steph is up when you're on. She's a master of steering/dosing. :) If you think the gabapentin was helpful maybe try a really tiny dose next time?
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Me, too.
Yes, I think I need something for the times when he looks like he's so uncomfortable.
Dang, it went up again, even though it's predicted.
 
Thinking Out Loud here, comments welcome. He does seem a lot more comfortable walking around after the Gabapentin. He's still very neuropathy ish, he isn't down on his hocks but he's not fully up on his toes either. Given its sedating effects, maybe only give it at night?

Edit to add, could adding a split up pill pocket (that worked for Zobaline this AM) affect BG a lot? Last few days he had split up pill pocket and decoy fiber treats.
 
I know pill pockets are pretty high in carbs, but I don't think a half of one would make a huge spike. But some cats are really reactive to even a small amount of carbs.

Personally, if the gabapentin is helping him be more comfortable I'd keep using it and deal with the increased insulin need. Java isn't on a really high dose of insulin, so it's not like you have to worry about that right now. His higher numbers also could just be a general fluctuation, too.

Sorry, I guess that's not really all that helpful :p Since they can't talk it's harder to know exactly how best to help out kitties sometimes...
 
I know there's a way to see who is on, because I've run across it, but I never remember how to find it.

I have a dosing question. I was gone a lot this afternoon so I took up the Fancy Feast bowls and just left down the YA. I got home so close to the 2 hr food up That I did not feed Java FF. He had some this morning and that was it.

He just had some, after his PMPS, which is 270. That seems way too low to give him 1.25 units. so I now..... Hold and retest in 20 minutes?
 
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I would stall 20 minutes and see if he goes up.
To find online members, Go to "forums" and either at the top/side or on the bottom it will show "members online"
 
Hi Lois,
Go to the first page where all the forums are listed and look in the upper right corner under your name and avatar. You'll find the names of people who are online. However, if they, like me, stay signed in all the time they'll show there but might not be at their computer.
His 270 is not low enough to warrant a stall but you could reduce the dose to 1 u because you have no experience shooting at this low a PS. It's a good PS though.

ETA: Steph and I disagree about the stalling. Your call.
 
Aha! I think it's on the side on the laptop and on the phone I have to scroll all the way down to the bottom. I hope Kris and teasel see this.
 
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