Help For Molly # 5

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I'm sorry Adrienne. Looks like neither Kris or I were on last night. I'd stick with the 0.75u dose unless you get a low pre-shot. I see you gave that dose last night which is exactly what we would have suggested.
AMPS this morning is fine and I'd go with the 0.75u today too. :)
 
Finally eh! Was wondering about when we go camping. We’ll have to take her With is. Will it stress her out? Was thinking about getting her use to the camper first before we go?
 
If you can take Molly with you, that would be ideal. You can get pet sitters who will test and give insulin if need be. I had a friend who offered to learn to test and give insulin and that allowed me to get away a few times. Mind you I stayed in constant touch with her because I tend to be a bit OCD about my furkids! :smuggrin:
If Molly is not used to the camper then yes I would get her used to it ahead of time. Does she travel OK in the car? Ok with her carrier? If you do some de-sensitizing ahead of time, Molly should be fine.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
If you can take Molly with you, that would be ideal. You can get pet sitters who will test and give insulin if need be. I had a friend who offered to learn to test and give insulin and that allowed me to get away a few times. Mind you I stayed in constant touch with her because I tend to be a bit OCD about my furkids! :smuggrin:
If Molly is not used to the camper then yes I would get her used to it ahead of time. Does she travel OK in the car? Ok with her carrier? If you do some de-sensitizing ahead of time, Molly should be fine.
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I'd be like you OCD with Molly. I'll just have to get her use to the truck and the camper. She cries a lot in the truck
 
You might want to take Molly for very short truck rides (around the block) and then back home a few times then increase time in car a bit more to get her used to the movement and to know that everytime she gets put in her carrier it doesn't mean a trip to that evil vetty place! ;)
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
You might want to take Molly for very short truck rides (around the block) and then back home a few times then increase time in car a bit more to get her used to the movement and to know that everytime she gets put in her carrier it doesn't mean a trip to that evil vetty place! ;)
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I'll have to do that, maybe start this weekend. She doesn't like the carrier either.
 
How late (# of hours) after her shot tonight can you test Molly without ending up sleep deprived? You could give her the 0.75u but it may involve testing a little longer into the night cycle just to be sure she stays safe. The other alternative is taking her down to 0.5u tonight. I'd hate to see you lose momentum (loving that totally blue cycle today) but you're part of the equation here 'cause Molly needs you in good shape too.:)
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
How late (# of hours) after her shot tonight can you test Molly without ending up sleep deprived? You could give her the 0.75u but it may involve testing a little longer into the night cycle just to be sure she stays safe. The other alternative is taking her down to 0.5u tonight. I'd hate to see you lose momentum (loving that totally blue cycle today) but you're part of the equation here 'cause Molly needs you in good shape too.:)
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I’m up for another 3 hours what should I do?
 
I would suggest you drop her down to 0.5u then because it looks like she hits nadir around +6 or so and you'll want to be in bed well before that. Then tomorrow morning take her back up to 0.75u provided her pre-shot is high enough. Still get a test in before bed though.
 
You could shoot as early as 06:30am. You have about a half hour leeway for shots once a day or 15 minutes for each cycle.
 
Not a problem. Deep breathes! You had me wondering though when I saw the 0.75u on the SS. Let's get a test at +3 and see what she is up to. I'll check back in then.
 
My goodness! She's doing really, really well - and so are you. :) I'm glad Linda was around to advise. I've been on the forum less because of a load of other stuff occupying me. Also, my back is bothering me so sitting too long in front of the computer screen isn't a good idea. I check in on you and Molly daily though.

I see you're getting braver giving the full dose on a lower PS. You can do that with Lantus. Remember not so long ago when your vet was going to bump her up to 6 u???? :eek:;)
 
Kris & Teasel said:
My goodness! She's doing really, really well - and so are you. :) I'm glad Linda was around to advise. I've been on the forum less because of a load of other stuff occupying me. Also, my back is bothering me so sitting too long in front of the computer screen isn't a good idea. I check in on you and Molly daily though.

I see you're getting braver giving the full dose on a lower PS. You can do that with Lantus. Remember not so long ago when your vet was going to bump her up to 6 u???? :eek:;)
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I was up in the night to check on Molly. She was good I just worry about her. Molly is still eating a little kibble. She won’t eat her FF without a few of her kibbles. I have cut her back quite a bit.
I have missed you on here Kris, I’m happy that Linda is here to help me and to breath lol.

I have never heard from my vet. I sent an email about what I was doing. I told him we could discuss it. He has yet to call or email me.

I read a story about a lady. She was in the same situation as me. Vet told her only to test once a week. She gave her cat insulin in the morning. Left for work when she came home that evening. Her cat was laying there not moving, thought he was dead but he wasn’t. She rushed him to the vet and was in a coma for awhile. But eventually he came home, but wasn’t the same.
I’m just happy that I found this forum and you kris and Linda. Gave me advice on what to do. If I hadn’t Molly would be on 6 units or more eating her kibble. I think vets need to be more educated on feline diabetes. I’m not sure what to do with my vet now.
 
Adrienne Vanderhoning said:
I was up in the night to check on Molly. She was good I just worry about her. Molly is still eating a little kibble. She won’t eat her FF without a few of her kibbles. I have cut her back quite a bit.
I have missed you on here Kris, I’m happy that Linda is here to help me and to breath lol.

I have never heard from my vet. I sent an email about what I was doing. I told him we could discuss it. He has yet to call or email me.

I read a story about a lady. She was in the same situation as me. Vet told her only to test once a week. She gave her cat insulin in the morning. Left for work when she came home that evening. Her cat was laying there not moving, thought he was dead but he wasn’t. She rushed him to the vet and was in a coma for awhile. But eventually he came home, but wasn’t the same.
I’m just happy that I found this forum and you kris and Linda. Gave me advice on what to do. If I hadn’t Molly would be on 6 units or more eating her kibble. I think vets need to be more educated on feline diabetes. I’m not sure what to do with my vet now.
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Re your vet: as we say often to people here on the forum - if you like your vet for all the other pet care stuff, stick with him. Very, very few vets are well educated in the treatment of diabetes. You can get all the help you need for that here. The only issue for you is deciding how to talk to your vet about what you're doing for Molly's insulin dosing. Your spreadsheet is all the proof you need to justify what you've been doing with our help.

Re food: the much improved insulin response is directly related to the food change. Have you been adding extra water to all the wet food meals? That's always a good idea but especially for kitties that have had bladder issues in the past. I take it Molly's been good in that department lately? If she has a flare there are things you can do that don't require feeding that other food you'd been prescribed.

Other: keep track of her weight so you can adjust the amount of Fancy Feast if necessary.
 
Adrienne, vets have a very tough job, in many ways far tougher than any human physician. Not only do they deal with patients who cannot communicate where they hurt or how they feel, but they also deal with different species that may display symptoms of certain conditions in different ways. Add to that the different pet parents they encounter. On one hand there are pet parents who will do anything for their pets and on the other hand, folks who either can't be bothered dealing with anything that doesn't involve a quick fix or can't afford to deal with any long term ailments.

Most vets are acting and advising based on their own experience of what their human clients are most likely to do in an effort to avoid being asked to put an animal down for a treatable condition. Unfortunately, they tend to lump everyone into the lowest common denominator......as little home testing as possible if any and the vet making dosing decisions. As disappointing and scary as that might be, I understand why they do what they do but I really wish they would be more open to working with their clients as partners rather than dictators.

Ultimately, the proof that you are treating Molly well is in the SS. Molly is doing great. Hopefully your vet will be delighted with the results and maybe even learn from it. It may be that your vet is not sure how to respond right now because you are a proactive client they don't often encounter.:)
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Re your vet: as we say often to people here on the forum - if you like your vet for all the other pet care stuff, stick with him. Very, very few vets are well educated in the treatment of diabetes. You can get all the help you need for that here. The only issue for you is deciding how to talk to your vet about what you're doing for Molly's insulin dosing. Your spreadsheet is all the proof you need to justify what you've been doing with our help.

Re food: the much improved insulin response is directly related to the food change. Have you been adding extra water to all the wet food meals? That's always a good idea but especially for kitties that have had bladder issues in the past. I take it Molly's been good in that department lately? If she has a flare there are things you can do that don't require feeding that other food you'd been prescribed.

Other: keep track of her weight so you can adjust the amount of Fancy Feast if necessary.
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Yes I add water to her FF, but worry that it's not enough water? She doesn't drink water anymore like she use to. I hope that is a good sign? I don't have to clean her litter box as often, her pees were quite big before.
She's eating roughly 3 cans of FF a day. Has gained weight she looks better.

I just hope my vet will not turn me away that's what I'm afraid of. He didn't want to change her food.
 
When their diet is mostly wet food, they don't tend to hit the water as often if at all. I rarely if ever see my girl near it now. Her young brother will take a few laps at the water bowl sometimes but true confessions, I still sneak him a tiny bit of kibble for a treat now and then. I wouldn't worry about Molly not drinking since you are also adding water to her food.
Both the lack of hanging over the water bowl and the smaller pees are signs that Molly is doing much better. Those observations are excellent signs of improvement.

It's doubtful your vet will turn you away. Simply tell the vet that you see the diabetes as being the most important of Molly's medical issues and the SO food is too high in carbs for the diabetes. Or you could just fib to the vet and say Molly suddenly decided she didn't like the SO and you have to feed her something she will eat that is diabetes appropriate. ;) What you do for Molly at home that keeps her healthy is your decision.

Vets get most of their training about nutrition from the big brand food companies. I was trying to find novel protein food for my girl and my vet recommended some prescription rabbit and duck food. Checked out the carbs in the food the vet recommended and it was WAY too high for a diabetic. I took the opportunity to give the vet a "teaching moment" which she graciously accepted as she had never checked the carbs in the prescription diet before and was not calculating them properly based on dry matter rather than guaranteed analysis. :rolleyes: Of course every vet will react differently but if you have to walk on egg shells with the vet, it's their problem not yours.
 
WOW! What a beautiful number and start to the day and yes I would say it's a skip since you've already fed her. That means Molly:D has earned another reduction down to 0.5u.
 
Start the 0.5u dose tonight. Anytime Molly's BG falls below 90, she earns a reduction of 0.25u.

As for the feeding, I understand the scare and exhilaration of seeing a green number right at shot time along with dealing with a hungry kitty. When faced with a lower than normal pre-shot number, we suggest not feeding and retesting in 30 minutes to see if BG is rising on it's own. Since you fed Molly some kibble, it would be impossible to know how much of any BG rise was from food vs normal rise so skipping today is fine.

You are doing great and Molly is definitely moving in the right direction. :joyful:
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Start the 0.5u dose tonight. Anytime Molly's BG falls below 90, she earns a reduction of 0.25u.

As for the feeding, I understand the scare and exhilaration of seeing a green number right at shot time along with dealing with a hungry kitty. When faced with a lower than normal pre-shot number, we suggest not feeding and retesting in 30 minutes to see if BG is rising on it's own. Since you fed Molly some kibble, it would be impossible to know how much of any BG rise was from food vs normal rise so skipping today is fine.

You are doing great and Molly is definitely moving in the right direction. :joyful:
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Ok her +1 is 4.3 staying the same
 
That's fine and actually a joy to see. She is still quite safe. No worries. The depot from past shots is still in action so you do need to keep an eye on her but not panic. Test her again in 30 minutes and if she is down more, then give her a wee bit of LC FF to keep her surfing. Those green numbers in that range are exactly what you are aiming for! Glad she did this on the weekend though! :D
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
That's fine and actually a joy to see. She is still quite safe. No worries. The depot from past shots is still in action so you do need to keep an eye on her but not panic. Test her again in 30 minutes and if she is down more, then give her a wee bit of LC FF to keep her surfing. Those green numbers in that range are exactly what you are aiming for! Glad she did this on the weekend though! :D
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Ok, she seems ok I’ll test her again in half hour. I’m glad she’s this on the weekend too. I’m assuming her PMPS will be higher tonight? Where I didn’t give her insulin this morning?
 
Adrienne Vanderhoning said:
I’m assuming her PMPS will be higher tonight? Where I didn’t give her insulin this morning?
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Very likely it will. But who knows....maybe she will just surf along nicely and surprise us.
I may not be home by the time you are shooting tonight but you are fine to shoot 0.5u on any pre-shot of 150 or above but do get the pre bedtime test as usual. Hopefully Kris will be around later today if you have questions. Otherwise I will be checking in when I get home. :)
 
My girl did the same thing (seemed less active) when she first started seeing good numbers.....had me curious and admittedly a little worried but it's actually quite common until they get more used to being in those healing numbers so it's all good!:)
P.S. Lucky you with no time change.....it's a royal PIA IMHO! :rolleyes:
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
My girl did the same thing (seemed less active) when she first started seeing good numbers.....had me curious and admittedly a little worried but it's actually quite common until they get more used to being in those healing numbers so it's all good!:)
P.S. Lucky you with no time change.....it's a royal PIA IMHO! :rolleyes:
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I was worried this morning she looked depressed. I figured it was because of the lower numbers. She didn’t have any lunch, just a few freeze dried treats. But had supper after her shot tonight.

Yes lucky with no time change. But sucks when my family back home is now four hours ahead of me.
 
My goodness, she's doing so well! I agree with Linda - they are often a little lethargic when they first dip into green numbers and stay there for a while in a cycle. You're testing like a pro now! :D
 
Kris & Teasel said:
My goodness, she's doing so well! I agree with Linda - they are often a little lethargic when they first dip into green numbers and stay there for a while in a cycle. You're testing like a pro now! :D
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It kinda scared me yesterday to see her like that. I’m happy to see you on here Kris!
Testing is easier now for both of us, hubby is not so upset about it anymore. We ordered Molly a timed cat feeder, should be here this week. It’s getting too expensive, with the price of gas. Coming home every day for lunch. She’s eating very little kibble. I moved the bag yesterday and she came just a running lol.
 
Holy moly! Look at that green 61! As Linda told you before, if her BG drops below 90 you reduce the dose by 0.25 u. That means a dose of 0.25 u tonight. In your opinion is she eating enough Fancy Feast to replace the kibble she isn't eating? A timed feeder is a great thing to have to allow her to get food when you're at work.
 
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