Alice 7/7 low AMPS 76, 40% dose

AliceMeowliss (GA)

AliceMeowliss (GA)

Member Since 2019
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/alice-7-6-amps-282-2-284.216470/

I’m in a hurry because we overslept driving the human to a job site. She was tested at +10 and was only 101, so I just shot a very reduced dose because I am in a hurry and have no clue what is happening with her right now. It might not have been the perfect solution. Gotta leave for an hour. She is eating a lot right now. Will re1xhexk when home.

Sigh!
 
+2 was only 98 with a healthy amount of 5% on board and no food for probably at least an hour and a half. So I think a reduced dose may have been a good decision, but I really just don’t know what to do. It feels like the way she is holding onto her doses lately.... like some mega-depot intensity or something! I cannot predict what she will do safely.

Except last night, after +4 I determined she wasn’t dropping fast enough and that it would be slow over the whole night probably, so..... I slept!!!! Yay!!!!! From about +5/6 to +10!!!! Probably the most solid nighttime sleep I have had in many months.

Alice is chirpy and happy.




I have two questions:
How should I do something like a last minute reduced dose in a quick-decision moment, but better? Was 40% of her dose too low for where she was at? I would appreciate help in learning to best determine these decisions on my own when I need to!!! :)

Secondly, and this is important because I don’t know that calling my vet will make it be taken seriously on its own....
But both human and I have noticed Alice has a weirdly sensitive spot on her left side. That is not the side the tumor was on, plus the tumor was on the belly and this is more like on her side past her shoulder area a bit.... she doesn’t want to be touched there. She makes cranky noises if you do touch her there and she withdraws a bit. Alice is my baby and I have access to all of her, as long as nothing painful is occurring.... she’s never this picky even about spots she just generally doesn’t like being touched at. So I am a little worried. The anxiety girl in me whispers something about cancer I must not know about.... the rational girl in me says maybe she’s just cranky or sore from shots...? But we alternate sides and it is never exactly the same spot.

Anyway. We are surviving the day. That in itself is always beautiful. <3
 
Nice numbers and a much lower dose since I last was on Alices Condo... seems like she’s doing really well. Hopefully her sore spot on the left side is nothing :)

Have a great day :)
 
AmandaE said:
Nice numbers and a much lower dose since I last was on Alices Condo... seems like she’s doing really well. Hopefully her sore spot on the left side is nothing :)

Have a great day :)
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It’s been a really wild ride to get there! 3 cycles on a row of sharks and a depot drain!!!

Hope you are well. :D
 
+6 was only up to 120.... and I feel very glad I did not shoot more, because her depot is effective right now.... I was thinking of trying to go up to an even 2u for a couple of cycles, see how her depot does her......
 
Has she had X-rays or any imaging done recently in that shoulder?

I’d bring it up to the vet to be examined. I can’t diagnose anything but it could be a number of things: arthritis, complication from previous surgery, or something new.
 
Crista & Ming said:
Has she had X-rays or any imaging done recently in that shoulder?

I’d bring it up to the vet to be examined. I can’t diagnose anything but it could be a number of things: arthritis, complication from previous surgery, or something new.
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Chest x-Ray was done before surgery 6/12 to make sure her lungs were clear. This has been her only surgery, ever. I just can’t imagine what. Human and I will try to isolate the offensive area. Where are the palpable lymph nodes located on a cat? Hmm.... I really really worry about her cancer. But it could honestly be from some shot scar tissue and not a big deal.
We get DCIN help so I can’t do a million diagnostics just guessing in the dark... but I need to call them anyway about civvie Jakey’s hotspot next to his Seresto collar, al that will happen tomorrow anyway....
 
I did a quick google of seresto. That’s a flea collar, correct? I personally would not use those as it can burn the skin and is likely the cause of the hot spot. But I understand if it’s your only option. :(

Sorry about Alice. It would be good for the doctor to at least feel and examine the area that is painful for Alice to see if they can feel anything odd.
 
Any chance of changing where you shoot to the flank or scruff to see if the pain goes away? I shot scruff or just below shoulders for years. I tried elsewhere , but Neko told me not to.:p

How certain are you of the fur shot last night? Her numbers did come down. Knowing how much insulin she got, or you might have dosed will impact my dosing suggestion. I would really like you to find a dose you can shoot consistently, so we can see where you should be on dose. Not blaming, just commenting - I too have been in dose freefall and not knowing what to shoot because of it.

I would get a +10 or +11 today and post again for dosing help. The more info we have, the better.
 
One more thing, put “need dosing help” in your subject line, to get more eyes on you.

And the ? prefix too.
 
I hope the spot on her side is nothing serious. I'd ask the vet about it. She is keeping you on your toes about dosing. I wonder if 2.0 units would be a good dose.
 
Have you noticed sensitivity in that spot on Alice's side for a while? Small or large area? I would think such details could help give your call to the vet some more gravity, especially if it's been several days.
 
Crista & Ming said:
I did a quick google of seresto. That’s a flea collar, correct? I personally would not use those as it can burn the skin and is likely the cause of the hot spot. But I understand if it’s your only option. :(

Sorry about Alice. It would be good for the doctor to at least feel and examine the area that is painful for Alice to see if they can feel anything odd.
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I have used them before on others with no problems. They last 8 months which is much more affordable and he is so flea prone and I don’t know why, but I was hoping that way maybe his skin irritability would improve. Sigh. He’s also above the 15 lb dose threshold for revolution, which is the monthly topical I would use.
Do cats repel fleas by eating garlic? Can they even eat garlic? I believe garlic is what my mother uses with her dog but obviously that is different.....
He doesn’t even go outside..... he just gets fleas.

Another reason I have used them, though not in Jake’s case because he isn’t outdoors at all, is that bobcat fever was detected to the east of my area near the lake just a couple of years ago.... I made my family put one on their cat when they moved out to the country that direction. Bobcat fever is transmitted by ticks and will kill cats. I sometimes use one of my indoor/outdoor girl.

Where did you find info that it could burn the skin?
 
Figaro's Liz said:
Have you noticed sensitivity in that spot on Alice's side for a while? Small or large area? I would think such details could help give your call to the vet some more gravity, especially if it's been several days.
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Maybe about a week? I’ll have to survey other human and see if we can pinpoint when!
 
Alice’s shot time is in 1hr 15min.

Without any other instructions, I will likely shoot.... 2u, I think.

At this point I’m feeling more like building her back up just a little slowly may help us both out.

I spent the day in bed. I had things I should have done, but sometimes naps win. Feeling more functional. Yay.

We are still low/basically out of food almost constantly, and I keep having to basically buy a day or two worth at a time because I don’t know when the next money will be or what the next money will have to pay for. Alice has Sheba snacks but I am trying not to use more than one or two a day because when she runs out I won’t have extra treats for her! I ran out of freeze dried favorites two weeks ago. The other cats can eat those big 12-13(?) ounce cans of friskies but I don’t think they make it in Alice’s chicken and liver flavor. And I keep having to hunt across town for her flavor. The two cheapest groceries that have friskies don’t have chicken and liver, either. 48 cents on sale at my preferred grocery, 54 cents at another..... but at least 58-59 cents anywhere else that has hers. :(
Years ago I sat on the floors of Petco for a good couple of hours and read all the foods. Like every bag of dry food until I found one that looked to have the least offensive ingredients (Solid Gold lamb, at the time). The number of what are supposed to be “good” dry foods.... with corn in them!!! Ugh! If only I had known I was still doing it wrong. :p Lol.
 
As far as reducing her dose when you get a number lower than you are comfy with because testing isn’t a choice : when you reduce the dose the higher depot is still going to be talking the first 1/2 of the cycle. Just wanted you to know that so you don’t get a false sense of security. A depot can take 4 cycles to deplete.

As far as garlic with cats,I give my cat and dogs an essential fatty acid oil mix with garlic in it. ( Halo, Dream Coat) Cats have to ingest about 2 cloves or more or garlic at one time for it to be toxic to them. I also treated Bubba’s yeast infection ears with garlic infused olive oil that successfully got rid of his yeast infection.
 
With all the fast reductions she had been demanding, it gets a bit confusing as to her best dose right now , but I think I would do 2.5 as long as you can monitor her. The +2 will be helpful .
 
AliceMeowliss&Cassandra said:
He’s also above the 15 lb dose threshold for revolution
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I recently ordered the taupe colour of revolution. Ming is 17-18 lbs! So there's a weight class of revolution that should be available. You might just have to order it.

AliceMeowliss&Cassandra said:
Where did you find info that it could burn the skin?
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That's a good question! I don't have any sources but my coworkers have seen it in their careers as vet techs/vet assistants. Before working at the hospital, I was also warned against them on another cat forum.

I should do some googling though :) That's a good point to find my sources haha!

Also I'm sorry that you have to go through the headache of finding affordable food for your cats. You're doing a great job and your dedication to Alice and your other kitties is so admirable. :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Crista & Ming said:
I recently ordered the taupe colour of revolution. Ming is 17-18 lbs! So there's a weight class of revolution that should be available. You might just have to order it.



That's a good question! I don't have any sources but my coworkers have seen it in their careers as vet techs/vet assistants. Before working at the hospital, I was also warned against them on another cat forum.

I should do some googling though :) That's a good point to find my sources haha!

Also I'm sorry that you have to go through the headache of finding affordable food for your cats. You're doing a great job and your dedication to Alice and your other kitties is so admirable. :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
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Thanks. We are very low income right now especially, and it’s sometimes a choice between cat food and bills.... guess which one we choose. lol. (Answer is cat food.) Actually I am fortunate to have many crazy animal friends who pitch in to help sometimes and make the load a little easier. :)

Please if you find a source I would like to read it! I believe it is certainly possible.... but what, if you know, causes it? I also wonder if that means I wasted the money..... sigh. They did not bother my indoor outdoor cat before, maybe I could switch it to her but I wanted to use revolution on her because of her mosquito bites—aren’t mosquitoes how they get heartworm or something?

Blahhhh!
 
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