06/29/2020 Sugar Cat Luna BG Curve advice?????

[Tatiwen]

Hi Community,

Yesterday I did the BG curve for my kitten Luna. She was recently diagnosed with Diabetes ( 2 weeks ago). I took her to the hospital because she was walking weird as if she has a broken leg. In the hospital, they did a lot of tests ( geriatric blood test, uroanalysis, potassium in blood, and fructosamine). Her fructosamine was at 364 umoL/L, her Glucose at 4 mmoL/L, her potassium 5.5 mmoL/L and her T4 in 1.7 ug/dL. I'm mentioning the T4 because she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 2 years ago. In relation with her walk doctor told me that what she has is diabetic neuropathy.

She weighs 3,8 kg and is on Lantus 0.76 UI just one shoot per day as Vet recommendation. I know many of you have already told me that she should be receiving Lantus twice per day.

I'm trying to follow the recommendation of FDMB in relation to food because doctors only asked me to switch for a prescription diet ( Hill's Glocuse Support). I'm trying the wet food Nature's Logic and Friskies and also raw food, to see what option does she prefer and what is more convenient for me in terms of money. Here in Costa Rica the good wet food cost around 2,60 USD to 3.46 USD per can. Friskies es the less expensive 1 USD per can, but I'm still not sure to go with that brand due to the quality. I'm feeding her as usual, 5 times per day, as I used to do it before she was diagnosed. She eats at 4:30 am, 7:00 am, 12md, 5pm and 7pm.

Anyway, these past 2 weeks have been a rollercoaster for me, some days I hurt my kitten´s ears a lot in order to get the blood, yesterday was a nightmare due to the amount of time I prick her in order to do the curve.

Here is my spreadsheet, I want to hear your thought about her numbers, are they good or bad, or too bad etc. I want to have an idea base on your knowledge before tomorrow's visit to the vet to review her curve and do a general revision of her current condition.



https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...snOHtWkm_WmoQMXTixoSwUdIsXn3_FAd-LAFI/pubhtml


For my is important your thoughts because the vet's who are seeing her are not specialists, I don't even know if we have any specialist in pet diabetes here in Costa Rica. So I want to be prepared to do the right questions to the vet.

Thanks in advance.

Tati and sugarcat Luna

 

[Amanda and a Loudogg]

Hiya Tati! It looks like Luna is already doing pretty well on the Lantus for a newly diagnosed kitty. Looking at the spreadsheet, you can see that Luna is not getting the full might of the Lantus insulin (which is a longer-acting insulin) since she's not getting her dose twice a day. You can see her BGs go down for a few hours and then start to rise again. The depot is not getting a chance to fill, which means the insulin isn't getting a chance to stabilize the blood sugar numbers. I would highly recommend starting her on insulin twice daily. I would also suggest getting BGs during the evening/night hours to get a fuller picture of how Luna is doing. At the very least test at what would be PMPS to get a full picture of the morning cycle and a before bed test.

It is harder to get blood from the ears in the beginning. It gets easier as capillaries form. I found my glucometer came with smaller gauged lancets (30-gauge for humans). I had to buy 28-gauge lancets (which make a bigger hole) to use on my buddy Lou. I also found I needed to warm his ear in the beginning to help the blood flow better. You could try putting rice in a sock, tying it off, and then warming it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. I also found I absolutely needed something behind the ear when I poked or else he wouldn't bleed. So I use a cotton round (like what you could use for makeup) and hold it to the back of the ear when I poke. When I'm done, I fold the other half of the round around and use it to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. Also, take a look at the Hometesting Links and Tips thread on the FD FAQs page HERE for other advice/suggestions for hometesting. Do you have something like Neosporin ointment in Costa Rica? I use that (with pain relief) on Lou's ears when they get sensitive. Make sure it's ointment, not a cream. The ointment will help blood pool on the top of it, while the cream doesn't allow the bead of blood to pool, and it smears instead.

As far as food, use something that's low in carbs (10% or lower) that your kitty will eat. I know friskies isn't the highest quality food, but I can afford it and my kitties eat it. I currently feed both friskies and fancy feast. Use searchable the Food Chart found on the main forum HERE to find food options that work for you both. That thing is a lifesaver!

I hope that helps you have an idea to talk to your vet tomorrow. Did they suggest anything for the neuropathy? HERE is a link to a thread all about diabetic neuropathy (also found on the Health Links/FAQs forum). I hope you both have a wonderful day!

 

[Tatiwen]

Hi Amanda, thanks for your reply. About her neuropathy, no the Vet did not suggest anything to treat it, but I have already reviewed some of the posts in FDMB that talk about it and the use of the Methyl Cobalamine, so I will ask the vet to get a prescription for Luna.

About food, I have already checked the information, and Nature's Logic is a low carbs food ( the chicken version says 1%) so it is a good option for Luna but a bit expensive for me. Unfortunately in Costa Rica there is a limited variety of wet food available and the majority is expensive, that the reason almost all pet owners here feed their pets with Kibble/dry food.

As per your recommendation, I will start testing her during the evening/night to have a better picture and in regards to the twice a day shoot, it is the first topic I will discuss with the vet tomorrow.

We don't have Neosporin in Costa Rica, I have been using neo-sept (neomycin and clostebol) but is cream,I'm putting on her ear after I take the blood sample to help with the healing. I will order the Neosporin in Amazon, this is my only chance to get the product, even if it takes a couple of weeks to arrive. Do you apply the Neosporin before taking the blood sample? I'm putting vaseline on her ear before prick.

Thanks again,

Tati and Luna


****************************************************************************************************************************

Hiya Tati! It looks like Luna is already doing pretty well on the Lantus for a newly diagnosed kitty. Looking at the spreadsheet, you can see that Luna is not getting the full might of the Lantus insulin (which is a longer-acting insulin) since she's not getting her dose twice a day. You can see her BGs go down for a few hours and then start to rise again. The depot is not getting a chance to fill, which means the insulin isn't getting a chance to stabilize the blood sugar numbers. I would highly recommend starting her on insulin twice daily. I would also suggest getting BGs during the evening/night hours to get a fuller picture of how Luna is doing. At the very least test at what would be PMPS to get a full picture of the morning cycle and a before bed test.

It is harder to get blood from the ears in the beginning. It gets easier as capillaries form. I found my glucometer came with smaller gauged lancets (30-gauge for humans). I had to buy 28-gauge lancets (which make a bigger hole) to use on my buddy Lou. I also found I needed to warm his ear in the beginning to help the blood flow better. You could try putting rice in a sock, tying it off, and then warming it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. I also found I absolutely needed something behind the ear when I poked or else he wouldn't bleed. So I use a cotton round (like what you could use for makeup) and hold it to the back of the ear when I poke. When I'm done, I fold the other half of the round around and use it to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. Also, take a look at the Hometesting Links and Tips thread on the FD FAQs page HERE for other advice/suggestions for hometesting. Do you have something like Neosporin ointment in Costa Rica? I use that (with pain relief) on Lou's ears when they get sensitive. Make sure it's ointment, not a cream. The ointment will help blood pool on the top of it, while the cream doesn't allow the bead of blood to pool, and it smears instead.

As far as food, use something that's low in carbs (10% or lower) that your kitty will eat. I know friskies isn't the highest quality food, but I can afford it and my kitties eat it. I currently feed both friskies and fancy feast. Use searchable the Food Chart found on the main forum HERE to find food options that work for you both. That thing is a lifesaver!

I hope that helps you have an idea to talk to your vet tomorrow. Did they suggest anything for the neuropathy? HERE is a link to a thread all about diabetic neuropathy (also found on the Health Links/FAQs forum). I hope you both have a wonderful day!

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

I have already reviewed some of the posts in FDMB that talk about it and the use of the Methyl Cobalamine, so I will ask the vet to get a prescription for Luna.

You shouldn't need a script for it. Methylcobalamin is just a specific form of the vitamin B-12.

You should be able to find it at a vitamin store or at a pharmacy. Just make sure it's the Methyl form and not the Cobalamin form (both are vitamin B-12 but Methyl is the one that works best on neuropathy)

You want to try to find some that's 3mg (3000 mcg) and with no sugar or xylitol. The daily dose is 3mg once a day but some people give it twice. It's a water soluble vitamin so any that can't be used by the body is just pee'd out.

As far as the Friskies goes, there are LOTS of people here feeding it. I know a lot of us are told that "cheap" foods like Friskies and Fancy Feast are like feeding junk food, but they work and are affordable! I had been feeding my own cats a very expensive, "grain free" kibble before China was diagnosed and I had felt the same way....that I was doing the best thing for my babies! Then I got the diabetes diagnosis and learned how much I didn't know or understand.

There's no reason you need to order the Neosporin.....the antibiotic cream you're applying afterwards is fine but you might see if you can find it in an ointment instead of a cream. Using plain old Vaseline is fine too....it can help the blood to "bead up" so it doesn't wick into the fur. Luna's ears WILL heal but I know it's disturbing to us to look at until their ears get a little tougher.

What size are the lancets you're using to poke with? Most of the ones that come along with blood glucose meter kits are too thin for new ears. Usually they're 31-33 gauge. Try to find some that are 25-28 gauge which poke a little bit bigger hole so you're much less likely to have to poke more than once. Also, make sure the ear is good and warm before you poke! A little rice put into a sock that you can microwave is a good way to warm up the ear. You can also use something like a small pill bottle filled with warm water or even just a washrag rinsed in warm water (put into a baggie so you don't get Luna's ear wet!)

My China's ears were tested over 16,000 times and unless you knew exactly where to look and were right next to her, you'd never know!

I agree with everything @Amanda and a Loudogg said above too. Lantus just does not work 24 hours in cats......it does in people but cats have a faster metabolism!

I don't even know if we have any specialist in pet diabetes here in Costa Rica.

There aren't even any specialists in feline diabetes here in the US! The people here have more real life experience than any vet ....anywhere!!

Hang in there Tati....We'll help you any way we can!

One hint....this forum can be very busy since we have more cats on Lantus than any other insulin (because it works!). If you post and your post starts to drop down the wall, make a new comment on it! That will make it go back to the top and hopefully you'll get more replies.

 

[Tatiwen]

Thank you Chris... about the Methyl Cobalamin, i will check in the pharmacies.

You shouldn't need a script for it. Methylcobalamin is just a specific form of the vitamin B-12.

You should be able to find it at a vitamin store or at a pharmacy. Just make sure it's the Methyl form and not the Cobalamin form (both are vitamin B-12 but Methyl is the one that works best on neuropathy)

You want to try to find some that's 3mg (3000 mcg) and with no sugar or xylitol. The daily dose is 3mg once a day but some people give it twice. It's a water soluble vitamin so any that can't be used by the body is just pee'd out.

As far as the Friskies goes, there are LOTS of people here feeding it. I know a lot of us are told that "cheap" foods like Friskies and Fancy Feast are like feeding junk food, but they work and are affordable! I had been feeding my own cats a very expensive, "grain free" kibble before China was diagnosed and I had felt the same way....that I was doing the best thing for my babies! Then I got the diabetes diagnosis and learned how much I didn't know or understand.

There's no reason you need to order the Neosporin.....the antibiotic cream you're applying afterwards is fine but you might see if you can find it in an ointment instead of a cream. Using plain old Vaseline is fine too....it can help the blood to "bead up" so it doesn't wick into the fur. Luna's ears WILL heal but I know it's disturbing to us to look at until their ears get a little tougher.

What size are the lancets you're using to poke with? Most of the ones that come along with blood glucose meter kits are too thin for new ears. Usually they're 31-33 gauge. Try to find some that are 25-28 gauge which poke a little bit bigger hole so you're much less likely to have to poke more than once. Also, make sure the ear is good and warm before you poke! A little rice put into a sock that you can microwave is a good way to warm up the ear. You can also use something like a small pill bottle filled with warm water or even just a washrag rinsed in warm water (put into a baggie so you don't get Luna's ear wet!)

My China's ears were tested over 16,000 times and unless you knew exactly where to look and were right next to her, you'd never know!

I agree with everything @Amanda and a Loudogg said above too. Lantus just does not work 24 hours in cats......it does in people but cats have a faster metabolism!



There aren't even any specialists in feline diabetes here in the US! The people here have more real life experience than any vet ....anywhere!!

Hang in there Tati....We'll help you any way we can!

One hint....this forum can be very busy since we have more cats on Lantus than any other insulin (because it works!). If you post and your post starts to drop down the wall, make a new comment on it! That will make it go back to the top and hopefully you'll get more replies.

 

[thebigfuzz]

Welcome Tati and Luna!

 

[Tatiwen]

Welcome Tati and Luna!

Thank you!!!