12/01 Butters AMPS 275/+3 353/+8 394/PMPS 445/

I believe her pancreas is not making the contribution that it used to make. I think it's fair to consider an increase. Whenever you're comfortable with that. She's depending on you now for insulin - her body is busy with other things. It's just how it is around here - up/down, up/down. I'm very familiar with a broken pancreas as Luci's only sputters from time to time...at least Butters is consistently high and flat...I'd say give her a little more and keep going until she starts to show some better numbers - it's the insulin you're giving that will help her get those glucose numbers down - let's say just into the blues at this time?

Hope you have a good day Lyla!
 
I just increased yesterday. To be clear for anyone who thinks I'm contemplating an increase: I'm not. My point is more that I am confused that she keeps going up when I keep increasing and maybe there is more going on than just a sad little not working pancreas. lol. Well, there definitely are more moving parts. My vet says that she is complicated.
Up to 394 @+8 now. :(
 
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rawia said:
Good luck with the new dose, we are heading the same way too:):):).

How is her tummy, is she going to bathroom everyday!!!
Meme feels much better with Probiotic that i am adding to her food, sometimes her numbers goes high when she is little constipated or her poop is little hard.

I think that with this illness anything can affect the numbers :arghh::arghh::arghh: even a small hairball.
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Butters does have very consistent BMs without straining. I add pumpkin and water to her food. No probiotic. So happy to hear that works for Meme though! And good luck with your new dose, too! :bighug:

Red & Rover (GA) said:
Patience, grasshopper. Her pancreas has been through the wringer.
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You're right. Deep breaths. Patience.
 
How old is your insulin?

I see you are giving Gabapentin (25mg), how are you giving this? Is it liquid or pill/capsule? I am asking because I need to administer some to Frankie and they gave me capsules and I am wondering if I can mix it with food.
 
Oh Butters, feel better soon. Fingers crossed she has come down a bit at her PMPS test. You're doing a great job, Lyla!

Mo has been going up after we increase his insulin also. I'm not particularly sure what's going on but I'm hoping we can both get our babies feeling good soon <3

Big hugs :bighug:
 
LizzieInTexas said:
How old is your insulin?

I see you are giving Gabapentin (25mg), how are you giving this? Is it liquid or pill/capsule? I am asking because I need to administer some to Frankie and they gave me capsules and I am wondering if I can mix it with food.
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My insulin is six months old. It is the first vial of lantus that I ever purchased for her. Do you think that could be an issue? I keep it in the fridge.

I have given her capsules and pills. I hide the whole capsule in her food and she will eat it, like chew on it, so mixing it in shouldn't be a problem. The pills must have a bad taste because she spits those out. I have to pill her. The gabapentin works very well for her at 25mg q8. More than that and she is too sedated for my liking. The vet prescribed 50mg q8. I hope it works well for Frankie.
 
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I hope Butters isn't in any pain. With her having trouble pooping without straining, I wonder if that could also bring her numbers up some? It seemed whenever Jazzy was having a hard time his numbers were a bit higher. I don't know if it's coincidence, but it's gotta be stressful. I'm sure it may not be that easy of an explanation, but it could be a contributing factor to a point.
I really hope Butters recovers completely from her pancreatitis so she can get back to her old self. Poor girl has been through alot. Her little pancreas is tired. :bighug:
Hope you and Butters have a good night.
 
Butters & Lyla said:
My insulin is six months old. It is the first vial of lantus that I ever purchased for her. Do you think that could be an issue? I keep it in the fridge.
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Might be a factor. What's the expiration date? Does the vial have any floaties in it?

Did you just purchase the one vial? Was it the large 10ml vial?
Usually the pen cartridges are your best bet because you can use each one to the very last drop. And, bonus, you have back-up in case you drop it on the floor (been there, done that). It is not always possible to do that with the large vial.
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
Might be a factor. What's the expiration date? Does the vial have any floaties in it?

Did you just purchase the one vial? Was it the large 10ml vial?
Usually the pen cartridges are your best bet because you can use each one to the very last drop. And, bonus, you have back-up in case you drop it on the floor (been there, done that). It is not always possible to do that with the large vial.
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Expiry is 07/2022. It is a large 10ml vial and is less than a third full. No floaties. I always check.

The pharmacy didn't mention there were options when I bought it. I purchased two because I just assumed they'd be around the same size as the Caninsulin vials that my vet sold me (teeny tiny). I was shocked at the price I paid for them. Then I opened the bag at home and realized they were huge vials.:rolleyes: So I have an unopened 10ml vial that I could crack open. Next time I'll ask for the pen cartridges.

How long is an open vial of lantus normally used for? Is it time to ditch the current vial? It feels like a waste but I'll do it if it's time.
 
Butters & Lyla said:
How long is an open vial of lantus normally used for?
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Usually when numbers start to rise it can be a sign that the insulin has lost its efficacy. Where in the fridge do you store it? It should not be in the door. The only sure way to tell is to crack open the second vial. (Keep the first vial as a back-up or in case the insulin is not the problem.)
Make a line on your spreadsheet when you start the second vial.
The box of 5 Lantus cartridges runs $110 or so. Shop around when it's time.
 
Butters & Lyla said:
How long is an open vial of lantus normally used for?
Click to expand...
Usually when numbers start to rise it can be a sign that the insulin has lost its efficacy. Where in the fridge do you store it? It should not be in the door. The only sure way to tell is to crack open the second vial. (Keep the first vial as a back-up or in case the insulin is not the problem.)
Make a line on your spreadsheet when you start the second vial.
The box of 5 Lantus cartridges runs $110 or so. Shop around when it's time.
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
Usually when numbers start to rise it can be a sign that the insulin has lost its efficacy. Where in the fridge do you store it? It should not be in the door. The only sure way to tell is to crack open the second vial. (Keep the first vial as a back-up or in case the insulin is not the problem.)
Make a line on your spreadsheet when you start the second vial.
The box of 5 Lantus cartridges runs $110 or so. Shop around when it's time.
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Thanks for that info.
Do you think it's possible that her numbers could be rising because she isn't feeling well? :( She hasn't been her usual cuddly self most of yesterday or today.
I store it on a shelf behind a jar of pickles. Never stored in the door. The second vial is in what seems to be labeled a "meat" drawer.
 
Some people have reporting vials pooping out after 5-6 months. Might be worth an experiment trying the other vial. Just make sure you do it when you can monitor closely.

NDW should be gone now. Maybe high tonight before the low?
 
When T was first diagnosed & I got Cornell involved & we discussed using Lantus, the vet told me the recommendation for using the large vials is 5-6 months max if refrigerated & stored properly. Otherwise, efficacy starts to become an issue.
I never used it because Trupanion covered the Lantus so I cannot share any personal experience, only what was recommended if I had gone that route.

While the insulin can be an issue, the hard belly & irritability also sound concerning:(. Constipation or even lack of motility can be an issue & cause increased BG even without there being straining. In fact, T had the issue one time last Fall & his BG went very high because of it. I ended up getting an X-ray & they decided to do an enema in the office. A small, but very dense hair filled piece of BM came out in the process. He was a new man after that with lower BGs. I am not saying that this is Butters issue but it always something to keep in mind/watch for.

I am going to attach some poop charts :cool: because who doesn’t need a poop chart to start their Wednesday :rolleyes:? I am attaching 2, Bristol and then one from Purina. Bristol actually used Purinas for their most recent study of the feline Microbiome. It is a nice chart of actual BM vs drawings :). Also, here is a link on Neuromodulation for Constipation:

https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/neuromodulation-for-constipation/

It has some good info & explanation on simple things like massage of the belly (T loves this...not if having an issue...more so when he is doing well & I do it to help him out), probiotics & how they help from a neuro perspective. Probiotics may be helpful as well at some point :) but like everything else,
one thing at a time when possible so as not to confuse things. If you do decide to use one, start slow & increase with time to make sure there isn’t any gas etc..

The only other thought is just to keep in mind that in a high percentage of cats diagnosed with “just” pancreatitis, there is actually also intestinal &/or liver involvement....especially intestinal involvement, so working on that can be very helpful.

Finding what works best with diet, probiotic is simply usually trials & time. In some way, it is good because we know that felines with DM, even if they go into remission (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7242727/) continue to have an abnormal gut so you will actually be addressing multiple issues at once by working on it :).

In the meantime, I always get in touch with my team when something seems to be rather uncharacteristic or off in an attempt to be proactive. Essentially I call a “heads up”. If it turns out it is something simple, no big deal. If it turns out I need them, they are on the same page & ready to help :) with next steps to figure out what is going on.

I hope Butters feels better today :bighug:.
 

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