4/6 - Alphyne AMPS @ 223 / Gryphen AMPS @ 130

bobjoh

bobjoh

Member Since 2021
Good morning! Just checking in as I haven't had any drama with the girls for a while!

It looks like Gryphen may have an allergy to egg, so I took the girls off of the Dr. Elsey's that I was using to supplement the wet. I switched to Young Again Zero Mature LID, but I think it's causing their BG to spike as their numbers have both been up since I made the switch. Just when it looks like we were making progress. I'm so disappointed. :(

It's only been a week, though, so time will tell. My vet mentioned it can take 3 weeks for the allergen to get out of their system; in a couple more weeks I'll need to re-evaluate to see if Gryphen has grown any of her bald spots back. Ha! At least it doesn't appear to the the chicken causing the issues, as the duck foods I tried were a bust.

Such a nightmare having four cats, diabetes, and now having to deal with allergies, too! It wasn't hard enough trying to switch everyone to the same food...but life likes curveballs! (And I have tried every feeder / microchip feeder, etc. out there, so no, sadly those won't work.) Maybe my girls are some of the cats that do better with a small amount of carbs, hence the YA spike...I guess I'll find out!

I plan to do a PM curve this week since the daytime curve a few days ago was pretty uneventful for both girls. They are both up in the AM, but especially Alphy, so something must be happening at night. I'll figure it out...just gotta put on my sleuthing cap!

Everyone have a great day! :bighug:

(previous) 3/29 - Gryphen AMPS @ 207, Alphyne AMPS @ 120 / PMPS +4 @ 70 / +5 @ 74 | Feline Diabetes Message Board - FDMB
 
Can't wait for the curve to see how they are doing :):)

I see Gryphen got a very nice (i hope it lasted all night) PM cycle yesterday :)
Alphyne started today with a nice preshot :cat: Hope she surfs safely for you today :cat:

How did you find out about the allergy to egg? do they do some tests for some specific products?
 
I'm not seeing an increase in numbers since the food change. Why do you think there is one?

With Alphyne, do you think its possible to get more tests in cycles where she starts off with a lower PS? Or life/work makes that difficult to do?
 
Bandit's Mom said:
I'm not seeing an increase in numbers since the food change. Why do you think there is one?
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I think because we were heading for the blues with Alphy, and then went back to the yellows. Gryphen was at lower blue then headed back to upper. I know it's all about 'ranges' but the big number changes within a range still cause me concern.

Marina & Chico said:
How did you find out about the allergy to egg? do they do some tests for some specific products?
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I went through all the ingredients in their current foods to what they had eaten previously, since they had no allergies before. Egg was the only new thing (meat by-products could change, too, I suppose). But I took that info to my vet and we are going with egg...unless things dont improve. Then we'll have to try eliminating something else. They do have a blood test they can do, but apparently it might not be accurate. After eliminating for a week, one seems less itchy, but now the other is more itchy, so it's a guessing game at this point.

Marina & Chico said:
Alphyne started today with a nice preshot :cat: Hope she surfs safely for you today :cat:
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Never quite that easy with my girls...Alphy dropped to a 65 (on the AT2) at AMPS +3, so I fed her some HC and called the vet. She's doing fine, but gave me a scare. She wasn't acting odd, I was just getting some numbers my vet asked for. Until I can see the new vet on April 26 I'm juggling meters on occasion. :(
 
bobjoh said:
I went through all the ingredients in their current foods to what they had eaten previously, since they had no allergies before. Egg was the only new thing (meat by-products could change, too, I suppose). But I took that info to my vet and we are going with egg...unless things dont improve. Then we'll have to try eliminating something else. They do have a blood test they can do, but apparently it might not be accurate. After eliminating for a week, one seems less itchy, but now the other is more itchy, so it's a guessing game at this point.
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Ohh, i see smart way to do it. Our Chico stops licking his belly and now i connected it directly to diet change. We switched from chicken to turkey and his belly hair grows so nicely back :woot: I am just throwing ideas; maybe it is worth trying raw food. We follow this home made recipe, but you can buy commercial options as well. If you are interested i will gather some more information to share with you (it is on the forum, we had some conversations past days). The benefit of the raw diet is you give a single protein source at a time. If it doesn't work you switch to a novelty protein next time and so on. This would allow you to exclude what doesn't work and stop at the ones that do work.

bobjoh said:
Never quite that easy with my girls...Alphy dropped to a 65 (on the AT2) at AMPS +3, so I fed her some HC and called the vet. She's doing fine, but gave me a scare. She wasn't acting odd, I was just getting some numbers my vet asked for. Until I can see the new vet on April 26 I'm juggling meters on occasion. :(
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65? you don't have the value on the SS, was it today? You did very well to have given her HC food to increase her value. When did you measure after +3?

I understand why you got scared, it is the first time you saw such a low value. Just for you to know, the TR protocol says that you decrease the dose if the cat goes under 68 on AT (50 on a human meter), 65 is not so far from it so it wasn't a very "dangerous" value in that sense. Of course you take action and you make sure she goes above it which you did.

Please update us on what is her BG now, i am worried for you two :nailbiting:
 
bobjoh said:
I think because we were heading for the blues with Alphy, and then went back to the yellows. Gryphen was at lower blue then headed back to upper. I know it's all about 'ranges' but the big number changes within a range still cause me concern.
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I would actually argue that Gryphen's numbers have improved. Her pre-shots are down below 120-130 now! Alphy's numbers are the same as they were. Grphyen has flatted out while Alphy is still bouncing.

bobjoh said:
Never quite that easy with my girls...Alphy dropped to a 65 (on the AT2) at AMPS +3, so I fed her some HC and called the vet. She's doing fine, but gave me a scare. She wasn't acting odd, I was just getting some numbers my vet asked for. Until I can see the new vet on April 26 I'm juggling meters on occasion. :(
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Is this today? 65 is slightly below the normal range on the AT. Guess she has earned a reduction. Best not to switch between meters though. Brings in too much variance in the readings.
 
Bandit's Mom said:
Is this today? 65 is slightly below the normal range on the AT. Guess she has earned a reduction. Best not to switch between meters though. Brings in too much variance in the readings.
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Yes 65 was today. When I have to get numbers my vet asks for, I do one poke, two meters. (If I can, of course...not always possible.) I have a different spreadsheet for my vet...I don't put the AT2 numbers in the online sheet that I normally use. That would be a nightmare!! My vet won't use the human meter readings, hence my appointment coming up on 4/26.
 
Marina & Chico said:
We follow this home made recipe, but you can buy commercial options as well. If you are interested i will gather some more information to share with you.

65? you don't have the value on the SS, was it today? You did very well to have given her HC food to increase her value. When did you measure after +3
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If they still keep itching, I'll take you up on the raw info. It's just tough with 4 cats, and everyone being super picky!! :p

I didn't put the 65 on the sheet since it's a different meter. After I fed the HC, I tested again in an hour (+4), and she's at 113 on the AT2. Normally I would have gotten the human meter readings, too, but it just wasnt happening today. :arghh:
 
bobjoh said:
Yes 65 was today. When I have to get numbers my vet asks for, I do one poke, two meters. (If I can, of course...not always possible.) I have a different spreadsheet for my vet...I don't put the AT2 numbers in the online sheet that I normally use. That would be a nightmare!! My vet won't use the human meter readings, hence my appointment coming up on 4/26.
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was there a reading with the human meter for the +3 ?
 
bobjoh said:
If they still keep itching, I'll take you up on the raw info. It's just tough with 4 cats, and everyone being super picky!! :p
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I remember you saying that it is challenging to change 4 cats diet that's why i said if you will want more info :D

bobjoh said:
I didn't put the 65 on the sheet since it's a different meter. After I fed the HC, I tested again in an hour (+4), and she's at 113 on the AT2. Normally I would have gotten the human meter readings, too, but it just wasnt happening today. :arghh:
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I would put all the numbers you have in the SS with the note that it is AT, its a pity for us not to see all values there were tested. Without numbers it is difficult for anybody to give you dosing advice because if we look at your SS today there is no reason for a dose decrease.

On the forum the practice is to test 20 min after you read a value below 68 on AT (50 on a human meter) to make sure they start going up and then another 2 times 20 min apart just to make sure they don't go sliding back down when the effect from the HC food is worn out.
 
Marina & Chico said:
I remember you saying that it is challenging to change 4 cats diet that's why i said if you will want more info :D

On the forum the practice is to test 20 min after you read a value below 68 on AT (50 on a human meter) to make sure they start going up and then another 2 times 20 min apart just to make sure they don't go sliding back down when the effect from the HC food is worn out.
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I will definitely keep you posted on the food!!

I didnt see that about the 20 minute intervals!! Dangit! Going to test again right now!!
 
bobjoh said:
Done!
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Please change the font colour to black in the lime cell? Can't read the text. Either it's my computer or my eyes! :-)

Feeding at regular intervals - especially in the first couple of hours of the cycle could prevent some of those dives. Are they free fed?
 
Bandit's Mom said:
Please change the font colour to black in the lime cell? Can't read the text. Either it's my computer or my eyes! :)

Feeding at regular intervals - especially in the first couple of hours of the cycle could prevent some of those dives. Are they free fed?
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Done!! :)

They are fed wet at 5:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 5:30 PM, and 8:30 PM. They are supplemented with the YA in between...roughly 1tbs is put out after each feeding (in each bowl), since Gryphen throws up of she doesn't eat regularly. I also put an extra 1 tbs out overnight (in one bowl) to combat the midnight vomiting. They are creatures of habit and really only eat out of their own bowls...unless it's wet food. That I have to monitor because I have little piggies who will eat anything wet in sight.
 
She seems to be still going down, i would take another reading in half or in another hour. I understand the 113 is on AT but i would expect it to mean min 90 on a human meter so from 90 to 68 still a pretty steep drop for a +5
 
If they like wet, why not switch them entirely to wet? Wet food trumps dry any day!

How about moving that 11:30am/8:30pm feed to 7:30am/pm? So they have some food onboard at onset?
 
Bandit's Mom said:
If they like wet, why not switch them entirely to wet? Wet food trumps dry any day!

How about moving that 11:30am/8:30pm feed to 7:30am/pm? So they have some food onboard at onset?
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Yes, I could move the times...thanks for the suggestion! The not moving to entirely wet issue is because of the vomiting of not eating for several hours. Gryphen will throw up if she doesn't eat overnight, and the other cats will eat the wet food before she can get to it. Auto feeders do not work in my house...I've tried them all, including microchip feeders. I have 3 different feeders gathering dust in my storage room right now. :(
 
Marina & Chico said:
She seems to be still going down, i would take another reading in half or in another hour. I understand the 113 is on AT but i would expect it to mean min 90 on a human meter so from 90 to 68 still a pretty steep drop for a +5
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I had the HC food on the counter, went potty, and Alphy went carb surfing and ate some more. They really like that 'bad' food! I'll test again in an hour, but I would expect her numbers to still be up, and it will be lunch time right after that. :banghead: Looks like she'll be getting a LOT of pokes today!
 
bobjoh said:
I had the HC food on the counter, went potty, and Alphy went carb surfing and ate some more. They really like that 'bad' food! I'll test again in an hour, but I would expect her numbers to still be up, and it will be lunch time right after that. :banghead: Looks like she'll be getting a LOT of pokes today!
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I think a poke half an hour after this HC should be enough. This late in the cycle, it should bump her up enough!
 
Bandit's Mom said:
Have you seen this? Using Food to Manipulate the Curve

LOL. So the other cats like wet food but leave the dry untouched?
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Basically, yes. Wet is a free for all, for 3 of them. The fourth doesn't like pate, she gets a different wet food, and won't eat anything else...or anywhere but her bowl in her spot. It's very weird.

Yes, I saw that, but honestly thought I'd have a lot of time before I needed to start manipulating anything.
 
bobjoh said:
Yes, I saw that, but honestly thought I'd have a lot of time before I needed to start manipulating anything.
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Just move up the wet food feed times. Maybe even break them up into PS, +1, +2 or PS, +2, +4. Front load the cycle.

They may or may not always eat from their bowls when free fed. :-)
 
Bandit's Mom said:
Just move up the wet food feed times. Maybe even break them up into PS, +1, +2 or PS, +2, +4. Front load the cycle.

They may or may not always eat from their bowls when free fed. :)
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I will give that a try...thank you!

I actually have a security camera in my kitchen that catches them when they eat. It's pointed at my deck, and being able to see who/when they are eating is an added bonus! I didn't plan it that way, just got lucky! :joyful:
 
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