? 1/31 Fred AMPS 326 Fasting dose?

Purrberry

Purrberry

Member Since 2020
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB...s-486-radiologist-report.258560/#post-2907232

@Suzanne & Darcy and Darcy, and everyone else, thanks for your thoughts! It was just a busy day.

Before I start on the rest, Fred's ultrasound is tomorrow. I am so very worried about what will be found. :( But, he has to fast overnight. My vet is telling me to just give him his normal amount. I know if I do that, he'll sink like the Titanic. Should I do half a dose? He does run high, but without food, I know he will drop.

Fred is hanging in, much more chipper in the mornings, though his numbers are all over the place. That's likely also my fault because I never know if he's going to eat enough during the day to keep him safe, so I'm underdosing him. But he's been eating his wet food again (albeit, still rather reluctantly), and his normal amount of dry. This is likely thanks to the ondansetron.

Speaking of the injectable ondansetron, I have the answer to the "burning question" of if it would sting. The short answer is yes, it does sting him a bit. But NOTHING like the Cerenia. He's on 2 ml, which is quite a lot of liquid, and it's only at the end of the injection that he reacts with a little hiss and a jump. He is then fine afterward. I HATE hurting him, and I hate the big needle, (which I fumbled badly yesterday) but the injectable form is working SO much better than the oral. It lasts him about 24 hours, and no Sumo matches.
 
Will they do his ultrasound first thing? When Max needed to fast my vet said no food after midnight but water was fine. He had me skip in the morning. Many here give a half dose. Will they feed him right after?:bighug::bighug::bighug:vetty vines that they don’t find anything.
 
tiffmaxee said:
Will they do his ultrasound first thing?
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Unfortunately, I don't know. They just tell me to drop him off about 8am, and I think it's just done when it's done, as it is a traveling IM vet who comes and performs it. I guess it's based on her schedule.

They did tell me to bring his insulin and food. I assume they will give insulin on time (depending on his #), and feed him right after, yes. He generally never eats at the vet, though. I've warned them that they CANNOT give a full dose to him if he hasn't eaten, but my fear is that falls on busy ears. I will type everything out and bring it with him. They all think I'm nuts there anyway, so what's one more example? ;-) I also "strongly reiterated" they must test him during his stay, and my vet said that of course, they do. But once again, my regular vet will not be in tomorrow, which stinks.

Thank you for the wishes!!
 
Yes. My vet’s staff used to test Darcy’s BG maybe once a day if I was lucky. Sometimes I would pick him up and test him in the car and get a really low number.
 
Ugh. It's a terrible dilemma. My vet practice is great, with AAHA accreditation, and I'm still finding it hard to trust what they'll do in this situation. I don't even know what to tell them. I guess I can only send along instructions and hope they follow them. I have a feeling, though, that this alternate vet who saw Fred on Friday isn't the type who appreciates an educated pet parent.
 
Neko never had to be fasted for ultrasounds. And I gave her full dose in the AM and night before. At what + hour is midnignt? Just wondering how many hours after shot time you have for the cutoff and whether his diving (if any) would be done by then. I'm sure a little karo would be fine if you had to feed him.

I'd consider "forgetting" the insulin and needles at home, unless you want to live with whatever shot time they give him his shot.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Neko never had to be fasted for ultrasounds
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Because the stomach is one of the main areas they are concerned with, my vet wanted it to be empty.

Wendy&Neko said:
I'd consider "forgetting" the insulin and needles at home,
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I was considering doing just that! But then I'd be afraid they'd give him Lantus. :rolleyes:

Wendy&Neko said:
At what + hour is midnignt? Just wondering how many hours after shot time you have for the cutoff and whether his diving (if any) would be done by then.
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Midnight for Fred is +2.5. So not really into the active part of the cycle at all. That's part of the problem. He tends to kick in around +5,+6, which is 2-3:30 AM. If he's willing, I DO intend to stuff him as much as he wants until midnight.

Suzanne & Darcy said:
It won’t hurt to give him a half or token dose or even skip.
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So...are we talking tonight's dose, instructions for the vet tomorrow, or both? I was thinking half or token for tonight, and perhaps a skip or *maybe* a token tomorrow? I just don't trust them. I know they'll ask me what his dose is, I'll say currently 4.25 (which they'll find amusing...the .25 bit), and that's what they'll give him as that's what will be on his chart! :eek:

Olive & Paula said:
What about triaditis? Has anyone mentioned that?
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It was discussed a couple of months after he was diagnosed, but not as of late. I would assume the ultrasound might show that?

My real fear is that there is a true mass...and by that, I'm fearful of mast cell. He has a little cutaneous mast cell on his face that has not been removed due to my vet being hesitant to put him under while he was so unregulated. (I know they should be more confident in doing that, but it worries me they're not) Nothing was mentioned about his spleen in the x-ray, and there was no comment like, "Hey...watch out for that giant tumor!" But x-rays can only detect so much, as we know. I know cutaneous mast cell doesn't generally correlate with visceral mast cell, but it certainly can, from what I've read.

And to top it ALL off, Fred has a cold. Miss Sadie started last week, and I guess she passed it along.

This is a great way to lose weight. I just can't eat.
 
Purrberry said:
I was considering doing just that! But then I'd be afraid they'd give him Lantus.
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I would give instructions "not to be given insulin".

I'm sorry they can't give you more precise instructions on the travelling vet schedule. Last time I had a travelling vet do a GI ultrasound (a week and a half ago), my time slot was 9:20 am and I just hung around outside until she was done 20 minutes later.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
I would give instructions "not to be given insulin".
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So I think what I'll do is give him 2u tonight, and hopefully feed him right up to the limit. For tomorrow, I've typed instructions that say if the ultrasound will be BEFORE noon, and he can/will eat right after, then to give him insulin, but only 2.5u. If it is to be AFTER noon, no insulin. Does that sound like it makes sense?

Wendy&Neko said:
I'm sorry they can't give you more precise instructions on the traveling vet schedule.
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Yes, it's frustrating. I asked, and they said she doesn't call and give them her route/timing until the morning of. Then she calls when she is about 20-30 minutes out. *sigh* They said they'd call me when they get the initial window.

Olive & Paula said:
I would gain weight, being a stress eater.
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The wine cellar is definitely getting depleted, however!
 
I had a previous vet with a travelling ultrasound vet who sounds like the one you are dealing with, had to leave the cat in the AM. I like your plan on shot timing, no way you want to deal with a preshot after noon. The dosing seems low but that's me. ;) Hopefully you can pick him up shortly afternoon too.
 
Ruby’s oncologist did not ask for fasting before her last ultrasound because “it would interfere with her glucose control.” She was also given her full dose of insulin the morning of, but she is not prone to deep dives like Fred.
 
@Suzanne & Darcy His normal shot time is 9:30/9:30. I just hope we have some answers on timing before it gets too off.

@Katherine&Ruby Your oncologist sounds like a wise person. I couldn’t make them understand that I couldn’t possibly give Fred a full dose tonight.

Thank you all for your support. Oh, my boy. My boy, my boy. I am so sick with worry. I do nothing but obsess and google. Everyone’s thoughts and good wishes are so appreciated!
 
Purrberry said:
@Suzanne & Darcy His normal shot time is 9:30/9:30. I just hope we have some answers on timing before it gets too off.

@Katherine&Ruby Your oncologist sounds like a wise person. I couldn’t make them understand that I couldn’t possibly give Fred a full dose tonight.

Thank you all for your support. Oh, my boy. My boy, my boy. I am so sick with worry. I do nothing but obsess and google. Everyone’s thoughts and good wishes are so appreciated!
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Kathleen. I do EXACTLY the same as you. Walk away from the computer tonight! Please. You do not even need to be on this Board any more tonight. Go do something else. You cannot help Fred any more right now by looking up the worst case scenarios. Please. Watch television. Lie down and read. Have a glass of wine or something if you partake. Lie down with Fred if he is ready. I understand. I have done what you are doing now many times. It doesn’t help and almost always I have gone to the worst case and it has been simply self-torment and I have been WRONG!!!
 
Now, having said that. I just FEEL for you SO MUCH! I can relate 100%. I want to just hug you. Hang in there. Fred is tough!
 
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