? 7/16 Chispa: Heat, humidity, and high numbers

Karen and Chispa (GA)

Karen and Chispa (GA)

Very Active Member
Hi everyone! It's been a while ... I hope all kitties and their humans are doing well and not roasting too much in the summer heat! Here in Maine, it's been HOT and HUMID. Chispa has been spending the days stretched out flat under the ceiling fan, not moving unless necessary. This heat wave has taken the starch out of both of us.

At the same time, her BG has been trending higher -- often it rises from preshots to +3 and even +5 -- and I'm wondering if the correlation between heat and high numbers is a coincidence or an actual known thing. I tried googling this but couldn't find any helpful cat-specific answers, so I am turning to the always-helpful FDMB for information. Has anyone else experienced this?

(FWIW, I'd like to increase, but the wonderful internist said last week that he would like me to keep the dose at 1 unit for now, to eliminate as many variables as possible while Chispa is being treated for suspected SCL. I might call him and do it anyway because I don't think these mid-200s are healthy, even on SLGS.)

Many thanks for any input!

@Wendy&Neko
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

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Hi! Thanks for the sweet pic.:kiss:

Any chance she's a bit dehydrated in the heat? That can impact BG's. I also see comments on possible fur shots. Any idea which days? I'd also think about a few more spot checks, in case you are only testing when she's bouncing. Higher +3's could also be bounce or partial fur shot.

What dose of ondansetron is she getting? Just wondering if there is nausea at play. Not sure why the pred was reduced? It's too early is SCL treatment to reduce the pred, which can help support her until the chlorambucil starts to do it's thing. Good to see she's on the every two week chlorambucil dosing. :) You might want to think about adding Cerenia into the picture for a while to help with the vomits. Unset tummy might also impact her numbers.

Agreed on the increase - her nadirs (plural) should be in the 90-149 range, and they aren't. Modifying her insulin dose will not impact her SCL. But it's not great for her CKD to stay so high. And she may be peeing more as a result, hence more dehydration. Remember, you hold the syringe, not the internist. I really liked Neko's IM, but dosing was my domain. Neko was mostly regulated on TR while being treated for SCL.

Give Chispa a cuddle from me. We have a heat pump, but kitty still likes to hang out in the solarium heat. Cats!
 
Hi Wendy! Thanks so much for your reply. Dehydrated seems like a reasonable suspicion -- she is drinking a lot and peeing A LOT -- but I just did the test of lifting the skin on her scruff, and it snapped right back into place. I'm not sure exactly when the fur shots happened (or even if they happened), but my best guess would be 3x between 7/10 and 7/14. That would also correlate with some of the recent higher numbers.

For ondansetron, I'm giving her 1 pill 3x/day, starting the night before she gets the chlorambucil and continuing for three days after. Does that sound about right for a 5.2 kg cat?

The internist wanted me to reduce the pred; getting her off of it entirely is a recurring theme with him. He hopes the chlorambucil will reduce the systemic inflammation, which in turn could pave the way for her to go into FD remission. That would make him very happy (me too), but he says it can't or won't happen as long as she is on pred.

How long should it take the chlorambucil to really kick in? Her weight has been holding steady since the middle of May, but I would like to see her put a few ounces back on, maybe just enough to not feel her backbone.

I do think I will increase the dose tomorrow morning. Thank you for your encouragement.
Chispa says thanks for the cuddle and sends a purr in return! :cat::bighug:
 
Hi Karen!
I did wonder about the heat and BG myself.
It's been a brutal summer here although we have dry heat.
Inside the house isn't bad, but you know, they wear such thick and fluffy coats!

Good luck with the increase.
So good to hear from you. Mikan sends her :kiss::kiss::kiss: to Chispa!
I send you :bighug::bighug::bighug: too ;)
 
Hi Karen and Chispa, it’s so nice to see you both. Love the sweet pic of Chispa. please give her belly rubs for us.

Hope she’s feeling well and you’re doing well. Sending you both hugs. Stay cool and feel good :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Aww, Chispa looks so sweet....I know that Jack and Mopem (my GA sugar kitty) both experience/ed higher BG numbers when it's hot. I hope you get some relief from the weather soon, and some answers for her other issues. Sending hugs and prayers :bighug:
 
Karen and Chispa said:
For ondansetron, I'm giving her 1 pill 3x/day, starting the night before she gets the chlorambucil and continuing for three days after. Does that sound about right for a 5.2 kg cat?
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I presume 1 pill = 4 mg? You can give 1 mg/kg 3-4 times a day of ondansetron. Give the second one about 1/2 hour before the chlorambucil as it doesn't last that long in a cat. How long the nausea effects a cat is ECID. I've had two now that felt it until day 5 so had to give ondansetron a little longer.

Chlorambucil can take 4 months to kick in, plus or minus, looks like you are half way there. The reason I thought the pred reduction was too soon is that she's still vomiting fairly regularly. That shows the chlorambucil is still a "work in progress".
 
Wendy&Neko said:
I presume 1 pill = 4 mg? You can give 1 mg/kg 3-4 times a day of ondansetron. Give the second one about 1/2 hour before the chlorambucil as it doesn't last that long in a cat. How long the nausea effects a cat is ECID. I've had two now that felt it until day 5 so had to give ondansetron a little longer.

Chlorambucil can take 4 months to kick in, plus or minus, looks like you are half way there. The reason I thought the pred reduction was too soon is that she's still vomiting fairly regularly. That shows the chlorambucil is still a "work in progress".
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Hi Wendy -- yes, 4 mg. I didn't know ondansetron could be given as often as 4x/day, so thanks for that. I'll also try giving it to her for a couple more days after the dose to see if that helps.

About the vomiting, it seemed like the chlorambucil started working immediately, since she vomited only once in the first four weeks she was on it. But it was only luck, for she returned to her regularly scheduled barfing as of the third and fourth doses. I'll put on my patience pants, knowing it could be another couple of months before we see the full effects.

In better news, looks like the increase to 1.25 U was just the ticket: she started the day at 264 and had dropped to 118 by +4. Minor miracle! :):cat:
 
Put on patience rug cleaning pants or add Cerenia to the mix to help with vomits. My SCL kitties, all three vomiters, stopped almost right away with higher doses of steroid. Though Neko was on budesonide due to her heart condition, same thing, it helped almost right away.

Nice 118. :cool:
 
Hi Karen! I am glad to read you, sorry that Chispa is not well. I hope the increase will help.
I hate when it is hot and humid, I feel physically sick, I would nit be surprised if cats react to the humidity too. Not the heat, I see Bella lay down in the sun or by the heat vents in the winter, but it’s dry heat.
 
Hi! So it's gotten hot here a few days this summer, I would say in the 90-103 range. I don't have central ac either and haven't put in the window units yet. What I do is, if the temperature inside is cooler close all windows and put a box fan in front of my cat with a lot of room behind it so it can at least circulate cooler air on her. Once it gets later and it's cooler outside than inside, I put the box fan in a window and blast it on her and open all the other windows. So, basically, invest in some cheap box fans, they do make a difference! I've managed to keep Snits pretty comfortable.
 
cecile & bella said:
Hi Karen! I am glad to read you, sorry that Chispa is not well. I hope the increase will help.
I hate when it is hot and humid, I feel physically sick, I would nit be surprised if cats react to the humidity too. Not the heat, I see Bella lay down in the sun or by the heat vents in the winter, but it’s dry heat.
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Hi Cecile! Chispa is a noticeably different cat from morning (when everything has cooled off overnight) to afternoon (when it's hot again). Come to think of it, so am I. ;)
I hope you and Bella are doing great and keeping as cool as possible! :bighug::cat::bighug:
 
Snits said:
Hi! So it's gotten hot here a few days this summer, I would say in the 90-103 range. I don't have central ac either and haven't put in the window units yet. What I do is, if the temperature inside is cooler close all windows and put a box fan in front of my cat with a lot of room behind it so it can at least circulate cooler air on her. Once it gets later and it's cooler outside than inside, I put the box fan in a window and blast it on her and open all the other windows. So, basically, invest in some cheap box fans, they do make a difference! I've managed to keep Snits pretty comfortable.
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Hi Steph --Thanks for this. I'm impressed that you've managed to keep Snits cool with only fans in such heat! I do have one high-powered floor fan that I place near Chispa in the daytime -- she parks herself under the ceiling fan in the living room, so she's getting air from two directions -- but she has a thick coat and I think the humidity gets to her even so. The summers here are getting hotter, like everywhere it seems, so maybe it is time to add another fan.
Have a great day and give Snits a skritch from me! :):cat:
 
Karen and Chispa said:
Hi Cecile! Chispa is a noticeably different cat from morning (when everything has cooled off overnight) to afternoon (when it's hot again). Come to think of it, so am I. ;)
I hope you and Bella are doing great and keeping as cool as possible! :bighug::cat::bighug:
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We are doing well, thank you! It was hot and humid forn 2 days after a huge storm this weekend, we're lucky our power did not go out, most of our neighbors lost it for over 48 hours. Now it is cool and breezy., barely 70 degrees, I love it :-)
 
cecile & bella said:
We are doing well, thank you! It was hot and humid forn 2 days after a huge storm this weekend, we're lucky our power did not go out, most of our neighbors lost it for over 48 hours. Now it is cool and breezy., barely 70 degrees, I love it :)
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That sounds positively purrrrfect. Enjoy the cool breezes, and send some our way please! :):cat:
 
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