03/15 Tiggy AMPS 88 - time for R?

[Wendy&Tiggy(GA)]

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So Tiggy is doing ok I guess. His legs are continuing to decline - he can barely walk now. He stumbles and sits down after maybe 8 steps. He struggles to get up. But what I have noticed is that he is so much better when he is green, and so much worse when he is yellow or pink.

So I want to start getting rid of those and getting more control to force him into green most of the time. I am going to test more but am also thinking of starting R.

0.1IU I think was recommended a while back by a few people - Giving it at the start of a bounce. And not near nadir.

Anything else I should know?

Wendy

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

Can you test enough to be able to use R, Wendy? It's a great tool, but you've got to test hourly for the first 4 hours when using it until you have enough data to be confident in predicting what it will do. Often the results of R really show up in the next cycle.

Usually when people use R it's to lower the range a little to allow the Lev/Lantus to work better. It doesn't take the place of having the L dose be pretty accurate. I haven't heard of someone wanting to use it to keep a cat in green before.

What else are you doing for his leg weakness? Is he on Zobaline?

Let me get some other experienced folks to weigh in on whether or not it's a good thing for Tiggy.

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

I read through your last few posts and saw it's something like ALS or MS that's making his legs weak. Just stabbing in the dark, but have you looked at any of the meds used on people with those diseases? I think if he's declining like this there is nothing really to lose by trying something experimental.

Where are you located? Do you have a veterinary college near you?

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Her nearest vet university would be in Guelph. I noticed that they have an emerging research program in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Might be worth touching base with them. Veterinary colleges are generally inexpensive.

 

[mariko]

Hi Wendy,
Sending many vines for Tiggy.

 

[Wendy&Tiggy(GA)]

Yes its like degenerative myelopathy in dogs - or Lou Gehrigs/ALS in humans.

We are giving him a variety of vitamins (B, C, E, co-enzyme Q10, NAC) as recommended by the specialist (with the caveat they probably won't work and sure enough they don't seem to) but it makes us feel less useless.

I have zobaline on order which may help with the weakness a little since 10% of this is diabetic neuropathy. The large majority is this condition though - I should video him again so you can see.

If I do give R I will be testing like crazy.

Good idea about Guelph - I will ask my vet if he has a contact there.

 

[Marje and Gracie]

IMHO, Wendy, you don't have enough data right now to use R. You have to know his lev onset, nadir, and duration so you can lay an R curve over the lev curve. There might be other times in the cycle that it would not be a good idea to give Tiggy R.

You are correct that the nadirs of the two insulins can't overlap but if Tiggy onsets quickly from lev and drops, than giving R whe the lev onsets might not be a good idea either.

We usually use R at the beginning of a bounce to keep the BG from going up more. I think if you want to use it to keep Tiggy in green numberd, I'd be more comfortable if you PMd Jill and Libby.

Sending prayers for Tiggy.

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

I took punkin to our local university vet school when he developed a growth in his mouth. They were great and no more expensive than a regular vet. I'd look into it if I were you.