06/21 Ivana BG=94 at vet visit (routine check-up), labs attached

[Tara & Ivana (GA)]

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This 94 / 5.2 was during Ivana's vet visit today, so given she's still green under stress I'm pretty darn happy with that!

We have noticed Ivana's night vision deteriorating, vet said it's almost certainly due to the CKD. She's been yowling through the night, so we've installed a couple of nightlights around the house in the places she frequents and it's helped to calm her. It looks like she's had a couple of small bleeds in her retinas, but nothing that need addressing at this point.

Was not able to get a blood pressure reading so will need to wait until the Doppler machine arrives. I remember it was difficult to get a reading last time, so not much else to do I guess.

Her specific gravity is better now that last time (yay!), creatinine and urea are both a bit more than last time but the ratio is exactly the same, and phosphorous is only very slightly elevated and still smack-bang in the middle of normal range (no binder necessary) - phew!

Also got her T4 checked for hyperthyroidism, and it was fine too.

Everything else is in normal range, and the vet was really happy with how she is, this was her first check-up since going into remission (and since her CKD diagnosis).

We talked a bit about her diabetes management, and the vet said that the way we treated and managed it is her "gold standard" for all future clients - how cool is that?! She also said Ivana is going super-well for her age, and to keep doing what we're doing.

Labs attached, comments most welcome

ETA: Links to the files in Google Drive are a couple of posts down, if these are too hard to read.

 

[Tara & Ivana (GA)]

For comparison, Ivana's last labs from January this year (when she was diagnosed with CKD and also had unregulated diabetes):

Page 1
Page 2
Page 3

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Good to hear Ivana is doing well with not much change in her blood work.And that you had a successful vet visit. Neko's usually a big ole fail on the blood pressure at the vet too. Though we did manage at the IM vet two visits ago, last time was her usual FAIL! In other words, too stressed and worked up to be valid.

Any chance you can put the labs information into the labs tab on the spreadsheet? The picture is too tiny for me to read. The spreadsheet is also a good way to compare labs from previous dates. You links to the pages in your second post just take me to some Facebook page saying something about linking pages.

 

[Tara & Ivana (GA)]

Any chance you can put the labs information into the labs tab on the spreadsheet?

Yep, will do that later today.

You links to the pages in your second post just take me to some Facebook page saying something about linking pages.

Oh whoops, I copied the links I posted in the CKD Facebook page, I'll edit that.

 

[Tara & Ivana (GA)]

Ok I've fixed those links in the second post, although if the first ones were too small then they will be too probably. Will pop into her spreadsheet soon.

 

[Red & Rover (GA)]

Look at that PHOS number! Well done!

 

[Tara & Ivana (GA)]

Maybe these will be easier to read/zoom in until I can get to the spreadsheet: Page 1, Page 2.

 

[Tara & Ivana (GA)]

Look at that PHOS number! Well done!

I know! So great!

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

I'm looking at that fantastic GLU number!!

Gold standard? I'd say Platinum!! Way to go!!!

 

[Wendy&Neko]

I went over to the iPad and zoomed in there - much easier to read! It's interesting that even though your lab results are Idexx and also the same measurement system as here, the ranges are somewhat different numbers.

 

[Tara & Ivana (GA)]

It's interesting that even though your lab results are Idexx and also the same measurement system as here, the ranges are somewhat different numbers.

Really? Strange. I found it interesting that BG up to 8.84 / 159 is considered in the normal range. I would not want Ivana to get to that level before taking action.

 

[Doodles & Karen]

Happy to hear sweet Ivana is doing so well. Sorry about her eye though. I've mentioned in the past that my mom has Ivana's twin and sadly has the same eye issue. At 16 she's still a sweet girl too. Keep enjoying the beans laps and the falls little girl.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

I found it interesting that BG up to 8.84 / 159 is considered in the normal range. I would not want Ivana to get to that level before taking action.

On the Canadian version, the high end is 9.7 (175), though that is on the lab machine which probably reads closer to that AT than the human meters.

 

[Gill & George]

Great report for Ivana.
Sorry to hear about her eye.

I wonder if the bleed may be diabetes related? In human diabetics abnormal blood vessels develop these blood vessels are 'weak' and prone to bleeding and leaking. If this occurs in cats, what I don't know is what happens to these blood vessels once our kitties go into remission??? (since humans don't go into remission I have no experience with that, except that the better controlled the diabetes the more stable the condition)
This is something I have pondered, and I have tried to get a look at BFG's retinas with my ophthalmascope, but no luck there, he has a bit of cataracts so it makes it hard to visualize fundus, plus he's not compliant when it comes to the examination

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

Great report on Ivana (except for the eye issue - has she been seen by an ophthalmologist?)!

I LOVE what your vet said. Can we clone her and spread her around the world so the rest of us can have someone like that, too? Please?

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Glad the vet visit went well.
What did the vet think the retina bleeds were from? My Burmese Ming GA had retinal bleeds and it was caused by high blood pressure.

 

[Tara & Ivana (GA)]

I've mentioned in the past that my mom has Ivana's twin and sadly has the same eye issue. At 16 she's still a sweet girl too.

Yes you've showed pics before of Ivana's twin sister, gorgeous thing. Interesting that she also has the same eye issue - I was reading in the CKD book I bought that Russian Blue cats get CKD twice as much as most other breeds, does she have that too? That would explain the matching eyes.

On the Canadian version, the high end is 9.7 (175), though that is on the lab machine which probably reads closer to that AT than the human meters.

Wow that's even higher! Isn't it strange that different countries have different tolerances.

I wonder if the bleed may be diabetes related? In human diabetics abnormal blood vessels develop these blood vessels are 'weak' and prone to bleeding and leaking. If this occurs in cats, what I don't know is what happens to these blood vessels once our kitties go into remission??? (since humans don't go into remission I have no experience with that, except that the better controlled the diabetes the more stable the condition)

The vet didn't seem to think so, but seeing that I have no plans for Ivana to come out of remission to test that theory!

Great report on Ivana (except for the eye issue - has she been seen by an ophthalmologist?)! I LOVE what your vet said. Can we clone her and spread her around the world so the rest of us can have someone like that, too? Please?

No opthamologist at this point, however she's going back for a re-check in a month, and if it's worse, then it will need attention. I love Ivana's vet too, she is so lovely. We're even on kiss-on-the-cheek terms now, which I'm not sure is a good thing or a bad thing haha

What did the vet think the retina bleeds were from? My Burmese Ming GA had retinal bleeds and it was caused by high blood pressure.

Vet is fairly certain it was from the CKD, but as we couldn't get a blood pressure reading, can't be 100% certain. However, her last blood pressure check was fine, so that's a good sign, and when we go back in a month the vet should have a Doppler machine by then which is apparently more sensitive. Paws crossed!

I also need to give Miss Ivana a big High Five for being such a good patient - apparently she is one of the easiest cats to get blood from because she just goes limp (from sheer terror, no doubt), but I bet it makes it easier for her that she doesn't struggle.

 

[Tara & Ivana (GA)]

I'm looking at that fantastic GLU number!!

I know, how awesome is it to get a green under vet stress!? Certainly makes my worry over a 4.7 from the other day seem trivial

 

[Tara & Ivana (GA)]

Silly question - when filling out the LABS tab of the spreadsheet, does it go L-R oldest-newest, or newest-oldest?

 

[carfurby (GA)]

Nice vetty report, except for the eye thing. It sounds like you have a great vet.

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

does it go L-R oldest-newest

That's how I see most of them

 

[Tara & Ivana (GA)]

That's how I see most of them

Excellent, ta. I've entered in everything I have, although I don't have today's urology so I'll have to get that sent to me.

Another spreadsheet question - does anyone know how to do the conditional formatting so that results outside the lower and upper norm are highlighted?

 

[Wendy&Neko]

I do my labs L-R newest to oldest, because I like to compare across time to the Idexx range and I use that more often for the last few bloodworks that for the ones years ago. I can't fit all the columns on one screen. For the out of normal values, I just format them so they are red. Lots of examples on Neko's SS Labs page. To the left of the paintbrush tool there is a text colouring tool.

 

[Amy&TrixieCat]

What a great report for Ivana!!! And very cool that the vet was so impressed with your treatment of her FD, too!! As Tricia said, we need more vets like that!

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

does anyone know how to do the conditional formatting so that results outside the lower and upper norm are highlighted?

Do you want to color the text or the cell? If it's the cell, click on the paint bucket in your taskbar, if it's text click on the A to the left of that, and scroll down to Conditional Formatting. A box will appear at the right of your screen, showing the formatting that already exists (if any). Click on "Add New Rule" and fill out the form. If you're not sure what to put in a field, go back to your SS and click on any cell and then follow the above steps to bring up the box and see what is in those fields.

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

I am not sure where I saw this but I thought the vision issue with FD is not very common--- is it possible it is a cataract that could be removed? or just natural aging process??
I know it is very common with dogs and humans-
Glad to see she is loving the greens!

 

[Tara & Ivana (GA)]

I am not sure where I saw this but I thought the vision issue with FD is not very common--- is it possible it is a cataract that could be removed? or just natural aging process??

It's from the CKD, not the FD. Although I suppose in the end it doesn't really matter what it's from, the management is what counts. Thankfully not cataracts, and yes ageing is probably a factor too, she's getting on a bit

 

[Gill & George]

I am not sure where I saw this but I thought the vision issue with FD is not very common--- is it possible it is a cataract that could be removed?

I read that too, and then when I've read again it seems there is conflicting info. My vet said cataract wasn't usual in FD either, but BFG definitely has it (I've been able to see that much), whether it's FD related or not who knows, could be familiar, could be traumatic or from UV exposure and could be due to high glucose. I'll never know. For now the only risk factor we can manage is the FD, I don't think he will take to wearing sunnies

Although I suppose in the end it doesn't really matter what it's from, the management is what counts

You are right Tara, in the end managing the fd and ckd is all you can do for the moment, in either case that's what's going to keep her looking and feeling great.