09/03 Cooper AMPS 251 +2 270 +6 232 +8.5 237 PMPS 442 +2 346 +4 278 +5.25 286

Gabrielle17

Gabrielle17

Member Since 2023
Good morning! :coffee:

I will increase to 6U tonight, correct?

I am wondering why his numbers seem so stagnant lately. Sometimes in 2 hours they will only move by one point. (I've checked my that my reader is functioning properly with the control fluid multiple times to be sure.) Does this mean anything or is this just another one of those inexplicable enigmas of this disease? :rolleyes:

Yesterday's thread:
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/09-02-cooper-pmps-378-3-5-263-6-226-8-225.281111/
 
Yes increase to 6 units tonight.

When one of our cats gets to 6 units we recommend the caregiver think about getting them tested for a couple of conditions that can cause the BGs to remain high even with higher doses of insulin.

One of them is IAA which is Insulin Auto Antibodies. Here is an explanation if IAA
When insulin is injected into a diabetic cat, the body views it as a foreign substance and the immune system sets out to destroy the "invader" insulin, just as it would destroy cold and flu viruses. When this happens to injected insulin - most of it never reaches the bloodstream thus being unable to control blood glucose. Insulin doses may be increased but the immune system only goes into higher gear and continues to effectively destroy any additional injected insulin. Over time this becomes officially known as insulin resistance.
It is usually self limiting and resolves within a year…to the best of my knowledge.

The other condition is acromegaly…
Here is an explanation
Acromegaly is long-term excessive secretion of growth hormone (GH) from a tumor in the pituitary gland in the brain. In cats, these tumors grow slowly and may be present for a very long time before you notice any changes in your cat. The medical term for acromegaly is hypersomatotropism. The excess growth hormone causes the liver to make another hormone called Insulin-Like Growth Factor -1 (IGF-1). It's this hormone that causes the problems seen in acromegalic cats, such as diabetes.

The tumour is benign and there are now several treatments for this.
I am going to tag @Wendy&Neko as she is our expert on this and she can explain both further and tell you about the tests for both IAA and acro you can get done.
It is possible that Cooper is neither, but I think it is a good idea to get him tested so that if he does test positive to one of them, you can act on it…knowledge is power.
 
They are specific tests that are sent away to a particular university. Wendy will tell you, your vet most likely will not know.
Wendy lives on the west coast so wont be around for a few hours .
 
Bron is correct about testing for those two conditions. Recent research has found that about 1 in 4 diabetic cats has acromegaly. My Neko had both it and IAA. There are some cats that have those conditions on less than 6 units, but when cats get up to that dose, and are eating all low carb wet or raw and have no other conditions present, then it's a good idea to get the tests done. The blood work goes to Michigan State University. It's the only place in North America that does the tests. Hopefully your vet has an account there. The vet can send blood to Idexx who will send it to MSU, but that will cost a lot more. We've even had people who have dealt with MSU directly, after getting the vet to do the blood draw.

Your observation about stagnant numbers is a good one. Insulin resistance (in whatever form), can make it seem like you are filling the syringes with water. Cooper is starting to see more yellow preshots at least, so that's a good sign. Whatever is causing a cat to need higher doses of insulin, there is a dose out there that will eventually get them into good numbers. Just keep following the dosing method, and you'll get there. :bighug:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top