1/20 Buddy AMPS 257, +6 295

[Kelly and Buddy]

Previous Post

@Wendy&Neko @Bobbie And Bubba @Sue and Luci - I'm going to reference some comments/questions you all made in the previous post because they are very relevant for today.

Buddy is a hot mess. I feel like it's one step forward, 5 steps back. Yesterday morning, when I got up to do his AMPS, he took a few steps out of his room and then completely fell over. He got back up, walked to the counter where we test and shoot and, before I could get to him, fell again trying to get up. His BG was where I expected (256). I fed him and gave insulin. As the morning went on, he seemed normal and I did not see any more issues with walking or jumping.

Later in the day, my son left he cabinet with our garbage can unsecured and, SHOCKER, Buddy opened it, climbed in and drug out a chunk of molded cheese that I found in the back of a deli drawer in our fridge. He didn't eat a lot but he definitely got some. Then last night, I (like a complete idiot) left a stick of butter out to soften before making homemade bread. Came back later and found only pieces of the wrapper on my dog's bed. Buddy must have found it, opened it, and then licked it off the counter to the floor where Bella, the dog, happily finished it off. I has hoping he didn't eat too much but now, after countless piles of the most repulsive diarrhea, I'm thinking Buddy might just have eaten the whole stick - or close to it. I had a hard time getting to eat this morning with his AMPS and that NEVER, EVER happens.

In addition to all this, Buddy has a slightly runny nose. Minor clear discharge, no sneezing, no runny eyes so I haven't been too worried yet. Last night, as I was loving on him, I noticed (what I believe was) his right lymph node was huge (as in as large than a marble). Of course, my first thought went to lymphoma but I can't imagine it would have become so large without me noticing. Then I wondered if it might just be because of his cold. Needless to say, I was worried.

Today, the enlarged gland or whatever it was, is completely gone. Buddy doesn't act completely himself but I'm hoping it is just an upset stomach from a stick of butter. Not crazy about his numbers his morning but might be a bounce from last night??

So, here are my questions/concerns (several of which are related to the discussion @Bobbie And Bubba and @Wendy&Neko were having on my previous thread about dosing). I would appreciate any advice/information that anyone has to offer.

1) Any thoughts about the falling over?

2) Would it be unusual for an extremely enlarged lymph gland to completely go down in 8 hours?

3) Dosing. My never ending battle. I am following SLGS because of work schedule. My understanding is/was that anytime he drops below 90, I do a reduction. It seems like every time there is a point where the reduction immediately shoots him right back up and I go through the same process again. I feel like I will never get him regulated.

Like last night, he went below 90 but his numbers were all safe and he almost never drops low in a.m. I did not do the reduction this morning. My question is can I stay at this dose as long as I am able to monitor at night AND his a.m. reading doesn't drop to a really low number (then I would reduce). I feel like he almost needs a higher dose in the a.m. but I know I can't do that.

4) My other question is exactly what Wendy and Bobbie were discussing. If/when I do the reduction and he immediately jumps back to purples and yellows, do I have to wait the full 7 days? I typically try to wait until the weekend to do in increases (since I can monitor much more) but sometimes waiting 7 days keeps him in high numbers for a long time.

5) Final question. It seems very difficult to get a cat into greens using the SLGS method if reductions are to occur when a cat drops below 90 because a 75 or 80 is okay but with SLGS that earns a reduction which seems to almost always put Buddy back out of greens. So, I am okay to skip the reduction and see how Buddy does? Or is this ill advised if I am not around to monitor most of the day?

Sorry for so many questions. Buddy has just decided to throw me a bunch of curveballs lately.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

When was the last time Buddy saw the vet and had bloodwork done? We aren't vets here so can only guess on the falling over and swollen gland. I think those might need vet's eyes on them. Do you ever give l-lysine? It's a good immune booster for cats, might help with the sniffly nose.

As for SLGS, yes it is harder to get a cat into all green numbers following SLGS, but we still see many with blue/green spreadsheets though harder to do with a cutoff of 90. I followed TR, but I couldn't get rid of Neko's higher numbers unless her nadirs were in the 70's. This is one of those times where you have to Know Thy Cat and learn what works for him. SLGS are a set of guidelines that can be modified for what works for your cat. As long as you are leaving lots of food out for Buddy to keep safe while you are at work (and I don't mean protein like cheese or butter ) you could try lowering the reduction point a bit. I wouldn't lower it a lot or play too much with the time to hold a dose, because work means you don't have a clear picture what he is doing during those days. Those guidelines are there for safety.

 

[Kelly and Buddy]

When was the last time Buddy saw the vet and had bloodwork done? We aren't vets here so can only guess on the falling over and swollen gland. I think those might need vet's eyes on them. Do you ever give l-lysine? It's a good immune booster for cats, might help with the sniffly nose.

As for SLGS, yes it is harder to get a cat into all green numbers following SLGS, but we still see many with blue/green spreadsheets though harder to do with a cutoff of 90. I followed TR, but I couldn't get rid of Neko's higher numbers unless her nadirs were in the 70's. This is one of those times where you have to Know Thy Cat and learn what works for him. SLGS are a set of guidelines that can be modified for what works for your cat. As long as you are leaving lots of food out for Buddy to keep safe while you are at work (and I don't mean protein like cheese or butter ) you could try lowering the reduction point a bit. I wouldn't lower it a lot or play too much with the time to hold a dose, because work means you don't have a clear picture what he is doing during those days. Those guidelines are there for safety.

He last saw the vet at the end of November for another bizarre incident where I got up to find him completely disoriented. Head to the ground swinging back and forth just sniffing. He would not respond to anything; just kept his head down and walking crazily around the house. Spent the day with the vet, she did blood work and the only thing of concern was he had a slightly elevated WBC count. As the day progressed, his symptoms slowly went away and by that night, he was back to normal. He was put on a round of antibiotics and has been fine since. My vet loves lysine but I didn't have any but am planning to get some tomorrow.

The problem with Buddy is the only food I can leave out is what I put in a timed feeder. He gets a can of FF in the morning with his shot and then two 40 g feedings of Friskies at +3 and +6. I follow the same routine at night (unless he is dropping into greens; if so, I sometimes feed at +2 and +4 to keep him safe). He gets way more food than an 8 pound cat requires but I have never been able to put weight back on him (he should be about a 13-14 pound cat).

By the way, I seriously laughed out loud when I read your "I don't mean cheese and butter" comment. Too funny!!

 

[Bobbie And Bubba]

Hi Kelly, I really don't know why he would be falling over as you described. And the lump disappearing right after you found it seems so odd as well. A few years ago, my civvie, Forrest, had a lump in his neck and checked out it was a lipoma ( a fatty cyst) and it disappeared one day. Apparently, they can resolve on their own. But, this a just a guess as to what was going on with Buddy. I think a vet visit is in order so you have some peace of mind.

As far as the SLGS, it is harder to get kitties in green numbers following that method, but I understand why you are following it with your schedule.

Lowering the reduction point sounds like a good idea to me as long as you can leave him food through the daytime when you are away. That was the part of the SLGS method that I highlighted on your last thread. I bolded the part of lowering thresholds after you know how you cat is responding to insulin.

Keep in mind these are general guidelines, and they should be personalized to your own cat's response to insulin. If your experience is that your cat does not became hypoglycemic with a dose which is close to her usual, then personal experience should be your guide.

With experience, you may find that lowering these thresholds may work well for your cat. When you have reached that stage, the following guidelines are suggested for Lantus, Basaglar, and Levemir users following the Start Low Go Slow approach:

Now stay out of the garbage and the butter, Buddy!

 

[Kelly and Buddy]

Hi Kelly, I really don't know why he would be falling over as you described. And the lump disappearing right after you found it seems so odd as well. A few years ago, my civvie, Forrest, had a lump in his neck and checked out it was a lipoma ( a fatty cyst) and it disappeared one day. Apparently, they can resolve on their own. But, this a just a guess as to what was going on with Buddy. I think a vet visit is in order so you have some peace of mind.

As far as the SLGS, it is harder to get kitties in green numbers following that method, but I understand why you are following it with your schedule.

Lowering the reduction point sounds like a good idea to me as long as you can leave him food through the daytime when you are away. That was the part of the SLGS method that I highlighted on your last thread. I bolded the part of lowering thresholds after you know how you cat is responded to insulin.

Keep in mind these are general guidelines, and they should be personalized to your own cat's response to insulin. If your experience is that your cat does not became hypoglycemic with a dose which is close to her usual, then personal experience should be your guide.

With experience, you may find that lowering these thresholds may work well for your cat. When you have reached that stage, the following guidelines are suggested for Lantus, Basaglar, and Levemir users following the Start Low Go Slow approach:

Now stay out of the garbage and the butter, Buddy!

 

[Kelly and Buddy]

The falling over was odd. Fortunately, he seems fine now but I am going to touch base with my vet tomorrow. I actually think the lump is still in his neck. I must have been rubbing in the wrong place this morning because I could not feel it at all (not sure how I missed it since it is quite large). Fortunately, he seems to be filling better and his ravenous appetite is also back! So far, BG looks good (although I wish afternoon numbers were lower) so I'm curious to see how low he drops tonight.

Fingers crossed. His evening numbers have looked so good that I'd sure like to keep him in the same general area. Now, compared to Bubba's spreadsheet, we've got nothing, LOL, but for us - we are in a good place.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

A question for you, has Buddy had his B12 and folate tested lately? If it’s low due to the GI disease, maybe he isn’t processing the nutrients in his food properly. Might be why he needs to eat so much. One other thing, did the last blood work include thyroid (T4) tests? Not all vets include those tests but they are a good one for our older kitties.
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[Kelly and Buddy]

A question for you, has Buddy had his B12 and folate tested lately? If it’s low due to the GI disease, maybe he isn’t processing the nutrients in his food properly. Might be why he needs to eat so much. One other thing, did the last blood work include thyroid (T4) tests? Not all vets include those tests but they are a good one for our older kitties.
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I don't think he has B12 or folate test done but I will check. He did have thyroid checked (and has several times since his diagnosis) and it is always normal. He has been on thyroid medicine for years and his current dose still seems to be keeping him at appropriate levels.

 

[Sue and Luci]

Awww...I'm so sorry to hear Buddy isn't doing so well...and unfortunately eating contraband too Poor thing.

Tell him we're thinking of him...sending hugs and scritches for Buddy.