1/8 Taffy (high dose) amps 436 +3 373 +6 228 +8 219 +10 387

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taffysmom

taffysmom

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I really need to start posting here more often to get feedback. Her numbers make my head spin :dizcat . Still waiting to hear back from vet on fPL and IG1 or whatever they are called for the pancreas and acro that were sent off right before Thanksgiving - sent her an email today. Seems about once a month we get the runny grayish looking poo and then it clears up and we are good for a while. Slowly seeing some lower numbers for her but also some high ones mixed in. The amount of insulin she is getting is killing my pocketbook but she needs what she needs. The Prozinc is running me around $140/bottle and it only lasts 4-5 weeks - does anyone get is cheaper in the US?
 
Re: 1/8 Taffy (high dose) amps 436 +3 373 +6 228

Hi Scarlett....

Here is a link for ProZinc. Is around $120 including shipping. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9790
I will search around for other sources.

Wow...your vet hasn't gotten back to you with the test results yet? It has been since November?!?! :shock:
Knowing the results would surely help us understand more about what is going on with Taffy.
 
Re: 1/8 Taffy (high dose) amps 436 +3 373 +6 228 +8 219

Thanks! I forgot about foster smith...I KNOW! thought it could have been b/c of holidays and rotating schedules since it is a vet school but maybe it's good news that I haven't heard back from her - you know they always call first thing when it's bad
 
Re: 1/8 Taffy (high dose) amps 436 +3 373 +6 228

Yes, she really does bounce around. It will be nice to find out if there is something wrong - all the litter box notations seem to suggest there is definitely something going on. Was she tested for IBD?
 
Re: 1/8 Taffy (high dose) amps 436 +3 373 +6 228 +8 219 +10

She has not been tested for IBD. I don't think it really happens enough or at least not enough for me to get too concerned (yet) She will go a couple of weeks with everything ok. I just kept track of it on the spreadsheet b/c I can't remember what happened yesterday :lol: and maybe just maybe I will find patterns. For instance, DH was out of town for a few days (and she LOVES him - mopes around when he isn't here) and he came home last night so she got all excited - this morning runny poo. It always seems to happen when something outside of normal routine day goes on. I started adding the Fortiflora in her food about 4 days ago so don't think that is it - nothing else diet wise has changed. Luckily at the first sign of runnies I give her a 1/4 Pepcid AC and it stops it. Bought the Metamucil but haven't tried adding that yet as it is not a daily problem. Did you notice the last 2 numbers I changed in the subject line? WTH?? It's a big swing. She will probably be in the 400s again by pmps time
 
Re: 1/8 Taffy (high dose) amps 436 +3 373 +6 228 +8 219 +10

Yes, she certainly had a big drop this cycle. There are just no rhyme or reason - few patterns at all - to her cycles. The same dose creates numbers all over the place. Generally you are getting a smile shaped cycle - the lower numbers in the middle - and she doesn't often bounce into the reds, which is good.

You aren't seeing any dangerous lows. You could increase the dose. It might bring things down lower overall or it might cause bigger bounces. No way to know till you try.

She sure seems to be a large gulp kitty. I think you have seen the symptoms for acro and other high dose conditions, right? Does she match any of the symptoms? (I am assuming this is one of the tests you are waiting for?)
 
Re: 1/8 Taffy (high dose) amps 436 +3 373 +6 228 +8 219 +10

The acro test is one of the ones I am waiting on. She has always been a big girl. Before diagnosis she stayed around 14 lbs and was not fat...anywhere. She was 12lbs when I brought her home with me at 1 year old and I had been around her since she was about 4 months old. Since diagnosis she has fluctuated between 10-12 lbs and looks too skinny (too me). She is thin on hind end hip area which makes the front end of her appear bigger but honestly I don't think she is. Feeding her 4 cans of fancy feast a day seems to help maintain the 11 lbs I think she is at now. What I have noticed over the last year is her nails seem to grow like crazy and they ARE bigger and longer than they were when she was younger. They don't shed like they should and she uses the scratchy boxes and her post constantly. I usually have to cut thru those to get to the actual nail before they grow into her paw. She also started getting the cutaneous horns on her pads. Vets told me it was normally a thyroid problem but several tests have come back normal for that. It was what they thought was originally wrong with her. Anytime we see a new vet (on our 3rd one) its the first thing they try to tell me is causing the issue - until the thyroid comes back OK. All blood work keeps coming back ok except BG. She is a big cat but she has always been big and doesn't seem to be getting any bigger to me. But maybe the signs are too subtle for me to notice - reason why I asked for that acro test.
I started measuring out her water intake after my pet sitter recommended it. I think her normal is in the 1/2 c to 2/3 c range (not sure how that is supposed to rate on an average intake scale for cats) Part of the problem is she is always dunking her mice in the bowl and they soak up a lot of water - so when there is more out of the bowl it's hard to say if she is really drinking that much or if the mice went swimming. So I try to remember to write down the pee clumps too - at least if I know there is an increase there then the water increase is more accurate. But I do want to say she is very active cat, feisty, eats well and acts well in lieu of litter box issues and high BG (by acting well I do not mean her niceness level - she has true tortitude in spades :lol:
In all the years I have had her there has been 1 time when she noticeably did not feel well. She ate a corn husk part of her toy and it made her barf all day - once it got out of her system she was back to herself.
Even during the few vomit/diarrhea episodes we have had, as soon as she puked she came asking for more food. She will eat anytime it is offered to her. But only starts begging now about 1/2-1 hour outside of normal feeding time.
I think I just rambled too much...haha..sorry! but maybe this info will help a little
Thanks!!
 
Re: 1/8 Taffy (high dose) amps 436 +3 373 +6 228 +8 219 +10

Just received email back from vet. Test is positive for pancreatitis. The acro test however left the facility but did not make it where it was supposed to go. So I need to take her in for another blood draw - although with this news I am suspecting less acro condition but who knows. With this cat she could have that too. So...that answers one question and I'm glad I pushed for that test because when I asked for it in November the vet thought I was crazy b/c Taffy wasn't showing "classic" symptoms. Googling "gray cat poop" made me suspicious it was the pancreas and I was right....listen to your instincts!! So now I'm guessing new diet, supplements and mid day and midnight snacks is in my future. So what are thoughts of the high insulin dosage with the pancreatitis - adjust with flare up? or possibly scale it back since higher dosing isn't really helping?? of course will see what vet suggests too. I could tell she was just as frustrated as I was over the acro test - have a feeling someone will be getting a failing grade at UPenn.
 
Re: 1/8 Taffy (high dose) amps 436 +3 373 +6 228 +8 219 +10

Good for you to keep pushing, Mom. :-D you have proven to be her hero.

Here is a great thread on pancreatitis:

ttp://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=83108

I don't think I have seen pancreatitis associated with high doses of insulin, but I could be wrong. I have a feeling the insulin amounts may turn out to be another issue. There are meds that really help with pancreatitis and it seems to come and go, so it is doable.

As are acro conditions if it comes to that. Grayson and Lu are a great resource. If you want, I am sure she'd be happy to drop by and give you some info, while you are waiting for the tests.
 
Re: 1/8 Taffy (high dose) amps 436 +3 373 +6 228 +8 219 +10

If you want to stay with your current insulin, you may get better results, even with a positive acro test, if you go to TID dosing. I don't know if you would be able to manage dosing every 8 hours but it was done by some acro owners many yrs ago.

Alternatively, you may get better results with a longer lasting insulin - most acro cats are switched over to Levemir, as it is the longest lasting and does not have the sting that some feel from high doses of Lantus.

Gayle
 
Re: 1/8 Taffy (high dose) amps 436 +3 373 +6 228 +8 219 +10

Hi Scarlett -

Lu-Ann here. Looking at your spreadsheet gives me flashbacks. If you want to check Grayson's SS, pull up the tab when we were on ProZinc, 2 yrs ago. They referred to him as "Swimming in a sea of pinks/reds" - looks like Taffy has the same travel agent!

It's pretty common for our Acro kitties to get pancreatitus - Grayson is having a flare-up right now... in addition to antibiotics giving him pretty flat pink numbers, although he spent nearly 3 months under 200 at the end of 2013 on the lowest dose in 1.5 yrs.

I would definitely have the test run again - and DO NOT let your vet charge you to do it! They need to call MSU (Michigan St U) to get the prepaid mailer, draw & spin the blood, freeze it, and ship it overnight. We did the draw on a Monday (one of the tests was only run on Wednesdays) and had results by late Friday. The insulin resistance dx was no surprise, when you're giving 6u TID (for a short while) with no effect, it's not hard to accept. The Acro dx, however, WAS hard to believe. Grayson had been 22 pounds for more than 3 years... but at the time he was dx w/ FD (Jan 2012) and a positive IGF-1 (Apr 2012) - not a slamdunk dx, but a REALLY REALLY good indicator - he was down to 12 pounds. Looked anorexic - looked really bad. He had IBD issues going on as well. We tried to change foods to the "novel proteins" - not quite as easy to find as Fancy Feast - Duck, rabbit and venison. G had a hard time with the venison (as he does with all red meat), but loved the duck. We got through that, and he was quick to put his weight back on. He's now up to 25.9 pounds.

We have a small but experienced group on Facebook for high dosers/Acro/Insulin Resistant and Cushings. If you'd like to join us over there, send me a PM here and we'll get you set up.

Lu-Ann
 
Re: 1/8 Taffy (high dose) amps 436 +3 373 +6 228 +8 219 +10

Hi Lu Ann :) WOW that spreadsheet of yours just made me cross eyed lol
On a good note - I read on someone else's post about the enzyme's and I bought some (Dr Mercola) and I swear within 24hrs the smell is gone! I mean this cat's poop would wake me from a deep sleep in the middle of the night...since the enzymes - it hardly smells at all!! I am also adding fortiflora to her food but not sure what impact that is having.

I have 3 more weeks to wait for the acro test to come back - its a very long wait!!
I am doing a curve tomorrow to send to vet

I am also going out of town again on Thurs and will be gone for a week and have a pretty busy schedule before leaving but will send you message when I can spend more time putting it together.
Thank you!!
 
Re: 1/8 Taffy (high dose) amps 436 +3 373 +6 228 +8 219 +10

Chronic pancreatitis may over time damage the pancreas and its ability to produce necessary digestive enzymes. Do let your vet know about the enzyme use.
 
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