12/19 Cobb AMPS 451 +2 495 +6.5 396 PMPS 433 dosecrease??

[Suzanne & Cobb(GA)]

Yesterday

Julie and Ella (and Rusty, of course!), thanks so much for your encouragement last night. Once you pointed out we've only been doing TR for a month, especially after the possible overdoses from the vet and dry food, etc., I was much less discouraged, although I chalk some of that up to my not feeling well either!

Here's a recap of last night:
PMPS:395
+2: 433
+7.5: 65 OR 415
+10: 379

So, my husband took Cobb's BG at +7.5 this morning. He's (Cobb's daddy) does very well with the ear pricks and doesn't usually have a problem getting blood. Plus, the ReliOn meter won't read the BG if there isn't enough blood (something the iPet meter would, we think). So his first reading was a 65. He figured (based on history) that he had done something wrong so he did it again and it was at 415. That is well outside the 20% meter variance that we've discussed. I've taken two readings back to back within the last week and they were fairly similar so this is a bit confusing. Did something go wrong with the meter? Could the reading really have been 65? Given Cobb's history, I highly doubt it, but I wanted to give y'all all the information we have.

Also a few updates on Cobb's eating, behavior and litter box habits.

My DH is the one that changes the litter box (thank you pregnancy and toxoplasmosis fears, haha). He told me yesterday that he has used 1/2 the amount of litter that he had been using prior to us changing food and doing TR protocol. So that's good news, yes??

Also, Cobb has only been eating 1/2 of what I've been giving him in the mornings. I know I've been overfeeding, but he has seemed so hungry. So this morning I only gave him 1/2 a can, as opposed to the whole can I've been doing previously. Do you think his body is adjusting and he's not starving any more? I know we'd like to get it to 1/2 a can twice a day. We definitely aren't there yet. With the 1/2 can in the morning, we'll be down to 2 cans of the Friskies Special Diet a day. I'm thinking I may be able to reduce his 8pm feeding as well, although right now he is eating all of that.

Finally...behavior change. I usually rock the baby to sleep in his room. The past two nights Cobb has come in to the room and stood by the chair to get some love as well. (I'm always nervous because I don't want him using the baby's room as a litter box like he had been doing to our living room downstairs -- although that also stopped when we switched to wet food and we got obsessive about cleaning the carpet, which we'll eventually have to replace).

So although his numbers aren't reflecting it just yet, I'm guessing the 3 changes I mentioned above point to Cobb feeling better, yes? I know he's more than numbers, although I'd like those to fall in line as well. But as mentioned able, putting everything into time perspective, I'm much calmer and less frustrated about it now!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the low reading at +7.5 this morning...

 

[Kim & Twice]

Re: 12/19 Cobb AMPS 451 -- odd reading overnight! ??

Hi Suzanne!

I'm thinking the reading of 65 was just a bad sample, maybe too little blood or not sucked in well. The 415 looked right on track.
As for the rest, he is eating less, peeing less and more sociable..Yup I would say Cobb is feeling pretty FINE! ;-) Great job! And now that he feels so good, he will be able to make great use of his happy juse
Just one thing to note. Dr. Lisa P has a bit of a write up about helping cats lose weight. Not sure if you seen it (I will post it when I find it), but she just reminds us to be careful that we are feeding enough and not cutting down too quickly (fatty liver).

Congrats to DH for being an awesome helper to you! Sounds like a great man

Keep up the great work Suzanne!

 

[Kim & Twice]

Re: 12/19 Cobb AMPS 451 -- odd reading overnight! ??

I copied the whole article because it's awesome Here
I have it bookmarked on my computer at home for easy finding

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Re: 12/19 Cobb AMPS 451 -- odd reading overnight! ??

Less peeing is a good thing as is the decrease in appetite. Both are indications that the insulin is doing it's job.

I tend to think the 65 was a bad test or bad strip. It happens sometimes. Your DH did exactly what I would have suggested -- retesting if you see a number that seems out of whack.

You might think about spreading out Cobb's food. A lot of us give several smaller meals during the early part of the cycle.

 

[Suzanne & Cobb(GA)]

Re: 12/19 Cobb AMPS 451 -- odd reading overnight! ??

Less peeing is a good thing as is the decrease in appetite. Both are indications that the insulin is doing it's job.

I tend to think the 65 was a bad test or bad strip. It happens sometimes. Your DH did exactly what I would have suggested -- retesting if you see a number that seems out of whack.

You might think about spreading out Cobb's food. A lot of us give several smaller meals during the early part of the cycle.

Yes, I was doing that. But he takes his naps in those early morning hours and the food was going to waste, so I stopped. I'll keep mw eye out if I need to start that again. We do it overnight with a timed feeder now.

 

[Suzanne & Cobb(GA)]

Re: 12/19 Cobb AMPS 451 +2 495 +6.5 396 PMPS 433

I forsee another dosecrease in our future. Does anyone see the need to give him another 2 cycles to adjust to a new dose? Or continue on increasing every 4 cycles?

It doesn't look like we've had any kind of active cycle in awhile. Stubborn cat...

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

Re: 12/19 Cobb AMPS 451 +2 495 +6.5 396 PMPS 433 dosecrease?

I'd give him at LEAST 1 more cycle at 5.5...that's only 4 cycles and even on a fast tracked cat, it's usually the absolute minimum

He sure is a stubborn fellow!!

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

Re: 12/19 Cobb AMPS 451 +2 495 +6.5 396 PMPS 433 dosecrease?

glad to hear he's feeling pretty good and having some better signs.

i'd agree that the 65 was probably a bad strip. it happens occasionally. your DH was smart to retest.

i'd continue to stick with the 4 cycles and increase by 0.5u until we see some better numbers. we've seen nothing to say that he's at a good dose yet. Just don't want him to stay in these high numbers any longer than absolutely necessary. When i look back at his ss, he had better numbers on 10u than he's had since the dose was reduced.

when ella was commenting about waiting the 6 cycles, that is normally what we do to let a dose settle in. But Cobb's situation is a little different because of him arriving here on 10u. if a dose is going to do anything, we'd see it within the 4 cycles and then slow down, just as we did when we saw the 200ish on 4u last week. the purpose of dropping his dose was to make sure a good dose wasn't missed on the way up to 10u, but staying 4 cycles on each dose will be enough to let us know if the dose is going to work.

If you haven't seen it yet, i collected a bunch of articles regarding glucose toxicity a couple of years ago here. Feline Diabetes and Glucose Toxicity Not sharing this to scare you, just to educate you on why we don't want to delay on his dosing cycles any longer than is necessary until we get him into better numbers.