12/2 Simon AMPS 165; +7.5 105; PMPS 196

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Georgia and Simon (GA)

Georgia and Simon (GA)

Member Since 2010
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Thank y'all for all of your advice this morning. I am feeling better about taking charge of Simon's care and not basing everything on what his vet says. Your real life experiences are truly valuable. I have decided to find another vet that is more open to home testing and working with me on Simon's care. If I hadn't tested Simon's bg that evening when it dropped so low, I would have given him the 4 units and who knows what would have happened overnight while I slept! Thank you Lori for sending me the newbie testing kit -- it came at exactly the right time. I found a cat specific clinic in Atlanta that is not the same one I went to years ago and it is much less expensive. I talked with the staff over the phone and they are very open and in fact encourage home testing. They also don't believe in increasing or decreasing insulin dose based on one bg curve at the vet like my vet did. They are going to call my vet and get his records and I am going for a meeting next week to see if this vet is more of a fit for me and Simon. Another question: don't I have to have an on-going relationship with a vet in order for Simon to get his insulin prescribed for him and also for the syringes?
Thank you again for everything -- felinediabetes.com is a wonderful resource!
Georgia and Simon




Simon is doing great this morning and I'm happy his numbers are looking so good over the last few tests. I am going to try and buy an automatic feeder this weekend so I don't have to come home every day at lunch to give him a little extra food. I can't leave any out when I leave for work because he eats everything right away, no matter how much food you put down.

I am a little stressed about what I should do about my vet. She wanted me to bring Simon in at the end of this week for another curve but the problem is that I have reduced the units she prescribed for Simon (4 units!) and am only doing 1 unit right now. She hasn't been too receptive with the home testing thing and I don't think she is going to be happy with me going against her plan for Simon. Has anyone else had this issue and how should I resolve it? I tried talking to her about home testing and she kind of brushed me off. she also said that 4 units is the right amount for him based on his numbers during the last curve. The bg numbers at the vet were much higher than the average number I get at home. I have always liked her and think she is a good vet, but I don't know how I am going to talk to her about this. I called another vet that I used to go to that deals only with cats, but his consultation fee alone was way above what I can afford. Any advice is appreciated
 
Re: 12/2 Simon AMPS 165 & question about vet

You'll get good advice. I would say that you have learned to do a curve at home and he is doing great. And that you are confident and comfortable and can't thank her enough for all her help! I'd leave the voicemail or message with the receptionist though. Do you need to see the vet for another reason?

I haven't called my vet back but will when we need to go see her for something else. I am gaining confidence in myself so I will be strong enough to be honest if needed. Based on my experience so far that won't be possible. I'm looking for a new vet also - one that is comfortable with home testing and my active involvement in Maverick's care. I do NOT want a white coat big ego vet. Maverick depends on me to find him a partner in his care. So far his two vets that he's had are very intimidating. I need to find a vet that doesn't make me feel really small.

Hugs.
 
Re: 12/2 Simon AMPS 165 & question about vet

I was a vet tech well I guess I still am but recently as of this week quit due to health issues I had worked for my vets for 16 years and they are so backward on FD treatment when Do Lou was Dxd in Nov of 2009 he was put on Novolin and dry DM food and then later Royal canin dry I was running poor Do Lou back and forth to my vet every 3-5 days for BG checks sigh... I did find this board when he was Dx's but I had trouble home testing and well gave up. After 4 months of Do Lou being on N and starting to really go downhill I finally talked my vet into letting me try lantus and I knew we had to hometest but my vets all think hometesting is stressful to the cat and that testing as much as we do is a complete waste of time they only believe in the 8 hour fasting BG and they adjust the insulin dose by this I had to just decide whether to trust this board with Do Lou and go with the very experienced people here or listen to my vets and I chose to ignore my vets. As time went by and my vet we have 13 but Do Lou has one I see the most well when he saw how Do Lou was improving he started to be a little more open to what I was doing BUT he still thinks all the testing I am doing is a waste of time. He put his cat on lantus and shoots blind which to me is just foolish but anyway so yes wanted to share with you it was very hard to work with people that I knew and trusted very much with my cats health that I worked with for many years and had to turn away from their way of thinking for FD treatment but I do not think Do Lou would be doing well today had I not so hang in there
 
Re: 12/2 Simon AMPS 165 & question about vet

Good morning guys! What a nice blue start to the day .. no real advice here about your vet other then what I read on here once, and I believe it was Pat .. that we are our cat's voices and we have to stick up for them .. I hope you feel comfortable enough to talk to your vet ... have a great day!
 
Re: 12/2 Simon AMPS 165 & question about vet

Georgia --

Perry/Sooty are in the Atlanta area. If you're thinking about changing vets, he may be a resource for you.

If you go back to your vet, I'd suggest removing the reference to Simon vomiting from the stress of testing from your SS unless you think that was the case. I've attached an article you can bring to your vet. It's from a leading veterinary journal and it includes the dosing protocol that we use. I do think pointing out that you were getting surprisingly low numbers on a dose of 4.0u and that it scared you is useful to point out. Further, unless your vet can guarantee you 24/7 access in order to manage Simon's numbers, you needed to be more pro-active and do what you felt you could handle and what was safe for your cat.

I guess I look at it from the perspective that you vet needs to respect the fact that you know your cat and you know yourself. The choice is that your vet works with you and makes some $$ from having you as a client or you take a walk and go elsewhere.
 

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Re: 12/2 Simon AMPS 165 & question about vet

(((Georgia))) I gave Shadow 4.0u bid as per MY vet too....for a whole WEEK! I was NOT home testing like you were...and I never did record any greens that he may have gotten during that week!!!! My two kitties are alive today ONLY because I learned to home test and I reduced their doses.
The scariest part is that they wanted me to give Raja 4.0u too until I asked them to shoot them after they spent 3 days for a curve. They tested her and said I should give only 3.0u. I did that for 4 days till she vomited all morning on the 5th day & I stopped giving her insulin. THANKFULLY! Because when I started testing Raja, I gave her only .6u Vetsulin for 5 shots and then her insulin requirements were super low from then on. What would have happened to Raja if I had continued with the prescribed 3.0u????

Take a deep breath now Georgia and look at Shadow and Raja's prescribed doses. And then, you tell ME what would have happened to Simon if you did not home test and reduce the dose? Would the 3 or our kitties be here today if we kept giving them the prescribed doses without home testing?

Back when they were first dx, I left them both there for a 3 day curve. That was before I joined the forum and I knew nothing about FD. They were given DRY food W/D along with canned W/D and they had both been transitioned to canned food 6 months earlier!! How ridiculous that my two were in a cage for 3 days and 2 nights and had BGs taken while they were in such ridiculous stress from being there in the vet office. You said it yourself! Simon's numbers
AT the vet's are higher than you see at home. That is vet stress!

So, if I were you, I would leave a message and say that you cannot afford the curve at this time. You are doing well with Simon and watching him closely. C-ya! You do not have to discuss the dose or anything with her.

I go back to my vet and they just ask what I am dosing. I go there for dentals and check ups but I do not discuss FD with them any longer. They don't even know what Levemir IS much less try it for their patients. :lol:

So, you hire this vet for services. You are not friends nor do you have to have her in your daily life. Try to just get out of leaving Simon there for the curve...any way you feel comfortable with. And maybe look into finding another vet if yo think she is going to talk down to you. YOU are Simon's Champion! He loves You and you love HIM. You must do what is BEST for him and not care about any white coat who does not see the logic in your treatment of his numbers. Look at his SS...look at what you have learned and what you have done for you LIVE kitty!!! I'm sorry, but I don't think our three would have had much of a chance if we followed old tattered advice from our vets. There are other vets...but there is only ONE Simon! :mrgreen:
You go Girl!! :thumbup
 
Re: 12/2 Simon AMPS 165 & question about vet

Well, you could always tell the vet that you have ZERO money so any day long curve would have to be for free on the vet's part.... see what kind of response you get to that!!

For these curves, they don't give insulin, do they? You don't need to tell the vet the dose you are giving, and when the free curve is done (LOL) the vet will find you have very good numbers from Simon.

Seriously, it's your nickel. YOU pay the vet. Simon is YOUR cat. You are getting good results, so the vet should have no issues. If the vet has issues with giving a lesser dose and Simon doing so well, maybe you can ask the vet if she is upset because Simon is more healthy and no longer needs to be brought in to the vet so often. Less money in the vet's pocket must be upsetting to the vet.

I get along great with my vet office because I come right out and say THIS is what I am doing. If they say to do something different, I'll say nope, that's nuts, and I am not doing it.

Your vet is needed for things like tests and meds and dentals and Xrays and u/s, but when it comes to FD, all you need is the rx, right? I would have to question a vet who is not happy that a client is doing well, much better than before, all because you got to those results by not following the vet's given advice.

There are some very scary vets out there who know next to nothing about FD, so it may be an idea to shop around for a good vet who will work with you.
 
Re: 12/2 Simon AMPS 165 & question about vet

you've already heard plenty of good advice...so i'll just say good luck with whatever you do!
 
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