2/26 Tessie Lou AMPS 317--NDW, infection or food??

Status
Not open for further replies.
tessielou

tessielou

Member Since 2010
Yesterday;
PMPS: 343 (first new dose 1.5 at PM)
Today, she's AMPS 317, and got her second dose. I really thought the new dose would put her in the 200s this morning. So, it is new dose wonkiness, an infection, or the new food (Merrick)? Also, when and how often should I do spot checks today?

Hope everyone's Saturday morning is off to a good start!
Sandy and Tessie Lou
 
Thanks for the bump, Karrie! :smile: I just did a +2 on her and got a 227, so I'm feeling better. I just counted my test strips and I'm down to 16, but an order is on its way...guess I'll test again at +4 or +5.
 
Hi, Sandy & Tessie Lou,
Merrick Cowboy Cookout is a LC food per the food charts, although outdated - they are a good guideline to follow to begin with, ECID with carb sensitivity, etc. however, my personal opinion is it isn't the food - but I of course do not know for sure.

An infection? What makes you think she has an infection?

As far as NDW, it looks like the is only her 2nd cycle on an increased dose, too early to tell what the new dose is doing.
Many cats will occasionally react to an increased dose with increased BGs - within the first 2 to 3 days after an increase, usually lasting for less than 24 hours. Nobody really knows what the reason for this phenomenon is (perhaps a "panicky liver"?) - hold the dose and ignore the fluctuations.
Click to expand...
As far as testing:
A mini curve is testing every 3 hours, a curve is every 2 hours.. I test based on the #s & I think most people do that. Lower #s require more agressive testing, higher #s generally do not.
Measuring curves regularly is important, as well as measuring all pre-shots and taking random spot checks. It is important to know that most cats do not have reproducibly-timed nadirs. It also is not uncommon for a nadir to occur at +12 hours after a shot.
Click to expand...
Others will be by to give their opinions or suggestions too.

Good Luck.. a lot of times it is 1 step forward, 2 steps back.. it takes time & every kitty does it in their own time ;-)
 
Nicole & Baby said:
Hi, Sandy & Tessie Lou,
Merrick Cowboy Cookout is a LC food per the food charts, although outdated - they are a good guideline to follow to begin with, ECID with carb sensitivity, etc. however, my personal opinion is it isn't the food - but I of course do not know for sure.

An infection? What makes you think she has an infection?

As far as NDW, it looks like the is only her 2nd cycle on an increased dose, too early to tell what the new dose is doing.
Many cats will occasionally react to an increased dose with increased BGs - within the first 2 to 3 days after an increase, usually lasting for less than 24 hours. Nobody really knows what the reason for this phenomenon is (perhaps a "panicky liver"?) - hold the dose and ignore the fluctuations.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

I had heard that an infection can cause the numbers to go up. She has a history of UTI's, and the vet thinks pancreatitis goes hand-in-hand with diabetes in cats.
I just did another spot check @ +4.5 and she was 184! I'm really happy about that! And, that was an hour after her Merrick lunch! So, I'm hopeful she's not going to get the NDW. We'll see how the next 24 hours go. I'll get in as many spot checks as I can over the next few days.

Thanks for all the info, Nicole, I appreciate it. It's quite a journey alright. :smile:
 
Hey Sandy: good info from Nicole. I just went through a spell of NDW with Gracie....3 cycles and it drove me crazy. I was like you, infection?? bad juice?? full moon??? mad at me??? :lol: :lol: :lol: So I'm glad to see Tessie Lou is coming down. I used the Merrick CC for a while and really liked it; however, turned out something in Merrick foods caused Gracie to have horrible itching. One thing I've learned, mostly from Libby but also from experimentation, is not all foods of the same % carbs are created equally. As Libby once said, she thinks it is more a reflection of what is in the food than the % carbs. For instance, I now only use Wellness with Gracie because they control her numbers really well....if she's high, I give her 4%; if she's low and needs a boost, I give her 8%. I tried an 8% food from a different company and it sent her skyrocketing instead of just bringing her up a bit. So you may need to find what foods actually work best for Tessie. With her history of UTI, I would definitely avoid any foods with grains.....and limit fish.
 
Nice to see the blue, Sandy! It looks like the new dose is kicking in...it usually takes a cycle or two, the shed has to adjust to the change.

Just a little tip...I test new foods by feeding at PS time, then test at +1. Usually that will give you an idea of how much of a food spike you will see from the food.
 
Marjorie and Gracie said:
Hey Sandy: good info from Nicole. I just went through a spell of NDW with Gracie....3 cycles and it drove me crazy. I was like you, infection?? bad juice?? full moon??? mad at me??? :lol: :lol: :lol: So I'm glad to see Tessie Lou is coming down. I used the Merrick CC for a while and really liked it; however, turned out something in Merrick foods caused Gracie to have horrible itching. One thing I've learned, mostly from Libby but also from experimentation, is not all foods of the same % carbs are created equally. As Libby once said, she thinks it is more a reflection of what is in the food than the % carbs. For instance, I now only use Wellness with Gracie because they control her numbers really well....if she's high, I give her 4%; if she's low and needs a boost, I give her 8%. I tried an 8% food from a different company and it sent her skyrocketing instead of just bringing her up a bit. So you may need to find what foods actually work best for Tessie. With her history of UTI, I would definitely avoid any foods with grains.....and limit fish.
Click to expand...

Marjorie, that is so interesting about Gracie and the Merrick. How long did it take for the itching to start? I'll watch for it. So far, she likes it and it doesn't seem to bump her numbers (at least not after her noon meal, as she tested lower an hour later, so that's what I'm basing that thought on...). Yes, these ingredients in these different brands are so different. Wellness scares me cause of the high fat content (as much as 65%!), and since Tessie is obese, I have to be oh so careful. I guess experimentation is all you can do, cause...ECID!
Yes, agree on the grains and fish!

Thanks for checking in--hope you're having a good Caturday!
Sandy and Tessie Lou
 
Laurie and Mr Tinkles said:
Nice to see the blue, Sandy! It looks like the new dose is kicking in...it usually takes a cycle or two, the shed has to adjust to the change.

Just a little tip...I test new foods by feeding at PS time, then test at +1. Usually that will give you an idea of how much of a food spike you will see from the food.
Click to expand...

Yes, I just checked again and she's still in the blue, but on the way up. Let's just hope it's slow and reasonable. (there should be a smilie for fingers crossed!).
That's a great tip about testing for food effect. I will try it. Thanks!
Sandy
 
Laurie's point is well taken. Any time you change a dose, it can take a cycle or two for the shed to catch up. Remember - Lantus requires patience!
 
Ok, I'll try to be patient and hope for a turnaround. At least she was in the blues for awhile today, but tonight she's back up there again--PMPS is 324.
I hope and pray it's not pancreatitis. :sad:
 
Most cats with pancreatitis are nauseous and don't want to eat -- they approach their bowl, look like they'll eat and then walk away. They meatloaf, may vomit, are lethargic, and just seem "off." If you're not seeing changes in behavior, I wouldn't assume that Tess is sick.

As you're reading condos, I think you'll notice that the majority of cats here do not have pancreatitis flares. Pancreatitis can certainly cause diabetes, but because a cat is diabetic doesn't mean that the cat has chronic pancreatitis.
 
Sienne and Gabby said:
Most cats with pancreatitis are nauseous and don't want to eat -- they approach their bowl, look like they'll eat and then walk away. They meatloaf, may vomit, are lethargic, and just seem "off." If you're not seeing changes in behavior, I wouldn't assume that Tess is sick.

As you're reading condos, I think you'll notice that the majority of cats here do not have pancreatitis flares. Pancreatitis can certainly cause diabetes, but because a cat is diabetic doesn't mean that the cat has chronic pancreatitis.
Click to expand...

Well, she still wants to eat, and has not vomited or meatloafed, so that's all good. Lethargic, yes, but today when she dipped down into blue, she acted like she felt better. So, if it's not pancreatitis causing the numbers to go up, what do you think it is, Sienne? I plan to do the urine test strip tomorrow a.m. to rule out red blood cells in urine, but assuming that's negative, what does that leave? Just stubborn diabetes? I know, I probably left her on the 1.25 too long. But, do you really think that could cause this to happen? It also seems like her tummy is tender, as she has not rolled "belly up" for her much loved belly rub for a few days now.

It is good to hear that pancreatitis is not too common in LL.
 
if you are concerned about pancreatitis, you can take her to the vet and have blood drawn for an fPLI or Spec-FPL. It's a pretty easy way to find out if pancreatitis is an issue, and my understanding is that the tests are most informative if they are done while the cat is having a flare. Sienne is right that most cats don't eat during a flare, but I'm sure there are some that do and it's easy enough to check out. Keep testing for ketones if she seems "off" too, just to be sure. It might be just that the food change upset her tummy too.
 
Libby and Lucy said:
if you are concerned about pancreatitis, you can take her to the vet and have blood drawn for an fPLI or Spec-FPL. It's a pretty easy way to find out if pancreatitis is an issue, and my understanding is that the tests are most informative if they are done while the cat is having a flare. Sienne is right that most cats don't eat during a flare, but I'm sure there are some that do and it's easy enough to check out. Keep testing for ketones if she seems "off" too, just to be sure. It might be just that the food change upset her tummy too.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Libby, I'm going to call the vet tomorrow and will ask about doing the bloodwork. And I'm going to check ketones again this morning, too. She is doing better though--I'm going to make a new post today, but wanted to answer your post from after I went to bed last night. Thanks again.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top