3/18/10 Aria - 6 weeks on Prozinc

[Hope and Aria]

So here we are. It's been a month and a half and still, the cat baffles me.

It almost seems like all of a sudden, she needs higher doses. Yes, we got close last week with the 1.6 that looked good, but now 1.6 is still giving me monster PS's. She's coming down off them slowly, so no heavy drops, but she's still spiking up. She's also back to peeing on things left on the floor (which is a sure sign of high bg's.) So far, I've only gotten one "trace" reading for ketones, but I try to test when I see her go (when she's in high numbers.) She's eating fine. Not drinking as much, but then for her, I don't know what the norm should be on wet food. This morning's shot I can't confirm was a good one. It didn't feel wet, but the injection didn't have it's usual "going through skin" feel about it either.

We've done 3 cycles at 1.6 so I'm going to keep it there for another few days before reevaluating.

 

[Joanna & Bix (GA)]

Hi Aria... it's a difficult illness, I really think that is what it comes down to. There are just so many variables, and it's great when they have nice tidy #s and predictable responses to the insulin, but in the end.... they generally don't cooperate that way!!!

If you got a recent trace ketone reading, I would consider trying:

- getting some extra fluids into her (do you already mix some in with the wet food? a lot of people do that...)
- getting some more food into her
- shooting a little early to head off the higher #s (lowering the dose a little where appropriate)

Ketones can get worse pretty fast from what I understand, and you don't want to have to deal with DKA. If you saw trace I'd take it as a big red flag and take measures. Not to sound alarmist... well maybe just a little bit. :shock:

If you didn't feel anything wet on her fur, I'd assume this morning's shot did go in.

 

[Hope and Aria]

Hey Joanna - I did the tuna water trick with her this afternoon. DH finds it amusing that I keep a mason jar full of water and tuna in our fridge, but she loves it, she doesn't get too much tuna and she gets hydrated. I always mix some extra water in her food as well so I know she's getting it there. For a period, I did TID, where I would shoot a very small +6 dosage if she was still really high. I may have to return to that for a while until she gets some better numbers.

Thanks for the reminder. It's hard sometimes to keep perspective when you're seeing all these crazy numbers wave up and down.

 

[Hope and Aria]

Well, my dear little peanut just coughed up the mother of all hairballs. Blech! She likes to leave them right in the shadows to ensure Mama steps on them. Oh, Ari... really?! Now she's eating again. I can definitively say that her appetite is much better in the last 2 weeks. We're going through many more cans of cat food. Holding off until +12 for her shot. With the time change, the 6am shot is hard for me, so doing 5 on any regularity is unlikely and I don't want her going to +13.