3/19 Harley AMPS 303 PMPS 374

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Laura and Harley (GA)

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Happy Caturday!

Last night's numbers were:

PMPS=164 shot 0.20u @ 6 PM
+2=318
+4=283 (after he ran around playing in an effort to lower his blood sugar
+6=314
+8=313
+10-Zzzzzzzzz
AMPS=303 shot 0.5u again @ 6 AM

~O)

It looks like the steroid starts to taper off a little shortly before the AMPS. Based on this data and today's PMPS, I will most likely be asking for shooting advice tonight between 5:30-6 p.m. Central Daylight Time so that I don't do something stupid. :razz:

The good news is that the steroid does perk up his appetite. He was hungry between +4 and +6 so I tried a can of EVO Chicken & Turkey (I practically have a pet store in my cupboard now). He scarfed about 1/2 a can over two sittings. But something didn't agree with him - either too much food so quickly or too high in fat because he meatloafed after the second helping and his breathing was irregular. I just curled up on the floor around him and lay there for moral support, not touching him. Poor kid, the one thing he seems to like and it doesn't like him. I keep telling myself we're taking baby steps and learning but I wish it didn't have to be this hard on him. cat_pet_icon

I was supposed to take both Harley and Princess, my civvie, in for rabies shots at my regular vet today. I'd already canceled Harley's appointment earlier this week but was going to take Princess. Yesterday I called to cancel Princess's appointment as well and the nice office staff lady asked how Harley was doing and I told her he had pancreatitis and to please notify my vet. She did, and my vet called me last night. But apparently the message was garbled as my vet acted like I was asking a question about whether or not pancreatitis occurred in diabetic cats. She said that it's typically seen more in dogs than cats. I flat out told her that was not why I'd called. I called to tell her that Harley has been diagnosed with pancreatitis, what his spec-fPL was, and that he was under the care of a different vet for this condition right now. I told her what I was doing for him and the only comment she had was that typically she didn't prescribe prednisolone for diabetics because it causes insulin resistance. Well that one-size-fits-all approach might be true for clients who aren't home testing, but since I am and can adjust the insulin dose accordingly, that argument would not apply in this case. She was cool with the other things I'm doing. She also said it was OK to give FortiFlora and that even might help his gut health. We discussed potentially switching to Lantus or Levemir with my preference being Levemir. I'd sent her the Levemir info on Tuesday night before I saw the other vet. Right now an insulin switch is on the back burner as the pancreatitis has to come first. But surprisingly she'd heard of Jaquie Rand's work and was open to making a few calls to see if any of her endocrinology contacts were using or had heard of anyone using Levemir. I never got around to asking the other vet about insulins because switching is not an option until he gets better and until he has his tooth out.

I have not decided what I'm going to do about the vet situation yet. I need to get Harley stabilized and better and then I'll figure out what's best for him. I figure it can't hurt to have two vets who are aware of his situation for the time being. ;-) My family has a long history with my regular vet and I like her as a person. However it is a one vet practice and I fear that she is overworked and overwhelmed. But personal feelings aside I have to make the best choice for Harley.

All this talking, and it's time for me to set up his juice bar. (SubQ fluids) The house special will be passion fruit. Little umbrellas included.
 
Re: 3/19 Harley AMPS 303

Interesting "curve" though, Laura. If we consider the +/-20% variance, he basically stayed in the same numbers the whole cycle. So, if Harley would do the same each night :mrgreen:, maybe a little higher dose would keep those numbers in the 100-200 range overnight. Maybe .25 - .5 range? I have no idea if giving the pred earlier and then shooting the higher number is safer or even different than shooting and then giving the pred.

Wish I knew more about pancreatitis. I would try for a food lower in fat and maybe feed him a little at a time? It sounds like he had a tummy ache from eating a fattier food too fast.

Hope he enjoys his passion fruit smoothie. drinking24 I certainly admire your keeping your sense of humor through all this!
 
Re: 3/19 Harley AMPS 303

Sue and Oliver said:
Interesting "curve" though, Laura. If we consider the +/-20% variance, he basically stayed in the same numbers the whole cycle. So, if Harley would do the same each night :mrgreen:, maybe a little higher dose would keep those numbers in the 100-200 range overnight. Maybe .25 - .5 range? I have no idea if giving the pred earlier and then shooting the higher number is safer or even different than shooting and then giving the pred.

Wish I knew more about pancreatitis. I would try for a food lower in fat and maybe feed him a little at a time? It sounds like he had a tummy ache from eating a fattier food too fast.

Hope he enjoys his passion fruit smoothie. drinking24 I certainly admire your keeping your sense of humor through all this!

Humor is all I've got about right now. We coined the "juice-bar" phrase for when I was caring for my Mom's kitty (and mine too - she slept on my back) Kelli. She died at 21 of renal failure and for the last year of her life I gave her SubQ fluids every other day. We called it Kelli's juice bar. (On her 21st birthday we had cake, she had cat treats, and we took pictures of her with a can of Old Style and a bottle of I think Bud Light because she was now of legal drinking age.) Now it's a franchise and Harley is the newest customer.

I truly didn't expect him to scarf the EVO, he's picked at everything else I gave him so I gave the EVO just to see if the vet I saw on Wednesday was right. He did the "not all carbs are bad, some carbs are good, you should consider the prescription DM or Hills m/d food or EVO" spiel. I said no thanks to the prescription stuff but said I'd try some EVO 'cause I was curious. Some people here feed it and it's good quality food. Maybe Harley is one of those kitties who is fat sensitive. Of course scarfing a ton of any food will give him a flare right now. He's usually pretty good about self correcting. Poor baby.

This morning I'm feeding him 2 tsp at a time from a 2.5 oz jar of Gerber's Baby Turkey. He's eating with no additives and licks the bowl clean. 1 jar has 80 calories, 4g fat, 8g protein and 3g carbs.

I just got back from buying out half the pet store again. Lower fat FF Elegant Medleys, Friskies, and 9-Lives food. I usually get 2 of each kind of food and then if he doesn't eat it, I set one aside so I can return it. I pile up all receipts 'cause the store lets me return anything unopened even after their return policy has expired - so long as the food expiraiton date is still good. And I spent $60 in groceries for Harley forgetting completely to buy food for me. Ooops, maybe tomorrow. The things we do for our furkids. ohmygod_smile

+6=323

Depending on what +9 and PMPS come back at. I'm wondering if that 1u is not such a bad idea.
 
Re: 3/19 Harley AMPS 303

I'd would. We have lots of people who are dealing with pancreatits and diabetes and I kow there are things that work better than others.
 
Re: 3/19 Harley AMPS 303

Hi Laura and sweet Harley,
I've read through your most recent posts and I can't remember if you've given Harley Pepcid AC (NOT Pepcid Complete!)?? Klinger has chronic p'titis and I give him a 1/4 of a pill BID. It really helps with nausea -Klinger used to meatloaf after eating too and the pepcid has really helped.

Hope Harley feels better soon.
fll_moon
Don't forget the super moon tonight...I don't know if you should raise his dose tonight or hold off and wait till tomorrow.
 
Re: 3/19 Harley AMPS 303

mars72 said:
Hi Laura and sweet Harley,
I've read through your most recent posts and I can't remember if you've given Harley Pepcid AC (NOT Pepcid Complete!)?? Klinger has chronic p'titis and I give him a 1/4 of a pill BID. It really helps with nausea -Klinger used to meatloaf after eating too and the pepcid has really helped.

Hope Harley feels better soon.
fll_moon
Don't forget the super moon tonight...I don't know if you should raise his dose tonight or hold off and wait till tomorrow.

No I have not yet although just bought some this AM along with a pill cutter. It's the regular Pepcid AC tablets 20mg. I've been trying to cut one small enough. What is the correct dose? 1/4 of a 20mg pill is 5mg given BID for a total of 10mg? Forgive me for spelling everything out. I'm not trying to be stupid, but I'm a bit overwrought and want to repeat things back so I make sure I understand correctly.
 
Re: 3/19 Harley AMPS 303

I didn't read most of this sorry, but I do think you want the 10mg Pepcid pills, and then 1/4 of that. Sometimes people do just once a day, sometimes twice a day. You might find extra input on Health too if you haven't tried that. (If you already gave him 1/4 of the larger pill though don't freak out, sometimes I have had vets say 1/2 pill once a day instead of 1/4 twice, so it's not a dose to freak out about, though I'd skip tonight's in that case and then start tomorrow with the smaller pills if you can).
 
Re: 3/19 Harley AMPS 303

Joanna & Bix (GA) said:
I didn't read most of this sorry, but I do think you want the 10mg Pepcid pills, and then 1/4 of that. Sometimes people do just once a day, sometimes twice a day. You might find extra input on Health too if you haven't tried that.

So that would be 1/8 of a 20 mg pill. Nice and tiny.

EDIT: I hadn't given him any yet so I cut the pill as close to 1/8 as possible and gave it just now. Thanks Joanna!
 
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