3 day vacation dose for Murphy (probably no tests)

Status
Not open for further replies.
Carol & Murphy (GA)

Carol & Murphy (GA)

Very Active Member
Hi all
My pet sitter is going to stop by later so I can show her how to test BG but Murphy is so difficult I really don't have much faith in it happening
so I need a safe dose she can shoot Saturday night, Sunday am and pm, and Monday morning

Murphy's running high (all pinks and reds) and I don't anticipate that changing until I can get a better handle on his foods - he's on Evo (which always raises his sugar) and a new Epigen 90 dry that is supposedly 5% carbs -I had him on mixture of Evo and it yesterday and today just that. His numbers aren't budging out of the high pinks
So I will need a vacation dose I can tell her to shoot with and without a reading? (don't know how feasible)
also I'm a little nervous about doing this while I'm starting a new food - but doubtful it will make an impact on blood sugars (but never know)
thoughts?
 
I know you want him safe. The 2 looks like he would run high (but safe) if he stays in the Reds. (But that's an IF) I hate to see him any higher but he has been so unpredictable. Do you think he will eat for the pet sitter?
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
I know you want him safe. The 2 looks like he would run high (but safe) if he stays in the Reds. (But that's an IF) I hate to see him any higher but he has been so unpredictable. Do you think he will eat for the pet sitter?
Click to expand...
He'll be here with my Mom - who has been his main caregiver while I worked in Africa. But she is now going on 96 and can't possibly do anything but put food down and fill the water bowls She couldn't possibly deal with a hypo The problem will be that he will eat his allotment too quickly and cry to her in between meal times. It will also be a problem in her not feeding him until the pet sitter comes in to tests at 7:30 am and pm So I am thinking that the sitter won't reliably be able to test Murphy - but I'm also a little scared that this new food, Epigen 90, will lower his blood sugar - just started it today and so far he's still high, but what if it kicks in while I'm gone? Do you think I should mix in a little Evo to make sure he stays high?
It is interesting that different foods affect cats so differently - YA gives Murphy beautiful numbers, but Evo is pretty much a disaster for him. No telling yet what the Epigen 90 will do -
 
I just tested Murphy @+8.5 and he was 419 :( I feel so bummed he will have to be real high for a few days - my pet sitter did successfully test, but we decided that since he is so bad in the morning, she won't test in the morning but will try to test in the evening. Does that sound like an okay plan? I think we should go with 2 units, although I still am somewhat nervous the Epigen 90 will kick in and lower the BS.
for tonight, should I go with a 2.25 or a 2.5?
 
Normally I'd say 2.5 if he is still running high tonight, but then, if the new dose improves things, you are worried about the next cycle. I hate the idea of being conservative when he is high, but you are leaving....

I'd think 2 units should be okay while you are gone, especially if he will convince your Mom to feed him more (because we all know he is starving....). As long as he is eating well, I'd think 2 units. Might warn the pet sitter if he really goes off his food for some reason, to lower the dose.

This feels like hunting for something in the dark because he has been so changeable lately. I vote for conservative dosing until you get home. Then you can work on the food and the dose.
 
Hi Sue - well how about a 2.25 tonight - it would make me feel better to see him a little lower tomorrow morning - I wish I had given him a higher dose tonight - really, I will be worried the whole time Problem is - I don't have a clue as to what food to try when I get back
 
Hey Carol, I am so sorry you have these worries as you are about to get a much needed break. Keeping good thoughts for you all and try to have fun and not stress ( remind me of this advice if I should ever get the opportunity to get out of dodge) :bighug:
 
Carol & Murphy said:
Hi Sue - well how about a 2.25 tonight - it would make me feel better to see him a little lower tomorrow morning - I wish I had given him a higher dose tonight - really, I will be worried the whole time Problem is - I don't have a clue as to what food to try when I get back
Click to expand...
I am sure he will be fine, Carol. Enjoy your time away.

Re the food. Do I remember you had a feline nutritionist recommendation? Maybe it will be time to ask him/her for some advice?
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
I am sure he will be fine, Carol. Enjoy your time away.

Re the food. Do I remember you had a feline nutritionist recommendation? Maybe it will be time to ask him/her for some advice?
Click to expand...
Do you think I should add Evo to his food on the very off chance that the new food may bring his #s down? I guess realistically it won't happen
My feline vet friend said she could hook me up with one, but that I would likely need to make my own food\. I am vegetarian, and really wouldn't be able to stomach grinding up bones. I'm going to try a lower fat/low carb wet or freeze dried and maybe give half that and half dry. I'm hoping in a few weeks he'll eat YA again
 
Carol, do you have any stores nearby that might grind up for you? I know that our local grocery will cut up meat for us if we ask (not sure about grinding bone). Maybe you could ask the grocery if they would be willing to do that for you?
 
Rachel said:
Carol, do you have any stores nearby that might grind up for you? I know that our local grocery will cut up meat for us if we ask (not sure about grinding bone). Maybe you could ask the grocery if they would be willing to do that for you?
Click to expand...
Hi Rachel - I guess I really don't want to do homemade cat food - there has to be something I can give him - the quest will begin full time next week
 
Hi Bobbie - I got back last night - everything seems fine - I'm sure Murphy was running high these last few days but he seems none the worse for wear
It was SOOOOO good to get away from all of this - even for just a few days
I see you are still doing R - are you happy with the results so far? Would that be something Sharon could try as well?
 
Welcome back, Carol! So happy you got a little break and Murphy was okay. It is always scary to leave, but it sure is nice to get away and come back refreshed! Good luck finding another good food for Murphy!
 
Carol & Murphy said:
Hi Bobbie - I got back last night - everything seems fine - I'm sure Murphy was running high these last few days but he seems none the worse for wear
It was SOOOOO good to get away from all of this - even for just a few days
I see you are still doing R - are you happy with the results so far? Would that be something Sharon could try as well?
Click to expand...
Hey, so glad you got a break! Just the sleeping uninterrupted sounds good. Yes, still doing the R and keeping the ketones away, yeah!. It is a slow and methodical process and Jill and Libby know their stuff for sure. It turns out that Bubba nadir is at +12. Remember when I was so sure he was getting too much insulin and started taking him down? That will teach me for thinking, Ha! The R confirmed his late nadir because he nadirs late on it as well. The purpose of the R is to keep his numbers from going higher as we take him up with the Lantus. As of this writing, he is on 3.75 U. I am starting to feel hopeful for him now and I am so glad that Jill and Libby are working with me because I was so lost. I sure hope that R will be a possibility for Colin as well. Glad you are home safe!
 
Last edited:
Yep, he is getting some nice blues again, after being high for about 3 days. Hoping his dental issue is better and I also found more fleas than normal and gave him a Capstar type capsule last night to knock them back. Sheesh, the fleas just don't quit here! I give him Advantage II, flea comb him every day and vacuum a lot. *sigh* He does not go outside, just on the lanai. I hate fleas to pieces! :mad: It has been warmer than normal, so they just keep on, we need a good freeze!
 
Lynn & Rupert said:
Yep, he is getting some nice blues again, after being high for about 3 days. Hoping his dental issue is better and I also found more fleas than normal and gave him a Capstar type capsule last night to knock them back. Sheesh, the fleas just don't quit here! I give him Advantage II, flea comb him every day and vacuum a lot. *sigh* He does not go outside, just on the lanai. I hate fleas to pieces! :mad: It has been warmer than normal, so they just keep on, we need a good freeze!
Click to expand...
Lynn, I can relate to the flea problem. We are having a problem now. Went the whole summer and no problem, go figure!
 
Bobbie And Bubba said:
Lynn, I can relate to the flea problem. We are having a problem now. Went the whole summer and no problem, go figure!
Click to expand...

That is weird that the fleas are worse this time of year! They are always bad in Florida, maybe a freeze knocks them back for a bit, but not for long. The Advantage II is supposed to work, but I have to apply it much more often than once a month and even then I still find some fleas on the kitties when I flea comb them. Grrrrr, I hate them and to treat them is expensive too. Never had any in South Dakota, even the feral cats didn't, but there were some ticks. Guess there is always something that bites and sucks blood!
 
Well, not sure you can call it excitement. I've gotten all the higher carb kibble out. Now just have the YA and some Natures Variety 12% carb dry for the kibble addicts. I'll try to be more vigilant, that's all I can do. I think I'm finally accepting that. He seems to feel fine and he looks good, that's more than a lot of us ever get!
 
Wow Bobbie - you did it !!!! you must have been estastic yesterday? I'm amazed how much influence food has on Murphy's blood sugar - when he was on his wet food and YA, he was blues and greens - now that he is off both, back to reds and pinks - I need to look for a food he can eat but I am out of ideas :(
 
Carol, could you try the same wet again now that he is feeling better? It must be so frustrating for you. It's bad enough to worry about the FD without a food issue too. When he was last seem at the vets, wasn't it deemed pancreatitis? So I am thinking that it could have been that and not the food??

Yesterday's great numbers are gone. I am not surprised today that he is high after yesterday's lows and also no R last night. Two steps forward, one step back. Patience pants are on.
 
Hi Bobbie - his long time problem is that any kind of wet food triggers these episodes - be it IBD or pancreatitis or IBD triggering pancreatitis - not sure but he is unable to tolerate any brand or flavor of canned food without being ill for several days - very discouraging - and now he has developed an aversion to Young Again since he eating that when he got sick
 
Good morning Carol. Since so many canned foods are high in fat and some say high fat can exacerbate IBD, have you tried a low fat, low carb food like Tiki Cat?
 
Sharon14 said:
Good morning Carol. Since so many canned foods are high in fat and some say high fat can exacerbate IBD, have you tried a low fat, low carb food like Tiki Cat?
Click to expand...
Hi Sharon - I tried one of the tiki cat chicken (twice) and he wouldn't touch it - even though I made it into a pate :banghead: maybe I should look at the other flavors
 
I
Bobbie And Bubba said:
What are you feeding now? Have you tried baby food?
Click to expand...
Was thinking of getting some baby food, but it's not a long term diet and I haven't been able to find meat baby food that doesn't have gravy in the title (turkey and gravy, chicken and gravy, etc) Can you recommend a particular brand and flavor? Right now he is on a new dry called Wysong Epigen 90 - it's supposed to be about 5% carb, but I'm not too impressed with it lowering his blood sugar so far (about 5 days on it now ) that and Evo, which definitely raises his blood sugar Don't know what else to do now - he won't eat boiled or baked chicken, won't eat tuna, wont'drink tuna water ..........
 
Carol & Murphy said:
I

Was thinking of getting some baby food, but it's not a long term diet and I haven't been able to find meat baby food that doesn't have gravy in the title (turkey and gravy, chicken and gravy, etc) Can you recommend a particular brand and flavor? Right now he is on a new dry called Wysong Epigen 90 - it's supposed to be about 5% carb, but I'm not too impressed with it lowering his blood sugar so far (about 5 days on it now ) that and Evo, which definitely raises his blood sugar Don't know what else to do now - he won't eat boiled or baked chicken, won't eat tuna, wont'drink tuna water ..........
Click to expand...
Not sure about particular baby food brands but maybe you could google it for ones that have only meat in them and no other ingredients. When you have tried boiled chicken do you give him some of the water you poached it in?
 
Some Soulistic foods are low fat, low carb too. You get them at Petco. I got a few for Colin, and he likes them, but he'll eat anything...
 
Carol & Murphy said:
I

Was thinking of getting some baby food, but it's not a long term diet and I haven't been able to find meat baby food that doesn't have gravy in the title (turkey and gravy, chicken and gravy, etc) Can you recommend a particular brand and flavor? Right now he is on a new dry called Wysong Epigen 90 - it's supposed to be about 5% carb, but I'm not too impressed with it lowering his blood sugar so far (about 5 days on it now ) that and Evo, which definitely raises his blood sugar Don't know what else to do now - he won't eat boiled or baked chicken, won't eat tuna, wont'drink tuna water ..........
Click to expand...
Beechnut Classics Stage 1 meat flavors. Comes in beef, turkey and chicken. Their website says all are just meat and broth, and zero carbs.
http://www.beechnut.com/foods/
Not a long term fix, but I fed them to Bob and Mullet on occasion.
 
Carl & Polly & Bob (GA) said:
Beechnut Classics Stage 1 meat flavors. Comes in beef, turkey and chicken. Their website says all are just meat and broth, and zero carbs.
http://www.beechnut.com/foods/
Not a long term fix, but I fed them to Bob and Mullet on occasion.
Click to expand...
Carl - thanks so much - I really appreciate this Extremely helpful information - today I fed Murphy about 1 tsp of pureed tiki cat chicken topped with about 1.5 tsp of tiki cat tuna and Murphy lapped it up - so I am going to go very slowly again in trying to re-introduce wet food back to him I will pick up the beechnut foods this weekend
 
Awesome! Just make sure you check it says stage 1. Other stages have junk added like rice. And onions which are really bad for cats.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top