4/11 PHOEBES amps 385 +2 315 +3 297 +5 289 +7 329 +8.5 305

[Phoebes (GA)]

Yesterday
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...ps-310-1-5-344-6-5-248-9-5-385-bounce.176128/

Well I put out frozen baby food, she did not touch it. I awoke at 330 to check her, was 248! Did not see any puke or poop. Could the amps 385 been a bounce from maybe her being lower earlier in the morning? Omgosh don't know how much more she can take. DH said we will give her 2 weeks, if she is not better we will have to have the talk. am I being selfish? I want her numbers lower so she can feel better. That's what I keep telling him and Phoebe.

 

[Phoebes (GA)]

2 years ago

 

[saltycat]

With how high her numbers have been, I wouldn't think it is a bounce. There have not been any low numbers or quick drops that typically cause a bounce. Not feeling well, or being a little backed up can both raise their bg. It's also possible you had a bad strip that gave the 248. While pretty unlikely, if the 248 was 20% low(allowed variance), and the 385 was 20% high, they both end up around 300... very unlikely, but the strips are not 100% accurate and allow for some variance.

I think doing the .5u increase every 6 cycles is a good idea until you at least see some blues, it's been almost 2 months since she saw blue. I think I recall your vet thinking she is on too much insulin, but the SS is saying she still needs more. Many of us with high dose cats are all too familiar with climbing the dosing ladder. Eventually it stabilizes out..

Not a subject I like thinking about, but have you looked at any of the QOL (Quality of Life) scales for pets? That helped me in assessing how my cat was doing. The decision is never an easy one. To me selfish would have been putting her down when first diagnosed or dropping her off at the shelter. Hanging out here and fussing over how she is doing DOES not qualify as selfish, not even close!

 

[Phoebes (GA)]

With how high her numbers have been, I wouldn't think it is a bounce. There have not been any low numbers or quick drops that typically cause a bounce. Not feeling well, or being a little backed up can both raise their bg. It's also possible you had a bad strip that gave the 248. While pretty unlikely, if the 248 was 20% low(allowed variance), and the 385 was 20% high, they both end up around 300... very unlikely, but the strips are not 100% accurate and allow for some variance.

I think doing the .5u increase every 6 cycles is a good idea until you at least see some blues, it's been almost 2 months since she saw blue. I think I recall your vet thinking she is on too much insulin, but the SS is saying she still needs more. Many of us with high dose cats are all too familiar with climbing the dosing ladder. Eventually it stabilizes out..

Not a subject I like thinking about, but have you looked at any of the QOL (Quality of Life) scales for pets? That helped me in assessing how my cat was doing. The decision is never an easy one. To me selfish would have been putting her down when first diagnosed or dropping her off at the shelter. Hanging out here and fussing over how she is doing DOES not qualify as selfish, not even close!

You guys are so amazing. Made me cry. Yes I have checked out that QOL chart 3 times she is still in the high 40s. But my husband may not be so convinced. I just think getting her bg down is the most important. And she will do better. She doesn't play, purr or meow. But she still wants to be with us, excited about eating. Always following me. She does come up in my lap occasionally, she used to sleep on my chest. I think my husband just doesn't understand she may not be the old phoebe. I worked in hospice 5 years. It's harder when it's your furbaby. I helped over 200 people pass to their journey beyond. But I knew I was doing everything possible. Ty for your "sense"

 

[carfurby (GA)]

I think doing the .5u increase every 6 cycles is a good idea until you at least see some blues, it's been almost 2 months since she saw blue. I think I recall your vet thinking she is on too much insulin, but the SS is saying she still needs more. Many of us with high dose cats are all too familiar with climbing the dosing ladder. Eventually it stabilizes out..

I agree. I think you just haven't found a good dose for her yet. Once you do, she should start feeling better and getting back to old behaviors.

I agree you're not being selfish. You are doing everything you can to take care of Phoebe and help her get better. Sending prayers.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Chiming in with the rest, I think Phoebe needs to see some better numbers to feel better. I know Neko started feeling and acting better when see was seeing good numbers on a regular basis. And started playing more. The goal for Phoebe should be to get her under renal threshold the majority of the time, which means mostly blues and a sprinkle of greens in there. At the moment, something is causing insulin resistance. Or with Phoebe, it could be a combination of things. She's not making it easy on you. We need to be aggressive to try to get ahead of whatever is causing the resistance.

 

[Phoebes (GA)]

I'll do whatever you guys advise me to do. I feel like I'm on a time crunch now. Just want her to be feeling better. She seems confused sometimes. Not sure if it's the high bg or the pain meds. She will walk into a room see me, stop. Stare at me then either act like she can't remember why she came in. Sometimes she will come to me. Others she turns around, will stop and turn back towards me then walk off. She sleeps by and on the water bowl most times.

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

Could you just look at her ss, the first time we gave her the dose increases she hits blues a couple of times and mostly yellows. Now since we have hit 6 units she's been pink almost all the time? 5 units did pretty good (I know there is room for improvement), did I not keep her on it long enough? Ty for your opinion. I am so sorry punkin had to go thru that. What a beautiful soul he looked to be.

I also don't think she's gotten to the right dose yet - and up is the way to go. The beauty of having adequate testing and methodical, appropriate dose increases based upon knowing how low a dose is causing her blood sugar to go, is that you don't have to worry about having increased too high/too fast/ or missing the right dose. I don't think she is overdosed. Punkin's spreadsheet for summer of 2011 looks much like Phoebe's - he got diagnosed with acromegaly in June and his dose climbed and climbed non-stop. We've seen plenty of other spreadsheets like this and you just keep on this path you are on, increasing and you really will get to the point that her blood sugar will come down.

She needs the amount of insulin that she needs. There is no just right amount that all diabetic cats need. Each cat needs as much as it needs. Punkin got up to 15.5u per shot before we had his acromegaly treated.

Just double-checking, because I always like to ask about insulin when a kitty's not getting into lower numbers . . . was your insulin purchased from a human pharmacy? Not repackaged? Not purchased from an individual? How old is it? The solution is clear and not cloudy or stringy? I'm not seeing notations on the spreadsheet for when you started new vials/pens - it helps to note that. It's not very common for people to have bad insulin, but I've seen it just a couple of times in the 6 years or so that I've been here.

As far as putting a count down on Phoebes' life . . . if this is a $$ issue, I would suggest you test a little bit less. Most of the time there's nothing to be gained by testing hourly when a kitty hasn't gotten to a dose that's moving them yet. Usually it's money that makes people draw a line like this - if it's another issue, if you feel comfortable perhaps you could share so we could help. Even though Punkin went through a lot, I felt pretty confident that he had a good quality of life until the last week of his life. Yes, he had issues, but he still purred and still loved to eat.

The Where Can I Find? thread has these links about euthanisia:
Euthanasia,Deciding When and How to Humanely Euthanize a Companion Animal and Quality of Life Scale

When I was starting here on FDMB, a former adviser, Jojo, had a saying for those of us with high dose kitties. She said something like "Be a tank. A tank always gets where it is going." For Punkin's sake I tried to follow it, and I thought it was great advice, so am passing it along to you. And thank you for admiring him - he was a precious, wise old soul.

Hope some of that helps. Sending you a big hug! I know how hard it is when your kitty isn't responding.

 

[Phoebes (GA)]

was your insulin purchased from a human pharmacy? Not repackaged? Not purchased from an individual? How old is it? The solution is clear and not cloudy or stringy?

I bought the vial from a well known member who furbaby passed. It was original box. Expires 2018, kept in fridge was shipped with ice pack straight in my fridge. Clear, no floaties. I did mark when I started new vial. I started it on 2/24/ 17 3/15/2017. Think tank think tank. Before I got the new vials I was getting it from the vet. I have learned better. It was what we could afford.

As far as putting a count down on Phoebes' life . . . if this is a $$ issue, I would suggest you test a little bit less

I have become a testaholic. I will cut back for her sake, not our pocketbook. We giving all we can for her. It's not a matter of money, we can eat ramen noodles for months. I don't get my hair done any more, we don't have date nights. We can sacrafice for our baby. It's just more of my hubby and I promising each other we would not let her suffer. And she is unhappy. Now is that because of IBD or pancreatitis or bg, or all of them. DH knows I am running myself ragged with caring for her. It's the nurse in me. Can't help it. Be a tank. My new mantra. Working in hospice I learned everything about the QOL scales. But when it comes to Phoebes, it's harder to be objective. Thank you. Everyone is helping and my hubby appreciates it too.

 

[Kris & Teasel]