4/12 Foster Cat Jasmine/Kitty dosing advice please?

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Marvie and Tugger

Marvie and Tugger

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OK, so Jasmine came to foster care with missyandlittlegrey from Baltimore Humane Society on Friday. Here's what we know...

FD Dx 2008, not evaluated for it since. Vet just kept renewing her scripts I guess?
Fructosamine done at BHS showed 596 (high) Fair Regulation
BG the same day showed 396 (not sure meter used)
We were told she was on Lantus 5uBID.
We were told she has dental problems (but not the specifics) and cataracts (Missy says eyes are clear and not cloudy)

From missyandlittlegrey this morning 4/12
"I didn't test her Friday night (4/9) because she'd gotten her insulin before she left the shelter, (Marvie's note: 2 hours early bc the tech wanted to go home!) and I wanted her to just relax and settle in.

April 10:
AMPS, 338, three units
+6 106
PMPS 92, one unit

April 11
AMPS 36, no insulin
+24 from last shot, 47 with the crazy AccuChek meter and 61 with the Alpha Trak

We have an interesting problem here. When I tested Kitty last night, she was 92. I gave her one unit of insulin. This morning, she was down to 36! I didn't see how that was possible and wondered if my client's meter really was wonky, so I borrowed another meter from another client. It's an Alpha Trak. Tonight, 24 hours after her last insulin shot, Kitty was 47 with the first meter and 61 with the Alpha Trak. Honestly, I don't know what to think. Maybe she was super stressed at the shelter. Or maybe both meters are wonky. ???

I'll keep testing her for a few more days.
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April 12 AMPS 480 1u given

Missy is feeding FF and Weruva canned foods, Jasmine/Kitty hasn't had dry since leaving her previous home, the shelter fed wet Science Diet DM while she was there. The insulin she has right now is a vial, which we know was dispensed in December but no way to know for sure when it was opened or how it has been kept/treated before Missy got it. We have a glucometer and strips on the way to Missy now and we had asked for a Levemir pen to be sent to her but after the low weekend numbers we had the sender hold off thinking we might not need it if Jasmine/Kitty could be diet controlled. We can still get it sent, but will take a day or two to arrive so we have to work with the old Lantus for now.

What should we do here?

I'm not sure what else to put in here for y'all, if I missed something just ask and either I or Missy will answer if we know....

We are trying to get Jasmine/Kitty placed in a different home, with a vet tech who has an FD kitty already along with 5 other civvies but we haven't gotten a definite yes on this yet. Jasmine/Kitty is very unhappy right now, is afraid of the other cats and is self isolating and is confining herself in small spaces (bathtub, closet, carrier) for security (we assume) but she is a sweet girl and accepts her testing etc. just fine. She was eating well all weekend, but last night wouldn't eat and threw up.

Jasmine/Kitty's SS link http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=t7RrYEiNOduSQY-Fao95XoA&output=html
 
I think you need more data. Can we do some obvious things -- if there is another FD cat in the house or one who will allow testing, get a control test. Likewise, can Missy test herself? It's possible that the battery on one meter is going but I doubt that's the case for two meters having dying batteries at the same time. It may have been that Jasmine/Kitty was in chronic rebound from too much insulin. At this point, starting the insulin at a much more conservative dose (like the 1.0u) and getting some spot checks seems prudent. Another possibility is that this is a cat who's numbers drop when stressed. In any case, more data will help to sort out what's going on.
 
Sienne and Gabby said:
I think you need more data. Can we do some obvious things -- if there is another FD cat in the house or one who will allow testing, get a control test.
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No other diabetics here. I lost my diabetic, best friend and all-time-favorite cat to cancer in January.

Sienne and Gabby said:
It's possible that the battery on one meter is going but I doubt that's the case for two meters having dying batteries at the same time.
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The results of the two meters were so close, I don't think it was the meters.
Sienne and Gabby said:
It may have been that Jasmine/Kitty was in chronic rebound from too much insulin. At this point, starting the insulin at a much more conservative dose (like the 1.0u) and getting some spot checks seems prudent
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I thought about rebound, too. So we're getting a fresh start now with 1.0u.

Thanks, Sienne. Guess you don't know anyone who wants a very nice, chatty, friendly diabetic cat. :smile:
 
Thanks for getting the SS up and running Marvie!

Missy - I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I took my civvie of 20 years to the Bridge about a year ago. I still miss George!

I think we're gonna need LOTS more data. Any chance of either a 2-hour or 3-hour curve any time soon? And at least a before bed check will help to see if numbers are dropping in the PM cycle. It may be that even 1.0u is too much so, even though I am a confirmed testaholic, I do think we need more info in order to do right by this kitty.
 
hi missy! get whatever spot checks you can. after coming off such a high dose, it's hard to tell if 1u is too much or too little, but the numbers will give us a clue. thank you for fostering her!
 
Re: 4/12 Foster Cat Jasmine/Kitty 412 ~ +6

Odd as it may sound, I feel more comfortable with the high numbers than I did with the low ones. They seem more normal for her. She's very resistant to testing today, but I'll do as many spot checks this evening as I can.
 
Overdoses can start a cat to remission. Not a safe route to go but.... I wonder if overdosing was a possibility here and she now needs far less. Or maybe the teeth thing has calmed down and she needs less. Bless you for taking her.
 
excellent job for getting her out of the shelter so quickly. It will be interesting to see how her numbers settle now that she's out of that environment. She probably has a lot of shed draining and refilling to do over the next few days.

Can't wait to see pictures!
 

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D and Noisy said:
Overdoses can start a cat to remission. Not a safe route to go but....
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I think I'd rather not try that route. Low and slow sounds good to me.

I wanted to do this to honor Little Gray. I'm not sure he'd care that I was trying to make another cat's life better, but it helps my aching heart a little bit.

I thought about you and Noisy so often during our short but truly horrible struggle with cancer. No cat and his loving bean should have to go through that.
 
Libby, I tried to add her picture to my signature but couldn't figure out how to do it. You can see her on Adopt A Pet: http://www.adoptapet.com/pet3676306.html.

The shelter couldn't usher me out the door, cat carrier in hand, fast enough. They registered and approved my rescue at warp speed. They're no-kill, unless the cat (or dog) has diabetes. That's too expensive for them to treat, so they kill diabetics. I don't know... it seems if an individual could manage a vial of Lantus every month or so, a big municipal shelter could. But what do I know. They don't test, so they save a lot of money there.
 
Re: 4/12 Foster Cat Jasmine/Kitty PMPS 334

She must be a late nadir kitty, or something... She's been going down all day.

WCR: She's not a cat lover (seven other cats live here), so she's created her own private apartment in my bathroom and the walk-through closet between my bedroom and bathroom. She seems very contented in there. After living in a cage in the shelter, she probably feels like she's living in the lap of luxury. She's very purry and chatty and rubs around my legs every time I go in to visit with her. She's eating a lot! Four cans of FF today, and she's starting on a can of Soulistic tuna now.
 
I wonder if the baby was "allergic" to the cat because she was diabetic and either not being treated at all or being overdosed constantly (not sure if the previous owners gave insulin or not?).. many cats end up with just nasty fur.. and end up soft and pretty when regulated..
 
You could be right about the "allergic" baby. Kitty's fur is still pretty yucky. I think she was being constantly overdosed... four units twice a day.
 
Well.. thank goodness those people gave her up and you took her in before the "no-kill shelter" killed her.. so that she gets a chance to find a home that's not total garbage..

I look at her action off of 1U with probably no shed built up (can't be much after 5U, 3U, 1U, 0, 0 can there??).. after bouncing sky high from being low yesterday.. probably on some crazy chronic rebound, after being ditched by her family who locked her in the basement and in a new home with new people/animals.. I wouldn't really be all that surprised if it turned out that the cat isn't even diabetic (it's prob not all that likely, but it's not impossible either).. wouldn't that be funny story in a gee I think I'm going to throw up now sort of way..

Anyhow.. you'll get her under control pretty quick with these fine folks help.. looks like the life of luxury and good food just really agrees with her.. hopefully she starts looking and feeling even better soon..

I'm pretty sure you've already saved her life 3 times over already and you've had her what.. 3 days?
 
missyandlittlegray said:
Libby, I tried to add her picture to my signature but couldn't figure out how to do it.
Click to expand...

I put it in Missy. Maybe you could put in a link to her blog page also. I know Marvie will get to updating it soon.

Thank you all for help in trying to figure Kitty/Jasmine's treatment plan.
 
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