4/16 Frank AMPS 243

[Delma and Frank]

Good Morning! ...a very good AM for Frank! Frank is bright eyed this AM which makes me happy. I am so happy about Franks BGs lately! dancing_cat

Thanks for the encouragement to dosecrease. Though before increasing I want to do a few things first. First and importantly, Frank needs a visit to the vet. I need to have her check his teeth. Vet said no dental until BGs were better...well, here we are. His breath is horrible and believe me, you do not want to be nearby when Frank yawns. I know he must need a dental and I think this may be affecting his BGs, too. Unfortunately, he will need to be "gassed"(?) to allow the vet access to his mouth. He goes wild at the vet and needs a muzzle there....poor Frank. It's a shame...he can't help himself. I don't even want to know how high his BG will go on vet day..... :YMSIGH:

He also needs some blood-work which is long overdue.

Frank is also gaining weight. I haven't weighed him but I can tell. ( Maybe I'll get to step on the scale with him today.) I don't know if he's bulking up because of snacks at low BGs, or if I feed him too much, or if it's just healthy weight gain. Need to research this one a bit more.

So, these three things..and then we'll see where his BGs settle to.
Yesterday’s Condo

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

If Frank's teeth are as you describe, it's very likely that there is an inflammation and it's effecting his BG. I doubt that the vet will be able to tell much from a manual inspection even with a cooperative kitty. Blood work should be done routinely prior to a dental so you are sure there's no other problem going on so the lab work should do double duty.

This is info that will help you to ask some questions about any dental procedure:
• X-rays: either before or the day of the procedure. Also x-rays after to make sure there are no tooth fragments left after an extraction.
• Bloodwork: prior to the dental to rule out anything that would prevent the procedure
• Pre-anesthesia sedation/induction: Ketamine (some has been recalled), propofol, valium. Induction should be with an IV drug vs. a gas.
• Anesthesia: Sevo or Isoflurane (these should not be used for induction, however)
• Blood pressure monitoring (Doppler or Cardell monitor)
• Cardiac monitor: pulse oximeter or cardiac monitor
• IV catheter for fluid access
• Post-procedure antibiotics if necessary. (See Dr. Lisa’s commentary)
• Pain meds: administered post-procedure and to take home: Buprenex, no metacam due to the potential for renal failure. A fentanyl patch may be excessive for the purpose of this kind of pain management.

Regarding pre-dental antibiotics: Lisa Pierson, DVM noted this on the Health Board a while ago:

Only on a case-by-case basis are pre-dental antibiotics recommended. ABs are NOT being routinely used - they are being reserved for cases where oral infections have been documented In the case where an AB is needed, I recommend that the cat get a dose the night before, if possible, but at least an AM dosage the day of the dental. This usually means picking up the antibiotics the day before the procedure or asking your vet to be sure to give the antibiotics upon the arrival of your pet to establish a blood level pre-dental.

Most of our kitties have lost weight due to their undiagnosed diabetes. It is the nature of diabetes that causes this. In fact, diabetes has been referred to as a "starving" disease. Because the body's basic nutrient, glucose, isn't able to get into the cells to provide nutrition since insulin isn't present, or not present in sufficient quantity, despite being hungry, our kitties lose weight. Once a cat is better regulated, hunger begins to subside and our cats begin to gain weight because the insulin is doing it's job. If you are still feeding in the amount that you were when Frank was ravenous, he may be gaining more weight than you want. Dr. Lisa's site on feline nutrition gives approximate calorie counts. You may want to check with your vet for what would be considered Frank's ideal weight if you don't know what that is and then you can figure out his calorie needs. (Remember that Janet & Binky's lists have calorie counts.)

 

[Libby and Lucy]

sorry Frank is stuck in pink tonight.

It sounds like the dental is needed. That could very likely be affecting his numbers, so getting it checked sooner rather than later would be a good idea.