5.4.15 Zoey amps(589)+5(191)+8(454)PMPS(533)+3(340)

[Rose]

Good morning!
Wow, such beautiful weather this weekend! There's always something to do around here, but we took advantage of the wonderful weather and spent the entire weekend on outside projects. It gave us time to interact with nature and our critters. We cooked up our fresh farm eggs and enjoyed a relaxing breakfast each morning, and took time to reflect and appreciate all the good in our lives.

So get this... Zoey chased a lizard (it was a hobbled chase, but gold star worthy) and caught it! LOL She was so proud and did NOT want to give it up . Actually did a growl/purr as DH was trying to retrieve it. We gave her praise and attention worthy of a successful dragon slayer so she was mighty proud. Her sister Athena, the Lizard Warrior, watched it all unfold and let her have her moment and didn't spoil it by telling her it was the lizard she had already caught and maimed. Boy, those are proud mama moments right there!!

Other than that, Zoey was high and flat. I'm thinking with the additional food we're feeding her (which means extra enzymes) that her BGs are going to stay that way and I probably should not have taken the reduction. Protocol says not to raise it yet, but with the changes we've made in food, maybe we could so she doesn't continue hanging out in these higher numbers? Whatch'all think?

Hope y'all have a great day; and may we all find the positives in every situation and be thankful for them! Healing vines to all.

Yesterday

 

[Marilyn and Sheldon]

What a grand little huntress! So proud.

I'm not a dosing expert, Rose, but it seems to me that Zoey may have a "failed reduction." Here's a copy/paste from the sticky on TR protocol that might help.

If an attempted reduction fails, go right back up to the last good dose as soon as you see kitty's numbers trending upwards. You don't have to hold the reduced dose for a certain number of cycles before taking the dose right back up. The guidelines listed under the topic "Increasing the dose" do not apply to a failed reduction.

Please use common sense in this situation. The "last good dose" is not the dose that just dropped kitty into the 20s or 30s. You want to resume momentum by finding a dose in-between the dose that dropped kitty too low and the reduced dose.

Marilyn and Polly

 

[Wendy&Neko]

After a low like that 32, I'd usually give the full 6 cycles to see if she can ditch the bounce, and it looks like she has started to do so already today. I see blue!

WTG Zoey on the lizard! What a mighty lizard slayer! Zoey was just being smart by letting Athena soften it up first.

 

[Rose]

Super long day and way too tired to stay up tonight if she goes low. I think I'd rather change the dose on a morning cycle so we'll go to 4.25 in the a.m. if she doesn't do anything crazy tonight and dip low. (That will be the 8th cycle...) Please advise tonight if I should wait for any reason. Tonight is the 7th full cycle and Wendy recommended six. I hope I'm not messing up by waiting until morning but I'm just really that tired.

I was able to get a phone call in today to the vet and we have a 12:15 appointment tomorrow. I have printed the articles on Cushing's in cats for reference, and noted the medication that Marje told me about. I also have the name of the urine test Linda recommended written down so I won't forget. (yesterday's thread - don't remember the name of it as I type) As always, please let me know if I've missed anything or you think of something you would maybe ask. Feedback is greatly valued and appreciated.

Have a good night and safe surfing!

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

I do think it's a failed reduction. I think when you saw blue, but no green, at that point the bounce had cleared and you could've gone back to 4.25u. But that's just my 2 cents worth.

It looks to me like she may need 4.25u for a while - so I would employ the technique where you carb her to keep her over 50 mid-cycle so the higher dose of insulin can bring down the surrounding numbers. I'd just give her a higher carb (you'll have to experiment to figure out what is needed) as the mid-cycle approaches for a few cycles. I'd probably target it for any test under about 120 to keep it from going under 50 later in the mid-cycle.

Not sure if that makes sense - if not, ask questions.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

No worries on waiting one extra cycle for an increase. I do it all the time when I just need my sleep.

There may be multiple tests required. First to figure out if there is Cushing's, then to find out the cause. The treatment depends on the cause (tumor on adrenal gland or pituitary). Start with the urine cortisol/creatinine ratio (UCCR) test, then decide where to go based on that. The pee for the UCCR test should be collected at home from a morning sample, then refrigerated until it goes to the vet. The vet should be able to supply a suitable container. It would be interesting to see if the vet has ever seen a Cushing's cat. I asked Neko's acupuncture vetty and she's only seen one so far in her practice. Tons of good vetty vines going your way for tomorrow.