5/6 Minnie PMPS 242 (272 w/new strips)

[Liz & Minnie]

Yellowsterday (again)...all my blues and greens seem so far away

This is frustrating but better than drama. She is well, came to sit right next to me and is having a good bath. Still peeing a lot but not drinking and delivered a good solid poop this morning so hurray for the boulardii. If I wasn't testing her numbers all the time I wouldn't be worried!

What does everyone do about going away? I emailed our vet for pet sitter recommendations and one of the techs volunteered, which is great. I will be away for 2 nights. I am thinking I will have her stay overnight so my main concern is food. Are people comfortable with just having someone stop by twice a day for shots?

Since I'm almost always at home at the moment, I feed throughout the day when they seem hungry. I am tracking calories but haven't really got a feeding schedule - she seems so hungry all the time. Sitter will not be there the whole day so I am worrying because of those few drops Minnie had the other week. I have a week to put them on a feeding schedule though and have ordered a second auto feeder, though still no guarantee who will eat out of them!

One part of my brain thinks the other part of my brain is a hypochondriac

I'm also wondering about trying a little TR vacation and swap to SLGS. Or just keep her on the 5u for a few days so I can give her poor little ears a bit of a break. I don't enjoy living on this tightrope of wondering if/when her numbers are going to plummet.

that was an unintended essay!

 

[Butters & Lyla]

I've never had the opportunity to go away because of covid. In the before times I traveled regularly for work. Butters wasn't a diagnosed diabetic then.
People will help you figure out a vacation dose but that's usually done close to when you're actually going away. They will take into account if the person cannot get tests during the cycles. If the tech stops by for shots, they can check BG before giving the shot, right? When is your vacation?

 

[Liz & Minnie]

AMPS 204 +2 226 +3.5 196 (or 230 w/new strips) +8 274 (297 w/new strips)

I don't know what is going on here...have also ordered some Diastix. The strips I got test several things but keep showing negative for glucose, I just don't believe it.

If the tech stops by for shots, they can check BG before giving the shot, right? When is your vacation?

I'm in the same boat - Minnie was diagnosed right at the start of lockdown.It's so difficult to think of relinquishing 'control' after being with them pretty much 24/7 since she was diagnosed! My previous cat sitter for long stays has no experience with diabetics, so I'm very relieved to find someone from the vet. The tech will check BG before giving the shot - I think I am going to have her stay, for peace of mind plus it's not costing that much more to have her stay than drop in twice a day. I'm going to be out next Fri/Sat - away for 2 nights, doing a relay.

 

[carfurby (GA)]

You should ask about a vacation dose a couple of days before you are going to leave. Most people lower the dose to a vacation dose to keep the cat safe since most petsitters don't test during the day like we do. You'll need to make any adjustments two to three cycles before you leave. You'll also want to ask for a no shoot number to give the petsitter. A lot of people draw up a sample syringe with colored liquid for the petsitter to compare the dose to.

 

[Liz & Minnie]

Thank you, I will do that. Based on last few days of yellow performance it looks like 5u will be safe but I will ask on Weds.

 

[Purrberry]

@Liz & Minnie Everything you said!!

The second thing that hit me after Fred's diagnosis (the first being so sad for my poor boy) was what in the world was I going to do about travel?? And this was before I even found this board, learned about testing, and all the other things that can go wrong! I have a long-standing pet sitter who would do his shots, but could not test. She also couldn't accommodate the later evening shots. So I scoured high and low, and found an amazing vet tech, as you have done. I was so lucky. When I went away in March, she stayed overnight every day, and that was definitely the way to go for us. As you said, by the time you pay for 2 visits a day, it's not too much more for the peace of mind the overnights can bring.

And of COURSE, Fred decided to go absolutely off the charts in both directions! He was eating less, so he dropped and bounced all over the place. Fun times. There was a lot of texting and phone calls happening, and I ended up reducing his dose twice. My sitter was amazing, but since then her own dog has developed health problems, and she can no longer sit for anyone. So I'm back to the drawing board.

Oh, shoot...I hope I'm not scaring you! Is Minnie microchipped? I ask because there is this feeder that works with microchips, and only opens for the animal you set it for. I'm thinking of trying it myself!

https://www.chewy.com/surefeed-micr...Mio7kjH1lL4SfWm03tvi0Z1hRTpt8tEkaAqwJEALw_wcB