6/13 TR Jenks AMPS 200 +7 191 PMPS 292 +7 214

[AZJenks]

6/12

Does anyone have any insight into what's going on here?

His numbers are no better, an in many respects worse, than when he was at 3.50U. Today he inconceivably went up 100 points in 5 hours today despite his only carbs being 7 hours earlier.

I just feel like we're flushing insulin down the toilet because it doesn't appear to be doing anything.

The highest dose he's ever been is 5.75U, and right now we're only 0.75U away from that. With these numbers, I can't imagine that small amount making any difference at this point.

How in the heck does he have a month where he's solid green, and now we're unable to even get the numbers to budge out of the yellow?

 

[Vyktors Mum]

I think the most likely answer is his pancreas having a bit of a rest after all the activity of recent weeks, alternatively - because he's a cat!

It's got to be pretty disappointing after all the work you put in taking those reductions but if he's done it once there's no reason to think he can't do it again. The only thing to do is to stay on course and try not to feel disheartened

 

[AZJenks]

Thanks @Vyktors Mum. You're awesome

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

I wouldn't get too preoccupied with the amount of insulin. There are times when our kitties just need more and there's no rationale since you've been doing exactly the same thing you've been doing when Jenks' numbers were solid green. I think Serryn (Vyktor's mum) summed it up well.

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

Another possibility is that he has a benign acro tumor. Cats with acromegaly can go up and down in dose as the tumor's production of hormones waxes and wanes. Some cats with acro will even have a honeymoon off of insulin when the tumor quiets down. We usually suggest people consider testing for a high dose condition when the cat gets to about 6u per shot. Jenks hasn't gotten there yet, but pretty close. The latest research is that 25% of diabetic cats have acromegaly.

You still give as much insulin as you need to bring the blood sugar under control, but perhaps it would relieve your uncertainty about what is going on if you consider this possibility. The most recent updates on acromegaly are on this post, which is located on the New to the Group sticky.

Of course I could be wrong, but there aren't too many reasons why a cat needs a high dose of insulin - acro, insulin auto-antibodies or Cushing's. I don't see anything in his ss that suggests iaa. I think after being diabetic for this long if it was because of Cushing's, you'd have some other very serious symptoms.