6/4 Pumbaa AMPS/117 +3/48 +3.5/58 Plus question

[Pumbaa]

Okay. I dealt with the 48 @ +3 by giving Pumbaa some sardines (pure protein) with a teaspoon of cat food gravy, and some cheddar cheese. Then I put out a can of FF Classics turkey & giblets, which he ate about half of, then groomed himself.

Pumbaa ate too fast and too much this morning and barfed up his breakfast 45 minutes after his shot. I gave him some cheddar cheese, to get some food in his tummy, and that stayed down just fine. After that, he went back and hoovered up the rest of the breakfast.

I tested him in 15-minute increments after the +3 reading, and was happy to see the numbers go up slowly. Will test him again @ +4 to make sure he's still going up and the increase wasn't just due to the gravy.

Should I reduce his dose tonight by .25, or could the low number just have been caused by his barfing this morning?

Suze

 

[BJM]

I'm sure the barfing contributed; it alwasy did that with Spitzer.

It does look like you're getting some pretty low pre-shots on the new 2.25 dose; if you can be around to monitor him, you've got the data to continue shooting. he may have felt very hungry with that low of a blood sugar, just like we do ("Mom!!! I'm starved!!!).

To help prevent the scarf 'n' barf syndrome, you can smear the food across the plate, and/or only dole out an ounce to start, then follow with the remainder in 30-60 minutes after some calories are on board, or even get a timed feeder to dole out small amounts over the first half of the cycle.

 

[Pumbaa]

scarf 'n' barf syndrome

Perfect description! *LOL*

Pumbaa didn't used to "scarf 'n barf", but I've noticed he's done it a couple of times now that his numbers are getting lower.

I am going to start doling out the food in increments, instead of giving both cats a full 3 oz. at once, as Pumbaa tends to eat some of his food then move over to Larry's bowl and eat some of Larry's food. Also, I mix water in with the food, and Pumbaa tends to lap up all of the liquid and leave the solids. He's getting good water this way, but that might be contributing to the barfing as well. It's like the cat equivalent of chugging a beer, I think. *LOL*

So, Pumbaa has been on the 2.25U for 11 cycles now, and just dropped below 50...do I do a dose decrease at the PM shot tonight?

After a hypoglycemic episode cats may be more sensitive to insulin, so a reduction in dosage is generally required, especially considering too much insulin – whether due to dosage, inadequate food intake, or the cat’s changing insulin requirements – caused the hypoglycemic event in the first place. With moderate to severe episodes, your Vet may have you skip the next injection altogether.

Suze

 

[BJM]

Because he vomited which probably caused the low number (not the insulin per se) and didn't drop any further than the 48, if you're available to monitor, you might hold.

However, if you think this is going to be a regular issue, you might want the buffer of a slightly higher nadir, "just in case".

And if he seems to be hurling a lot, it might be prudent to get a vet check for pancreatitis, hairballs, constipation, renal disease, IBD - the things which can provoke vomiting. It might not be scarf 'n' barf.

 

[Pumbaa]

And if he seems to be hurling a lot, it might be prudent to get a vet check for pancreatitis, hairballs, constipation, renal disease, IBD - the things which can provoke vomiting. It might not be scarf 'n' barf.

6/4: Pumbaa barfed this morning. He ate a lot, and really quickly.

6/1: Someone barfed up a fur ball. Not sure which cat is was since they are both gray, but I think it was Pumbaa due to location.

5/24: Both cats barfed after their morning meal, but not at the same time.

I'm keeping track and trying to watch them. No constipation...not from what I see in the litter box, anyway. I will continue to monitor this. Thank you for the input!

Suze

 

[max&emmasmommie]

Hi,

You are doing a great job.

Keep notes on the timing of the barfing and the eating (and pooing and peeing,) if you can. You may need it if there is a vet visit. If you need to know who is peeing and pooing, put a baby monitor next to the litter box so you can check to see who it is. (This is great for checking for ketones, too, but I hope you never have to worry about that.) You have to get a good monitor, and they aren't cheap, but check at a baby resale shop. Unfortunately, the cheap ones pick up too much interference from your electronics and are useless.

Also, if you can get a Furminator to use on the diabetic cat, you could avoid a lot of the hairballs. I've heard vaseline as a treat works well, too. Olive oil in the food helps, too. The combination might keep your sugarcat from barfing. Of course, if you have time you can use the Furminator on the civvie, too.

 

[BJM]

If you use a Furminator, be careful not to go over the same area too much, as you'll actually pull out undercoat and the area may become sensitive (did that to a civvie - oops!)

 

[Pumbaa]

I do have a furminator, but the cats' fur is too fine. I find using a flea comb on them works great! The furminator works great on the border collie, though.

I have been adding olive oil to the canned food for both cats for about two weeks now, so I was surprised when someone barfed up the furball. Actually, whoever it was barfed up everything and there was a furball in it, so maybe the cat would have just passed the furball had he not barfed. I had a long-haired cat previously who adored Vaseline! She thought it was a great treat!

Dale, that's a good idea about using a baby monitor to figure out who is in the litter box. I catch Pumbaa in there all the time, but I swear, other than due to the volume, that Larry never goes potty! *LOL* He must use the litterbox in stealth mode. And, believe it or not, when I want to test Pumbaa's urine, I just pick him up, put him in the litterbox, and usually he will go on command.


Suze

 

[max&emmasmommie]

Oh, my! Goes on command?! Have you thought about the circus? Now, how do I teach my baby to do that?!

I like that: "stealth mode." Don't tell me -- he doesn't dig a hole, and he doesn't cover up either!

 

[Pumbaa]

Oh, my! Goes on command?! Have you thought about the circus? Now, how do I teach my baby to do that?!

Circus? Nah...but it is a zoo around here sometimes. *LOL*

You want to teach your baby to use the litterbox? What????? *LOL*

I like that: "stealth mode." Don't tell me -- he doesn't dig a hole, and he doesn't cover up either!

Both cats (male) are very good about digging and covering, thankfully! Now if only I could teach the dog to go in one area of the yard instead of all over the place...it would make clean-up so much easier since I pick up once a week.

 

[tortie58]

Rosy is a fast eater too. She barf after finishing her meal too quickly. Ive come up with a way which is kinda cruel but good for her. I place her meal in a larger plate. Scatter the food over the plate so that she cannot gooble it in a mouthful. A lot of plate cleaning, but at least the pace is slower. ;-) You want to try on Pumbba?

 

[Pumbaa]

Rosy is a fast eater too. She barf after finishing her meal too quickly. Ive come up with a way which is kinda cruel but good for her. I place her meal in a larger plate. Scatter the food over the plate so that she cannot gooble it in a mouthful. A lot of plate cleaning, but at least the pace is slower. ;-) You want to try on Pumbba?

Great idea, Helen, and I may try it, but I think Pumbaa's problem has been that he was always a gravy lover, and would lick the gravy from his canned food and leave the solids. Now, with the pate's, I add a lot of water and mush it up, and he laps up all of the "gravy" that has formed, again, leaving the solids. So he fills his little belly with all this "gravy", which is probably mostly water, and then sometimes hurls. I doled out less food tonight at the PM feeding, so he had less to gorge on. I think I might start putting it through the food processor, too, to make sure that the solids are well mixed with the water and Olive Oil, so he getting more nutrients instead of just liquids. That should fill him up faster. Then, if I have to do the plate, too, I will.

Beck, my drooler, eats too quickly at times, too, and I read that you can put a golf ball or something like that in the dish, to slow down their eating, as well.

Suze