8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388 PMPS 407 +2=364

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Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388

I hope you get the test results today.
Would it be possible for you to get a mid cycle test, today?
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388

Generally, no the mid cycles are impossible since i'm at work, but today I have a half to get my car worked on so I can grab a test around 11am and then head up to my dads. The dosing tonight may be late due to this, but i'll log it in his spreadsheet.

Last night, 4 cans of FF wasn't enough to fill him. That's all I gave him, but he was starved when i went to be at 9pm.
I'm afraid the Acro test is going to be positive, just a bad gut feeling on how things have been going lately.
I hope not and don't have anything to really base it on, just that when it rains it pours.
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388

Brent,
Please do not worry if you get a positive result for acro; you will not change how you treat Tigger that much except to keep his BG above 99 because a positive acro result means he has a functional pancreas. Now that is a plus because the other kitties with diabetes give insulin to help the pancreas.

Regular diabetics have pancreas that need help, not functioning well.
Acro cats became diabetic because of their acromegalic condition, not their pancreas.

My Oliver tested positive for acro and IAA, and he was eating at least 30oz a day before he was regulated! Now, he eats much less, maybe around 10oz or so.
My Shadoe tested positive for acro, negative for IAA, and she was eating close to 24oz a day, but she is down to maybe 6oz a day now... eats like a bird now.

As you approach the right dose for Tigger, you will see your old Tigger again. Remember you are not alone; help is always nearby.
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388

Brent,
I forgot to mention how you can stretch the food .... if you add water to the food, it will fill him up and the water is very good for him. If needed, add a little bit of water each meal till Tigger gets used to it.
Oliver loves his soupy slop and the added water is good for flushing toxins as well. He's not a big drinker, never was since I adopted him, so his body needs it.
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388

Yeah, forgot to reply before, I add about 1/2 - 3/4 can of water to his food.
The only thing that slows him down is the frozen puck, which I need to do more of.
I'm guessing it slows him down so he doesn't gulp it down and spike the BG as much, takes him about 30-45 minutes to eat one of those.
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388

Rats. OK, now what about an autofeeder? That should slow him down because you can ration out portions at the timing you choose. If you don't have one, it would be good for you to get one.

Petsafe 5-meal Auto Feeder
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388

Hope you get your test results today! It will be good just to know once and for all what you are dealing with.
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388

Hi guys .. I hope you get your test results in today .. I understand, when it rains, it pours .. But like Gayle said, that won't affect how you are already treating tigger by much .. And hopefully you will find the right dose before to long and tigger will slow down on his food consumption .. hang in there guys, you are doing great!
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388

i hear ya brent. punkin still eats what seems like a lot to me and he is well-regulated and very stable. it's hard to see them hungry.

whatever the results are, we'll help you tackle it. you aren't alone.

i can't tell from your answer to dyana if you're saying that you can either get a mid-cycle test or you can shoot tonight on time? is that it? you can't do both? if you have to choose between them, i think in tigger's case it would be more important to shoot on time, personally. dyana has more experience than me,though - but i think she's asking if you can ADD a test and might not have seen your response re having to shoot late.

have a great day!
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388

Hi there!

Just popping in for moral support. We are waiting with you.

The Petsafe 5 meal timed feeder is the one I use as well. It is a lifesaver. BK went through a phase where he ate in the neighborhood of 16oz per 24 hours (I used to get the 16oz cans for him),. Now he eats 6oz per 24 hours, and he eats around the clock. He is 11.4 lbs (or thereabouts). BK lives in a building seperate from our main house (we call it BK central). So he is alone at night. The timed feeder gave us peace of mind after the IAA broke. Not only at night but during the day as well. We feed him as follows (3 oz cans):

AM - 1/2 can - fed by me
+4 - 1/4 can - from feeder
+8 - 1/4 can - from feeder
PM - 1/2 can - fed by DBF
+4 - 1/4 can - from feeder
+8 - 1/4 can - from feeder
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388

Ok, just got home and have to leave in 30 minutes. He tested at 388, not good for mid cycle test and add the fact that I will not make it home by 4:30pm for his regular dosing. I don't know when i'll be home, it may be 6:30pm and my sub dosers couldn't do it until 6pm if they were available.

He is starving and could be a while before I get back to feed him. If I feed him at +6 with a 388 he's gonna jump to 450+ by the time I get home.

As for the feeders, i will purchase one, but have to wait a couple weeks. I am finishing up a couple computer jobs and will use that money for the feeder.
The insulin and the car is going to take my spare cash right now.

A note on the feeder, I've been told to keep feeding in the first four hours, won't the feeder hinder his number with food after +4?

But for right now, what do I do with a starving cat who's sitting on a 388 at +6 when I may not get to feed/dose him for 6-7 hours?

Just to clarify, i usually am not home for the mid day check, but I am today since I have to go get my car fixed. But because of that, I will not be home by 4:30pm for his regular dosing.
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

Hi Brent & Tigger - Lanky here...I am an ACRO kitty with IAA (last tested at 43%). I was dx last year & had the SRT treatment at Colorado State in Aug of 2010. It has been up & down but my dose today is 1.5u of Levemir, my high was about 14.5u. So you guys can do this & we have lots of tips too that may make things easier on you too. Feel free to call on us anytime.

Take care buddies!
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

Even with the 388 at +6?

I need to give him something. I just gave him a small portion of the Shrimp/Fish that is 0 carbs and maybe a frozen puck to slow him down and hold him off.
Just gonna hate that PMPS tonight.
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

Gotta leave in 10 minutes
Quick check here, can a 2 unit mid day dose be given in cases like this?
Just asking as I'm not sure what that will do
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

If you were giving a shot early, at what time would it be? If it's an hour or so early, maybe but not mid cycle.
When you know his nadir and how his curve go most times, you will be better able to shoot off schedule. If you are not going to be around, I would go with a late shot over a shot too early.... Tigger could go too low before you get home because you never know how the two shots will cross each other.
How late will you be home after his normal shot time?
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

hnkstr said:
Gotta leave in 10 minutes
Quick check here, can a 2 unit mid day dose be given in cases like this?
Just asking as I'm not sure what that will do
No, not with Lantus.
That's what you will be using th R for, however getting started witihii R is a (baby) step by step process. So you will need to start when you will be able to be around to test.
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

Just got the call from the Vet. He is an Acro Kitty.
He was 377
:sad:
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

ah, brent. i'm sorry. it just confirms what you already knew. don't worry, though, we'll help you through it. even though many vets don't know much about acro, there are many people with acro cats that will help you give the best possible care to tigger and help him feel better soon. knowing the diagnosis let's us tackle it. once you get a little more information and a game plan you'll feel better.

what people told me that i thought really helped - he's the same kitty he was yesterday. he doesn't know anything different. just like any pet (of course he's more than a pet!) you'll give him the best care and love him no matter what.

i'll go find a bunch of links for you that are helpful in understanding all of it.

hang in there!

edited to add: acromegaly - the basics
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

Welcome to the high dose club, and believe me when I say, now that you know, it gets better.

You are dealing with a functional pancreas, and Tigger's dose will be dictated by the growth hormone output.

Acro trumps IAA, so stay above 100 for Tigger's BG because if he goes too low, you may not be able to bring him up with food, in fact, HC food could result in his dropping even lower. I have had a couple scary times early on with Oliver where he ate 3 cans of HC and his BG continued to drop lower. Avoid green BG numbers.

There are many people with acro / IAA / high dose cats who can offer you support, advice, and assistance.

This board has another site primarily for acro cats - catacromegaly.com - please join but if you have any issues with registering, please contact Rebecca to help you. There is a fair amount of info on this site to help you.

There is a spreadsheet on which acro cats have entered their info - please look for acrotracker.

There is also a support group on facebook for acro and high dose owners if you want an additional source for info specifically related to acromegaly and treating those issues. feline acromegaly is the group name.

If you do not have any R insulin, you should get some as you will need the R to fight against the IAA on top of the acro. I can say that I suspect I was able to break through Oliver's IAA as one day he needed 7uR along with 21u Levemir, then the next day, he needed no R at all. To this day, we seldom need to use any R except when he has the odd high spike in BG.

There are several people who can help you; please ask any questions you may have.

To know the road ahead, ask the man coming back.
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

Hi Brent!! I can't remember if I've ever stopped in your condo. Work has been a madhouse and I've neglected everyone!!! I know you just got the IAA and acro diagnosis for Tigger. I don't have that cross to bear, but I completely feel for you!! I know you can do this. The fact you love Tigger enough to have already done so much for him, well, that's half the battle. I'm one of the poor slobs that lives paycheck to paycheck and I have to pick and choose what I can buy and when will it fit into the budget. I've found ebay is a good place to check before buying anything. I know you're wanting to get a feeder. I'd check ebay to see if someone is selling them a little cheaper. Also, I looked through Tigger's SS (quite the onslaught of pink, huh?) and notice you're using the Solostar pens. Now that you know you have an acro kitty, and will probably always have a high dose kitty, the vial is going to be much more cost effective for you. I'm sure you probably already know this, but thought I'd mention it just the same.

Just know that, while none of us here can make Tigger all better, we certainly are here for you for anything you may need. I've been going through major frustration with Champ lately and this has been my place to vent and feel sorry for myself and I always come away feeling so much better. The people here really do care!!!!

btw....I've always called Champ my pooh bear so it's nice to get to know his friend Tigger now!!!
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

Hi Brent and Tigger!
My Charlie is also acro and iaa. You've gotten lots of great info so far, I just want to let you know that there are lots of great kitties who are doing awesome in spite of this dx. I cried for days. I was deep in denial, had a 18- month old baby, and was 6 months pregnant when Charlie was dx. It was overwhelming. But we pushed through. He is doing great. We haven't achieved regulation yet, but that's my fault. I'm what they call a big chicken doser. We're getting there, though. And let tigger eat whenever he wants! Yeah, itll falsify the bg numbers a bit, but just try to do his spot checks a couple hours after a meal (or check whenever since the pancreas works and the tumor can decrease it's output at anytime and see what his numbers look like shortly after eating). There's lots of awesome acrobeans who can help guide you on your new journey! (((hugs))) for you and scritches for Tigger!
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

Thanks Julie, Gayle and Patty.. I'm not sure if i'm feeling sorry for myself right now or just don't have the cortisol levels to handle this properly but this really hit me today. I was at my sisters waiting for my car to be fixed when I got the call and I guess the look on my face said it all. My nieces and nephew knew something was up. I don't know why but i really didn't want him to have Acro. From what i've read it just seems alot more serious than IAA or Diabetes, let alone combined with them. Maybe a good restful night of sleep will make things better. I'll check out all the literature here and get a game plan. I have purchased the R but haven't used it yet. I went and loaded up on food knowing he's gonna need more and more.

I don't know whether to laugh when I think of Tigger having an Endocrine issue or investigate some things considering some of the tests I failed at Mayo were with the Endocrine system. I will be mentioning this my doctor when i'm down there just to see if something environmental is happening here.
And when I say laugh, I mean because pets supposedly take after their owners and you won't believe the crap I get about this.

There's more than just the diabetes with Tigger. A few years back when he was a kitten I was putting up christmas lights in my house and had one foot on the back of the couch and one foot on a speaker. He was attacking my shoelace and i turned a bit to shooo him away so he wouldn't cause me to fall. That made the speaker kick out from my right foot and I went straight down and all my weight went first through my wrist and then my shoulder. Major shoulder surgery and a broken bone in my wrist, because of a 2 lb kitten. I made the mistake of explaining what happened at work as I obviously missed a couple weeks of work. Tigger is known already, that is the moral of this story. So then I have some health issues and my blood sugar was .1 away from being Type II and he gets diagnosed with diabetes. Now I'm at Mayo getting tests done and one of the major findings is my Adrenals and the Ednocrine System and possible AutoImmune issues or something. Now Tigger is diagnosed with Insulin AutoAntibody and then Acro which is the Endocrine system. Almost creepy.

I am just amazed right now at how things unfolded with Momma showing up pregnant and starving a month after I bought my house and then drops Tigger off at my back door as a last ditch effort when he was about 2 weeks old.
This is just surreal if I analyze it.

Anyways, I was talking with my dad and just the fact that I found this site, what made me find this site? What if I didn't investigate things and just continued treating Tigger "As a best effort" as the first vet told me? Ok, gotta stop analyzing this stuff...
:lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

All things happen for a reason, Brent, and it looks like you and Tigger will be a great comfort to each other.
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

Since i'm being sappy here, thought i'd post a few vids of Momma and Tigger when he was a kitten.
Let me know if these links don't work and i'll try another medium

http://hnkstr.com/Pictures/Tigger/Tigge ... 0small.wmv
http://hnkstr.com/Pictures/Tigger/Tigge ... umping.wmv
http://hnkstr.com/Pictures/Tigger/Is%20 ... 0small.wmv
http://hnkstr.com/Pictures/Tigger/TiggerMomma4.wmv
http://hnkstr.com/Pictures/Tigger/Retur ... %20%20.wmv

These two are for pooh bear as we all know that Tiggers bounce! lol
http://hnkstr.com/Pictures/Tigger/Jumpin!.wmv
http://hnkstr.com/Pictures/Tigger/Tiggers%20Bounce.wmv
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

I guess I look at your description of the parallels in your life and Tigger's as one where you couldn't have more empathy with each other. That your momma cat brought you Tigger, only reinforces the bond you two have with each other. Some things are just meant to be and for who knows the reason, our cats seem to know this better that we do.

The acro/IAA is another hurdle and there's some additional knowledge besides how to manage FD you will need. Beyond that, it's business as usual. You have the basics down -- you know how to shoot, test, keep a spreadsheet, etc. You'll learn how to use R -- Libby and Sandy are pros with R. The rest of the people here with acro/IAA kitties along with the rest of us are your back-up. It's no different than it was a week ago in that regard. And as for Tigger, all he seems to care about (besides you) is that his bowl well supplied. He's the same lovable lug he's always been. It's still the same one day at a time.
 
Re: 8/26 Tigger AMPS 388 +6=388

Hi Brent:

I know I have never been on your condo but just was cruising around and saw your posts today. Just want to send you a big LL hug. Lots of experienced people around LL with acro kitties and I know they'll be there to help you out.

Interesting story about how the two of you are rather in sync!!! It was meant to be!!!

I know you'll do great with him along with the folks who can help you out. I think it's also good to at least know....then you can make "plans" :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: who am I kidding...no one can make plans with a cat involved!!
 
Guess we were made for each other, huh?
:lol:

Except, I wish I had his metabolism! I should calculate my daily calories and compare it to Tiggers!
 
Hi Brent, Sorry to hear about Tigger's diagnosis. My Gus got his acro dx on June 1st of this year, 3 months after his feline diabetes diagnosis. I think his spreadsheet would give you some hope. When we first got to FDMB-Lantus Land, Gus' #s were so high, the glucometer didn't read out the actual number, it just read "HI". I got a lot of help in regard to Gus' dosing from some very experienced members. It's really bumpy at first because you'll be learning a lot. Become very familiar with the protocol, you'll use it a lot. But, never hesitate to ask a question if you need clarification. We all benefit from the discussions and answers. I'll echo what someone already said...Tigger is still the same fuzzy guy that you loved yesterday. And if Gus' numbers can improve the way that they have, Tigger will do just fine. Believe it when they say"It gets better" because it does. ;-) Welcome.
 
OHMYGOSH - so Tigger is the little gray one in the movies? oh BWAHAHAHAHAHA - I LOVED the one that was called tiggermomma4 especially! he didn't even need her - he was having his own attack party by himself. what priceless movies!

a bunch of them the links don't work, but that one, jumpin! and TiggersBounce came through - too cute. next time there's a loose lips condo you should post them there - then more people will see them. He's a keeper!

i think you were meant for each other, brent. you understand him - and that's pretty special. you'll help him get stable now.

are you around this weekend to test and monitor?

and regarding what gayle said about the working pancreas - that's important for you to understand. in the non-diabetic cat (and human) when you eat, your pancreas releases the perfect amount of insulin to deal with the carbs in the food. in a diabetic, the pancreas isn't working right (although i guess sometimes they sputter) so you inject insulin to counteract the carbs in the food.

in an acro cat, there is a benign tumor on the pancreas and it puts out excessive growth hormones (why he's still growing) and it distorts the ability for the insulin to get into the cells so the cells can use the carbs for the body. imagine the cell having a lock on the front. the insulin is key-shaped. in acro, the lock opening has gotten distorted so that the key (insulin) can't get through. basically our tactic is to use more and more insulin so that enough will "leak" through that distorted keyhole.

another factor in this process - lantus creates a "shed" with a deposit of lantus that is slowly released into the kitty's body. apparently it's crystalline (there was a post about it yesterday). the size of the lantus shed is related to the size of the dose.

so think through the process here.

when tigger eats, his pancreas is going to release the amount of insulin he needs for the carbs he's getting. but it doesn't get through, so you're giving him more insulin so enough will leak by that distorted lock. IF he gets too much insulin, you're going to give him high carb food to pull up his low numbers. but his pancreas will respond to that food with a production of more insulin. and as his dose increases the shed gets bigger and continues to release insulin into tigger's body.

the potential for a difficult situation exists here - because if he goes too low you will need to give him a lot of high carb food to pull his BG up. the size of the shed and the working pancreas are (in a way) working against you, because they are continuing to put insulin into his body.

so . . . in other diabetic cats the target BG range is 50-120. In acro cats, our target is more like 100-200. 200 is low enough that there isn't organ damage going on. 100 is high enough that you won't have to worry about him going hypoglycemic and you have difficulty in pulling him up.

punkin went below 100 this week and i didn't do anything because he was at the nadir - and punkin is incredibly predictable, so i knew he was ok. i have found that he still responds very nicely to carbs in food - so when he has gone lower than i wanted i didn't have any trouble pulling him up. i usually just gave him maybe 1/4 can of fancy feast with gravy. those are punkin's favorite days. he's willing to take the pokeys because he LOVES that high carb food.

you should keep several cans of high carb food on hand in case you need it. karo works too - i think i have 3 cans in the cupboard.

what you're going to need to do is to record how things work with tigger so you can learn how he "works." at the moment he needs more insulin. i'd stock up on chicken breasts too so you can give him more food.

the other factor that i haven't yet had to deal with is that apparently the production of the tumor can zoom up, plummet or turn off. so far punkin is flat nearly all the time. at the moment tigger looks flat too - just flat and high. let's get him down about 200 points overall!!! then he can be flat all that he wants.

it's a lot to absorb, but you don't have to get it all at once. we're all not going anywhere and you have lots of help.

see ya tomorrow!
 
Hi Brent,

I too have an Acro cat, Guinness and I can tell you that things just fall into place. You will still test, feed, shoot. Check his BGs and go from there. There are some people out there getting their Acro cats treated. so you may want to research that.

I'm sorry to hear of the diagnosis, but want you to know that nothing changes...you just have more knowledge then you did a few days ago. Blessing? Maybe. Curse? Maybe. I don't post much anymore because I don't have much to say regarding Guinness's treatment, but do know that you can handle it. You just take it one day at a time like everything else.

You seem to have a special connection with Tigger, so use that connection and intuition to move forward and treat him as you see fit. I know you can do it because we all do! Good luck to you and Tigger!
 
awwww, Brent, I'm sorry about the acro and IAA. It will take some time for you to process the information, but don't worry about Tigger. He is fine and now you know why you haven't been able to get his numbers down. Now you can be more aggressive and we can help you get Tigger regulated.

It can be done! Jazzy has gone from 14u to 4u and is doing great, she feels good and yes, she eats a lot less than she used to. Her dose might (probably will) go up and down and up and down for the rest of her life, but now that she is well regulated and I have learned her patterns, I hope I will be able to keep her numbers in this range most of the time. I aim for mostly blue with a bit of green. Right now she has some yellow peeking through, but most of those are due to times I have had to skip shots due to my insane schedule. Life happens!
 
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