9/14 Willow PMPS: 426 +3: 519 (Don't feel like I'm making progress)

Starting to feel like I'm torturing my cat for no reason, and that despite moving to high doses of insulin, her BG is not coming down. Why is it spiking 3 hours after her shot?? I have also tried to find a vet that has heard of TR and have not had any luck so far...

 

There is a phenomenon we affectionately (not!) call New Dose Wonkiness, a temporary increase in numbers for a couple cycles after an increase. Perhaps as the depot rebuilds? This should be over by tomorrow.

I remember the head vet at by clinic had heard about some research at Queensland University in Australia, but not the name of the protocol itself. It would be rare to find a vet who had heard of it. I just printed and passed on the journal article. I was just happy she'd read it and be OK with me using it.

Sorry no one responded to you yesterday. You were OK going with the 0.5 unit increase. Here is the link to yesterday's post: https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/9-13-willow-amps-445-2-434-4-408-6-390.235247/

 

I don’t think my vet really knows TR, even though she actually suggested home testing and had experience with a diabetic family member... but that’s where FDMB comes in. I used to call my vet panicking at so many numbers and various appetites, until I found out I could do the basic day to day work with help here instead, and my vet is now more of a team member, I still need her on Alice’s team for bloodwork and antibiotics for infections and whatnot. She has valuable information but she is not my day to day authority on FD.

@Wendy&Neko how high dose the dose have to get to before high dose conditions are considered? Does one typically wait longer for more data?

 

six units, Willow still has a while to go yet. We've had kitties get up to 5 units and turn it around. Pet peeve - I hate the phrase "high dose" conditions, cause cats can have these secondary endocrine conditions and still have small doses. Some cats with these conditions need higher doses. Cats with higher doses, tend to have one of these conditions.

 

Fair enough. And you’re right, Alice was on 10.5u NPH total per day then 9u total per day on Lantus and she is on less than one unit now.

 

What are the secondary endocrine conditions, and are there any symptoms I should be looking out for?

By the way, I added lab results that I have from Willow to that tab, but I'm not sure what they all mean.

 

This webpage has a great list of explanations for each lab work value. https://www.harlingenveterinaryclinic.com/services/cats/blood-tests-for-cats
I’m by far not the most advanced person interpreting your labs here, but mostly things look fine. Because glucose is high and so is total protein, it might be the case that your cat is a little dehydrated. You can add some extra water to the food to increase fluid intake.

 

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/acromegaly-and-other-high-dose-conditions-what-we-know.375/

Note that a good number of cats with acromegaly do not have symptoms initially though the post I link describes the more common ones, IAA has no symptoms other than what we can see on the spreadsheet (and blood test), Cushings does usually have a pot belly and possibly some skin conditions.

 

Thanks for this. Treatment for acromegaly sounds more expensive than I could afford, but it would be better to know if she has it if the insulin increases don't work. I see that it affects neutered males more often... it's possible my cat is a neutered male. She was a stray, and different vets have told me she's female/male. I call her "she" and she doesn't mind!

 

I am not sure that bit about males is so true. At least in what I have seen here. There is also a more current treatment, a medicine called cabergoline, that is given daily, and helps some. Not a cure, but doses can go down and side effects reduced. We have a few people here on it, and did have three cats go off insulin with it.