9/21 Champ PMPS 317, +2 192, +9.5 47, +10 103, +11 113

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Patty & Champ

Patty & Champ

Member Since 2011
Yesterday

We haven't had such a good start to the day in a loooong time!!! 'Bout time if you ask me! I gave him his half ounce of chicken breast at his +10 this morning like usual and his BG was 102!! I don't know why, but his numbers have been lower in the early morning hours, as if he is having an extremely late nadir. I'll do some late night checks this coming weekend so I can try to figure out how low he is actually going overnight. He never wakes me up crying for food, which he's done in the past when he's low, so I don't think he's getting down to a dangerous level. I sure wish I didn't need sleep so I could just stay up all night checking him!

Champ seems to be doing very well, though he sure acts like an old man for a 10-year-old. I've always had the suspicion that something is secretly going on inside him causing problems that no vet has been able to uncover. His blood work always comes back perfect. He's eating fine. He has no LB problems. Yet when he walks, and then stops and sits, his front legs wobble sooo bad. At one point, I thought it had gotten better, but not anymore. It feels like he's lost all his muscle tone. If Champ is in another room and lies down or gets up, I can hear it because he "plops" when he lies down and bangs around when he gets up. If he's standing and shakes his head, his feet try to slip out from under him...and this will happen on carpet and vinyl floors where he has traction. I've just always had this feeling that whatever is causing his leg problems is what's behind the diabetes, that there's an underlying problem somewhere in his little body that no one can find. I've had him on methyl B12 for the last three months in case this was caused by neuropathy. I've had him on Dasuquin for the last month in case this was caused by arthritis. I started fish oil last week. The vets tell me he's fine. But I can't shake this nagging feeling I have. I know I'm taking very good care of him and doing everything I can to give him a great life so I'm not going to worry myself to death about this. My daughter had a good suggestion, though...she told me to just start saving up money so I can get x-rays or MRIs to look for something since his blood work keeps coming back normal. I just may have to do that!!

Now I'm off to work (blah)!! I think the DD and I, along with a couple of her friends, are going to get sushi later this afternoon after she gets done with classes. It's been a couple of weeks so I definitely need my sushi fix!!! I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!!!
 
Re: 9/21 Champ AMPS 132

Verrry nice AMPS for Mr. Champ.

I echo your concern about his legs. I think it's in all of us to not accept the vet's "he's fine" when we know something else has to be going on! I too would save up for more tests.

And I hear ya about the nighttime numbers - if only we didn't need sleep!

Hugs to you and Champ (and enjoy the sushi!!)
 
Re: 9/21 Champ AMPS 132

Hi guys .. love the lower numbers for champ, very encouraging! I'm sorry you have that nagging feeling us moms get when something isn't right with our babies .. I hope if you are able to do the MRI or X ray you get the results you are looking for .. enjoy your sushi today .. have a great day!
 
Re: 9/21 Champ AMPS 132

I hate to say "I told ya so", but....I told ya so!!!!

My gut is never wrong.

I do hope you can get to the bottom of his leg issues...but yes, you are doing everything right by the little guy. He couldn't ask for a better bean!
 
Re: 9/21 Champ AMPS 132

I don't know if this is helpful, but Binks had exactly the same leg problems you describe with Champ...
was on MB12.

when he went OTJ...the leg issues virtually disappeared...and the MB12 was given sporadically at best...
he doesnt like it mixed in his food.
now that he's back on insulin...those symptoms are back (less apparent, but definitely back)

I believe it's the neuropathy with Binks.

Nice amps, Champs!
 
Re: 9/21 Champ AMPS 132

WooHoo! Great AMPS Champ! Way to do it and show your bean that you are doing just fine thank you!!

Not sure about the leg issues. However, we all know our animals. I had to fight with our vet when our lab, Charlie, was limping. The vet kept saying no he isn't and I kept bringing him back because I knew he was. After switching vets, it turned out that he had torn his ccl (like an acl on a dog) and if it had been caught earlier it would have been easier and cheaper to fix. Arghhhhh. So, if you think Champ is not acting right, be persistent. You know Champ better than anyone.

Hope you enjoyed your sushi. Yuck btw! When I come to LV in Jan, we will not be having sushi. :-D Have a wonderful day Patty!!
 
Re: 9/21 Champ AMPS 132

Hi Patty, thanks for stopping by our condo earlier. I like Champ's AMPS and hope you see some pretty numbers today. I hope you can eventually get X-rays or an MRI to rule out anything that may be causing the problem in his legs. Go with that gut feeling if you feel something is there. Enjoy your sushi lunch. Is it raw fish or California Roll (like I get)! I love going out to lunch/dinner/breakfast, anything to get out of cooking. :smile:
 
Re: 9/21 Champ AMPS 132

What a great start to Champ's day! I, too wish I could do more checks at night but I would be walking around like a zombie without sleep.

Patty, Simon has had some wobbling in his front leg, too. It is slight and it doesn't always happen, but I have seen it on occasion. I was thinking it was neuropathy or arthritis. If Champ's problem is happening frequently, I would definitely check it out when you are able to save up for it. You know your kitty best.
 
Re: 9/21 Champ AMPS 132

mybuddybinks said:
I don't know if this is helpful, but Binks had exactly the same leg problems you describe with Champ...
was on MB12.

when he went OTJ...the leg issues virtually disappeared...and the MB12 was given sporadically at best...
he doesnt like it mixed in his food.
now that he's back on insulin...those symptoms are back (less apparent, but definitely back)

I believe it's the neuropathy with Binks.

Nice amps, Champs!
Click to expand...

Celi, this actually helps a lot because it may confirm a suspicion I've had. You say Binks leg issues went away when he went OTJ and came back when he went back on the juice. You, like me, attributed it to neuropathy. I've studied Binks SS from before he went OTJ. Since December of 2010, his numbers were never high enough for him to have neuropathy and, really, Champ's numbers aren't high enough to cause neuropathy. I've had a niggling thought for a while that Lantus is causing the problem, like he's "allergic" to it or something. Champ isn't walking on his hocks and doesn't have the typical neuropathic posture of walking lower in the hind region. He also doesn't show any pain reactions like it's arthritis, and I really don't believe arthritis would cause so much wobbliness in his front legs. Champ had gotten to a point where he was almost off insulin and his wobbly legs were almost completely fixed. The higher his insulin dose, the worse it seems to get. Give me your thoughts on this. And anyone else...what are your thoughts?
 
Re: 9/21 Champ PMPS 317, +2 192

interesting thought, patty. i have no idea if you're onto something or not, but switching to levemir might solve the problem if the weakness is indeed caused by lantus. btw, it's not something i've heard from any other caregivers in the time i've been here, but that doesn't mean it can't/doesn't happen.
 
Re: 9/21 Champ PMPS 317, +2 192

I'm thinking no one has ever reported it because everyone always automatically thinks it's neuropathy!! I know I did and, because of my line of work, I'm pretty knowledge in the fields of neurology and endocrinology!! I know that when blood sugars get under control, neuropathy symptoms improve. They never worsen. When numbers are kept in a normal range, neuropathy symptoms should disappear. I'm a little apprehensive about trying Lev only because of the late nadir. I'm worried it would interfere with me getting any sleep!!
 
Re: 9/21 Champ PMPS 317, +2 192

Hi Patty - I can't help with any of this - but it is very interesting. I hope that somehow you can pursue it. I know on the Lev - and the late nadirs. I know it would be next to impossible for me. Good luck!

Very nice numbers for Champ this morning! And a definite improvement this evening. I hope your day was good.
 
Re: 9/21 Champ PMPS 317, +2 192

Arrrrggggghhhhhh! first i miss your condo this morning and now I lost my post. ohmygod_smile

Interesting observation on the leg weakness, but neuropathy is nerve damage and takes longer to reverse than just getting back to better numbers. Are you sure you are giving it enough time?
 
Re: 9/21 Champ PMPS 317, +2 192

this is some interesting stuff to research!
I have a written journal where i detailed a lot of different things about binks' physical condition...and a lot of it involves
leg observations.

i'll get it out and compile things i noticed...

and maybe we'll see some similar things others have seen as well...
it was his leg condition on top of the weight loss that finally woke me up to the fact that his vet and I were mistaken in thinking he was suffering from a
"grief reaction" from losing our two other furkids almost simultaneously...


and champ...nice +2!
 
Re: 9/21 Champ PMPS 317, +2 192

Really interesting condo today!!! I am like Jill in that I have no idea what to think about it or what it could actually be...could it be the lantus???

I can only tell you this about lev.....I wish we'd switched a long time ago. I've gotten more sleep on lev than I did on lantus and not because she doesn't go low or nadir late but because it's not as fast and harsh as her lantus drops. I may have to get up in the middle of the night, but it is not typically every half hour....it's more like every two....except tonight...... :lol: :lol:

We gotta talk soon. Maybe I'll call you on the way to the airport tomorrow.
 
Re: 9/21 Champ PMPS 317, +2 192

You do have a very interesting theory going there, Patty, about it possibly being the Lantus causing Champ's wobbly legs.

You did mention that when he was close to being OTJ, his wobbliness had improved. Could that improvement be because he was running better numbers in general, as opposed to the fact that is dose was lower? Obviously, you live with him so you see his day-to-day responses, but I'm wondering if it's the higher blood sugar causing the wobbliness - not necessarily neuropathy, but some sort of other neurological reaction - as opposed to the higher dosage. If that were the case, if his BGs some down overall, even though he's on a higher dose, it would help resolve the wobbliness. Just tossing it out there as another idea.

Now that you mention this, before Trixie was diagnosed her one front leg was quivering one night. It was just a brief thing...my husband noticed it while she was just sitting on the kitchen floor. He said to me "What's Trixie doing?" When I looked, her leg was shaking for no apparent reason, and because of the way she was sitting, it had very little weight on it. It passed quickly, and went out of my mind as being anything. I'm sure now, though, that it was a symptom of her undiagnosed diabetes. I haven't noticed her do that again, though.

I'm curious to see what you can find out...I know and completely understand how much this concerns you - and since we're one big family here, it concerns us, too!
 
Interesting theory, Patty... definitely is something for folks to think about. You might want to post over in Health as well. Hope you and Champ are having a great day!
 
Interesting theory, Patty... definitely is something for folks to think about. You might want to post over in Health as well. Hope you and Champ are having a great day!
 
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