I have now got a few glucose levels to report on my spreadsheet. I increased the PZI back to what he has been, since I switched to Fancy Feast yesterday morning I was afraid of a quick drop in glucose, but haven't seen it yet. I haven't ever tested for ketones, but will get some strips today. I can report that he has ALWAYS been positive for ketones when taken to the vet. Three weeks ago the vet reported small amount of ketones. I have in the last couple of weeks boiled chicken and given him the broth from just plain boiled chicken thighs and he seems to LOVE IT! Any thoughts on keeping that up. At first he liked the chicken, but doesn't seem interested and only drinks the broth. It doesn't really effect his appetite and he screams for food on about a two hours basis. He is a free eater. BJ has always drank a large volume of water and urinates huge spots in the cat box. Any thoughts or suggestions would be helpful as he was diagnosed May 2010 and has never really had his glucose levels under control. The vet has just increased his insulin everytime I take him in.
A few glucose levels to report:NEWBIE
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Sue and Oliver (GA)
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Glad you are filling up that spreadsheet, Debra. Great job! We are seeing a high flat curve - which can mean too much insulin. An experiment on a weekend when you are going to be around to monitor might be helpful - lowering the dose down by perhaps half - to see if the numbers change. But you would not want to do that if there are any ketones present.
We will be glad when you test for ketones. They really can be deadly. ketones
The broth is fine. Here are Dr. Lisa's suggestions for increasing fluid intake:
Adding 1-2 TBS of water (plain or flavored – such as tuna water, clam juice, chicken or beef broth) per meal is also very beneficial, as is using water fountains. Make your own tuna water by taking one can of tuna and mixing the contents into 3 cups of water. Mash it around and let it sit for ~15 minutes. Pour the water into covered ice cube trays. Freeze to prolong the freshness. Use covered trays to keep the water tasting and smelling fresh.
Free feeding is fine. You noted on your spreadsheet that he loved the Fancy Feast. I would continue with that - small frequent meals.
Someone wise once said that this sugar dance is a marathon, not a sprint. I know you have been at it awhile, but only with wet food and hometesting for a few days. Hopefully we will see some progress soon.
We will be glad when you test for ketones. They really can be deadly. ketones
The broth is fine. Here are Dr. Lisa's suggestions for increasing fluid intake:
Adding 1-2 TBS of water (plain or flavored – such as tuna water, clam juice, chicken or beef broth) per meal is also very beneficial, as is using water fountains. Make your own tuna water by taking one can of tuna and mixing the contents into 3 cups of water. Mash it around and let it sit for ~15 minutes. Pour the water into covered ice cube trays. Freeze to prolong the freshness. Use covered trays to keep the water tasting and smelling fresh.
Free feeding is fine. You noted on your spreadsheet that he loved the Fancy Feast. I would continue with that - small frequent meals.
Someone wise once said that this sugar dance is a marathon, not a sprint. I know you have been at it awhile, but only with wet food and hometesting for a few days. Hopefully we will see some progress soon.
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Very Active Member
Hard to answer without more data, Debra. If he went down into the 200s or 100s at nadir last night, it could be a bounce. His body is certainly not used to numbers out of the 300s. That's why we need more midcycle numbers. It could also be that he needs more insulin and is a high insulin cat. The only way to know is to collect that data and compare what happened with this dose and that dose. Then you can try to make some predictions about what is happening.
Are you completely off dry food at this point? And using lo carb treats? I am hoping we will see some movement with those changes.
The other info that is good to keep is the whole cat report. Is he peeing, pooping, purring and playing? Has you seen any grooming or change in litter box habits? Those are all important signs of progress to keep track of and celebrate when you see changes.
Are you completely off dry food at this point? And using lo carb treats? I am hoping we will see some movement with those changes.
The other info that is good to keep is the whole cat report. Is he peeing, pooping, purring and playing? Has you seen any grooming or change in litter box habits? Those are all important signs of progress to keep track of and celebrate when you see changes.
A
Anonymous
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WOW great getting that SS up and colored in ;-)
what i notice is that he lowered faster and deeper so far today than yesterday. and that is likely due to food.
seeing as how your kitty is ketone prone if you want to keep those doses high (according to amps and pmps please) i would go along with that as long as you are home and keeping not only an eye on him but also doing spot checks. numbers can dip dramatically without any symptoms.
so with the ok of the others on pz group i say at this point considering prone to ketones...shoot the number.
this also means be prepared to drop the dose for lower numbers of course.
it is kind of a sliding scale which i like but not everyone for some reason is in favor of.
how does that sound to you?
lori
and tomtom too!
what i notice is that he lowered faster and deeper so far today than yesterday. and that is likely due to food.
seeing as how your kitty is ketone prone if you want to keep those doses high (according to amps and pmps please) i would go along with that as long as you are home and keeping not only an eye on him but also doing spot checks. numbers can dip dramatically without any symptoms.
so with the ok of the others on pz group i say at this point considering prone to ketones...shoot the number.
this also means be prepared to drop the dose for lower numbers of course.
it is kind of a sliding scale which i like but not everyone for some reason is in favor of.
how does that sound to you?
lori
and tomtom too!
Kelly & Oscar
Very Active Member
If he is still testing positive for ketones, I would actually gander to say that the flat curve is not a product of too much insulin. With ketones in the picture, I am not sure if I would drop the dose too much. I'll wait to say/ask more once we know the dry food situation 
I took him totally off dry food yesterday morning at about 5:30 a.m. He's always lethargic and has lost down from 18 lbs before May 2010 to a little less than 12 lbs, 3 weeks ago. He does love attention and will always purr when you scratch his head! He just always seems exhausted. Lately he's having trouble getting up and down off the side of the bathtub where he loves to lay and has an extra bowl of water up there which he manages to drink almost the whole cereal bowl in a day. Just posted a new glucose level of 261...I'm hoping coming off the dry food is bringing the numbers down.
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Very Active Member
Hurrah for your first yellow! :RAHCAT
Okay I'm in the 7th hour post insulin and I just got 206! Do I need to be following every hour to see how low it goes? Also I'm doing ear sticks. Is this okay to keep poking him in the ear? I've just never stuck him as much as I have since yesterday. He's beginning to want to get up and run when I come towards him with the needle and meter, but I am encouraged!
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Very Active Member
206 is nicer than those 300s. We won't know if it is the nadir (lowest point in the cycle) unless you get another number. But you don't have to do it all today. If he is getting grumpy, you might wait till +9 or 10 to see where he is.
You are sure giving treats each time you poke, right?
You are sure giving treats each time you poke, right?
NO on the treats.....But I boiled some chicken to get the broth, so I'll give that at the next stick. What kind of treats do I purchase. He seems to be feeling better. He's in there bathing now and I honestly can't remember the last time I saw him lick his feet and clean himself off. He's not been into grooming for about the last 6 months. He was always meticulous about his care, so it's a good sign.
Debra
Debra
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Very Active Member
Here are some lo carb possibilities: Lo carb treats Oliver loved Bonito flakes; Niko prefers PureBites.
Oh, grooming is very good! One of the first things we noticed when Oliver started to exhibit diabetic symptoms, he quit grooming himself and started to look awful and dry. Once we got him regulated, his coat came back shiny and soft.
Every stick deserves a treat. That way, they come to associate the two and are willing to sit for the poke because they know the treat is coming next.
Oh, grooming is very good! One of the first things we noticed when Oliver started to exhibit diabetic symptoms, he quit grooming himself and started to look awful and dry. Once we got him regulated, his coat came back shiny and soft.
Every stick deserves a treat. That way, they come to associate the two and are willing to sit for the poke because they know the treat is coming next.
donnahc
Very Active Member
We use real chicken for our post test treats, and sometimes as a mid-day or 4am treat.
When the giant packs of boneless skinless chicken go on sale we buy one or two and bake it in the oven. Once cool, we cube in 1/4” pieces and spread them on a cookie sheet to partially freeze (maybe 20 mins in the freezer), then we bag them and pull out a day or two’s worth at a time. It usually is a weekend activity, it’s real nice to have during the week to grab quick for our treats. The kitties love it and it’s pretty economical.
When the giant packs of boneless skinless chicken go on sale we buy one or two and bake it in the oven. Once cool, we cube in 1/4” pieces and spread them on a cookie sheet to partially freeze (maybe 20 mins in the freezer), then we bag them and pull out a day or two’s worth at a time. It usually is a weekend activity, it’s real nice to have during the week to grab quick for our treats. The kitties love it and it’s pretty economical.
hollyall
Very Active Member
I bet it felt good to see that 206. So glad bj is feeling a litttle better. Max was a pill about testing at first too. You would've thought I was torturing him. I wasn't. He just hated holding still. The actual poke didn't hurt that much. I never thought he would train, but he did. Lots of love and treats help. You're doing so good.
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