Calley is out of control...help

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Kris10mo

Kris10mo

Member Since 2014
Hi all,

I am back from vacation and very glad to see my sweet Calley girl. However, she is not so sweet. She is a monster. I read through the list of her BG numbers from the days I was gone. Most morning times she was below 150 and did not get a shot of insulin. A few mornings she was really low....30 on 7/21/14 at 7am. Most nights at PMPS she was in the 270 range and would get .5 insulin.

Last night 7/22/14 I tested at 7pm and got 320 so she got .5 insulin. This morning she was 259 and got another .5 insulin.

The drinking continues to be much reduced and her pees are maybe twice/day with a much smaller amount. Her poos are formed and not at all runny.

The problem remains.....her appetite. She wants food all the time. She is now jumping on tables and countertops looking for food in between meals. I know this means she is not yet regulated. She is biting my children when trying to get food off their plates or even in their hands while eating meals.

I have been feeding her 1/2 can wet food at each meal and several small spoonfulls during the day to no avail. She has been tested for thyroid and it was normal so she has no other condition but the diabetes....unless there is the acromaglia?

I am at my wits end with Calley. I have been fighting this with her for 8 months now and have spent way more money than I can afford to spend, and she is still not well. How fair is this to her? I can't afford to keep throwing more money into this....more tests, more supplies to help her, more this, more that......:(

She does nothing but sleeps on a chair in the DR. She does not play, she does not interact with people, she bites when petted etc. All she wants is food. I understand the diabetes is causing this....and it is not her fault, but I have doubts that it will ever change and get better.

I am attempting a BG curve today to see where her numbers go. I will keep track of them and let you all know.

She is eating and not gaining weight and her fur is looking terrible again. She is not a healthy happy cat and I think that her just being put down would be the best for her. She can't tell me she is in pain.....but her behavior sure does say she isn't happy. :(

I'm not as dedicated as most of you folks here. I think I've given about all I can give. The stress of this disease is more than I can take. I just lost my beloved yellow lab and my male black lab is in such depression that he won't leave my side. I am overwhelmed with all the pet expenses.

I am ready to let go. I either need to find her a home that can better handle her needs or .............. :(

A very tired Kristin and not happy Calley
 
(((Kristin))),

Newly diagnosed cats are often ravenous. That's because their bodies can't utilise all the food they are eating.

Is Calley overweight at all? Is there any reason not to feed her more food than she's currently getting? Just wondering if she does actually need more food (but I haven't had a chance to read all your previous posts yet so forgive me if you've already been over this ground with other folks here.)

Eliz
 
Is 8 months still considered newly diagnosed?

Calley was never overweight....and she is a female. From what I have read diabetes usually hits male cats that are overweight. Well I have a male cat that is overweight and he is fine. When Calley was healthy her weight was about 11 lbs. She was down to 9lbs a few weeks ago when she was vomiting a lot...then she went back up a lb. when she stopped vomiting. I don't know her current weight....but she looks thinner despite all that she is eating.

I don't have a problem feeding her more food, but I know that the food affects the blood sugar and she is already all over the place. She gets no food after 11pm when I go to bed. I feed her first thing in the am after her BG test.

I don't know how much and when to feed her.

She just bit my 8 yr old again just now. She was just petting her saying Good Morning to her cat. :(

Calley's +2 was 361.
 
Curious is she still on N? If so there could very well be the problem. N is a lousy insulin for cats. It hits too hard at onset dropping them hard and fast then is completely gone from their system in 6 hours causing them to jet right back up. So she is on a constant roller coaster ride which frankly makes her feel like crap. Is there any way your vet would change her insulin to either Lantus, Levemir or PZI?


Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Ah sweetie, it is hard, I know. But she wants to be a good kitty but just doesn't feel like she can be.

Simmie would go NUTS if he didn't get his larger meal in the am and then small amounts during the day. So, when I do the T/F/S protocol he gets 1/2 a small can of Tiki (0 carbs) before I test (to take the edge off because he would go for my jugular if he didn't get something to eat when I first come down from the bedroom). Then I Test, give him the rest of the can, check my numbers then shoot (if necessary). He starts sniffing around for more food in about 2 hour increments, so I give him snacks during the day (1/3rd of a can at a time). Then we do the same morning routine for his evening T/F/S. I also leave him so wet food in a bowl when I go to bed.

Simmie started out at 22 lbs! I knew he was at risk of diabetes but he was always SO HUNGRY I couldn't get him to lose weight (I know, mama's fault). I was also feeding him Hills M/D dry because he loved to crunch. Well now he is at a more reasonable 14 lbs, he is a big cat, really, and though I would like him to be about 11 or 12 pounds it is not worth it to him or me to deprive him of his snacks.

Give it a try, my feeding protocol described up there in this note. I'm trying to get him regulated as well and it can be difficult but the rewards are so wonderful when you do see them sleeping and playing peacefully.

WARNING - I am no expert! I am pretty new, but I know about hungry cats so I hope I did not cross the boundry here.
 
Hi Kristin,

Kris10mo said:
Is 8 months still considered newly diagnosed?
Click to expand...
No, I guess not, technically... Maybe I should have said 'newly diagnosed and unregulated cats in higher numbers' can be hungry...
Has Calley been ravenous all the while she's been diabetic? Or is this a more recent thing?

And her thyroid function is OK.... Hmmm....
A thought occurs: Does she have outdoor access? And if so, is her worming up to date? Worms could possibly account for the symptoms you're seeing..?
 
MommaOfMuse said:
Curious is she still on N? If so there could very well be the problem. N is a lousy insulin for cats. It hits too hard at onset dropping them hard and fast then is completely gone from their system in 6 hours causing them to jet right back up. So she is on a constant roller coaster ride which frankly makes her feel like crap. Is there any way your vet would change her insulin to either Lantus, Levemir or PZI?


Mel and The Fur Gang
Click to expand...

I agree. If she is still on N, you should talk to your vet about prescribing a longer acting insulin. If your vet prescribes Lantus or Levemir, ask for a prescription for the pens instead of vial. On both of the manufacturer's website there are discount coupons that will save you a lot of money on the pens. Plus, the pens last longer. A vial usually remains effective about 3-4 months and then you end up throwing a lot of it away. With the pens, because they are packaged in smaller containers, you will be able to use almost every drop. One pack of pens contains 5 pens. Depending on your dose, on package will give you enough insulin to last almost a year. When my cats were on Lantus, on package would last over 10 months before I had to refill the prescription. I think if you change to a longer acting insulin, you will find it easier to get Calley's diabetes under control.
 
BTW - my and Simmie's feeding protocol works for Simmie and based on my knowledge of him and any underlying conditions. ECID. Obviously the optimum way to deal with all of these issues with Calley are best addressed by discovering the root cause. I'm was kind of hoping that if you can give some 0 carb snacks during the day, while you are discovering the root cause, it might make the both of you happier.

Sorry everyone, if spoke out of turn.
 
Nope...you didn't speak out of turn at all. I need all the help I can get.

+4 at 12:00 was 123.

I just found out from my pet sitter that Calley vomited daily and large amounts. Yes she is still on the N, however she is not falling off fast and going high.....I don't think. Today's curve so far shows that. She is coming down nicely and didn't start high at all.

I just don't get it. I can't find anything to show one thing or another.

She is an indoor cat only. She hasn't left the DR in 8 months....never goes to the basement, outside, to another room....nothing.

With the news of her vomiting every day while I was gone....I am within hours of taking her to the vet and having her put down. She can't possibly be in good health and its been 8 months of trying.

She was on lantus before the N....for five months and it didn't help. Yes I know...I was still feeding her the dry food then and it probably didn't work well then....but I can't afford to buy more insulin.

I'm such a failure at this. If I could find her someone that knows how to fix her (though I am convinced that she isn't fixable)...I would give her up in an instant. She deserves better than the life she has.
 
I will go weigh her. Before my vacation she hadn't vomited for two weeks and had put some weight back on. So not sure what the pet sitter did/die not do that has her vomiting.

She weighs 9 lbs. She is down a lb since her last weight on 7/7/14.
 
Kris10mo said:
With the news of her vomiting every day while I was gone....I am within hours of taking her to the vet and having her put down. She can't possibly be in good health and its been 8 months of trying.
Click to expand...

You may want to look into local animal rescues, put an ad on craigslist, or even ask your vet if they know anyone willing to take in a diabetic cat.

When you had her on the lantus, she was still on dry food and you weren't home testing so another insulin would give her a better chance then the N. Not to mention she may have food allergies and the food you may be giving her may not agree with her.
 
hi Kristen,

If at all possible try and get Calley on a different insulin, I think you said you were thinking of trying Prozinc when you got back? You have been through so much together, it would be a shame to give up on her now. (I'm a bit raw, just lost my precious civi Lianna). If only she can get under control I'm sure she would be the sweet and loving cat you know. Am keeping my fingers crossed for both of you. xx
 
+6 = 91

If the N is going to wear off, when do you think i'll see a change with the number heading back up?

I can't afford to keep changing insulin. I will call Walgreens to see if they have the Lantus in the pens.....to see how much it is.

Thanks all for the support and encouragement.
 
I agree with trying a different insulin first before making a permanent decision. Here are some ways to get Lantus less expensively. You might also look into Levemir if you don't want to go back to using Lantus. For me and Mikey, the switch from Lantus to Levemir made all the difference in the world (check out his spreadsheet). Levemir also has a discount for their pens ($25 per pen per month for 2 years) that seems to work more often than the Lantus discount (most pharmacies won't accept it any more).
 
This is probably the worst post I will ever have to write.

Kris, for this to work you really need to want to do it. That's what it will come down to because your baby is suffering, no doubt. And so are you. It sucks, all of it and we understand the stress you are under. But there is a way out of it if you feel you can deal with it. Not all of us can deal with the stresses of a sick kid when we're not sure what we can do. And yeah, there are financial impacts.

My recommendation is that for the time being you do the following:

- try a different insulin but only if you can handle the protocols required by that insulin. If you need financial help to do this I am sure your vet can set up a manageable payment plan.
- Food. Be sure you stick to a low carb diet, small dishes over the course of the day, that she can digest.
- Keep in mind that every time they vomit or experience stress it will have an affect on their glucose levels.
- Do not leave this board. You need all the help you can
get to get through this period. Let us know if you need us to stay up with you.
- just in case you don't think you can manage this, do what someone else has recommended. Call a shelter or some association that deals with diabetic cats. There are other people like Larry out there!

You have a ton of demands on you. We know what it is like. In the end, you have to do what is right for you. Only you can know what that is and regardless, we will be there for you.

Love
Lydette and the family
 
Cost wise, check out BCP PZI (your vet sends them the RX; they ship to you) and ProZinc 9check local CostCo).
 
Kris I just sent you a pm I might have a source for some free Lantus if you want to try again with it.

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
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