Feeling defeated

Boscosmom

Member
I think I am writing this more to vent. I don't understand why Bosco's numbers are going up. And today was the first time he couldn't make it to the litter box. He is really struggling with his back legs. I am so scared of him not being able to walk and that being the reason he has to cross the rainbow bridge. He is eating good, drinking and pooping and peeing. He still has his personality and wants to be with his people. I think part of the struggle is I believe he will try to live as long as he can for his "bean" my daughter Julia. They have been together since she was born - they are one year apart. They are bonded.
I'm open to any advise or suggestions or just give it more time because I am sitting her crying and don't know what to do.

Thank you for listening....
 
I think I am writing this more to vent. I don't understand why Bosco's numbers are going up. And today was the first time he couldn't make it to the litter box. He is really struggling with his back legs. I am so scared of him not being able to walk and that being the reason he has to cross the rainbow bridge. He is eating good, drinking and pooping and peeing. He still has his personality and wants to be with his people. I think part of the struggle is I believe he will try to live as long as he can for his "bean" my daughter Julia. They have been together since she was born - they are one year apart. They are bonded.
I'm open to any advise or suggestions or just give it more time because I am sitting her crying and don't know what to do.

Thank you for listening....
Hi Kim, are you still using Zobaline for neuropathy?
That can help. And if his glucose gets lower it can also help with the neuropathy.
You’ve only been at this since late July, so not that long. It takes time. Please don’t give up hope.

They say feline diabetes is a marathon, not a sprint.

We must be patient to see results. It’s very hard, we all understand how you feel ❤️‍🩹

Are you following SLGS or TR dosing method? I don’t see one in your signature or on your spreadsheet. Do you need more information on choosing a method to follow?
Sticky - Dosing Methods: Start Low, Go Slow (SLGS) & Tight Regulation (TR)

Sending you lots of support and strength. Give Bosco some belly rubs ❤️‍🩹🐈‍⬛😻
 
Hi Kim, are you still using Zobaline for neuropathy?
That can help. And if his glucose gets lower it can also help with the neuropathy.
You’ve only been at this since late July, so not that long. It takes time. Please don’t give up hope.

They say feline diabetes is a marathon, not a sprint.

We must be patient to see results. It’s very hard, we all understand how you feel ❤️‍🩹

Are you following SLGS or TR dosing method? I don’t see one in your signature or on your spreadsheet. Do you need more information on choosing a method to follow?
Sticky - Dosing Methods: Start Low, Go Slow (SLGS) & Tight Regulation (TR)

Sending you lots of support and strength. Give Bosco some belly rubs ❤️‍🩹🐈‍⬛😻
Hi
Yes he is using Zobaline. 1 pill daily. I think because he is on Lantus I am using the TR? He gets his insulin at 7a and 7p. 1 unit. though I fell like it is both TR & SLGT since he's only on one unit. Thank you for telling me not to give up hope. I need to hear all of this.
 
Hi
Yes he is using Zobaline. 1 pill daily. I think because he is on Lantus I am using the TR? He gets his insulin at 7a and 7p. 1 unit. though I fell like it is both TR & SLGT since he's only on one unit. Thank you for telling me not to give up hope. I need to hear all of this.
From what I understand, it takes time for the neuropathy to possibly be resolved. There’s no guarantee, but in many cases it does get resolved.

I spoke to the manufacturer of Zobaline at one point and they told me it was OK to give the capsule twice a day. But you should check with your vet to see if they think that would be OK.

Many of us actually use the Vitacost brand version of Zolbaline (brand) because it is much less expensive, it is vitamin B12, 5000 mcg (methylcobalamin) and they just pee out what they don’t need.
It's a capsule, just open it and sprinkle it on the wet food.
Vitacost, $14.49 for 100 capsules
One per day
https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-vitamin-b-12-methylcobalamin-5000-mcg-100-capsules-6

You would want to follow one of the two protocols in the link I gave you earlier one is SLGS, where you hold a dose increase for one week and see where the dose is taking your cat.

You want to know what the lowest point, or NADIR is to evaluate if the dose is effective.
And after a week if you would need an increase if your nadirs are too high, We do increases by .25 units at a time.
That being said, if at any time your cat goes 90 or below, you would immediately reduce your dose (the next time you give an insulin injection) by .25 units.

You should post and ask for help to determine if an increase is recommended at any time.

Again, please read the dosing instructions I gave you above and you can ask any questions about the two different dosing methods.

TR (is tight regulation) and is a bit more aggressive where you would have your cat being allowed to go down to 50 BG before taking a reduction. (*And you need to test BG more frequently).
Increases are given more frequently than with SLGS.

**But since you are just starting out, you would probably want to start out with SLGS and follow those directions very specifically.

Please hang in there. It does get better as you learn.

I’ve been dealing with my cat’s diabetes for three years now, and it is highly unlikely that she will go into remission.
It’s become a way of life and it’s just something that I have to deal with to take care of her and keep her safe.
And most people that are here would do anything to help their cats, so we are all quite like-minded and everyone is very helpful.
Please ask for any help or if you have any questions as you go along.
💝
 
If you are new, you do not have to start with the Start Low Go Slow method. As long as he is on an all low carb wet food or raw diet, the choice of dosing method is up to you. Tight Regulation also requires a bit more testing, at least 4 tests per day, the two preshots and one other in the AM and PM cycles. Looks like you've been able to do that so far. The good thing about following TR is that it allows you to increase faster and get to a better dose faster. The odds of getting regulated (and possible remission) are higher with TR. The sooner you can get him in good numbers, the better. We do see cats following SLGS go into remission, just less often.

One comment about those PM +2 tests, when you see a big drop from the preshot test to the +2 test, it's worth seeing if you can stay up and get a later test as that can be an indication of an active cycle with more dropping. The PM cycle of the 14th is a cycle where I might have tried to get a +4 test. We dose based on how low the dose is taking the cat, so it's good to catch those lows if you can. It does look to me like he bounced after whatever lower number he got to on the 14th PM. Cats, when they've been in higher numbers, can even bounce when they see yellows if they are not used to them. He may not have gone really low that night, just lower than he's been in a while.

I'm confused by a comment on your spreadsheet on the 12th. It says you started out at 0.25 units in the AM but then did 0.5 in the PM cycle? Yet the spreadsheet shows 0.5 units in the AM and 1.0 units in the PM. Which is it? Lantus is a depot style insulin, one dose is cumulative onto the previous ones until the depot is full. Long story short, what dose you shot that cycle counts. I also see that you might have done a fur shot today. Bummer, we all do them. :banghead: Again, a fur shot can disrupt the depot. You should smell Lantus on the injection site or feel it wet if a fur shot. If so, please put FS beside the dose, so it'd look like 1.0FS on the Units column. That just makes it easier for us used to looking at spreadsheet so see what happened.
 
Hi
Yes he is using Zobaline. 1 pill daily. I think because he is on Lantus I am using the TR? He gets his insulin at 7a and 7p. 1 unit. though I fell like it is both TR & SLGT since he's only on one unit. Thank you for telling me not to give up hope. I need to hear all of this.
Let me second what @Staci & Ivy said. No sprinting, just long, slow distance. It was many a time I was advised to wear my patience pants. Coupled with sustained care, testing, low-carb, good records (following @Wendy&Neko ) , both Bosco and you will prevail., 🤗 :cat:
 
Hang in there, Kim. Like everyone above has said, it’s no sprint and can take time. Keep pushing through and it’ll give you the best chance to find what works for Bosco. It took Binx and I almost 8 months of struggling before finding/reaching out to this community. Up until then, my vet convinced me I was doing something wrong and that Binx didn’t need more than 1.5 units. Since starting TR and really focusing on his recovery, we now have him at 5 units and he finds longer patches of stable numbers, with little neuropathy. He had bad neuropathy to start and high numbers for the better part of those 8 months. You’re already on a quicker track to success! Hope you find what works and stick with it 🤗
 
Neuropathy can be reversible, it just takes time. Zobaline (methylcobalamin) and getting into better BG ranges can help significantly. General muscle loss from uncontrolled diabetes can make the back legs weak as well. Again, time and improved BG can help.

Have you had potassium checked recently?

Here’s a video showing one cat’s journey with diabetic neuropathy. It does give one hope.
 
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