First Post: Maggie AMPS 300 +2: 176 + 5: 70 +6: 151 PMPS 277

[MyMaggie]

Today is our second full day after Maggie's Diagnosis. We had a lot of trouble with testing today as I am having difficulty getting the blood. I am rubbing the ear, tried a hot towel....we managed but she is not liking the testing. She doesn't even care for chicken treats as a reward (silly old girl).
This is my first post so I don't know if I am doing this right! Baby is in bed and I finally have a moment to update.

Maggie started today with 1 unit (Lantus) and I gave her another 1 unit this evening as she tested at 277 (15.4). I hope I am doing this right... I guess it is a learning curve for both of us.

I am very frustrated with the urinating around my house though!! Cat urine and hardwood floors = an impossible stench to get rid of!!

I FINALLY got a urine sample though so Dr. Gill can finally do that testing to see if there are any other complications.

When Maggie was initially diagnosed on Monday, her blood work showed elevated enzymes for her Liver and Kidney's. She was dehydrated so the vet has been giving her fluids the last few days and we will retest the levels in a week or two. This complicates things with a high protein diet to control the diabetes so this really is a learning curve!

My poor girl, I wish I could take all her pain away!!

We will keep plugging away as best we can until we get this figured out.

 

[Christie & Willie (GA)]

Re: First Post: Maggie AMPS 300 +2: 176 + 5: 70 +6: 151 PMPS

Hello and welcome! Willie and I have been here since December 2010, and I can assure you, this is the place you want to be! Maggie's first condo was a great one... a good WCR (whole cat report) that is more than just numbers.

We have all posted similar frustrations getting started. I promise, it does get easier! Pre-diagnosis, my poor Willie was dealing with his misery through inappropriate urination as well... but once we got his BG relatively stabilized, that came to a stop.

Don't worry so much about the high protein diet. The newer research suggests that the real issue for cats in terms of kidneys is phosphorus, and I've also read that the idea of "normal" is a bit eschewed as it is based on cats eating a typical dry food diet. We've re-occupied our Lantus Land condo after six months at the Falls (in remission), and I had this conversation with my vet when I took him in to get a new insulin script. She wanted to do fluids, but when I had her recheck his kidney numbers, they were the same or better than they had been for the last two years. I don't have the link to Dr. Lisa's food charts handy, but it also gives phosphorus numbers for foods, so that may be something you need to monitor, depending on Maggie's kidney numbers. Alternatively, there are phosphorus binders that can be added to her food.

So nice that Maggie is already seeing green in her cycle! Don't be discouraged if you see high numbers after those low dips... Her body has readjusted itself into thinking those high, unregulated numbers are normal. When a cat's blood sugar is too low, the liver dumps some stored sugar into the blood stream to bring it up. Because the 300s are now normal to her liver, that 70 may have caused her liver to overreact. As the insulin does its job, her liver will hopefully get the memo.

If you haven't already done so, you may want to create a spreadsheet for her, and then create a signature file that will appear at the bottom of each of your posts. By having a spreadsheet link in that signature, you make it easier for folks to get information about Maggie quickly in situations where you are seeking advice.

Just take a deep breath, know that you're doing great, and that here, you have a team ready to help with not only the diabetes stuff itself, but all the human stuff that comes with it!

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Re: First Post: Maggie AMPS 300 +2: 176 + 5: 70 +6: 151 PMPS

Hello Amber and this is a great first condo for Maggie. The folks here are great with helping and giving advice. Take the time to read all of the starred Sticky notes at the top of this forum. The first thing we are going to look for before we can advise you on dosing is a spreadsheet. Here are the instructions for creating one. You'll need the World version of the SS. You can enter in numbers as you are used to, and the second sheet will automatically translate them to the US numbers people here are used to. It looks like Maggie had a very nice cycle today with a great nadir.

The food list that Christie refers to is located here. You'll want low carb (LC) foods under 10% carbs with low phosphorus, ideally under 250. I hope you also have some high carb (HC) food around, honey or corn syrup, in case Maggie goes low and you need to raise her numbers. Adding water to her food will help keep her hydrated.

You are doing great at testing so far, better than I did on my second day. It does get easier. For testing, I ended up using an old plastic film canister filled with hot water to heat the ear. Some people also use pill bottles. Holding that against the ear is fairly easy. Or you can do a rice sock, which is an old sock filled with rice in the bottom, then microwaved. For treats afterwards, if Maggie isn't into treats, some people use combing for a reward if kitty likes that. Or you may have to play with the type of treats. Another alternative is a tiny piece of boiled chicken breast. There are all sorts of freeze dried meat treats in pet food stores. The best price/selection is in the dog section.

I too have hardware floors in my house. Nature's Miracle works pretty well at getting rid of the smell. You can also buy little black lights you can shine on the floor in the dark that highlight any missed spots.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Re: First Post: Maggie AMPS 300 +2: 176 + 5: 70 +6: 151 PMPS

I just posted in your other thread. Welcome to Lantus Land.

Getting a urine sample at home for your vet is less than ideal. No matter how careful you are, the sample will be contaminated. The only way to get a sterile urine sample is for your vet to do a cystocentesis (i.e., the urine it withdrawn via a needle into the bladder) and the vet then does a culture and sensitivity test to see if there's any bacteria growing.

The other factor that's contributing to the excessive urination, aside from the diabetes, is that Maggie is getting fluids. She's urinating out the excess volume of fluids. You might want to set up some extra litter boxes and potentially, get some puppy pee pads to put around the boxes. They will help protect your floors.

I brought her litter box out into the open so she could see it and access it very easily but she refuses to use it.

Just like humans, many cats like their privacy when using their litter box. It helps to remember that for cats in the wild, any eliminated body product is a way that a predator can determine that you're around. As a result, waste is hidden and buried. This is instinctive. Also, moving a litter box can be a reason that your cat is peeing where the box used to be.