having a meltdown

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well, now I feel ridiculous - his pmps was 456 (not bad for him considering I gave him such a small insulin amount this am) he eagerly ate 1/8 cup of Purina DM this evening (he'll get the other 1/8 cup in a few hours) and I re-weighed him on the new baby scale on a hard surface (not carpet) and his weight is 11.4 (so he hasn't lost 3 lbs)! I think his inappetite yesterday was either 1) his periodic inappetite which I have no idea why it happens but which has happened regularly in the 5 yrs I have had him or 2) I increased his Young Again too quickly I learned so much from you all which I will take forward to make Murphy healthy again ps I hope this post is not too optimistic
 
I forgot one more thing that I did and I will edit on my earlier post. Merlin doesn't like shredded chicken whether I boil it for him or if it is in one of those Tiki cans. So I would puree any meat. I think because he only has one fang, he seems to like the soupy stuff.
 
Merlin said:
I forgot one more thing that I did and I will edit on my earlier post. Merlin doesn't like shredded chicken whether I boil it for him or if it is in one of those Tiki cans. So I would puree any meat. I think because he only has one fang, he seems to like the soupy stuff.
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I was thinking the same thing - do you use a food processor? will he eat Tiki Cat pureed?
 
I have a vitamix. I never thought of puree the Tiki cat food but that is a good idea too.
 
So glad things are looking up! I see you got brave and upped his dose a bit too. I think that was the right thing to do, Go Murphy! Hope to see some pretty blues:cat:
 
Carol C said:
well, now I feel ridiculous - his pmps was 456 (not bad for him considering I gave him such a small insulin amount this am) he eagerly ate 1/8 cup of Purina DM this evening (he'll get the other 1/8 cup in a few hours) and I re-weighed him on the new baby scale on a hard surface (not carpet) and his weight is 11.4 (so he hasn't lost 3 lbs)! I think his inappetite yesterday was either 1) his periodic inappetite which I have no idea why it happens but which has happened regularly in the 5 yrs I have had him or 2) I increased his Young Again too quickly I learned so much from you all which I will take forward to make Murphy healthy again ps I hope this post is not too optimistic
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So glad to hear he ate well! And super happy that he hasn't lost as much weight as you feared he had, that's wonderful news!!! The trick to using the baby scales is to find a convenient, hard surface for it and then not moving it, if you want to get consistent readings. :)
 
@Sharon14 thank you for asking - he coughed up a hairball last night - which was definitely part of the issue- as is usual, he develops a food aversion to everything he was eating at the time he felt sick, so now he won't touch pumpkin in addition to the Young Again and Royal Canin He scarfed up his 1/8 cup DM this morning and is already begging for more I'm going to puree Tiki Cat chicken today to see if he will eat that, maybe with some parmesan cheese on top I got so many wonderful suggestions yesterday, for the first time in many weeks, I am hopeful. I am also going to give myself a little break and stop obsessing about this for awhile
what about you? Are you going to have Colin clipped so you can see the shot better? I was about to - even bought the clippers- but since I've been doing the tent over the shoulder blades, I've been better at the injections - although I still am anxious because I can't see where the needle is going I see you had some lovely yellows yesterday - that is very encouraging!!
 
Good that Murphy ate something this AM. How are his numbers with the dose increase? As for shots, I thought I gave a good shot last night, but when I went to kiss him on his head I could smell the insulin, so I don't know... I may try to clip him today, I know he won't like that though. I have to go to town to work a few hours today too, and I worry about him especially with the new insulin. I wish I could stay on the ProZinc. It seems much more forgiving, and I'm more comfortable with the small group we have here.
 
Colin was up to 5u 2x/day and we saw no progress. I'm wondering about Acromegaly, but since there's nothing I can do about it if he has it(treatment way too expensive), my vet and Sue and Rachel suggested a change to see if that'll help.
 
[QUOTE="Sharon14, post: 1505459, member: 13302" I wish I could stay on the ProZinc. It seems much more forgiving, and I'm more comfortable with the small group we have here.[/QUOTE]

Sharon, you can absolutely hang around. You have good insights into FD and know about ProZinc. We love to have you post. (Consider that I haven't had an FD cat in 6 years; I still post)

We can't help with Levemir dosing. I'd suggest adding something like NEED DOSE ADVICE when you need help. The forum is much bigger than this one and threads get lost, but if you indicate you need help right away, they are good at getting back to you.

I like his yellows. :D
 
My civvies wouldn't eat when I first got her. But she had just had her leg amputated. She was only 4 lbs and 1 1/2 years.

Tried everything including baby food. Some one suggested Proplan because of the gelatinous in it. She licked all the gelatin and eventually started taking bites a few days later.

Proplan savor chicken and spinach and beef and carrots are low carb at least I'm told that over the phone. They are mailing me the information.

Another is FreshPet. It's in the refrigerator at the pet store and some grocery stores but in the dog side. This is what they told me:
The carbohydrate amount in our cat foods:
Vital Complete Meals is 3.3% as fed and 8.4% moisture free.
Freshpet Select Roasted Meals Chicken Recipe is: 3.3% as fed and 8.4% moisture free Freshpet Select Roasted Meals Chicken & Beef Recipe is: 3.5% as fed and 8.5% moisture free.
Freshpet® Select Chicken & Beef Cat Food Recipe Slice and Serve Roll is: 4.0% as fed and 9.8% on a dry matter basis.

Maybe one of these will get him eating.
 
Hey Carol - once you think you got the "tenting" technique (over the shoulders) accomplished, start moving that tent around to the sides or shoulders. You can also tent on the sides near the barrel (horse term) or rib cage or shoulder. That way, it doesn't get sore in one area. I do my injection in the AM on the left side and my PM shots on the right sides and I move all up and down the body. I stay away from the hips because Merlin is very thin there but I have heard of others shooting there too.
 
Merlin said:
Hey Carol - once you think you got the "tenting" technique (over the shoulders) accomplished, start moving that tent around to the sides or shoulders. You can also tent on the sides near the barrel (horse term) or rib cage or shoulder. That way, it doesn't get sore in one area. I do my injection in the AM on the left side and my PM shots on the right sides and I move all up and down the body. I stay away from the hips because Merlin is very thin there but I have heard of others shooting there too.
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That's how my ex-vet told me to give the shot; my new vet tells me to give it in the same place each time, said it helps have consistent results. I don't always listen to the vet, lol. I do worry about him getting sore in that spot if I always give it in the same place.
 
Yeah, I have read here on this site that it is best to stay away from the spinal area. I also read that it is best to give near the side/stomach as it absorbs better, hence better numbers. I tried experimenting to see if that is right but I couldn't really tell. Seems like there is a study somewhere out there on the best place to give a shot. I have heard of others, injecting on their stomach. I don't think I could get Merlin to lay on his back while I gave him a shot. So I just keep giving shots up and down, all around his body now. I can tell where he may have a little scar tissue near his top of his shoulder because the needle goes in a little different than other virgin areas and that is where I always shot at first.
 
Merlin said:
Yeah, I have read here on this site that it is best to stay away from the spinal area. I also read that it is best to give near the side/stomach as it absorbs better, hence better numbers. I tried experimenting to see if that is right but I couldn't really tell. Seems like there is a study somewhere out there on the best place to give a shot. I have heard of others, injecting on their stomach. I don't think I could get Merlin to lay on his back while I gave him a shot. So I just keep giving shots up and down, all around his body now. I can tell where he may have a little scar tissue near his top of his shoulder because the needle goes in a little different than other virgin areas and that is where I always shot at first.
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My vet told me not to do the scruff of the neck that studies show that it doesn't absorb as well there so, I don't shoot there.
 
A close personal friend of mine is a feline-only vet (who I really trust but who unfortunately lives too far away to be my vet), and because I was having such a terrible time giving Murphy his shots (on his side etc) she showed me on her cat - she said feel for the shoulder blades, pull the skin in a tent up from there and shoot in the tent. this area is not in the scruff of the neck, but a little farther back. She also said that the insulin will be consistently absorbed there as opposed to varying the location every time. However, in the very long term, she said eventually vary where I shoot . Since I started doing this, giving the injections have been MUCH easier for me - previously, I was having a hard time not shooting muscle and intra-dermal and even finding a good place. Murphy was not happy, and while he does notice when I shoot now, it is much better.
 
Glad things are looking brighter today Carol! Sometimes we just need a break, when it seems overwhelming. You are doing a great job! Good luck with finding just the right food/foods, that would be frustrating I am sure. Rupert eats everything in sight now, so at least I don't have that issue. I do shave Rupert around the shoulder blades and neck area, it is so much easier to see that my needle is in before injecting. He doesn't seem to mind the clippers, which surprised me, he actually purred last time I did it! Maybe feels like a mini-massage? Keep up the good work and remember to be kind to yourself also.
 
I see it was 449 :(, but remember, he did have some really nice numbers lately, so there is some progress. Rupert and Bubba both keep us on our toes, eh? Did you get another bottle of Prozinc or are you thinking of switching?
 
CatX4 said:
I see it was 449 :(, but remember, he did have some really nice numbers lately, so there is some progress. Rupert and Bubba both keep us on our toes, eh? Did you get another bottle of Prozinc or are you thinking of switching?
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Yeah, the little bouncer He started off lower today, 288 and that was 1 hour and 10 mins after throwing up yesterday's mouse. :banghead: At 4:50 AM !! Don't know why he likes them so much, they don't agree with him Yes, Rupert and Bubba keep us dancing. I got a new bottle of proZinc when he had his dental and started it 9.25 PM. I reduced from 2.2 to 2.1 because it was new. You can see by his SS that he went his lowest at +9 and the next AM he was in the yellow for pre-shot. I just felt like I needed to give the ProZinc a bit longer. Are you going to switch?
 
I went with ProZinc again too, figured I would try one more bottle. Sure hope we can get them regulated before our new bottles are done. My country cats used to go outside, would eat their mice and throw them up too! Yuck! But they sure did help with the mice population! Guess they test good going down, but don't want to stay there. o_O Thanks for the info, I will give a little less when I start the new bottle, which will be soon. Better to be safe than sorry. Sometimes I get a little envious of ones that get their cat regulated so quickly, happy for them, I am, but the hard ones like Bubba, Rupert, Colin, sure lead us on a dance and it's hard not to get discouraged. I worry that Rupie will have other health issues due to prolonged high numbers and that maybe I am missing some vital clue. *sigh* Guess we have to keep our chins up and keep the hope alive!
 
CatX4 said:
I went with ProZinc again too, figured I would try one more bottle. Sure hope we can get them regulated before our new bottles are done. My country cats used to go outside, would eat their mice and throw them up too! Yuck! But they sure did help with the mice population! Guess they test good going down, but don't want to stay there. o_O Thanks for the info, I will give a little less when I start the new bottle, which will be soon. Better to be safe than sorry. Sometimes I get a little envious of ones that get their cat regulated so quickly, happy for them, I am, but the hard ones like Bubba, Rupert, Colin, sure lead us on a dance and it's hard not to get discouraged. I worry that Rupie will have other health issues due to prolonged high numbers and that maybe I am missing some vital clue. *sigh* Guess we have to keep our chins up and keep the hope alive!
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I hear you Lynn but, they are making good progress, I just looked at Ruperts's SS and they are both staying the majority of the time below the renal threshold and they are getting some greens here and there. Yes, chins up! They haven't been on insulin too long. Heck, some kitties get off the juice a year or two later or even longer than that. There is always hope. ;)
 
I am still hopeful, but as the dosage keeps getting higher, I get a little scared. But, he is below the worrisome 5+ units yet, so we still have some room. I am watching Colin's SS closely, sure hope he starts to see some good numbers, nice yellows so far, so maybe he will be regulated soon.
 
CatX4 said:
I am still hopeful, but as the dosage keeps getting higher, I get a little scared. But, he is below the worrisome 5+ units yet, so we still have some room. I am watching Colin's SS closely, sure hope he starts to see some good numbers, nice yellows so far, so maybe he will be regulated soon.
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I know what you mean about the increases, but it doesn't have to mean that is where they will stay. Sometimes they have to go up before that start coming down. Fingers and Paws. Sorry Carol that we high-jacked your thread. :oops:
 
I hope you're both able to get regulated on ProZinc too. The L&LL forum is so big. I haven't gotten many responses to my post. I guess I have to get more aggressive in my posting, that's not me though. That's why I like it here. I'm feeling scared & hopeless again. Alright enough with feeling sorry for myself, back to reading and trying to figure Levemir out. Thanks for letting me vent. Yes, sorry for the high-jack Carol
 
Bobbie And Bubba said:
I know what you mean about the increases, but it doesn't have to mean that is where they will stay. Sometimes they have to go up before that start coming down. Fingers and Paws. Sorry Carol that we high-jacked your thread. :oops:
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I am no longer in meltdown mode, and I received so much support and helpful information - I enjoy reading the conversation so please keep it going here
 
Sharon14 said:
I hope you're both able to get regulated on ProZinc too. The L&LL forum is so big. I haven't gotten many responses to my post. I guess I have to get more aggressive in my posting, that's not me though. That's why I like it here. I'm feeling scared & hopeless again. Alright enough with feeling sorry for myself, back to reading and trying to figure Levemir out. Thanks for letting me vent. Yes, sorry for the high-jack Carol
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Hang with us all you want Sharon! Get creative with posting over in L&LL. Maybe one of your titles could be something like: " Are they really not manufacturing Levemir anymore ????? " That aught to get some hits!
 
Carol C said:
Sharon - did Colin get clipped yet? How are your injections going?
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No haven't clipped yet. Charging my clippers and I cleaned his ears today, and he HATES that, so I didn't want to do too much. Plan to try to clip tomorrow. I think shot went well though. Thanks for asking
 
Carol C said:
Are there so many more cats on Levemir than prozinc (is that why the forum is bigger)?
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Yes! They have a special way they post, and you're only supposed to post one thread a day because there are so many. When I posted this AM, I checked back less than 5 min. Later and my post was already half way down the page! I got a couple responses, but none with any advice, so I feel like I'm on my own, which is scary. I'll have to figure something out.
 
I haven't figured it out completely, but Levemir and Lantus are depot insulins. They are stored up and absorbed more slowly, thus lasting longer. There may be more difference, I'm still learning.
 
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