CatMamaG
Member Since 2017
Hi All Sugar Mommas and Daddies!
Sorry for anticipated length of post.
My key points I am asking for help with:
1. Blood sugar ALL over the place--unclear why (Tiger hypo'd last night, but seems ok now).
2. I think I edited the spreadsheet someone made for me for my last sugar baby, but I am not sure if I put the readings in the right place (or if changes saved and are visible to y'all).
The long story:
Tiger is my third sugar baby. My first, I didn't have y'all and the knowledge here. Shot blind, and probably Max's death was on me and a vet that didn't guide me well.
My second was Tyler, found this site. Tested before every shot, kept a log, but couldn't figure out how to edit my SS. He did quite well, and passed of mostly heart and liver failure at a good age (RIP, baby).
Now, Tiger, my current sugar baby is part of a multi-rescue home, with several medical needs animals. I was working on managing his blood sugar better, but hadn't gotten the SS editing working or great stable numbers, when my other elderly cat Harvey hurt his back in March and has been on cage rest, getting laser and steroid treatments, and regained use of his back legs but is still getting better. He is currently getting physical therapy, laser, and acupuncture, and treatment for an ear infection.
Then, on the actual day Harvey was due to stop the 3x a week laser treatments (before we started physical therapy, acupuncture, and more laser), my rescue dog I adopted in Dec 2022, attacked my 4 yr old cat (Trevor) out of nowhere (I was so careful, or so I thought, with the introduction and settling in) and nearly killed him. He lost an eye, and is blinded in his other eye, and had puncture wounds to his trachea. I had to syringe feed him for three weeks and multiple other treatments. He is doing well and the Veterinarian Eye Specialist said blind cats adapt really well (thank God), and he is doing great, for all he's gone thru.
I still have the dog, but he is on a wait-list for a No Kill, and another rescue may take him. He is kept separate from the cats. (My other rescue dog is a sweetheart, and he's doing well, but is on arthritis medication).
I'm also a single Mom who works full time plus.
So, while I feel really bad that I haven't addressed Tiger's blood sugar, he has been getting tested twice a day and lantus prn.
I noticed when I got home from work last night (15 hr day, basically), that he was lying on his side on his favorite rug. I didn't like the way he looked, at all, and I tested him and sure enough, a hypo. He was at 38 (!). I put some Karo syrup on the roof of his mouth and Sat him on my lap and he ate most of a can of Fancy Feast from a spoon. His blood sugar was 70 at his next reading, and it was up to 88 about two hours later. (Obviously, no lantus given).
This morning, about 11 hours after the hypo, he was at 573.
I am using the Walmart Relion Premier Classic meter for humans. I don't really like it. I had the old (awesome) Walmart Confirm meter that they discontinued, and ADW Diabetes company seemed to have discontinued the test strips. It took so much less blood, but I had to have something.
He is fed the Fancy Feast Pate cans, and I sometimes give him a bowl of the dry YoungAgain Zero Mature 54/24 that my neighbor bought for his diabetic cat that he gave me after she passed. He occasionally breaks free and gets to the Costco Orange bag (Nature's something?) dry food. He occasionally gets to the wet Walmart brand pate or some 9Lives pate.
His weight is on the thin side, but not worrisome. I weigh him in his carrier, and it's been stable the past few months. (At least, as of two weeks ago).
Could he have some other underlying problem(?), or any ideas? It's ALL over the place with his numbers.
His current Vet saved my (dog injured) cat's life and helped tremendously with my back injured cat, but diabetes is where we disagreed. He suggested shooting blind and the same amount every day. I never found a great diabetes vet in my area, so I am looking here for any wisdom or ideas.
The other cat medical stuff is a lot of stress and time, but under control. I just wanted to share why I haven't been "on" this situation like I normally would have been.
Thanks everyone, and especially whoever post the links on understanding the spreadsheet on an earlier thread I made. I hope I put the numbers in right. I have the paper logs, back since he was diagnosed, but only input a few days, in case I am doing it wrong (I will recheck the link I got on my previous thread).
P. S. What a crazy year. I we will be in PTSD for a while...
Sorry for anticipated length of post.
My key points I am asking for help with:
1. Blood sugar ALL over the place--unclear why (Tiger hypo'd last night, but seems ok now).
2. I think I edited the spreadsheet someone made for me for my last sugar baby, but I am not sure if I put the readings in the right place (or if changes saved and are visible to y'all).
The long story:
Tiger is my third sugar baby. My first, I didn't have y'all and the knowledge here. Shot blind, and probably Max's death was on me and a vet that didn't guide me well.
My second was Tyler, found this site. Tested before every shot, kept a log, but couldn't figure out how to edit my SS. He did quite well, and passed of mostly heart and liver failure at a good age (RIP, baby).
Now, Tiger, my current sugar baby is part of a multi-rescue home, with several medical needs animals. I was working on managing his blood sugar better, but hadn't gotten the SS editing working or great stable numbers, when my other elderly cat Harvey hurt his back in March and has been on cage rest, getting laser and steroid treatments, and regained use of his back legs but is still getting better. He is currently getting physical therapy, laser, and acupuncture, and treatment for an ear infection.
Then, on the actual day Harvey was due to stop the 3x a week laser treatments (before we started physical therapy, acupuncture, and more laser), my rescue dog I adopted in Dec 2022, attacked my 4 yr old cat (Trevor) out of nowhere (I was so careful, or so I thought, with the introduction and settling in) and nearly killed him. He lost an eye, and is blinded in his other eye, and had puncture wounds to his trachea. I had to syringe feed him for three weeks and multiple other treatments. He is doing well and the Veterinarian Eye Specialist said blind cats adapt really well (thank God), and he is doing great, for all he's gone thru.
I still have the dog, but he is on a wait-list for a No Kill, and another rescue may take him. He is kept separate from the cats. (My other rescue dog is a sweetheart, and he's doing well, but is on arthritis medication).
I'm also a single Mom who works full time plus.
So, while I feel really bad that I haven't addressed Tiger's blood sugar, he has been getting tested twice a day and lantus prn.
I noticed when I got home from work last night (15 hr day, basically), that he was lying on his side on his favorite rug. I didn't like the way he looked, at all, and I tested him and sure enough, a hypo. He was at 38 (!). I put some Karo syrup on the roof of his mouth and Sat him on my lap and he ate most of a can of Fancy Feast from a spoon. His blood sugar was 70 at his next reading, and it was up to 88 about two hours later. (Obviously, no lantus given).
This morning, about 11 hours after the hypo, he was at 573.
I am using the Walmart Relion Premier Classic meter for humans. I don't really like it. I had the old (awesome) Walmart Confirm meter that they discontinued, and ADW Diabetes company seemed to have discontinued the test strips. It took so much less blood, but I had to have something.
He is fed the Fancy Feast Pate cans, and I sometimes give him a bowl of the dry YoungAgain Zero Mature 54/24 that my neighbor bought for his diabetic cat that he gave me after she passed. He occasionally breaks free and gets to the Costco Orange bag (Nature's something?) dry food. He occasionally gets to the wet Walmart brand pate or some 9Lives pate.
His weight is on the thin side, but not worrisome. I weigh him in his carrier, and it's been stable the past few months. (At least, as of two weeks ago).
Could he have some other underlying problem(?), or any ideas? It's ALL over the place with his numbers.
His current Vet saved my (dog injured) cat's life and helped tremendously with my back injured cat, but diabetes is where we disagreed. He suggested shooting blind and the same amount every day. I never found a great diabetes vet in my area, so I am looking here for any wisdom or ideas.
The other cat medical stuff is a lot of stress and time, but under control. I just wanted to share why I haven't been "on" this situation like I normally would have been.
Thanks everyone, and especially whoever post the links on understanding the spreadsheet on an earlier thread I made. I hope I put the numbers in right. I have the paper logs, back since he was diagnosed, but only input a few days, in case I am doing it wrong (I will recheck the link I got on my previous thread).
P. S. What a crazy year. I we will be in PTSD for a while...
