HELP! I think jacks sick..

[jackiesmom]

I talked to Dad last night and I am worried..

It seems like Jack is eating alot. Well..way more than he did before diagnosis. I asked Dad how much and he said more than before we took him to the vet but not as much as our black cat who eats everything in sight..

He says he still drinks a lot of water but he is noticing he doesnt have to refill it as much as he used to.

Says Jack is still acting a little depressed and is not himself. He goes off by himself where noone or the other two cats will touch him. occasionally he'll come up to my dad and beg to be put on the couch so dad will put him on the couch.

His legs are still pretty bad. Havent gotten my Methyl b12 in the mail so I can start that yet. Could this wanting to be left alone be due to the neuropathy in his legs and not wanting to be touched?

Dad told me last night, he absolutely refuses to BG jack..I try to push him but then we just end up fighting..

I was going to go to the house today and do a curve but I came down with an upper respiratory infection and my mom has end stage COPD so I can absolutely not be around her so I have to wait until I am better before going there.

My question is does Jack sounds like hes high? Im going to call the vet tomarrow but we are broke so we absolutely cant take him in until the 3rd. Do you know if a vet would simply BG just to get a reading like everyone does at home? I really cant afford another curve.

Does it sound like I should up his dosage on my own? or should I call the vet and let them give me some suggestions.

Does jack also need a third meal during the day. Right now as it is, Dad only feeds him before his shots.

I guess any suggestions you could give until I take him in on the third would be greatly appreciated.

I am trying frantically to get a place, ( Im living with my boyfriends parents and they say no cats) so I can have him with me again.

I feel sooo bad..I feel like I gave diabetes to him from him stressing about me being around, but I had to move, I had no other choice. I miss him terribly

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

Hello,

Oh, you poor love... Sounds like you're having such a tough time...

OK...

Yes, Jack's numbers could be high. As you know, it's hard to really know what's going on without any BG numbers. But it's clear that your Dad is unwilling or unable to hometest at the moment. I know you must be frustrated by that, and also by not being able to go to your parent's house to do the curve because of your URI. My Mum also had COPD...so I really do understand and sympathise...

But what you are doing is the very best that you can be doing in the circumstances. And the circumstances are really challenging for you right now...

Re Jack's withdrawal: Yes, he might be feeling poorly from the diabetes and/or from the neuropathy. My cat Bertie had bad neuropathy and it certainly did make him uncomfortable. But the methyl B12 helped enormously - and pretty quickly; and you have already ordered some for Jack and that will be with you soon.

Would your Dad be willing to check Jack's pee for ketones? It involves dipping a test strip (Ketostix or Ketodiastix - pretty cheap from any pharmacy) into fresh pee. So that will mean testing the pee immediately after Jack has used the litter tray. If ketones are present they can quickly build up and become toxic. That is a dangerous condition and very expensive to treat. So it would be wise for your Dad to check for ketones if possible, just to be on the safe side.

Re Jack's diet: Unregulated diabetic cats can be really hungry because they can't utilise the food they are eating. So another meal would be a really good idea. In fact, if it were my cat I'd let him eat as much as he wanted at this stage. His appetite will probably decrease as his diabetes becomes better controlled.

Regarding doing a curve for Jack - yes, you can do it yourself just as the vet would. Your numbers will be more accurate because Jack will be in his home environment, and you will save a lot of money in vet's fees! So, maybe plan to do that as soon as your URI has gone?

And please listen to me carefully here - you did NOT give Jack diabetes by stressing him. It's not your fault. So please don't be so hard on yourself...

I'm sure others on the forum will have more suggestions for you later.

Hang in there, Sweetie....

 

[BJM]

Eating a lot could also be too much insulin and since the water is not being drunk as quickly, that is a possibility too.

Please see my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools and maybe print it out for your dad. It explains urine testing for ketones and glucose, plus some other options for monitoring.

The most important thing is the urine ketone testing, followed by urine glucose testing. Both of these indicate what has occurred over several hours, rather than a single moment in time.

There actually is a protocol for using some of those approaches to monitor and adjust dosing, but it is very imprecise.

Look at the very bottom of this file: link3.pdf

 

[d0zivyhoo]

First of all, I can understand your father's reluctance to do a BG - it is very intimidating. After several weeks, I'm just now getting to the point where I'm successful every time. So, let's try to work around that. It's wonderful that your dad is at least willing to keep Jack during this difficult time.

In addition to the Methyl, I'm wondering if Jack is low on potassium. Did you have any labs done previously to check on that? In addtion to low B12, a weak back end is also a symptom of low potassium and is easy to fix. If so, you can crush up some potassium gluconate tablets (very inexpensive in the vitamin aisle) and mix 1/8 tsp of it with the wet food 2x a day. However, you want to make sure you have verified a low reading before supplementation, as too much potassium is also an issue and can cause the same symptoms (go figure).

As far as a BG, can your dad pick up Jack and bring him to you inside the garage? To your car? Then, you wouldn't be near your mom with your respiratory infection.

One other thought, is your boyfriend willing to help out while you are not feeling well?

Hang in there.

DZ and Sarah

 

[jackiesmom]

ok how do I do a urine when there are three cats who all use the same litter box?

It would be nice if my boyfriend could do it but my parents are weird like that. They dont like people who arent family in their house.

I think I might make a trip out there tomorrow. I am soo sick right now that I can hardly move.

Jack had a complete blood panel done.Would potassium deficency show up with that?

Dad loves Jack..a lot. Thats why he wont test him because hes afraid of hurting him. Weird logic, yes but thats my Dad weird.

I think Ill give the vet a call and Ill tell Dad to feed him more. Is there anything else that can be done until I get there? Thanks for your help guys

 

[jackiesmom]

Thanks for your kind words Elizabeth..

I was more wondering though would the vet just do a one time reading on him like I do when I am over? If so I know Dad would take him in to do it.

 

[Venita]

ok how do I do a urine when there are three cats who all use the same litter box?

Isolate Jack into a separate room with his own litter box. There needs to be liquid urine to test, so you might want to suggest those ways to you Dad.

 

[BJM]

Its more of an annoyance than anything, but you won't convince him with words, so ask him to test himself on his forearm (no callus) so he can experience just what level of annoyance. He may decide it isn't a big enough irritation that it actually hurts the cat.

And maybe line up some of the You Tube videos demonstrating it, so he can see the cats are not going ballistic, yowling, fighting, etc. Demonstration may convince him it isn't harming the cat.

 

[squeem3]

ok how do I do a urine when there are three cats who all use the same litter box?

Isolate Jack into a separate room with his own litter box. There needs to be liquid urine to test, so you might want to suggest those ways to you Dad.

Adding to what Venita said: Temporarily replace the regular litter with fish tank gravel so that when Jack pees, you can get a puddle of urine to dip a ketone test strip into. I suggest buying a new clean litter box for this purpose. Litter residue from a used box, even if cleaned, can affect a ketone reading. Your dad should check the box a few times during the day for any urine and if there is some, get a ketone test. Old urine won't have a very accurate ketone reading so it's best to get a fresh sample if possible.

Some people use a SmartCat box for ketone testing purposes: http://www.smartcatbox.com/

 

[d0zivyhoo]

I am so sorry all of this is hitting when you feel so lousy.

But, it is so sweet to hear that your dad loves him. And, I didn't realize there were three cats in your folks' house. Yes, that does complicate things a bit.

I would suggest that you explain the situation to your vet. I'm sure a tech at the clinic would have no problem doing a BG without forcing you into the full curve. However, if you can afford a curve (usually around $150), it might be worth doing so right now while things are so complicated anyway. My vet kept kitty at the clinic less than 12 hours, but it was eye-opening, and we finally figured out a better way to regulate her.

I do a clean catch with my kitty when she heads to the litter box - believe it or not, kitties are quite accommodating when you stick a cup under them. And, you really don't need that much urine. I use the little dixie cups. If you don't yet have any ketostix or glucose test strips, you can put a piece of saran wrap over the cup, secure it with a rubber band and then take it to the vet for testing.

Regarding the potassium, if you did a full blood panel and not just the CBC, yes, it should show the potassium. If you don't have the lab results, please do ask your vet for them. Then scan and upload the file for posting here. If you do that, many of us can help you decipher the results.

Feel better soon.

DZ and Sarah

 

[jackiesmom]

Thanks guys... You gave me some good advice..I see what the vet will do tomarrow. I fully meant to call today but I passed out and woke up at 530pm and they were closed. Im frustrated. I do not like to see my cat suffer