Lactulose + Prednisolone Sugar Spike? (More Details Inside)

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OK everyone, I have updated my spreadsheet to the best of my ability!

Since he does not take insulin anymore currently and I usually do not test more than once a day, I made my first column BG for blood glucose, if I tested more than once I utilized the hour system with the +1, +2, +3, etc.

His reading today a few hours post wet food, about 6 hours post glycobalance dry food, and NO pred / lactulose - the BG reading was 132.

So as mentioned, tomorrow will be interesting to see what his reading will be with pred only and no lactulose.

He seems to be settling in around the 120-140 range on non medicine days, which is great. I truly think that cutting the pred dosage down and changing the diet did the trick. Fingers crossed for the long haul!
 
razorsdaddy said:
OK everyone, I have updated my spreadsheet to the best of my ability!

Since he does not take insulin anymore currently and I usually do not test more than once a day, I made my first column BG for blood glucose, if I tested more than once I utilized the hour system with the +1, +2, +3, etc.

His reading today a few hours post wet food, about 6 hours post glycobalance dry food, and NO pred / lactulose - the BG reading was 132.

So as mentioned, tomorrow will be interesting to see what his reading will be with pred only and no lactulose.

He seems to be settling in around the 120-140 range on non medicine days, which is great. I truly think that cutting the pred dosage down and changing the diet did the trick. Fingers crossed for the long haul!
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Those of us who have been here a while will tell you he needs a little insulin support. Even on an AT, his numbers should be lower than they are. Of course, it would also be helpful to see BGs in the evening.

How much of a spike pred causes depends on the cat and the dose. I’ve seen some cats on a moderate dose with large spikes and other cats that didn’t even see a change.

You can also see if his pancreas is trying to work a bit by, on a non-pred day, testing him, feeding him, and then retesting 3 hours later to see if his BG drops. If it does, his pancreas is trying to work but, again, IMHO, he needs a bit of insulin. Even a drop twice a day might make a difference.
 
jt and trouble (GA) said:
I wonder what the readings would be if you swapped back and forth testing from morning to evening. I guess one experiment at a time. ;):coffee:
j
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Good idea, I will do this soon enough. I'm sadly running out of test strips so I might have a day with no testing due to bills this month.

Marje and Gracie said:
Those of us who have been here a while will tell you he needs a little insulin support. Even on an AT, his numbers should be lower than they are. Of course, it would also be helpful to see BGs in the evening.

How much of a spike pred causes depends on the cat and the dose. I’ve seen some cats on a moderate dose with large spikes and other cats that didn’t even see a change.

You can also see if his pancreas is trying to work a bit by, on a non-pred day, testing him, feeding him, and then retesting 3 hours later to see if his BG drops. If it does, his pancreas is trying to work but, again, IMHO, he needs a bit of insulin. Even a drop twice a day might make a difference.
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I will keep this in mind and discuss with my vet again shortly, thank you. I am curious to see the readings tomorrow with no Lactulose in his system and just the pred.

Prior to the last ER visit due to the constipation (last Friday), his readings were consistently in the 90-120 range, I think his average on his glucose curve day (which was last week) was about 109.

Razor was on 1 unit of vetsulin in the AM only. We got a few readings that were in the low 60s I remember while doing that.
 
Great job on the signature!! ;)

what meter are you using again? If money is an issue, you might want to consider switching to ReliOn from Walmart. I’ve been using it for a few months now and have no issues with it. The test strips are the most affordable at $17.99 for 100. The meter itself is $9.99
 
Marje and Gracie said:
Those of us who have been here a while will tell you he needs a little insulin support. Even on an AT, his numbers should be lower than they are. Of course, it would also be helpful to see BGs in the evening.

How much of a spike pred causes depends on the cat and the dose. I’ve seen some cats on a moderate dose with large spikes and other cats that didn’t even see a change.

You can also see if his pancreas is trying to work a bit by, on a non-pred day, testing him, feeding him, and then retesting 3 hours later to see if his BG drops. If it does, his pancreas is trying to work but, again, IMHO, he needs a bit of insulin. Even a drop twice a day might make a difference.
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Thanks Marje! I was waiting for someone more experienced than me to pop by with great advice :bighug:
 
Aleluia Grugru & Minnie said:
Great job on the signature!! ;)

what meter are you using again? If money is an issue, you might want to consider switching to ReliOn from Walmart. I’ve been using it for a few months now and have no issues with it. The test strips are the most affordable at $17.99 for 100. The meter itself is $9.99
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I am currently using AlphaTrak 2. That's the one the vet recommended that I get. The test strips seem to be pretty pricey which stinks.

I might consider changing in the near future TBH, but for now I'll probably stick with it since it's been working & I hate change, hahaha.

Also everyone just a general update... Razor pooped again overnight. So I think we're finally getting over our constipation issues! He might be on maintenance Miralax for a while, but I'd rather that then a $200-$300 ER trip to get horrific enemas weekly.

His appetite has picked up greatly in the last week and a half which is wonderful. Seems to be drinking way less than the diabetic days. Seems to be gaining weight.

I currently couldn't be happier!

The one thing I'm trying to keep in mind here is that Razor has always been against the odds. He's 16, had chronic URIs, horrific allergies, deaf, no balance and was diabetic for likely a few months. I do everything I can for my boy to give him a great life. I gotta remember to keep doing that, but to also start living in the moment. I find myself worrying about this & that too much, when in reality it's like... Razor's had 3 pretty good days in a row here all around, let's enjoy our time together and not freak out unless something drastically goes awry.
 
I couldn’t agree more!! Being present in the moment is challenging but we have to aim for it and keep trying :)
I’m very happy to hear the great news about Razor!!

I hate change too and I was very stressed switching from freestyle to ReliOn but I actually like it better now. I can clearly see when it has enough blood and I like that it sucks it in instead of me having to scoop it up. All vets recommend pet meters. It’s another one of those marketing deals and the cost of the strips is what kills you. I was glad I came here and asked for suggestions before going with Alphatrack btw
 
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jt and trouble (GA) said:
YAYYYY POOPS! :joyful:


I think you are more relieved than Razor is:p

NOTHING makes a caregiver happier. :joyful:;);):coffee:
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Haha, I totally am! Razor's probably like... will this guy just relax?


Aleluia Grugru & Minnie said:
I copule the agree more!! Being present in the moment is challenging but we have to aim for it and keep trying :)
I’m very happy to hear the great news about Razor!!

I hate change too and I was very stressed switching from freestyle to ReliOn but I actually like it better now. I can clearly see when it has enough blood and I like that it sucks it in instead of me having to scoop it up. All vets recommend pet meters. It’s another one of those marketing deals and the cost of the strips is what kills you. I was glad I came here and asked for suggestions before going with Alphatrack btw
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I do appreciate the suggestion! I might actually check it out this weekend. I believe I have 6 test strips left for the AlphaTrak, so a decision needs to be made soon anyway!

It will be nice, fingers crossed, to not have an ER visit this weekend. First one in 2 weeks without one (hopefully)!
 
razorsdaddy said:
Haha, I totally am! Razor's probably like... will this guy just relax?




I do appreciate the suggestion! I might actually check it out this weekend. I believe I have 6 test strips left for the AlphaTrak, so a decision needs to be made soon anyway!

It will be nice, fingers crossed, to not have an ER visit this weekend. First one in 2 weeks without one (hopefully)!
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OMG I totally get how you feel. That was me with Minnie’s back to back hospitalizations. I’d watch her breathe and would wake up rushing to check on her and just keep praying for no more ER visits. Hang in there and I’m sending positive thoughts!!!
 
Hello Everyone,

It's been a few days! I wanted to give another update here for Razor. We seem to finally be getting in the clear with a lot of our issues.
  • Appetite has been amazing for the last 2 weeks, is putting weight back on
  • Water consumption has been normal, as is his urination amounts/schedule
  • Since putting Razor on Miralax, he has consistently been pooping daily and some pretty large poops!
  • Blood glucose seems to have stabilized since the previous week when he was on prednisolone & lactulose (last checked on Saturday evening and he was 120, about an hour after a meal)
  • I have cut back the pred to 1.0 ML every 3 days, previously he was getting 1.4 every 2... I think it's made a world of different for his glucose, even if I sacrifice a few sneezes
So all in all... Razor is doing very well! Probably won't update as much unless something takes a turn, but I think we're finally moving forward and getting used to the new routines.
 
Hello Everyone,

It's been a while! But that's because it's been all good! I just wanted to give everyone an update that helped me through that trying time.

Razor's glucose has stabilized in the 80-90s range with only wet food + less prednisolone allergy medicine. I only take his blood 3x a week now, all different times of the day.

Razor has no longer been constipated since getting on Miralax. Has a great appetite & seems properly hydrated.

The only thing I'm still iffy about is if Razor is gaining weight. His last vet visit he gained a little bit. I have an appointment next Wednesday, so fingers crossed.

If he's gaining weight or at least not losing it, I'd say that Razor has burst through and is in the clear!
 
razorsdaddy said:
Hello Everyone,

It's been a while! But that's because it's been all good! I just wanted to give everyone an update that helped me through that trying time.

Razor's glucose has stabilized in the 80-90s range with only wet food + less prednisolone allergy medicine. I only take his blood 3x a week now, all different times of the day.

Razor has no longer been constipated since getting on Miralax. Has a great appetite & seems properly hydrated.

The only thing I'm still iffy about is if Razor is gaining weight. His last vet visit he gained a little bit. I have an appointment next Wednesday, so fingers crossed.

If he's gaining weight or at least not losing it, I'd say that Razor has burst through and is in the clear!
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Yay!!! Great news!! :bighug::bighug::bighug:

What’s his daily calorie intake? Are you doing ideal weight times 20 to get that number? Maybe overfeed him a bit until he gains. I’d do 300 calories a day. You can weigh him on a scale at home. Go in without him then with him and subtract your weight. I do that with Minnie
 
Aleluia Grugru & Minnie said:
Yay!!! Great news!! :bighug::bighug::bighug:

What’s his daily calorie intake? Are you doing ideal weight times 20 to get that number? Maybe overfeed him a bit until he gains. I’d do 300 calories a day. You can weigh him on a scale at home. Go in without him then with him and subtract your weight. I do that with Minnie
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So I'm not quite sure. Since it's been a roller coaster, only until the last few weeks has his appetite been "normal". Prior to that it was touch & go due to the constipation.

I think currently I'm giving him around 2, 3 oz cans of wet food a day. But I was reading that 3 would be better since he's close to 9 LBs? So I might start introducing more food slowly to not get him sick/plug him up.

And that's a great idea! I do have a scale, a cat carrier, and he's a sport with getting in and out of his carrier easily. I'll still take him for his follow up (it's "free" because of my vet plan), but I'll maybe take his weight once a week at home to be safe.

Really, his weight is my only concern. He truthfully might just not be eating enough. He was a free feeder & I cut out his dry food completely. Even with the feeding intervals, he's definitely not eating as much as he used to!
 
razorsdaddy said:
So I'm not quite sure. Since it's been a roller coaster, only until the last few weeks has his appetite been "normal". Prior to that it was touch & go due to the constipation.

I think currently I'm giving him around 2, 3 oz cans of wet food a day. But I was reading that 3 would be better since he's close to 9 LBs? So I might start introducing more food slowly to not get him sick/plug him up.

And that's a great idea! I do have a scale, a cat carrier, and he's a sport with getting in and out of his carrier easily. I'll still take him for his follow up (it's "free" because of my vet plan), but I'll maybe take his weight once a week at home to be safe.

Really, his weight is my only concern. He truthfully might just not be eating enough. He was a free feeder & I cut out his dry food completely. Even with the feeding intervals, he's definitely not eating as much as he used to!
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If you think 9 pounds is his ideal weight, he should be getting about 200 calories a day. You can ask your vet what his ideal weight is. Look at the back of the cans for the calorie count. Each FF is usually around 70-90 calories depending on the flavor

OMG that’s awesome! My cats see the carrier and run the other way haha!
 
Aleluia Grugru & Minnie said:
If you think 9 pounds is his ideal weight, he should be getting about 200 calories a day. You can ask your vet what his ideal weight is. Look at the back of the cans for the calorie count. Each FF is usually around 70-90 calories depending on the flavor

OMG that’s awesome! My cats see the carrier and run the other way haha!
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OK, thank you for that information!

I personally feel like given the landscape of Razor's weights, his healthy weight is about 10-11 LBs. He peaked around 13 and he looked a little too chunky. The 10-11 range he seemed most healthy, definitely way better than when I adopted him and after the diabetes made him lose so much (which were around the 8ish range).

Haha, it's actually quite humurous! He LOVES going in his carrier. If I put it down and open the gate he goes right in! My other cats though years ago, they would hide under the bed :)
 
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