OTJ questions.

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Amy Dobson

Amy Dobson

Member Since 2015
Hi everyone,

So, with the 14th day of my boy being caninsulin free and a bg reading of 4.2, I can finally say he's :otj::):cat:

I'm over the moon, to say the least - it's been a difficult, emotional, exhausting, fraught slog of a time. But I've learnt so much and now have a healthy awareness and confidence about what to do the next time his BG rises. And I've got you guys to thank for that. I can't think that you realise quite how grateful people are for your knowledge - maybe you do but you're literally life savers with your generous time giving and advice. Eliz, bj, manxcat, louellen, Rhonda.. and many more of you have all helped so much. Thank you.. and there's no doubt I'll be here a while asking for your expert advice :p

But I'm wondering what to do next? Is there a protocol you advise? How many times do I test a day from now on?

Thank you!:smuggrin::otj::smuggrin::otj::smuggrin::otj::smuggrin::otj::):cat:
 
Congrats Amy and Murphy! Again, so jealous! But also honored to be included in the people that you think helped. Not really sure what I did! LOL! I think I would test a couple of times a day, what would be amps and pmps, since he is used to it, for a week or so, then once a day.
 
Thank you. So yes I'll keep on with pre shot checks.. Will be bizarre but welcome to reduce.
Rhonda, just reflecting and the real change for Murphy was changing him to grazing his food throughout the day.. and then his numbers properly and consistently dropped when he started exercising again (very minimally - he's an old boy!). For Murphy, that was when I was confident enough to let him out again without feeling terrified he'd go hypo. ECID, I know, but helps to share what really helped.
 
Once he/she is through the trial successfully, you enter a new phase. Your cat is still diabetic but has now become diet-controlled. Continue feeding low carb food in the manner successful for your kitty. If you decide to change his/her feeding schedule, let your meter be your guide to the best times to feed. Avoid medications with sugar in them and steroid medications unless they are medically essential. Continue testing blood glucose weekly for the first month and then monthly forever. It's a good idea to weigh him/her monthly. Weight should remain stable. If he/she seems "off" or sick, or is showing signs of diabetes (excessive drinking, eating, urinating, weight loss), test his/her blood glucose right away. Keep the teeth and gums clean and healthy; dental issues can bring a cat out of remission. If you see rising blood glucose numbers, it's time for a visit to the vet!
 
Congratulations! CJ just celebrated her 1 month OTJ anniversary yesterday! I test at least once a week even when CJ is doing well. Even if she were no longer on steroids, I'd probably still test her weekly. I don't stick to a strict schedule of what day and time to test. There's no need to OTJ. I do try to stick to the same feeding schedule and give small portions.

Yay, Jamye and Fred! Two more days!
 
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Congrats to Murphy, Fred, Goof and CJ! Marshmallow had her 1 month OTJ anniversary on Wednesday. :cat:

I tested every other day for the first two weeks, then went to twice a week. I will keep testing her weekly for now. And if she starts behaving strangely in any way (drinking more water or acting sick in any new way), I'll test her then as well.
 
Congrats!!! I started by just testing once a day for a week, then once a week for a month, then every other week for several months and now I'm at just testing once a month or when he seems under the weather or hungrier than normal. I wish you a long OTJ!
 
Thank you so much everyone, brilliant information as usual :)
Murphy is still going well .. just got to keep and eye on his dermatitis as he's beginning to sctratch around his head again and he's upset the healing of one of his corneal ulcers. Poor furry fella.
BG is still in great numbers though - averaging 5.
Jamye and Fred.. how are you guys doing? Well I hope!
:):cat:
 
Delighted to hear that Murphy's OTJ.

I'd suggest keeping to a regular feeding schedule as much as possible and doing the BG spot checks at different times of the day. That way, you may catch unusual highs or lows in BG.
 
Good job guys! I just tested Fred for the first time since officially being in remission and he's at 87..... I prob should have waited a bit longer to test cuz he woke me at 5 am wanting to eat breakfast! We're still in the habit of doing small meals, several times a day. He's on the balcony, chatting with the birds. He won't be out there long.... gonna be a hot one! Y'all have a good one!
 
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Congrats Amy and Murphy on getting to the Falls. :D :otj: Rosa's latest test last Saturday was 77. :D Her next test will be tomorrow! She's hanging out in her cardboard box full of paper that she's claimed as her computer room bed and watching me type...she always has liked to supervise everything to make sure her human slaves are doing things right! ;)
 
Jamye and Fred said:
We're still in the habit of doing small meals, several times a day.
Click to expand...

Probably a good idea to keep feeding the mini meals. Each time a kitty eats it prompts the pancreas to produce primary and secondary pulses of insulin. Spreading the meals out over the course of the day may help to keep BG levels nice and smooth.

If ever you're looking to change to longer intervals between feeds, it might be a good idea to do a quick food trial as follows:

1. Test BG before meal then feed.

2. Test at +2, +3, +4 (and possibly +5?) after the meal. If BG gets a bit high several hours after the meal it could point to impaired fasting glucose - which could indicate that your kitty's pancreas is not secreting enough basal insulin or that there is still some residual insulin resistance present.

FWIW, since introducing a SAMe/milk thistle liver supplement into Saoirse's regimen, her fasting BG has markedly improved.
 
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Amy Dobson said:
Hi everyone,

So, with the 14th day of my boy being caninsulin free and a bg reading of 4.2, I can finally say he's :otj::):cat:

I'm over the moon, to say the least - it's been a difficult, emotional, exhausting, fraught slog of a time. But I've learnt so much and now have a healthy awareness and confidence about what to do the next time his BG rises. And I've got you guys to thank for that. I can't think that you realise quite how grateful people are for your knowledge - maybe you do but you're literally life savers with your generous time giving and advice. Eliz, bj, manxcat, louellen, Rhonda.. and many more of you have all helped so much. Thank you.. and there's no doubt I'll be here a while asking for your expert advice :p

But I'm wondering what to do next? Is there a protocol you advise? How many times do I test a day from now on?

Thank you!:smuggrin::otj::smuggrin::otj::smuggrin::otj::smuggrin::otj::):cat:
Click to expand...
Well done Amy AND Murphy.
Your “parental” duties are clearly exemplary.
 
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