OTJ?

[Fedya and Izzy]

Hello everyone! Fedya has been doing really well and he has been on .10 IU for about a week now. He's staying pretty much in the 60s and 70s and we don't think he'll go lower than that. We think it's time to try and take him off of insulin and see how it goes. Any thoughts? Thanks for the advice and support!

 

[Sue and Luci]

Those are some perfect numbers! Have you tried a 'drop' ? Just to see if nearly nothing will continue to support those lovely green numbers?

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Fedya's numbers are gorgeous! Here are the instructions for an OTJ trial:

• If he/she is green at your normal test times, no need to test further until the next "PS" time; just feed small meals and go about your day. If he/she is blue at your normal "PS", feed a small meal and test again after about 3 or 4 hours. If his/her number is lower 3-4 hours after a meal, then the pancreas is working!
• Post every day so we can monitor your progress and see if any tweaks are needed. He/she may have a sporadic blue number. Don't panic but post before you decide whether to shoot so we can have a discussion.
• After 14 days of no insulin, we have a party!!
• Sometimes the trial doesn't work the first time and we have to give a little more support in the form of resuming insulin. It's not the end of the world if that happens; we just give him/her the support needed. Our goal is a strong remission and it's better to take our time to get that than to rush into remission just to have it fail later on.

Good luck with the trial!!!

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!