Robyn and Penny
Member Since 2013
I was hesitant to post this lol.
Thanks to the fantastic friends here and on the Feline Diabetes FB page, a cooperative vet, my instincts, and just a strong and resilient Penelope, Levemir and home BG testing, Penny officially went OTJ on 11/14/13!! She was diagnosed on 9/5/13...
I had suspected all summer she was diabetic, and when I could no longer deny it with the soaked litter box and Penny chugging out of her water bowl AND the bathtub, I had the vet test her BG when she got her vaccinations in September. She tested at 516. I was terrified. Penny is the nicest cat in the world until you have to handle her to do something she doesn't like, then she turns into a raging shrew lol. The vet had prescribed her with 3 units of Vetsulin and told me I didn't have to worry about home testing and assured me it was a conservative dose, but then handed me all this info in case she went hypo...
I terrorized her that first night and could NOT get that insulin in her. I came here and the Feline Diabetes FB page for help, b/c I just HAD to do this before she got sick! She didn't have any ketones, even though she was so HIGH. I was very lucky. Two days into her diagnosis, I talked the vet into prescribing her Lantus and a starting dose of 1 unit twice per day, and was completely overwhelmed. I was terrified to shoot, terrified to try home testing...I was literally sick with worry!
I figured out a way to shoot her while she was eating and finally got her first shot in her about 4 days after diagnosis. And then she slept, HEAVY, all day, which is NOT like her. I wasn't home testing yet, so I called a 2nd vet for a 2nd opinion and held off on insulin till I saw this other vet. By the time I saw Vet #2, I had a lot more education under my belt and asked for a diabetic panel and fructosamine. I bought a Relion Confirm meter and lancets and strips at Walmart and wondered how the heck I was gonna home test her when she would snap every time I went near her ears. Then I found Kay's sticky on here about how she trained Michelangelo to home test, and decided since Penny is a big foodie, bribery would have to be the way to go! The first week of testing, I only got maybe 4 tests out of what felt like 100 attempts, but we were heading in the right direction. Vet #2 decreased her Lantus dose to .5u once per day to see how she reacted. One week into the new dose, she presented at the vet at 383 (I hadn't had my first successful home test yet at that point) so he increased her to one unit per day. By the 7th cycle, we were now home testing and I talked him into .5u twice per day, and so it began. We had gotten up to .75u twice per day but Penny was reacting to her shots and jumping a mile when I shot her, plus I couldn't get her out of the 300s.
So I had heard Levimir had less of a sting and may level Penny out more. I talked with a lot of girls on the FB page, and Gayle talked me into Levemir. I went back to Vet #1 b/c I didn't like how Vet #2 kept trying to talk me into DM food, and also, they didn't even have internet at their office so they could view her ss. Vet #1 viewed her ss and agreed to switch her to Levemir. He was very agreeable through this whole thing and listens really well.
When you look at her ss, which is on my signature, you will see how quickly her numbers started to go down. I have NO DOUBT in my mind that we would not be at this point right now if it weren't for Levemir, and no doubt that Penny would be dead if I hadn't found this board and the FB page! Penny's body reacted much better to Lev than Lantus..not to say it's "better", but, rather, better for Penny!
Her OTJ trial started on 11/1 but I didn't want to "Party" till she got through her first dental, which was 11/15. I wanted her remission to be a strong one and the vet had originally noted some dental problems on the day she was diagnosed, but one problem at a time and I didn't know at the time that dental issues could raise BG. So, she had her first dental on her first day OTJ, and of course her BG was elevated at 178 at the vet office. They took it just after they sedated her and she was already there and upset for a couple of hours before they did her dental. I wanted to make sure I got some normal numbers when she got home over the weekend before partying. This was my first dental with any cat, too, and I was a wreck all day Friday! lol She did have one loose tooth that ended up in a very easy extraction for the vet lol.
Anyway, she is doing well...was starving when she came home Friday night and spent all night begging for food while I tried to feed her slowly so that she would hold it down, but she ended up eating a whole can of FF in the few hours she was home before I went to bed and she held it down. She's doing very well recovering from her first dental and her BGs have been holding in the 80s so far this weekend. I tested twice yesterday and had to really discipline myself to only test her once today (this, from the girl who was scared to death to test her in the beginning lol).
I'm hopeful that if I keep her on the low carb, keep on top of her dentals and keep her exercising and get her extra 1-2lbs off, that she will remain in remission. For now, I will test once per day. I think more than anything that I need the assurance. It happened awfully quickly and I'm just hoping it lasts!
So, Penny and her civvie sister, Weeny, will be wearing party hats and eating tuna for dinner tomorrow night (or their fave tin food).
A big fat THANK YOU to EVERYBODY here and the FB page! I hope my posting this doesn't put a jinx on us! lol
Love, Penny, Weeny (civvie sis) and Mommy <3
Thanks to the fantastic friends here and on the Feline Diabetes FB page, a cooperative vet, my instincts, and just a strong and resilient Penelope, Levemir and home BG testing, Penny officially went OTJ on 11/14/13!! She was diagnosed on 9/5/13...
I had suspected all summer she was diabetic, and when I could no longer deny it with the soaked litter box and Penny chugging out of her water bowl AND the bathtub, I had the vet test her BG when she got her vaccinations in September. She tested at 516. I was terrified. Penny is the nicest cat in the world until you have to handle her to do something she doesn't like, then she turns into a raging shrew lol. The vet had prescribed her with 3 units of Vetsulin and told me I didn't have to worry about home testing and assured me it was a conservative dose, but then handed me all this info in case she went hypo...
I terrorized her that first night and could NOT get that insulin in her. I came here and the Feline Diabetes FB page for help, b/c I just HAD to do this before she got sick! She didn't have any ketones, even though she was so HIGH. I was very lucky. Two days into her diagnosis, I talked the vet into prescribing her Lantus and a starting dose of 1 unit twice per day, and was completely overwhelmed. I was terrified to shoot, terrified to try home testing...I was literally sick with worry!
I figured out a way to shoot her while she was eating and finally got her first shot in her about 4 days after diagnosis. And then she slept, HEAVY, all day, which is NOT like her. I wasn't home testing yet, so I called a 2nd vet for a 2nd opinion and held off on insulin till I saw this other vet. By the time I saw Vet #2, I had a lot more education under my belt and asked for a diabetic panel and fructosamine. I bought a Relion Confirm meter and lancets and strips at Walmart and wondered how the heck I was gonna home test her when she would snap every time I went near her ears. Then I found Kay's sticky on here about how she trained Michelangelo to home test, and decided since Penny is a big foodie, bribery would have to be the way to go! The first week of testing, I only got maybe 4 tests out of what felt like 100 attempts, but we were heading in the right direction. Vet #2 decreased her Lantus dose to .5u once per day to see how she reacted. One week into the new dose, she presented at the vet at 383 (I hadn't had my first successful home test yet at that point) so he increased her to one unit per day. By the 7th cycle, we were now home testing and I talked him into .5u twice per day, and so it began. We had gotten up to .75u twice per day but Penny was reacting to her shots and jumping a mile when I shot her, plus I couldn't get her out of the 300s.
So I had heard Levimir had less of a sting and may level Penny out more. I talked with a lot of girls on the FB page, and Gayle talked me into Levemir. I went back to Vet #1 b/c I didn't like how Vet #2 kept trying to talk me into DM food, and also, they didn't even have internet at their office so they could view her ss. Vet #1 viewed her ss and agreed to switch her to Levemir. He was very agreeable through this whole thing and listens really well.
When you look at her ss, which is on my signature, you will see how quickly her numbers started to go down. I have NO DOUBT in my mind that we would not be at this point right now if it weren't for Levemir, and no doubt that Penny would be dead if I hadn't found this board and the FB page! Penny's body reacted much better to Lev than Lantus..not to say it's "better", but, rather, better for Penny!
Her OTJ trial started on 11/1 but I didn't want to "Party" till she got through her first dental, which was 11/15. I wanted her remission to be a strong one and the vet had originally noted some dental problems on the day she was diagnosed, but one problem at a time and I didn't know at the time that dental issues could raise BG. So, she had her first dental on her first day OTJ, and of course her BG was elevated at 178 at the vet office. They took it just after they sedated her and she was already there and upset for a couple of hours before they did her dental. I wanted to make sure I got some normal numbers when she got home over the weekend before partying. This was my first dental with any cat, too, and I was a wreck all day Friday! lol She did have one loose tooth that ended up in a very easy extraction for the vet lol.
Anyway, she is doing well...was starving when she came home Friday night and spent all night begging for food while I tried to feed her slowly so that she would hold it down, but she ended up eating a whole can of FF in the few hours she was home before I went to bed and she held it down. She's doing very well recovering from her first dental and her BGs have been holding in the 80s so far this weekend. I tested twice yesterday and had to really discipline myself to only test her once today (this, from the girl who was scared to death to test her in the beginning lol).
I'm hopeful that if I keep her on the low carb, keep on top of her dentals and keep her exercising and get her extra 1-2lbs off, that she will remain in remission. For now, I will test once per day. I think more than anything that I need the assurance. It happened awfully quickly and I'm just hoping it lasts!
So, Penny and her civvie sister, Weeny, will be wearing party hats and eating tuna for dinner tomorrow night (or their fave tin food).
A big fat THANK YOU to EVERYBODY here and the FB page! I hope my posting this doesn't put a jinx on us! lol
Love, Penny, Weeny (civvie sis) and Mommy <3
