Re: 12/30 Ole AMPS 409+2 390+6 452+10 486PMPS 477 +2 389

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Rebekah

Rebekah

Member Since 2013
Good Morning!
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Everybody got a good night sleep! Yay! Now, to get those numbers down.

Thank you for the advice on the meters, especially the ones that don't work! We already order our supplies from ADW. We'll now do it to benefit this page. Yes, the cost of the strips is important to me too! But when we were only testing 2-4 times a week, it was not as big of a deal. I am looking for a meter that uses the smallest amount of blood possible, hahaha aren't we all! Accuracy and cost are also factors. Your continued input is appreciated.

What are your thoughts on greens for Ole. He loves romaine lettuce and green beans. Also, your thoughts on supplements, I have PetRemendy Glucose Support and Green Mush nutritional support for animals.

Thanks again, and enjoy your day!
Rebekah
 
Re: 12/30 Ole AMPS 401

This is hard, going up the dosing ladder and it doesn't seem like much is happening. :-x At some dose, he could have a breakthrough and the numbers could come down quickly. That's why you have to be methodical. Paws crossed that you see better numbers soon.

We use the Glucocard 01 mini from Arkray. It uses a small amount of blood and the strips are reasonably priced. We have been happy with the consistency (similar values with two readings taken together). As far as accuracy, who knows. I try not to think about it or I would go crazy. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Liz
 
Re: 12/30 Ole AMPS 401 +2 390

Yay on a good night's sleep. I hope Ole keeps sliding down today.

It's a good idea when you have questions in Ole's condo to put the ? icon on the first post so people will see and look at what your questions are. You'll get more eyes that way.

I use the Relion Confirm from Wal-Mart. It was inexpensive to buy and I can get the Glucocard 01 strips from ADW for a decent price. It uses a small amount of blood. I tried the Relion Prime because the strips are so cheap, but it needs more blood and I got a lot of low blood error messages.
 
Re: 12/30 Ole AMPS 401 +2 390

We have the Relion Micro. If I remember correctly, the strips are in the same price range as the confirm but maybe just a little bit more expensive. We got the micro because it is smaller and easier to handle.
 
Re: 12/30 Ole AMPS 401 +2 390 ??

Marje uses a vet who's very knowledgeable about supplements. It looks like one of the ingredients in the Pet Remedy is chromium. I believe her vet noted that there wasn't a great deal of research support for adding chromium to a cat's diet. As for the Green Mush, it's primarily plant based ingredients. Cats are obligate carnivores. They don't need to eat their veggies. In fact, they usually can't properly digest vegetable matter. Also, keep in mind the veggies contain carbs. Even the romaine lettuce contains some carbs although less than the green beans.

I want to suggest an experiment. How about not giving the supplements for a week or two and see if there's any change in Ole's numbers. Given that what's in the news about the lack of oversight in the manufacture of non-prescription supplements, I'd want to see if there's any change in Ole's BG without the addition of the supplements.
 
Re: 12/30 Ole AMPS 401 +2 390 ??

Hey Rebekah,

Not that Cobb's numbers are great, but I noticed when I stopped giving him his arthritis "treats" and anything else that wasn't LC wet food, his numbers came down...if only slightly.

~Suzanne
 
Re: 12/30 Ole AMPS 401 +2 390 ??

You really can't beat the Relion meters...even if you do have to go into WalMart to get them (that place is crazy!!)

The Confirm and Micro take the tiniest sample..you can really hardly see it and it's enough. The price for both's strips are about $18 for 50

The Prime takes a little bigger sample (but I've been surprised how little it works with on China) and the strips are only $9 for 50

When we first started this dance, we started with the Confirm, but now that China's ears have "learned to bleed", the Prime works fine and saves a lot of money on strips.

Just my opinion here..While it's perfectly fine to get supplies from ADW, you can't beat the fact that if you need strips NOW, you can get them from WalMart.

3am in the morning with a cat having a hypo is no time to have to wait for a delivery to arrive (and somehow, when you're lowest on strips is when you need them the most) so take that into consideration when choosing a meter.
 
Re: 12/30 Ole AMPS 401 +2 390 ??

I agree with Sienne on stopping the supplements to see where he is with his BG and if it matters. There might be proprietary ingredients that could raise his BG.

Chromium and vanadium are for pancreas support but there is no scientific evidence that they will control the BG.

I want to be sure you are holding his doses for a full six cycles unless he earns a reduction or he gets into blue numbers.
 
Re: 12/30 Ole AMPS 401 +2 390 ??+6 452

Hi

Ole caught a bird and ate it for lunch. He is not a very happy kitty, so I thought I'd let him enjoy his catch.

He tested negative for ketones but I feel he is trending towards a trace.

I only was giving him supplements 1-2 times per week, so will end that, also the periodic greens. I will continue to need advice on his dose as he isn't moving much. Please keep me informed.

Thank you for the input on the monitors!

Best,
Rebekah
 
Re: 12/30 Ole AMPS 409 +2 390 +6 452 +10 486 Dose ??!

Please help me with Ole's climbing numbers and his appropriate dose.

Tonight will be Ole's 5th cycle at 2.5 units.
 
Re: 12/30 Ole AMPS 409 +2 390 +6 452 +10 486 Dose ??!

You might have missed this in my post above:

I want to be sure you are holding his doses for a full six cycles unless he earns a reduction or he gets into blue numbers.
Click to expand...

We need to give each dose a chance. We fast tracked the first one but we don't want to go up too fast and miss his correct dose. Increasing the dose on lantus is like steering a cruise ship. You turn the wheel but the ship doesn't turn overnight....you have to give it a bit of time. Sometimes they will throw a really high number before they come down so let's see what he does tonight. Please be sure you are checking him daily for ketones.

How is he feeling? Any signs at all of the pancreatitis?
 
Re: 12/30 Ole AMPS 409 +2 390 +6 452 +10 486 Dose ??!

Hi Marje,

I'm sorry, I did read your post, but I had a bit of a freak out at Ole's climbing numbers this afternoon.

He did test negative for Ketones this morning.

Thank you,
Rebekah
 
Re: 12/30 Ole AMPS 409 +2 390 +6 452 +10 486 Dose ??!

I understand and it's stressful to see those numbers.

Any insight at all to his health? It is curious to me that he went OTJ for a bit. I'm scratching my head over what changed besides the pancreatitis. Yes...that will definitely send numbers up as will the steroids. But he's off steroids now and his pancreatitis is resolved??? Have you had his specfPL or an ultrasound done to know if the pancreatitis is addressed?

Anything else you can think of...dental issues, urinary issues, etc?
 
Ole has been healthy throughout this whole ordeal. He is only now beginning to show signs of being sick and tired of it all. He had an ultrasound just before Thanksgiving at a feline internist in PHX. All of his tests and blood work show that he is a completely healthy cat, except for his high BG and his polyphagia. His recent blood tests show that his pancreas is now functioning within normal parameters as is his thyroid and all other organs. He has stumped both the internist as well as my vet and I don't know what else to say.

I adopted him when he was about 1 yr old. He had been found in a dumpster on the Navajo Nation covered with abrasions received while fighting. Sometimes I believe that his early survival nutrition has contributed to his decease, but I don't know. He has never been over weight, I always fed him high quality, grain free food, all be it dry. His behavior that prompted me take him to the vet was that he began to be aggressive about his food and always seemed hungry. He always had very polite "table manners" and never tried to eat human food, suddenly, he was absolutely crazy for food. I was quite stunned when he was diagnosed with diabetes.

I'm sorry I can't be more helpful, but I hope this gives you insight.

Thanks again!
Rebekah
 
I had read some of that before. So thank you for refreshing my memory. Is he FIV+ by any chance?

If he doesn't come down tonight, then you can increase the dose by 0.5u tomorrow morning.

I hope he feels better tomorrow. Poor baby.....
 
It's the equivalent of HIV in humans. Feline Infectious something.

Pancreatitis can be a chronic condition, especially with our diabetic kitters. You've said a couple of times in the past couple of condos that he seems to be off, not wanting to play or not feeling good. Does his behavior now seem similar to when he was diagnosed with pancreatitis? Is he getting subq fluids or pain relief of any kind?

What kind of test are you referring to when you said that the vet tested his pancreas and it is working?

Earlier today, I looked back through all of your posts since you joined. Sometimes cats need large doses of insulin because they have a high dose condition. Punkin had acromegaly, some cats have insulin resistance, some have both. There is a 3rd high dose condition called Cushing's which is less common and most typically seen in female cats. It involves the skin - it becomes quite fragile and literally tears at slight touches.

I'm just mentioning these because while we dropped Ole's dose drastically, it may be that he needs more insulin. We do see cats that are on high doses that have been increased inappropriately, like by 1unit increases, or even more. Which does describe Ole's situation and is probably why his dose was dropped back to 1u. It's also true that unregulated cats can really eat a lot and be extra hungry. But sometimes cats are on high doses because they actually need more insulin. Your regular comments about his appetite being extraordinary (aggressive, ate a wine cork) and his fluctuating insulin needs in the past few months might suggest acromegaly. Maybe not, though.

Cats with acromegaly have a benign tumor that puts out a growth hormone, making them eat like teenagers and sometimes they will even continue to gain weight with unregulated diabetes, where most cats lose weight. Another common early symptom is called stridor, when the cat has noisy breathing, sort of like snoring while they are awake sometimes. Their soft tissue enlarges from the growth hormone, so they might have big feet or a big tongue. You've also mentioned that his vet doesn't know what could be behind his high blood glucose levels. We usually don't suggest having a cat tested for a high dose condition until they hit about 6u, so Ole' is not in the situation where we would suggest testing, but i thought i would throw it out there for you to consider as a possible reason for his continued hunger and high BGs. Do any of those other symptoms fit Ole?

I don't want you to worry because i've brought up this topic. I kept hearing you mention his hunger and wanted to at least offer one reason why he might be feeling this way. It DOESN"T mean he has a high dose condition.
 
It's feline immunodeficiency virus. It is similar to HIV as Julie said. It I'd most often found in unneutered males or neutered outdoor males that might get involved in fights and get bitten by an infected cat.

FIV cats can appear to be quite healthy and live a very long time. The only reason I asked is because he was found on the res and had been fighting.
 
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