Remission?!

[Anitafrnhamer]

Squeaker has not had any Insulin since Sunday evening. I did call the vet when he tested a BG at 101. Being so inexperienced at this, the vet advised a new curve and his highest BG during the curve was 139. Today makes 7 days since his last insulin and he is doing well. I am testing his BG at least 3x daily and he hasn't had a result near the level needed for insulin. Needless to say, the vet is being cautious about declaring remission. Squeaker's fructosamine test is scheduled for mid October.

Is it really possible that after just 2 months he is in remission? When he was diagnosed his BG was running about 600 and he had so many other health issues explode at the same time (maybe caused by the diabetes). I just never even considered with all that he went through that he would be lucky enough to go into remission.

Is there anyone who has experienced remission that could offer advice about keeping him in remission?

Anita and Squeaker

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Yes, it is very possible to reach remission after two months. I myself would reduce testing to one a day now.

 

[Hillary & Maui (GA)]

Usually we say a cat is in remission if the cat can maintain BG levels for 14 days between 40-120 with most of that spent under 100.

If the cat does this, than yes he is in remission. However, please keep in mind that once a diabetic always a diabetic.

Tips for staying OTJ:

1.. obvious.. no dry food ever - and if you ever think about a new type of canned - be 100% sure its low carb
2 - check his blood once a week to watch for issues
3 - weigh him once every couple of weeks (if you are able to) if not no big deal
4 - be careful of meds from the vet. Remind the vet that Squeaker is a diet controlled diabetic - so no oral sugar in meds and no steroids
5 - watch the pee patch size, eating and drinking amounts
6 - regular vet checkups and watch for infection ie urinary tract, dental/teeth, ear etc

 

[Deb & Wink]

Wink just celebrated 6 months being OTJ, off-the-juice, in remission, diet controlled. Hillary's Maui has us beat by about 4 years. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I think some of the keys to keeping a cat in remission, are to keep them on a low carb diet and keep them healthy. Regular checkups, dental cleanings when needed, nip any UTI's or other infection or inflammation in the bud, keep the weight under control and at ideal weight. Keep them playing and active. Sedentary cats gain weight more easily.

Sounds like Squeaker may be close to remission, but not quite there yet. What have been the numbers over the last week, and when are you testing?

 

[Anitafrnhamer]

His highest BG was a 139 during the curve done by the vet. Aside from that he was at 130 this morning. I have been testing him randomly 3x daily with results in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. I test him every morning an hour after he eats which would normally have been insulin time. This morning he was a little irritated but I was a little concerned about the 130 as the previous morning at that time he tested at 105. He is 11 years old so I'm not sure how to keep him active. Any suggestions?

 

[Deb & Wink]

It sounds to me, from what you are saying, that the shot time used to be an hour after food, so that is when you are testing now, 1 hour after food.

We suggest those first tests of the cycle, be without any food for at least 2 hours. Then, go ahead and feed a small meal. Then, if the number is over 100, you should test again in about 3 hours (+3). That second test at +3, should be lower if the pancreas is working and producing insulin on it's own. Would you be willing and able to change your testing routine a little bit, to meet these suggestions? We want to make sure your cat truly is headed for remission, and this is a method we have found to work.

OTJ Trial instructions

Here are the instructions for an OTJ trial:

• Test at your normal AMPS and PMPS times. Feed multiple small meals throughout the day as much as possible (small meals are less likely to overwhelm a newly functioning pancreas). The morning test is now called the AMBG. The evening test is now called the PMBG.
  
• If your cat is green (0-99 human meter) 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 the numbers are blue (100-199 human meter), feed a small meal and test again after about 3 hours. Food raises BG's. So if the number is lower 3-4 hours after a meal, then the pancreas is working!
  
• After 2 weeks, if everything is looking good, we have a party! And boy, do we party hearty.

Sometimes, the trial doesn't work the first time and we have to give a little more support by starting the cat with a tiny dose of insulin again. I had to do that with Wink. We simply start the cat back on a tiny dose of insulin to support the pancreas with healing for a bit longer. Our goal is a strong remission and it's better to be safe now then sorry later that you rushed it. With just a little more time we will probably get that strong remission we are looking for.

How about 10-15 minutes of active, interactive play? Laser pointer, feather wand, throwing crinkled up balls of newspaper, something to get him moving and chasing. I have 3 cats, so they play with each other a bit, and chase each other around. Some catnip? That get's my little girl civie Delta playing.