Smiffy Tuesday 26th

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Smiffy didn't get all her shot this morning but she ate all her biscuits and she is outside playing with Pasha ... I think she is most active in the morning and then sleeps in the afternoon and evening which is why I worry about her because she looks so drowsy but she is just being herself I think .... must try not to be paranoid ...
 
Looby,
did you say you didn't give Smiffy her insulin this morning? Or did you give her a smaller dose?
 
Marlena said:
Looby,
did you say you didn't give Smiffy her insulin this morning? Or did you give her a smaller dose?
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I gave her her dose but the needle wasn't in for very long so I am not sure if she got it all .. she was not wet when I stroked her and the dial on the Caninsulin had gone down to zero so all of the insulin came out of the needle ... maybe I got it in ... they say to keep the needle to the count of five to insure that all the insulin goes in but it is only 2 units so I think it may have gone in .....
 
I have a question for all of you - how does a cat go into remission? I mean how so they get to the stage where their pancreas is producing insulin by itself and to the right degree for the cat to be in remission? Does the pancreas learn how to produce insulin again because of the artificial insertion of it by injection or is it the low carb food that gets the pancreas to work or a combination of the two or neither ..... answers on a postcard in plain English for me please!!! I will post this on the Facebook page too (:
 
Looby said:
I have a question for all of you - how does a cat go into remission? I mean how so they get to the stage where their pancreas is producing insulin by itself and to the right degree for the cat to be in remission? Does the pancreas learn how to produce insulin again because of the artificial insertion of it by injection or is it the low carb food that gets the pancreas to work or a combination of the two or neither ..... answers on a postcard in plain English for me please!!! I will post this on the Facebook page too :)
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When we inject insulin it gives the cat's body the chance to begin to heal from the damage caused by high blood glucose.

The more we can keep the cat at near-normal blood glucose levels the better/faster their body may recover.
The pancreas has a chance to heal, but the rest of the body (cells, nerves) also have a chance to heal.

As the pancreas heals it may produce more and more insulin of it's own.
As the tissues of the body heal the cells are better able to respond to insulin and to take up glucose.

If the pancreas and the body heal sufficiently then the cat may no longer need injected insulin. The pancreas may produce enough for the body's needs. But the recovery won't be 'perfect'. And the cat will always need a low carb diet so that the pancreas can continue to cope.

Here's the link that I posted on FB. This is about remission and all the factors relating to it. It's quite long and complex, and best taken in bite sized chunks. :)
http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/Remission
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Think I missed this morning and definitely this evening with her shot ....... damn ... do you think she is in danger?
 
Looby said:
damn ... do you think she is in danger?
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A missed shot, or even two, isn't the end of the world. (Just think how long she was diabetic before you ever gave insulin....) Although it would be a very different story if she was prone to ketones or had ever had DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis). In that situation giving insulin could be absolutely vital.

But, to help Smiffy to feel better, and to facilitate her recovery, it is important that she has insulin in her system for as much of the time as possible in order to try to help her body to begin to heal.
And if you are hoping to get Smiffy into remission then it is even more important that she gets her insulin on a regular basis. The sooner diabetes is treated effectively, the better the chance of remission.
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Looby, no, no "danger" in missing the occasional shot, but as Elizabeth says and as I explained in another of your threads yesterday, the aim is for a cat to have insulin in its system for as long as possible. That's why some people shoot Caninsulin twice a day, as it's a short-duration insulin, ie it may not last for a whole 12 hours. When you're starting out you are bound to give the odd fur-shot - people still do after years! Any "danger" if you want to use an emotive word like that is more if you give too much insulin; this could result in a hypo situation which as you know needs urgent action to redress. When you're familiar with using your new meter you will feel much happier as you will be able to check Smiffy's BG at any time.

You ask above and in another thread about food - it's great that you're getting your head around the need for a low-carb diet but as we've mentioned, don't attempt a transition until you're home-testing. A lower-carb diet can reduce the need for as much insulin so again, unless you're testing BGs you should stick with the current food. In an ideal world you would transition to wet gradually, checking how the change in diet affects BGs. Some cats - by no means all - need a different dose of insulin when they are fed a low-carb wet diet v their previous high-carb dry food.

Good luck with the meter!

Diana
 
Looby said:
If you girls could recommend one single wet food for simplicity for Smiffy to eat that is available in the supermarkets in the UK .. what would it be? @Elizabeth and Bertie ?
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This is the link to UK foods https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1J5JpMe6TDXrHq_aTl9hUtHy6Gs9oRBqlz4nPGKxtySA/pubhtml

I feed Felix pouches with jelly and was doing so before Cappuccino's diagnosis so I have just kept with it as she likes it. One of my other cats would rather starve than eat wet food so has cat biscuits which are higher carbohydrate so I have to keep shoo'ing her away when she gets her head in the bowl. I think she still gets a small amount when I am not looking. I keep some to one side in a small box in case of hypos as she likes them and they did come in handy the other night when she went all floppy. You are doing great and as you learn how to home test you will feel more confident so keep at it. :bighug:
 
Alexi said:
This is the link to UK foods https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1J5JpMe6TDXrHq_aTl9hUtHy6Gs9oRBqlz4nPGKxtySA/pubhtml

I feed Felix pouches with jelly and was doing so before Cappuccino's diagnosis so I have just kept with it as she likes it. One of my other cats would rather starve than eat wet food so has cat biscuits which are higher carbohydrate so I have to keep shoo'ing her away when she gets her head in the bowl. I think she still gets a small amount when I am not looking. I keep some to one side in a small box in case of hypos as she likes them and they did come in handy the other night when she went all floppy. You are doing great and as you learn how to home test you will feel more confident so keep at it. :bighug:
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I have just opened the glucometer - the AccuChek Aviva and it is a bit big and I an so anxious that I can't concentrate on the instructions so I am going to get our Vet to show me how to use it ..... I am a bit concerned that Smiffy is going to hate yet another needle going in ..... have to concentrate on getting the shots in first ..Smiffy doesn't like wet food so much and I can't change her diet yet but I am going to get one sachet of Sheba to see if she likes it ...
 
@Elizabeth and Bertie I am still finding this site difficult to use as I have answered some of the questions at length and then I get asked the same question again ... am I going mad or is it not as easy as Facebook?!!!! I can't always keep track of all the posts
 
Looby said:
@Elizabeth and Bertie I am still finding this site difficult to use as I have answered some of the questions at length and then I get asked the same question again ... am I going mad or is it not as easy as Facebook?!!!! I can't always keep track of all the posts
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You have more than one thread going, Looby, one for the 26th and one for the 27th (today). I think maybe we're all getting a bit confused, ha-ha! Here's the link to the other thread:
Smiffy Wednesday 27th April
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Yes I'm sure we're all a wee but confused re the various threads... The ball is in your court really Looby as to how you manage your own threads. You could start a new one each day, as you have recently, but other members might still be replying to older ones before they notice a new thread of yours and we all end up not knowing which thread to reply to.

One single long thread is ok as it would contain everything everyone is saying to you and you can find information that you know is there somewhere in that thread. But the disadvantage is that a very long thread becomes unwieldy and newer responders (is that a word?) may not have a chance to read back through everything you've said in the days or weeks previously.

A possibility is to start a new thread each day, or every x days, when there is something new to say, with the date, and add 'missed insulin injection' or 'starting to home test today' or whatever is the main topic of the day...that way people would know what you need help with and reply accordingly. You could still go off topic if necessary but a specific header would bring more replies.

It may also help you to spend a bit of time looking through other threads on the Health forum - many people have the same questions/issues as you so you can benefit from the information elsewhere as well as what people say to you directly.

Have a think and let us know if you have a preferred method...
Diana
 
I can't cope with doing a new thread each day, Looby; I lose track and get very confused. Maybe just try starting a new thread when you have a new question as Diana suggested above? If you haven't got a specific question then perhaps starting a new thread each week might be helpful to you? That way it shouldn't get too long and maybe you'd be able to keep track and follow things a bit better?

The one huge plus of the FDMB-style threads is that they're always available and you can go back and revisit the information and links they contain at a time and pace that suits your needs - and as often as you wish to. Because I have difficulty taking in both written and verbal information I find it helpful to let my eyes drift over posts many, many times in an effort to get the information to sink in. Maybe something similar might help you?


Mogs

ETA:

Should have said that I can't cope with starting a new thread for Saoirse each day. Sorry if my meaning was unclear above - my fatigue symptoms are getting worse; so tired ... ...

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Diana&Tom said:
It may also help you to spend a bit of time looking through other threads on the Health forum - many people have the same questions/issues as you so you can benefit from the information elsewhere as well as what people say to you directly.
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This is a great suggestion from Diana, Looby. It can be really helpful - and somewhat reassuring - to see that other members have similar problems and worries when they're learning. :) Also, in the beginning we don't really know which questions to ask so by reading the answers to other people's questions it's possible to pick up some really helpful tips.


Mogs
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Critter Mom said:
I can't cope with doing a new thread each day, Looby; I lose track and get very confused. Maybe just try starting a new thread when you have a new question as Diana suggested above? If you haven't got a specific question then perhaps starting a new thread each week might be helpful to you? That way it shouldn't get too long and maybe you'd be able to keep track and follow things a bit better?

The one huge plus of the FDMB-style threads is that they're always available and you can go back and revisit the information and links they contain at a time and pace that suits your needs - and as often as you wish to. Because I have difficulty taking in both written and verbal information I find it helpful to let my eyes drift over posts many, many times in an effort to get the information to sink in. Maybe something similar might help you?


Mogs
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OK ... I was going on the advice of another of the girls .... but I get your point (:
 
I know it may seem as if we sometimes suggest slightly conflicting things, Looby - sometimes that just means that there is more than one way of doing something and it's really up to you how you organise your threads and how you spend your time on the board. Maybe a good place to start would be to aim for a new thread not necessarily every day, but when you have a new question, one that hasn't been covered elsewhere in your more general threads perhaps. Or if you have no specific questions, start a new thread every few days rounding up your progress/worries/questions. If you make a plan something like that, you'd know where you were and so would others. There wouldn't be so many threads on the go that may contain similar information. That doesn't mean you can't post with a request for urgent help if you need to, of course.

Hope that helps.

Diana
 
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