Update 11/17 remi update

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phlika29

phlika29

Member Since 2014
Hi everyone

Whilst I've been popping into relaxed to say high for the last week or so I have mainly been posting in tight regulation as I have needed alot of ongoing support as remi has been surfing the greens nicely for quite a few cycles. Upon Mel's advice I stuck to the dose of 1.25 and allowed remi to settle and settle he did :-D

However today he dropped lower than ever and I battled to get him up into the fifties again. Here is the thread viewtopic.php?f=9&t=127899

So tonight my plan is to reduce him back to 1 unit and hope he settles again on this dose. I have never done a reduction so. It really sure what to expect, whether his levels will rise or not. I really hope he doesn't give me very low numbers tonight as I am a little poorly myself!
 
Re: Update 11/4 remi

Never know on that one until you do it...lol Some cats will have New Dose Wonkyness with both any dose adjustment, and some will just sail right through it without a hiccup. But you do at least now know that Remi takes awhile to figure out if he likes a dose or not, so I wouldn't be in any rush to take him back up if he does go into NDW and throws you a few days of higher numbers. It sometimes just happens that way.

If you do find that 1u isn't quite enough you might want to take him back up, but slower so that you can fine tune the dose. By just fattening up that 1u at first. Then should he (fingers crossed he will) need more reductions over time. Once you get to .5u then you want to start thinking of reductions in terms of percentages. Because while at 1u going to .75 is only a 25% reduction going from .5 to .25 is a 50% reduction because you are in effect cutting the dose in half. Once down to a .5u I have had the best luck with mine if I start reducing by drops. So that I go from .5 to .4 which is a 10% reduction rather than a full 50% reduction.

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Re: Update 11/4 remi

Mel

I think my head just exploded :lol: so many figures. I was never good at maths :shock: . Can you believe I am still waiting on the delivery of some calipers from about four weeks ago. I chased them up and they said they would resend. I just reread your message and I do get what you mean but I might need you to hold my hand and walk me through it slowly when and if it comes to it.
 
Re: Update 11/4 remi

Personally I've never used calipers. I Old school it but then again I've been doing it long enough and practiced enough with colored water and used syringes that my drops are extremely consistent in size. Probably a hold over from my grandmother teaching me to hand sew and she was a strickler for precise stitches lol

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Re: Update 11/4 remi

Yeah mum tried to teach me but I Am too slap dash.

Whilst waiting on the calipers I have settled on a metal ruler and I think it works out quite well. Does this make sense?

3mm on ruler =1.25 lantus (that is what I have been giving)
2.5mm =1 unit
2.0mm= 0.75
1.5mm=0.5
1mm =0.25

Then there is a little gap between the first mark and the bottom of the syringe for less than 0.25

Also mel I have another question. Whilst remi's drinking has largely gone back to normal he still seems to pee more and there is no strength in it. I am worried about the potassium thing as discussed in another thread but also about kidneys. He has never had wet food before so I don't know what is normal for a cat on wet food and could the little trips to the tray be a result of neuropathy from diabetes in the same way his back legs are. I know you can't tell one way or the other I guess I am just asking If it is a possibility. I tried to make an appointment with the vet today but he is booked up till next Thursday! So have emailed him instead.
 
Re: Update 11/4 remi

You know it's been so long since any of mine have been on dry I have forgotten what the litter box use to look like. :lol: But I do have one civie here that pees way more than the others, and she is perfectly healthy from tip of her nose to the tip of her tail. She just doesn't go to the box very often, because she is shy about her toilet habits so when she does hit the box she can sure pee. Then the flip side of this is her best buddy who I think just plain enjoys playing in the litter tray because he is in and out probably 200 times a day. Doesn't do much when in there just has to make sure no one else uses it that he doesn't get to go inspect what they did. :roll:

So far I've never had a problem with anyone with either low potassium or kidney issues (knock wood) so I guess I can't really answer that question but it could I suppose always be a possibility.

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Re: Update 11/4 remi-I think I need to change his food

Thanks mel. With remi I am a worrier, that is what I do. In fact I could do with some more advice for those better at maths than I am.

Whilst remi's blood glucose has steadily getting under control I have been worrying more and more about his ongoing trips to the litter box and the increasing weakness in his back legs. Basically I have been worried about kidney problems as mel will know as she has already answered me in this and another thread.

Anyway I am taking remi to the vets tomorrow morning for some blood tests and in the meantime have spent an afternoon looking at Tanya's CKD website. So it has got me even more worried as when remi was diagnosed with diabetes I switched him onto a high protein, low carb and fat diet that obtained very few ingredients and none of the things that might affect remi's triaditis (including nice and low in fat). But ofcourse now I am worried that I have ruined his kidneys as the protein content of his food is 75% and the advice on that website is for much lower less than 50% and it is recommended food higher in fat. That has always been a concern of mine as remi has has problems that appear to be influenced when changing foods higher in fat. Anyway I feel I have helped him with one problem but possibly tipped him into another :sad:

Can someone help me assess this food (sorry Aine you might have helped me with this before but I can't find the data).

http://www.happykittycompany.co.uk/coll ... icken-200g

I am not good at working this stuff out but have it that it is 35% calories from protein, 40% fat, 4% carbs. I initially rejected it because I thought it was too high in fat but now I guess it is perhaps more balanced.
 
Re: Update 11/4 remi

With a kitty with triaditis you have a lot to balance out. Yes you want high protein, low fat and low carbs, but you also want if you have kidney issues low phosphorus

But I think I would before immediately jumping in that it is kidney issues I would check for a UTI, as those are fairly common in a diabetic kitty. And would explain the frequent trips to the litter box.

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Re: Update 11/4 remi

Hi Sarah,

I've given the Symphonie Chicken Pure to Lúnasa and she got on very well with it. I've given Saoirse a couple of tastes of it and she liked it too. I'm hoping to switch Saoirse to it in the future but I'm not changing anything at the moment until we have the house move over and done with and I can hopefully taper her insulin down and then go for another OTJ trial. I'm feeding Saoirse Smilla Kitten with Chicken canned food at the moment (zooplus).

Of all the foods I've trialled, the Symphonie Chicken Pure is far and away the best quality. The claims about lean meat are justified. It doesn't smell too strong. (I found that the more pungent the food, the more it disagreed with Saoirse.) It's also GMO-free.

  • Smilla Kitten Chicken (11.5% protein as fed). Calorie percentages (DMB): Protein 41.8%, Fat 57.4%, NFE (carbs) 0.7%. Taurine 1500mg/kg (has anti-inflammatory properties as well as being an essential amino-acid).

  • GranataPet Symphonie Chicken (10.0% protein as fed). Calorie percentages (DMB): Protein 45.1%, Fat 50.4%, NFE (carbs) 4.5%. Taurine 1500mg/kg.

FWIW, since changing to wet food both of my cats produce more urine - confirmation that they weren't drinking enough to maintain proper hydration when they were fed kibble. I actually add 1-2 tbsps water to their meals (depending on the size of the portion) in order to help them maintain good UT health. Sometimes Saoirse produces small pees, sometimes she hangs onto it for a while and the clumps are larger.
 
Re: Update 11/4 remi

hi Sarah
just checking in to say hi.
how is Remi doing today and how are YOU?
hugs to you both
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

Hi Nadine

Sorry I have got a little behind with the forum. I am still unwell! This cold/chest thing just doesn't want to go. I think the stress to do with remi doesn't help either.

Remi has been doing well until today. On Thursday he went to the vets and had a examination and blood test focussing on his kidneys. His potassium level came out low and so I was advised to start a potassium supplement and so I got hold of kaminox. This contains the potasium and amino acids, various vit b and iron. This really perked remi up and he was jumping more, he even wanted to try to jump on my shoulder yesterday, cleaning himself for what seemed like hours last night in bed. Then this morning his fur looked off and he looked fatter. I gave him his lantus even though he didn't seem interested in his food figuring that he had two hours to eat. Gave him some ondansteron and Zantac. But he still wasn't interested and after an hour I showed him his food and he threw up everywhere. I have him a little bit of cerenia (and old one) but To cut a long story short he threw up again when I showed him his food. I had to end up syringe feeding him royal canin to prevent him dropping too low with honey in it. This worked okay and he bounced back up but he still isn't right.

I don't know if he is having a pancreatitis flair or whether he is having some form of constipation issues bought on by the supplement. I did give a little more yesterday. I know no one can tell me but it is so frustrating as he was on top form yesterday. He does seem to meow a lot when he goes near his littler tray and after he has been and certainly the last time he threw up it was just after he went.

The other thing that was bad at the vets was his asthma. The vet thinks he will probably end up back on the steroids :sad: . So not really sure where I am going with the insulin. Does that mean he won't ever go into remission. I have found this a little disheartening not knowing what I am working towards anymore. I spent all day yesterday researching hypo allergenic bedding and ended up buying a set of protective everything from a local department store and I a. Going to get a HEPA filter. But now he is back to being sick and I just feel I am fighting one problem against another and not getting anywhere.

Sorry sad rant over. :sad:
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

oh Sarah - Rant away ..... I'm so sorry you both are not feeling well. I completely understand.
It is so hard to see them sick- it's terrible AND on top of that you don't feel well yourself. You're
right, the stress of worrying about them makes you even sicker when you don't feel well.
(((( Sarah & Remi)))) Please feel better :YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG:
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

Hi Sarah,

I'm sorry to hear that you're both poorly, but I was relieved to see your post today. I noticed that you hadn't posted an update for Remi's spreadsheet yesterday and I was worrying about you both. Stress is no friend to the immune system.

I am sorry to read that Remi's asthma isn't so good. Things are so much harder when a kitty has multiple health issues. I feel for you. :YMHUG: This sugar dance is so full of ups and downs. It's especially hard when one day they're doing great and almost in the blink of an eye they get setbacks. The asthma/diabetes dichotomy must be tough to deal with. I guess Remi himself is the ultimate arbiter of choices. I hope that the hypoallergenic changes your making will help hugely with Remi's asthma symptoms. In the meantime, I hope that you can find comfort and reassurance in how well-regulated Remi is now after such a short time on Lantus. Celebrate Remi's NGVs. It has been wonderful reading in your spreadsheets and condos about all the progress that Remi has been making since he was diagnosed. You've done an amazing job in helping him. He is blessed to have such a dedicated, conscientious and loving mum.

phlika29 said:
He does seem to meow a lot when he goes near his littler tray and after he has been and certainly the last time he threw up it was just after he went.
Click to expand...
(Emphasis mine.)

I think that may be a symptom of constipation, Sarah. Have a look at felineconstipation.org. Maybe you might find further pointers there.
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

So sorry Remi i not freling well.
Prop had er period of time where she just vomited like crazy. The vet wantes me to try stomach acid medicin before he did anything else. And the medicine helped. She still vomit, but there are weeks between. I cant imagine how much it would have costed if the vet just did a tons of test.

I hope Remi gets better soon and you too.
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

Sarah,

Maxwell is both asthmatic and in remission for 4 years so both can exist side by side. It's just what steroids are used to control the breathing problems, he uses both Flovent and Albutrol in an aerocat when his asthma is acting up. Both are inhaled steroids that stay in the lungs and airways and aren't absorbed by the rest of the body.

Sorry to hear you both aren't feeling well. Being sick just makes everything so much harder. Hopefully Remi will give you a chance to rest and recover by not mowing up the grass or throwing a late night slumber party.

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

Charlotte & Prop said:
So sorry Remi i not freling well.
Prop had er period of time where she just vomited like crazy. The vet wantes me to try stomach acid medicin before he did anything else. And the medicine helped. She still vomit, but there are weeks between. I cant imagine how much it would have costed if the vet just did a tons of test.
Click to expand...

Hi Charlotte,

Saoirse had similar problems - especially when her pancreatitis flared up. I noticed that if Saoirse went a bit too long between meals it would trigger a bout of vomiting. I found it helped her to make sure that she didn't go more than about 3 hours between meals and that helped her a lot with her stomach acid problems. My vet prescribed a small dose of famotidine to be given as needed. I only have to give it occasionally now. I usually keep an eye out for any meatloaf crouching to give me an idea if she needs a dose.
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

Thanks Áine i migth try that. She eats every 6 hours as it is now, so maybe every 3 hours will take care of it :)
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

Thanks Aine, Nadine, mel and Charlotte for your support, advice and kind words. Why is it our kitties are worst over the weekend?

I a sorry I hadn't updated I was manically researching bedding products all day and just got carried away :lol: I was all set to buy some wool duvets, pillows and bed topper till so one told me they stink of sheep :shock: I just hope with the hanged remi can become controlled just with inhaled meds like maxwell.

Charlotte I would definitely feed little and often and if that doesn't work ask the vet about prescribing famotidine or something similar.
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

Famotidine you should be able to get over the counter...It is the generic of regular Pepcid (Not the complete) and you want the 20mg tablets, which you will then need to cut into fourths, as the dose for a cat is 5mg. You give 5 mg 30 minutes before a meal and it works like a charm for upset kitty tummies. It was about the only thing that kept my sanity when all 16 here got food poisoning off a bad batch of Friskies last summer. Now there was a party, 16 cats all vomiting and all with diarhea :shock: @-) @-) :roll:

Think that week alone I kept a paper towel company in business.

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

MommaOfMuse said:
Think that week alone I kept a paper towel company in business.
Click to expand...

Woulda bought shares if I'd known at the time. Poor Fur Gang! Poor Mel!!! :shock:
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

Oh my Mel I can not begin to imagine what that was like!

Today remi has perked up and ate his breakfast and lunch. I am going to continue to give him increased ondansetron for a while. The vet wants me to try a smaller dose of the potassium supplement and see if it happens again. He ft it might be the cause.

Yesterday and this morning I reduced Remi's dose to 0.75 because he went below 50 (as he was poorly) but I don't think he is holding the reduction but I can't find the sticky that talks about the various readings and what they mean. At +8 he was at 133. Should I stick with the reduction and hope it settled or take him back up and maybe fatten the dose? I don't want to lose too much ground.
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

Glad to read that Remi's more comfortable now. How are you doing in yourself, Sarah?
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

I have still got the blasted cold. I went ahead with the free flu vaccine today at work though :-D There is no way I can cope with flu this year! Planning for an early night tonight and just hope tomorrow I will begin to feel more like my normal self.

I am still unsure about holding this lower dose. Is. Not used to remi being in the blues

His AMPS 108
+1 108
+2 103
+8 133

PMPS 130
+2 122

When he was in the blue before and I held the dose he did come into the greens but it makes me nervous to have higher readings again.
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

Give the new lowered dose 3 days to settle in, or longer if you think he needs it. If he doesn't settle back into the greens then you simply go back up again. Patience Grasshopper. :-D

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

Sarah, I don't have any advice to offer. I just wanted to say that I'm glad remi is feeling better and I hope you're over your cold soon.
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

MommaOfMuse said:
Give the new lowered dose 3 days to settle in, or longer if you think he needs it. If he doesn't settle back into the greens then you simply go back up again. Patience Grasshopper. :-D

Mel and The Fur Gang
Click to expand...

Thanks mel

I have been looking at his spreadsheet and I saw that he had a few all blue days before he went into the greens so I will do my hardest to be patient

He was 117 at +8. I just wasn't sure what level meant the reduction had failed.
 
Re: Update 11/9 remi-not feeling so good

april_sd said:
Sarah, I don't have any advice to offer. I just wanted to say that I'm glad remi is feeling better and I hope you're over your cold soon.
Click to expand...

Cheers :-D this must be the longest cold in the history of colds :roll: and in the UK it has only felt like winter for the last week
 
Re: Update 11/10 remi-not feeling so good

If they go back into diabetic numbers then the reduction failed..remember 118 even though its blue on the standard spreadsheet it is still a non-diabetic number so while Remi is hitting it because he is still on insulin it is still a healing number.

BTW here it just went from 65 this morning when I went shopping to right now 26 degrees...Yep I live in a bipolar state...lol

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Re: Update 11/10 remi-not feeling so good

Hi Sarah
Been off the board for a few days. How are you are Remi doing?
 
Re: Update 11/12 remi update

Hi Nadine

Remi hasn't been sick anymore and the vet does agree with me that it could have been the potassium supplement. I stopped it for a few days and then on his advice I am starting to reintroduce it very slowly. Literally a drop in the morning and one at night. Remi is eating normally again now but hasn't actually passed a motion since Saturday.

With regards his numbers that aren't as good or as flat as before and I am inclined to think that he wasn't ready for that dose reduction he got when he was sick. Today his AMPS was 129 which was higher than he has been in quite a while. mel has reminded me to be patient and I have tried to be (sort of). I have fattened the dose as best I can but this higher number today is just unexpected.

On a personal note I seem to have developed sinusitis but am trying to just deal with it at home as antibiotics really mess with my rosacea.

I hope you are okay and Tibbs are okay. I hate moaning about remi's numbers when you are struggling so much to get Tibb's down.
 
Re: Update 11/12 remi update

no worries Sarah. i hope remi's numbers come back down to his normal range and i hope YOU feel better soon. Tibbs got some better numbers today . i will prob go up to 2 u after i get time to do a curve this week.
take care.
 
Re: Update 11/12 remi update

Sarah,

Well I can give you a good herbal remedy for sinus infections, which works wonderfully but will make you think at first that I'm trying to kill you...lol Garlic nasal spray! Yes I said GARLIC. I would have to go pull the actual recipe if you want it, but let me tell you about it first. If you use it you want to be sitting down on something, trust me, if you aren't sitting down when you that the first blast you will be shortly afterwards. But you make up the garlic infused nasal spray, sit down, take a blast up the nostril and feel the burn...Yes, it burns like your head is going to explode at first, it will bring tears to your eyes. But it clears a sinus infection within just days. While you still have the infection you will not smell of garlic, not your breath or anything else..The minute the infection is cleared then you will start to notice that you now smell like you just ate a raw clove of garlic.

I also can't take most antibiotics so you can pretty much graze in my medicine cabinet, in fact I think most of the actual chemical compound drugs that are in mine at the moment belong to the critters, lol My gram was what some would call a hedge witch, she distrusted medical doctors but trusted nature completely and used herbs and spices almost exclusively whenever she or her kids or grandkids got sick. I'd say about 90% of the time when I have used her home remedies I have gotten well faster than going to the doctor and taking their meds and in a couple of cases the doctor's stuff did nothing but Gram's home remedy had me up and about in a matter of days (okay some of it might have been getting well in self defense ohmygod_smile :lol: ).

Sorry to here that Remi's numbers are creeping back up, but if the reduction doesn't hold then you simply go back up again, hold until he goes low enough to earn a reduction and see if he holds the next time around.

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Re: Update 11/12 remi update

Hi mel

If you are online can you have a quick look at remi's chart. Would you take remi back up to 1 unit tonight or would you give him another cycle of the 0.75 f ?

Will come back to your garlic spray in a minute :-D
 
Re: Update 11/12 remi update

Let him ride a little longer on the fat .75 he took awhile to settle down on the last dose too. He's dropping fairly fast early so could be bouncing a little bit.

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Re: Update 11/12 remi update

Thanks mel. I gave him the 0.75f dose and as you say hopefully he will settle as he did before. He didn't drop quite so hard today did he so am desperately hopeful his numbers will drop. It is incredibly hard to see the blues after such a run of greens.

Since he was sick on Sunday he hasn't really had a proper bowl movement. Just a few little pebbles. Going to add in some miralax tonight and hoping that will help but he wasn't constipated before. The kaminox does contain iron so maybe that has bunged him up abit. Not sure how much iron it takes to do that! I didn't give it to him until last night and have only added back in a drop or two and so worried he might be sick again.

Now mel that garlic spray sounds lethal. I love nothing more than a load of garlic in my food and have been known to eat raw garlic but I think I might have to draw the line at putting it up my nose :lol: especially since I will be spending the afternoon sat next to the big boss at work.

I love the term hedge witch! And I agree with you I would much prefer to have a herbal/natural drug. Before remi's diagnosis I had made a concerted effort to really improve my diet by ironically cutting out many carbs as well as increasing the amount of veg, herbs, using coconut oil,etc. That all went out of the window since remi got ill but I am beginning to try to get on top of things. One of the recipes I used was making a brasil nut version of pesto, without any Parmesan and with loads of raw garlic. It tastes great but is actually quite hot on the mouth from the garlic and it is for this reason that I don't think I could handle garlic up my nose :shock: but thankyou for the offer to get the recipe.

Re your comment the other day about the weather. I am not sure I could cope with that sort of degree of drop in temperature.
 
Re: Update 11/12 remi update

Hi Sarah.

Relieved to hear that Remi's feeling better, and that you're hanging in there, too. If you eat a fair bit of dairy, try cutting back if you've got congestion from the sinusitis. Turmeric, goldenseal (if you can lay your hands on it), echinacea, vitamin C and zinc makes a good cocktail for fighting infection. If you haven't time to make your pesto, garlic capsules are handy. I think I'd probably wimp out on the garlic nasal spray. :shock: I'm such a wuss ... :oops:
 
Re: Update 11/12 remi update

hi Sarah
just wondering how you and Remi are doing this week.
hope you guys are ok.

oops. ps. just saw you over on TR. great job with Remi
woo hoo
 
Hi Nadine

Yes I am the forum tart. I like to post in both forums as i tend to follow Mel's hybrid program.

Remi has been doing well this last week. Following last Sundays sickness episode it took a few days for him to fully recover and he didn't pass a motion until the friday :o when he did it wasn't hard but just very, very long!

When he was sick he went below 50 and so earned himself a reduction to 0.50. The first couple of days he came out of the greens but then resettled and since then has had a good run. The main issue now is keeping him from dropping too fast to quickly and so have changed his feeding pattern to feed him at PS, +1 and plus +3. This seems to help hold his numbers up better. I am also considering changing food as the Thrive is very low in carbs and I have been a devised he may do better going up to a 4% carb food. This would hopefully fit into my long term plan to find a food that has slightly less protein than the thrive but still not too much fat.

In himself remi appears bright and very vocal. We had a short game of hide and seek yesterday and he enjoyed that. I started back with the kaminox but am too scared to to put more than a couple of drops per day in case it makes him sick again.

Hope you and Tibbs are well Nadine and all the other people /kitties in relaxed lantus land. :-D
 
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