Update: Mark - First checkup since dx & ? about bouncy numbers

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Jess and Marky Mark

Jess and Marky Mark

Member Since 2017
Hello,

We are going for Mark's first checkup since his diagnoses in July. I have printed out his spreadsheet and will be testing him before leaving the house. I'm really worried about what she will say regarding the low dose as her initial prescribed amount was 2.0u. Any words of wisdom for discussing with the vet?

A month ago, Mark earned a drop to 0.1u. He is staying mostly in the same range but we are getting a lot less greens and some higher blues in the last couple of weeks. Part of me wonders if that's because we are having a difficult time pulling a consistent dose that low. We've switched syringes a few times to find one that is easier to dose although we often get a bubble that we just can't clear. It doesn't help that DH isn't as much as a perfectionist as I am. :)

Mark also has allergies, which have gone untreated due to the vet not wanting him to go on steroids. This weekend, he had really stinky mucus when he sneezed. I'm thinking he may have a sinus infection. That could have an effect on his bg, correct?

Thanks!
 
Regarding the allergies -- Yes, it could be a sinus infection and yes, it could have an effect on numbers. If the vet prescribes an antibiotic, please do not allow the vet to give your cat a shot of Convenia. It's an antibiotic that lasts over 2 weeks. The good news is you don't need to pill your cat. The really bad news is that if your cat should be allergic to the antibiotic, once that shot is in, there is nothing you can do. Further, the only indication for Convenia is for skin infections. My vet won't use it due to it's duration of action and the chance of an allergic reaction. Further, there are other treatments for allergies that don't involve steroids. My kitty was licking her stomach bald one year. My vet recommended Zyrtec (I had to cut the pill). Depending on the type of allergy, there are also topical treatments or you can try using omega-3 which reduces inflammation.

My strategy with a vet who may want to give you a hard time about not following "doctor's orders" is to look pitiful and apologize for being too nervous about giving insulin and potentially causing your cat to become hypoglycemic and die. (Paint a worse case scenario and subtly imply that it would be the vet's fault for starting your cat on too high of a dose.) Looking at Marky's SS, if you had been giving 2.0u, you could have been giving too high of a dose. Since it looks like you're not home during the AM cycle, like you, I'd have been a nervous wreck giving a fair amount of insulin and not having any information that would let me know how my cat was doing on a particular dose. Frankly, Marky's numbers look great. I would not be surprised if your vet tells you your cat is in remission. I want to have a couple of other people take a look but it may be time for an OTJ trial. I'd be more confident in recommending a trial if you could do a curve over the weekend. I'd really like to see some AM cycle numbers. Is that a possibility?
 
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Jess and Marky Mark said:
I'm really worried about what she will say regarding the low dose as her initial prescribed amount was 2.0u. Any words of wisdom for discussing with the vet?
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I suspect vet will recommend stopping insulin altogether, his numbers are looking great.
If it were me I'd probably run a curve at the weekend before ceasing insulin, I'd like to have some other folk look at the ss, but I think an OTJ trial is looking close.
 
Thank you so much! You've really put my mind at ease. :cat:

I'm planning a curve for Saturday. We've been away a lot the last couple of weekends so I haven't been able to do one for awhile.

He came with the name 'Mark' when we adopted him. Just 'Mark' is hard for me so he gets all kinds of names - usually Marky Mark or Mark-aroni and Cheese.
 
The appointment went very well. :D The vet was super excited to see his numbers. She LOVED the spreadsheet and can't wait to show it off to her colleagues. I gave her info on FDMB and showed her around a bit. She was impressed at how much info is here and the wonderfully helpful people. She even liked the 0.1u dosing!

She wants us to do a curve this weekend then keep up the 0.1u for about a month longer. If Mark's numbers stay consistently in the zone they've been in, she will recommend we go OTJ.
 
Marky update:

He had a bit of a spike after his vet visit on Friday. He was a bit higher than normal for his preshots this weekend but during the day, got into the green. He acted like he wasn't feeling too well, was a little lazy, not as hungry.

Today, his preshot numbers were both green. He didn't seem to have much of an appetite at dinner. He ate a little then hung out upstairs. He usually hangs out with us on the couch in the evenings. When I went to check on him, he was his normal, snuggly self but would not come downstairs no matter how many times I asked. Eventually, I busted out the laser pointer and he went nuts! After playing hard for a couple minutes, he was ready to head downstairs where he finished off his dinner.
 
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Jess and Marky Mark said:
He had a bit of a spike after his vet visit on Friday
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That's totally normal....it's just like us humans having "white coat syndrome" when we go to the doctors and our blood pressure is higher than at home. Stress does that

Jess and Marky Mark said:
Today, his preshot numbers today were both green
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YEAH!!!! :D:D:D

Jess and Marky Mark said:
After playing hard for a couple minutes, he was ready to head downstairs where he finished off his dinner.
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Well next time he's acting a little down in the dumps, you'll know how to get him up and moving!....good for his appetite too!

So great to hear your vet is so pleased with how you're doing!! It's amazing to have a vet that not only works with you, but appreciates the extra work you go to to keep your kitty safe and know what's really going on inside their body
 
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