Vet conflict

[toreishi]

My big boy has been on 2iu on Lantus 2x/day and a commercial low cho diet (following the guidelines of that wonderful cat info vet) since 5 June.

Last night he went hypoglycemic (32) and spent the evening in the ed.

My vet says that I am going too low on cho’s and that is why he went hypo. She now insists that I either follow her diet (d/m) and insulin rec’s (which she says might simply need adjustment…..or go elsewhere. She was, obviously more tactful than that).

I’m having a REALLY hard time home testing (haven’t been able to get any blood from ear and not enough from pad); and , when compared to the vet’s glucometer, mine requires waaay too much blood for a reading (did direct comparisons today).


OK that was a lot………..Help, please ?

 

[Larry and Kitties]

What meter are you using?
Where are you located? Maybe someone is near you and can give personal instruction of how to home test.

 

[toreishi]

What meter are you using?
Where are you located? Maybe someone is near you and can give personal instruction of how to home test.

Arkray Glucocard and I’m in Mill Valley, Ca.

Salt’s bg curve is being done today at the vet’s. I’ve decided to keep him on the diet I’ve been following and go insulin free for a week and return for a bg and fructosomine check next Friday.

So, so many choices and it is just so frustrating and scary.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Those strips only require 0.3 ul blood sample. That is small. I use strips that use that same sample size. I used to use on my cats strips that used 3 ul and 1 ul.

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

Did you start him on 2 units? We usually recommend starting lower than that and working up. My vet started my cat too high, too. Once I started reading the info here and talking to the other members, I realized that I was on the wrong path.

How much does Salt weigh? When was he diagnosed? What food are you feeding him? What exactly is low cho? Do you mean low carb? When you say Salt went hypo, do you mean he had actual symptoms of hypoglycemia, or are you just talking about his bg? Sorry for all the questions, but the more we know, the more we can help.

 

[toreishi]

Did you start him on 2 units? We usually recommend starting lower than that and working up. My vet started my cat too high, too. Once I started reading the info here and talking to the other members, I realized that I was on the wrong path.

How much does Salt weigh? When was he diagnosed? What food are you feeding him? What exactly is low cho? Do you mean low carb? When you say Salt went hypo, do you mean he had actual symptoms of hypoglycemia, or are you just talking about his bg? Sorry for all the questions, but the more we know, the more we can help.

Thanks, Tricia.

Dx: 5 June 2015
Wt: 14.7 #
I feed a mix keeping cho content below 5% according to Dr. Lisa’s fabulous chart (plus an occasional can of d/m as I have it anyway): Merricks, Fancy Feast,
Wellness (all low cho flavors only). No dry
cho= shorthand for carbs
Yes- dragging hind end, “floppy” when I placed him in the carrier (in tears….me), an out-of-it demeanor. All classic for hypoglycemia.

I want to go to 1iu and to stay on the low cho (not d/m, though) foods to see if this is a better mix for him. If I do this, I’ll have to go to another vet which I don’t have a huge problem with doing.

I’m STILL not able to do home bg readings…..

 

[toreishi]

A

Thanks, Tricia.

Dx: 5 June 2015
Wt: 14.7 #
I feed a mix keeping cho content below 5% according to Dr. Lisa’s fabulous chart (plus an occasional can of d/m as I have it anyway): Merricks, Fancy Feast,
Wellness (all low cho flavors only). No dry
cho= shorthand for carbs
Yes- dragging hind end, “floppy” when I placed him in the carrier (in tears….me), an out-of-it demeanor. All classic for hypoglycemia.

I want to go to 1iu and to stay on the low cho (not d/m, though) foods to see if this is a better mix for him. If I do this, I’ll have to go to another vet which I don’t have a huge problem with doing.

I’m STILL not able to do home bg readings…..

And, yes, 2iu 2x/day was the original rx.

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

Hi again.

May I ask your name? If you'll go to the profile page and put in some of your info, and create a signature block, it will help us know who and what we're dealing with when we try to help you.

Have you read some of the stickies at the top of the L&L page? There is a ton of good info there. Here is a link to some tips on testing. There are a lot of good ideas to try. We all struggled in the beginning, but it can be done. Mill Valley is an hour or so away from me, but if you try all these things and still can't get the hang of it, I'd be willing to come see you, if you'd like, and show you how to do it. I can't stress how important testing is if you are wanting to help your kitty get into remission, or even just into tight regulation. It's also important to keep your kitty safe, as you've no doubt learned from the hypo Salt experienced.

Once you can get some tests, you really don't need your vet to help with managing FD. Many of us just use the nod and smile approach with our vets, then we follow the guidance of the experienced members on the Board and our own guts to make dosing decisions. Lots of kitties have gone OTJ (Off the Juice) using our methods. It's up to you, how comfortable you are with omitting info or fibbing to your vet. You do need her to write your prescription and for other health issues, of course, so finding another vet might be a choice to consider. Some vets come around after seeing the results that are achieved when following the TR or SLGS protocols.

Please read the stickies on the main L&L page and read some of the other member's posts to get a feel for how we do things. Feel free to post on the Lantus & Levemir Board and ask questions. We've all been where you are, and there are a lot of people here that will help you and Salt.

I'm going to ask some of our more experienced members to read your posts so far and chime in. Not trying to be pushy, but if you're here you must love your kitty and want to help him live a long, healthy life. We are here to help you reach those goals.

 

[BJM]

When you have a moment, could you add a few tidbits to your signature? It will help us give you feedback.

Editing your Signature

In the upper right corner of the screen, within the dark blue bar, you will see ID, Inbox, and Alerts

Click on your ID.

On the left, under Settings, Click on Signature.
This is where you will put information that helps us give you feedback.
This is where you paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
Add any other text, such as
your name,
cat's name,
date of Dx (diagnosis)
insulin
meter
general location (city and state/province)
any other pertinent issues like if there are any food issues, history of DKA, hepatic lipidosis, pancreatitis, allergies, IBD, etc.
Click the Save Changes button at the bottom.

Always click the Save Changes button at the bottom when you have changed anything.

 

[tiffmaxee]

Hi welcome. You will get a lot more help if you start posting on the Lantus/lev forum. My cat was about your cat's size when diagnosed and he was started conservatively on one unit. If my vet refused to work with me I would switch in a heartbeat. If you post on the other forum maybe someone will have vet suggestions near where you live.

I see you are having trouble getting BG readings. Is that because your cat in not cooperative or is the ear not bleeding well ? How can we help?

 

[toreishi]

When you have a moment, could you add a few tidbits to your signature? It will help us give you feedback.

Editing your Signature

In the upper right corner of the screen, within the dark blue bar, you will see ID, Inbox, and Alerts

Click on your ID.

On the left, under Settings, Click on Signature.
This is where you will put information that helps us give you feedback.
This is where you paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
Add any other text, such as
your name,
cat's name,
date of Dx (diagnosis)
insulin
meter
general location (city and state/province)
any other pertinent issues like if there are any food issues, history of DKA, hepatic lipidosis, pancreatitis, allergies, IBD, etc.
Click the Save Changes button at the bottom.

Always click the Save Changes button at the bottom when you have changed anything.

The signature page keeps telling me that my signature is “x (varies from 1-4)lines too long” and will not accept my entry no matter how I vary it.

 

[BJM]

Don't hit a hard return, just use a marker, like a vertical bar | to separate sections.

 

[toreishi]

Hi again.

May I ask your name? If you'll go to the profile page and put in some of your info, and create a signature block, it will help us know who and what we're dealing with when we try to help you.

Have you read some of the stickies at the top of the L&L page? There is a ton of good info there. Here is a link to some tips on testing. There are a lot of good ideas to try. We all struggled in the beginning, but it can be done. Mill Valley is an hour or so away from me, but if you try all these things and still can't get the hang of it, I'd be willing to come see you, if you'd like, and show you how to do it. I can't stress how important testing is if you are wanting to help your kitty get into remission, or even just into tight regulation. It's also important to keep your kitty safe, as you've no doubt learned from the hypo Salt experienced.

Once you can get some tests, you really don't need your vet to help with managing FD. Many of us just use the nod and smile approach with our vets, then we follow the guidance of the experienced members on the Board and our own guts to make dosing decisions. Lots of kitties have gone OTJ (Off the Juice) using our methods. It's up to you, how comfortable you are with omitting info or fibbing to your vet. You do need her to write your prescription and for other health issues, of course, so finding another vet might be a choice to consider. Some vets come around after seeing the results that are achieved when following the TR or SLGS protocols.

Please read the stickies on the main L&L page and read some of the other member's posts to get a feel for how we do things. Feel free to post on the Lantus & Levemir Board and ask questions. We've all been where you are, and there are a lot of people here that will help you and Salt.

I'm going to ask some of our more experienced members to read your posts so far and chime in. Not trying to be pushy, but if you're here you must love your kitty and want to help him live a long, healthy life. We are here to help you reach those goals.

Not too pushy AT ALL. I appreciate your help and communication. My name is Tracey and I’m trying to post the signature page but am having trouble…….the norm for me , it seems.
And I REALLY appreciate your second paragraph and the “nod and smile approach” ……I was heading that direction with her (the vet).
I have someone coming over this week to help me test as I know that this is crucial for Salt’s health and safety.

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

Tracey, I'm not sure what's causing your issues with the signature. I know I had trouble revising mine when they redid the Board a few months back. If you are willing to let someone else have your password, that person might be able to figure it out. If you're not (and no one could blame you for that), perhaps you can tell us what you're trying to put in and exactly what message you get, and maybe one of us can figure out what the problem is.

I'm glad you have someone coming over to help. My offer will stand, though, if you need it. Did you try BJM's suggestion? I think you posted at the same time.

 

[toreishi]

I

Tracey, I'm not sure what's causing your issues with the signature. I know I had trouble revising mine when they redid the Board a few months back. If you are willing to let someone else have your password, that person might be able to figure it out. If you're not (and no one could blame you for that), perhaps you can tell us what you're trying to put in and exactly what message you get, and maybe one of us can figure out what the problem is.

I'm glad you have someone coming over to help. My offer will stand, though, if you need it. Did you try BJM's suggestion? I think you posted at the same time.

It worked.
I was just reading Cinco’s story. You are an inspiration in your patience, thoroughness and love for your kitties.
I’ll keep you posted re: bg testing.

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

You're very kind. I actually need to update that. Lots more has happened.

Good job on the signature line.

 

[elizabeth and gus]

Hi and welcome to the sugar kitties family

You are in the right place the guidance that is provided here is great not to mention that is 24/7. If you have problem on holiday middle of the night there is always someone to help you. I am caring for diabetic cat with other issues and trying to work with third vet in 6 months. It is difficult for a vet give up income generated from you having to come for BG checks and curves.

Just like you initially I had problems with home testing and now my cat actually likes it. It gets easier with experience. For me what made the difference is lanced device with lancets 26 gauge for alternate site. I sit on the sofa with Gus on my lap I pet him and talk and massage his ear. I use folded tissue underside his ear where I am going to puncture press lightly lanced device and poke and shortly nice drop will appear. After measurement Gus get treat (Orijen Wild Boar or Tundra) and little bit more petting and love. Gus is finicky eater and we experimented with many treats and he didn't like many of them only Orijen.

Gus's starting dose was 1U twice per day and we really didn't have to increase much. I am also using Arkay Glucocard 01 mini and have backup meter Relion (they can use the same test strips) and I ordered control solution so I can check accuracy of my meters.

Good luck.

Elizabeth