7/25 Boomer AMPS 364 +3 346 +6 344 PMPS 346 +3 272

Yesterday
AMPS 364 shooting 1u

I cannot even express what I am feeling right now.
Tomorrow his dose will be 1.25 which was his pre-dental dose.
I think we need another round of blood/urine work.

 

I'm sorry you are having to deal with this frustrating situation. Hope things take a turn for the better very soon.

 

I know it is so tough to see these numbers. You'll hit a breakthrough soon...one thing to keep in mind, though, is that you may have to go higher than his previous good dose to hit that breakthrough. Just one of the joys of FD . But as long as he's feeling good, that's what is most important! Running fresh labs isn't a bad idea, either, just to be sure nothing else is going on.

 

I hope you hear back from Dr. Larry about the 2 dental specialists. Really hope you see some action soon. Hang in there Judy

 

I'm sure this is very discouraging, Judy. All you can do is what you're doing. You WILL reach a breakthrough eventually.

 

+3 346 and he just puked in the middle of his +3 meal.
I'm going out to get a ketone meter and strips. How do I do this? I guess I have to try to catch his urine in something? Any tips?

 

Are you still using the old vial of insulin? As for ketone strips, I used to just stick it under Neko when she peed - she wasn't very private about it at all. Some people use a long metal spoon (only for this of course!), or a piece of foil in tongs. If he's a stealthy peer, you may have to put a couple layers of plastic wrap on top of his favourite part of the box.

Sorry about the pink - I know how depressing those unusual high numbers are.

 

Boomer asked for food so he's eating now and hopefully he doesn't puke it up again.
And I have the ketone test strips (urine). And something near each litter box that I can grab quickly to try to collect the urine sample.

 

Anti-puke vines coming you way....hopefully that was just a little fluke. Good luck with the ketone test!

 

We decided to ban access to one of the litter boxes and we put some plastic wrap around the edges of the other one since Boomer always pees at the edge of the box. Just waiting for him to pee now lol

 

+6 344

 

GRRRR
After going back and forth all day with Dr Larry, he says to me "We also need to commit to regular insulin injections. Keep the dose steady for a few days until you can get something resembling a proper glucose curve.
It's too early to call this insulin resistance."


I've told him a few times now that I am increasing by .25u every 6 cycles. And I have never ever used the term insulin resistance (although tempted to these last couple of days) but Dr Larry has used that term ever since Boomer's dental.

sigh

 

Gotta love our vets! At least if you're talking on the phone you don't have to waste energy doing the nod and smile. I guess just an "uh huh" would work.

Hang in there, Judy!

 

A few days is more then 2 days which you are doing

What exactly in his mind is a "proper" curve

I wouldn't worry to much about that part for now. Did he get you in touch with or provide the info for moving forward with another dental?

 

I'm doing a dose increase every 3 days. Funny...most vets seem to want to increase too quickly; mine wants me to hold the dose longer when (I believe) the dose needs to go up.

No, no further dental info. Hopefully Dr Larry has emailed the surgeons; if he has then it's out of our hands and we have to wait for responses.

 

Actually, not talking on the phone. Text messages!

 

Even better!

 

Yup. I can rethink what I want to say or rather how I want to say it before it comes flying out of my mouth.

 

Judy, I do not think it is insulin resistance. If Boomer had a tooth extracted in 2015 and there was a root that Dr. Larry couldn't retrieve ( he should have stressed to you then the importance of retrieving it ASAP at that time!!! ) that retained root tip is a source of infection. I really believe after the dental extractions of the root tips, you will see some better numbers.

While I am glad that he told you he wasn't comfortable with his skill set to go retrieve the root tips, I wish he'd had enough knowledge to impress upon you the importance of not leaving them there back in 2015 . Even for a non- diabetic cat it is a source of infection. Ugh, my heart is going out to you and Boomer right now.

I so hope that you can find a vet more local that can go in and elevate the root tips for you.

 

My flat pink baby boy
PMPS 346 shooting 1u
Dosecrease tomorrow. Again.

 

Hi Bobbie! I don't even remember him telling us there was an extraction but I'm sure he must have; I just don't have it noted anywhere.
I don't believe it's insulin resistance either and I don't think I've ever used those words with Dr Larry.....he has used those words a few times though. So idk. I thought for sure he would want Boomer to come in today for b/w and urine culture. And even though I suggested it more than once, he never mentioned it. Again idk. I suggested putting him back on antibiotics. Again nothing. And again idk.

 

When was his last dental? Just a couple weeks ago right? I wonder if it "stired" up pain, bacteria, inflammation or something during that cleaning. I sure hope that you can get Boomer in quickly and the work resolves the higher numbers.

How is Boomer feeling? Try and not stress too much. Not good for you and he will pick up on it too. Sending a ton of hugs.

 

And you did reduce him by a whole unit! I think you are on the right path. Keep increasing until you get there. Gizmo isn't even close to as regulated as Boomer and I have had to go up higher to get back down to a previous dose many times. Deep breaths. And grab your patience pants.

 

I would insist on getting him back on an antibiotic, clavamox is a good one for oral issues if he can tolerate it. And, get the root tip /tips extractions done ASAP while he is covered with the AB. Those trapped root tips under gum tissue that has grown back over the extraction site are like little breeding grounds for infection. ( kinda like petri dishes are in the lab for growing bugs) .

 

(((Judy))), I feel your anxiety. I sure hope that you can get Boomer to the dental surgeon soon. We want to see the return of those lovely greens.

Yo Deputy Boomer, you are a valuable member of the lagoon team and are doing a great job on the lifeguard chair, manning the binoculars. You'll be back in the surf soon. Hang in there, buddy!
~ LagoonMeister Rusty

 

Finally he peed so I could test for ketones! We had eliminated access to one litter box and DH and put plastic in the other one but he had totally covered the litter with plastic; a few minutes ago Boomer came over to pee and wouldn't go in the box. Walked away. So I moved the plastic so it was just covered the ends and brought Boomer back to the box. And he peed. YAY for small victories. ketones negative.

 

Waiting for Dr Larry to get back to me with their timelines.
It's my feeling that, although I know there was a problem prior to the dental, that the last dental contributed to the current problem....idk....like opening up a wound and allowing infection to spread? idk maybe I don't know what I'm talking about

 

+3 272

 

When Boomer had his dental in 2015 and had an extraction, that extraction was necessary. Unfortunately the tooth snapped off at the gum- line while extracting leaving root tips underneath the gum. That is not uncommon for decay/ lesions to be at the gum line and causing this sort of thing to happens, in humans and in animals But, what did not happen was for you to be told about it to be made aware of how important it was for those root tips to be retrieved ASAP. If Dr. Larry felt he could not do the task ( not in his skill set) it was his responsibility as your vet to make you understand that it needed to be handled ASAP by a specialist or it could cause an infection down the line. He failed you there Judy. If he would have emphasized that to you, you would have NEVER let this go on with a cat who is diabetic knowing how fragile remission is.

I am sorry if it feels like I am slamming your vet, I don't mean to, but, poor Boomer has suffered for it.

 

I've never tried this, but I've read that you can fill a tub with plastic beads so the urine will pool at the bottom and can be tested. When I was testing Chino's urine for ketones, I'd wait for him to go, then just dip the strip in it since he was peeing so much that it would foam up and sit on top of the litter for a while until it soaked in.

 

I've heard that aquarium stones work well too.