Good time for Cleopatra

Discussion in 'Caninsulin / Vetsulin and N / NPH' started by nkuzmick, Nov 16, 2017.

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  1. nkuzmick

    nkuzmick Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2017
    We have been reading your site for the last month or so - VERY helpful - thanks. Have reached the point where we think it best to post and ask for advice.

    Cleo is our 12 year old long hair and was diagnosed as diabetic September 19 2017. Our vet kept her for 2 days and started insulin and also put her on and IV drip overnight. Her BG came down to the low 100s but then she got much worse (rapid mouth breathing) and we were told she would not make it through the night due to fluid build up around her heart/lungs. The vet gave her a Lasix shot and we took her home - she gets very stressed when we are not with her and we thought that her only chance was TLC in her safe space (she does not see well if at all) . She gradually improved and several days later x-rays then cardio sonogram confirmed that she had left side congestive heart failure and an enlarged left Atrial chamber. Cardio specialist said with proper treatment she would have 1 -2 years survivability with reasonable quality of life. Her diabetes is not what will do her in. She is on 10 MG of Lasix, and an ace inhibitor daily and 20 MG of aspirin twice a week plus her Vetsulin twice daily.

    Cloe has improved quite a bit in the last 2 months. She is using her litter (not going outside the box anymore) , eating well and grooming - her coat looks a lot better too. The vet started her on 2 units of Vetsulin twice a day - after a few weeks, we got an Alpha track meter and started home testing - only ran one full profile, but have checked AMPS and mid day every few days. The insulin seems to make her sleepy and somewhat lethargic for a few hours following the injection. First profile stated at 347 AMPS, 280 @ +2, 264 @ +4 then back up to 331 @+6 and 326 at +8. Her BG gradually has been improving and for the last 6 weeks has never exceeded 289 (typically mid 200s AMPS and low 200s mid day. About 10 days ago she started to show as low as 198 AMPS so we cut her back to 1 unit of Vetusulin and she was more alert and more active after her injection. Cut her back to 3/4 units but her AMPS numbers went back up to the 280 range, so back to 1 unit starting yesterday. She is 18 pounds and is eating 1/2 can of FF classic and 1/4 cup of Hills MD prescription dry twice a day but usually does not eat all the dry. Have ordered Young again mature zero carb (her kidneys are working a little hard from the Lasix) and hopefully that food will help bring her numbers down.

    We thought that if we can keep her general below 250 BG and close to 200 for the majority of the day that would be good enough given all her other issues. Do you think she might have a better quality of life with more aggressive treatment to lower her BG?

    Our main objective is provide her with as good a life quality as we can, but have to confess that it is very rewarding to see her again walking over to greet us with her tail held high. She is eating and grooming - wants up on the bed for close contact a night - Considering closer monitoring and small increase in inulin - what do you think??


    Thanks and Best Regards, Nancy & Bob
     
  2. Sharon14

    Sharon14 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2015
    Welcome Nancy, Bob and Cleo! So glad you are home testing if you can set up our spreadsheet it will help us see what’s going on. If you need help let us know and someone will do it for you.
    http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
    It’s good that you’re switching from the MD to the Young Again. That may help lower her BG. I’ll tag @JanetNJ to help with dosing. We also have a few members that have had kitties with heart problems and I could tag them for you if you’d like any info on that.
     
  3. nkuzmick

    nkuzmick Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2017
    Thanks for the reply and the links. Glad to see a posting by someone who has a 4 year survivor with the same heart issues as Cleo. We are new to this and have a few questions that are probably not new to you.

    First Cleo seems to get sleepy after her Vetsulin shot - she gets 1/2 can of FF classic before her shot which she eats, but seems more lethargic after 2 units, than when we cut back to one unit - Is this common with Vetsulin ? any cause for concern? She never gets down to 100 or below at the 1 to 2 unit dosage.
    Second, the last 3 times she has had FF beef (1/2 can in AM and 1/2 can in PM - she really likes it) she has vomited a small amount of clear yellow liquid several hours after her PM feeding - OK in AM. Is this likely a red meat digestive issue? She has no loose stools.
    Third, Cleo's GLU was at 483 when she was diagnosed back in September. Now she ranges from PS highs usually in the mid 200s to lows in the low 200s or upper one hundreds - Our vet was quite happy with a PMPS of 238 at her last appointment. She has not been above the 280s at any test in the last 6 weeks. Most of her time is spent in the low 200s with a few dips into the high 100s. Given her somewhat elevated BUN (was 54 in September, now low 40s) we try to give her the lowest possible dosages of all meds. Is Vetsulin hard on kidney function? Should we try to get her down to consistently below 200 by increasing her dosage??

    We have a BG chart for the lest 8 weeks, but have only been spot checking her every other day of so - mostly AMPS and around +4 to +5. Her response is consistent and stable - 50 t0 60 point drop from pre shot levels. She tolerates the ear test, but does not like it.

    Thanks again and Very Best Regards, Bob & Nancy

    P.S. isn't she pretty!
     
  4. Sharon14

    Sharon14 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2015
    She’s beautiful!
    Fancy Feast is high in phosphorus, so if you’re worried about her kidneys, it might be better to find a food that is low in phosphorus as well as low in carbs. HERE is a list of popular foods. Look for one under 10 carbs and under 200 phos. We try to keep the blood glucose below the renal threshold (250 or so) as much as possible to protect the kidneys. It’s important to test before each shot to see if it’s safe to give insulin and then spot check around nadir when possible. Do you give her a treat when you test? My cat has learned to like his test because he knows he’s going to get that treat! Have you read THIS yet? It has some great info on your insulin. This forum is pretty quiet, so if you have some more questions, come to the Main Health Forum and ask.
     
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