Happy Holidays! I feel like I haven't been on in months. Quick update. I got pretty relaxed with home testing and stopped testing after October. Gracie's diet didn't change much. There were a few days where she was protesting and would only eat dry food, but I watered it down. Anyway, Gracie went to the vet yesterday and her labs were high-ish. The vet was concerned and suggested I consider starting Prozinc again. I told her I felt like I needed to see consecutive days of high numbers before shoot insulin again. Maybe that is my stubbornness talking. She said if I start...she would suggest 0.5u 2x daily. My old meter isn't working, but I picked up a new one today. I'm not home tonight, but I will be back tomorrow night and will get a reading then. BG at the vet was 273. I'm not terribly worried, but it is higher than normal.
Hi Teenuh! Good to see you and Gracie here! I sure hope that it was just a fluke, but if you need to start Gracie up on insulin again, you know how to handle it. I agree that 0.5 would be a good starting dose if needed. Please do keep us updated either way! We're glad to help out of course if Gracie needs another run of insulin, but we like to hear back even if she doesn't because we worry about all our kitties on here!
UPDATE!!! My schedule has been crazy these last few days. I haven't been home as much as I would have liked. I got my SS updated. I took care of that a few minutes ago. Gracie hasn't really been eating lately. I can tell she is hungry as she is meowing by her bowl. She just isn't digging the wet food. I have tried to heat it up, switch bowls and even locations. I had a full-blown kitty cafeteria in my kitchen. 15 cans over the last few days and today I gave up. I called my vet (she is on vacation) but her colleague talked to me and told me it was really important she eat....even if its dry HC food. It still took me another hour or so to budge, but I finally picked up some local dry food at my local pet store. https://www.royalcanin.com/products/royal-canin-feline-health-nutrition-indoor-7-dry-cat-food/2548 I bought the smallest bag I could. I'm going to try and reintroduce wet food in a day, or so. I am not home to get a reading tonight, but I will get one tomorrow morning when I get home. I'm curious to see the aftermath. Any suggestions? @Djamila @Kris & Teasel @Rachel
Teenah, will she eat "chicken soup"? Just a boiled breast or thigh, shred up some meat and offer it with some of the broth perhaps? Not nutritionally complete, but it's low carb...and food. Just a thought. Good luck on getting Gracie to eat something.
Thanks for the suggestion. I should have mentioned I tried to give her chicken and liver (separate occasions). She took one bite ad had enough. I assume she's over it...and wanted a change.
Well, I don't blame her for not wanting the liver, ewwwww. LOL Idjit loves his raw gizzards and hearts, but I haven't offered liver cause I just can't stand it.
Ew! I'm not a big meat eater though. I offered her duck and rabbit the other day. I cringed when I bought it. Surprisingly enough . . . Gracie has ate liver before (years ago) when she was sick.
Is she eating the dry? If so, is she eating enough and with gusto, or is she just sort of picking at it? Have you tried all meat baby food? You have to be sure it's the kind not with any onions or garlic, but a lot of people use it. Other tricks you may want to try: fortiflora, parmesan cheese (so many cats go nuts for this for some reason), tuna juice, bonito flakes, crushed up treats on top of food. Just listing them out in case you want to try...have you tried any of those? You said she has been meowing by her bowl. Has she been acting nauseous? Licking her lips or sitting in loaf position? It is concerning that she won't eat. With her higher numbers lately...it makes me wonder about pancreatitis. Have you ever had her tested for that? I think if she doesn't start eating well, I'd get her into the vet. I'd probably go today to be honest, since with Christmas next week, the vet might have reduced hours or be closed for a day or two. Have them test for pancreatitis and maybe give some nausea meds to see if that helps.
I agree with Rachel too. And will just add that RC Indoor is what Sam was eating when he got his first diagnosis. If she isn't eating it with gusto, I would head to the vet before the holiday.
Well, that dry food isn't helping her diabetes. She is eating it without hesitation. My vet called me today and asked me to do a curve and report back to her. She provided me the sheet to use and at it says there is a fee for evaluating. The document below is what she wants me to do. Also, she seems to think you give insulin based on weight now. What happened to her 0.5g she suggested the other day? She is recommending 1.4 or something like that. It was really odd. I left Pate out today before leaving for work (in a new bowl). I'll be home later...hoping she eats it. Can I get the fortiflora on Amazon? She used to love the freeze-dried salmon treats. She eats those but not the rest of the food. At what point should I start giving insulin? I sprinkled some parmesan cheese on it too.
The fortiflora is on amazon. https://amazon.com/Purina-Veterinar...TF8&qid=1545585302&sr=1-4&keywords=fortiflora . Has she eaten the pate? If she is transitioning back to it, I'd give her a day or two more to see if that calms her numbers down. If not, and she is still in yellows, I'd go ahead and start insulin. Just a bit..I'd do the 0.5 really. She might just need a little bump to get back under control and the faster you start, the better her chances of another remission are.
I went ahead an ordered some. It won't be here until after Christmas of course. There is no way I would feel comfortable giving her more than that...I can always increase as needed. In regards to Pate....it's a hit or miss. She ate a little this morning, but not much. I keep warming it up and sprinkling her freeze-dried salmon treats on it. I know she is hungry though. I was napping earlier and she meowed so loud by her bowl, but there was food in it. Ugh. All I want to do is give her the dry kibble. I'm going to test her BG right now. I will update my SS when I get to work with today's data I have some mirtazapine . . .when I google it, it says it is for depression. But I have it noted as an appetite stim?
It is a human anti-depressant that is often prescribed as an appetite stimulant for cats. What dosing info do you have for it? I have read that 1.8 mg is the safest starting dose.
@FurBabiesMama I don't have the bottle in front of me. I can check tomorrow morning when I get home. I just was looking through my box of FD stuff and came across that. @Rachel SS updated. I didn't leave any dry kibble out. I left out 3 different kinds of pate. I'm hoping by the time I come home tomorrow she eats one of them or even a little of all three. BG was a little better today post AMPS. But if she keeps refusing the wet food I'll have to give her some dry kibble...until our vet appt. If I resort to giving her dry kibble I'll give her insulin too.
Yes, they have looked good for quite some time now, and I'm grateful, but I wish her little pancreas would just get to the point where we could take off the training wheels!
@Rachel You think I should give a little insulin? I'm a little skeptical . . . but a little birdy told me I should start.
I'll plan on giving her a tiny- weeny dose in the AM. Amazon order came in. Guess who ordered Canine Flortiflora instead of feline? Guess that is what I get for trying multitasking.
Happy Saturday! Did not give AMPS. I will get some more date today. Off to the vet for dental work clearance and rabies vaccine.