1/04 Rupert amps-176,+3-256, +6-101,+9-120, pmps-275,+3-428

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/1-03-rupert-amps-309-3-5-248-7-120-pmps-328-3-325.150350/

Dose increase to 5.5, hope this gets him some green today!

 

Nice start Rupert! Keep it going

 

Nice start for Rupert. Good luck with the dosecrease.

 

Great job on the SS! Wahoo! And I laughed at your description of Rupert demanding dinner. Just for fun, I'll share a video I took of punkin doing that. My family wasn't so keen on me getting them in the movie, but I love this silly little video of him. He was 3 hours late because I'd stalled in the morning, and I was trying to move him back on schedule 1/2 hr at a time. Made it 2 cycles with that, then skipped to get back on schedule. None of us could take how pitiful he was and how much he wanted to eat on time!

By the way, last job on the spreadsheet - put your cursor on the 2016 tab, click down then "drag" it over to the left and let go. That'll move it to the left and mean that when we click on your signature line, it will go to the current year.

 

Lol, Julie, he was for sure talking to you to FEED HIM! Punkin was such a pretty kitty! Thanks for sharing, made me able to laugh at Rupert today! He has been protesting loudly the new feeding schedule, even though he ate at amps and +3, he was still expecting his big midday +6 meal. I have a feeling he will be protesting till pmps feeding time. I should have asked for earplugs for Christmas! lol He is at the door to the computer room now "protesting"! It's gonna be a long night!

Done and done on the SS, thanks again for all your help!

He almost hit that green at +6, 101, yeah baby!

 

Nice start to the day and I see a 101 on the SS. So close Rupert, you can do it! Paws crossed for this dose.

I too liked your description on the "feed me NOW" campaign. I sometimes describe Neko as having an armor piercing MEOWWW! Neko gets a few more meals than Punkin did. I'm a softie. Actually one of the things I love about Levemir is the later nadir, so I can feed up to +9 (often Neko's nadir) without worry, though I try to do very low or no carb snacks then. The goal is to not feed carbs after nadir and since Rupert nadirs around +6 or +7, you could still give a snack then.

 

Thanks for the tips Wendy, I will give him some boiled chicken breast treats, hope that will help. He usually doesn't get any food after nadir, but my mistake was I was feeding him 3 oz at +6, the start of his nadir. Hoping new schedule with help with his high pmps numbers. I know exactly what you mean about an armor piercing MEOWWW, that is Rupert's voice, the neighbors can hear him when he is out on the catio or my windows are open. His siblings will sometimes wake up and go running to him, he sounds in such distress!

 

Maybe try an ounce of chicken at +5 and another bite at +7. There have been people who thought the chicken raised their cat's BGs, so it's something to observe in Rupert. I didn't notice it in punkin.

I'm curious to see if there will be any improvement in Rupert's pmps tonight, although he got a dose increase too, so it might not all be from changing up his feeding schedule.

Punkin was pretty, wasn't he?! Can you believe he sat in a cage at the humane society for about 3 months before we adopted him? He was such a lover, and had a purr you could hear in the next room. And he'd purr for hours at a time. I don't know why no one adopted him, although my vet said it was because he was going to develop acro, ie, that the universe kept him there waiting for me because I would take care of him and most people wouldn't. I kinda liked that idea, lol.

 

I will try the ounce of chicken at +5, he is non-stop yowling, so that might help. I did give him a small chicken treat at +6 and +9, pokey treats as you called them. He is worse today, because it's all new, hopefully he will settle down after a week. I am curious to see how the pmps number will be too, so far he is lower than normal, 120 at +9. Course, not sure how much is due to the feeding change or the dose increase. Both most likely. The boiled chicken breast meat doesn't seem to raise his BG's that I have noticed, but I will pay more attention to that now.

Punkin was a beauty, I have always been partial to orange tabby's and will all that gorgeous fur, he was extra pretty! He looked like he was a sweet kitty, you can tell by their faces a lot of times. It's hard to believe he wasn't adopted sooner, so happy for him and you that he wasn't, I think your vet was right!

 

The first few times Neko got into lower numbers than she was used to, she became very focussed on food. Could be that's what you are seeing too.

 

I never thought of that Wendy, I thought he would be less focused, because his brain wouldn't be telling him he is hungry. I was hoping the lower numbers would help with this food obsession!

Guess he has to get used to the lower numbers, maybe? Hopefully?

 

he's got a nice blue surf going today!

 

He did and his pmps was 275! Happy, happy here! I wasn't sure I was going to survive though, he actually meowwed (loudly) since 1:00 pm today till I fed him at pmps. Which is weird because he doesn't get fed his midday meal till 4:00 pm and he was crying at 1:00, which was only 3 hours after eating his 3 oz breakfast. Is what Wendy said most likely true? Will he get used to lower numbers soon? Also, is it okay to feed him at +4 or +5, since his nadir is +6, +7..... ? That would be closer to his normal lunch time. I feed him wet food that is 4-6% carbs. And then not to feed him after nadir? Sorry for all the questions, I just need to find a food schedule that will work for him and me. Thanks for taking the time to help!

 

Ps...he gets 9-10 oz a day, boiled chicken pokey treats. Should I up his food? He is about 10 lbs now. Which was his normal weight before dx, sometimes slimmer. He was never a chubby kitty. But he seems so miserable all the time, for 6 months, so maybe he needs more till he is better regulated. I know it is a catch 22 situation, more food=more weight which is bad for him. Help!

 

If he is at a good weight, I wouldn't feed more. Let your scale be your guide as to whether Rupert needs more or less food. I went to more smaller meals as a way to quieten down the starving kitty. That plus her autofeeder. As soon as the autofeeder is down on the floor, she stares at it and doesn't bug me.

It's fine to feed mini meals before nadir. Just remember that once you start feeding a mini meal at a particular time, even once, it's now expected! That's why I love my autofeeder.

Neko was antsy at first when she got into lower numbers than she was used to. They do get used to those lower numbers over time.

 

What is considered a mini meal? Ounce wise? Sorry for so many questions, I have been struggling with the food issue for so long and it is stressing us both out. I am not sure an autofeeder will work, since I have 3 other cats and one is a chow hound too. Unfortunately I can't afford the micro chip kind. To bad cause I love the idea of his staring and yowling at the autofeeder instead of me! Thanks so much for your help Wendy, I promise once I get this issue solved as best it can be solved, I will stop with all the questions! Btw, Neko is gorgeous!

 

Neko thanks you on the compliment. I think she's pretty too. Even more so when quiet.

I have two cats - but Neko OWNS the autofeeder. Could you do two autofeeders that go off at the same time, one for the chow hound? Neko doesn't yell at Otto (feeder). He's her BFF and she sits and stares at him for ages.

For food amounts, it something you have to experiment with to see what works for Rupert. I do half Neko's portion at preshot, and split the other half into her other 2 mini meals. I can't really tell you ounce mounts, because Neko is on raw food which is smaller by volume and weight than canned, so it probably wouldn't translate for Rupert. She gets 125-130 grams (1/4 lb) a day of raw, half each for AM and PM. So approximately 31 grams at main meal and 15 g or so at her two mini meals. She also gets a tsp of food at +9 AM, because she's had a meal all that time all of her life, plus some freeze dried.

ETA: Neko is also 14.5 lbs, part Maine Coon, so what amount of food works for her, wouldn't for petite Rupert.

 

The best thing you can do is take notes, weigh him regularly, and try to feed him the amount that keeps him stable at his current weight, if you think this is a just right weight.

Is he perhaps bored? Can you distract him with playing at the time he was used to having a meal?

We joked that Punkin had a Feed Me Contract. Deviations were not allowed. But we did change the contract a couple of times and he adjusted to them. I'm thinking if you can hang in there a few days with whatever feeding schedule you choose, hopefully he'll get used to it.

 

Thank you both so much, appreciate your input and the late hour it was requested and given!

I will continue to feed before nadir, not during or after, with 4 feedings a day. He could be bored and I do try playing with him, but he rarely does. He can go out on the large, screened lanai aka catio, but doesn't very often since becoming diabetic. He used to love checking everything out and watching the squirrels and birds. He goes out there mainly to look for crumbs of food the other cats have left behind when eating. I leave a few, just to give him something to do. They are all on LC wet, same as him. He gets a lot of exercise following me around asking for food as I go about my day. I am hoping with better numbers, he will feel like playing more, I will keep trying. He used to love wrestling with his siblings, but hasn't done that since becoming diabetic. He hangs in the kitchen most of the time, his favorite spot now. I see some sparks of the old Rupert, but too few and far between. I have to admit, I thought after 6 months he would be a more like his old self, so some days I feel discouraged. I was feeling very hopeful today, till I took his pmps +3 and it was 428. No fur shot, same food as amps, no contraband. Maybe a little bounce?

Thanks for everything tonight, I am heading to bed and will be ready to start again in the morning with a hopeful attitude.

 

One thing some of us did when I was new was to take the syringe box, cut a couple of little square out of the sides, maybe one square in each side. you're making a food toy. Then put a piece of chicken in there and let him work to get it. Depending on how little/big you make the squares it could keep him busy for a little while.

Have a good night's sleep - tomorrow is a new day. He's still your sweet Rupert!