2/1 Ozzy AMPS 307, +1 337, PMPS 319, +2.5 264

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Ozzy Pawzbourne

Ozzy Pawzbourne

Member Since 2016
Yesterday was not far away....like 6 hours ago!


Getting up at 5:45 am is no Bueno!! I'm so tired and I don't like that it's dark outside. :confused: I'm trying to get to bed earlier but still struggling with that, so I just end up getting less sleep. And my bed was sooo snuggly warm this morning...:arghh::arghh:

Gave Ozzy his insulin this morning and the needle felt like it went in differently. I felt his fur for wetness and sniffed him but didn't feel or smell anything...so not sure if I gave a fur shot.

I have been giving Ozzy .5U minus a small drop because we are not able to monitor in the mornings past +1 and we've been worried something might happen to him while we are gone. Last night was his 6th cycle since his low on 1/28. He had been clearing bounces in less than 6 cycles, so if he doesn't come back down to normal numbers in the next few cycles, we will unfortunately have to go back up with his dose. We are just trying to be careful right now when we can't be here.
 
I hope Ozzy decides to come down for you today. It's normal to go up and down in dose so try not to focus on that but rather getting him seeing more normal numbers. Hope he's feeling good and you both have a good day.
 
Good morning, Jo :bighug:. Praying for u to have extra wisdom with Ozzy's doses and that u are able to have peace when u r gone for the day. I know u and Bob will figure this out with the help of the wise folk of LL Land. So smart to go cautiously rather than quickly....this will all work out . You and Bob are such wonderful kitty parents. :bighug::bighug: Got ur back in thoughts and prayers from here in the Ozark boonies :):kiss::bighug::cat:( this is Ozzy:cat:, having a safe day :))
 
@Doodles & Karen
Doodles & Karen said:
I hope Ozzy decides to come down for you today. It's normal to go up and down in dose so try not to focus on that but rather getting him seeing more normal numbers. Hope he's feeling good and you both have a good day.
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Thanks Karen, I appreciate you keeping me focused on what's important.

I've been meaning to compliment Doodles' new photo that went up some time ago. What a gorgeous little kitty. That mane is stunning!! I wish more people would post pictures of their kitties. I love seeing all our furry friends! :):bighug::bighug:

Hope you have a great day as well!
 
Hey Jo!

I hope you had a good day today and Ozzy came down.

I decided to take your question about a 10/14 schedule to Jill to see if she had seen anyone doing that and she said she has not. Further, we have had a few members who had to be flexible with shotmtimes due to working schedules but they did not consistently shoot off schedule. They might shoot early one morning, on schedule the next few days, late one cycle, etc. I was going to link a SS or two but this member recorded her data with the most recent date at the top which can make it confusing to read.

She said it's possible you saw her post that she shot an 11/13 schedule with Alex at times. The important things to note here are:
  • She was using levemir insulin which is an easier insulin to shoot 11/13 due to its late onset
  • She is a very experienced member who had a ton of data and knew very well Alex's patterns, her response to food, how she reacted to an early or late shot, etc.
You might ask about whether levemir would be a good insulin for Ozzy. It is also a depot insulin and, personally, between Lantus and levemir, I prefer the latter. Some cats see less bouncing and longer duration with lev but some don't change and there's no way to know who will do better. However, it is almost always a better choice for high dose cats because it doesn't sting like Lantus at higher doses.

The downside for someone working is that lev does not onset until about +4 and nadirs between +8 and +12, generally. So the CG must learn to shoot low preshot because that is often the nadir. Some cats, Gracie included, might get even longer duration and nadir or get a second dip even after +12. I think it might be a more difficult insulin to work around your schedule just because you would shoot, sometimes green numbers, he would onset at +4 putting you to bed late, and then you'd have to get up to check him at nadir.

I hope this helps answer your questions.

Please note to new members or those just reading: I hope you got from this that it is not advisable to shoot early/late on an every day schedule unless you are very experienced and have a thorough knowledge of your kitty. And it's best, if you meet those criteria, to do it with levemir.
 
Marje and Gracie said:
Hey Jo!

I hope you had a good day today and Ozzy came down.

I decided to take your question about a 10/14 schedule to Jill to see if she had seen anyone doing that and she said she has not. Further, we have had a few members who had to be flexible with shotmtimes due to working schedules but they did not consistently shoot off schedule. They might shoot early one morning, on schedule the next few days, late one cycle, etc. I was going to link a SS or two but this member recorded her data with the most recent date at the top which can make it confusing to read.

She said it's possible you saw her post that she shot an 11/13 schedule with Alex at times. The important things to note here are:
  • She was using levemir insulin which is an easier insulin to shoot 11/13 due to its late onset
  • She is a very experienced member who had a ton of data and knew very well Alex's patterns, her response to food, how she reacted to an early or late shot, etc.
You might ask about whether levemir would be a good insulin for Ozzy. It is also a depot insulin and, personally, between Lantus and levemir, I prefer the latter. Some cats see less bouncing and longer duration with lev but some don't change and there's no way to know who will do better. However, it is almost always a better choice for high dose cats because it doesn't sting like Lantus at higher doses.

The downside for someone working is that lev does not onset until about +4 and nadirs between +8 and +12, generally. So the CG must learn to shoot low preshot because that is often the nadir. Some cats, Gracie included, might get even longer duration and nadir or get a second dip even after +12. I think it might be a more difficult insulin to work around your schedule just because you would shoot, sometimes green numbers, he would onset at +4 putting you to bed late, and then you'd have to get up to check him at nadir.

I hope this helps answer your questions.

Please note to new members or those just reading: I hope you got from this that it is not advisable to shoot early/late on an every day schedule unless you are very experienced and have a thorough knowledge of your kitty. And it's best, if you meet those criteria, to do it with levemir.
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@Marje and Gracie Thanks Marje. I truly appreciate you looking into this for me and giving me additional information to consider.

We are happy with Lantus right now (more so than vestulin) and will give it some more time before making any decisions. My biggest concern, which has been the same concern since the beginning, is what happens when we are not here during the day and able to monitor. Hubby tried to rationalize with me to make me feel better and explained that the majority of people with diabetic cats don't home test and do fine on insulin (my vet said the same thing) and that Ozzy is on a very low dose right now. The truth is, he probably has dropped down into lower numbers when we were gone for the day but he was still alive when we came home. Really optimistic, I know. My original vet also talked to us about home testing and quality of life...not just for kitty but for us too. He didn't discourage home testing but said that the numbers will always be different everyday...we can obsess over this a little much (which is absolutely true). Ozzy is tested regularly and before every single shot of insulin and most times (minus 18 work days of the month when I am not here) he is monitored throughout his cycle. I need to try not to freak out and stress so much over those 18 cycles. Harder said than done, but I do need to try. We are doing the best we can and that's the best that we can do.

I went ahead and gave him the full .5 U tonight (maybe a little fat) since he is now 8 cycles in after his last recorded low. At least I know the holdover depot from the higher doses is not in play anymore and we will try to get him surf on this full .5U dose. We will see what happens. I'm trying patiently (hard for me) to go with the flow here and not rush the process.

The only thing killing me right now is that I have to get up between 5:30 -5:45 am everyday (including weekends) due to my new work schedule. This is draining me and I seriously am about to pass out with exhaustion right now... But I will adjust to this in time, too.

My vet called me today to let me know that Ozzy's fT4 test result was normal and so was his SpecfPL. So that's pretty good news.

Ozzy has been in super good spirits the last two days.. super frisky and super sweet. We will celebrate the small victories!! :cat:
 
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