2/12 Mocha amps =538/+3=353/+9=276/pmps=452

I use a small refrig on crates in the room for Mocha's testing and feeding. It sometimes shifts slightly over time and last night I went to go to sleep and the door was not closed. I have a temp gauge and it read 60 but I don't believe that was the insulin temp because it was in the rear of the fridge. I have it covered in a cup and with plastic bags on top (2). It felt like closer to maybe 50. It was still cold to the face. I keep the extra pens there too but they have not been opened.

The insulin is clear this morning. I guess if there is no dip at all it is ruined?

I am thinking for no more than an hour it should be ok.

And, she did not really get much of a dip to last since her pm shot. This is looking so like resistance, I am not even wondering @ this point.

Have now 4 vet names and have made contact with one and awaiting a reply. I want to finalize this next week. I need to know which direction to go. If it were you, would you try to find a vet that is under 60? I have one rec that I am sure is mid 60 because of grad date in the early 70s! I don't want to put stakes and have this person retire when I was told his other vets in the clinic are not good. Agree to attempt to find someone younger? I contacted a female (would like to give a female a try again) that is 40 perhaps. She has been at this clinic for over a decade, so hopefully she stays.
Happy Friday eh?

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...-in-my-beautiful-balloon.152514/#post-1602516

 

It should be fine. I've left mine on the counter top for half a day by accident, and it's been working ok.

 

I think the insulin will be okay. I once left a vial out all day while I was at work. The air conditioning was on and the vet told me it should be fine. I didn't have any problems with it. I hope one of the 4 vets works out.

 

I won't be alone but "really?" I have only made real contact with one vet, from a friend of a friend, who HAS diabetic cats. That vet is one of the TOP 25 in the COUNTRY. I call them. Can't understand the receptionist to even know it is the clinic. Then I ask 3 times can they test for specific lab. I get this response, "You want to know if we draw blood?" [do you hear my scream inside!] Kidding me right? No, then I give only the first lab and she puts me on hold. Then the top 25 vet answers and he has NO CLUE what I am referring to and misses the lab acronyms. Really? He gets it right and he personally calls me back to say their lab only does igf-1 (but he does not know what it is!) and what is the iaa for (after I told him already). He says, probably Michigan State. Oh my! If I wasn't ill from a cold again I would scream but I am in a condo, so just as well. What are we dealing with? I am not sure this is the path for me.

Have a reach out to Jayla's vet and another local vet and awaiting a call from another receptionist about these labs and she was just as clueless.

I send a hug to all those before me and after me because it is daunting enough and then to have clueless people in the profession to help us. Oh my.......so frustrating upon frustrating. I know I am not alone. Something is wrong when the top 25 vet does not know what you are talking about without some repeated coaching and he specializes in DISEASE. Oh my!

 

Karri - so sorry the vetty hunt is so frustrating.

Interesting question about choosing vets. Neko's regular vet, probably in her 40's, started us on Caninsulin, cause that's what that clinic does. Then one time I saw a locum vet because he was the one who could show me how to blood test. He is a retired vet who was working part time (probably 60's). He's the one who switched me to Lantus and referred me to FDMB. He had also seen an acrocat in a previous practice. So this older vet, with more and different experience, knew more than the younger vet who had been following the clinic's senior vet's direction. Thankfully Neko's vet is willing to learn new things and listen to me. And the older former locum vet now works part time at the clinic so I see he sometimes too.

As for testing for IGF-1 and IAA, vetty had heard of the tests but didn't know the details. I told her exactly what to do. If you print off the MSU pages from the links you were given and hand them to the vet, that should tell them what they need to do. There is very little research on IAA - you are lucky if the vet knows anything about acromegaly. I think it's more important to have a vet who is willing to work with you and not pretend to be the know-it-all.

 

I had a vet tech call me from one of my vet choices and she said $300 for the igf-1 but can't do the other with their lab. I had just done what you suggested, faxed them the sheets and am asking will you just send them both to Michigan State. She said she would call and let me know if they can get approval to send out.

Makes perfect sense, really it is about "attitude" not age. I have had attitude and I just need these tests soon. Could always move around again I suppose. Living for today. Thanks for your post.

 

I'm with Wendy on your vet choices. Most important criteria: a vet who will work with you. I'm in a small town and had one choice. An older vet who specializes in large animals with a not-yet-graduated intern working the small animal side of things when Polly was first diagnosed FD.

The young guy didn't believe Polly could have acro or iaa. (I'm sure he flipped pages in his backroom textbook before sharing that info with me.) But he was willing to do what I asked and looked at Polly's spreadsheet to make sure what I was doing was working.

I printed the pages from MSU's lab section on the web. All my vet had to do was draw blood, cold pack it, fill out the forms, and ship it out.

Polly turned out to be iaa positive and acro positive. My vet now let's me do what I want even when he sorta disagrees. Both have been incredibly supportive.

Had I just cold-called them to ask about the tests, I'm sure their response would have been equally frustrating. They're general practice vets. But both sure know more about iaa and acro now than they did before Miss Polly came along!

Marilyn and Polly

 

So sorry you're having such trouble Kari, it will all work out It looks like you may have finally found someone to do the tests for you paws crossed they get approval and you can get Mocha's tests done ASAP.

 

When was the diagnosis? Is it a prior spreadsheet?

 

It's on her 2014 spreadsheet. Diagnosed early April; Lantus started late April. MSU bloodwork submitted late July. SRT September 8-11, 2014.

I'll try later to post a link in this thread.

Marilyn

 

When you can I would love to see that. To look at the current counts and to think this was a IAA cat gives me hope again (as others) when I see the current doses are basically nil compared to where Mocha is and nothing but sky high. I like to see how the numbers went with the prior doses and time. Probably the radiation made the difference in the turn around? to lower dosing and stabilizing?

 

Sorry you are having such trouble persuading a vet to do the IAA/acro tests for you, I understand your frustration it's quite frightening really how many there are in the veterinary profession who are simply clueless but adopt that "I know best" attitude, I hope you find one that is willing to work with you and to be open to new ideas. Hang in there Kari

 

Just turned away by a 2nd....I faxed the info of the test to the vet who indicated they could send it out. I just want to make sure that they have the mailer etc and if I go with him I prefer if it can happen at one appt vs a call back. I am still waiting to hear from a final vet that I was most hopeful about.

 

Paws crossed this will be the vet for you and Mocha.

 

That is SO crazy that you are having such a hard time. All you need is a vet clinic to draw the blood and process it into serum form (they would know how to do that), freeze the samples and ship as per MSU instructions. It is not as if THEY have to do the test MSU does the test. My vet was not aware of these tests, but I brought in the information and she called them to get clear instructions, the vet tech did the draw, prepared it and shipped it.

How frustrating this must be for you!!

ETA

Since the IAA requires serum blood and the IGF-1 can be either plasma or serum it makes the most sense to send both the samples as serums specimens