2/12 Ozzy AMPS 244, +5 135, +7 88, +9 117, PMPS 176, +2.5 171, +5 147

[Ozzy Pawzbourne]

Yesterday

Stayed up super late watching HBO series last night (haven't had a late nighter like that in a long time) but still was able to manage to get up at 5:30 am and T/F/S then went back to bed and slept in late! hah! Didn't get to check on Ozzy until +5 and he was 135. Tested him again at +8 just to see if he was going up (I still have no idea when his nadirs are) and he was surprisingly still going down and was at 88.

This cat is consistently inconsistent. Same thing happened yesterday.

What do I consider his nadir? I don't know when to stop testing sometimes to check him for safe levels.

I'm wondering where's he's going to be at PMPS. I have a feeling he will be in the blues again. He's had a couple blue preshots this last week which has been nice to see. We are on the 11th cycle of .75u (wow time flies) and about to start the 12th cycle tonight. Ozzy has seen several good blue cycles and some greens too (I'd say at least on 4 of the 11 cycles). I'm not sure if we should increase again. I'm not a fan of going up a dose on a Sunday night/Monday morning when we can't monitor all week in the ams. We have been trying to do the TR protocol, but I think we are getting a little chicken and slowing down a little on the dose increases.

I may keep him at this dose for the next week and see how he does. I think he bounced on the 8th on this dose and didn't break his bounce until the 10th. And then maybe a mini bounce on the am cycle of 2/11 since he saw green the night before and now he seems to be leveling out. This is why I am hesitant to go up a dose, he seems to just be getting used to this one and has had some pretty decent numbers.

Any thoughts on his cycles/doses??

 

[Doodles & Karen]

If it were me I'd hold he dose. He is getting to green and might me getting there on some days where tests are limited. Nadirs move and looks like Ozzy likes the move them around consistently. See how he does the next several cycles and if the green goes away then increase when you feel comfortable doing so.

 

[Ozzy Pawzbourne]

If it were me I'd hold he dose. He is getting to green and might me getting there on some days where tests are limited. Nadirs move and looks like Ozzy likes the move them around consistently. See how he does the next several cycles and if the green goes away then increase when you feel comfortable doing so.

Thanks Karen. This confirms what I was feeling. I'm happy with where Ozzy is at right now. I'm trying not to stress about this so much anymore (especially since we haven't had a scary low in awhile). My mood has certainly increased today too...the sun is out and shining bright here in So. California after weeks of rain. So nice to see such a gorgeous warm sunny winter day. I'm really looking forward to spring!

 

[Wendy&Neko]

It's amazing how a little sun can lighten the mood. We've got the same here.

As for your question on nadirs, it's the lowest point of any given cycle. They can and do change. If kitty is breaking a bounce, then tend to be later. On Lantus, Neko's nadirs were reliably between +3.5 and +12. But based on her preshot value, +3, and previous cycle data, I could guesstimate roughly where it would be.

I'll answer your dose question with one of my own. What are your goals for Ozzy? Is it regulation? Is it remission? In either cause you'd like to see him spend as much time below renal threshold as possible. I think he does have room for an increase as you've been on this dose long enough and haven't seen anything below 80. I do get your worry about not being able to monitor him. You could always wait until you could monitor more before increasing.

 

[Ozzy Pawzbourne]

On Lantus, Neko's nadirs were reliably between +3.5 and +12.

Lol...That's not much predictability!!

I'll answer your dose question with one of my own. What are your goals for Ozzy? Is it regulation? Is it remission?

Our ultimate goal is remission. Absolutely without a doubt we want him to come off the juice. I am hopeful one day that we will get there. Yes, the inability to monitor Ozzy during the day time cycles on work days is the biggest hindrance to us wanting to increase. We did take some back to back reductions a few weeks ago and his need to go back up is based on that I assume. We might hold him at this dose for a few more cycles and towards the end of the week give him a bump. That way the depot will be full by the weekend when we have more time to monitor. Sometimes when we increase on the weekends, I'm worried he will get a better lower number, bounce and then we are back to the same concern come Monday/Tuesday morning. This process is pretty exhausting mentally.

One other question I had was that we have noticed a couple times that Ozzy has been drooling. At first we thought maybe his nose was runny, but nope, today he was snuggling up on his chair and when I went over to snuggle on him, I noticed a big drop of drool coming out of his mouth. What could this be from. Should we be concerned??? He seems fine otherwise. Been sunning himself all day and taking his beloved cat naps in his chair.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

One other question I had was that we have noticed a couple times that Ozzy has been drooling. At first we thought maybe his nose was runny, but nope, today he was snuggling up on his chair and when I went over to snuggle on him, I noticed a big drop of drool coming out of his mouth. What could this be from. Should we be concerned???

Ahh, you have a drooler. My civie is like that. Happy kitty starts purring and drooling. Often my pants get wet if he's on my lap. That's the most I worry about.

 

[Ozzy Pawzbourne]

Ahh, you have a drooler. My civie is like that. Happy kitty starts purring and drooling. Often my pants get wet if he's on my lap. That's the most I worry about.

Oh good!! Thank you for letting me know you have a drooler kitty and it was not of a concern. Was just consulting Dr. Google who said he could be nauseated, in pain, have problems with his teeth, etc. I was just thinking DANG, WHAT NEXT! And last thing I want is my sweetheart to be in pain. Thanks.

 

[Beth 73]

Dr Google ......glad u had a tv night last night, Jo....u deserved it !!!! Prayers and hugs to u and ur boys

 

[Ella & Rusty & Stu(GA)]

I think Ozzy looks good and that you should hold his dose because of your schedule. As Wendy says, you can adjust the dose when you are able to monitor more consistently.

Enjoy your sunshine. We are enjoying our snow!

 

[Ozzy Pawzbourne]

PMPS 176, starting blue. Hope my little boy has a good cycle tonight.

Went back to the pet food store and stocked up on some more food for both kitties. After our 'experiment' with all the different foods we've been feeding, I feel like these are the winners in order based on 1) causing the least amount of tummy upset, and 2) kitties liking them:

• Evo Chicken and Turkey
• Weruva Paw Lickin Chicken
• Weruva Foul Ball (chicken and turkey)
• Weruva Goldie Lox (chicken and salmon)

I was actually surprised the Evo was the winner. I guess I should say for now! I like the consistency of this food, it's pate style, and it doesn't seem to have a lot of goup in it. Some of the weruva brands have a 'gravy/broth' that just looks weird to me to be honest and they contain potato starch (although this hasn't been a big issue for us in spiking blood sugars).

We tried out ziwipeak and Ozzy loved it, Figgie not so much. We tried both the rabbit/lamb combo and the venison. I think these foods are too rich for my kitties at this time while their tummies are still settling on the new food regime. I still have a few cans at the back of the shelf (because Ozzy really did enjoy them a lot) but we are just going to stick with chicken and turkey for a few weeks and see if things continue to improve on the pukey/pooey front. Not having ziwipeak on the list of winners above does not disappoint me considering it is the most expensive can of wet food at over $4/can. Just goes to show that the most expensive does not always equal the best. I also found some bone fragments in a few cans of ziwipeak which had me a little concerned.

Ozzy has not vomited in the last 4 cycles (knock on wood) and I looked back at my food and vomit tracker and see that during the last episode, he was eating weruva lamb and ziwipeak at the time. So again, we've removed these rich foods and are sticking to the ones above with maybe a little fish on the side every once in a while. I actually gave both kitties some real tuna today (they haven't had it in months) and they went nuts and were so happy. No bad side effects after so that was a nice treat for them and made me feel good because they really seemed to enjoy it.

I'm really impressed with this new pet food store I have been shopping at. It's called Centinela Pet and Feed store. Their employees are really knowledgeable about their products and really seem to care about the quality of the food they sell. I have spoken to one of the store managers, Matt, several times and he told me that they stopped selling science diet because of all the bad reviews on it and it's propensity to cause kitties to become diabetic and have other health problems. I was really impressed they would pull a food for this reason. I'm sure pet smart would not do the same. I also mentioned the new wellness recall (I even checked their cans on the shelf- there were none with the expiration dates listed in the recall ) and he said they had already pulled everything off their shelves and returned them to their distributor.

A few weeks ago, I also shared the food list from Dr. Lisa with Matt and when we were talking today, he said that they had printed it out at the store and he shared it with his employees and they know to use it as a resource if other kitty owners come in with diabetic cats or are looking for foods that are low carb, or low phosphorus. I thought that was SO COOL! And I love this board for sharing such great knowledge that I was in turn able to pass along to someone else. I hope it helps some of their customers! Centinela is a family owned business and I'm ALL FOR family businesses. I will continue to only shop here for my pet food needs for as long as I have pets.

 

[Adrian and Chino]

Ahh, you have a drooler. My civie is like that.

LOL, Chino does the same thing... especially when he gets catnip or silvervine. He'll drool all over his toy, then drool all over the fuzzball's.

Sometimes when we increase on the weekends, I'm worried he will get a better lower number, bounce and then we are back to the same concern come Monday/Tuesday morning. This process is pretty exhausting mentally.

I can only imagine what you're going through. If Chino didn't have a pretty reliable nadir between +7 and +9, I would probably end up testing at least every other hour! And I know I'm fortunate to be able to test during the day... not sure what I'd do if I couldn't. The last few days of Ozzy's spreadsheet look great, though!

 

[Ozzy Pawzbourne]

I can only imagine what you're going through. If Chino didn't have a pretty reliable nadir between +7 and +9, I would probably end up testing at least every other hour! And I know I'm fortunate to be able to test during the day... not sure what I'd do if I couldn't. The last few days of Ozzy's spreadsheet look great, though!

Thanks @Adrian and Chino . It's funny how we all have different issues with our FD kitties. My kitty is doing somewhat ok on his insulin but the time away from the home is nerve wracking and we are still trying to figure out how to just get his numbers stable...and you have the opposite worry where you are home and can monitor but your kitties sugars are high and all over the place. I am watching your and Chino's journey daily (I look at your AM/PM thread every day to see how you're doing) and I really am praying for you guys too to get Chino in a safer better place. I can only imagine how concerned you are with your upcoming date to go out of town. I hope your parents will get on board with the testing and shooting. I wasn't sure if they are the 'pet sitter' you referenced, but I am really happy that you are able to get some help and support from others. I honestly could not imagine having someone come to my house and try to drag my kitty out to test him and then shoot him with insulin!!!! My kitty is a scaredy cat and will hide. It's my nightmare for some future outing. We just have not gone anywhere since his FD Dx. If we need to stay overnight somewhere in the future, depending on the amount of days we'd be gone, I probably would just skip his insulin. I hope everything goes well for Chino while you're away (it will!) and more for you to have peace of mind because we really worry more than our kitties do bad.

 

[Adrian and Chino]

I wasn't sure if they are the 'pet sitter' you referenced, but I am really happy that you are able to get some help and support from others. I honestly could not imagine having someone come to my house and try to drag my kitty out to test him and then shoot him with insulin!!!! My kitty is a scaredy cat and will hide.

Thanks. 2 of the vet techs from his vet's office will be taking turns coming by twice a day to test, feed, and give meds, but they're only testing before giving insulin. Chino has never gone anywhere near hypo during the day, so the main reason my dad is coming by is to give them some attention and make sure they know they haven't been abandoned. Fox is the scaredy cat - I've drawn a diagram of the apartment and marked his favorite hiding spots for the sitters, in case he hides instead of coming out to eat.

 

[Ozzy Pawzbourne]

Thanks. 2 of the vet techs from his vet's office will be taking turns coming by twice a day to test, feed, and give meds, but they're only testing before giving insulin.

@Adrian and Chino Wow! This is great! I think someone mentioned to me to do this sometime if we needed the extra help. This is such a thoughtful way to deal with your situation. Is it expensive to have them come over? What a GREAT idea!!!

so the main reason my dad is coming by is to give them some attention and make sure they know they haven't been abandoned.

Love this, too. We have come home many times to find our kitties hiding under the beds when we were gone for a day or two. I always felt awful. Having someone in the home with them, even if for a short while, is so much better.

Fox is the scaredy cat - I've drawn a diagram of the apartment and marked his favorite hiding spots for the sitters, in case he hides instead of coming out to eat.

This is AWESOME!! Adrian, you are hilariously thoughtful for your kitties!! I love this! I am going to have to steal some of your queues here for the future!

After reading all this..I really hope you don't stress while you're away. You have taken care of every detail and have all things covered. In fact, you should really try to take this time away as a bit of a break for you. You need it too!!

 

[Adrian and Chino]

Is it expensive to have them come over?

It's $20/visit (x 8 visits), but I live just 5 minutes away from the office, so they'll be coming before and after work. I know his insulin won't be given on an exact 12 hr schedule... but the dose given 11 hours after the last will be the AM dose, and I'm not worried that the "dose increase" effect will take him too low during the day, since he only goes low at night.

Fox's most annoying hiding place is behind the long couch, but I'll be stuffing pillows behind it on either side before I leave *insert evil laugh*.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

If we need to stay overnight somewhere in the future, depending on the amount of days we'd be gone, I probably would just skip his insulin

Don't forget the idea of Ozzy coming with you. Neko, used to hate the 10 minutes drive to the vet, got used to travel over time and with Feliway and Rescue Remedy. And there's nothing like a kitty in a hotel room to make if feel like home. She also visited my parents place for holiday dinners. It was very liberating for me to know I had that option.

 

[Ozzy Pawzbourne]

Fox's most annoying hiding place is behind the long couch, but I'll be stuffing pillows behind it on either side before I leave *insert evil laugh*.

You crack me up!!!!!! LOL!!!!

It's $20/visit (x 8 visits), but I live just 5 minutes away from the office, so they'll be coming before and after work.

This is really affordable and honestly so worth it for the peace of mind. You have it all covered!!!! Great job!!

 

[Ozzy Pawzbourne]

Don't forget the idea of Ozzy coming with you. Neko, used to hate the 10 minutes drive to the vet, got used to travel over time and with Feliway and Rescue Remedy. And there's nothing like a kitty in a hotel room to make if feel like home. She also visited my parents place for holiday dinners. It was very liberating for me to know I had that option.

Wow, I've never even considered this. I have never travelled with either of my kitties and they both cry the whole way on car rides. I think they would be so scared to be in a strange place and would want to hide. TBH...I have actually had dreams about having my kitty with me in a hotel! Lol. I don't know why I dream such weird stuff...just worry about them sometimes.

We never let them outside and sometimes I wonder if this was the wrong thing to do all these years.

 

[Taffysmama]

Was just consulting Dr. Google who said he could be nauseated, in pain, have problems with his teeth, etc.

I had a drooler, too. An orange boy, as well! You could have his teeth looked over, but I think some cats just drool.

Take a look and compare Taffy and Ozzy today. Nearly identical if you take into consideration the testing time differences. Wow!

 

[Ozzy Pawzbourne]

Take a look and compare Taffy and Ozzy today. Nearly identical if you take into consideration the testing time differences. Wow!

@Taffysmama Yes- I know!!! They have so many similarities!! Even started their new pens in same 24 hr period! Like I said- they are dance partners!! Haha! Must be something in the water here in So Cal!

Speaking if water...did you hear about the dam that broke up north? DAM!!! sorry- been wanting to say that all day! Hope everyone is safe...lots of people evacuated.

Are you thinking of taking Taffy up a dose again? We might do the same for Ozzy in a few cycles when we can monitor more.

 

[Taffysmama]

did you hear about the dam that broke up north?

I had not seen that!!! Just checked out the news, wow! Sounds like a movie or something!

 

[Ozzy Pawzbourne]

I know!! DAM!!!!

Sorry, can't help myself! I am like Chevy Chase! Haha!

 

[Taffysmama]

Looks like Ozzy is headed down slowly, which is good. Taffy is going the other way. Could be his food bump from dinner, but I am tired, so may not get another test until early AM.