4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74 infection update

Yesterday's condo
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=11204
Morning all amps 120, I am kind of upset, this is the highest we have seen in a while.( I know a lot of you probably want to strangle me for saying that!) I just switched lantus cartridges this morning because of this. I was on day 28 of the old cart. Don't know if that has anything to do with it, the last one looked fine but just to be sure. His cycles have been kind of strange lately with having really low pmps #'s and higher amps #'s, any explanation? I keep seeing that dosecrease in the near future!!! DH must have had a hard time testing him last night because there was a scab on his ear, I felt so bad, I put neosporin on it. When I went to test him tonight he kept jumping down from his testing spot not wanting me to do it.(he never does that!) I actually had a hard time getting blood out too, I felt terrible. Now both ears are red! Just feel a little defeated tonight but today is a new day I guess. I guess I am spoiled since Scrabble is doing so well and I keep thinking we are getting so close that I don't want to lose any momentum. I actually have one more dose of Antiobiotics left that I will give him in a few hours, wonder if that has affected his numbers at all? Anyway, sorry I am rambling this morning! Have a good day everyone!!!

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE AMPS 120

Hope the day improves for you and Scrabble :YMHUG:

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE AMPS 120

Well, 120 is not soooo bad, right/ maybe he was a little elevated from a little stress...or not. LOL Hope the numbers come down for your peace of mind....and hope you have a good day today! :mrgreen:

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE AMPS 120

Hi Michelle,
Scrabble is still looking so good. I hope his ear heals. It seems one ear is always better than the other. When I try alternating ears, i have a hard time getting a sample.

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE AMPS 120

I don't know what to say about Scrabble's amps...but Max did that to me last night at pmps. He threw me a 110. I have no advice, just wanted to let you know you're not alone!

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE AMPS 120

Hi, Michelle & Scrabble! Top of the morning to you both! AMPS is still good.. Really no different than a high green.. Just a matter of points.. I bet Scrabble feels just as fabulous… it is us humans that are obsessed with the *colors* on the Spreadsheets - shame on us! Lil man is doing A-Ok!!
Wishing you both a wonderful day……. Yay!!

P.S. This is lower than an AMPS # just 8 days ago ;-)

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE AMPS 120

Hey Michelle! Just dropping in on my last few minutes of my lunch break. Ya know.......120 is not bad at all...yes, I know, I know....I've been at that point myself....had all those wonderful green numbers, you are getting spoiled, liking those numbers a lot and then BAM!! Here's a blue, and it's a sorta high (but sorta low) blue. Damn, you say, he was doing so good...there goes that thought about maybe no gum trial soon :cry:

Well, my dear, listen up...and listen up good......Scrabble is doing WONDERFUL Just a little bump on his road to you know where (shhhhh), and I bet he will be green soon, if not already!! Maybe his little booboo is stressing him out some...maybe he wants a new outfit...figures if he throw out that number, mama bean will be so upset that she will run out and buy him a new shirt, just cuz she is worried about him and wants to do everything possible to let him know she loves him????? Maybe he is a little constipated.... Spot's numbers always went up when he got constipated. Could be a number of things. Now, stop right now...and think about how good he is doing....are you smiling??? Yes, I know you are So, it's all good!

PS...I know you were rambling...so I joined you, lol...please excuse me if I rambled to much...trying to extend my lunch half hour!! Hope things look greener tonight, my friend!

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE AMPS 120 +7 69

Morning all well here is a recap of Scrabble so far
+2.5 59
+4 61
+7 69
It seems Scrabble has no problem going to the greens but just sometimes he throws me a weird preshot number?? I know his progress is great but it really threw me for a loop when I saw the 120 this morning!! Thanks Deb for the pep talk, I need it, it is amazing what an emotional roller coaster ride Scrabble puts me on daily. I just want him otj soooooo bad(anti-jinx) as I know all of you want the same for your kitties! Have a great day!

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE AMPS 120 +7 69

Michelle
You do not need to apologize for saying you are disappointed in seeing that 120.

Oh, I just saw the +7 69 - Yay!!!!!

No matter what stage everyone's kitties are at, we all support each other.
Good, bad or otherwise.
Jealousy is checked at the door.

Of course you would be surprised at this number. I was when it happened to Max
and I also felt bad about "complaining" about it.

Scrabble came crashing down pretty quickly so now he just needs to even out abit.
120 is still a perfectly normal number.
Go look at Max's ss again. We had a 147 not long before trial.
You guys Rock and we are so proud of you.
Kiss Scrabbles ear booboos for us, Okay?

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE AMPS 120 +7 69

(((Randi))) thanks so much for stopping by, I just checked Max's ss and it made me feel so much better, he actually had quite a few blue preshot #'s before his trial! It is just such a shock when these kitties throw us for a loop, I know Scrabble is feeling good and is healing nicely! Thanks for your support everyone!

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE AMPS 120 +7 69

Scrabble is just playing games with you. (I always want to get out the board games when I post to you, hee, hee!)

That 120 means nothing. I could be a bit of Dawn Phenomenon or your meter was cranky or just nothing. It is so close to green that I consider it insignificant. I know "easy for me to say" since you are the one doing all the worrying every day. But it's true. Look how well he came down very soon after that.

I do understand how you feel when you look at the meter and see a 3-digit number when you expect just 2 digits. I had that happen the other day for the first time in a very long time and my heart just leaped into my throat. But later I tested again and my kitty was back to his normal numbers. So I am not trying to make light of how you feel. In Scrabble's case, he came down very quickly and that is what is important.

Best of luck for continued greenie greens.

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE AMPS 120 +7 69

Really Michelle, Scrabble is doing GREAT! And I think he and Max have been talking, really, I do, tho Max won't confirm it. He's a very secretive kind of guy. Max and Scrabble have quite a few similarities in their ss's as of late. And while Max threw me a pmps of 110 last night, he came up with only a 75 this morning, and then earned himself a dosecrease with a 48 at +4. This really is a crazy ride when they start working on going otj, isn't it? :mrgreen:

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE AMPS 120 +7 69

Thanks I know, it should be insignificant, you know I was just thinking about Scrabble's mood when I came home last night and he was agitated. I posted earlier this morning that he did not want me to test him this morning and think DH hurt him, since there was a scab on his ear (I don't want to say much to DH since he has been such a help and I don't want him to be like forget it, I won't help! you know how sensitive men can be!) and Scrabble is never like that so maybe he was stressed from that and it brought his numbers up a bit. Just thinking about it, glad he had no problem getting down this morning! yes this ride is soooooo crazy!!!!!!!!!

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE AMPS 120 +7 69

I know what you mean about not wanting to say something to DH! Mine is at home today with both kids (he's a teacher, and it's spring break), and I've had to call and nag him to test this morning. Both times he couldn't get any blood without 3 or 4 pricks--and I think both DH and Max were irritated by it! Max is at a happy level now, so no need to worry about it again until pmps, but I won't be home and DH has to do it again...along with figuring out how to do a .25u dose by himself!

I actually think that Max's jump to 110 was a rebound. I'm guessing he went below 50 and no one was there to test and see it. Last night he was at 51 at pm+4, so I suspected as much. :mrgreen: All that really matters is that they know how to bring their numbers back down when they need to!

And it doesn't hurt to remind yourself too that the range for a normal cat is 60-140 or so. 120 is definitely still a good happy number!

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74

PMPS 74 woo hoo!!! So happy to see that from Mr Scrabble!!! I think the amps was a fluke and think it definetly had to do with DH testing him twice last night. His scab is gone thank God and I reshowed DH my technique so he knows. I knew something was up when Scrabble kept jumping down from his testing spot in the morning. Keeping my paws crossed for a good night, I have to leave for tbp @ +4 so hopefully DH won't have to test tonight!

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74

Yaay, look at that PM number!! Good boy, Scrabble. You make your mamabean happy.

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74

Yay!!! I'm so glad your day got better. I wanted to post to you while I was at work, but I just had too much work to do.
I have left scabs on J.D. before. Big (well little) black scabs. Your DH is doing a fine job. I'd tell him so, so he keeps testing for you. He is a huge asset, in more ways than one I'm sure
Yay for back to Green :mrgreen:

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74

Thanks Dyana and Barb, yes he is a great asset that is why I didn't say too much, I want him to keep testing, don't want to make him not want to do it!!!! Just a relief to have Scrabble back where he has been. Today has been a crappy day all around, got some bad news about work that I am losing a shift because it has been slow, I was pretty upset earlier about it. Oh well not much I can do right now. I am TRYING to be positive! Off to take a much needed nap before work!

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74

Very glad to see that Scrabble got a much nicer PMPS for you Michelle. Sorry you are losing a shift, that sucks :cry:

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74 vet update

Just got a call from the vet and they got the results of the culture from the infection and it is worse than he thought, not sure of the name of the bacteria he said (long name) but clavamox which is the anitbiotic he is on is resistant to this bacteria so I have to pick up a different perscription tomorrow for another antibiotic which is pill form and it has to be administered for 28 days, ugh! He said the cat probably seems fine but he wants to make sure we get rid of this infection because it is bad. Ugh!!! How the heck do you pill a cat??? any suggestions would be welcome, gotta pick up the perscription tomorrow.

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74 vet update

UGH! Poor Scrabble. So glad they sent out for a culture though...

So...pilling a cat...

Six is easy-breezy and let's me open his mouth and place it in the back of his throat. Then I hold his mouth close until he swallows.

He is the EASIEST cat I've ever had to pill.

I've hidden pills in treats and I bought a "pill-shooter" of something like that from the vet that made it easier to pill on the more difficult cases.

I think Carolyn and Latte had something in their condo a few days ago about pilling options. (It could have been someone else. I think there was a you tube video too.)

Have you ever had to pill Scrabble before? Could he be easy or do you think he'll really resist it?

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74 vet update

Hi Michelle, Just got to your condo this evening and am very sorry to hear that Scrabble's infection is a tough one. But all will be OK and Scrabble will get rid of those nasty bacteria. 28 days is a long stretch, but you and Scrabble will get through it. I don't have much experience with pills: Stu has never had to take them and Alice (GA) just spit them out and then got better anyway. I've seen something in the pet stores called "Pill Pockets"--treats that you hide the pills in so that the cat will take them. Maybe that's the way to do this. Anyway, good luck and don't worry too much about your Scrabble. He'll be fine.
Ella & Stu

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74 vet update

The Pill Pockets as Ella mentioned are WONDERFUL if Scrabble will eat them. I used them with a civie so I have no idea about carb count, but if he isn't easy to pill they could be a great option if he'll eat them.

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74 vet update

Oh Michelle.
I am sorry to hear about the infection.
I have been lucky in my pilling adventures cuz I give them no choice but others will have
more help for you. Before Max was d/x I put a pill in some laxatone so it would slide down.
Obviously that would not be a good thing to do now and I was told to always chase it with some water to make sure it did not get stuck.
You will find a way. he would chew through the pill pockets and leave the pill so those did not work.

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74 vet update

One explanation for higher AM numbers is dawn phenomenon. Basically, the body gears up for the day by releasing endogenous hormones -- namely cortisol. This naturally raises BG.

Gabby is easy to pill as well. A lot will depend on the size of the pill. Hiding it in chicken or some other favorite food works. Also, someone here uses Laughing Cow cheese as a vehicle to shove the pill in. Ditto for cream cheese.

Was the infection methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or something else? If Scrabble is going to be on ABs for another 28 days, you might want to ask the vet whether FortiFlora may not be a bad idea. There's a good chance that a potent AB may cause liquipoo and a probiotic may help.

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74 vet update

Ditto what Sienne said on the FortiFlora. It can really make a difference before a problem starts.

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74 vet update

Where do I get forti flora & how does it work? Just talked to vet and he said it is a newer strain of bacteria(sienne I will
listen to his message again & post the name) and he said it is very rare that what happened happened but he said it was probably on his skin & I dragged it in with the needle! he said to make it easier for me since scrabble was fine with taking the clavamox drops that he can have the pharmacy compound the pills into liquid form which is more expensive but he is going to make some calls & he see if theycan do it. So we will see.....
+2 72

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74 vet update

I am not going to get the spelling right but it is a form of sudimonous, it is called burcoldary sup something, he said it is a newer strain of bacteria. They are going to put him on betral anofloxism (spelling) I hope they can get it into liquid form. Poor Scrabble he has been through sooo much!!!!

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74 vet update

I have some RX Biotic powder that the vet gave me when he was first dx to help with the transition to wet food that I never used, is that the same a forti-flora? You just sprinkle it on food? Is it ok for my other cat to have too?

 

To pill my girls & it has worked VERY well.. I get my index finger a bit wet & then stick the pill in the back of the throat.. rub their nose with my wet finger.. which causes a reflex action to swallow & they are focused on the wetness of their nose. Works like a charm...

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74 vet update

is the antibiotic Baytril? That will probably affect his numbers, just so you know. It's ok, if it does we give him more insulin, but just be aware that that antibiotic does seem to cause wonky numbers, for some reason.

Pill Pockets are wonderful, but they are full of corn syrup. One of our members uses those in her hypo toolkit because her cat wouldn't eat HC canned and the pill pockets worked just as quickly for him. If you can't get the liquid, I would try cheese or deli meat or a piece of chicken. I'm going through the same struggle with my civvie right now, I'm having no success with pills so I'm going to try liquid next.

hee hee, just saw Nicole's tip about wetting their nose, I never thought of that!

 

Yes Libby it is baytril, oh really it will affect his numbers???? Damn!! God I hate setbacks, he is doing soooooo well!!! I really thought we would be decreasing soon, damn! Such heartbreaking news, I have had just a terrible day!!!!!

 

it's better to have his numbers go up than to have an ugly infection, right? It's only temporary.

 

I'm sorry to hear about the 28 days of ABs. I would also highly recommend FortiFlora. I buy it from my vet, and always have some available. My cats LOVE it! I used it as a probiotic when J.D. was on ABs for his dental. I often also will use it as an appetite stimulant. When my cats don't feel like eating, they come running when they hear me tear open the little packet. I pour it on top of their food, and they then eat all their food right up. It smells kind of like boullion cubes. J.D. is a lot easier to pill now, than he was before. Good luck getting the liquid form.

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74 infection pills, probiotics

I think there's also a Friskies soft treat that some people use to mask pills. If you get pill pockets, you don't need to use a whole one. Depending on how big the pill is you can usually tear off a piece of the pill pocket and kind of smoosh it around the pill. When KB had baytril we had to quarter the pills first so at least they weren't huge.

Some vets carry Fortiflora, I had to mail order mine. Sounds like your RX probiotic might be fine, though. (Cassandra is a probiotic guru but I haven't seen her post for some time now.)

Scrabble's doing great. He brings himself down from those low blues. Don't want to rush liver/pancreas training.

 

Sorry your day has sucked so much :sad: It is really hard to see setbacks on that meter no matter how much we know those low occassional blues are OK, they still aren't greens :-x

Hope you can get the liquid. I don't know how to get a pill into a cat for 28 days. They seem to figure it out and adapt. We had Smokey on the Clavamox right before we started the insulin. I started with hiding them in pill pockets (I'd pull some of the pocket off so it was small enough to swallow without chewing). After about 3 days I was having to hide it in the pill pocket in the soft food with gravy smeared on it. After a couple more days I'd find a cleanly licked pill laying in the dish so then we had to switch to velveeta. :roll:

Good luck. Setbacks stink, but you two have gotten this far, you'll handle it just fine.

 

sending healing vines to scrabble! hope all goes well. Don't worry - i know you'll take very good care of him.

 

Sending Healing to you & Scrabble--
Every Set Back, Is a Set Up For a Comeback!!!

Not to worry--Fortiflora is available on amazon.com also..
Hope all will be well soon...HUGS~!
We are all with you~~~ :-|

 

+4 56 figures, gotta leave for tbp now, just fed so he should be fine tonight! I need to give his ears a break anyway, they have been red! Thanks for all the encouragement!!!!

 

Michelle even thought I am able to buy forti flora thru my vet also my work its much cheaper to get it on http://www.amazon.com/FortiFlora-FE...2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1270697298&sr=8-2 this is where I always get mine love this stuff hope Scrabble gets better soon

 

((((Michelle)))) setbacks are rough. But this will pass, and Scrabble will be on his way again. He definitely has the green in him.

 

Re: 4/7 SCRABBLE PMPS 74 vet update

Refrigerated Gerber's beef baby food. When cold, it congeals a bit more than chicken and turkey flavors, and it's easy to hide a pill in it. Quincy will swallow a dollop of it without even knowing there's a pill inside. If it's necessary to shove the pill down, the baby food kind of greases things up too.

Quincy figured out the pill pockets very fast, and he still won't touch them (sans pills) even almost two years later.

Good luck! if you can trick Scrabble into eating the pills, those 28 days will go by much easier...


ETA - maybe try pills before switching to liquid. I've always found liquid suspensions harder to administer, esp. to get the entire amount down rather than all over the place.
Also, Baytril can be a rough antibiotic, sorry to say. Quincy was on it for a couple weeks two years ago, and it definitely affected his energy and esp. his GI system. Definitely arm yourself with probiotics, fortiflora, or both. And maybe ask your vet if 28 days is really necessary. Quincy was on Baytril for 14 days to treat heliobacter, a really nasty bacteria a biopsy revealed was in his stomach.

 

re: pilling
bit of a pain but doable.

if you stick your fingers along his jaw where his back teeth would be on either side it acts like a hinge and will pop open.

never dry pill a cat.
coat the pill in butter if you can and pop it all the way back into the hole of his throat so he can't spit it out. follow up with some squirts of water, either from an eyedropper or water syringe you can buy at places like cvs in the baby section for a couple of bucks. don't shoot the water straight into his throat -- aim for the opposite cheek from where you've inserted the dropper.
afterwards let him have a few more licks of butter. it'll coat the passageway for the pill. otherwise (without the butter and water) we worry about a condition called erosive esophagitis that they can get from the pill nicking its way down the shoot.

otherwise pill pockets or wrapping the pill in solid food he loves can work too.

michelle he's doing fantastic despite the infection. i have every confidence that once the infection is gone you are going to be chewing gum again.