8-14 Gizmo AMPS=395; +5.5=284; +8=282; PMPS=378; +2=395; +4=304 AUTOFEEDER QUESTION

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Chubba (GA)

Chubba (GA)

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Condo - http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...70-7-234-9-238-pmps-205-2-271-3-5-265.182191/

PMPS = 205
+2 = 271
+3.5 = 265

AMPS = 395

Ok ... this is really frustrating. His numbers aren't budging again. I'm hoping the vet on wed will agree to testing to really determine what is going on because I'm losing my mind. I should have increased to 8.5 units this morning, but didn't because I didn't realize this was the 7th cycle. Increase tonight.

We saw better numbers when he was on the antibiotic for 2 weeks, so that is making me think he has some type of infection that we aren't getting cleared up. Also, can't get insulin resistance, acro, and hyperT out of my mind. I'm going to weigh him again today to see if something might have just been wrong with yesterday's weight. He gained over a pound in a week. That, his watery eye, and not budging numbers make me really wonder about acro (possibly the tumor is pulsing on again). Not knowing is driving me crazy!

If he is acro, we really want to try cabergoline. But seeing that it works better on low high dose kitties, I feel like we are running out of time. :arghh::(
 
How long do you leave wet food in the autofeeder? The longest I would need is 6 hours. Should I be freezing the food, just putting an ice pack in the feeder, or is it ok to leave the food for 6 hours? I typically only use the feeders now for his nighttime feeding which is only a few hours after I go to bed. So this hasn't been a concern. Going back to work in a few weeks :mad: and getting more stressed about it by the minute. I wanted to be a lot closer to having a handle on Gizmo's diabetes by now. :banghead:
 
Chubba said:
Going back to work in a few weeks :mad: and getting more stressed about it by the minute.
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Sorry about that. I have been off for the summer and start teaching again next week - so I know how you're feeling. My schedule is usually flexible enough to run back home for lunch and feed, so I haven't had to use an autofeeder. However, when I tried leaving food out, it seems like my cats are really picky about the food having the "right" temperature. They don't like it when it's still too cold and won't touch it when it starts to get warm and dry out. I would probably experiment with the autofeeder while you're still home to see what Gizmo prefers.
 
I've been experimenting the last few days with the autofeeder. Found out my civvie doesn't care to wait by the feeder like Gizmo and often misses her meal. He eats them both. Lol. He doesn't care about the warmer temp. Seems to like it less when cold, but will still eat. I'm just concerned about the food going bad in 6 hours or is it ok for it to sit out that long?
 
I don't use an auto feeder, but I've read that some freeze portions, and when that section opens hours later it is thawed, but fresh.
Hope you get some answers from the vet visit.
 
I use an autofeeder and put in the wet food in frozen. My kitties get a half can of FF at each feeding. I allow 3 hrs to defrost at minimum. The half portion needs that much time at least to defrost. If you put a full portion it would take longer. I package up snack bags of the stuff and my freezer is loaded with them. Keeps it fresh and moist. I have heard of folks leaving out fresh wet food for hours with no issue either. I also er on the side of caution plus it keeps it from smelling too much and keeps the food moist.

On a side note you mention Gizmo's watery eyes. Are they always watery? Beenie's eyes get goopy only after she eats. As if keeping her head down while feeding she tears up and I always wipe away her goopies. That's the only time it happens. None of my civvies have that issue.

I'm waiting for get testing done and waited way too long. We were already at 13 U on ProZinc before I requested it from the vet.
 
Beenie said:
On a side note you mention Gizmo's watery eyes. Are they always watery? Beenie's eyes get goopy only after she eats. As if keeping her head down while feeding she tears up and I always wipe away her goopies. That's the only time it happens. None of my civvies have that issue.
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I'm not sure about the eyes and eating. I will have to pay attention to know for sure.
 
Just poking my nose in to see how Gizmo's doing, would have checked in earlier, but this "working for a living" is cutting in on my time to see how some of Maverick's buddies are doing today :rolleyes:. Those yellows are a bit better! I agree, I've had enough of our bouncing boys lol. Good question about the autofeeder, having a civvie makes it more difficult to make sure when the buzzer sounds that both kitties are getting enough! I think I've read too that some folks put an ice pack in, I can't imagine that 6 hours is too long at room temp? and it would only be exposed to air when the lid pops open? Just thinking out loud.

I read a lot about hyper-T, acro and insulin resistance too, but you can only do as much as you can with what you know Gizmo is doing today. Easier said than done, I know :nailbiting:, but we worry too much sometimes about things not in our control, and maybe things that will never happen.:bighug::bighug:
 
Christie & Maverick said:
but this "working for a living" is cutting in on my time to see how some of Maverick's buddies are doing today :rolleyes:.
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. I know, right! I've actually said similiar words. I don't have time to work ... I need to take care of Gizzy! Then my next statement, but I need the money to be able to afford to take care of Gizmo! Lol:rolleyes:
Christie & Maverick said:
, I can't imagine that 6 hours is too long at room temp? and it would only be exposed to air when the lid pops open? Just thinking out loud.
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I've actually already left out for 6 hours a few times without ice. I've just added extra water to keep moist. Then I started thinking ... should I be doing this? :nailbiting:
Christie & Maverick said:
, but you can only do as much as you can with what you know Gizmo is doing today. Easier said than done, I know :nailbiting:, but we worry too much sometimes about things not in our control, and maybe things that will never happen.:bighug::bighug:
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So true. We can only do the best we can with what we have and what we know at that time.
 
Which autofeeder do you have? I used the Petsafe 5 meal feeder, and there is a place under the food tray for an ice pack. I've left food in it all day and it doesn't dry out. I do add a bit of water to the later meals, just to be sure. If it goes bad, it will smell nasty and the cat won't eat it.
 
Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey said:
Which autofeeder do you have? I used the Petsafe 5 meal feeder, and there is a place under the food tray for an ice pack. I've left food in it all day and it doesn't dry out. I do add a bit of water to the later meals, just to be sure. If it goes bad, it will smell nasty and the cat won't eat it.
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Yes I have the pet safe 5. The ice packs we have don't fit and I keep forgetting to look for the right size. If it's ok to leave out for 6 hours without freezing or ice, I'll just do that. It seems to be working, but I just wasn't sure.
 
I put Gizmo's food in the auto feeder around 4:10. It is always cold from the refrigerator (I mix his pancreas enzymes in and make a batch of 5 cycles). I add water and a small ice cube to his +2.5 (7:00), +4.5 (9:00) and +7.5 (12:00). This is the same for AM/PM cycle. Never had an issue. I also put the food in a ceramic ramekin so that may help keep it cooler (inside the feeder slots).

20170515_160950.jpg
 
PMPS=378:banghead:

I just understand these numbers anymore ... up 100 points from +8 ... usually only rises 20-30 points from +9. Increased to 8.5 units tonight. Am I missing something? Should I be doing anything differently? Is it just not enough insulin and I need to put on my patience pants? Any and all suggestions welcome.

@Wendy&Neko @Doodles & Karen
 
LizzieInTexas said:
I put Gizmo's food in the auto feeder around 4:10. It is always cold from the refrigerator (I mix his pancreas enzymes in and make a batch of 5 cycles). I add water and a small ice cube to his +2.5 (7:00), +4.5 (9:00) and +7.5 (12:00). This is the same for AM/PM cycle. Never had an issue. I also put the food in a ceramic ramekin so that may help keep it cooler (inside the feeder slots).

View attachment 30342
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Awesome ... pics are so helpful. Where did you get the dishes for inside? I just started looking for some, as I realized I'm going to be washing feeder trays often ... and they don't seem to lick the tray clean like they do their current bowls. So I'm thinking they can't get it out as well or they don't like the plastic. Don't get me wrong, they eat perfectly fine, but leave crumbs in the tray which is unheard of in this household. Lol:joyful:
 
Hey there. I have the Petsafe 5 also. When I go to bed at night, (usally around 9 ish, I put a frozen portion of food for Bubba in the feeder to open up at 12 AM ( his food portion is 1.5 oz of raw food). Last night, I happen to awaken at 12:10 and Bubba was on the bed with me so I got up to see if he had eaten and he had not. I touched the food in the feeder and it was still cool.

If I am going to leave raw food beyond 3 hours, I put the ice pack into the ice pack slot AND put frozen food into the slot. I have had the opportunity to check the food at the 6 hour mark and it is thawed and still cool after 6 hours. Hope this helps.
 
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Bobbie And Bubba said:
Hey there. I have the Petsafe 5 also. When I go to bed at night, (usally around 9 ish, I put a frozen portion of food for Bubba in the feeder to open up at 12 AM ( his food portion is 1.5 oz of raw food. Last night, I happen to awaken at 12:10 and Bubba was on the bed with me so I got up to see if he had eaten and he had not. I touched the food in the feeder and it was still cool.

If I am going to leave raw food beyond 3 hours, I put the ice pack into the ice pack slot AND put frozen food into the slot. I have had the opportunity to check the food at the 6 hour mark and it is thawed and still cool after 6 hours. Hope this helps.
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. Hope Bubba is relaxing and thinking green thoughts! Thanks for the info. Seems like everyone does something a little bit differently. I will just have to experiment and see what works best for us.
LizzieInTexas said:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZDN161/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I put cocktail napkins underneath. I get the napkins at a restaurant supply store but you can get them at the grocery store too. Then I just wipe down with a dish rag if it gets drops on the actual feeder tray between feedings and pull it out every few days to wash it proper.
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Thanks for the link. I was looking at some that were 3.5 inch diameter. I wasn't sure if they would fit. It's good knowing these work perfectly.
 
Chubba said:
I was looking at some that were 3.5 inch diameter. I wasn't sure if they would fit. It's good knowing these work perfectly.
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Just make sure they are not too high. Also, plastic can cause chin acne (not sure this is the proper name), so use glass or porcelain/ceramic. Paul (@Bronx's dad) uses a pudding dish that has a wider mouth but Gizmo hasn't ever had any issues with these.
 
LizzieInTexas said:
Just make sure they are not too high. Also, plastic can cause chin acne (not sure this is the proper name), so use glass or porcelain/ceramic. Paul (@Bronx's dad) uses a pudding dish that has a wider mouth but Gizmo hasn't ever had any issues with these.
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Yeah, the pudding dish works well, nice and deep but low enough for the tray to turn. I did try the Williams Sonoma ones I saw someone suggest but they are way too shallow.
 
LizzieInTexas said:
Also, plastic can cause chin acne (not sure this is the proper name), so use glass or porcelain/ceramic.
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Yes, I'm actually aware of that. Found out the hard way when our drooler was a puppy. Her nose would actually turn white due to a reaction from the plastic puppy dish we were using. That's why I have shyed away from using the feeders when I am home ... was worried about feeding from plastic again. But thanks for the heads up. :)
 
Bronx's dad said:
Yeah, the pudding dish works well, nice and deep but low enough for the tray to turn. I did try the Williams Sonoma ones I saw someone suggest but they are way too shallow.
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Shallow is better for these 2. What is the diameter of the pudding dish? I'm just curious how large of a diameter bowl I can use. They currently eat out of a large diameter, shallow bowl and it works great. But of course is to large for the feeder.
 
Chubba said:
Increased to 8.5 units tonight. Am I missing something? Should I be doing anything differently? Is it just not enough insulin and I need to put on my patience pants? Any and all suggestions welcome.
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Sandy had some wise words in Beenie's condo today:
When working with Acro and/or IAA , it's important to remember that each of these high dose conditions has unique variables that are unpredictable yet can and do have an impact on BG. It's another, additional layer of considerations that HD caregivers must keep front of mind when deciding how to best proceed.
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Another phrase of hers I like is "go with the flow". When dealing with high dose condition, there are things beyond your control. Even more so than with other diabetic cats, Gizmo is leading this dance. You just have to follow. In this case he's telling you that the amount of insulin he needs has changed. I am glad you increased.:bighug:
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Sandy had some wise words in Beenie's condo today:

Another phrase of hers I like is "go with the flow". When dealing with high dose condition, there are things beyond your control. Even more so than with other diabetic cats, Gizmo is leading this dance. You just have to follow. In this case he's telling you that the amount of insulin he needs has changed. I am glad you increased.:bighug:
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Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'll keep pushing along ... just wanted to make sure I was still on the right track.
 
Chubba said:
Shallow is better for these 2. What is the diameter of the pudding dish? I'm just curious how large of a diameter bowl I can use. They currently eat out of a large diameter, shallow bowl and it works great. But of course is to large for the feeder.
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4" wide at the very top, a little under 2" deep. No idea where these pudding bowls were bought, an ex-gf left them here many years ago.
20170814_194222.jpg
 
I don't click the lid of the feeder completely closed since these bowls stick up a little bit. I just let the lid rest on the clip that snaps it shut
 
Bronx's dad said:
I don't click the lid of the feeder completely closed since these bowls stick up a little bit. I just let the lid rest on the clip that snaps it shut
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I have one that fits. However, it came in a set from a company that is no longer in business. Figures!
 
Chubba said:
Am I missing something
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You're doing a great job and Gizmo knows that. Nice work increasing tonight. Sandy & Wendy provided some good feedback...they were an essential part of "Team Doodles" too. What helped me was to get the tests done which I know you're planning to do. It didn't make it easier but at least I knew why things were the way they were and with the help here had a certain frame of mind and tactic that needed to be in place. Try to remember Gizmo is more then his numbers and if he's feeling good....that's most important. Hang in there and hope Wednesday's visit goes well :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Doodles & Karen said:
You're doing a great job and Gizmo knows that. Nice work increasing tonight. Sandy & Wendy provided some good feedback...they were an essential part of "Team Doodles" too. What helped me was to get the tests done which I know you're planning to do. It didn't make it easier but at least I knew why things were the way they were and with the help here had a certain frame of mind and tactic that needed to be in place. Try to remember Gizmo is more then his numbers and if he's feeling good....that's most important. Hang in there and hope Wednesday's visit goes well :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
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Yes, Gizmo seems to be feeling well. He played a lot today ... was very nice to see! That's why the numbers don't make sense to me ... they don't match the way Gizmo is acting. But I'm glad he is feeling good and playful ... and as you said ... that's worth a lot!
 
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