BoBo’s 2nd Opinion: BG’s 280 (Still too high?)

BoBo’s 2nd Opinion showed that he is a true diabetic :::sigh::: (Everything is still sinking in)

The vet tested his BG on Monday: he was at 280 (down from 374 one week ago)

The vet wants us to clear his UTI first (to get more accurate readings) before we start him on insulin (She said that the stress from fighting off the infection could be slightly raising his BG levels too)

I’m wondering if… once his UTI is cleared up (Since we failed to suspect it was BoBo all this time… & he’s been fighting it for 7 months *poor little guy*) and we continue his diet change (of canned only)…If his BG levels will come back to the normal range without the need of insulin…. Is that just wishful thinking? Or am I just stuck in the denial stage…? (This is all very hard to accept – but the support from everyone has been exceptional)

I just don’t want to wait around too long before starting him on insulin (hoping, wishing & praying that he will regulate himself) How long is too long to wait?

Much love,
Chrystelle & BoBo

 

Yes, it's possible that his BG levels will come down to normal range with just a diet change and treating his UTI. It's also possible that, in addition to treating the diet and infection, that he may need treatment with insulin for a comparatively short time before his pancreas starts being effective once again. And, of course, it's possible that he'll need to be on insulin for the rest of his life.

Are you home-testing his BG levels? If you are, I'd give serious consideration to starting insulin now and then lowering the dosage as his numbers decrease. If you're not home-testing BoBo's BG numbers, I'd suggest learning how to do it. Because if BoBo *does* go into remission, there are three things you'll want to do to increase his chances of staying in remission. Those three things are:
1. continue with a low-carb diet for the rest of his life;
2. get any health issues treated promptly; even something like tartar build-up on his teeth can cause inflammation and increase BG levels;
3. test his BG levels at least once a month, and any time he appears to be acting 'off' (this is your best bet to tell if something's going wrong before it becomes a major problem).

 

You may find that there is a stress number in Bobo's reading at the vets too.
Lucky used to go up by over an extra 100 points!

By diuet alone, I got Lucky from somethinglike 482 to 257 in one week.(Intravenous blood draw on both numbers)
She still needed insulin.

It's o.k to wait a few more days but after that I think JJ is right, you may need to start on insulin, if only for a wee while.

What is also important is please DON'T use Vetsulin. There is a manufacturers warning on this at present.

Absolute preference would be:
Lantus
Levemir
Prozinc (this is an insulin that has only been available since about Nov 2009, but a number of vets seem to be prescribing it.Not sure of the results thus far. You'd need to ask the PZI forum)

Lantus and Lev have had excellent resuolts but both are human insulins so depends what your vet is like. I beleive in Canada you don't need a script but i USA you do.You might want to ask/look in supply closet to see if any one would split a shipment with you.
We go for 5 x3ml vials. Once opened your on copunt down. So if you had a 10ml vial it will still only last as long as a 3ml vial but you won't use a lot of the insulin. You just store them in the fridge.
We can help you with what needles to get and home testing.

If you call in the Lantus forum, in one of the stickies it gives the RAND protocol. This is the research study on Lantus use in cats and the results. You could give this to vet as an 'encouragement' to prescribe it or Levemir.

Good luck and keep asking questions, always someone around :mrgreen: