Hi from Linda and Zoe

Hi there, I'm new to the group but not so new to my Zoe having diabetes.

Thank you for welcoming us to your group.

Zoe was diagnosed with diabetes in September, 2017. She also has severe IBD and has been on pred since 2014. She wasn't on a very high of a dose though - I believe it was 6.25 mg/day. However, she developed diabetes from it.

We started her on Leukeran and by the end of Oct, she was on only 1.25 mg pred/day and in diabetic remission. I was elated.

Zoe's brother and litter mate, Ray, became suddenly ill and a week before Christmas died. Zoe became very sick, got pancreatitis, stopped eating and came out of remission.

It took her until April to become healthy again to the point where she was eating well on her own and maintaining a good weight. She was also back on pred to help her appetite - she was at 5 mg/day. Needless to say, we were also managing her diabetes.

I've been trying to get her back in remission again.

She currently on 2.5 mg pred/day. Her appetite is pretty good. Sometimes she'll have a flare up and I'll spend a few days opening many cans of food so that she'll eat well enough to keep the nausea away. I've proven over time and so many experiments that as long as she eats, she can come out of her flare up within a few days and all I've done is waste some food and money, which is totally worth it.

What I'm seeing now is swings in her BG. While I was reducing her pred dose, her BG would stabilize for a few days and then it seems when she is stabilized on the new pred dose, the BG swings would start again.

The pattern is really low BG in the AM - it's been between 3.6 and 7 - and then swings to the high teens in the PM (between 14 and 19). Zoe uses Lantus insulin and we have a protocol of insulin to give her based on her BG. I measure her BG twice daily.

The Leukeran is managing her IBD quite well but she needs the pred to entice her to eat. I have tried so many different kind of appetite stimulants - chemical to natural - that nothing works like the pred does.
Speaking to human diabetics, swings in BG can cause nausea and it's no wonder she is so picky when eating. So, now I'm wondering if her nausea might be caused from the swinging BG more than the IBD.

I'm wondering if anyone's kitty might have similar symptoms - diabetes caused by pred and/or swinging BG measurements. Is there anything I can do to reduce the swings and maybe get rid of the nausea enough that she won't need to be enticed to eat which then might enable her to get her off pred?

I keep living in a world of rainbows and unicorns for this type of scenario and I'm not sure if it will be possible for her.

Thank for reading our story

 

Good morning and welcome Linda and Zoe. I am so sorry you and Zoe have been through so much. It would be very helpful if you would create a signature, so that Zoe's pertinent information is on display with your posts. If you have been reading through the forums, you will see the text in gray beneath all our posts. It simply saves you repeating information, other members asking for the same info or trying to scroll back through previous posts to find it. Here's a link on how to do that: SIGNATURE
I am so glad to read that you are testing Zoe's BG, I am presuming the twice a day testing is before injecting insulin? Since I have become a member I have come to know that the more test data available helps determine how the insulin is actually affecting the kitty, and other members can respond and perhaps advise on some strategies to help Zoe. We record and track insulin and BG on a spreadsheet that you can use, and it would be linked to the signature. Then it would be available to other members to view and offer help. This is a link to the SPREADSHEET instructions.
I do know that other members have dealt with IBD issues, as well as the diabetes. So, I'm sure you are going to get some good response to your concerns. I do recommend that you visit the LANTUS forum and read the yellow tagged Info and Sticky information at the top of the forum. And post there also, the experienced Lantus users are going to give you the best help and advice based on many years of treatment and this "sugar dance".
This is an incredibly supportive community, and we all will do our best to help you and Zoe. So, here's hug to begin with

 

Thank you so much Lou and Idjit for the warm welcome and the hug. Here is one for you
I will for sure create a signature and I'm very excited to create a spreadsheet. I had created my own last year and then abandoned it when our world fell apart, when Ray died and Zoe got so sick. I completely agree that tracking allows us to recognize patterns - even though I think Miss Zoe is all over the map haha. I will also visit the Lantus forum. I wish I had found you guys a year ago but as Maya says, "when we know better, we do better"

 

Welcome

 

Hi Lou. I used the link in your message for the spreadsheet but got a "Not Found" error. I then tried to access it from the home page and got the same error. Do you know if it was moved? Thanks in advance

 

Thank you Janet
And thank you for the links. The Food list is sooo extensive! And thank you for the video....I actually found your video when Zoe was first diagnosed. It was one of the videos that helped me get the courage to do it myself. I felt a real connection to you I haven't tried poking her pads yet...."they" say it's easy but I haven't tried it

 

Linda, I'm sorry that link didn't work, try this and see if it works: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/suggestions-tech-support-testing-area.6/
Just look to the yellow tagged stickies..there are the instructions and then the understanding the grid.

 

Hi Lou, Hey no worries....and thanks so much for the link to the forum. I was looking around yesterday and probably passed it a hundred times without seeing it haha.
I'm now in there and reading the instructions. Really appreciate the help

 

Well, I'm glad that link worked. I was just rereading your first post and noted:
"What I'm seeing now is swings in her BG. While I was reducing her pred dose, her BG would stabilize for a few days and then it seems when she is stabilized on the new pred dose, the BG swings would start again.
The pattern is really low BG in the AM - it's been between 3.6 and 7 - and then swings to the high teens in the PM (between 14 and 19). Zoe uses Lantus insulin and we have a protocol of insulin to give her based on her BG. I measure her BG twice daily."
My vet had advised a sliding scale of insulin based on BG, however had not advised testing before shooting , had prescribed once a day injections instead of BID, and only advised testing a few times a week at midday. (Idjit had a hypo).
I was advised here that dosage should be based on the nadir of the insulin curve, the lowest point of the 12 hour cycle, not on preshot values. Plus I was advised that as much testing data available is needed to determine how to help. I know you are just getting started here and are not a newbie as far as treating Zoe, but I would like as many eyes on your concerns and questions as possible. This Intro forum is just that, it's a "Hi, I'm here", and not as many members look in here.
Please copy your initial post and paste it in a new thread in the Main Forum. There is also excellent information in the yellow tagged Info and Stickies at the top of the Lantus forum that I think you would find valuable.
There are many very knowledgeable and experienced members here, and I know that you will get informed responses.

 

Yeah I personally stick to the ears. I'm so glad your found the video helpful.