Introducing myself and LilyCat

Hi - I'm grateful that I found this Board since every time I read more about this disease, I feel like I learn more. Please excuse this long post of introduction, but I'm hoping that it will set the stage for some advice on the spreadsheet that is attached to my signature.

My 14yo indoor calico (Lily) was diagnosed with FD about 5 weeks ago. Over the past year or so, we began noticing that she was slowing down relative to her litter mate who is also in our family and that she was having trouble walking. We thought she had arthritis and that she was just growing older. She started to lose weight and began drinking more, and in early June, I actually thought I was on the verge of having to euthanize her (I've waited too long with an elderly cat in the past, and didn't want to do that again). She had been a lifelong dry food eater, but I switched her to wet food when she started to lose weight. I decided to take her to the vet just to see if there was something that we could do that would be palliative to help her be more comfortable with the back leg pain, and they tested her and her glucose was at 382. She's always been around 13 lbs, and she was down to 10.1 at this point.

It was late Friday afternoon, and they gave her 1U of glargine and asked me to bring her back on Saturday a.m. so that they could give her another dose and monitor her levels. BG was 386 upon arrival and they gave 1U again. They closed at noon, so they tested her again at that time and she was at 362. They said that the level was high enough that they felt save with us giving her 1U Sunday a.m., but that we needed to return her to the vet on Monday for full day glucose testing. Side note: This is exactly how I didn't want her to spend the end of her life - in and out of vet's offices being poked and prodded. She's high anxiety, and while she loves us dearly, has never been friendly to other or comfortable around them. We have no children and a very quiet household with just her litter mate and us. I talked to my husband and we decided to do it, but neither of us was very happy about it because of the toll that it takes on her to be at the vet.

We did the glargine 1 IU Sunday a.m., and 1 IU Monday a.m. at 7:30. They tested her as soon as we got her in and BG was 462 at 7:45 a.m., 370 at +4, 270 at +7, 216 at +8, 241 at +9. At discharge, they said to increase BG to 1 IU twice a day and to bring her back in two weeks for another curve (argh - I couldn't believe I was going to have to do this again). They also sent us home with both wet and dry MD and directions not to do insulin if she didn't eat immediately prior. Over the next two weeks, we cajoled, hand fed, and did whatever it took to get her to eat enough to take her insulin.

Fast forward two weeks with 1 IU twice a day and we take her to the vet again. BG at 423 at 8:05 a.m., 387 at +2, 469 at +4, 432 at +6, and 438 at +8.
Told us at discharge that she had refused food all day and that it was likely stress hyperglycemia causing erratic curve. Recommended increasing glargine to 2 IU twice a day. It was at this time that we told the vet that we were relocating to Charleston and needed medical records (which is why I have such detailed info). By the way, we got her home, and she immediately began "stress eating" so we were able to give insulin.

We've moved in Mid-July and she got better at eating both wet and dry MD and was on 2U twice a day for two weeks now. We also started urine testing and the strip always went to the darkest color within 10 seconds indicating that there is still very high levels of glucose in the urine. Behaviorally, I began noticing improvement though. She was urinating only two or three times a day (instead of 6-8 times), the quantity was smaller (although not as small as my other cat who I've also urine tested and who's strip doesn't change color at all), so I can still tell the urine apart. She was also getting feistier, play fighting with her sister much more, and actually doing some things that I never thought I'd see again, like easily walk steps, jumping up onto furniture, and initiating play with paper balls, etc. A friend with a diabetic cat sent me to Elizabeth Hodgkins site and told me about the fillers in Wet and Dry MD. I spent Sunday (6 days ago) reading the site, and decided I needed to immediately change food and get a home glucose monitor, especially since I hadn't yet found a vet and was concerned about how dark the glucose strips were going. I got a FreeStyle Lite and some no-filler Fancy Feast and started monitoring and changed food on Sunday. 7/25 so it hasn't even quite been a week yet, but she's been on the Glargine for about 5 weeks now total.

You'll see that she's made some amazing progress (mostly due to food change, I believe), and that I've made some mistakes (skipping doses when scared), primarily because it is my first week testing, I can't be home during the day, and I didn't want to kill my cat with Hypo. Now, I've found this wonderful resource as of this morning and have uploaded all my data. Sure could use some advice! We're winging it a little. I do think I've found a vet who is comfortable with my home testing, but we're moving from temporary housing to our permanent home on Monday, and I want to get her settled there first, so I'm not taking her in until the end of the week for a quick check-in and intro visit.

Thanks for any advice that you can give! I'll start posting on the Lantus Board from this point forward. I hope I've done this all correctly.

Thank you,
Laura

 

HI Laura and LilyCat,

Wow, you have come a long way! Fantastic that you are hometesting, feeding wet lo carb and have a spreadsheet! Heading over to the Lantus Support Group is definitely the way to go - they all use Lantus and will be able to check out the spreadsheet and give you some suggestions. What a great sugarmom you are to LilyCat.

 

Thank you Sue and Oliver! I just went on to the Lantus Board and posted a link to this long post. The welcome is warmly appreciated!

 

Hi Laura and welcome to Lily.

You're doing great. I would have skipped the dose at 51 and 44.

You may have a cat that is becoming diet controlled. I'm sure the folks at YDC did a great job explaining food and since you switched already I don't need to explain the benefits, I think you've already seen them.

Hometesting and food are the most important things you can do and the fact that you have... awesome :mrgreen:

I think you're lowering the dose is the right call. Like I mentioned, I think you have a kitty that will be diet controlled and probably soon. Look at how quickly she responded to the change to Fancy Feast, that's amazing. I'm sure the folks on the Lantus Insulin Support Group will give you great advice on what to dose tonight depending on how Lily does today.

 

Hi, Jennifer - Thanks for the reassurance on the skipped doses. I've truly been stunned by the response to the low-carb FF. So far, it sounds like I've got some great support for 1 U tonight, too, and if that works, it means that we will have effectively cut the dose in half in a week. Really, really amazing and I hate to think what might have happened if I had changed the food without home testing and had just kept up on the 2u dose BID. Scary.

--Laura

p.s. Tucker is one gorgeous cat.

 

So glad to hear that you have already switched the diet and are home testing now! You can already see the difference it makes!! The usual rule of thumb for new diabetics is once the numbers go below 50, then a dose decrease is in order. Lantus is usually decreased in 0.25u unless the number is way below 50. Since you skipped a shot the other day, you will need a few days for the shed under the skin to fill up properly and to let the dose settle in before you can truly gauge how it is doing. Sticking with that 1u twice a day is the thing to do right now. Lilycat is getting great numbers now! It is so nice to not see those 300s and 400s anymore!!! You are doing great with her - keep up the good work!