Is anyone's cat on an inhaler?

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by George&Bert, Dec 28, 2009.

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  1. George&Bert

    George&Bert Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Bert's numbers keep climbing and I have been increasing doses following.
    He is up to 2.4 BID U40 PZI the highest he's been in a long time.
    The insulin is fairly new and the strips have been checked and are right on target.
    His diet has been steady although I understand Wellness was bought out and the new owners changed the product (so I hear). It does look different. I wonder if there are more carbs in it.

    He gets Beechnut chicken or turkey #1 baby food as a reward for his inhaler or needle

    The only real change is the Flovent inhaler which he uses for the treatment of Asthma. He is on one puff twice a day of 250. I understood that is should not raise BG's and yet it seems it is.

    He is still on pred for the lung condition and it is 5mg at night and 2.5mg day. That has been constant for months.

    Thanks everyone and "Happy New Year"
     
  2. Karen & Pearl

    Karen & Pearl Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    I would suspect the pred. That is what caused Pearl's diabetes to kick in. However, that said, if they need pred, they need it, and you need to just work your insulin around it.
     
  3. Traci and Boomer

    Traci and Boomer Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Hi,

    My cat isn't asthmatic, but he was on 5 mg's of pred for IBD and we suspect that's what gave him diabetis. But if Bert needs it, he needs it. My vet put Boomer on another drug called budesonide which is also a steroid, but it doesn't absorb the way pred does, so it's better for him. Good luck.
     
  4. JJ & Gwyn

    JJ & Gwyn Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    I don't have easy access to your profile, so I'm afraid I don't know how long Bert has been diabetic. But you mention that he's now "up to 2.4 BID U40 PZI the highest he's been in a long time", which makes me think the diabetes has been around for a while but has recently become less regulated. Is this so?

    If the diabetes has been around for a while, then when did it become unstable in relationship to the pred? I've generally found that pred has a fairly quick impact on BG levels (when it has an impact at all) so, if there was some space of time between the start of the pred and the instability in Bert's numbers, then I would be less inclined to suspect the pred.

    Assuming that there was a gap between the pred and the instability, I would suspect that there might be an unaddressed health issue that's causing infection, inflammation or pain, and take my cat in to the vet for a check-up and possible treatment. Even something as comparatively minor like tartar build-up on teeth can start skewing numbers.

    As to the steroids Bert is on:

    I'm not familiar with asthma in cats myself, but most of the posts I've seen from Flovent users say that it doesn't affect their BG numbers. I'm not at all sure whether there's any difference in that between folks who use the AeroKat or not.

    Also, is Bert on prednisone or prednisolone? When you're given prednisone, the body turns it into prednisolone. Because of that, a lot of folks who use pred get better results and can also take smaller doses if they use prednisolone instead of prednisone. So if you're using prednisone, you might speak with your vet about trying prednisolone and seeing if that makes any difference. It may help -- or not: my Gwyn is one of those odd folks who do better on prednisone ;)

    I do echo what the others have said: if your cat needs steroids, then it needs steroids, and you work the insulin in around them. But given that you're seeing an inexplicable rise in BG numbers, I'd take Bert in for a check-up, just in case something else is going on.
     
  5. Cindy and Brady

    Cindy and Brady New Member

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    Dec 29, 2009
    Hi George,

    My cat Brady is asthmatic and diabetic with the believe being that this was brought on by the pred she was on for the asthma.

    Once diagnosed diabetic she was taken off the pred and put on the Aerokat inhaler with Flovent only. For the first two weeks of the Flovent she continued to take the pred as it is believed it takes that long for the Flovent to effectively build up in their system and work for the cats. After that she was on the Flovent only twice a day one puff at 125. She has had no issues.

    Does Bert only take the pred for the asthma? If so is it possible to talk to the vet about taking her off the pred totally and if necessary increasing her Flovent to 2 puffs twice a day? As mentioned before in earlier posts it is more likely the pred that is increasing the numbers and not the Flovent. The best thing would be to have him off the pred totally if medically possible and just the Flovent but this is something you should talk to your vet about as they have all the medical facts to make this decisin.

    The Flovent doesn't seem to be affecting Brady's BG numbers in anyway which is what I had been told but the pred seem to.

    If I can be of any further assistance please let me know.

    Cindy and Brady
     
  6. George&Bert

    George&Bert Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Thank you, everyone.

    Bert, became diabetic over four years ago due to a depo medrol shot for itchy skin and a cough. The depo is a powerful steroid.

    Since then he still coughs. He has a problem in one lung and asthma on top of it or caused by it.

    Last year up until six months ago Bert was on 1.25 mg prenisolone once a day and never coughed. Since July he started coughing again. now he is on 2.5mgs day and 5mgs at night.

    Two weeks ago he had a full blood work done with no serious defects and his xray showed no change.

    He started on Flovent two months ago, but, I believe it was defective. For the last two weeks he is on a new 220 (250 fixotide) one puff twice a day.

    I occassionally use Albuterol on him if necessary as I did this afternoon.

    His BG's continue to rise by the day.

    I give him baby food as an enticem,ent for his shots and flovent. I just noticed one has 2 grams of carbs I guess because it has corn starch in it (Gerber), but, he gets mostly Beechnut which has 0 carbs.

    Yesterday my bedroom door must not have latched right and Bert pushed his way in to get a a bowl of dry food I store in there for a cat. He must have been in there eating for hours. I wonder what the delay time for carbs is as today hi BG.s hit the roof!!

    Maybe the pred is building up too high in his system or maybe it's the Albuterol....who knows?
     
  7. laur+danny+horde

    laur+danny+horde Member

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    Dec 29, 2009
    My Min uses Flovent for mild asthma. I think you will want to get Bert to the vet right away. I would suspect a bladder infection, ear infection, or dental problem before I would suspect the Flovent impacting the BG's so significantly. Also feel him over very carefully to see if he has any pain to the touch, or any lumps or bumps.

    good luck,
    laur
     
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