Our update

Hi everyone. I don't post much on the board these days, though I do check in and read the messages. It is hard to keep up with everything, with my health issues and an increase in on call work. I hope everyone and their families human and furry are all well and happy. Me and my Lucy are well and keeping warm in this cold winter weather we are having at the moment. I haven't been updating the spreadsheet but I do keep a record of everything in case you look at the spreadsheet and wonder what is happening. I am not aiming for tight regulation now but instead for regulation, due to my health and fatigue issues, and an increase in on call work which can be unpredictable. I am okay with regulation and I don't think we will get remission now but of course anything can happen. Lucy's glucose levels are a bit higher than I would like at the moment and I notice that Lucy's insulin need has increased with the cold weather. I noticed the same last year in winter too. We need to increase back to 2 units again this week. We had been at 1 unit of lantus in the warmer weather. It is possible that the cold weather is causing Lucy to have more pain from her arthritis because one day when it snowed her glucose level went very high. We have increased the meloxicam slightly though she is still on a low dose. She has been on low dose meloxicam for nearly six months now and whilst I was very anxious at the start when the vet prescribed it I am very happy now that Lucy is doing well with it and it has improved her quality of life with no obvious side effects. We have the cat version of meloxicam here which is a lower concentration than the dog version which is used for cats in the U.S. The vet does regular monitoring and all the blood test results have been good and it is lovely to see my Lucy more playful and more talkative too. Best wishes to everyone and thank you for reading our update.

My previous post:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/considering-changing-protocols.156018/#post-1650115

 

Thanks for the update!

Excellent!

Marilyn and Polly

 

Thank you Marilyn.

 

sounds like you are holding on. The winter does affect their arthritis... hope you have a warming pad to help aid with that....

 

I'm so glad to see an update from you! Glad the meloxicam is helping Lucy feel better - I like Rhiannon's idea of a warming pad for her aching joints. That seems like a good idea.

Take care of yourself - and thanks for checking in. I've wondered how you and Lucy were doing.

 

Nice to get a Lucy update, I love that she is being playful and chatty.

The warming pad sounds like a good idea, hope it helps with her aching joints.

 

Thank you Rhiannon. I have hot water bottles and a wheat pack that you put in the microwave but I was thinking today a warming pad would be good as the hot water bottles are not that comfortable to sit on.

 

Hi Julie. I think of you often. Yes I will look at buying a warming pad this week. I am sure it will help Lucy feel more comfortable and thank you.

 

Thank you so much. I will look at buying a warming pad for my Lucy this week.

 

Voula it is lovely to see your condo. A good Lucy report and I am glad Lucy is continuing to do well on the metacam.
We are certainly having a cold winter this year, and wet and windy, which makes it miserable. Sheba has set up camp in front of the fire. I bought Sheba a self warming bed like this one. http://www.thevetshed.com.au/buy/aspen-self-warming-cat-bed-48cm-diameter/ASPENSWC

 

I got a pad with the same technology for Cinco back when he was still an outdoor cat. I worried about his being cold at night. When we took him in, the bed came with him, and he slept on it until the end (literally - he was lying on it when he crossed). He liked it so well I got a bed, more like the one Bron has, for Sasha. She adored it in the winter.

Good to hear from you and Lucy, Voula. I'm glad things are going okay. Good luck with the dosecrease.

 

I'm glad things are going well overall and the meloxicam is helping Lucy. Playful and talkative is good.

 

Hi Voula, lovely to see a condo from you. Like you, I don't post much these days but check in just to see how everyone is doing. Great that Lucy is doing so well on the meloxicam, it's made a big difference to her QOL. Sorry to hear that the cold is affecting Lucy's arthritis though, hope some warmer weather is coming your way soon. I hope you own health issues aren't too debilitating at the moment Voula, lots of vines to you and Lucy

 

Thank you dear Bron and pats and purrs to Sheba from me and Lucy and I also hope you and Sheba are doing well too. That looks like a nice bed and a reasonable price too! I will tell my sister about these beds for her little dogs too. Yes it has been very cold lately and last week we had some light snow again.

 

Thank you so much Tricia. The self heating beds sound good. I hope you and your family are all well too.

 

Thank you dear Carla and yes my Lucy is doing very well with the meloxicam and I am so glad about that. I considered buprenorphine but Lucy seemed very unsettled when she had it after her last dental and there was the potential for constipation with it. With her vertigo issues from her vestibular syndrome it is also important not to give Lucy anything that is potentially sedating as she sometimes loses her balance a bit when jumping onto the floor from furniture. I have steps everywhere for her and I have made everything as safe as it could be, both for her arthritis and her vertigo issues. So I am very happy the meloxicam has been so good for her arthritis and her quality of life has improved too. Thank you again.

 

Thank you dear Suki and I think of you often and what a great mum you were to your beloved Crystal. Thank you very much for being so supportive of me and my Lucy and for taking the time to help us with the wisdom of your experiences. I am doing okay with my health issues. I go to hospital for my regular treatments and I am used to that now. Much love to you and many hugs too.