Tigger!

Hi everyone! I need HELP!
Tigger was diagnosed with diabetes in Jan. He has neurophthy and is getting b12 shots every week not much improvement. But the real urgent issue is I switched vets and we are on 5 units 2x a day. His numbers were doing pretty well then the last two weekd they skyrocked! He told me to test him 5 hrs after he eats and gets his insuline. His numberat noon today was 348! he did however have a snack not sure if this would affect it.
Anyway he is on Hills M/D dry he refuses to eat any wet I have tried every brand out there no luck.
So the vet wants to do a test at $1,000 !!!!!!!!!!to send his blood and urine off to michigan on Monday to find out what is going on. Does anyone know about this test. I was giving his insuline on the side but now giving it in between his shoulder blades and his mood and energy has improved dramatically. I was quite frankly shocked by the Glucose text a little while ago. PLZZZ GUYS need help I love him so much. He is a laong orange tabby male almost 11 Eating about a cup a day of food.

 

Welcome Constance and Tigger. I'm sorry that you are going through this experience.
First things first, get a signature created so that Tigger's information is available with each of your posts:
(light grey text under a post). Here's how:
click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
click on "signature" in the menu that drops down
type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using and dosage amount /glucose meter you're using/what (s)he eats/any other meds or health issues (s)he has. You can add your name, and a geographic location (sometimes the time zone matters)
Be sure to note that Tigger is on Hill's DM dry
2. Another thing that will help us help you since you are BG testing at home is to set up a spreadsheet like the one we use here. We can all see it and look at it before offering advice:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/
Please fill in the data for the year so far, if you can, so that the trends and patterns show up.
Then, start a new thread in the Main Health forum. There are some conditions that can cause high dose needs and the experienced members can address that with you. You should use a title that indicates that Tigger might be a high dose kitty, and you can copy your message here and paste there if you want.
There is a forum specific to some of those conditions and you can take a look:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/acromegaly-iaa-cushings-cats.12/
I am tagging a few of the members who have dealt with these conditions @JeffJ @Wendy&Neko @Ana & Frosty (GA) @sbluhrs @Pamela & Amethyst so they can read your posts and review the information you provide.
Members can also offer some suggestions on getting Tigger off that high carb Hill's D/M dry food. That's certainly not helping his BG levels.
Best wishes going forward.

 

Transitioning your cat to wet food is the best thing you can do to help control the diabetes. If you haven't been to Dr. Lisa's Catinfo website, it's a great place to browse. She has a page on transitioning to wet food. However, I wouldn't change your kitty to lower carb food (wet or raw) until you are regularly testing your kitty's blood sugars. Removing dry food can make a big difference in insulin dose needed.

Did the vet say what tests they wanted done at MSU? Where are you located? That quote seems really high.

 

Thankyou so much!
I am trying to follow what you said to do but I am a bit challenged computer wise... I think I did the signature right?
I cannot figure out yet how to post to other areas'

 

New Orleans la Tranquilization 49.57 Cheristin 19.89 Insulin-like growth hormone 149.18 overnight shipping 97.35,Urinalysis in clinic 90.19,Urine culture&MIC (sensitivity)296.19,Super chem/CBC/T4 295.19 I have tried everything as far as wet all brands, put on paw nose nothing I am desperate I am sure the dry is not helping!!

 

Hi Welcome! Amethyst Vet, we have since switched , but in Sept 2017 Amethyst Vet, a Mobile Vet, took her blood here at home and shipped it to Michigan,Cost was only $200. I do not know why you were given a $1000 cost,unless the test has gone up since then?? Good Luck!!

 

I don't see a signature (the gray text at the bottom of my, Wendy's and Pamela's posts) You did put some information in the profile, like your gender, age, occupation etc. Look up a the right top of this page, "Constance O'Brien", click on that, then look at the left side of the drop down menu. The second choice down is Signature, click on that. You will need to type in the following info: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using and dosage amount /glucose meter you're using/what (s)he eats/any other meds or health issues (s)he has. You can add your name, and a geographic location (sometimes the time zone matters) Be sure to SAVE when you are finished. Maybe that's what happened?
Transitioning a dry food addict is not easy, but it's doable in most cases. There are a few low carb dry foods out there however. Wendy gave you a link to information on that process, you will notice the difference in color of the links, it is blue and if you click on it, you will "go" there. I gave you a link to the Main Health Forum in my previous response. It is bold blue. We will help you with links as you get used to the forum.

 

Here is a link to How to use the forum, the basics: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-use-the-fdmb-the-basics.130682/
Just click on the blue text and read through.

 

For what it’s worth, MSU charges $58 for the IGF-1 test. Your vet is adding a lot of markup.

 

Is there another option ? Do I need all the tests above? Who is MSU? I thought so ... I have just started going to that vet since they deal only with cats and my old vet thought I was nuts getting a home glucose and a baby scale. I think his insuline rise might also be the Hills I had him on orajen when he got the diabetes. I started one of the tricks from the site you referred me to on dry food but he ate a few kernals and his staring meowing that he is hungry. I gave him his nightime insulin. It will not hurt him if he does not get his ful 1/2 cup of food tonight?

 

Maybe you need to just try some other canned food? Mix it with the dry stuff, water the whole thing down. Friskies and Fancy Feast have lots of different pate flavors which are good for diabetics and it just might be that you haven't hit on the right flavor to entice him.....

MSU is Michigan State University - they are the only facility in the US doing the analysis for the IGF-1 hormone. Here is a link for MSU - they charge $58 for the IGF-1 test per that link. I also had IAA (insulin antibodies) test done. FedEx overnight should only be around $30-50. They are definitely overcharging you on the testing. https://tvmdl.tamu.edu/tests/insulin-like-growth-factor-1-referral/

 

Hey guys! I did a little research on the tests the new vet wants...Does anyone know the difference between a Vet Test Chem 17 & Super chem CBC/T4?
I did the Vet test chem in Jan with my old vet as well as urinalysis with MicroAlbum. That was 69.00 The new vet wants 90.19 I am soo confused!! Does anyone know what Cheristin is? The new vet wants 20.00 for whatever that is.. It appears to me that I am repeating some tests I just paid for at my old vet??? I also found a kit online that I could do the Urine culture /MIC sensitivity myself and save the $296.19 I am well into this 3k but I will do whatever it takes for Tigger but I don't want to get more stressed. He hates leaving home. I have to get him better. It is braking my heart that he cannot walk or jump like he likes!!
Any advice I would greatly appreciate guys!

 

Thankyou! I will keep trying! I have been through all pates frisky fancy feast but we will conquer this somehow!

 

Welcome to the forum Constance and Tigger. You are already getting some great experienced help. The IGF-1 hormone is an indicator for Acromegaly.
Wendy, sbluhrs, and also my kitteh (Leo) all had Acromegaly. So we have been through the treatment options, but the first step is the diagnosis - via the blood sample to MSU. And I sure wouldn't pay $1,000 for that. But it worth getting the IAA test done at the same time there, as advised above.

This is really supposed to be a welcome thread. Continued advice should be in the General Health subforum, or one of the insulin subforums. You can tag us into the thread with an "@" sign in front of our user names - such as @JeffJ - I just tagged myself

 

fyi, first post to Main Health Forum for
Constance and Tigger is here <<< link