Tootsie's Progress

Discussion in 'Prozinc / PZI' started by AshleyDiamond, Jul 10, 2018.

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  1. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Hey guys :) I decided to start a new thread since my last one was getting pretty long. I'll start posting in this one for awhile with new progress or questions/concerns. Tootsie is responding so well to the insulin and its hard not to get our hopes up that he is heading in that direction we all want. We will continue to just take it one day at a time though and hope for the best. He does have a follow up appointment with his vet this Friday and I must admit I'm a bit nervous. We haven't been back since I took matters into my own hands by changing his diet, home testing and adjusting doses on our own. I'm hoping things go well. I will also be curious just to see what his sugar levels read that day compared to what we are getting. I know they will be higher already due to the environment, but from what I can gather our vet doesn't check the levels with a human or pet meter. Every time they have taken blood from his neck area and checked that way? I'm hoping it isn't to much of a dramatic difference and we walk out of there feeling good.

    So far today Tootsie tested 122 for his AMPS. We decided to go with .20units which is pretty much the smallest amount I know how do it. He has done good. I've checked him 3 times and he was 94 at +3 96 at +5 and 96 at +8. I'm a little nervous he might be to low again tonight to even get the .20units. I guess we will see in a few hours. If he is under 100 would you suggest skipping again or doing .20units?
     
  2. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    Don't be nervous. The results speak for themselves. Maybe your vet will learn something. :)

    He is doing so well. He has held at 96 for hours now. I think I would want to give the .20 if he is there or higher. He goes lower at night, but the drop from the .20 has not been very big, and it still allows for more of a drop without getting too low. Of course, you know the drill... you would have to monitor and be prepared just in case he decided to go deep sea diving. His pancreas sure seems to be doing something. If you can just give him a nudge to help keep him in these healthy numbers awhile, he may get to where he no longer needs the nudge at all. :woot:
     
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  3. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    @FurBabiesMama awesome that will be my plan then for this evening. If anything it will be yet another learning curve if he is a little lower and we give the .20u to see how he does. Everything else has continued to improve. He isn't starving for food anymore so he doesn't eat every last drop when its put down (expect for those higher carb wet "snacks" the last two nights lmao) He barely drinks any water. This morning was the first day in probably a week that I seen he must of drank a little from the bowl. All his water intake has come from the extra water I put in his food. He is using the bathroom good. He's never been much of a playful kitty but we did play a little last night with one of his toys. And he has gained his weight back. Yay!
     
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  4. Rachel

    Rachel Well-Known Member

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    I think today was a MUCH nicer curve. Tootsie probably felt better without that crazy dive into lime green! I think 0.20 is good to stick with for a few days as long as he is high enough for a shot...and we can see if that helps level him out and keep things from being quite so dramatic!
     
  5. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Thank you! We gave .20u again tonight. His preshot number was 102 so we shall see soon how he responds.
     
  6. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    That's looking like a much better dose. :) Hopefully you and Tootsie will both get some sleep tonight!
     
  7. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Everything went great today with this dose. I just checked him again at +5 for tonight and he was 74. I don't think I have to worry about checking him anymore for tonight. Now I'm just wondering if I should try this dose if he hits double digits for his preshots or what? This dose is hardly anything as it is in the syringe and I haven't practiced or even know how to really go any lower if I need to. I'm a little stumped there. If he starts giving double digit preshot numbers should I see what he does during the day with no insulin now? I know now 100 and above the .20 is a great dose, just don't know about anything lower than that 100.
     
  8. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Given how he’s doing on 0.2, if he’s under 100 I would skip. Especially if you’re gone at work.

    There is a 0.1 and “drop” but with a short term cat they are often unnecessary.
     
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  9. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    I would be home to monitor but I don't want to force him to go to those dangerous levels if it isn't necessary? I mean he very well may be at or above the 100 mark for his preshots for awhile, and I will continue the .20u, but I'm always looking ahead and at the what ifs, lol.
     
  10. Rachel

    Rachel Well-Known Member

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    I personally would skip if he was under 100 too. It's possible to give doses when under that number, but that's usually not necessary unless you've got a long term diabetic who just isn't going down enough during cycles.
     
  11. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Thank you as always for the advice. We are skipping since his AMPS is 81.
     
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  12. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    Exciting!
     
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  13. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Okay I need some advice. Tootsie started low this morning and we skipped his shot as suggested. He did rise a little through the day (not horribly) and now I just did his preshot and he is back down to 91. Do I continue to skip his dose or do I try to give him .2u?

    @Djamila @FurBabiesMama @Rachel
     
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2018
  14. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    Oh, man.. he is not making this easy.. hmmm... I am thinking about what @Djamila said in your last thread: "...you want his numbers to stay under 120, with most numbers between 50-80 before you relax. When a cat is headed towards a quick remission like this, you'll likely go to micro-doses (0.25u, 0.1u, drop) and may need to stop giving shots even a little above those ideal numbers, but within a day or two, you should see the numbers settle into the greens."

    I 'think' I would be afraid not to give a micro dose since he got to at least 133 today, and 91 is awfully close to the 102 you had last night, and that dosing worked out. I would just want to help him a little until I was absolutely sure he was able to keep it going on his own. Are you not able to dose a tiny bit less than 0.2??

    As I said before, I have not gone through remission, so others may have insights that make them disagree with me. :)
     
  15. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    See the way my husband and I look at the U100 syringe is right now we are pulling it back to the first tiny half mark which is technically 0.5u but since its Prozinc its a .20 dose. Well the syringe has that long first line that is actually considered 0. If you look at the syringe the distance between that 0 long line and the first tiny 1/2 mark line is about the same distance. So couldn't I drawl back insulin to the 0 line and that would be considered like .10u? Or would it be considered something else?

    I hope that all makes since in the way I'm trying to explain it.
     
  16. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    That's exactly right. As for shooting tonight, it's totally up to you. I think it's fine if you skip. I also think it will probably be okay if you give a micro-dose. If you give a dose, there is always the chance that Tootsie will drop and you'll need to stay up again. So it really comes down to how much sleep you need tonight. If you can and are willing to stay up, I think I might try that teeny dose. If you're tired (it doesn't look like you've been sleeping much), I'd skip and take the night off.

    Skipping right now isn't going to hurt him. It may add a day or two to your journey, but won't set him back in any significant way. So it's really up to you. Most of the time, we say to skip on a green if the cat is under three months.
     
  17. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    You might find it helpful to look at @Glassgoblin's spreadsheet to see how those last few days might look. She skipped on the greens in the last few days on insulin, and her last blue was a 174. When they're done, they're done.
     
  18. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    @Djamila I went with that teeny tiny dose at the "0" line. So I am correct then as to say that is a .10u when I pull back to that first long line? I just want to make sure that is the correct way of getting that specific dose and I can record it as that in my spreadsheet.
     
  19. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    To be honest, any of the microdoses are approximations. @Kris & Teasel can give you the science-y explanation if you want it, but it's nearly impossible to be accurate at that level. So yes, you can call it 0.1u, but there isn't exactly a "correct" way to name something that's so goofy. :)
     
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  20. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Lol okay. Well I will call that my .10u then. I also have looked over @Glassgoblin spreadsheet before you mentioned it. I seen how her last dose was the .2u like I was doing before she just stopped. I just didn't know how to feel today starting out with that green number, skipping the dose, but then hit those blues during his cycle and then back down to the green for his pmps.
     
  21. Rachel

    Rachel Well-Known Member

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    I'm interested to see what that tiny dose does!
     
  22. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    Ashley saw this and thought, 'I don't have an extra day or two to spare, I'm going to Mexico!!!' :woot:
     
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  23. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    @FurBabiesMama lmaoooo! I really do hope he is good by then just for my sanity while I'm away but if it doesn't happen then there's nothing I can do. I am more worried right now about his vet appointment on Friday. I'm scared he is going to skyrocket or something and then not recover from it. Or I'm going to not sound like I know what I'm doing once I walk in there and explain all these changes I've made since the last visit. I would cancel but I feel like I should head in at least once so they do know all the changes, I can see how he test with the way they do things, and so I can continue to get the insulin as needed.
     
  24. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Oh my....I remember my first vet visit after Sam went into remission. I was furious with my vet and told him that if I'd followed his advice he would have killed my cat! My vet is the one who should have been nervous. :nailbiting: After I got that off my chest we actually had a really good conversation and he has continued as our vet. He's been great to work with over the past few years, and when Sam came out of remission, he was wonderful. I think we've both learned a lot over the past few years about feline diabetes. :cat: And just remember that even if Tootsie does run high in the office, it is just stress. Your home numbers are the accurate measure.
     
  25. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    Is the vet going to be doing a fructosamine test or just testing the blood for glucose level at that moment? If they are going to be doing a fructosamine, I would reschedule the visit. Those test are impacted by levels over the two to three weeks prior to when they are taken. So, I would want to wait until he was in the great numbers longer. If the vet is just doing an on the spot glucose testing, it only matters what his level is at that moment.

    It's not like you have to tell them every little step you have taken.. right?? You did research and found that a high-protein, low-carb wet food diet is best and that home monitoring is important for safety, so you did both. Because you were monitoring, you saw when the dose was too much and had to be lowered for safety.. and aren't you glad you did or your cat would have been put in danger?!. What time of day is your appt Friday? I am really hoping you get to skip the dose or two before the visit so you can say he has not had any insulin at all in X hours. Then, the vet will see his good, healthy number and have to acknowledge that the steps you have taken were the right ones. So, nanny nanny boo boo! :p
     
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  26. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    :smuggrin::D:p:p:cool:
     
  27. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    @FurBabiesMama I believe we are just doing a regular glucose test. At his last appointment is when they did the fructosamine test and he was in the high 600s. That's the day we switched him to Prozinc. When he was first diagnosed we didn't want to change his diet because it was what he had been put on when he had issues with urinary blockages. He never ended up bad enough to have surgery for it, but he was hospitalized for 1 week with a catheter to drain everything and then that's when they put him on the prescription hills c/d (which did help with that issue) Anyways I was terrified to switch him because of that. Honestly I still have a little fear that it will happen again. My appointment is at 11:15am on Friday so if he does have a shot that morning he will be at about +4.5 when they do the test. I feel like they told me under 200 was normal range for cats when I was there, so even so they should see major improvement even of he test higher that day. I could have that number wrong but I swear that's what they told us.
     
  28. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Have you read around on this site: https://catinfo.org/

    The vet that wrote it talks a lot about urinary blockages and food. It might make you feel better to read what she has to say about it. Just add lots of extra water to the food to keep things flowing freely. :smuggrin:
     
  29. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    @Djamila I'll read around some more on there. I do add quite a bit of water to his food these days so that's good. Its pretty much the only water intake he gets anymore. I think he did pretty decent tonight on that tiny dose. I'm going to test one more time before heading to bed just to make sure he doesn't drop anymore. I'm so curious as to what he will give us tomorrow morning.
     
  30. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    67.. woo hoo!
     
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  31. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Eek! Fingers crossed. Any suggestions with how many times I should be checking throughout the cycle when I see these green numbers? I've looked at some people who went OTJ and some didn't check at all during the cycle, some did a lot, some maybe once?
     
  32. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    I think that while you are at this stage, it would be helpful to have some mid-cycle data. @Rachel suggested testing when a food spike would normally be ending to see if he drops back down on his own.
     
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  33. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Yay Tootsie! Alright sweet boy, let's make it your first 24 hours this time, okay? That's a nice low PS to get it started.
     
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  34. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    He just tested 46 at +5. Is this bad and something I should be worried about?
     
  35. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Not at all. If no injection was given, he's perfectly safe. Cats in remission/non-diabetics will often run in the 40's quite safely. We only worry about 40's if an injection has been given since we don't want them to go below that.
     
  36. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Oh, as for mid-cycles, they are not required when no shot is given, but they help to give an indication if the cat is really ready for the OTJ trial. So often you'll see people do some mid-cycles the first few days, and then drop to just PS tests. Other folks are more curious and so used to frequent testing that the human needs some time to ween themselves off of the data ;) so they will test more often. It's totally up to you.
     
  37. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    You just need to be worried about what to pack for Mexico, girl!
     
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  38. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    @Djamila phew! I thought I had seen those numbers were okay if no insulin given but wasn't 100%. Its also normal for his eating to have decreased a little bit right? He is still eating, just not hardly as much as before. Like just now for example, I typically put down his snack and he walked up to it and then walked away and went back to his cat tower. I did notice this morning that he didn't finish his breakfast, so my husband juiced it up again before he left, I seen it, and then when I woke up you could tell he got into it again for a few bites.

    @FurBabiesMama lol you crack me up!
     
  39. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Yes, they are typically overeating at the point of diagnosis because diabetes keeps them from absorbing nutrients from their food. So they eat more and more trying to compensate. Once they are in healthy numbers, their appetites usually decrease dramatically. You want to monitor his weight and make sure he stays in healthy ranges and that he is still eating. I would say a "typical" amount is about two fancy feast cans/day, but it can vary widely by the size, age, activity level, etc. of an individual cat, and how many treats they get. ;)
     
  40. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    @Djamila he is definitely still getting around that much a day forsure. Last time he was at the vet he was down to 11.5 pounds. We have been using our scale at home by weighing ourselves, and then weighing with him in our arms and doing the math. Well Monday doing it that way he was 15 pounds. I guess I'll see how accurate we are tomorrow at his appointment. His activity level is SLEEP lmao.
     
  41. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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  42. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Is 15 pounds okay for him? Make sure to ask at the vet how much he should weigh based on his breed and size (if you haven't already). Then you'll know how to adjust his food to keep him at a healthy weight.

    Oh my gosh! He looks so much like Atty! (my non-diabetic cat). What a handsome boy! Dont' you just want to bury your face in that belly? :smuggrin:
     
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  43. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    I really don't know if that's okay for him. I'll have to ask his current vet tomorrow. I just called his previous vet to ask what he weighed when he was last in there and he was 15.88. I know when we started taking him to his current vet he started out a little lower than that, but he also was diagnosed with the diabetes and started losing at every visit. The nurse that I just talked to said his normal weight would be 10-11 pounds (eek) But I will ask his current vet tomorrow.
     
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  44. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Sounds like a diet may be in order :oops: @FurBabiesMama do you have a calorie calculator or guidelines? I think I remember seeing you post about nutrition a few times?
     
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  45. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    I have read that about 20 calories per lb of ideal body weight is a good guideline for 'average' indoor cats.

    There are body condition charts that can help you determine if he is overweight or not. Here's a link to one that I saw someone else put in another thread: http://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body condition score chart cats.pdf
     
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  46. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Hey guys! Maybe you could help me figure something out with Toot. Quite some time ago Tootsie went to jump up on our bed and he started howling and holding his back leg up. I would rub his leg, foot and hip area when he did this. He could jump down fine but would howl when he jumped up. It went away after a day or two and with us trying to keep him off of it as much as possible. At the time I had just cut his back toe nails and didn't think anything of it. Fast forward again some time later it happened again and it lasted only a day or so. Once again I had just did his nails a day or so before. So I thought maybe this was the cause of it and decided not to do them for awhile again. When we first took him to the vet to figure out why he had been drinking so much (pre diabetes diagnosis) I let them know this had happened and he felt all on his hind legs and all over and said everything felt normal and okay. It didn't happen again for a long time. Then randomly a few weeks ago it happened again when he jumped onto our bed (no nail cut this time) He howled out for quite sometime that night. Normally he would only cry when he first jumped and then when he laid down didn't make another peep, until jumping up again. He didn't do it again the very next day and was fine. There hasn't been another episode of that until just a few minutes ago. He woke up, had a snack, walked around the house a bit then came to jump on the couch with me and he howled and was holding his leg up again. (This time I did cut his nails but over a week ago so it can't be from that) I can't figure out where it's actually hurting him. His foot, leg, or the hip part. I put him up on his tower and now he's sleeping again. I don't really know what to think of this or what I can do to help? Any ideas?
     
  47. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    Oh, that is pitiful. Mia had a limp awhile back, and it just broke my heart. Still do not know what it was.

    Is it always the same leg he holds up?
     
  48. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    @FurBabiesMama I think so but not 100%. It never lasts more than a couple days, but I just wish I knew what it was. Not sure if he just lands on it wrong when he jumps or what. He did get a cat tower for the first time in his life when he was a little over 10. And he took a couple spills from jumping onto it lol. So I don't know if its something to do with that either.
     
  49. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    Maybe the poor little man needs some steps. I have steps at the foot of my bed and next to a window seat that is a little high. I also have a cat box thingy next to the tower so they can jump from the floor to that then to the tower.

    This is the box I have. I have a bed inside of it, so sometimes they lay inside. The top has a cushion where they can also lay, and it is the perfect height for them to easily jump on then jump on the tower. https://www.wayfair.com/pet/pdp/sauder-185-interactive-scratching-board-sau2549.html

    These are the stairs I have. They are SUPER nice. I got mine from Wayfair, but it does not look like they have them anymore. I have a 4 step and a 3 step with carpeted treads. The girls love them. They are so cute walking up the steps, and they also like to just sit on them. http://www.premierpetsteps.com/products.html


    I do not know how you can really know what is wrong without an x-ray. If you have felt all over it and nothing feels off, and he does not respond like any particular part hurts, maybe you can at least try to determine if it is always the same leg. Then, if it comes to an x-ray, you will know which one to x-ray.
     
  50. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    I love the box!

    I've also had to add a step up to the counter and one to the bed (my bed is pretty high) in the past couple of months as my gentlemen are slowly showing their age. They can still get up on their own most of the time, but they each had a couple of misses so I decided it was time to help them out.

    If it's a tendon/ligament type thing, does that show up in an x-ray?
     
  51. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    No.. just bone fractures, things like that. I think you need an ultrasound or MRI for soft tissue 'stuff'.
     
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  52. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    We actually do have steps at the end of our bed that our dog used before he passed. We have seen Tootsie use them when he gets up on the bed. Honestly since we got his cat tower though he doesn't sleep with us like he use to. He loves the top of his tower. And he uses the end of the couch to leap onto that so it isn't a big jump. And the couch itself is pretty low to the ground. I wouldn't guess it was anything with the bone but definitely more of a muscle issue. He is older so he might just tweak it once and awhile and then its sore for a day or two. He usually walks good on it and everything when it does happen, it's just when he leaps because all the pressure comes from the back legs when they jump. He can jump off of things and won't make a noise. I'll keep an eye on it some more and see if its always the same leg. Right now it's his left back. Let's see how his pmps goes here in a few minutes. Fingers crossed.
     
  53. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    PMPS 66 :bighug:
     
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  54. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    YAY!!!!!
     
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  55. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    So, hopefully this turns out to be day 1 of his 14 with no insulin before being declared in remission. I really, really hope it happens for you. :bighug:
     
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  56. Rachel

    Rachel Well-Known Member

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    Keeping my fingers crossed for you! What a great day today was!
     
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  57. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Yesss! Thank you guys! I appreciate all the help you guys have given throughout this process. I've learned so much already and ready to pass on the little knowledge I now know to others that were/are just like me. And ready to continue to learn more. You guys are basically strangers but feel like my friends already hahaha. Which is nice because I dont have any of those. I always tell my husband I have to go update my people about Toot!
     
  58. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    This board works because people join, learn, and then stay to pass it on. Absolutely share what you've learned with other folks here!
     
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  59. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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  60. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    :bighug: And his appointment this morning at 11:15am. I'm going to test right before walking out the door, then they will test and then I'll test when we are back home to see how much difference there is.
     
  61. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    I will be awaiting your after-vet report. :)
     
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  62. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

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    Good luck today! Can't wait to hear how it goes!
     
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  63. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2018
    Our appointment went really good. The nurse kind of looked at me like I was crazy when I explained all the changes I've made. Even said I hope your research is all the right research. I asked how they usually check his blood and they said with a pet meter but they usually drawl from the neck or leg. Everytime I've taken him in they have done it from the neck and they take him to the back to do it. Today a new female doctor that we have never seen before came into the room to weigh him and check his levels. I asked if she would use a human meter and she said they use the Alphatrak. I said okay that's fine even though I do expect it to be a bit higher than my human one at home. She also said she uses a human one at home. I was just happy that they were actually using a meter and right in front of me this time. Right before I left I checked him and he was 67. With the Alphatrak at the vet he tested 79. And when we got back home I tested again and he was 68 :bighug::bighug: She said looks like you got his pancreas working again and he's in remission. I was happy but said I won't call it until the 14 days, lol. She said she would check him about once a week just to see how he's doing and I said oh no I'll be checking him everyday for at least the 14 days. She was happy with his food change being all wet and said she does the same for her kitties. I mentioned this board to her and she said she was familiar with it.

    For his weight I asked the nurse first what his healthy weight should be and she said 14/15 pounds was good for his type of build. The doctor said she thinks 12 pounds would be better and two 3oz cans of food a day would be good for him. She also said cats are prone to arthritis and I could start him on cosequin or glucosamine.
     
  64. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2015
    Sounds like a great vet visit! Yay! So is Tootsie on a diet now? Is that less than he's been eating?
     
  65. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    Wonderful report! Who abducted your other vet and sent you this one?!

    There is a wonderful dental specialist that I take Willow and Mia to. (I wish he was an everything vet because I LOVE him... he is absolutely terrific and looked up to across a multi-state area.. ok, I'll stop.. he is just really that awesome. :)) Anyway, he told me to start both girls on a supplement called 1-TDC. It is for periodontal and joint health. Once I read up on it, I found that it is also good for other things like muscle stamina and coat health. You may want to consider it. From what I have read, the way it works (way it's delivered/absorbed.. something like that.. it has been a while since I researched it) is different and can provide benefits beyond things like good old glucosamine. I get it from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/1-TDC-Dual-A...?ie=UTF8&qid=1531502663&sr=8-2&keywords=1-tdc It seems expensive, but it lasts a long time, especially once you are past the first month. You give it once a day for 30 days then every other day. It's in a heart-shaped capsule. You are supposed to twist off the top (I cut it off, too hard to twist off) then squeeze the gel-ish stuff onto their gums.. or, if that is a no-go, you can put it somewhere where they will lick it up. For Mia, I just squirt it on a treat and she gobbles it up. For Willow, I hold her and squirt it into her mouth. She will not just eat it up, and besides, I find that the easiest way to give her Zyrtec is stuck in the gel
     
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  66. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2018
    @Djamila that's the plan. She said to just start working on it. He isn't severely overweight but she said it would just be beneficial to him.

    @FurBabiesMama I like the idea of that medicine. It hasn't effected your kitty with his blood sugar levels at all? My biggest fear is giving something now and it freaking his body out lol.

    Has anyone else had any luck using cosequin or glucosamine? I know cosequin can be bought elsewhere besides a vets office, but can glucosamine? She did say that they are both sprinkles that you just sprinkle on the food once a day and she said most cats like the flavor of the cosequin over glucosamine.
     
  67. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2015
    That's been an ongoing battle here too. Sam is at a good weight, but Atty is chubby. This despite the fact that they both get the same food. Chubby is a factor in diabetes and joint health, so I'm always working on ways to get Atty to drop a couple pounds. I'll get him down about half a pound, and then I lose focus and he gains it back. I'm hoping our upcoming move to a house will force him to be more active.
     
  68. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2018
    @Djamila yeah I'm going to work at it. Since he is regulated now he isn't starving so I'm going to focus on feeding him his morning and night meals, and then I'll only give him a small snack if he is really begging for it. He pretty much stopped begging to eat once his normals got better, but I still have been giving him the snacks in between meals and he would eat them (not all of it though) So I think if I cut that out for the most part it will start to come off slowly. He's definitely not an active kitty so the less food will be what gets the couple pounds off.

    @FurBabiesMama is that supplement just the gel that needs to be given? I was reading the directions and it said dual health-squeeze the gel out and onto the gums, then joint health- feed capsule/contents as a treat?.
     
  69. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    The supplement is for dogs and cats. I think with a larger dog, you could just give it as a treat, but I don't think that is an option with a cat. It seems a little big for that. When it is given as a treat, it does not have the periodontal benefits since the contents do not come in contact with the mouth. For a cat, you just squirt it in their mouth or let them lick it up. That way, they get both periodontal and joint benefits.

    A lot of people use cosequin (which contains glucosamine) or glucosamine. They have been around longer. Most people do not even know about 1-TDC. I have also been adding MSM powder to their food once a day. It was recommended to me here when Mia had that limp. https://www.theholistichorse.com/shop/animal-products/cats/su-per-msm-ultra-pure-powder-2/
     
  70. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2018
    @FurBabiesMama thank you so much. I'm going to look into them more and talk to my husband about purchasing!!
     
  71. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    Hey, Ashley... Sometimes, I have seen where people insert a row in their spreadsheet before the first day of no insulin that says something like 'OTJ Trial' (like you see on mine for new Levemir pen) so that it is easy to see at a glance how many days there have been with no insulin.

    Just sayin.. :D
     
  72. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2018
    @FurBabiesMama sounds good to me. Actually could you tell me what my spreadsheet looks like on your end where I added the row and explained how I was using U40 insulin in a U100 syringe. On my end its solid black with white letters, centered on both sides (the am block and the pm block) but if I click the link from certain spots it shows up completely different. Kind of silly but I swear stuff like that drives me crazy, haha.
     
  73. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    When I click the link and it first opens, it is not filled, but once everything loads/updates, it is black. I'll show you...

    Loading.png

    OnceLoaded.png
     
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  74. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2018
    Lol thank you. Well either of those look okay. The ones I've seen show the right side really big with two lines of the words written on top of each other and it looks terrible :D I'm going to go add the trial now.
     
  75. Kris & Teasel

    Kris & Teasel Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2016
    I'm just catching up now on your thread. Tootsie is doing so well and it seems you've found a great vet! :smuggrin:
     
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  76. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2018
    Should I be worried?

    As you can all see Tootsie is doing amazing! His numbers are fantastic and everything is going well. His leg is still bothering him a little but he isn't howling out anymore when he jumps. But what I noticed is his urine output is still pretty large. I don't know if this is something to be worried about or what? He still hardly drinks the water from his bowls, if any and is getting 99% of his intake from the wet food and all the water I add to it (which is quite a bit) he isn't going in the box all day, its 1-2 pees a day and that's it. I'm thinking he is either peeing ontop of the same piles which is making it look big, or its from holding it practically all day before finally going which is causing such big amounts. What do you guys think?
     
  77. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    Is it as much as it was before he was diagnosed? Right before diagnosis, there was so much pee in the litter box that I was starting to think my husband was using it to be funny (which would not have been funny at all). :D:eek:

    What does he weigh? (I think this may have come up in one of the threads, but I do not remember. I'm thinking he is fairly large.) Mia NEVER drinks water. I add bone broth and water to every meal. She only pees a couple of times a day (maybe 3 sometimes), and she does pee quite a bit. She is a pretty big girl, 12 lbs. She probably pees about twice what Willow does... Willow only weighs, at most, 6lbs. I KNOW Mia's pee is fine because I just had a urinalysis done on Saturday.

    If you do not see any other indications of there being a problem, I would just assume he 'makes big pee pee'. :smuggrin:
     
  78. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2018
    He is over 14 pounds. I don't think its as much as when he was diagnosed but honestly I've never paid close attention to the box because that's the husbands job hahaha. It very well may be that I'm just being overly worried and its normal for him to have big pees, but I always like to just double check and see what y'all think. I'll keep an eye on it the next few days and see if its just normal for him. And I'll keep doing those random test to check his levels throughout the cycles. I've been trying to reduce to to 1 check (sometimes none) in the middle of the cycles so that he gets a little break. He went through lots of pokes over the last few weeks with the way I checked him hahaha. Poor guy!
     
  79. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    I think he is entitled to big pee pee.
     
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  80. Rachel

    Rachel Well-Known Member

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    Aug 25, 2013
    One of my cat leaves really big pee balls in the box. That's just his way. I think it just depends on the cat...
     
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  81. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2018
    Day 7 of no insulin. 7 more to go :bighug:
     
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  82. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2015
    Yay! Go Tootsie! His numbers are looking great!
     
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  83. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    Jul 6, 2017
  84. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    Jul 6, 2017
    Just two more days! I'm so happy for you. When is your trip? :D
     
  85. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Jun 25, 2018
    @FurBabiesMama yay! Thank you! He has been holding his numbers so good too! We got that 63 last night and I freaked out a little bit, lmao! I know that still a great number but we hadn't seen the 60s since the first couple of days. Our trip is exactly 1 month from his 14 day mark!

    My next thing I need to plan for is how we go about testing after he is officially OTJ. Is there a protocol for that? Like how many times a week for so long? Then how many times after that time period? So on and so fourth? On the days that we do the random preshot checks do we still withhold his food 2 hours prior to what his "shot times" originally were?
     
  86. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2015
    At this point, no, you don't need to withhold food. And you can test at whatever random times of the day or night you want to. A non-diabetic should stay in good numbers all the time (except maybe at the vet ;)),

    As far as testing, it's kind of up to you. Most folks will drop to testing a couple of times a week for a few weeks, then once a week, and after a couple of months, maybe once every two weeks. I would not ever go more than once every two weeks though. Diabetes can return if she gets into higher carb food (always research a food thoroughly before changing food, for the rest of her life), or if she ends up with a dental problem, UTI, or any other kind of infection/inflammation. And if it does come back, you want to catch it early and get her back onto insulin as soon as possible. If you ever get a number in the blues or yellows, you want to post here, grab tests for a few days in a row, and make sure that she either gets back into the greens, or gets on insulin.

    Of course, I hope you'll still be posting on here anyway! It's been great to see you chiming in and helping other people! That's how this board keeps going.
     
  87. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2018
    Well that's something new I just learned. I figured I would still need to test as I would if I were still giving him his insulin shots. At least that's how I have still been doing it during this trial. It will be nice to not have to lift his food at 5am now. I'll probably just check in the mornings still before his breakfast and before his dinner a few times a week and maybe some random test here and there then.

    The dental problems scare me a little. He doesn't have any now but I really feel like all soft food would be worse for their teeth than if they had hard food. I know it is that way for dogs, is this not the case for cats? Is there anything safe I can give to him to help keep his dental good?

    And of course I will be sticking around. I feel like we can all always learn from others and I enjoy passing on everything I have learned if I can :)
     
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  88. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2015
    I actually just mentioned dental issues and food on my last post in this thread: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/pmps-lower-than-nadirs.198836/

    Aside from giving them chunks of meat (raw chicken wings with the bones are actually recommended as a good "toothbrush" for cats), I'm not sure what else to give, but I know folks around here mention products from time to time. It might be worth posting on the Main Forum and asking for recommendations. i'm afraid I'm blanking right now on who has shared ideas about this. Although I think @FurBabiesMama may be using a supplement of some kind?
     
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  89. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Jun 25, 2018
    Yes I do have the recommendation of the supplement she uses which I do really want to get (I may buy and start it after my trip) but I think I will post another thread just for some more recommendations and see what I get. Thank you :)
     
  90. Rachel

    Rachel Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2013
    Actually, dry food isn't that great for their teeth. Dr. Pierson has a pretty good explanation on her website: https://catinfo.org/. Scroll down to the Dental Disease section (pretty far down the page) to see what she says.

    We definitely hope you'll stick around! I love it when people stay and help out new folks...even just an encouraging word can be such a huge thing when you're new and scared. And the more people around here, the more they feel comfortable.
     
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  91. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    In addition to the 1-TDC, the dental specialist recommended PetSmile brushless toothpaste. It works with enzymes so you do not actually have to brush, just get it on the teeth.
     
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  92. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Jun 25, 2018
    Can you guys remind me when you can check the BG levels to see if the pancreas are working well? Is it like 1 to 1.5 hours after they eat? You want to check when the food is still in their system correct?
     
  93. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2015
    It depends on the cat, but at 1-1.5 hours, if they were going to have a food spike, that's when you'd see it. All of your numbers show that the pancreas is working. :D
     
  94. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Jun 25, 2018
    @Djamila thank you! I'm just so use to seeing Tootsie in those 50 numbers so when I seen that 72 tonight I start to get worried, even though I know 72 is still a really good number. Just freaks me out and gets me all nervous and worried.
     
  95. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2015
    Lol...deep breaths! Very healthy cats will vary in their BG - they might be tired, energized, hungry, curious, scared, saw a squirrel, whatever...all kinds of things will make them gently move up or down. As long as he stays between 40-120, with most of the numbers under 80, you're good. No need to worry at all.
     
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  96. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    Jul 6, 2017
    Oh, no 72!!! You're just rubbing it in now, woman. :p
     
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  97. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    Jul 6, 2017
    I'll trade you my 235 for your 72.
     
  98. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Jun 25, 2018
    Hahahaha!!! Thank you guys! I'm a bit of a worry wart!! I need to work on that :nailbiting:
     
  99. Djamila

    Djamila Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2015
    You're in the right place. i think most of us lean towards that a bit - hence all of our data!
     
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  100. Rachel

    Rachel Well-Known Member

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    Aug 25, 2013
    Welcome to the worry wart club! I believe I'm one of the founding members. :smuggrin:
     
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