TUT - OTJ (knock on wood)

It looks like, as someone here put it, 'Tut's 'pancreas woke up'. Only 8 years old, but overweight and on dry food, the steroid regime he was put on, last summer, apparently pushed him over the line into diabetes. We tried recovery with food initially, but it was finding this website which gave me the nerve to try (Eeeck!) giving shots, and collecting blood (double Eeck!), and kept him safe through this trial.

I thank you all so much (and we will send another donation to the site). (I figure another reminder won't hurt, for others who can afford it.)

I know we could be back. He probably has some underlying vulnerability to this disease. We'll test occasionally for a while; last night's numbers -- considering how little insulin he's had lately -- are making me pretty confident.

Just before getting out of the way of the wonderful attention here to the kitties who need it, want to wish all the kitties the best possible health and happiness, on or off insulin.

 

Congrats and best of luck to you!

 

Wishing you every success going forward!

 

Congratulations! I hope Tut stays well for a long time to come!

 

It's great to see Tut doing so well. Just watch for any excess drinking or peeing and check his BG is something seems off. We usually suggest testing weekly for a little while and then most people go to monthly testing. It does seem like Tut's steroids caused the high BG. Be very careful if any vet suggests steroids again.

If you want you can go through the OTJ trial process. We suggest people go through 14 days of testing at AM and PM shot time and post the numbers so people can follow along and celebrate with you. If you decide to do this, you would change your title of the first post to OTJ Trail Day #. Today would be Day 3. On the 14the day we "party" with you to celebrate. It's up to you.

 

Yay, Tut! Best of luck for OTJ!

 

I am very happy to see a kitty go OTJ! Congratulations.

 

Looks to me like it’s an OTJ trial. You want normal numbers for a week without insulin so please continue testing daily. Looking great though.

 

Looks good but I would strongly urge you to go through the trial. Looks like his first trial day started on 12/17 so this is day three. You could change your subject line to “OTJ Trial Day 3” if you like but, going forward, it’s good to post the test numbers, taken as described below, as (for example) 12/19 Tut AMBG 85 OTJ Trial Day 3”. You can add the PMBG later in the day or if he’s blue at the test time, you can add the BG three hours after food to it.

Here are the instructions:

• Test at your normal preshot times. If he is green at your normal test times, no need to test further until the next "PS" time; just feed small meals and go about your day. If he is blue at your normal "PS", feed a small meal and test again after about 3 or 4 hours. If his number is lower 3-4 hours after a meal, then the pancreas is working!
• Post every day so we can monitor his progress and see if any tweaks are needed. He may have a sporadic blue number. Don't panic but post before you decide whether to shoot so we can have a discussion.
• After 14 days of no insulin, we have a party!!

Sometimes the trial doesn't work the first time and we have to give a little more support in the form of resuming insulin. It's not the end of the world if that happens; we just give him the support needed. Our goal is a strong remission and it's better to take our time to get that than to rush into remission just to have it fail later on.

Once he is through the trial successfully, you enter a new phase. Your cat is still diabetic but has now become diet-controlled. Continue feeding low carb food in the manner successful for your kitty. If you decide to change his feeding schedule, let your meter be your guide to the best times to feed. Avoid medications with sugar in them and steroid medications unless they are medically essential. Continue testing blood glucose weekly for the first month and then monthly forever. It's a good idea to weigh him monthly. Weight should remain stable. If he seems "off" or sick, or is showing signs of diabetes (excessive drinking, eating, urinating, weight loss), test his blood glucose right away. Keep the teeth and gums clean and healthy; dental issues can bring a cat out of remission. If you see rising blood glucose numbers, it's time for a visit to the vet!

Good luck with the trial!!!

 

Good luck with the trial and please post daily and add Trial Day ## to you title so we can cheer you on. Also, when you get closer to the 14th day, Camille will contact you via PM and ask for you to submit photos of Tut and put together a wonderful OTJ video for you.

 

Hi Pat - wishing you all the best for the trial. I hope in two weeks (less three days), we'll have a reason to really celebrate Tut going OTJ. Please take note of the instructions - especially the part about not having to test mid cycle if he's green at your normal preshot time.

 

Best of luck! I'll be crossing my fingers (and Girlie's paws) for you during the OTJ trial for the next two weeks...