Very sick kitty - need lots of advice

I am hosting a really sweet kitty who was recued, adopted as a sugarcat at a young age. Her adopters got tired of caring for her properly so they let her get very ill and when they could'nt look at her anymore they put dumped her at the shelter. Because she is diabetic she was rescued again and we are working to get her healthy before she goes to her permanent foster home.

She weighs 4 and a half pounds, is the size of a kitten but is 14 years old. She is being treated with Clavamox for a UTI and I manage to get a Pepcid in her a half hour before the Clav upsets her stomach. She is not vomiting nor does she have diarrhea. Her long black hair is matted and smells, her bg is off the meter and the vet put her on .5u BID Lantus because she dipped to 100 one night while there. Here's the clincher - she will only eat dry food and is so beyond ematiated that it is not the right time to hunger her into transition. I asked if I could syringe feed her but they said that they want her to eat on her own. She eats about a fourth of a cup of dry food a day. I hate it!!!

I think that the 100 bg might have happened at the vet when she was being syringe fed, not sure - will call them. I don't know if they are worried that she will have to be syringe fed forever once it starts or what? I wish she was on more insulin but she is not my cat. I am not sure she will survive the two weeks that I have her.

The sad thing is that she loves to be held and she purrs constantly - and she's a nuzzler and ankle rubber. She struggles weakly for testing but takes the liquid meds easily. I am using the OTU meter so it could maybe register other than HI. I was able to get a 464. It breaks my heart though to see her silent meow. Of course, I have tried to get her on wet food - even high carb canned with her crunchies covering the top. No go. Fortiflora, parmesan... all the tricks which take time and a little hunger to succeed. I am so worried for this little girl. They told me not be alarmed about her bg numbers (so why am I even testing?) so I am just going to try to get more nourishment in her. I have tried cooked chicken but she obviously wants nothing to do with people food.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

First, food.
Go with what she will eat because she is emaciated. Feed multiple meals per day to help her consume more. Use a kitten food to have the increased calories from fat and increased protein. Adjust the insulin around that. Worry about canned when she is out of danger.

Second, antibiotic
Those do a number on the GI tract. The Pepcid will help. Probiotics may help too - FortiFlora is tasty to most cats, so sprinkle it on the dry. It may help appetite.

Third, mats.
If your can, get her shaved; mats trap moisture against the skin which may result in ulceration and infection.
Alternatively, get a mat cutter for small dogs and cats. PetSmart has one for about $15 or so. Use your fingers to hold the mat near the skin while you start at the outer edge of the mat and cut/comb out the mats. A damp washcloth will help you damp mop her like mom cat would.

 

Thats so nice of you to look after this kitty.. I get so sad when I here about people letting their animals get so sick.

I have lots of questions....

- For now lets get the weight on her. This may mean a higher dose of insulin cos of the dry food but we can deal with that although I like BJs kitten food idea if she will eat it.. but try and get her to eat as much as possible.

- When did you get the 464.. was it pre shot? Did you get any tests to see her nadir?

- How long has she been on the insulin? How many days?

- What kind of dry food is it? She is so small right now that 1/4 cup might be enough to start depending on the calories.

- I would ask the vet about sub-q fluids at home.

Wendy

 

You guys are the best!!!

When I heard that all she would eat was dry I ran out and got Wellness core and Purina kitten chow. She rejected the Wellness so she is free feeding on the kitten kibble.

I did end up shaving a part of her ear so I could find the drop - she is black. It was difficult to get her ear to bleed so I went for the vein and got enough for the OTU. The 464 was a pre-shot from Sunday morning. All other pre and mid tests are not registering. I agree though that the main thing is to get her nourished.

I will sprinkle the Fortiflora on the dry. Thanks for that suggestion.

I don't know how long she has been on insulin. I picked her up from the vet on Saturday where she had been for a couple of days but since I heard about her over a month ago, I have inquired as to where she was between the pound rescue and now. I also know that she was on 2u BID before she went to the vet. I promised the vet that I would do a curve - most likely one of the days of the upcoming 3-day weekend. I also plan to blow up the airbed and sleep in the room with her for a night to see if she is a snuggler. I did that with Sno before he was integrated. I could get some overnight tests then.

The vet did cut a lot of mats off her especially on one front leg and around her back end and legs. I have started brushing her but she is so bony I have to be gentle. I have feline wipes that Snoball never used that I could try as well as a wet washcloth. I will look into a mat cutter. Most of them are around her neck but I can work on the ones on her back. She's not a sitter this one, but she is weak enough to hold down. I don't want to make her too ugly - the new foster may not want her. Hopefully I can work with the new foster on these things (she is a nurse.) I can't imagine handing her over to someone without being able to help with her care -- like making sure she gets on this board.

I have never done the fluids - nobody mentioned it. They may be waiting for a more permanent situation. I will ask.

Another question is that I don't like dry pilling so I purchased the liquid Clav and then I dissolve the Pepcid in a small dropper and squirt it in. Does this dissolution harm the affect of the Pepcid?

Thank you BJM and Wendy. I can always count on you for great advice!

 

If she is that high then you definately want to test her for ketones!

All tests are high and thats why she isnt registering or cos you arent getting enough blood? Do you have a small flashlight? That might help.

- Find out how long she has been on 1/2 unit. I want to know so we can decide how quick we can increase dose.

- How about switching her to a low carb dry? I dont like her that high and worry about the impact of it.
Here are some suggestions - they will be higher in calories anyway and help bring her BG down: Innova Evo Cat & Kitten 8%, Wellness Core Grain-Free Original Formula (tan gold bag)11%, Nature's Variety Raw Instinct chicken 7%, and Young Again zero Carb 0%.

- I would also try a few wets like fancy feast pates or a low carb wet kitten food. If she eats them then it would be great!. Check this list here for kitten cans under 10% calories from cabs ( column C) : http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf

- She is probably dehydrated - I would definately ask about fluids - they are easy enough to do at home only concern is heart issues which is why I suggest you discuss with the vet. My vet says high BG feels like a hangover and fluids make them feel better - plus all the peeing means she isnt keeping much liquid in her system.

Wendy

 

Thanks Wendy.

I am getting enough blood when it bleeds - The space between vein and edge is not as wide as what I am used to but better since I shaved her ear. Her other ear has an infection so she is super sensitive with that one. I knew she would be HI as long as she is on dry food. I tried the Wellness Core but she snubbed that. I have also tried kitten canned food - no go. I can look for the EVO kitten chow. I don't want to buy too many bags of foods she won't eat.

She has only been on 1/2 u since Saturday. She went in on 2u but then that drop to 100 scared them. I will bet that either she wasn't eating then or she was being syringe fed. They said they had been feeding her Purina "Borders" or something like that. That's why I got the Purina kitten kibble. My pet center carries some EVO so I will check there for the cat and kitten dry food. I can't find the Wellness Core original - only indoor forumula which are pellets. Yuck, she said... I have been looking for the Wellness Core but haven't been able to find it anywhere. Not at Petco or my pet nutrition store. I don't have a Petsmart nearby. Maybe after payday I can afford to order it with shipping charges.

 

A drop to 100 scared them? ha! they should see my Tiggys sheet Actually 100 sounds pretty good to me. 2 units might be a little much though but we can work her up to that.

Can you set up a spreadsheet for her? Lets assume those readings are all HI when it errors out. I am going to get more eyes on her to see how long we can wait before pushing her to 1 unit. I am inclined to say tomorrow but I would like to see her SS first and get some expert input.

Can you find the natures variety instinct raw boost kibble? They have it at petco.http://www.petco.com/product/119322...w-Boost-Grain-Free-Chicken-Meal-Cat-Food.aspx

Petco also have the grain free on their online store http://www.petco.com/product/106444...opRated_Cat_1-_-Wellness CORE Cat Food-106444

Wendy

 

Are you testing for ketones? its very important if shes that high. Also see my post above.

 

Robin --

I would first ASK the vet about fluids. If you volume overload this cat, you risk congestive heart failure. See if the cat will drink.

I would also see about some of the liquid foods. Something like CatSure may help and there's another product that a vet can prescribe that is often given to cats if we need to syringe feed. Marje/Gracie may be able to provide the name of it unless Wendy remembers it. There's also a Hill's food that is high in calories (it may be A/D but I'm not certain). It may not be low carb but it may help with weight gain.

I would also talk to the vet about the use of Humulin R to help bring the numbers down IF you are around to monitor. R is very potent and you have to be around to monitor and you start with a tiny dose and must curve with each dose change People here who are experienced with it's use can help you. . I would also not hesitate to bring the dose of Lantus up. If you're getting only HI numbers on the meter, this is not good for your foster kitty's health.

 

A couple of easy to syringe lowish carb veterinary line foods are Iams Maxcal (9% carbs) and Royal Canin Recovery RS (7% carbs). I've only used the Recovery RS and it was much easier to syringe than A/D. It's what a vet recommended to me for a hepatic lipidosis cat I was fostering. However, the Iams Maxcal is double the calories per can.

The one thing to be aware of when syringe feeding is that whatever flavor you syringe feed, may turn the cat off that food for a while. After 3 weeks of syringe feeding the foster kitty, he wouldn't go anywhere near chicken (Recovery RS main ingredient) for months.

 

Dumb question, but I didn't see it here unless I overlooked it. Have you tried tuna water? it's always worked for me as a last resort. Either alone for more fluids or mixed with kibble to soften or with canned food to make it more enticing.

Oh - & with the mats, if she won't go for the oster or mat razor, I used to use very small scissors - while we cuddles, I'd go for one mat at a time - & get 1 or 2 at each sitting - until my cat had had enough - it was very gentle. Sometime, you can start just by scissoring the extra hair off the mat - to lighten up the coat.

Best of luck to you, & many prayers & healing vines. What a wonderful thing you are doing, to help this old abandoned cat know she isn't alone in the world & someone cares alot.

What is this cat's name?

 

Ok I have ordered the Wellness Core Original from PetDirect. I had a coupon from a previous order.

Ok - can see if I can set up an SS for her even though I only have her for 12 days, it could be something I could pass on to her new foster mom and hopefully entice her to keep up and post here.

I have yet to catch her in her box. I have a stick ready to grab.

I am not around to monitor during the day. I am gone from 7am until 6pm on weekdays. Also, I can't ask the vet to prescribe things that will cost money. I have to get approval from the agency. I am providing the insulin and I paid for the Clavamox because I wanted a liquid.

I can stop by Petco to see if they have the NVI Raw Boost. It's very expensive online so I don't want to add shipping to that.

I would love to syringe feed and struggle with the vet and the foster agent's desire to see her eat by herself. Maybe she is consuming enough. Maybe a fourth of a cup is enough food for a starving cat. I want her to eat more, soon! I thank you all for responding to my sense of urgency.

I too would like to bring it up but I wanted confirmation from more experienced members like you. I am sick every time I give her an injection because I think that more insulin could make her feel better.

If I ever had a cat in this state, I would send her lovingly to the Rainbow Bridge as she doesn't deserve to suffer like this but the agency wants to try to save her so that is my mission while I have her.

I don't understand the drink part - she does drink lots of water or is this a reference to the Sub-Q fluids?

Ok so I have a long list of great suggestions thanks to all of you.

 

Try putting some cling wrap over it and see if you can catch a sample that way

I am wondering about an increase to 0.75 or even 1 unit tomorrow and am hoping Sienne or Wendy will chip in.

.
I would give her a chance - you never know how well they can rally!

Sienne is saying get her to drink more liquids but dont do subQ without consulting the vet first cos it can cause heart issues.

 

Thanks for the clarification. She's drinking a lot of water as usual.

I was able to pick up the Natural Instinct Raw Boost and a bag of Wellness Core. Took away kitten kibble and will see if she eats either of these. She's clawing at me right now for attention while I am on the computer - being very typical. She's seems more active tonight so maybe UTI is feeling better. I bought a syringe just in case they allow me to supplement her diet. So we will give some ideas a try.

Oh, oh looky there, she is sampling the Raw Boost - oh now she is trying the Wellness. There's hope for her now. I will increase to .75u unless people chime in for it to go to 1unit. Gonna go set up a spreadsheet now.

 

Great!! Make sure you get a +2 but it will probably take the usual 3 days before we see a difference. Maybe we cheat and increase before then though if we see no movement.. Depends what the others say and if the food helps.
Wendy

 

I would go with the 0.75u. I'd rather see you raise the dose after 4 cycles than raise the dose to 1.0u. If the antibiotics are kicking in, it's possible that the numbers could come down quickly. Given how tiny this kitty is, I'd rather that you not be overly aggressive with the dose since you don't know this kitty all that well.

Aside from the vet suggesting that you not syringe feed, what's preventing you from doing so? It's not like the vet is going to come by and check up on you.

 

Sienne - I must have been reading your mind. I did in fact give her the .75u tonight. I will watch how she does with this food and then I may just try the syringe thing although it wasn't the vet that told me not to syringe feed her it was the rescue agency rep. So I don't really know if they were having problems with her eating on her own after they syringe fed her. I need to get more history on that.

What does one put in the syringe?

By the way - I have set up a spreadsheet for her and gave her a stage name. You will see it as "Nuzzles" under Snoball's link in my signature.

 

Mix up a high calorie wet food with water (kitten food would work) so that its easy to inject from the syringe. Insert sideways into the mouth so she doesn't breathe it in and make sure she swallows so don't repeat too fast. Wipe down yourself, walls, floor afterward lol

 

Robin....you are doing an awesome job with 'Nuzzles'.

Paw-Hugs from me & RumpelT.

cat_pet_icon

 

Robin, :YMHUG: :YMHUG: cat_pet_icon for you and Nuzzles!

 

I did find out that they don't want to syringe feed her because they think it will stress her out. I will see how she eats this week and if she doesn't improve then I might consider doing it. They want her weight gain to be slow and they also think that a fourth of a cup of food is a good amount for the size of her tummy. I actually heard a little sound in her meow tonight so I am encouraged - although her +3 was off the meter. Thanks for all the advice and support. I have only ever had piggy civvies. Never one that wouldn't eat.

 

I pureed some soft food he liked with water in mini blender when I couldn't get KT to eat due to teeth. He lapped it up like water, got 2-3 oz in him each time. Maybe that would help?

DOUBLE TRIPLE HUGS!!! HEADBUTTS NUZZLES!

 

I am a lot calmer now that I got more information on her. They think that she will start to eat more and drink more when her UTI feels better. Last night she rolled over and showed me her tummy and let me rub it so I think she is already feeling better after three days on Clavamox. Then the urgency will be to get her bg down which won't happen until she is permanently settled into her new foster home.

Once this cat is well, look out. She is a love! She immediately attaches herself and is so affectionate. Anybody would be lucky to have her.

They don't want to give fluids yet. They don't want to drown her with water. They said she is fine as long as she is drinking. I will probably try to get some babyfood syringed into her this weekend.

Thanks for all your help and support.

 

Oh goodness... Suzanne, I completely missed your post yesterday. I was scrolling through all the suggestions to make sure I didn't miss anything.

I have not tried tuna water yet. I am planning to get some tuna tomorrow. She's not used to people food but it is worth a try. Also, I am working on the mats - the funny thing is that she is so light and frail that any combing or brushing pulls her over :smile: I did wipe her down with the shed control wipes and then lightly brushed her while propping her up with my other hand. I have to get a smaller brush for her. She's not much of a lap kitty right now - might be the UTI and the HI bg hangover. I have been carrying her around to all the windows and to see the other cats just to get her out of the room for a while. She seems to like that. I did not find much of a dent in the good food bowls so I put the kitten kibble back down for a while.

She has a name but since she is not mine I wanted to keep her somewhat anonymous until the other foster mom takes over. I call her Nuzzles

Wendy - I may just get out the hazmat suit and give her a little syringe full of kitten food this weekend :lol:

So... I know it has only been two cycles but should I really wait for six when she is still off the meter?

 

Yes, I do think you need to wait for the Lantus depot to fill before you increase the dose. There are reasons and ways to fast track the dose, but I don't think Nuzzles is there yet.

Patience little grasshopper.

 

You've also made a food change, so those numbers can come down even further and you might surpass the "good" dose if you raise to quickly in conjunction with the lower carb food. That being said, you can do a "mini" fast track and bump it up to a full 1u and consider it more like a .5u increase from the .5u you were giving before (vs. just a .25u increase). See bolded below from the TR Protocol.

 

I would get some small scissors out and cut the top off the mats but not too close to the skin. Then you can lightly separate them with your fingers and brush them out easier.

I am thinking give it 6 cycles before increasing to 1.25IU if you are still seeing nothing but HI.

Still no ketones right?? Have you got a sample yet?

Wendy

 

I am not sure how much of the lower carb food she is eating so I would like to give a full 1u but I can wait if necessary. Almost got stick under her butt in the LB last night but missed. I don't own plastic wrap so I will purchase some tomorrow night.

 

Did i give you these tips? https://docs.google.com/document/d/1quta5WLEjdO0Y_t2dAYSwN84h-LNZWxOdtVsJDKZ16A/pub

 

Her numbers haven't even moved down into readable range on the glucometer yet (meaning it's usually over 500-600). I think it's safe at this point to increase to 1u without worry of her dropping overnight into hypo. (That would be an incredibly steep drop by just a .25u increase!) If anything, with her numbers so high already, you'll start to see her trending steadily lower for a few cycles first before that happens.

 

Also, have you weighed her yourself yet? She might already be putting on weight as her body starts to process food better from the insulin. Mikey fluctuates +/- about a pound a day from food intake (he's a 13-14 pound growing "kitten" though :lol: ).

 

Robin,

God bless you for taking care of this sweet, sick girl. I hope that she gets well soon. You have gotten lots of good advice. I wish I had some advice to add, but know that Nuzzles is in my prayers.

 

Oh so nice Heather - thanks.

I was just thinking about that this morning because I don't know if it is wishful thinking but I feel like her belly is a little bigger. I will try to get a weight on her tonight. I put the kitten kibble down and left it down. She ate a lot of it last night so this morning I mixed into the kitten, some of the other food so hopefully she will get used to the better food and I can wean the kitten kibble out. Hope that works. I am going to buy her a Relion meter tonight. This morning I did test after test and could not get enough blood for the OTU. I think she also has an ear infection or mites in both ears so she doesn't stay still very long for multiple tests so I let her go when she gets that stressed. I will ask the new foster mom to look into treating her ears.

Thanks for the weigh-in on the dosage increase. I feel better about doing it. I will start that tonight.

 

If anything I would be thinking 1.25. She is so high and still eating HC dry.. and I havent seen you test for ketones..

 

Working on the the ketone testing Wendy. :smile:

 

She is lucky kitty. I hope her new foster mom takes as good of care of her as you are

For mats.... I use a sewing seam ripper. You can poke it through the edge or center of a mat and slice right through with a new one. Be prepared to poke yourself to make sure you are not poking kitty. Plus you can get it into a pretty tight space between skin and fur.... And it hides in your palm.

 

Safety note: ALways keep your fingers between the skin and the tip or blade of anything to cut through mats!

 

Huh... never thought of a seam ripper and I actually have one - it is a little hook-like intrument, right?

The problem I have is that I have to hold her under her belly with one hand because any slight pulling on her makes her topple ohmygod_smile This makes any two-handed operation difficult. Most of the mats are under the top layer of fur and very close to the skin with is then next to bone. She has no fat in between so for now I just give her several good brushings and a wipe with an anti-shedding wipe. Bushing has to be done so gently since it is going across bone in most places, ribs, hip, back. I think that a real focused attempt to take care of these mats should be done when she has gained some weight. I brush her more for her comfort now because I am sure that she itches with all that dandruff. Of course I want to cure all her ailments right now, but I am learning that I have to accept moderation.

I will pass along the suggestion to her new foster mom.

 

here are some dematting tools.
http://www.groomersmall.com/acc_demattingtools.htm
I have some of them and they work. Also, depending upon how bat the mats are, it might be best to shave her. I did that (had it done) with my Misty.

 

Hi Larry - I actually have some of these tools like the rake - but she is much too frail for this treatment right now. It is too much pulling for her right now but I do appreciate the link.

I think that the reason the vet did not shave her completely is that she might scare off potential foster possibilities. We do not have a firm commitment from her foster-mom-to-be as yet. I only have her because this person is on vacation until late next week. She may be on the fence and then turn reluctant by the offering of a bag of bones. At one time she was very beautiful with long, shiny, black fur. She still has the long luxurious tail and thick paws. She is beautiful inside though... gosh, so loving even while not feeling well.

 

You are supposed to hold the mat firmly near its base and pull on the outer edges of the mat, not the cat! If you do that, she may tolerate it well. Especially if you alternate with nice scritches or pets.

I've been working with a bag of bones myself (Dusty - he was half his adoption weight [9lbs] when I started, now he has 1.5 lb to go.) and he's feeling enough better, he went and chewed out some of the tightest mats ... and that really looks awful, like he'd been scalped!

 

Getting those dematting tools between skin and fur without pulling is almost impossible which is why I love the seam ripper. You can pinch/hold the actual mat as you slowly work your way back towards the body. Always working so the back of the seam ripper is facing the body and pulling the blade part out and away from the body. You have much more control of the hair. So you don't pull it. Literally picking the mat ball apart little by little. Once you have most of it cut away and you are close to skin you can either see individual hairs good enough to cut through just as you woul a seam in your clothes or you can work a little oil in it to loosen it and comb it out.

I've gotten so good with it on Izzy I can get mats on her belly just by feeling my way.

 

BJM and Janet - I so wish I had three hands :lol: We'll work on it.

Tonight... ok little dear, I'll be finished typing soon, you don't have to paw my arm... stopping for nuzzling and kisses... ok I' m back. She ate the entire bowl of kitten kibble mixed with Wellness and Raw Boost then she ate quite a bit from the Wellness bowl. I am liking that even though her test is still HI. Gave her 1u tonight. She seems way more active and was sleeping stretched out instead of with herlegs curled under her - I don't know... is that muffin? Anyway, I am home late tonight for both my sugarcats - my mother died today so there will be lots to do but I will be home for proper shot times when I can.

 

Robin, my deepest sympathy on the passing of your Mom today.

 

Oh Robin, I'm so sorry to learn of the passing of your mom. You are in our hearts and our prayers.

 

Robin,

I am sorry for the loss of your mom. My prayers are with you and your family.

For the kitty, have you thought about seeing if a professional groomer may be able to remove the mats and shave her?

 

(((((Robin))))))
So sorry you've lost your mom. Sending prayers!

 

{{{hugs}}}

 

Robin,

I'm so sorry about the passing of your mother - many prayers & support to you.

And bless your huge heart for all that you're giving this little kitty. Sorry you can't be the regular foster - you're doing such an amazing job, & this little kitty sure seems to love & trust you. o

 

Thanks for all the kind words. I do love this kitty but she needs someone who can spend lots of time with her. The bummer is that I promised my mom I would make sure her cats are taken care of and my brother is refusing to take them with him when he leaves the house. I may end up with one. Another one to transition to raw. I see a lot of cat fights in my future.

Oh.. but I think this little girl has a round belly now. She's really eating well and there is a bulge there below that rib cage

 

Still high eh? Any ketone tests yet?

Are you gradually changing the proportion of kitten kibble to wellness?

Glad to hear the weight is going on! Good job.

 

Eat Nuzzles Eat! Love the mental picture of a rounded, stuffed full belly. She sounds like she has really been eating better lately and I hope to hear she has gained some weight. Sure sounded like she was emaciated when you got her.

Another kitty? One of your mom's? Take it one day at a time. Don't let it overwhelm you and remember, we give emotional support as well as recommendations on caring for the extra sweet kitties.

I think one more cat would be easier to deal with for me right now than that 12 pound, 5 inch stack of merchandise catalogs I got today. Need to look through them and pick out items for the store where I work part time. Bedtime reading perhaps? ohmygod_smile

 

Robin

My very deepest sympathy about your mother. You are such an amazing, special person to care for this little girl with all you have going on personally. Sending prayers in your loss.

A couple things: if you are going to use tuna juice from human tuna, please check the can and read the fine print on the back. While the can might say "chunk light tuna in spring water" if you read the label carefully, you'll find it has vegetable broth which usually means it also contains soy and onion. Both of these items can cause anemia in cats. So I'd look for a tuna that has only tuna and water or not risk it.

If you have or can get a Magic Bullet at Costco or Amazon, it's great for pureeing foods to syringe feed. The Iams MaxCal is prescription but it has 300 calories in a can and is 9% carbs but we can continue to adjust insulin dose; it's more important to get high calorie food in her at this point.

Also, here is a great video on how to Assist Feed a Cat

 

Thanks for the warning on the tuna water. I have a mini cuisine thingy that I bought several years ago when I syringe fed a dying kitten. I am glad I saved it. I was thinking of diluting baby food if I do it at all. She's eating much more now and the mix of kitten kibble is decreasing while the Wellness pellets are increasing. Sometimes she tosses the Wellness on the floor but not all of them.

I still would like to see a number on the meter. It's been about 5 cycles since I switched to the 1u. May consider a .25 increase tomorrow. Lots to do during the day as any of you would know if you have lost a loved-one. I may still try to do a curve on her this weekend.

I appreciate all your kind words. My mother was in terrible pain and distress since losing my dad in March so while this is a sad time, it is also a blessing and relief. I'm just sorry she didn't get to see her cats one last time.

 

How do you feel about taking it to 1.5? I worry about these highs. I doubt you have to worry about her dropping low... anything other than high right now would be good.

Great news on her eating the wellness pellets.

ketone test nag nag. Even if you switch out the litter with lentils... and check it every 30 mins esp after she eats. Dont know if you have time right now though.. just an idea.

Sorry about your mom (hugs)

Wendy

 

You can even try chicken or beef broth - again check labels for ingredients. That may be something to add to her water.

You can also try spoon feeding her some wet food, baby food and see if she will lick it off the spoon. I have tiny spoon that I can put in Maui's mouth and wipe the food along the roof of her mouth. This was one way I taught her to eat wet food. It's not syringe feeding so maybe that would work as an alternative?

I'm sorry about your mom.

 

I would rather see you raise her dose 0.25u every four cycles until you start seeing some low yellow or blue numbers rather than raising 0.5u every six cycles.

 

What Marje said. She knows her stuff.

Wendy

 

One other thing to add: it's really, really important to get some spot checks. I know you work long days but any time you can catch an out the door, in the door, and always a before bed test. We do want to be sure that the high numbers are not due to her bouncing off the insulin. It can happen. I've seen cats go from 300 to 40 and back to 300 in one cycle; without that mid-cycle spot check, we wouldn't have known. Hopefully, you will be able to catch more tests on the weekends; spot checks are really, really important.

 

Marje's point is really good, Tigger's one of those cat's that can drop several hundred points easily in a few hours & go right back up before the end of his cycle!

Also good note from Marje about the onion in broth or tuna water & baby food. Sorry I forgot to add that.

Thinking about you, Robym, sending lots of support your way - you're doing an amazing job with all you have going - and for taking your Mom's cat. How many cats did your Mom have?

 

I will start the new dosage up .25 tomorrow (Saturday) and get some mid cycle tests. I am planning to do a curve this weekend too, just don't know if it will be tomorrow. I like the idea of rubbing some food on the roof of her mouth. I am going to try different foods this weekend when I am home. And since I will be home and paying more attention to her this weekend, I will try to catch some urine on a stick.

My mom has two cats. The mother and brother of my oldest civvie. They are 13 and 14 years old and not healthy so they won't be around for many more years. I already have three civvies and a permanent foster. Not sure I can handle five cats but I may have to take the mother. We have six months to clear out the house so we are not worrying about that now.

 

One step at a time Robin. It's all you can do. Sending big hugs to you as you deal with your mother's passing.

Prioritize and organize and just do the best you can for now with all your are dealing with.