We are home! Cami is doing (not so) great.

Discussion in 'Lantus / Levemir / Biosimilars' started by Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA, Oct 28, 2012.

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  1. Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA

    Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    First of all - I nearly gave myself a heart attack when I couldn't find the bag with her testing kit in it after we got home. I when back down to my car twice and could not find it (this is after 3 trips to unload 'essentials' like cats, cooler, laptop) to/from 3rd floor. I had visions of it sitting next to the driveway 315 miles away and thinking if I could drive there/back in one day (no - that would be 12 hrs and a $$$ in gas). Finally, I remembered sticking it in the bathroom because it also had my 'cosmetic' bag in it. Whew!

    She continues to have great numbers on .25u (Where's that antijinx icon?). She had an almost 200 yesterday, but I think the shot in the morning might have been empty. It drew really oddly and may have only been enough insulin to cover a huge air bubble as the pen was bone dry that night. Today, after a six hour car ride, a test/shot an hour late, and 1 hr after eating she was 114. I can hardly believe it! And I am NOT saying anything else about that or drawing any conclusions (wink, wink).

    She is so new that I am learning more about her every day. I was told she did not handle car rides well.
    (does this look like a cat that can't handle car rides?):
    [​IMG]

    She sat on the passenger seat most of the way. The rest of the time she was either on my lap or partway on the seat and part on the console wanting me to pat her head. If I stopped she reached out with her paw and touched my arm.

    She can't handle beef flavored foods, apparently. Still experimenting there. Previous person said she had trouble with fish flavors, but I wonder if the cause/effect was not properly connected - you know, timing-wise. She doesn't have trouble until 12 or more hours later, if my surmise is correct.

    And she CAN jump up on things like tables. Can't do kitchen counters yet without a booster (like the cooler left on the floor).

    She is still "prickly" with the others, and me to some extent. She demands food every time I walk past her. And she takes issue with the others being near, but I have had her inches from Beau when I give treats. Tonight will be the first night at home where she can sleep on my bed if she wants - no more overnights shut in the other bedroom, so we will see how everyone does with that.

    My mom came up on Weds and left yesterday. She walked in the door and said, "Who are you? A new charge?" And she thinks that Cami's coat and behavior improved in just the 3 days she was there. I am not sure about that, but I do think she has come a long way in just two weeks.
     
  2. Pumbaa

    Pumbaa Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2012
    Re: We are home! Cami is doing great.

    Welcome back, Sheila! I'll bet everyone is happy to be home.

    So glad to hear how good Cami is doing! Especially bonding with you!

    Suze
     
  3. Sheri & Spyder (GA)

    Sheri & Spyder (GA) Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Re: We are home! Cami is doing great.

    You're making such wonderful progress in such a short amount of time......guess it was just YOU that she needed to make everything all better ;-)

    Would you kindly ask her to talk to Dante and Bonsai?
    They're STILL separated :sad:
     
  4. Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA

    Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Re: We are home! Cami is doing great.

    Sheri, she might not be the best person to talk to your crew. She is exceedingly grumpy about everything still (most of the time) and got into a spat with Beau this morning over treats, but I was actually glad to see him defend himself instead of just run away scared. It's just going to take time for the "starvation" behavior to fade away, I guess.

    I got some of her vet records while I was gone. The ones surrounding her declaw surgery last June (2011). She had weighed 13 lbs, 9 ozs then, so dropping to 7 lbs is almost a 50% wt loss. Her BG was 115, but that was probably a fasting one prior to the surgery. It looks like the FD came on after that surgery and the events surrounding it. I still think she may be hyperthyroid and have to get her in to have that checked. She will throw up small amounts of white foam if she is overly hungry. Doesn't happen all the time, but its usually in the morning. Mind you, she is still eating nearly 12 ozs of food per day. Makes me think she is metabolizing it very rapidly so her tummy doesn't stay full very long.

    I was hoping to see a senior panel done in the past two years, after she turned 10, but her age was "misrepresented" in her declaw records as her being two years younger than she was (9 instead of 11) and I am just betting that there was an age cut off they were getting around. The "then" owners gave a recent history of her scratching the kids "unprovoked" and without warning. If that was behavior change why was a reason not looked for first? Seems to me that hyperT could cause some aggression. Plus, they said she startles very easily at loud sounds. Another indication, if you ask me.
     
  5. pamela and tigger

    pamela and tigger Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Re: We are home! Cami is doing great.

    It is so hard for me to comment on this Sheila. The whole de-clawing thing makes me sick, quite frankly. I know this has been a source of contention in past years here on FDMB (not with you of course), with people sometimes defending this procedure (right or wrong - I am sorry, I don't know any 'right' here). I just feel so badly for Cami that she had to go through this and the aftermath that sometimes can influence their life forever, with pain and insecurities.

    I think you should just give her time and not worry about the hyper-T diagnosis yet. Let her settle in. She is feeling very vulnerable right now. I would not introduce anything further into her routine. Give it some time.

    Heck, Tigger has been throwing up foam on and off for years! What he likes to do is go out and eat a little grass. I think it settles his stomach and has the benefit of adding folic acid to their diet:

    http://www.pawsonline.info/grasseating.htm

    Give her some time. She will be okay. I am so glad her numbers are coming down. Another reason not to introduce something else into the mix. I know you know this, and are just trying to do what is right for her. You two will get there. Bless you for taking her in. She is such a lucky lady. (((hugs)))
     
  6. Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA

    Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Re: We are home! Cami is doing great.

    Pamela, I totally agree with you on everything. I just wonder - if the grumpiness is from hyperT, wouldn't it be better to get that taken care of sooner rather than later? Plus it would help with the ravenous appetite and weight loss, I would think. If that is the cause.

    I have not ever had a cat this emaciated before, which is saying a lot since Beau and Jeddie both came to me at about 8 lbs. Even being bigger, male cats, they were not like this. And they ate, a lot, but not constantly and not more than 12 ozs or so being free fed. She would eat 24 ozs if I let her. I am sure of it.

    Its like she can't do anything other than cry for food. She had her test/shot about an hour and a half ago, bits of chicken and an once of wet food about 20 mins ago, and she is STILL crying for food (after having had 10 ozs of food and 8 kibbles already today.
     
  7. Pumbaa

    Pumbaa Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2012
    Re: We are home! Cami is doing great.

    Sheila, what did your previous vet/blood reports state about hyper thyroidism for Cami?

    If Cami is still crying for food, but her BG numbers are this great, I would definitively have her checked for hyper thyroidism. Soon! Hyper thyroidism is so much easier to treat than FD.

    I think you are thinking in the right direction. As always. :)

    Suze
     
  8. Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA

    Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Re: We are home! Cami is doing great.

    Suze, there are no indications in the past 16 months, and two vets, that there was any check of her T4 levels.

    I just don't know if her appetite falls into a normal range for a newly treated, long-term diabetic who lost almost 50% of their body weight. Cami has only had these great numbers for about a week. Her poor body has a lot of catching up to do yet.

    I called my vet to ask if she thought I should let her settle in more, or get the tests done right away - but she didn't get back to me today. I'll see what she thinks.
     
  9. pamela and tigger

    pamela and tigger Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Re: We are home! Cami is doing great.

    Again, all I can say is just give her a little bit of time. She has been through a lot in the short time she has been with you (and of course before). Let her settle in after the trip. HyperT is not a life threatening disease. She will be okay. Give it a month or so.
     
  10. hmjohnston

    hmjohnston Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2011
    Re: We are home! Cami is doing great.

    Sheila- Cami's numbers are doing GREAT!

    Not even 2 1/2 weeks and her numbers are down from 361 to blues and that is even with a car ride!

    Yes, she has been through a lot but if getting a check done for hyperT helps you to help her I would say do it if you can. If it gives you a clue of why she is still not feeling well and takes care of an issue that would be best to get it done when you can as early as you can.

    **ETA** And this is from someone who has ONLY dealt with FD so I don't have the experience others may.
     
  11. Peggy and Mickey (GA)

    Peggy and Mickey (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2010
    Re: We are home! Cami is doing great.

    Hi Sheila! You have a new family member? Nice!! I haven't been on board lately. Miss you all.
     
  12. Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA

    Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Re: We are home! Cami is doing great.

    Hi Peggy. Yes, it will be four weeks tomorrow.

    Since the update in the beginning of the post, I am having some issues with her, both with BG and with behavior. She IS still settling in, and I do see minute changes daily, but she is still a growling, hissing, eating machine - and little else. Rarely, I can get her on my lap and she will purr for about 5 minutes. And, unfortunately, she is peeing outside the LB :sad:

    I still have hopes that she will come around. She has been through so much trauma and stress in the past year that I hope she will learn that she is safe, that I will not hurt her or ignore her (she makes it hard right now to provide loving attention because she just won't accept it most of the time), that there will be enough food and that she can make friends with the other cats (although I fear she is building walls my others may never be willing to climb over). Sadly, she often challenges Beau, steals his food, and he is learning to avoid her. I had hoped he would take her under his wing and they could be friends. She is just too prickly for that. :cry:
     
  13. Pumbaa

    Pumbaa Well-Known Member

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    Apr 7, 2012
    Poor Sheila. So sorry to hear that Cami is continuing to be a challenge. (((HUGS)))
     
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