Would Someone Mind...

... Taking a look at Blackie's SS for me, please, and seeing why her #'s seem to be hanging in the pinks with some reds thrown in for good measure?

She's on Lantus, which was started July 25th, and I've just increased her dosage to 2.25u last night. I'm figuring that despite the fact that she may or may not give me good #'s today, I'm pretty sure that I'll see some reds tomorrow.

She's also eating FF Turkey & Giblets flavor 3x a day, and has boiled chicken treats (about 3-5 pieces each time) after shots, and tests, and sometimes I'll give her a couple of pieces extra here and there (I know it's not a meal replacement).

Thankfully, she's not drinking a lot of water as I give her 3 tablespoons with her meals.

She's negative for ketones.

I just weighed her, and even though I need a digital scale, the scale that I do have (one of those dial ones) reads that she's 9 lbs. So, she's not losing weight (not that I know of), and she's not gaining weight, either.

There's no sign of acro that I can tell (no visible signs that I can see, for instance). I'm not sure how much an acro test would cost, but my vet didn't tell me the cost of it, despite my questioning him.

Just want to know if I need to switch her food to something much less in carbs than the 3.9 that the FF is giving her, or what. It's almost getting to the point that every time I test her, I'm just going to see the same old #'s as the previous days. I know and understand to be patient, and I know that ECID.

I guess I'm starting to feel a tad frustrated, and at a loss.

 

No real suggestions. Some kitties are just hard to get under control.

 

Today's looking a little better with some yellows (200s). I think it's a matter of time and a methodical movement up the dosing ladder.

 

I recently found that Fancy Feast chopped grill (2% carbs) has started raising my diabetics BGs --- so Purina has been messing around with the formula/recipe.

Have you tried feeding Wellness or EVO canned?

There is only one lab in North America that runs the IGF-1 test. The lab cost is $44. Your vet will add to that a fee for drawing the blood sample and shipping it (cold overnight) to Michigan.
Here is the link to the lab test information:
http://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/Bin/Cat ... st&Id=1401

Not sure that you need the IGF-1 and IAA tests yet...

 

Angela you know i've been following your posts for a long time. It has been a hard ride for so long. have you completley ruled out infections?

 

Another thing to consider is teeth as well as any infection. Infections and teeth could be contributing to the numbers.

When I took Shadoe for her very first dental, she had a bad upper molar that was extracted plus 3 needed a good cleanup. Her numbers came down a good bit after the dental, so you could have the teeth checked for any problems.

The dose is not all that high, so just keep on following the protocol and increase till you hit Blackie's dose.
There are some kitties that do need a bit more than others but are not acro.
I can think of one kitty, Randi's Max, who was up to around 6u and where is Max now? He's OTJ!

You did just switch insulins, yes? I'd say look more to Blackie and see what she has to say about things. If Blackie is doing OK then just keep doing what you are doing and testing for ketones with the high numbers.
It's slow going, but it's the way you will find her dose.

 

Thank you for the advice, and insight. Obviously, I'll continue doing what I'm doing.

Lori, I've had her teeth checked, and they're all fine (thank goodness). She's in good health, too.

Although, today she seems to be a bit more alert than her usual lethargic self. She almost seems to be more "Blackie-ish", which is what I'm hoping for.

 

That's the thing .... you will see the changes in Blackie before you see the numbers improve.
Always look to the cat first.

Were the teeth just looked at visually or were they Xrayed and/or cleaned?
Quite often, you cannot tell just by a visual. A good cleaning may uncover some hidden culprit that is influencing Blackie's numbers.

Still, it's good to hear that she is getting back to her old self; it's those signs that are such a relief to see.

 

Can't look at the ss just now but wanted to talk about the cars.

Don't kniw if you remember I looked after Alexia's Blue in july and I played with the carbs on him. He was super carb sensitive and depending on the situatioin I gave him from 2-5 on avg with 5-7 considered "high" carb for him.

Just a thought if you want to play that. I know evo 95 percent ranges from 0-3 carb.