3/19 - Update on Onyx (went OTJ last August)

Hi Everyone.

Well, I was hoping you guys would never have to hear from me again, since I was able to get Onyx OTJ so quickly last year. But...I'm afraid the remission might be over. I have the pickiest cat in the world, and I've had so much trouble with her food over the past 6 months. As of right now, she will NOT eat the Young Again Zero Carb, and she'll only touch Evo 6% and Natures Variety 8%. And for 10 days now, Onyx has been jumping between 304 and 431. And I seriously doubt such minimal carbs would shoot her numbers so high. I took her to the vet on Monday for bloodwork (results will be in today), just in case she might have an infection going on, but my heart tells me the diabetes is back. I'm so sad.

Since going OJT, she's had a LOT of vomiting problems from pulling her hair out, which doesn't seem to be getting better. And usually twice a month I have to get her a shot of Cerenia. Usually when she's getting ready to start a vomiting spell, her numbers will shoot up, but it only lasts a few days. Never 10.

Fortunately, I do still have a decent amount of supplies left. But my question is: I still have 3/4 of a bottle of Lantus (purchased in July), will it be safe to use it? The expiration on the bottle is 12/14 and It's stayed on the top shelf of my refrigerator.

Okay, so enough rambling. I hope everyone is doing well.

Sending hugs and healing vines to those in need today.

Brandi

Brandi, wish I had some information on how long the Lantus lasts. I've seen discussions about the longevity of Lantus here, so hopefully someone will jump in soon. You may want to click the question button to draw some more attention to your question.

Paws crossed for the bloodwork results!

Hi guys .. well, I hope that whatever is causing onyx's numbers to rise can be treated and taken care of soon! But, if you have to go back on insulin at least you know you can always get great advice here .. have a great day guys!

Hi, Brandi. Sorry to hear about Onyx's numbers.

I'm really glad you got Onyx into the vet. Did the vet take a good look at Onyxs teeth? Sometimes, if a cat needs a dental it can throw them out of remission. Likewise, I hope the vet got a urine sample to rule out a UTI.

Has the vet figured out what the hair pulling is about? If it's allergy, have you tried any allergy meds? (I suspect that's a dumb question but I figured I'd ask anyway.)

I'd inspect the vial of Lantus. If you don't see any "floaties," it may still be good. You might want to get a prescription from your vet when you get the lab results just in case. There is currently a coupon available for the pens. With the coupon, they cost $25 per pen which is a substantial discount. You have to buy a single pen for the discount so the pharmacy should dispense them that way.

Thanks so much, gang.

The vial of Lantus is perfectly clear with not a single floatie of any kind. But if I do have to get a new script, I will DEFINITELY use the coupon. Thanks so much.

As far as the other questions go, I don't think they checked her urine. I actually couldn't get an appointment with the vet, so we did the bloodwork to save time. Her teeth and urine habits seem quite normal. Well, except for the fact that she's peeing so much the last 2 days, which is a big indicator the diabetes is back. But when we go back in this week, I'll make sure he checks both. She's been digging and biting so much lately that she has scabs all over her, so I was more concerned that she might have gotten a skin infection. That happened to her last year, and they gave her a steroid, then a month later had diabetes. I think we've ruled out that it's an allergy. It's most likely from stress, or OCD. So she may end up having to go on meds for that soon. This behavior started after the love of her life died a few years ago. From everything I've read, the compulsive bathing releases endorphins that make her feel soooooooo good...that she might have just gotten addicted to it. Who knows. When she was young, she ended up having seisures from stress, so she's vulnerable to it. She also sucks her paw, which I've recently learned is OCD behavior. I'm considering just shaving her so there's no hair to pull out! Man would she look funny though...lol.

Brandi,

I am new to the message board, my kitty Eeyore was recently diagnosed with Diabetes. I wanted to let you know that he has also had his rounds of pulling his hair out and eating it. Eeyore will be 16 this April. Back in 2007 when I went out of state to college and left my baby, with his brother, home at my parents house, he started the furr mowing. He has had a bald little tummy ever since! He hasn't had any sores, or hot spots and we ruled out allergies because it didn't seem to be a body-wide issue he just started eating his tummy furr one day (likely because of my absence, id been with him since I was 6 yrs old) and then never stopped! Like you said I think he got addicted. When I graduated and came back home from college we thought it would get better but he still seemed to "mow." Unfortunately his brother, our beloved other kitty lost a battle to lymphoma Christmas of 2012. I thought for sure Eeyore would mow his entire body losing his brother and closest buddy, being prone to stress mowing as it was. To be proactive, I talked to our vet and we started Eeyore on Fluoxetine, aka Kitty prozac! I didn't mind his little piggy bald tummy but he would do what we called "going to town" on his tum and then have hair ball issues later. I did mind waking up every morning to barf in his bed. Anyways to make a long story short, he has done well on the Fluoxetine, he has 3MG capsules which I mix in his food and he doesn't even take them every night anymore. I just give it to him every third night or so. I also give him Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil drops on his food the nights that I mix in the Fluox. His hair surprisingly grew back some! He still has a more thin layer over the tummy spot but it is better than the smooth shave he was giving it! I also use some of the Natures Miracle calming sprays and body washes (every month-ish) and it seems to help him not to be so mowing obsessed! Being from Colorado, I also really love this natural pet store! www.onlynaturalpet.com They don't have a lot of diabetes remedies, but they have a lot of stress, allergy, skin issues etc herbs that definitely help! In my experience at least.

I'm sorry to hear Onyx may be coming out of remission and I know that is a more pressing matter than his furr issue but I just thought I would share my experience to see if maybe it could help alleviate at least some of your problem! ]

Melanie

Actually, Melanie...the vet thinks this could all be related to her skin issues. The blood work is back, and the only 2 things elevated are her BG numbers, which we already knew...and something in her white blood cells that has to do with allergies. She might have both stress related issues AND an allergy to something we can't nail down. So we're going to try antimhistamines over the next few days. He said the anxiety from the allergy could very well be why her numbers are so high. So fingers and toes are crossed. If it doesn't help, there is one other med he mentioned (I can't remember) for the skin issues. If nothing helps, he said we'd have to put her back on insulin for a while, at least until we find a solution for the skin stuff. UGH!

And Onyx has a bald stomach as well. What is it with these black cats and their hair pulling? lol

Hi Brandi! I remember you and Onyx well!!

I hope you can find some answers for the rise in the BG as well as the skin problems. Have you ever tried novel ingredient foods? Allergies to proteins can be some of the most common, and even if they've never been allergic to a certain food before, allergies can start at any time!

It might be worth a try, but I know having a picky cat won't make it any easier. Natures Variety Limited Ingredient Diets might be worth trying.

I know one of the best proteins is kangaroo, but it's not exactly readily available everywhere....LOL

As for the Lantus, I know that just within the last week or so we had another one fall off the OTJ trail, and her insulin was over a year old, but kept in the refrigerator. If I remember right, it might have even been right about it's expiration date....but it seems to be working fine!!

I'd say if you end up needing it, try it...you should know in a few days if it's any good or not

Good luck with Onyx! Remember, we tend to be a little more aggressive with former OTJ kitties, so don't let him hang out too long in higher numbers before getting some advice on dosage

Hi Brandi, I hope this is a short term condo rental for Onyx. Good luck finding the cause of the itchiness. There are lots of novel proteins but most come as raw food. I know Onyx is picky but I have heard of some kibble addicts who are OK with raw. Venison and duck are two of the more common novel proteins available. Neko loves her kangaroo.

Hey Wendy and Chris!

You guys actually really gave me something to think about. I had been considering that she might be allergic to chicken, and spent this morning searching for low carb dry food without chicken. No dice! Right now the only thing Onyx will eat is Nature's Variety Natural Instinct chicken...and I called the company about their "limited ingredient" foods. They are all over 23% carbs. Even their rabbit is 14%, but it still has chicken in it. A true raw diet is the only thing I hadn't tried. She wouldn't eat cooked chicken, so I just assumed she wouldn't eat raw. But perhaps some of the other options you guys mentioned are worth trying. All I know is, the HIGH protein Young Again food made her throw up all time. The NV that's not as high in protein is handled much better internally.

The vet wanted me to try her on antihistamines to see what happened, but I have to say, it was NOT good. I tried every way under the sun to get that pill down her throat, and each time she managed to spit it up. I finally crushed it and mixed it with coconut oil (which she likes) and used a syringe. Well you would have thought I squirted battery acid in her throat the way she acted. She foamed at the mouth so bad, then vomited. Hid for hours. Good news is, it made her throw up a 4" hairball that I believe was causing a lot of her problem. The stress shot her up to nearly 500 last night, which is the highest I've ever seen.

I think what I've decided is to start her back on Lantus tonight. As of now, NONE of her organs have been affected by the high BG, but god only knows if it goes on. It's already been 2 weeks. So instead of experimenting with allergy meds and Cyclosporin, THEN maybe putting her back on insulin if they don't work, I think the smartest thing is to get her numbers down now, before any damage happens. Especially since she's showing traces of ketones. I can experiment with food and other meds later. It's very possible she might just need to be on insulin indefinitely. If I recall, when she was first diagnosed, she was really itchy all the time...and I believe that's a symptom. At this point, I'd rather keep her comfortable. I go back to work in a few weeks, so I won't be able to do the "aggressive" treatment I did last time. But who knows what will happen. I'll just take it one day at a time.

Thanks, ladies.

:smile: