7/24 Skooter AMPS 301 +6 148 PMPS 265 +2 242 +4 113 +8 251

Yellow and Blue and Green, oh my!

Growl to the pink! Just two little mg/dL less and we could have started out our day in the sunshiny yellow, darn it! But I am guessing this isn't necessarily a BAD bounce...he used to jump WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY up (high 300s to low 400s), and now, even when he is bouncing, its not that bad. I am also thinking he wanted me to be able to work without freaking out too much, awfully thoughtful of him.

I should be home by +6 to see where he is at. I am hoping for a lovely blue number by that time as that would indicate a nice slow slide, at least I think it does. He seems to be doing pretty well and I am wondering if some of what I am seeing is just his age setting in. As for me, I am a weeeeee bit on the exhausted side and just not feeling 100% on my game. I am guessing it might be due to the weight gain since Skooter's diagnosis. I have not really been able to find a healthy balance of work, checking on Skooter and having a life of my own (which would include grocery shopping, going to the gym, and just getting out of the house). As of late, life seems to be work, MAYBE a quick dinner with someone on the way home from work, but spend the rest of the time at home monitoring and testing Skooter. I will go out for supplies for him, but that is about it. I know I need to find a better balance for Skooter and myself....I just get worried leaving him.

Re: 7/24 Skooter AMPS 301

HI guys .. hey, you're being positive about this low pink and that is a good thing! Like you said, it's an improvement from what he used to do I sure hope you can start finding a nice balance for the both of you .. You have to take care of yourself too .. As far as food goes, the only info I can give you is that mocha has been on some sort of turkey and giblets canned food for several years now and does not seem to crave anything else so we just stick with it ;-) have a great day!

Re: 7/24 Skooter AMPS 301

With IBD have you been feeding different proteins in the past? Often people find a novel protein or grain free is the ticket to managing it with fish, meat, and often chicken being the culprits. Has Skooter been finicky in the past? I'm finding Max is mostly a better eater with diabetes.

What you describe is my life more or less since mid November of last year. When Max bounces I have more time. I end up turning down invitations from friends if it involves more than dinner or a movie. Often dinner can't happen as they want to go before I feel safe leaving Max. I'm hoping that will change. You might be one of the lucky ones whose cat goes OTJ within a couple of months or doesn't dive. That would make life much easier.

Re: 7/24 Skooter AMPS 301

To date, Skooter has NEVER turned down a meal :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

After reading so many condos, I guess I should consider myself lucky that he will eat whatever I give him. I feel bad (even though he doesn't know any different) and would like to give him SOME variety, but I am not sure if he will then turn into a picky eater and only eat certain things. I am also wondering would the different proteins have different effects on his BG or is it more the carb count that matters? I have had Skooter for about 12 years and in that time he was on the dry food for IBD and no proteins in there, so I am guessing that no, he has not had other novel proteins. I have two small cans of the beef and the duck I could try, but wasn't sure if that was a good idea. I am also hoping to get him to an all raw diet in the next month or so, so I am not sure if that would play a roll in if I give him options or not.

I am hoping I get to a point where I am more comfortable leaving him alone for longer periods of time, just not there yet I guess. Even now, debating if maybe today I could skip going home during lunch to test him, just to allow myself a bit of relaxing during lunch due to stressful job, and I feel ever so guilty even thinking that.

Re: 7/24 Skooter AMPS 301

I personally wouldn't give the meat as many cats with IBD seem to not handle it well. How was the IBD diagnosed? Other than pred, what have you tried? As for the food, if it ain't broke don't fix it. My only changes are between hc, mc, and lc but I would like to get Max on a higher quality food. To that he turns his nose except for Stella & Chewys's. Before p'itis he blocked he was a dry food junkie. He was on canned only for a long time before we began this dance.

Re: 7/24 Skooter AMPS 301

i feed my cats the same food every day, every meal. before i became "enlightened" on the food front, my cats got dry food - same food for years on end. with punkin's diagnosis and coming here, we switched to canned food, but i still only gave him either chicken or turkey, although i occasionally gave fish or beef.

Dr. Lisa's site http://www.catinfo.org makes a great case for why you should stick to poultry because that would be a cat's natural food in the wild. It's not uncommon for cats to develop allergies to beef - not many house cats bring down mastadons in the wild.

i wouldn't worry for one moment about feeding the same food all the time. if it becomes a problem, then worry about it. ;-)

Re: 7/24 Skooter AMPS 301 +6 148

I'm a big fan of the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" theory too!!

Nice safe slide today Mr. Skooter!

Re: 7/24 Skooter AMPS 301 +6 148 PMPS 265

He was diagnosed about 7 years ago or so after he was vomiting all the time, large piles of diarrhea and had lost about 6 to 7 pounds (he was about 14 pounds then).

They said it was either lymphoma cancer or IBD. So exploratory surgery it was! They took about 10 biopsies and couldn't find anything resembling cancer, and so they came to the dx of IBD. After surgery he was put on predisone and eventually tapered off of it. He gained his weight back and he was just like his old self. When he would have flare ups (vomiting a lot) he would go back on for short period of time.

Then about a year ago, he had to go back on it and it was determined he would probably be a lifer. Once his diabetes was diagnosed, he was immediately tapered off the predisone and is currently he is on .5 mL of Budesonide (I believe that is what it is called) daily and doing wonderfully on that.

I guess it is stupid, but I just felt bad that he didn't get any variety, but I am also of the mind set of if it aint broke, I just have to learn not to feel bad for not giving him options. With my luck, if he was giving options, he would turn into one of those really picky eaters and then I will have T-R-O-U-B-L-E, trouble on my hands!

Speaking of trouble, just realized I am almost out of lancets....the box I got the other day has gone missing.....guess I best run out before his plus two to get more. That is about an hour and 45 minutes from now. I shall be getting several boxes at this point lololol

Re: 7/24 Skooter AMPS 301 +6 148 PMPS 265

at whatever point you're satisfied with answers to your question, you might want to remove the ? post icon. that way if you have a new question, and put the ? up again, it will get noticed.

i think with his IBD history, i wouldn't be too eager to introduce new foods if he's doing ok with the old food. He'll let you know if he's annoyed by the service and the food. ;-)

Re: 7/24 Skooter AMPS 301 +6 148 PMPS 265

If IBD wasn't in the equation, I'd vote for variation in fuds. My 2 kitties are on raw and get 4 proteins in rotation (kangaroo, chicken, venison, turkey). Neko used to be on just one protein (chicken canned) but she was picky about texture and if the manufacturer changed things (Wellness) I'd have a huge issue finding lots numbers that she'd eat. When I introduced other flavors, it meant I have options if one is rejected. Same thing with raw - except there are way fewer acceptable carb options out there. I like to feed in the 3-5% carb range and also lower % phosphorus. For a while we were doing Primal Quail, but they discontinued it. I'm searching for a lower calorie option to the chicken she's eating now but there aren't many choices out there.

Re: 7/24 Skooter AMPS 301 +6 148 PMPS 265 +2 242

I don't think I will ever be finished with questions lololol

Thanks for the reminder, forgot I had put it up there!

Well, it looks like Skooter might be a stinker tonight and stay yellow....I shall see what his +4 says...on the other hand, it does mean I might get to go to bed at 10:30 tonight instead of like 1, which would be a plus.....

Re: 7/24 Skooter AMPS 301 +6 148 PMPS 265 +2 242

If Skooter lets you, take this opportunity to get a good sleep. You need to take care of yourself, Molly. This is a marathon, not a sprint. When I am a single bean, I will get a +2 then a +3.5. I get everything ready so that I can go directly to bed if the +3.5 test looks like Zener will be safe.
Liz

Re: 7/24 Skooter AMPS 301 +6 148 PMPS 265 +2 242 +4 113

Thanks for the advice Liz, but it appears Skooter has other plans for me tonight.....

I know he nadirs early, but that was a big dive for him between +2 and +4......

While he is about the same as he was last night at this time, what worries me is the +2 was very different from last night to tonight.....

He is getting his final meal of the night now (and ate it in record time), but I still would feel better getting one more test in.....I am torn, part of me would like to see green, but I don't want to borrow trouble...so if he wants to have a lovely blue surf, then I am cool with that....we can shoot for green tomorrow night when I am home, all night, to test him lol

But I am very encouraged since his move from dry to wet food. Makes me think he has a chance of having a really low does or even maybe, JUST MAYBE a chance at going OTJ.....

Re: 7/24 Skooter AMPS 301 +6 148 PMPS 265 +2 242 +4 113 +8 2

This time I slept through TWO alarms...... GROWL

I need to find a way, other than just staying up to be able to get the tests in that I need to.

I am assuming he must have gone lower with a +8 of 251, but I guess I will never know now :cry:

Trying to not beat myself up, but I don't know what to do to force myself to wake up.....