previous: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB...-72-10-86-pmps-119-2-294.254793/#post-2870583 Callie seemed to really like this dose for a while but now we are at the sixth cycle of no greens (and only as low as high blues.) I am not sure if this is one long bounce from the 10/28 greens and we should hold this dose for a bit longer or if she needs more insulin. If we don't see greens this cycle, should we increase to 5U tonight? Thanks!
I don't think so but hard to say for sure. It is mostly her allergies/EGC that we are still (forever...) trying to get a handle on. The Apoquel seemed to really work at first but she's got some persistent granulomas that are really itchy/ uncomfortable right now so she is scratching etc more often again. I added Zyrtec back to try to help. In better news though: no recent asthma attacks, the Adequan seems to be helping at least a bit with what we think is arthritis and she's acting much more like herself lately - sleeping and cuddling with us, making biscuits, playing a lot, throwing fits when she wants something she's not getting quickly enough for her liking So I'm not really certain what's going on with her numbers I was really hopeful the first bunch of cycles of 4.75 but now here we are again...
Have you checked into cold laser for the possible arthritis? Bella is getting it and it seems to be helping. You are the second person I know now using apoquel for their cat. I know dog owners that have used it with limited success. I sure I have asked before but have you ever done a good trial feeding only one new novel protein? I ask because I have a cat with EGC and I worry all the time that one day her novel protein will stop working. Where does Callie break out?
I haven't looked into cold laser yet but I will. Callie has a new vet who has had success using Apoquel with some of his itchy cat patients so we thought it was worth a try - seems to be another ECID thing. It worked really well in the beginning and Callie is still better than she was before we started it so we're going to keep her on it for now. I just hate that she has to have any chronic level of itchiness/ discomfort. We have done food trials over the years with varying levels of success. Callie's dermatologist thinks that there are likely environmental allergies along with whatever food allergies Callie has. She was at her very best on Ultamino, a high-carb prescription dry food that breaks the protein down to the amino acid level. Of course, that food may well have contributed to her diabetes diagnosis... We have now mostly switched her over to homemade raw w novel proteins (venison, pork and bison) since that seems to be the best way to limit possible allergens. Callie breaks out mostly around her neck, shoulders and upper back. She has also had rodent ulcers in the past but thankfully not in years (anti jinx!!!) Has your cat stopped breaking out/ itching with the novel protein she's eating now?
Mocha gets the ulcers on her lips and sometimes dermatitis on ears and above her eyes. She’s only had a few since I switched her to venison and I think that might have been due to her eating a bite of her sister’s food. I need feed them in separately and thankfully they are done in about a minute or less. She’s only 5 and before I discovered what was wrong ruined beef, chicken, turkey, duck, pork, and chicken. It might be just chicken and turkey but I’m afraid to try the others. Huge anti jinx for both of us!
100%! Glad Mocha is doing well on venison. None of this is easy. I wish there was an accurate way to allergy test and know once and for all exactly what Callie is allergic to but none of her vets think that allergy testing would be useful in her case. Like you, I am scared to try stuff that I'm not sure of -- turkey for example -- because I definitely don't want to chance making things worse. Thanks for suggesting that we check into cold laser therapy for arthritis. I'm going to see if our vet does it.
Check out Bella’s condo. https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/10-29-bella-update-and-pic.254815/#post-2870722
