12/3 Chewie AMPS 102/ +2 100/ +4 71/ +6 79/ +8 80/ PMPS 114/ +2.5 127/ +5.5 145

Discussion in 'Lantus / Levemir / Biosimilars' started by Virginie & Chewie (GA), Dec 3, 2022.

  1. Virginie & Chewie (GA)

    Virginie & Chewie (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2022
    Yesterday

    Almost green this morning, which means she may have seen some greens overnight. I forgot to set an alarm before going to bed, so I don't know how low :(

    Her appetite hasn't been great the past couple of days. Part of it is, she's becoming very avoidant of testing and shots, and sometimes will finish her food only after the shot or test, but I hope she is feeling ok otherwise. I'll give her ondansetron and gabapentin once her breakfast has settled, and will get her some proviable or fortiflora to encourage her to eat.
     
  2. Virginie & Chewie (GA)

    Virginie & Chewie (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2022
    100 at +2
    She seems listless today. Didn’t finish breakfast which is why I wanted to get a +2 and ensure she wasn’t diving.
    Spent some time lying down next to the water bowl and drank a bunch.
    Her breathing has been more difficult lately due to the acromegaly, the cabergoline doesn’t seem to be helping that.

    Gave her gabapentin and ondansetron at about +1, and right now one her one of her favorite ever treats (glycoflex 3) after her test and she did perk up for that and purred all the purrs. I do think that overall her quality of life is declining, and I started keeping a daily quality of life journal to help me keep track of good and bad days. As heartbreaking as it is for me and DBF (she is his favorite cat, when she was healthy she would spend hours in his lap), we want to do what’s best for her and not keep her around dreading meds and tests and just not feeling any better. So we are trying to prepare mentally and emotionally for it. Wish cats lived forever.
     
  3. Jackie and Biggie

    Jackie and Biggie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2022
    I hope Chewie has a better day today. With her numbers coming down, I hope she’s just getting used to the new numbers. I’m glad she had some purr-time! :bighug:
     
  4. Kyle & Simon (GA)

    Kyle & Simon (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2020
    I’m sorry Chewie seems off. It sounds like you are doing all the right things for her! I’m sure you have done labs and ruled out anything else that could be affecting her- CKD, thyroid, etc? I hope she feels better soon :bighug:
     
  5. Virginie & Chewie (GA)

    Virginie & Chewie (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2022
    Thanks @Jackie and Biggie and @Kyle & Simon (GA) - yes we did all the labs this summer, everything seemed ok except her BG and SDMA on the higher end of normal.

    She is drinking a lot of water today despite lower BG. Found her lying by the water bowl and drinking twice already. Brought her a tiny bit of scrambled eggs (her favorite people food) and she purred like crazy, but still didn’t get out of her hidey hole for it (though she did to drink right after). We will see. It could be an off day, or it could be the beginning of the end. Time and watchful observation will tell.

    @FrostD I know you are busy (and congrats on the new baby btw! Hope both you and her are safe from RSV) but if you have a minute, what would you think about switching to daily cabergoline instead of EOD after 2 weeks? I havent seen an improvement in terms of clinical signs, though her BG numbers are trending lower.
     
  6. Kyle & Simon (GA)

    Kyle & Simon (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2020
    Drinking a lot of water and inappétence can also be kidneys. If you haven’t done labs in a while it might be good to do a recheck. There is so much you can do to help if she does have kidney disease. I will be wishing you both the best :bighug:
     
  7. Virginie & Chewie (GA)

    Virginie & Chewie (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2022
    Her new vet did want to recheck kidneys soon, since those can go downhill fast with acromegaly. I will give her a call Monday when they open to see if I can bring them a urine sample asap. I would rather save Chewie the stressful hour in the car if possible.
     
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  8. Virginie & Chewie (GA)

    Virginie & Chewie (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2022
    71 at +4 despite the treat and scrambled eggs, might also be why she is feeling crummy
    Time for a bigger snack! (Gave cerenia just in case, but she is eating her food in bed)
     
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  9. Cali S

    Cali S Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2022
    I hope it’s “just” being unused to being in the greens and that she perks up soon!
     
  10. Virginie & Chewie (GA)

    Virginie & Chewie (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2022
    Thank you. So do I.
     
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  11. Virginie & Chewie (GA)

    Virginie & Chewie (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2022
    79 at +6, gave 2.5 tsp of LC with lots of warm water added
    She ate it all and purred, but I had to drag her cushion halfway out of the carrier to test her, then shove her back in, and she ate her snack inside the carrier too.
     
  12. Jackie and Biggie

    Jackie and Biggie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2022
    If you’re in the market for a new carrier…This carrier is ridiculously cute; cats love to sleep in it…it’s like a bassinet…you can put soft blankies in it. It’s really easy to get them in and out of, so she might like sleeping in it and it’s basically half open so easy to access. The downside is it only fits about a 12-13 lb cat at most…
    https://www.chewy.com/pet-gear-view-360-dog-cat-carrier-bag/dp/227323
     
  13. FrostD

    FrostD Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2020
    I actually think you might be starting to see some cab results at the moment. It could be the insulin dose increase, but typically a 0.5U increase alone wouldn't have dropped her numbers this far into green range.

    If it were me I'd hold the cab at EOD for at least another week or two to see what happens with BG. Perhaps next time you're considering an insulin dose increase, you could try going to daily cab instead of increasing dose. Does she have any diarrhea or side effects from the cab?
     
  14. JL and Chip

    JL and Chip Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Can you describe this a bit more? Is the breathing just louder/raspier or is it actually labored?
     
  15. Amy & Herman

    Amy & Herman Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2022
    I hope Chewie feels better soon :bighug::bighug::bighug:
     
  16. Virginie & Chewie (GA)

    Virginie & Chewie (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2022
    She and her brother have always breathed more loudly than my other two cats. Vets over the years have concluded that they must have either narrower nasal passages or maybe polyps. It’s always been particularly pronounced when they are very relaxed. Her brother has asthma, but Chewie doesn’t. However over the past couple of years her breathing has gotten louder, and becomes kinda gurgly whenever it’s very humid or at the beginning of pollen season.
    Recently it’s been gurgly more often, and louder. Her breathing isn’t labored per se, but there is a bit of abdominal engagement that I don’t like at all. I took videos of her breathing like that at rest, and showed it to the new vet. For her, it’s due to soft tissue growth caused by acromegaly. She listened to her lungs carefully and didn’t hear any sounds suggesting presence of fluids or congestion or anything like that. Still, it doesn’t look very comfortable and I worry about it. The hope is that the cabergoline might help with that.
     
  17. cecile & bella

    cecile & bella Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2021
    I'm glad to see her in green numbers but sad that she's not feeling well. I hope she gets used to those numbers soon.
     
  18. Virginie & Chewie (GA)

    Virginie & Chewie (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2022
    Thanks Melissa, that makes sense. I remember Wendy telling me that 0.5 unit is usually not enough for a high-dose cat to see an effect, but we have seen a good trend downward.
    Sounds good about upping the cab instead of insulin next time she looks like she needs an increase.

    She had a bit of loose stools the first week, but not that I have seen lately. I have been feeding raw for half her meals, as that tends to firm up her stools.
     
  19. Virginie & Chewie (GA)

    Virginie & Chewie (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2022
    That does look super cute and also convenient! Too bad I already bought 3 new carriers right before our move :p

    A cat rescuer I follow on social media uses those for kittens and feral cats, they look super convenient as well:
    https://www.amazon.com/SportPet-Designs-Foldable-Travel-Carrier/dp/B00EI3ZKP0
     
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  20. Virginie & Chewie (GA)

    Virginie & Chewie (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2022
    Still surfing, her snack held her over the past two hours, 80 at +8.
    I gave her another glycoflex treat and 2tsp of LC
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2022
    Cali S likes this.
  21. Diane Tyler's Mom

    Diane Tyler's Mom Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2018
    Sending you and Chewie lots of love :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:♥♥
     
  22. Jackie and Biggie

    Jackie and Biggie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2022
    OOh that is nice and they have an XL version of it, which could be good for Biggie. I’m still using a carrier that is big but he really needs one that is bigger!
     
  23. Virginie & Chewie (GA)

    Virginie & Chewie (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2022
    Seems like it would be so easy to get them out of it… I bought these for the road trip across the country, and actually used one to take Chewie to the vet it’s great. Lots of room to stretch out and it opens on three sides. The vet and vet techs were very impressed.

    https://www.amazon.com/One-Pets-Fabric-Portable-Shelter/dp/B00NGZUB78
     
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  24. Virginie & Chewie (GA)

    Virginie & Chewie (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2022
    127 at +2.5
    About to give her second dinner and her dose of cab. DBF sleeping in the guest bedroom so I can test in middle of the night.
    Hopefully she will stay in the upper greens and I can give her ears a break, she is getting real salty about it.
     
  25. Jackie and Biggie

    Jackie and Biggie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2022
    That looks cozy, too. I bet the kitties felt much more at ease in that than they would have in a hard sided carrier,
     
  26. cecile & bella

    cecile & bella Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2021
    I hope you can get some sleep :bighug:
     

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