3/2 Mo - Blood Test Results

[katy and mo (GA)]

Yesterday

Prue (the Specialist) called me this evening with some fab results. We got everything back except the pancreatitis test, which she will call me about on Tuesday. Everything came back looking really good! His B12 and folate are good, his liver and kidneys are working as they should, his red and white blood cells look good, thyroid is perfect (in her words) and surprisingly his Fructosamine test came back lower than a month or so ago. Previously, it was 690, now it's 519. She said this could be because our other vet might send blood for their testing elsewhere so maybe their provider tests slightly differently. But either way, she said it's a good sign and that if Mo is insulin resistant (which he probably is), he isn't severely insulin resistant as the insulin has been having some effect. That's very promising.

Mo has been a bit of a G R O M P today. I gave him a piece of chicken earlier and gave him a pat on his back and he growled at me because he thought I was going to give him his injection. He clearly has some negative association with it. Does anyone have any thoughts on how we can make injection time a more positive experience for him? We have to do it while he's eating at the moment so he's distracted but he attempted to bite me this evening while I did it, so I had to get Tim to give him tickles while I injected him. That works for us when we are both here but it's super tricky when there is only one of us home. Any ideas? Other than that, Mo has just spent the whole day sleeping. It's been quite warm, so I don't blame him.

OH, and to continue the Poo Chronicles, Mo did THREE poos today! THREE! He must be quite backed up. They smelt nowhere near as bad as they did previously so I think the antibiotics have been working. They were all different varieties of solid. The last was solid but had a runny "cherry on top" if you will. We finished the run of antibiotics now so I will continue to keep an eye on his poos to make sure they don't change again.

Hope everyone is doing well

 

[Butters & Lyla]

I put some tuna juice over a little ground meat and spread it around on a big plate. Butters isn't normally food motivated but the smell of tuna keeps her very distracted and she will focus on searching for the little bits and not pay attention to me.

If I try to give her the shot any way besides this, she heads for the hills.

I sure hope you'll be able to take care of any insulin resistance for Mo. TR is an excellent way to do that. I can't imagine what Butters' numbers would be right now if I'd listened to the Internal Medicine Specialist who told me to hold her dose at 0.5u no matter what numbers I saw. As it was, butters developed some glucose toxicity or something after only a few days of the IM Specialist stopping her insulin while she was in the hospital.

I recommend you walk tim through some of the spreadsheets of the many, many kitties who this group has helped regulate. Maybe that will help.

 

[carfurby (GA)]

I'm glad you got good lab results back. Yay for poo. Hopefully once you switch to Levemir Mo won't mind the shots.

 

[Christie & Maverick]

Glad to hear the labs look good. Not to be a Debbie-downer, but in general, anything above 500 for Fructosamine level is considered poor control. The trend down from a month ago may very well be attributed to your following TR and safely increasing to try and break through the insulin resistance. Only time will tell what effect going down to 3u will have. I'd be curious then as to what your vet would interpret from a new fructosamine test in 2-3 weeks' time.

Sorry that he's being a grumpy pants. I'd continue to find opportunities to play with him if he has a favourite toy, and touch him in different areas, and give treats now and again, when you are positively engaging with him. My one female cat years ago would growl at me when I tried to detangle her fur matts. She liked to be brushed, only when it suited her.

 

[Pamela & Amethyst]

YEAH!!!! Amethyst is a GRMUP GRUMP at every shot I believe it is because twice in 1 year I sent her to the ER because I hit a Muscle Giving the short MY poor baby girl So what I have been doing is using 2 syringes in the morning 10U and 10U and leaving about a minute between each shot And the same at night soo far she does not even really realize it until after I am done

 

[katy and mo (GA)]

Glad to hear the labs look good. Not to be a Debbie-downer, but in general, anything above 500 for Fructosamine level is considered poor control. The trend down from a month ago may very well be attributed to your following TR and safely increasing to try and break through the insulin resistance. Only time will tell what effect going down to 3u will have. I'd be curious then as to what your vet would interpret from a new fructosamine test in 2-3 weeks' time.

Sorry that he's being a grumpy pants. I'd continue to find opportunities to play with him if he has a favourite toy, and touch him in different areas, and give treats now and again, when you are positively engaging with him. My one female cat years ago would growl at me when I tried to detangle her fur matts. She liked to be brushed, only when it suited her.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I know 519 still isn't good and she and I both know it's a sign of poor control. I'm just glad it has come down ever so slightly is all

I tried having a go at playing with Mo last night. He played for about 30 seconds which is a MASSIVE improvement from 0 seconds if you ask me

 

[katy and mo (GA)]

I put some tuna juice over a little ground meat and spread it around on a big plate. Butters isn't normally food motivated but the smell of tuna keeps her very distracted and she will focus on searching for the little bits and not pay attention to me.

If I try to give her the shot any way besides this, she heads for the hills.

I sure hope you'll be able to take care of any insulin resistance for Mo. TR is an excellent way to do that. I can't imagine what Butters' numbers would be right now if I'd listened to the Internal Medicine Specialist who told me to hold her dose at 0.5u no matter what numbers I saw. As it was, butters developed some glucose toxicity or something after only a few days of the IM Specialist stopping her insulin while she was in the hospital.

I recommend you walk tim through some of the spreadsheets of the many, many kitties who this group has helped regulate. Maybe that will help.

Thanks Lyla

The only way we can inject him at the moment is while he is eating. But he growls as soon as he feels us touching his skin because he knows it's coming. We might have to figure out a way of giving him positive reinforcement after every shot so he knows he's been a good boy. I always say "WELL DOOOOOONE" and give him a tickle, but clearly that's not enough for him. Tim used to be able to do a hug and inject. Tim would lay on the floor and Mo would come over for a cuddle. Tim would put his long arm around him then give him the insulin without him even realising. He just kept looking up at Tim the whole time. I think as we increased the insulin, he could start to feel it and has negative associations with it now. The poor boy has been through so much

 

[Christie & Maverick]

I tried having a go at playing with Mo last night. He played for about 30 seconds which is a MASSIVE improvement from 0 seconds if you ask me

I'd consider that an improvement as well . Don't underestimate the value of a box, or a paper bag, some kitties go crazy wanting to jump in and out, might be something you could try.

Were you able to check for ketones today? We don't want them sneaking up on you.

 

[katy and mo (GA)]

I'd consider that an improvement as well . Don't underestimate the value of a box, or a paper bag, some kitties go crazy wanting to jump in and out, might be something you could try.

Were you able to check for ketones today? We don't want them sneaking up on you.

I don't have the ketostix yet I stupidly didn't buy any until Tuesday night. They look like they're arriving today so as soon as they arrive, I will be checking

 

[katy and mo (GA)]

ALSO, we didn't give Mo the m/d biscuits last night and Tim this morning realised he didn't drink as much water. I said "Oh yes, I can tell you why that is..." and Tim said, "because he didn't have the biscuits." BINGO!