Patty's Ali - my precious, beautiful angel

[k9diabetes]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

Yay Patty - another goodwill ambassador for home testing!!

I suspect all the lectures have been completed by now but they were being presented all over the country by a handful of vets from different geographic areas.

She might be interested in the AlphaTrak video, which shows all the various areas that can be tested on cats and dogs.

Page with Link to AlphaTrak "How to Test" video.

Natalie

[Patty]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

Thanks Dolly. It very well may be! I do think the sun plays a role when she goes lower some afternoons.

Ali has 3 white-ish bumps like you are describing. She's had them quite a while. This one is larger and on the top side of her tail about a 1/4 of the way down and pink with a yellowish base. I'm going to keep a close eye on it. I added a picture of it in my album.

Natalie, thanks for the link! I'll pass it on to her.

Patty

[eyelostit]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

Thanks Dolly. It very well may be! I do think the sun plays a role when she goes lower some afternoons.

Ali has 3 white-ish bumps like you are describing. She's had them quite a while. This one is larger and on the top side of her tail about a 1/4 of the way down and pink with a yellowish base. I'm going to keep a close eye on it. I added a picture of it in my album.

Natalie, thanks for the link! I'll pass it on to her.

Patty

I took a look at the pic, one of my dogs had one of these, it was not anything bad, it does not look like what my Chief had, his was not round and it felt like a rock raised under his skin.

[Patty]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

That's good to hear Dolly. I'll keep an eye on it.

[Patty]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

Vet just called. The only values outside of normal range were:

Cholesterol at 377 (last time was 412)
Amylase low at 269 (last time was 269)
Total Bilirubin at 0.4 (last time was 0.3 which is cut off for norm)

She wasn't worried about any of it. She did say Ali's U/A came back with a pH of 8. Not a good sign. We'll see what the culture comes back as in a couple of days.

My meter reading with adjustment was 236 from her lip. The blood she drew from her leg vein tested 276. My comparisons in the past were with a jugular draw. Makes me wonder how far off my calculations are. Kinda wished I'd had her put a drop on another strip from her draw as well.

Patty

[k9diabetes]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

That looks pretty much like what Pebbles had. I understand that it's most likely a wart.

[Patty]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

Thanks Natalie. Yep...very similar. Old age I guess

[eyelostit]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

The pic is what 2 of my dogs had, I've seen more of these as they age.

I had asked the vet about a year ago about Niki's urine being alkaline with the urinalysis and if I should add something, she told me not too as it may upset the balance in their bodies, so I never did, I had bought those Multistix and checked her urine thoughout the day and it did flucuate between 6-8, she gave me some antibiotics for a UTI asking me if I wanted them as she didn't think Niki had a UTI to be on the safe side we got it refilled but now I see Niki urine changes over the course of the day.

Info on Multistix should be on this page or in everything else.

[Patty]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

You know Dolly. A few months ago I said I was going chart her pH throughout the day and see how much it fluctuates and never did. I think I will pick a day and do that. I have some pH Stix that are more sensitive, down to .25 increments.

I know that the body is more acidic around 2am and more alkaline around 2pm. That cysto was done at 3:30p, so at her most alkaline time. Still, I'm not crazy about 8 with her history of UTIs.

Thanks,
Patty

[Patty]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

Good news, urine culture was negative.

I discovered the reason for her higher fasting numbers (they were high 200s to low 300s). I think she did have some rebound going on. I wasn't catching it early enough as her nadir is typically closer to 8 hours. She does this sometimes where her curve gets a bit deeper and she drops earlier even with the same food/insulin/exercise. It has been warmer/sunny lately and the weather may be contributing a bit. Just guessing here? Anyway, her nadir is now between 6 and 7 hours.

I increased her mango to 2T at her 2nd and 4th meals and we have nice numbers again. Hopefully they'll stick around as she continues to settle in. She's on 8 1/4u.

4/24 evening
172 preshot
170 at 3 hours
162 at 6 hours

4/25
239 preshot
196 at 3 hours
144 at 6 hours
189 preshot
176 at 3 hours

4/26
183 preshot
167 at 3 hours
She took off at a dead run after squirrel this morning right at her 2nd meal time. so I gave her a 1/2 T extra mango since she usually drops a bit more anyway.

I also kept a urine pH log to see how she was flutuating:

4/25-4/26
1:15p = 7.5
3:15p = 7.5
5:30p = 6.75
8:15p = 6.75
6:20a = 6.5
11:10a = 6.5

I'm happy to see she's not staying too alkaline for most of the day. I worry about struvite crystals and a greater change for bacteria to grow. I've noticed pH is pretty sensitive before when we ran a test in the clinic and also had a separate sample sent off to Antech. My guess is she was probably 7.5 when they drew it and it measured 8 at the lab. I won't worry too much if that's the case.

Patty

[eyelostit]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

Curves and urine look good !

[Patty]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

Today is Ali's 1 year anniversary with diabetes! Very glad to still have her here with us. Thanks to all of you for your help!

[Margaret Boyle]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

Today is Ali's 1 year anniversary with diabetes! Very glad to still have her here with us. Thanks to all of you for your help!

Congratulatios Patty
Well done to you both Ali's done great your constant dedication Patty

LOL

[k9diabetes]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

Yay Ali and Patty!!!! Sending big hugs from Jack and me!!

Congratulations on your one-year anniversary!!!

Natalie

[ladysmom06]

Re: Update on Patty's Ali

Hi Patty,

You have done an awesome job with Ali. CONGRATULATIONS. Hugs to the two of you.