Patty's Ali - my precious, beautiful angel

[Joan]

Re: Patty's Ali

I know this is probably way too simplistic, but could the trouble be with the strips and/or the meter? If Ali went up 100, then back down 100 in a few hrs, perhaps the strip was giving a faulty reading.

I use the Freestyle, and it happens ocasionally. I actually have 3 meters, and whenever I get a really unexpected bg, I retest, and most often the first reading was incorrect. I use the ear, dont know if that enters into it, but with any product such as the strips, when you use as many as I do, the failure rate is actually pretty low but not perfect.

The other thing with the meters, to check I do my own blood as probably many of you do. My own blood fluctuates way more than I thought a non-diabetc would. So then one day I checked my whole herd, and it was better on them, fasting ran between 3-6 (54-108). Against the lab my meter is very close both low and high, but again with such a tiny spec of blood being used, and multiple strips....

Probably wishful thinking, that Ali is fine, and the meter is off.

[Patty]

Re: Patty's Ali

Peggy, I just called Primal. Definitely couldn't hurt to ask. No changes in ingredients, ratio of produce to meat, or supplier.

A good thought on the meter/strips Joan. I will start double checking. I did just open a new bottle of strips. I have a mini that runs very close to my ultrasmart meter I can double check with. I like your wishful thinking

Patty

[Ladybug]

Re: Patty's Ali

Hi Patty,

I do hope Ali is ok! They are such a worry to us.

Linda/Ladybug

[Noodle]

Re: Patty's Ali

Hope it's something simple and easily correctable, so Ali can get back to her normal quickly.

[Tikobird]

Re: Patty's Ali

Never a dull moment! Hope things straighten out quickly for both of you

[Patty]

Re: Patty's Ali

Ali's following pattern tonight, although running in the 200s. Go figure .

I may try to take a free catch urine sample in for them to look at under the microscope before subjecting her to a cysto. I figure if they don't see bacteria with a free catch which can be easily contaminated, I doubt she has a UTI. I'm not seeing any other signs other than wacky numbers. We'll play it by ear tomorrow.

Hoping tonight's pattern sticks around.

[Joan]

Re: Patty's Ali

Thats a good plan, I never go with a cysto till after I use a chemstrip and they look at anything I find under the microscope, to confirm a problem.

give Ali a hug from the pugs. Joan

[Patty]

Re: Patty's Ali

Joan,
Out of curiosity, what usually shows up on your multistix when one of the pugs has a UTI?

When Ali had her UTIs back in '08 occasionally protein would show trace but then occasionally they were trace when she didn't have a UTI. Only once did nitrites show positive in the 3 months she struggled with infection.

I know Dolly uses the strips too. I just haven't gotten that much info out of them. I have had 2 separate bottles over the course of time. The ones I have are CLIA - 10 Urine Reagent Strips.

Thanks,
Patty

[Joan]

Re: Patty's Ali

Patty here is a good explanation of the results on the chemstrips

http://www.vet.uga.edu/VPP/CLERK/Sine/index.php

the first thing I find is the ph invariably rises, that is the first sign
the most important is the blood, and this is also pretty early on, it shows up on the strips way way before yo can see it with your naked eye.

the protein, nitrites etc are not too accurate for dogs, and just ignore the specific gravity. leukocytes can be influenced by lots of other things, esp prostate in males.

With all the UTIs I have been thru (pugs that is) I have never missed one with the urine strips, and conversely have never yet interpreted one as positive that was not.

I am not a big fan of cystos unless you are certain it is needed. Many of our cultures and sensitivities have been done on free catch, as long as the container is sterile, a mid-stream collection is fine. With the cystos, quite often there is bleeding into the bladder even if it is guided with an ultrasound. My theory is that scar tissue will build up, and cystitis can develop.

If you end up with multiple UTIs or bladder inflammation, cartrophen is excellent, and great for arthritis too. It is an injectible, and works well with the U100 insulin syringes.

Joan

[Patty]

Re: Patty's Ali

Thanks Joan, I'll catch up on that link tonight.

Back from the vet. Free catch urine sample was negative for bacteria. Unremarkable with the exception of pH at 8. I've been tracking 6.75 at home. Will keep watching that. Vet was in agreement to hold off on cysto for now.

Ears, teeth, heart, lungs all great. Both eyes with small haze naso-laterally - that's new and not good. She says she typically expects cataracts to develop starting centrally. This haze is off to the corner and she's unsure if it's originating from the lens. I think once we move I'm going to have her evaluated by an opthalmologist.

Vet has a different injection technique I want to try. Hoping it's better than the tent method I have for her shots. I'm willing to learn new tricks .

So, I'm going to see if we can get a handle on things by changing up her injection technique.

[Patty]

Re: Patty's Ali

Well, you know how when you get instructions from the doctor while you're in the office and you think you understand perfectly. Then you go home only to find you have more questions and can't quite replicate the instruction given...

I'm not sure I can describe this well. My vet teaches clients, particularly with long-haired dogs, to basically grab the hair near the skin and pull up. You would be pinching your thumb against the side of your index finger holding the skin up. Then inject at the base. But I found that when I pull up there isn't the space between front/back skin. So I could wind up injecting straight through. She'd demonstrated going in downward on a 45 degree angle but I feel like I'm too close to the base for that. I'd be close to hitting muscle etc. (I'm using the lower rib cage/side of belly area)

Hmm...so I did sort of a combination of what I usually do and what she showed me. I lifted up keeping closer to the hair so I didn't have quite as much fold, inserted the needle, then released my hold a little bit and injected. The shot felt stiff to me tonight and I know it wasn't my syringe.

This is a picture of how I used to do it using a fold of skin



I really want to try things a little different. I know Margaret and Kathy slid the needle under the skin without pinching at all.

My other vet told me she pinches up, inserts the needle and lets go of the skin, keeping the tip up a bit, then injects.

I know this is all very basic. But I would like to try things a little different and see if it makes a difference in the response I get with her insulin and the thick tissue she builds up. Any other techniques/suggestions are welcome if you do things differently.

BTW, doc asked me how long Ali's had diabetes now. I told her 2 years in July. Then I realized that July is her bday not her anniversary of diabetes. That was in May! I'd missed the mile marker. Congrats to Ali on 2 years with diabetes.

[claire81]

Re: Patty's Ali

I'm fascinated by the different ways you all inject.

My vet showed me to take the rough of the neck and pull part of it taught with my index finger, then to slide the needle in and inject fluid.

Everyone else seems to do it on the abdomen.

[eileen]

Re: Patty's Ali

Everyone else seems to do it on the abdomen.

No, not everyone. I inject Mildred up and down the higher part of her sides. We all develop our own technique and positions on the body.

The main concern is learning to rotate injection sites as staying in one place will most likely cause the growth of scar tissue which will affect the absorption of the insulin if you inject into it.

[Joan]

Re: Patty's Ali

Claire, I also use the ruff of the neck. Luckily with pugs, they have so much loose skin that you can rotate all you want, and still be in the ruff. Bella has been diabetic for 18 months now, and so far no absorption troubles.

A friend of mine, actually pulls the skin up as far as she can, then injects straight down from the top. In people, when I was in nursing, we inject subq shots without lifting up at all, just lay the needle almost on the skin, and insert. Course they do not generally have fur LOL

With the length of these syringes, I think as long as you pull up a fold of skin, unless the dog is emaciated, you will not be into the muscle.

How is Ali doing today?

Shame on you for missing Ali's anniversary. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! You make an amazing pair. Give her a hug from the pugs.

[Patty]

Re: Patty's Ali

We are working on it. You know I thought the site was down all morning because I have the forum page bookmarked and was clicking on that. When I went in through the main page it worked just fine. Had to re-bookmark it. Hope others aren't having the same trouble.