To the ophthalmologist and the chiropractor

Well, not particularly good news at the eye doctor. Both the nevi have grown significantly and darkened considerably. The right eye the doctor said can now be considered a melanosis; however, she still thinks that it can be watched for another 6 months to a year. She also said that she would research information on laser treatment of iris melanosis, which she has never done herself. The alternative is removal of the eye. I can't bear to think of the fact that he's got one of these things in each eye. I would be willing to take him to Ohio State or Cleveland or wherever to avoid the prospect of removing both of his eyes. I don't understand how this can happen to this poor cat. He seems to have missed out on the fairness gene.

The chiropractic appointment went shockingly well. No fuss, no feline carrying-on, and I'm thinking that it's going to help. He's walking oddly when he goes down steps now, but in general, his "carriage" and walking seem much more natural. For the last week or so, he's seemed so out of kilter that his stomach was almost dragging on the floor.

There's more inflammation in his right ear, too. The holistic vet gave us gentamycin otic for it. That's not going to make Scruffy a happy camper. When exactly does he get a break?

Definite improvement!

September's numbers are decidedly better. And the durations are much more similar to what I was seeing in the beginning weeks using Levemir. That said, I'm pretty sure I gave him too much insulin this morning. 2.0 units on a 269. Fortunately, I didn't have much of anything planned for this afternoon, so I guess I can sit here and poke him whenever.....

The leg injury does not seem to be improving much. It occurred on Sunday, 9/16, when Burble came leaping into the living room and jumped on Scruffy's back, wrapping his paws around Muffer's chest so he couldn't get him off. Scruffy dragged Burble off into the kitchen, and when he came back out, he had a severe and serious limp. Clearly in pain. Wiser heads than mine (okay, it was Hope...) suggested benign neglect for a few days to see if it got better on its own, reasoning that if something was broken in there, he wouldn't be able to walk on it. But it made me really nervous, so I dragged him to the vet on Monday afternoon. I took along the Rescue Remedy, thinking that maybe it might help reduce the overt hostility poor Scruffy has been showing at all the vets lately. It didn't. Dr. G. didn't think that an xray was necessary, and felt that it was a soft tissue injury. He gave me 3 more metacam syringes for this week. I debated about using them, but poor Scruffy was so uncomfortable.... The first one seemed quite successful. The next morning, he was sitting in the top of the cat tree - apparently it's harder getting down from there than up. But yesterday, he just laid on the bed the entire day. I carried him out to eat, but he went right back in. Even Rege noticed and said he thought there was something wrong with Puffy. I gave him the second syringe of metacam last night, and after about an hour, he did come out and start hanging around in the living room. It seemed less effective, though - he was still limping quite badly. Probably the lack of pain made him do more stressful things to it. Poor Puffer.

September numbers.

Okay, puhleeze let this month be better.

8/31/07
AM PS (+12) 504 fed .5uOldR, 1.5uLevemir
+4 219
+4.5 179
+5.5 139 fed
+6.5 155
+8.5 188
PM PS (+11.5) 296 1.5uLevemir ear drops
+2 368
+4 364

9/01/07
AM PS (+13) 589 fed .5uR, 1.5uLevemir
+3 377
+5.5 310
+8 285
PM PS (+11) 235 fed 1.5uLevemir ear drops
+5 407 .5uR ear drops

9/02/07
AM PS (+12.5) 181 fed, threw up 1.5uLevemir
+3 299 ear drops
+6 374
+10 378
PM PS (+11.5) 438 fed .5uR, 1.5uLevemir ear drops
+5.5 109
+7 85

9/03/07
+9.5 102
+12.5 89 fed ear drops
AM PS (+13.5) 122 1.0uLevemir
+4 318
+8 390 fed .5uR
PM PS (+10) 250 1.0uLevemir
+4 255
+6 249

9/04/07
AM PS (+12) 248 fed .5uR, 1.0uLevemir
+4 104
+5 91
+6.5 127 (at vet's)
PM PS (+11) 486 fed
+11.5 .5uR, 1.0uLevemir fluconazole
+5.5 389

9/05/07
AM PS (+12.5) 397 fed, threw up .5uR, 1.0uLevemir zeniquin
+3 245
+6.5 60 fed
+9 130
PM PS (+12) 221 fed, threw up 1.5uLevemir fluconazole
+2.5 204
+5 139
+6 127

9/06/07
+10.5 110
AM PS (+12) 140 fed 1.5uLevemir zeniquin
+5 93
+6.5 78
+8.5 87
PM PS (+11.5) 140 fed, threw up 1.0uLevemir
+4.5 220
+6 165

9/07/07
+12 57 fed
+14 85
+16 85
+17 78
+19 79
+20.5 86
+22 179
PS (+24) 213 fed 1.5uLevemir
+3 183

9/08/07
AM PS (+13) 283 fed 1.5uLevemir
+2.5 420
+3 .5uR
+7.5 (+4.5) 287
PM PS (+10.5) 345
+11 fed .5uR, 1.0uLevemir
+4.5 268

9/09/07
+11.5 419
AM PS (+13) 381 fed, threw up .5uR, 1.5uLevemir
+3.5 184
+4.5 99
+7 70
+8.5 92
+10.5 92 fed fluconazole
PM PS (+12.5) 138 1.5uLevemir
+4 57 fed
+5 70

9/10/07
+8.5 118
AM PS (+11) 135 fed 1.0uLevemir
+3 301
+4.5 348
+7 426 .5uR
PM PS (+11) (+4) 254 fed 1.25uLevemir
+1.5 251

9/11/07
AM PS (+14) 327 fed, threw up .5uR, 1.5uLevemir
+3 324
+7 306
PM PS (+10) 428 fed, threw up .5uR, 1.5uLevemir
+4 197

9/12/07
AM PS (+12) 201 fed 1.5uLevemir
+6.5 51
+7.5 70
+9 127
PM PS (+11.5) 146 fed 1.5uLevemir
+5 375

9/13/07
AM PS (+12) 412 fed .5uR, 1.5uLevemir
+5 282
+7 248
PM PS (+11.5) 211 fed 2.0uLevemir
+5 88
+6 59 fed
+7 94

9/14/07
+13.5 87 fed
+15 81
AM PS (+17) 160 1.5uLevemir
+2 216
+5 120
+7 120 fed
PM PS (+12) 301 2.0uLevemir

9/15/07
+6.5 95 fed
+9.5 55
+11 54
+13 89
AM PS (+14) 118 1.5uLevemir
+4.5 219
PM PS (+8.5) 262 1.5uLevemir

9/16/07
+5 192
AM PS (+9) 252 fed 1.5uLevemir
+3.5 315
+7.5 331
+8.5 fed
PM PS (+10.5) 397 fed 2.0uLevemir
+5.5 260

9/17/07
+12.5 107 fed, threw up
AM PS (+14.5) 133 1.5uLevemir
+3 141
+5 85 (just home from vet!)
+7.5 94
PM PS (+10) 136 fed 1.5uLevemir; 3ml Metacam for leg
+3.5 338

9/18/07
AM PS (+12) 419 fed 2.0uLevemir
+4.5 314
+10.5 76
+11.5 85 fed
PM PS (+14) 199 2.0uLevemir
+3 208

9/19/07
AM PS (+9.5) 31 (!) fed
+10.5 61
+11 81
+12.5 88
+16 81
+18.5 164
PM PS (+20) 197 fed 1.5uLevemir; 3ml metacam for leg
+5.5 49
+6.5 89
+8 153

9/20/07
AM PS (+14) 269 fed 2.0uLevemir
+3.5 343
+6.5 211
+8.5 108
+11 84 fed
PM PS (+14) 145 1.5uLevemir
+2.5 197

9/21/07
+7 214
AM PS (+9) 211 fed 1.5uLevemir
+6 53
+7 39 fed
+8.5 79
+12 78 fed, threw up
+13.5 67
+17 87

9/22/07
AM PS (+22.5) 351 fed, threw up 3 times 2.0uLevemir
+4 296
+8.5 40
+10 47
+12.5 62 fed
PM PS (+17) 227 1.5uLevemir

9/23/07
AM PS (+8) 399 fed, threw up 2.0uLevemir
+2.5 329
+3 246 (fed because I had to go out and he was dropping fast.)
+5.5 71
+6.5 43 fed
+9 28 fed
+10.5 70 fed
+11 76
+14 106
PM PS (+16) 121 1.0uLevemir

9/24/07
+7 137 fed
AM PS (+9 ) 146 1.25uLevemir
+2.5 130
+5 107
+7.5 96
+8.5 110
+10.5 122 fed
+12 101
+14.5 116
+15 113
PM PS (+16) 135 1.0uLevemir

9/25/07
+5 171 fed, threw up a little
+9.5 101
+11 94
+13.5 114
+15.5 114
AM PS (+17.5) 126 fed, threw up little piles 1.0uLevemir
+5 34 fed
+5.5 48
+6 51 fed
+7.5 123

9/26/07
+10 160
AM PS (+12) 230 fed 1.0uLevemir
+4 295
+7 197
+8.5 182
PM PS (+11) 154 fed .75uLevemir
+1 84
+3.5 237
+6 239

9/27/07
AM PS (+13) 356 fed, threw up 1.5uLevemir
+3 335
+6 100
+8 69
+9.5 80
PM PS (+12) 122 fed .75uLevemir
+3 133
+5 110

9/28/07
AM PS (+12) 194 fed 1.0uLevemir
+3.5 314
+5 367
+9 381 (after eye vet appt.)
+11 425 fed
PM PS (+12) 425 1.5uLevemir
+3.5 364

9/29/07
AM PS (+12) 317 fed 1.5uLevemir
+2 387 (at vet. chiropractor)
+6 192
PM PS (+11.5) 110 fed, threw up .75uLevemir
+3.5 229
+4.5 158 fed

9/30/07
AM PS (+11.5) 498 fed, threw up 1.5uLevemir
+5 355
+11.5 144 fed, threw up
+12.5 146
+13.5 101
+16.5 117
PM PS (+18) 132 .75uLevemir

Okay, fingers crossed. And toes.....

Scruffy has an appointment with the ophthalmologist on September 28 to have the iris nevi looked at again. I've been trying to get a good picture of the size of them - the one in the left eye has really grown and gotten darker. I'm thinking that this picture may be the best I can do. He blinks.

We finally got to see the veterinary dermatologist yesterday afternoon. (There was a picture of a really fat brown tabby on the vet's bulletin board - I think it was Scruffy, taken the month before he got diabetes and lost four pounds. How bad is it, though, to not be sure if it's your own cat or not? The stains on the blue rug under the fat cat looked vaguely familiar....)

Anyway, he was pretty good for the first ten minutes or so of the visit. The technician poked around and asked some questions, and THEN, she picked him up and went into the "back room." Where I, sitting in the exam room, was unfortunately able to hear EVERYTHING that went on. Not that it would have been possible, barring deafness, to miss the feline shrieking and howling and spitting and hissing that was going on. But they - two technicians and the vet - were all nice and patient with him. I was pleased about that. When they brought him back in, he was wrapped in an old green towel. Because he'd peed and pooped all over the place. This is the second time he's pooped at the vet. Never had a cat in all these years that did that. Actually, I think it's a sort of interesting comment on what he's thinking about them...... And better there than in my car, right?

Outcome of the exam? Right. I do wander. There was neither yeast or bacteria in the cultures they did. However, there was a great deal of inflammation, and the doctor speculated that maybe the Malaseb Flush had gotten rid of all the bad stuff but left the inflammation. Then she prescribed both an antibiotic and an antifungal. (It didn't make sense to me, but I wasn't about to argue - to have someone who knew what they were doing with him was wonderful.) One of each pill a day for two weeks, and then they'll call to see how he's doing; she doesn't want to stress him out by making him come back unless it's unavoidable. Or they don't want to have to clean up another mess like today's. Whichever.

His numbers have been odd. Aside from the frequent high 500's, there have been a couple of nice low numbers, 80-100, say. Yesterday before we left for the vet, he was 91. I was a little nervous, since it was only +5, so I gave him a little gravy FF. Tested him while the technician was messing with him, and he had only gone up to 127. We didn't get home for almost three hours, and I took him right in to get a bath. So by the time I tested him again, it was almost dinnertime, and he was 486. Could have been rebound, given the horrible numbers his body has gotten used to lately. I am giving a half unit of R at almost every shot, unless he's under 200 or so.

Anyway, hopefully, this will be the end of what has been a major ordeal for my poor little Muffer. Or it will be, once the agony of pilling him twice a day is over.