The Curious Case of the Vanishing Numbers

There is something strange occurring with Parker, and it may be strange in a good way.

While I was told that his blood-glucose numbers, following his dental surgery, may be erratic, what I have found is that they are changed but regular. Because I feared an unstable glucose level, I started testing his blood prior to each insulin injection. I have discovered that in the mornings, his numbers are high (though not alarmingly; in fact, normal for Parker), quite consistently hovering about the twenty mark. This means that I give him his insulin. In the evenings, for an entire week, his numbers have been what we want them to be, between five and ten. I have not been giving him insulin after such readings. The routine for a diabetic cat is a high number in the morning, followed by a drop (due to insulin injection) to a nadir about noon, with a subsequent rise to an evening high equal to its morning counterpart. Parker has been avoiding the evening summit.

I spoke with the doctor about this. She was surprised, and prescribed another curve for Parker, so that his blood-sugar level may be observed as it changes through the day. As it happens, this weekend is the orange boy’s scheduled curve. I feel sorry for him more than usual, because not only does he have to endure a whole day of bi-hourly (and, toward noon, hourly) poking in his ears to draw blood, but he has already suffered such indignities twice a day for a week. But it must be done.

This may lead to one of two beneficent options. Parker may be kept on insulin in the morning and taken off it in the evening, which is pretty much the situation now. But such a high dose (5.5 units) once a day may be too unbalanced. Therefore, his doctor suggested that if there is a gentle incline from a morning high to an evening low, the dosage may be divided, in a manner of speaking, and be given in amounts smaller than his current dose, but twice a day.

I queried the doctor as to whether the numbers could be the result of Parker’s surgery. She had not seen such a thing happen. But I think that if diabetes may be influenced by something such as digestion of certain foods, then surely there must be an effect caused by bad teeth and infected gums, which can leak poison into the body, and an opposite effect with their removal.

However, this is speculation and, for all I know, the numbers may resume their pre-surgical amounts soon, and the whole episode turn out to be nothing more than a temporary reaction to the operation. The curve this weekend may help solve the enigma.

In any case, Parker is doing well. He was very active last night, rushing happily about the apartment to the astonishment of the other beasts. Our play-time as well saw him energetic. This may be merely in response to the healing of his wounds allowing him to feel better, but I suspect there will be some permanent advantage to the removal of so many bad teeth and the repair of so much tainted tissue. My sturdy foster-cat missed his play-time, which I placed on hiatus until he had recovered himself somewhat, and he is as purr-ful as ever. I suspect that if his numbers return, they will even so reflect a healthier, stronger animal.