Missy visited Dr. B. today and got very good news. Her blood glucose level is 227 which is just above the targeted 200. She has gained back some of the weight that has slipped away and is well hydrated. Missy tipped the scales at a dainty 8.5 lbs. today, up from 8.1 only last week. We're very pleased. Insulin dose is to be increased slightly from 5 to 6 units once a day. Meanwhile Tasha is doing well. You'd never known we were in full-blown medical crisis a week ago! Dr. B. is having us reduce the antibiotic and stop dosing at the end of the week. The cortisone we will keep up until next week when we check back with the doctor and talk about whether the dosage can be reduced. Nothing is assured, however, and the root of Tasha's episode is still not certain. She's basically being treated for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and has, so far, responded splendidly. All-in-all we're seeing improvements in both cats and hope they enjoy good health for a good long time.
Here's an excellent article on IBD at the Cornell Feline Health Center Web site: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/ibd.html