12/18 - Gen, AMPS 329, +3 112, +5 128, +7 240

Allie & Gen

Allie & Gen

Member Since 2025
Yesterday

Well, looks like we're going to have an active cycle, if experience is any guide at this point. (Also, his PM nadir was at +9.) I guess I'll be ready to ride home for "lunch" if need be ... there's no roommate there today to check up on him.

He didn't eat much of his dinner last night. I put some liquid gabapentin in it because I was hoping I could get a more thorough look at his cheek wound under sedation, but it backfired - not only did he refuse to eat more than a few bites, but he hid under my bed for a bit after. He ate well this morning, but I imagine last night could still have an effect on his cycle. Sigh.

He also hasn't pooped in days, so that's a bit worrisome?

Wishing you all a cozy Thursday, and safe surfs for the kitties!
 
I think everyone here has had their fair share of poop struggles. The constipation I think is pretty common for diabetics, it definitely was for us as he started getting past his PD/PU (he was never a big drinker before FD). We'll add a tablespoon or two of warm water to his meals and a pinch of psyllium husk and typically it resolves in a day or two. Others might have more ideas!
 
Lauren & Esse said:
I think everyone here has had their fair share of poop struggles. The constipation I think is pretty common for diabetics, it definitely was for us as he started getting past his PD/PU (he was never a big drinker before FD). We'll add a tablespoon or two of warm water to his meals and a pinch of psyllium husk and typically it resolves in a day or two. Others might have more ideas!
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I guess it's just surprising because with the antibiotic, I was on the lookout for diarrhea! My vet has previously suggested a tiny pinch of Miralax, but I'm not sure if I should be combining that with the antibiotic, and the probiotic ... (If it makes a difference, he's drinking his water just fine.)
 
Allie & Gen said:
I guess it's just surprising because with the antibiotic, I was on the lookout for diarrhea! My vet has previously suggested a tiny pinch of Miralax, but I'm not sure if I should be combining that with the antibiotic, and the probiotic ...
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I guess if the antibiotics are messing with the 'good' gut bacteria, it could maybe go either way based on the specific cat's biome? Just speculating based on what I know about how it can work with humans.

I'm glad he's still drinking plenty of water. I haven't used Miralax but I know other folks here definitely have. I'm trying to think of who's recently been on antibiotics that we could tag, haha. How many days of abx does he have left, or is it ongoing until the surgical stuff can happen?
 
Lauren & Esse said:
I guess if the antibiotics are messing with the 'good' gut bacteria, it could maybe go either way based on the specific cat's biome? Just speculating based on what I know about how it can work with humans.

I'm glad he's still drinking plenty of water. I haven't used Miralax but I know other folks here definitely have. I'm trying to think of who's recently been on antibiotics that we could tag, haha. How many days of abx does he have left, or is it ongoing until the surgical stuff can happen?
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That does make sense! I emailed my vet about it. (At this point, I'm hoping she can maybe squeeze him in for an appointment on Monday before we leave the area for a week ... I'd really like her to look at his cheek.)

He's about halfway through what he was prescribed (twice a day for 10 days, or 20 doses, and he's had 9).
 
Xander has had issues with constipation since i've had him. He has been very regular with giving him 1/4 teaspoon of miralax daily and the vet seems to be okay with it. I think he actually likes it when I add it to his food, he's weird lol. Not an expert, but i'm pretty sure miralax shouldn't interfere with the antibiotics.

I've wanted to try fiber such as psyllium husk, but I know they should have a bit of extra water with that and I can't get him to take water in his food.
 
Can anyone advise me at what point it would make sense to step in, if I need to step in? It'll be a 15-20 minute bike ride home. The Libre says he just hit 69 and is still dropping, though as we know, it can exaggerate lows and often readjusts itself after showing a big drop.

@Christie & Maverick

ETA:
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That little squiggle in the big drop makes me think this might be at least somewhat real. He may not actually be in danger of going hypo but typically the false drops caused by sitting on it weird will be straight down with no intermediate values. If it were me and I had the opportunity to bike home on my lunch break I would probably do it, maybe give some medium carb food to give him a bump up so I could do the rest of my work day without worrying.
 
Oh, I'm pretty sure it's real (same for last time tbh), just possibly not quite as low as it's saying. It corrected itself up to 72, and now it's having the little error that means it's probably recalibrating. I'll wait for it to come back before I go, but I likely will go.

There's a small holiday party at work in a little over an hour. I don't feel terribly attached to attending, but it would be good if I could make an appearance at least, as I'm attempting to smooth over some tension. 🤞
 
Good grief, you poor thing. Gen is making you stress way more than necessary. Hope he levels out soon.
And get him pooping regularly. I had a cat super stressed from a big move that got stopped up. Nothing beats having you deal with a cat after an edema. Especially long haired one. 🤢
Good luck!
 
Sure enough, it's at 76 now. I'm probably going to head over in about 10 minutes.

Tyleete said:
Good grief, you poor thing. Gen is making you stress way more than necessary. Hope he levels out soon.
And get him pooping regularly. I had a cat super stressed from a big move that got stopped up. Nothing beats having you deal with a cat after an edema. Especially long haired one. 🤢
Good luck!
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Thanks!

I'm grateful that Gen is a shorthair, at least! It makes the Libre installations easier, too (less to shave). I love a magnificent long-haired cat, but I've been known to be mildly allergic to them.
 
Allie & Gen said:
Sure enough, it's at 76 now. I'm probably going to head over in about 10 minutes.


Thanks!

I'm grateful that Gen is a shorthair, at least! It makes the Libre installations easier, too (less to shave). I love a magnificent long-haired cat, but I've been known to be mildly allergic to them.
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That's so funny! I'm allergic to cats too, but it's short haired cats that effect me worse.
But I love them all.💕
Now to go kick ones butt. I'm on my bedroom with Nico and can just hear him getting into trouble
 
Indy's sensor recalibrated like crazy yesterday because of the rollercoaster ride. Glad Gen evened out a bit. Stop stressing out your parent Gen!

Indy gets 1/4 t of Miralax everyday with his morning food. It has helped him tremendously.
 
I'm hedging again. I don't really want to go unless he's below 70. I may need to learn to live with this sort of thing, and it's not really feasible for me to run home every workday. We'll see what happens, I guess. 😅
 
Only 1 way to find out. You've got the sensor, so you'll know pretty much what's going on. Plus this way if yourl study, can try to smooth things over at the work place like you said. Good luck, whichever you decide
 
Allie & Gen said:
I'm hedging again. I don't really want to go unless he's below 70. I may need to learn to live with this sort of thing, and it's not really feasible for me to run home every workday. We'll see what happens, I guess. 😅
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He's not as low as you initially thought he would be. Maybe he'll be able to hold onto a higher number for a while. I understand feeling the need to run home. I've done it. But he's in good numbers still so maybe you won't need to.
 
So it’s interesting, he had 112 @ +3 then 82 @+3.5, so a bit lower than meter variance. Then Gen went to 96 @+4 (possibly after he went for a snack?) but still flat. Looks like onset was +2, so I might question the 68 as being close to if not nadir. I see you also posted a 76, so that’s still flat and surfing. That’d be probably around +5? Usually you want to watch for numbers that are going beyond meter variance, and to me he’s probably hitting nadir. That said, if you find he’s sticking around the 70s and you aren’t comfortable with that, you most certainly should do what will make you feel okay and not worried.
 
Christie & Maverick said:
So it’s interesting, he had 112 @ +3 then 82 @+3.5, so a bit lower than meter variance. Then Gen went to 96 @+4 (possibly after he went for a snack?) but still flat. Looks like onset was +2, so I might question the 68 as being close to if not nadir. I see you also posted a 76, so that’s still flat and surfing. That’d be probably around +5? Usually you want to watch for numbers that are going beyond meter variance, and to me he’s probably hitting nadir. That said, if you find he’s sticking around the 70s and you aren’t comfortable with that, you most certainly should do what will make you feel okay and not worried.
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Of note, some of those numbers have been retroactively "corrected" by the monitor. It currently shows a nadir of 77 at +3.5 (assuming it doesn't go down again later). I'm adjusting my spreadsheet as the app adjusts.

What I'm really sure of at this point is that he dropped fast enough that the meter is "confused." It's giving me a "no recent data" error again, which means it's recalibrating again, and it might revise the past numbers further, or not. It does get a bit complicated. I think @Staci & Ivy is right, that sometimes when a cat's BG does something a human's just wouldn't/couldn't, it really throws the technology off.

When do you think it would be important to be there? If he doesn't seem to be flattening? (He had a lot of little ups and downs around his nadir last time this happened, between the 60s and the 80s; I think that's still flat/surfing?) I'm not sure what's a low enough number that I really want to go there, but will still hopefully give me some margin before potential hypo sets in. I suppose that depends on the cat, though. (For reference: when he was admitted for a hypoglycemic crisis in November, his BG was apparently 44; I don't know what meter the ER used, but I'm guessing an animal-calibrated one like AlphaTrak.)
 
Allie & Gen said:
Of note, some of those numbers have been retroactively "corrected" by the monitor. It currently shows a nadir of 77 at +3.5 (assuming it doesn't go down again later). I'm adjusting my spreadsheet as the app adjusts.

What I'm really sure of at this point is that he dropped fast enough that the meter is "confused." It's giving me a "no recent data" error again, which means it's recalibrating again, and it might revise the past numbers further, or not. It does get a bit complicated. I think @Staci & Ivy is right, that sometimes when a cat's BG does something a human's just wouldn't/couldn't, it really throws the technology off.

When do you think it would be important to be there? If he doesn't seem to be flattening? (He had a lot of little ups and downs around his nadir last time this happened, between the 60s and the 80s; I think that's still flat/surfing?) I'm not sure what's a low enough number that I really want to go there, but will still hopefully give me some margin before potential hypo sets in. I suppose that depends on the cat, though. (For reference: when he was admitted for a hypoglycemic crisis in November, his BG was apparently 44; I don't know what meter the ER used, but I'm guessing an animal-calibrated one like AlphaTrak.)
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With the Libre, as you know, reading different from a meter, you have to know how to compare the 2, I think. If it were me, I told a coworker if she goes LO at any point, I'm going home. Because I know if it says she's 40s or worse LO, then that means she's really 50s and dropping. This time with the sensor reading a bit higher, I would trust the 50s and think that maybe she is close to that or lower. Are you able to manual test at all on him to get an idea of how to compare the two? Or do you just take the Libre number as it reads?
 
Monster's Mom said:
Because I know if it says she's 40s or worse LO, then that means she's really 50s and dropping.
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Definitely not trying to contradict or correct you, but would add that that's not a hard and fast rule for every cat--when we caught that 37 a couple days ago there wasn't even a "LO" on the graph. Or in September, the last time we got a number in the 30s, nothing below 50 stuck that day.

ECID and the longer you use the Libre the more you'll recognize what numbers are and aren't "real." It's also of course guided by how the current dose is taking the cat, what they ate that day, etc. So it's not bad to be cautious WITHIN REASON until you get to that point. Obviously being at work and needing to bike home adjusts the definition of 'within reason.'

The Libre is a helpful tool but it is still just a tool. Unfortunately!
 
Monster's Mom said:
With the Libre, as you know, reading different from a meter, you have to know how to compare the 2, I think. If it were me, I told a coworker if she goes LO at any point, I'm going home. Because I know if it says she's 40s or worse LO, then that means she's really 50s and dropping. This time with the sensor reading a bit higher, I would trust the 50s and think that maybe she is close to that or lower. Are you able to manual test at all on him to get an idea of how to compare the two? Or do you just take the Libre number as it reads?
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I am not currently able to manually test at all; he reacts so adversely that I'm unable to restrain him well enough to get enough blood and take a reading. If I had someone to help, it might be different, but as it's just me, relying solely on the Libre has been the best option. (I'm hoping we can work up to occasional manual testing eventually! But upsetting him that much is more counterproductive than helpful right now.)

If I could sedate him, it might be different, but my attempt with the liquid gabapentin last night backfired so much. I'm going to see if I can get some capsules, since I've been more successful with mixing powdered meds in his food recently.
 
I would agree, I do think especially more recently in seeing how the Libre handles steady greens for a prolonged period like Regan’s kitty, Monster that because the Libre was made for humans, anything that a human wouldn’t usually do like stay steady in greens for example is problematic for the technology.

Setting that aside, I would try and go a bit higher level, and as I described, try and look at the active cycles in terms of how Gen is using the insulin, so…onsets, nadirs, duration. If you consider the usual aspects of Lantus, for most cats, you’ll see onset at around +2 and nadir at around +6. Some cats will get shorter duration, although duration can be influenced a bit also by how carb sensitive the cat is and when they are fed the carbs in the cycle. To me, the likelihood of Gen going significantly lower now is pretty low, especially if you use the Libre data you are getting now which shows him staying flat. Once a cat hits nadir, their numbers will begin to trend upward as the insulin dose is waning.

I found using an auto pet feeder extremely helpful in managing things, but it sounds like Gen has access to food, which helps.

Apologies if you mentioned it in a previous post, but did Gen have symptoms of hypoglycaemia?
 
Christie & Maverick said:
Setting that aside, I would try and go a bit higher level, and as I described, try and look at the active cycles in terms of how Gen is using the insulin, so…onsets, nadirs, duration. If you consider the usual aspects of Lantus, for most cats, you’ll see onset at around +2 and nadir at around +6. Some cats will get shorter duration, although duration can be influenced a bit also by how carb sensitive the cat is and when they are fed the carbs in the cycle. To me, the likelihood of Gen going significantly lower now is pretty low, especially if you use the Libre data you are getting now which shows him staying flat. Once a cat hits nadir, their numbers will begin to trend upward as the insulin dose is waning.
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That makes sense, although I can't help remembering Monday. He seemed to hit his nadir at +5.5, only to dip back even lower at +8 (after which he shot up like a rocket).

The day he was hospitalized in November, he had pronounced symptoms, but I don't know when they started or whether there were earlier warning signs because I was asleep. He woke me up howling at 5AM, and he couldn't use his legs. Tried to walk, fell over, was completely limp except for his head when I picked him up. (It was terrifying.) We didn't have the Libre yet, so I don't know what it would have read at that point. (The 44, as I said, was from the ER vet's meter.)

ETA: oh, and yes, he does have access. He has always preferred to eat his food a little at a time throughout the day (and again overnight), which seems to work well. I give him a set amount of wet and dry in the morning, and then in the evening I take away any leftovers (this varies), and give him another set amount of wet food.
 
Lauren & Esse said:
Definitely not trying to contradict or correct you, but would add that that's not a hard and fast rule for every cat--when we caught that 37 a couple days ago there wasn't even a "LO" on the graph. Or in September, the last time we got a number in the 30s, nothing below 50 stuck that day.

ECID and the longer you use the Libre the more you'll recognize what numbers are and aren't "real." It's also of course guided by how the current dose is taking the cat, what they ate that day, etc. So it's not bad to be cautious WITHIN REASON until you get to that point. Obviously being at work and needing to bike home adjusts the definition of 'within reason.'

The Libre is a helpful tool but it is still just a tool. Unfortunately!
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No problem at all. I definitely don't want to give false information. I guess that's where ECID comes in. With the previous sensors, I started to feel like I could judge her true numbers by what it was reading. This new one is a little different but I feel like I can judge where my cat is based on her Libre. i guess you would have to know how it is with each individual cat if it's close or if it's correct.

I guess I should have emphasized that is how I would interpret my cats readings and I would want to be home with her at a certain number. But if you can't manually test, you would just have to know if it's an unusual number for him given the circumstances at the time. I stand corrected!
 
The Libre has been offline for about an hour - either "thinking" about confusing cat BG, or he may have gone and found himself a spot to curl up out of range (he mostly doesn't do this, but there are a couple of places in the apartment that qualify). But! It just came back with a 126. I'm staying, but I'll keep an eye out in case we get a second dip like Monday.

It is stressful, but I do appreciate learning things ... still trying to figure out just what he's doing with this dose. I hope it becomes clearer after this.
 
Monster's Mom said:
No problem at all. I definitely don't want to give false information. I guess that's where ECID comes in. With the previous sensors, I started to feel like I could judge her true numbers by what it was reading. This new one is a little different but I feel like I can judge where my cat is based on her Libre. i guess you would have to know how it is with each individual cat if it's close or if it's correct.

I guess I should have emphasized that is how I would interpret my cats readings and I would want to be home with her at a certain number. But if you can't manually test, you would just have to know if it's an unusual number for him given the circumstances at the time. I stand corrected!
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Hey, I think it's really useful for us all to compare notes, given that this is a relatively new and off-label technology we're all using! I appreciate all my fellow Libre users' input.
 
I’m sorry, Allie, that’s quite frightening, and I am really glad he’s okay :bighug:. Good point about Dec. 15th cycle, I had looked at that also, to see if I could compare. I would see that cycle slightly different than today’s. He came down to blues faster today, then greens, so you may find that with the earlier greens/nadir, once he flattens out that’s it.
 
Monster's Mom said:
Monster just recently started double dipping, which was new. We really do learn something new everyday with them. And you're right! We're new and this is a great place to learn and share new information everyday.
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Very true about the Lantus double dip, sometimes kitties will hit nadir, then go up, then come back down a little into +11 or preshot, but not as low as the nadir. That’s not what happened with Gen on Dec. 15th ;)
 
Christie & Maverick said:
Very true about the Lantus double dip, sometimes kitties will hit nadir, then go up, then come back down a little into +11 or preshot, but not as low as the nadir. That’s not what happened with Gen on Dec. 15th ;)
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I am really looking forward to being able to understand all these subtleties a bit more! I have no idea what's happening with Gen really. I'm just hoping we maybe won't climb all the way back to 400+ again.
 
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