05/11 Zero: PM+11 - 80 | AMPS - 76 | +2 - 83 | +4 - 68 | +6 - 67 | +8 - 72 | PMPS - 84 | PM+2 - 93 | PM+6.5 - 93 |

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

05/10 condo: first shot in the greens. info on Lantus glucose curve, curve managing with food.

Good morning everyone! Happy monday and happy week to all kitties and their parents!

Yesterday was the first pretty amazing day for Zero, with all his numbers in a pretty stable range. (thanks to all the guidance and knowledge bestowed upon me on this forum)

last night was a pretty super cycle as well. his PS was a little higher and I felt a bit easier to shoot, fed right after PMPS and then shot, also, FIRST injection that I believe I FINALLY managed to get the correct technique since he did not meow in pain or tried to jump or bite, and the whole cycle behaved pretty smoothly. I tested at +2- 77 then at +5- 53 at this point getting his lowest number yet did not scare me, since I knew he would get a slower drop from here on, and would start raising at +7. So I fed him LC, which he happily ate and that's exactly what happened.

This PM cycle is confirming what I've been seeing on the numbers these past days: he starts dropping pretty early in the cycle, as early as +1 sometimes, but usually between +2 and +3, and his steepest drop (probably hitting his nadirs) is at his +4 most of the times, sometimes on +5. from then on, if he keeps dropping at +6 is usually a very conservative drop, flattening out the line, and then at +7 he starts slowly climbing up.

Today his PM+11 is sitting at 80, which sounds like an amazing night curve since he only ate at PMPS, PM+1 and then a little on PM+5 and the rest was sleep. All LC food.
I removed his food to hope for a bit of a higher number on AMPS but I think it's gonna go well today.

Hope your kitties have a wonderful monday! we'll keep updating!

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

Update: his AMPS was sitting at 76, fed and shot. we'll keep an eye on that +3 and +4 for the biggest drop. Gave a little churu diet as treat, maybe that slows the steepness of the drop a little, + the LC

 

[Marje and Gracie]

Update: his AMPS was sitting at 76, fed and shot. we'll keep an eye on that +3 and +4 for the biggest drop. Gave a little churu as treat, maybe that slows the steepness of the drop a little, + the LC

I love it when members start to see patterns! You’re doing great and I also love you are starting to feel more at ease with these great numbers.

 

[Mary & Jude]

Look at him go! Zero!! You're doing so good, little guy!! And it's all thanks to your mama's good care! Have a safe, flat surf today! Scritches to Zero and Sigma from me and Jude.

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

I love it when members start to see patterns! You’re doing great and I also love you are starting to feel more at ease with these great numbers.

yes! I love getting data to be honest, and so far, putting the hard work and tough moments aside, I've found it really interesting, for example how glucose tends to work for itself avoiding a hypo, when it gets too low, it makes them hungry and food is the thing that will prevent them to keep dropping. so interesting!

on a side note, I boiled some chicken this morning to begin adding to his diet adn see if he takes it. so far he never ever ever has been interested in chicken or tuna or salmon. this morning he ate 2 strands of boiled chicken, so yay! maybe he'll take that if he gets hungry later in the cycles so as to not stop the curve!
more and more good news!

Look at him go! Zero!! You're doing so good, little guy!! And it's all thanks to your mama's good care! Have a safe, flat surf today! Scritches to Zero and Sigma from me and Jude.

yess! thank you so much for all your help and company, we send air biscuits for you two as well!

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

Update: +2: 83 - lol, it seems he is having an out of character (for him) cycle today by not dipping early but more like curves i've seen in other kitties' ss where at 2 is slightly higher and then the onset is at +3 or +4. that is good news for when his PS numbers are green! we'll keep monitoring, we'll see how his +4 which until now has been his steep drop, behaves today.

 

[Marje and Gracie]

when it gets too low, it makes them hungry and food is the thing that will prevent them to keep dropping.

Just as a note for anyone lurking. Not all cats do this. My Gracie could drop into the 20s and not act hungry so it’s important to check with your glucometer and don’t assume your cat will be like Zero.

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Very nice cycle for Zero, stay safe and eat your snacks.
Great job managing his curve and keeping him safe

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

Just as a note for anyone lurking. Not all cats do this. My Gracie could drop into the 20s and not act hungry so it’s important to check with your glucometer and don’t assume your cat will be like Zero.

thank you for teh clarification Marje, also to note I am suuuper new and still learning, so my comments might lack some information, and even more data gathering, since i just recently started really collecting data 4 days ago. my condos are great ways to find info from the more experienced people on the forum, i try to link the condo of the day before with a little summary of the tips gathered in there if you need them, but yes, be wary that i am still a baby at feline diabetes. hehe.

little update on zero today: this curve today I'm really liking so far. his +4 is sitting at 68. he has been eating ok, tasted his first boiled chicken strip, liked it, and has been extremely playful in the morning.

will test again at +6 to see how much faster he drops today, but i believe it won't be too dramatic, we'll see what the numbers say.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

To pile onto what Marje said, I once tested Neko, snoozing away in the middle of the night, in the 30's ! I woke her up to feed her.

Go Zero - keep on keeping (safe) green.

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

To pile onto what Marje said, I once tested Neko, snoozing away in the middle of the night, in the 30's ! I woke her up to feed her.

Go Zero - keep on keeping (safe) green.

oh nooo! spooky! good to know, sometimes if i see him all relaxed i tend to think all is well. and it just may not be!

zero update: his +6 was as I expected, not a dramatic drop, standing at a very handsome 67
don't want to get my hopes up, but i truly wish this trend continues as these past few days.
kinda worried that I have to travel at the end of the month for 7 days and finding someone to take care of them becomes harder when the people helping have to be on top of him with tests and insulin shots.
I have a libre unopened, waiting to put it on him 2 or 3 days before i have to travel so they won't have to prick his ears, just give the shot.

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

Very nice cycle for Zero, stay safe and eat your snacks.
Great job managing his curve and keeping him safe

Hi Staci!! I was inspecting Ivy's ss and I noticed you use the Libre on her, I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions?

I am about to place one on zero for the week i have to travel, so the friend helping me take care of them doesn't have to prick his ears, just administer the insulin. The first libre i bought, took it to the vet to get it installed and he (the vet) ruined it. I've seen videos where they apply surgical glue to it or it won't stick, and he didnt apply any, he simply tried placing it as it comes and of course it fell right off. Thankfully the pharmacy gave me another one since I couldn't use the one I bought.

How do you apply it, do you use some special sticky stuff? a sticky surgical wipe or surgical glue?
How do you manage to keep it on while it lasts?
Does Ivy ever try to take it off?
Do you switch sides when applying a new libre?
Any special advice you can give me before I attempt to place one on zero?

Thank you in advance for any info you can give me on it.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

A couple days before you leave, ask for a "petsitter" dose. In such cases, we'd usually get people to reduce the dose for safety.

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

A couple days before you leave, ask for a "petsitter" dose. In such cases, we'd usually get people to reduce the dose for safety.

thank youu! will do!

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Hi Staci!! I was inspecting Ivy's ss and I noticed you use the Libre on her, I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions?

I am about to place one on zero for the week i have to travel, so the friend helping me take care of them doesn't have to prick his ears, just administer the insulin. The first libre i bought, took it to the vet to get it installed and he (the vet) ruined it. I've seen videos where they apply surgical glue to it or it won't stick, and he didnt apply any, he simply tried placing it as it comes and of course it fell right off. Thankfully the pharmacy gave me another one since I couldn't use the one I bought.

How do you apply it, do you use some special sticky stuff? a sticky surgical wipe or surgical glue?
How do you manage to keep it on while it lasts?
Does Ivy ever try to take it off?
Do you switch sides when applying a new libre?
Any special advice you can give me before I attempt to place one on zero?

Thank you in advance for any info you can give me on it.

Yes of course I’ll be happy to answer any questions.

I am attaching a link here to information we’ve created so you can learn about using a Libre.

Hi Staci!! I was inspecting Ivy's ss and I noticed you use the Libre on her, I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions?

I am about to place one on zero for the week i have to travel, so the friend helping me take care of them doesn't have to prick his ears, just administer the insulin. The first libre i bought, took it to the vet to get it installed and he (the vet) ruined it. I've seen videos where they apply surgical glue to it or it won't stick, and he didnt apply any, he simply tried placing it as it comes and of course it fell right off. Thankfully the pharmacy gave me another one since I couldn't use the one I bought.

How do you apply it, do you use some special sticky stuff? a sticky surgical wipe or surgical glue?
How do you manage to keep it on while it lasts?
Does Ivy ever try to take it off?
Do you switch sides when applying a new libre?
Any special advice you can give me before I attempt to place one on zero?

Thank you in advance for any info you can give me on it.

Yes I’d cited I will be happy to answer any questions and help you with suggestions. I will link below information. We have compiled to help new users of libras to understand how to use them. Please read that and let me know if you have questions.
Getting Started With Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) for Diabetic Cats

I always direct new users of Libre’s to join the Facebook group freestyle Libre’s for dogs and cats if you were on Facebook. The information there is very, very helpful.

I install the Libres myself and never use glue.
The glue can flood the sensor and shut it down and then it will be useless. You don’t want that to happen, especially if you were leaving town and someone is watching Zero.
Plus the glue can harm their fragile skin.

There is sticky adhesive backing on the libre sensor and I cover the sensor with a clear tegaderm patch.
You have to prepare the skin properly and that is described in the document I linked above.

Yes, you switch sides each time to let the skin rest and recover between each use.

I cover Ivy‘s Libre with a tube top. You will see a picture of her in the document. Her top has no shoulders or anything because she didn’t like wearing a T-shirt and this works for her.
There are different options and ways to cover the Libre, so the cat won’t try to remove it.
The issue is that I can see if zero doesn’t like wearing a top and you just put it on him and then leave town and he’s freaking out that could be a problem.
You may want to at least put the top on him a couple days in advance, so he gets used to it even before you put the Libre on.

And you have to have either a Libre reader or a dedicated phone that will stay at home with him at all times.
That phone or reader will gather the data and send it through the cloud so that you can receive it on your phone. You can also have your Pet Sitter receiving the data on their phone if you like.

It’s a little bit of work to set everything up so you would have to look into all of what you need to do ahead of time and get everything you need ready to go.

There’s an extensive amount of information on the Facebook group on how to set up everything you will need.
Please let me know if you have questions.

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

Yes of course I’ll be happy to answer any questions.

I am attaching a link here to information we’ve created so you can learn about using a Libre.

Yes I’d cited I will be happy to answer any questions and help you with suggestions. I will link below information. We have compiled to help new users of libras to understand how to use them. Please read that and let me know if you have questions.
Getting Started With Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) for Diabetic Cats

I always direct new users of Libre’s to join the Facebook group freestyle Libre’s for dogs and cats if you were on Facebook. The information there is very, very helpful.

I install the Libres myself and never use glue.
The glue can flood the sensor and shut it down and then it will be useless. You don’t want that to happen, especially if you were leaving town and someone is watching Zero.
Plus the glue can harm their fragile skin.

There is sticky adhesive backing on the libre sensor and I cover the sensor with a clear tegaderm patch.
You have to prepare the skin properly and that is described in the document I linked above.

Yes, you switch sides each time to let the skin rest and recover between each use.

I cover Ivy‘s Libre with a tube top. You will see a picture of her in the document. Her top has no shoulders or anything because she didn’t like wearing a T-shirt and this works for her.
There are different options and ways to cover the Libre, so the cat won’t try to remove it.
The issue is that I can see if zero doesn’t like wearing a top and you just put it on him and then leave town and he’s freaking out that could be a problem.
You may want to at least put the top on him a couple days in advance, so he gets used to it even before you put the Libre on.

And you have to have either a Libre reader or a dedicated phone that will stay at home with him at all times.
That phone or reader will gather the data and send it through the cloud so that you can receive it on your phone. You can also have your Pet Sitter receiving the data on their phone if you like.

It’s a little bit of work to set everything up so you would have to look into all of what you need to do ahead of time and get everything you need ready to go.

There’s an extensive amount of information on the Facebook group on how to set up everything you will need.
Please let me know if you have questions.

wow, thank you, thank you, thank youuu! I did get the patches when i read a human user saying they dont stick to humans very well either and they use those patches, but i also bought some sticky wipes i saw a vet using on a cat and then a glue remover spray but was cautious that would harm his skin. Haven't used any of it just had it all ready for when i decided to use it, so thank you sooo much for all this info. I already joined the facebook group and will spend tonight reading all the info you provided.

Really appreciate your help!

as for the tube, I have been putting a little sweater on him on cold nights the past month to get him used to wearing it thinking ahead of the libre moment, here's a picture of him complaining because the sweater is not fashionable enough and he hates the color, he wants something more flattering, lol.

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

I think his PM shot was partially a fur shot. It's the first time i can smell insuline on him, even though i rumaged his fur after the shot and felt nothing wet but i can still smell it. don't know how much of it actually went in.
oh, well.

 

[Bandit's Mom]

I think his PM shot was partially a fur shot. It's the first time i can smell insuline on him, even though i rumaged his fur after the shot and felt nothing wet but i can still smell it. don't know how much of it actually went in.
oh, well.

Sometimes you can smell the insulin even if it's not a furshot. Furshots happen to all of us and the kitties recover. Zero has recovered from skips like they didn't happen, so a partial furshot is nothing for him! ;-)

Even with a PFS, the first part of the cycle will stay play out like a normal shot due to the depot.

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

Sometimes you can smell the insulin even if it's not a furshot. Furshots happen to all of us and the kitties recover. Zero has recovered from skips like they didn't happen, so a partial furshot is nothing for him! ;-)

Even with a PFS, the first part of the cycle will stay play out like a normal shot due to the depot.

ahhh thank you for the data and the reassurance!

here's a playful zero feeling much better these past days and playing and eating tons.

 

[Staci & Ivy]

wow, thank you, thank you, thank youuu! I did get the patches when i read a human user saying they dont stick to humans very well either and they use those patches, but i also bought some sticky wipes i saw a vet using on a cat and then a glue remover spray but was cautious that would harm his skin. Haven't used any of it just had it all ready for when i decided to use it, so thank you sooo much for all this info. I already joined the facebook group and will spend tonight reading all the info you provided.

Really appreciate your help!

as for the tube, I have been putting a little sweater on him on cold nights the past month to get him used to wearing it thinking ahead of the libre moment, here's a picture of him complaining because the sweater is not fashionable enough and he hates the color, he wants something more flattering, lol.

He’s just adorable
I’m so glad you thought about putting a top on him to get him used to it.
Very good thinking

I find the tegaderm to be very good and I use organic coconut oil on a cotton swab to gently remove it and the sensor.
It helps keep their skin from any harsh chemicals and if they lick it, it won’t harm them.
I also use warm water on a cotton pad to wipe the area after removal and pat dry.

I think you are in good shape. I’m so glad you’ve read everything to learn what to do!

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

Even with a PFS, the first part of the cycle will stay play out like a normal shot due to the depot.

wow his curve last night was totally flat! that's amazing. is this what you mean when you say lantus tends to flatten teh curve?