1/1, Bell, AMPS 86 +2 129 +5 96 +6.5 99 PMPS 169

[Seth&Bell]

Yesterday

Bell seems 100% today. She was flying around the apartment with her post-bathroom zoomies and played with me tonight. I am very nervous about starting back up at work after what happened - that episode shook my confidence around lower numbers, which is prolly a good thing for me...

I sprained my ankle pretty badly on a trail run today (had to hobble 4 miles back home to be in time for Bell's dinner ), but the good news is that I don't think I'll be able to drive tomorrow, so I'm going to work from home and I'll be able to keep close tabs on her for another day. Silver linings...

@Suzanne & Darcy

Is Bell’s heart okay?

Maybe there’s something wrong with your meter?

To my knowledge it is, but she hasn't had a heart-specific test done. Would that be something that shows up in a normal vet exam or bloodwork?

I think my meter is ok, but that is a good thought. I still have some Relion test solution I can confirm with. I've gotten pretty good at pegging her behavior with her numbers, and the meter seems to be in the ballpark of what I'd expect (starving at low greens, not a lot of appetite in the blues, peeing a lot in the yellow and pinks, etc).



I am curious to anyone that has experience over the years if cats have shown hypo symptoms in the 40-50 range? or above, like Brianna saw with Xander. I know there is normal meter variance, so she could have been a bit lower than the 50. The reason I think it may have been a hypo is just how aggressively hungry she was. When she gets in the 40-55 range she usually is soooo hungry and is the only time she'll meow at me. But this time that hunger level was up a notch - she was literally smashing her face in her food to get it down. I fed her a bunch of LC, and then once I saw how she was behaving, I fed a bunch of MC and she scarfed it all down.

Another question: Is the BG measured by a blood sample delayed at all? Like could those 50's be from 15 minutes before? I wish I would have kept testing her every half hour after that 50 and 51 reading to fill in the gaps between the +5/+5.1 and the +7. At the time, I was thinking this was some neurological issue unrelated to her BG, so I was focused on keep her calm and on my lap. But the more I think about it, the more I feel like it was a hypo episode.

Apologies for the load of questions, I'm just thinking out loud.

@Brianna & Xander

I'm so sorry you both had to go through that last night, Seth! That's so scary! For what it's worth, I had a really similar thing happen with Xander once (though instead of the leg issues, he was shaking so hard he looked like he was vibrating), and he was also only in the 50s-60s. I wonder if maybe some days a number is too low and others it's not... The same way some days you're up to a run or you're not. Maybe it was just the wrong day for her to go low. I obviously don't know anything, but it was kind of what I settled on when it happened to Xander.

Happy New Year! I agree that 2025 was one of the worst. Good freaking riddance. I hope Bell is feeling better and she has lots of (hypo-free) greens in the new year!

Yes! I remember this and it was part of what triggered me to reconsider what had caused her strange behavior. Once I got the MC food in her, she started acting normal again. I think she was shaking a bit too, and it seemed like her eyes were jumping around a little while she was on my lap. I'm sorry you went through that as well.

Amen to that, re:2025, both personally and... everything else that happened/is happening. I would say things can only go up from here, but I'm not going to put that jinx on 2026. My 2025 doesn't compare to what you've been dealing with with sweet Xander. . Happy New Year?!

 

[Seth&Bell]

 

[Wendy&Neko]

I am curious to anyone that has experience over the years if cats have shown hypo symptoms in the 40-50 range?

I just bumped a post that addresses this: How Low Is Too Low?

To my knowledge it is, but she hasn't had a heart-specific test done. Would that be something that shows up in a normal vet exam or bloodwork?

This is a multi part answer. Vets can hear heart murmurs when listening to them with a stethoscope. Murmurs are not uncommon, but can also be caused by benign age related conditions. The definitive answer comes with an echocardiogram, preferably by a vet cardiologist. But you can get an early indicator with bloodwork with a test called the Cardiopet proBNP test, or NT-proBNP test which can be used as a screening test.

BG testing comes directly from the blood sample, which should be current.

 

[Seth&Bell]

That was an excellent read, thank you Wendy. I think sometimes I get overly focused on "earning reductions" that I miss the whole point of keeping Bell in a good zone.

With that thread in mind, some additional context from last night. I usually feed Bell a small amount at PMPS and then at PMPS +1.5 (this is where she gets her gabapentin dose). The night she had the ataxia, she threw up the PMPS +1.5. I gave her some ondansetron but only got a small amount of food in her (between +2 and +3). It usually takes her about an hour for the ondansetron to kick in, or her to get over her post-puke nausea. So she was running on less food than normal when she showed the ataxia symptoms.

Maybe I need to focus more on keeping her in the 60-90 range regardless of carb level and forget about the dosage and reductions. I just am always worried I'm propping up a potential reduction by intervening with carbs. But, I've been at this awhile, so maybe it is up to me to sense if a dose needs a reduction, even if it isn't dropping her below 50.

 

[Brianna & Xander]

I don't blame you at all for the shaken confidence, because I had the same reaction. I had felt like I'd gotten so much more comfortable and then felt like "Well clearly I know nothing." Not that you know nothing! It just really shakes you (no pun intended).

Ouch!! 4 miles on a hurt ankle just to get home (Also wow, what truly fantastic timing I had with my comparison to not being up to a run. I am so sorry. )

Maybe it was a combination of meter variance and her just being in a bad spot for it. I don't know if you've ever felt very low blood sugar but the urgency to eat really is unbelievable. Like feeling awful but your body knowing exactly what it needs to make it stop. I agree that the way she was desperately going for the food sounds like she needed it.

Another idea is, rather than that the number was delayed, that she knew she was going to drop more. Maybe she could feel that it was going to get even worse. Does that make sense? Again, I'm way less knowledgeable than you are. Just thoughts!

Also: I don't compare at all. What I'm going through with Xander doesn't come close to what others here have gone through with their kitties either. We're all struggling and deserve the same amount of compassion and support! And eff 2025 lol

 

[Seth&Bell]

LOL i second that. And your running analogy was very apt! I'm fine, it happens all the time, I'm just glad I could make it back without hopping for 4 miles.

I think she does recognize when she is dropping rapidly. Her appetite not only spikes when she is very low but also when she is dropping rapidly (in the greens and blues). I really am curious what it feels like. I often feel guilty when I see her like that... Maybe the only time I can relate is during long runs - around 16-20 miles your body uses up most of its stored carbs and you end up crashing without some form of gel or food intake, unless you are extremely fat-adapted. It is like a switch being flipped. Poor Bell! Poor sugar cats!

The thread Wendy bumped helped put that in perspective. I should be trying to prevent her from getting to that place instead of aiming for it and taking a reduction and boosting her after the fact.

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

Yesterday

Bell seems 100% today. She was flying around the apartment with her post-bathroom zoomies and played with me tonight. I am very nervous about starting back up at work after what happened - that episode shook my confidence around lower numbers, which is prolly a good thing for me...

I sprained my ankle pretty badly on a trail run today (had to hobble 4 miles back home to be in time for Bell's dinner ), but the good news is that I don't think I'll be able to drive tomorrow, so I'm going to work from home and I'll be able to keep close tabs on her for another day. Silver linings...

@Suzanne & Darcy

To my knowledge it is, but she hasn't had a heart-specific test done. Would that be something that shows up in a normal vet exam or bloodwork?

I think my meter is ok, but that is a good thought. I still have some Relion test solution I can confirm with. I've gotten pretty good at pegging her behavior with her numbers, and the meter seems to be in the ballpark of what I'd expect (starving at low greens, not a lot of appetite in the blues, peeing a lot in the yellow and pinks, etc).



I am curious to anyone that has experience over the years if cats have shown hypo symptoms in the 40-50 range? or above, like Brianna saw with Xander. I know there is normal meter variance, so she could have been a bit lower than the 50. The reason I think it may have been a hypo is just how aggressively hungry she was. When she gets in the 40-55 range she usually is soooo hungry and is the only time she'll meow at me. But this time that hunger level was up a notch - she was literally smashing her face in her food to get it down. I fed her a bunch of LC, and then once I saw how she was behaving, I fed a bunch of MC and she scarfed it all down.

Another question: Is the BG measured by a blood sample delayed at all? Like could those 50's be from 15 minutes before? I wish I would have kept testing her every half hour after that 50 and 51 reading to fill in the gaps between the +5/+5.1 and the +7. At the time, I was thinking this was some neurological issue unrelated to her BG, so I was focused on keep her calm and on my lap. But the more I think about it, the more I feel like it was a hypo episode.

Apologies for the load of questions, I'm just thinking out loud.

@Brianna & Xander


Yes! I remember this and it was part of what triggered me to reconsider what had caused her strange behavior. Once I got the MC food in her, she started acting normal again. I think she was shaking a bit too, and it seemed like her eyes were jumping around a little while she was on my lap. I'm sorry you went through that as well.

Amen to that, re:2025, both personally and... everything else that happened/is happening. I would say things can only go up from here, but I'm not going to put that jinx on 2026. My 2025 doesn't compare to what you've been dealing with with sweet Xander. . Happy New Year?!

2025 has been a bad year for us, too, on a personal level at least. I am glad it’s over. No guarantee that 2026 is going to be any better, but I can always hope.

 

[Brianna & Xander]

LOL i second that. And your running analogy was very apt! I'm fine, it happens all the time, I'm just glad I could make it back without hopping for 4 miles.

I think she does recognize when she is dropping rapidly. Her appetite not only spikes when she is very low but also when she is dropping rapidly (in the greens and blues). I really am curious what it feels like. I often feel guilty when I see her like that... Maybe the only time I can relate is during long runs - around 16-20 miles your body uses up most of its stored carbs and you end up crashing without some form of gel or food intake, unless you are extremely fat-adapted. It is like a switch being flipped. Poor Bell! Poor sugar cats!

The thread Wendy bumped helped put that in perspective. I should be trying to prevent her from getting to that place instead of aiming for it and taking a reduction and boosting her after the fact.

Yeah, so maybe she knew she was gonna keep dropping and you never saw that number because you were there to feed and she knew to scarf it before she got there. In a way you could look at it more as both of you being very on your game because (the worst of the) disaster averted.

I'm not diabetic but hypoglycemic events seem to run in the women in my family (no idea why) so I've felt them and they are awful. A mix of "I'm dying" and adrenaline to prevent it. Not to make you feel worse, but to put her urgency into perspective I guess. My poor Mom used to have hypoglycemia-induced grand mal seizures (often in public and while on flights of stairs ). I can only imagine how it feels to get to that point. Bell was all over preventing that crap at least! But yes, poor Bell and poor all sugar cats! I know the high must feel bad too, but the low seems worse.

I've never been brave enough to get to where you have with Bell (which is some pretty incredible numbers, despite the limes), but I've kind of come to the same realization recently. Like I can just be satisfied with some blues and greens in the "normal" range for at least most of the time. It's less stressful and miserable for both of us. Maybe that would be the case for you and Bell too. And maybe you could get some sleep for once! lol

 

[Staci & Ivy]

I’m glad Bell seems to have recovered well, Seth. Very scary stuff.
It’s good she seems to know she needs food when she feels the effects of too low BG.
Wishing you (and everyone here) safe surfs and a calm 2026 (eff 2025)

 

[Seth&Bell]

Yeah, so maybe she knew she was gonna keep dropping and you never saw that number because you were there to feed and she knew to scarf it before she got there. In a way you could look at it more as both of you being very on your game because (the worst of the) disaster averted.

I'm not diabetic but hypoglycemic events seem to run in the women in my family (no idea why) so I've felt them and they are awful. A mix of "I'm dying" and adrenaline to prevent it. Not to make you feel worse, but to put her urgency into perspective I guess. My poor Mom used to have hypoglycemia-induced grand mal seizures (often in public and while on flights of stairs ). I can only imagine how it feels to get to that point. Bell was all over preventing that crap at least! But yes, poor Bell and poor all sugar cats! I know the high must feel bad too, but the low seems worse.

I've never been brave enough to get to where you have with Bell (which is some pretty incredible numbers, despite the limes), but I've kind of come to the same realization recently. Like I can just be satisfied with some blues and greens in the "normal" range for at least most of the time. It's less stressful and miserable for both of us. Maybe that would be the case for you and Bell too. And maybe you could get some sleep for once! lol

Oh wow that sounds super scary for your mom, I’m sorry about that.

Yeah, I’ve realized I can only do so much to control Bell’s numbers. Like Xander, she loves to do her bouncy thing…

 

[Seth&Bell]

I’m glad Bell seems to have recovered well, Seth. Very scary stuff.
It’s good she seems to know she needs food when she feels the effects of too low BG.
Wishing you (and everyone here) safe surfs and a calm 2026 (eff 2025)

I hope you and Ivy have a wonderful 2026, Staci!