3/17 Ivy Amps 270, +2.10 53, +4 Lo,+6 45, +9 115, Pmps 386, +2 381, + 3,75 199 Libre

[Staci & Ivy]

3/16/24
Amps 270
Good morning
Ivy is still grouchy with me this morning. At Pmps yesterday it didn’t go too well. She was low on Libre and I tried to blood test her and it was a battle (I lost). I stalled 15 minutes, waited until I knew she was safe to shoot full dose, which was at 51 on Libre (will be higher on my handheld meter).

She holds a grudge if we have a scuffle. It takes her a day or so to forgive me. She’s a tough cookie.
Hoping today is smoother for both of us.

@Marje and Gracie please let me know if we should continue the discussion from last night, I replied late into the night as I wasn’t sleeping well

Have a good day everyone

 

[Mikanmama (Mikan GA)]

Good morning Staci and Ivy!
What a great green streak Ivy had yesterday!
She is showing more and more steady greens for a longer duration. Great work, Staci
But I see that this brings out another issue of testing.
Wish there were an easier way for you to consolidate the two numbers.
Or Ivy lets you test her without fussing around and holding a grudge
I hear that using CGM for cats is getting more common - I wonder how others deal with lower numbers.
Hope you come with something you feel comfortable with
Happy Sunday to you and Ivy

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Good morning Staci and Ivy!
What a great green streak Ivy had yesterday!
She is showing more and more steady greens for a longer duration. Great work, Staci
But I see that this brings out another issue of testing.
Wish there were an easier way for you to consolidate the two numbers.
Or Ivy lets you test her without fussing around and holding a grudge
I hear that using CGM for cats is getting more common - I wonder how others deal with lower numbers.
Hope you come with something you feel comfortable with
Happy Sunday to you and Ivy

Hi Kit, she is definitely staying longer in better ranges. It just precipitates more testing, which for angry cat Ivy, is an issue. It’s why we started with the Libre in the first place. And it comes with a set of complicated issues.

I do see more and more new members here showing up using the Libre. I know the vets think they are a very helpful tool (but they have very limited knowledge of actual use). When I requested a Libre 3 script, they were only used to prescribing a Libre 2. I was the first person to ask for a 3 (I was shocked). It’s more advanced and you get the reading on your phone. And don’t have to physically go scan your cat many times a day. I found that to be very difficult, especially if you have to be out of the house.

Well one more mountain to climb for me
Wishing you all a relaxing Sunday

 

[Mikanmama (Mikan GA)]

Hi Kit, she is definitely staying longer in better ranges. It just precipitates more testing, which for angry cat Ivy, is an issue. It’s why we started with the Libre in the first place. And it comes with a set of complicated issues.

I do see more and more new members here showing up using the Libre. I know the vets think they are a very helpful tool (but they have very limited knowledge of actual use). When I requested a Libre 3 script, they were only used to prescribing a Libre 2. I was the first person to ask for a 3 (I was shocked). It’s more advanced and you get the reading on your phone. And don’t have to physically go scan your cat many times a day. I found that to be very difficult, especially if you have to be out of the house.

Well one more mountain to climb for me
Wishing you all a relaxing Sunday

You will find a way, Staci! You always have
You are such a dedicated, caring, super mom!
Sending you

 

[Staci & Ivy]

You will find a way, Staci! You always have
You are such a dedicated, caring, super mom!
Sending you

Thank you Kit, that means a lot to me. You are so kind. Right back at you, I admire your skill and dedication as well to your crew

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Quick drop back down to 53 on Libre, greens at +2.10
Fed 1.5 tsp 12.5% to slow her down. May be too late. She wants to be in low Libre greens these days.

 

[Heather & Shooter]

Good morning!
Wow! Nice greens! She might be telling you she wants a decrease soon.

 

[Alicia & Kit cat (GA)]

Woah - she's on a mission again! I hope the 12.5% was able to slow her down some. I also agree with Kit - you are clever and will come up with a solution.

Also - the shrug emoji. I want it so much. Team shrug to convey all the things. There's always this in a pinch! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Karolina & Nestle]

Looks like a sunny Sunday for sweet Ivy and she's already on a mission today. She's definitely working towards a reduction with these beautiful numbers she's been having lately.
Hopefully she forgives you soon and you can be besties again. You're doing a fantastic job!
Happy Sunday!

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Update: Libre data has been unavailable since +4 ish. It seems when she goes to Lo zone for extended period it stops transmitting data. Hoping it keeps working. Very frustrating.
And she’s not allowing me to test her today. Still angry with me from past few days of too much poking. Not helping.

 

[Jennifer & Oliver]

Update: Libre data has been unavailable since +4 ish. It seems when she goes to Lo zone for extended period it stops transmitting data. Hoping it keeps working. Very frustrating.
And she’s not allowing me to test her today. Still angry with me from past few days of too much poking. Not helping.

Oh Ivy please behave and be good for Mama! I haven't seen a LO on my libre as of yet. Lowest he has gotten down was 55. I wish there was more I could help you with. How many days do you have left in this sensor? Do you think it needs to be replaced? Hope you have an easy day and Ivy stops being angry

 

[Marje and Gracie]

3/16/24
Amps 270
Good morning
Ivy is still grouchy with me this morning. At Pmps yesterday it didn’t go too well. She was low on Libre and I tried to blood test her and it was a battle (I lost). I stalled 15 minutes, waited until I knew she was safe to shoot full dose, which was at 51 on Libre (will be higher on my handheld meter).

She holds a grudge if we have a scuffle. It takes her a day or so to forgive me. She’s a tough cookie.
Hoping today is smoother for both of us.

@Marje and Gracie please let me know if we should continue the discussion from last night, I replied late into the night as I wasn’t sleeping well

Have a good day everyone

I didn’t do a very good job of articulating my thoughts but I should clarify.

I don’t think anyone needs to test every 15 mins unless the BG is in the 30s or lower and syrup/honey have been given. The BG usually rises quicker with either of those than with food. If the BG is in the 40s or higher and food is given, it typically takes at least 30 minutes for it to show on a handheld meter.
That info is mainly for general consumption for other readers as I know you are aware of all this.

My concern with Ivy, and I know it’s yours as well, is she’s been at this dose a bit and she’s doing really well. Up to now, we know (because of your testing) that LO on the Libre is actually much higher on the Contour. The instructions with the Libre indicate anything that is LO is below 40 and that would be with a human meter since the Libre is designed for humans. However, because the Libre doesn’t give you an exact BG with the LO reading, there will come a time when she will drop low enough on the Contour as well to need a reduction. That happens because each shot is cumulative and builds on the one before. Eventually, it will fill the depot and the BG will drop enough that a dose reduction is necessary.

Think of the insulin shots at a specific dose and the depot as a hose slowly filling a bucket. It’s fine for a while but eventually the filling adds up and it overtops the bucket.

I know because of Ivy being so fractious (even burritoing her makes things worse), you are not able to poke her and check with a handheld meter too often. But a string of LOs, especially if the Libre gets “bogged down” with it, starts to concern me for how low she is on the Contour. I know you are doing the absolute best you can but we need to come up with a way that you can test her whenever you need to without getting mauled so you can catch the point at which the dose needs to be reduced.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Hi Staci, what a beautiful cycle Ivy is having.
I'm sorry the Libre is giving you trouble
Boy she sure does hold a grudge lol
You are doing an amazing jib with her .
I hope she might let you test her today with the meter

 

[Staci & Ivy]

I didn’t do a very good job of articulating my thoughts but I should clarify.

I don’t think anyone needs to test every 15 mins unless the BG is in the 30s or lower and syrup/honey have been given. The BG usually rises quicker with either of those than with food. If the BG is in the 40s or higher and food is given, it typically takes at least 30 minutes for it to show on a handheld meter.
That info is mainly for general consumption for other readers as I know you are aware of all this.

My concern with Ivy, and I know it’s yours as well, is she’s been at this dose a bit and she’s doing really well. Up to now, we know (because of your testing) that LO on the Libre is actually much higher on the Contour. The instructions with the Libre indicate anything that is LO is below 40 and that would be with a human meter since the Libre is designed for humans. However, because the Libre doesn’t give you an exact BG with the LO reading, there will come a time when she will drop low enough on the Contour as well to need a reduction. That happens because each shot is cumulative and builds on the one before. Eventually, it will fill the depot and the BG will drop enough that a dose reduction is necessary.

Think of the insulin shots at a specific dose and the depot as a hose slowly filling a bucket. It’s fine for a while but eventually the filling adds up and it overtops the bucket.

I know because of Ivy being so fractious (even burritoing her makes things worse), you are not able to poke her and check with a handheld meter too often. But a string of LOs, especially if the Libre gets “bogged down” with it, starts to concern me for how low she is on the Contour. I know you are doing the absolute best you can but we need to come up with a way that you can test her whenever you need to without getting mauled so you can catch the point at which the dose needs to be reduced.

Hi Marje, thanks for this very detailed explanation. It’s very helpful. I’m hoping Ivy resets herself. She spent the day in my closet, just wanting to be alone. Now she’s finally done out and on the pink chair in my bedroom. She even gave me a little snuggle and some purrs.
She usually has to do a self imposed timeout and be by herself to reset. She’s a real bear.
And usually I can test her even up to a few times in a day if really needed. But 5x in a few hours just made her nuts on Friday.

All these issues are a real problem and yes we need a solution. I will pull out her Relion Premier Meter and give that a try just for kicks to see what that shows ( hope I can get to work for me since it needs more blood than her Contour).

I’m very concerned about the overfill depot and this dose. Hoping I can catch her if she goes too low. Scary stuff all of this.
Thanks for the great details. It really helps me understand even more.

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Hi Staci, what a beautiful cycle Ivy is having.
I'm sorry the Libre is giving you trouble
Boy she sure does hold a grudge lol
You are doing an amazing jib with her .
I hope she might let you test her today with the meter

Hi Diane, it’s been tricky for sure. She’s a tough kitty. But we do the most we can for her.
I hope you’re having a nice day

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Oh Ivy please behave and be good for Mama! I haven't seen a LO on my libre as of yet. Lowest he has gotten down was 55. I wish there was more I could help you with. How many days do you have left in this sensor? Do you think it needs to be replaced? Hope you have an easy day and Ivy stops being angry

Hi Jennifer, she needs to reset and may be calming down now. Guess we shall see at dinner and shot time. Always a good test.
The sensor was replaced on Friday, so only 2 days old. It seems to glitch when she lingers in this Lo range for several hours. (Which is good and bad).
If she was a chill cat and I could poke her, it would be fine. But she’s not.
Hope you have a nice Sunday!

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Good morning!
Wow! Nice greens! She might be telling you she wants a decrease soon.

She might, Heather. If only she could talk, it just let me poke her when needed! She’s a tough one.
Hope you are having a nice day

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Woah - she's on a mission again! I hope the 12.5% was able to slow her down some. I also agree with Kit - you are clever and will come up with a solution.

Also - the shrug emoji. I want it so much. Team shrug to convey all the things. There's always this in a pinch! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Hi Alicia, I like your improvised shrug emoji. Good job there. Go Team Shrug, lol.
I sure hope she just calms the *^%# down so I can poke if needed. Bad kitty.
Hope you’re having a nice Sunday

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Looks like a sunny Sunday for sweet Ivy and she's already on a mission today. She's definitely working towards a reduction with these beautiful numbers she's been having lately.
Hopefully she forgives you soon and you can be besties again. You're doing a fantastic job!
Happy Sunday!

View attachment 69501

Hi Karolina, boy I sure hope she calms down big time. She’s way too high strung. Always has been.
Thank you for your support. I really appreciate your kind words
Hope you are having a nice day, maybe even a day off

 

[JLS12]

Have you tried Bach's Rescue Remedy? They make an animal version with no alcohol. Small local pet shops may carry it as well as independent natural foods markets. Can also get online at Amazon and likely others.

When I first started poking Purrl I used it on her and me and it helped us both to calm down. If you can't drop some in her mouth or rub it on her lips/nose so she licks, you can put drops in a bit of water, stir them and then wet your hands and pet her face making sure to get the nose and lips wet. The aim to get it on mucus membranes. It would probably also work if you dripped some on a fav treat and let her have that a few minutes before pokes. Another method is to put a few drops in her water bowl if she's a regular drinker.

I also used a pet calming air spray in the room a few minutes prior to poking.

 

[Jennifer & Oliver]

Hi Jennifer, she needs to reset and may be calming down now. Guess we shall see at dinner and shot time. Always a good test.
The sensor was replaced on Friday, so only 2 days old. It seems to glitch when she lingers in this Lo range for several hours. (Which is good and bad).
If she was a chill cat and I could poke her, it would be fine. But she’s not.
Hope you have a nice Sunday!

Hi Staci! I hope you and Ivy have a great Sunday night!!

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Have you tried Bach's Rescue Remedy? They make an animal version with no alcohol. Small local pet shops may carry it as well as independent natural foods markets. Can also get online at Amazon and likely others.

When I first started poking Purrl I used it on her and me and it helped us both to calm down. If you can't drop some in her mouth or rub it on her lips/nose so she licks, you can put drops in a bit of water, stir them and then wet your hands and pet her face making sure to get the nose and lips wet. The aim to get it on mucus membranes. It would probably also work if you dripped some on a fav treat and let her have that a few minutes before pokes. Another method is to put a few drops in her water bowl if she's a regular drinker.

I also used a pet calming air spray in the room a few minutes prior to poking.

Thx is for this suggestion. I do have this remedy in the house already. I use a Feliway diffuser in her room where she hangs out ( I don’t really think it does anything, but I’ve used it for many years anyway just in case).
I do give her a shen calmer powder mixed in her food (I had just stopped giving it a few days ago but started it again today). I was giving it when I thought she was allergic (I think this was before you were here).
Thanks again for the great ideas! Have a nice evening

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Hi Staci! I hope you and Ivy have a great Sunday night!!

Thank you, Jennifer. You and Oliver and civvies, too

 

[Marje and Gracie]

All these issues are a real problem and yes we need a solution. I will pull out her Relion Premier Meter and give that a try just for kicks to see what that shows ( hope I can get to work for me since it needs more blood than her Contour).

I know we discussed this and I had suggested against it but, at this point in time and the way the Libre keeps chugging away weirdly when LO, I think it doesn’t hurt to see what you are getting on that meter. Just for fun!!

I’m very concerned about the overfill depot and this dose. Hoping I can catch her if she goes too low. Scary stuff all of this.

I understand. I have seen cats stay on the same dose for weeks, if not months, so it doesn’t mean it’s imminent; I am hoping now that she is feeling a bit calmer, if you do have to test her a few times in a cycle for those LOs, she won’t mind so much.

 

[Staci & Ivy]

I know we discussed this and I had suggested against it but, at this point in time and the way the Libre keeps chugging away weirdly when LO, I think it doesn’t hurt to see what you are getting on that meter. Just for fun!!


I understand. I have seen cats stay on the same dose for weeks, if not months, so it doesn’t mean it’s imminent; I am hoping now that she is feeling a bit calmer, if you do have to test her a few times in a cycle for those LOs, she won’t mind so much.

Well at least we have a plan for the next 10 minutes. It’s a moving target, isn’t it. One day yes. The next day no
Ivy keeps her team on its toes.
Thanks for the feedback. It helps a lot.
I will keep you posted. And will let you know how it goes on Tuesday at the vet. I’m already stressing about that appointment

 

[JLS12]

Thx is for this suggestion. I do have this remedy in the house already. I use a Feliway diffuser in her room where she hangs out ( I don’t really think it does anything, but I’ve used it for many years anyway just in case).
I do give her a shen calmer powder mixed in her food (I had just stopped giving it a few days ago but started it again today). I was giving it when I thought she was allergic (I think this was before you were here).
Thanks again for the great ideas! Have a nice evening

I tried the Feliway, too when it first came out. I didn't notice a bit of difference with 6 cats at the time. *shrug* I used it up and never repurchased.

 

[Staci & Ivy]

I tried the Feliway, too when it first came out. I didn't notice a bit of difference with 6 cats at the time. *shrug* I used it up and never repurchased.

I probably should have also abandoned them years ago. Just afraid to ditch them since she’s such an angry bear.