BJ Almost crashed last night (well actually he did)

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cat-astrophe

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We brought him to the vet to get the Libre sensor put on (it is already off) and I am worried about the glue being toxic, but what is most troubling is my vet says to give him insulin (Vetsulin 1 unit) if 150 or under. Well by the time we got home from the vet, due to the stress, his number was 397. She said give him the insulin. Within one our he was at 143, I kept testing every half hour and these were the numbers: 143, 83 (the we testing with blood monitor and it said 53), 71, 69, 73, 75, 67, 72, 83, 85. We just kept feeding him junky food and prayed for the best.

First thing this a.m. at 5:30 he was 79, then up to 115 (i then made a second quick spot check and is said 137?? - it jumped from 115 to 137 in less than 5 minutes?) at 6:15 it was 114, 8:00 97, and then 8:40 118.

Then the reader kept saying reader error and I realized the sensor had begun to come off and the needle was no loner in him. I wish it had stayed on. It made taking readings so easy, but he is one of those cats that will just lick and pick at it until it comes off. Hope the glue is not toxic to cats.

If he crashed that bad from 397 - there is no way I am going to give him a shot at 150!

Don't know what to do. Will test at night since I can't do it alone and can only do it with husband home, but right now every time he sees me he runs and hides. That thing coming off must have hurt. Not sure what to do until hubs comes home. The area is red and inflamed.

Thanks for listening
 
Vetsulin usually does have a very steep drop around the 2 hour mark. Plus I’m sure his blood sugar was elevated from the stress of the vet and once he calmed down the number was likely quite lower, which might explain such a big drop. Generally when you’re first starting out and just starting to monitor blood glucose, the advice is not to give insulin if your cat is under 200. Testing BJ before each shot and at his lowest point (for Sophie it’s 4 hours after her shot) will help you know how the insulin affects him and make dosing much easier.

As far as getting different readings when you took them 5 minutes apart, it could be that he was increasing, but there is also a margin of error with the monitors so it could be due to that. I’ve taken readings one right after another before and they’ve been about 10 points apart
 
Sarah&Soph said:
Vetsulin usually does have a very steep drop around the 2 hour mark. Plus I’m sure his blood sugar was elevated from the stress of the vet and once he calmed down the number was likely quite lower, which might explain such a big drop. Generally when you’re first starting out and just starting to monitor blood glucose, the advice is not to give insulin if your cat is under 200. Testing BJ before each shot and at his lowest point (for Sophie it’s 4 hours after her shot) will help you know how the insulin affects him and make dosing much easier.

As far as getting different readings when you took them 5 minutes apart, it could be that he was increasing, but there is also a margin of error with the monitors so it could be due to that. I’ve taken readings one right after another before and they’ve been about 10 points apart
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Yes, I am a little upset I gave it and that she told me to. We both knew it was high because of stress. We should not have given it and tested him much later in the evening when he had calmed down. I blame myself. It is a shame the sensor already came off him, so no easy readings whenever I want them. I did call the company and they said the glue was not toxic to humans but they don't deal with animals and do not support the use of it on them. They suggested warm soapy water to remove it. Easier said than done! My husband is coming home with some Goo Gone so we will see.
 
Sadly, a lot of vets don’t know hardly anything about managing diabetes. When Sophie had the monitor, her vet said not to give insulin if she was below 80, which is way too low considering how much she drops!

If anything I think the goo gone might be more toxic than the glue - it has a very chemical ish smell to it. Our vet used super glue to attach hers and she definitely licked it (despite my yelling at her) and she was fine. But definitely a pain to get glue off of fur, especially with a less than cooperative cat!
 
Sarah&Soph said:
Sadly, a lot of vets don’t know hardly anything about managing diabetes. When Sophie had the monitor, her vet said not to give insulin if she was below 80, which is way too low considering how much she drops!

If anything I think the goo gone might be more toxic than the glue - it has a very chemical ish smell to it. Our vet used super glue to attach hers and she definitely licked it (despite my yelling at her) and she was fine. But definitely a pain to get glue off of fur, especially with a less than cooperative cat!
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Yes, I was thinking soap and water. My vet actually just called and said we (BJ and myself) both need a break. No testing or anything for the next 24 hours. The whole purpose of the meter is we think he has gone into remission, or his numbers are too low to justify giving insulin.

I agree with you about 80 being too low! Jeez. That is regular for a normal cat. There are exceptions for normal cats as well. This is quoted off the web "The normal glucose for a cat is 80-120 mg. It may rise to 250-300 mg/dl (13.6-16.5 mmol/L) following a large or high-calorie meal. However, diabetes is the only common disease that will cause the blood glucose level to rise above 400 mg/dl (22 mmol/L)."
 
It’s possible he’s going into remission, or he could just need a lower dose. Many cats are on less than 1 unit - Sophie is on 0.1 units. Hopefully BJ will be more cooperative with the home testing since he definitely did not care for the monitor and you’ll be able to get a clearer picture!
 
what you probably need is something that will loosen the skin underneath the glue -- I'd say don't use Goo Gone, that's really questionable with cats

try the lactic acid solutions (AHA -- alpha hydroxy acids) made for human skin acne (NOT salicylic acid, that's poisonous for cats) -- they may sting if skin is irritated but will loosen any dead skin and the glue will come off probably in patches

alternatively, leave the glue on and put a strip of clear packaging tape on top so BJ won't lick the glue -- if he scratches at it, the glue may come off with the tape

just off the top of my head .. some glues will come off with hot water, but there again, you need to make sure it's not dangerously hot

if it's a cyanoacrylate (HotStuff or equivalent), oil or grease may loosen it slightly; if it's the instant glue designed to close surgical wounds, or LiquidSkin equivalent, not much will budge it until the underlying skin loosens and flakes off
 
There is a product called "Eaze Off" that is made for removal of bandages etc from pets. We got it from the vet because the first meter fell off & I wanted to be prepared in case #2 fell off as well. I'm not sure it's non-toxic but maybe you can ask your vet about it.

Just found it on Amazon and it says "non-toxic"
 
Do not use Goo Gone on BJ. It contains petroleum distillates and citrus terpenes both of which are poisonous. While BJ may not be able to directly lick the area, he could get it on his paw and lick it off his paw. If it's toxic for humans, even a small amount would be toxic to a cat. While it might be messy, I suggest using some vegetable oil to soften and loosen the glue followed by soapy water.

As for BJ's BG last night, he was at the warning level for potential hypoglycemia and with Vetsulin, you really don't want his BG going below 80 t0 90 on a human meter. With your AT2 meter, you definitely don't want him below 90 and preferably a bit higher at nadir. Based on those numbers last night the dose should be lowered but it's also possible that the 397 was from a previous bounce (jump to higher BG) that broke during the cycle last night. I'm guessing you may be seeing higher numbers again today. I'd reduce the dose immediately and definitely skip the shot if BG is not 200 or more until you find a better dose for BJ.

It would be really helpful if you could set up a spreadsheet for BJ as we are very data oriented here and it's difficult to give you anything by general info without data to look at over a period of time. The instructions for setting up the spreadsheet are HERE and THIS DOC explains how to use the Spreadsheet. If you need help setting it up, just holler. :)
 
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Larry and Kitties said:
I looked at that and other similar products before but none of them listed "tissue glue" (cyanoacrylate) the type of adhesive they would remove. The only think that seems to work is acetone as in finger nail polish remover.
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That's interesting. The vet gave it to me in case the Freestyle Libre meter came off so that would have been tissue glue. Maybe it doesn't list it but it still works? I wasn't there when they actually removed it, so I can't say for sure what they used.
 
idea ; if you need to use acetone (nail polish remover) -- instead of pouring the liquid on cotton balls or gauze, check the beauty/fingernail section of your store, you may find pledgets or applicators with the nail polish remover already infused -- less chance of cat inhaling the fumes that way
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. I have been bust with another cat disaster. My cat Grayson developed a urinary tract issues and we had to rush him to the 24 hour emergency clinic (don't even ask how much that cost!!) Seems to be doing OK now. I did not use the Goo Gone or nail polish. I had some vet antibiotic ointment that I have been (was) putting on him. It was so irritated and it seems the glue is off.

Again, thanks for your replies.

Right now just trying to get 3 meds into Grayson is a full time job. They have them all in liquid form and I just can't do liquid right. Need pills. I emailed my local vet to see if Monday they can give them to me in pill form instead.
 
cat-astrophe said:
Thanks for the replies everyone. I have been bust with another cat disaster. My cat Grayson developed a urinary tract issues and we had to rush him to the 24 hour emergency clinic (don't even ask how much that cost!!) Seems to be doing OK now. I did not use the Goo Gone or nail polish. I had some vet antibiotic ointment that I have been (was) putting on him. It was so irritated and it seems the glue is off.

Again, thanks for your replies.

Right now just trying to get 3 meds into Grayson is a full time job. They have them all in liquid form and I just can't do liquid right. Need pills. I emailed my local vet to see if Monday they can give them to me in pill form instead.
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OMG! You've got your hands full! Hang in there and good luck with both kitties.
 
With multiple pills you might be able to put them in one gelcap. That is what I have done in the past. A #3 gelcap would accommodate 1/4 of 250 mg metronidazole, pepcid and budesonide.
 
Larry and Kitties said:
With multiple pills you might be able to put them in one gelcap. That is what I have done in the past. A #3 gelcap would accommodate 1/4 of 250 mg metronidazole, pepcid and budesonide.
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The problem is the gelcap they have now for just ONE pill is HUGE. Tufts gave it to us in liquid form, but my vet did not have it in liquid form. They call Tufts and I did too and begged them to please refill it in the liquid form and they finally agreed. For pete's sake I just gave tem $551+ dollars 2 weeks ago. I think the prazosin is going to be like $55.00 if I remember the bill correctly. Well my husband is picking it up, so he will have to pay for it for once. I have in the past out smaller pills in small gel caps but this one is too big. The vet almost chocked him pushing it down his throat! Will be a relief to have it in liquid form.
 
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