New here & way too anxious

[Salem & Angus]

Hi everyone! I stumbled upon this forum when trying to do my own research so I figured I would join!

My two cats are named Salem(11 yr) and Angus (12yr) and just a few days ago I brought Salem into the vet because he was peeing everywhere and walking on his hocks.. and turns out he's diabetic!

Unfortunately, despite how kind my vet is, they've been a bit unhelpful and I've been running around constantly just trying to get everything set for him. They had me get a Freestyle Libre 3 to put on him which he got today and I had to do some Googling to figure out how to use it.. unfortunately though it's been giving me a lot of errors and then gave me an alarm stating his glucose level was 401mg/dL and then immediately errored again.

That all being said, they kinda just gave me this device app and told me how to do his insulin and... that's it. Everything has been a nightmare so I'm hoping at the very least this place can be a resource for when I'm left to my own.

They started him on 2U every 12 hr and the insulin they had me get was Lantus which has also felt nearly impossible to find.

Sorry for the rambling.. the anxiety and not knowing has been taking a toll.

 

[Laurie&Petey]

Welcome. While I'm sorry you had to find your way here, this group is amazing! Most of us have felt our vets were not initially very helpful and all of us felt overwhelmed and anxious. The good news is, it will get better and easier.

More qualified people will jump on and guide you when they can. Several people use the libre.

You'll want to set up your signature and spreadsheet as soon as you can, that helps the experienced members make more timely suggestions.

 

[Salem & Angus]

Welcome. While I'm sorry you had to find your way here, this group is amazing! Most of us have felt our vets were not initially very helpful and all of us felt overwhelmed and anxious. The good news is, it will get better and easier.

More qualified people will jump on and guide you when they can. Several people use the libre.

You'll want to set up your signature and spreadsheet as soon as you can, that helps the experienced members make more timely suggestions.

Thank you so much! I'm still reading into all the newbie stuff here - so I'll definitely get that set up as soon as I can! I've calmed down a bit since the Libre has kinda fixed itself and thankfully he's on a steady (healthy) downward trend.

Everyone here seems very welcoming from what I see, which is a huge plus.

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Hi and welcome. Sorry you have to be here but at least you’ve found your way to an amazing community of like minded people who love our cats, like you

I’ll chime in on your Libre 3 here and I will link a document we have put together to help with using a Libre.
I hope the vet didn’t use glue to apply the Libre (the glue can kill the sensor, so in the future, no glue!)
Vets don’t seem to understand this issue.
I hope the Libre will continue to work for you.

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...ucose-monitors-cgms-for-diabetic-cats.301950/

If you have any questions about using the sensor, please ask!

Good luck with Salem, you’re doing a great thing for him by being here

 

[Salem & Angus]

Hi and welcome. Sorry you have to be here but at least you’ve found your way to an amazing community of like minded people who love our cats, like you

I’ll chime in on your Libre 3 here and I will link a document we have put together to help with using a Libre.
I hope the vet didn’t use glue to apply the Libre (the glue can kill the sensor, so in the future, no glue!)
Vets don’t seem to understand this issue.
I hope the Libre will continue to work for you.

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...ucose-monitors-cgms-for-diabetic-cats.301950/

If you have any questions about using the sensor, please ask!

Good luck with Salem, you’re doing a great thing for him by being here

Thank you!! This is really helpful and I'll take a gander at it. I'm gonna be honest, I can't really tell but I have a feeling they might have used glue though thankfully it's started working again so long as he's close to me.

It was definitely a big shock when she gave me his diagnosis but I love the fluffy boy so much so I'm doing whatever I can for him.

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Thank you!! This is really helpful and I'll take a gander at it. I'm gonna be honest, I can't really tell but I have a feeling they might have used glue though thankfully it's started working again so long as he's close to me.

It was definitely a big shock when she gave me his diagnosis but I love the fluffy boy so much so I'm doing whatever I can for him.

When you say it works when he’s close to you….is the sensor linked to your phone (the one which reads the sensor?)
He will need to be within 33 feet of the phone that is reading him so it can take the reading.

 

[Mary & Jude]

Hi, and welcome! Here is some information that will help you get things set up for us on the board: Sticky - New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

Have you set up a spreadsheet yet? The instructions are in the sticky (above), and if you have any problems, let us know and we'll help you get things set up. We keep these spreadsheets to monitor our kitties' progress--for ourselves, so that we can track how our cat is managing the insulin, but also for others on the board who help us in treating our cats.

Also, one thing you definitely want to start doing if you aren't already is testing Salem's blood glucose prior to each 12-hour insulin shot. This is to ensure his BG has not fallen too low to receive insulin. If you are not sure about testing, we have a lot of information on the board to guide you. Just let us know, and we'll walk you through the details that will help you get things started with testing.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Welcome to FDMB.

It sounds like you may be breathing again!! The first few weeks of managing your cat's diabetes are completely overwhelming even if you have an incredibly knowledgeable and supportive vet. The community here is all of that and more especially since there's usually someone around 24/7.

The Libre is very helpful for many of our members. One cautionary note -- once your kitty starts seeing numbers under 100, the Libre often reads lower than your cat's actual blood glucose numbers. It's helpful to learn how to home test manually with a glucometer so you know where your cat's numbers truly are. Many members use the Walmart Relion meter because the strips are inexpensive.

Please keep an eye on Salem's numbers. It's important to get test data prior to giving insulin (i.e., your pre-shot test). It's also important to know how low the dose is bring the numbers. That means you need to get a few results during the cycle. The lowest point in the cycle, the nadir, with Lantus is theoretically 6 hours after you give a shot. Not all cats read the manual so you need to have a rough idea of when your cat's typical nadir is. I'm cautioning you to get those mid-cycle tests because 2.0u is a large starting dose unless Salem is a huge cat.

There is a great deal of information about Lantus in the sticky notes at the top of the Lantus support group page. A few items.... Are you using syringes or are you dispensing insulin from a Lantus Solostar pen? If the latter, you really want syringes. The pens need to be primed every time you give a shot which means you're wasting insulin. That aside, the pens do not dispense anything other than a full unit. That may be OK for humans but cats are much smaller and we recommend making dose adjustments in 0.25u increments. You'll want to purchase U-100 3/10cc syringes with half unit markings. If you live in a state where you need a prescription to purchase syringes, you'll need to ask your vet for the Rx or you can order through Amazon. Make sure you get syringes that are calibrated in half units.

The other big issue is what are you feeding Salem? We strongly encourage a low carbohydrate, canned food diet. We consider low carb as under 10% carb. However, most of the members here feed their cat a diet that is in the neighborhood of 5% carb. It is fine to feed Angus the same diet as Salem. Cats are obligate carnivores and do not require carbs. A low carb diet will be healthy for both of your cats and make your life much easier than feeding them different foods.

Please let us know how we can help.

 

[Salem & Angus]

When you say it works when he’s close to you….is the sensor linked to your phone (the one which reads the sensor?)
He will need to be within 33 feet of the phone that is reading him so it can take the reading.

yes! i read up a bit here and will be looking into getting another phone that I can sorta just keep near his hangout spots and then link through that.

Have you set up a spreadsheet yet? The instructions are in the sticky (above), and if you have any problems, let us know and we'll help you get things set up. We keep these spreadsheets to monitor our kitties' progress--for ourselves, so that we can track how our cat is managing the insulin, but also for others on the board who help us in treating our cats.

Also, one thing you definitely want to start doing if you aren't already is testing Salem's blood glucose prior to each 12-hour insulin shot. This is to ensure his BG has not fallen too low to receive insulin. If you are not sure about testing, we have a lot of information on the board to guide you. Just let us know, and we'll walk you through the details that will help you get things started with testing.

i'm still setting up the spreadsheet! i'll admit it's a bit daunting but i'm slowly getting there and this place has been a huge help on my anxieties. I check his BG before every shot/meal as well. It's been pretty high but thankfully today it looks like it's leveling out to normal which has been a HUGE relief!

There is a great deal of information about Lantus in the sticky notes at the top of the Lantus support group page. A few items.... Are you using syringes or are you dispensing insulin from a Lantus Solostar pen? If the latter, you really want syringes. The pens need to be primed every time you give a shot which means you're wasting insulin. That aside, the pens do not dispense anything other than a full unit. That may be OK for humans but cats are much smaller and we recommend making dose adjustments in 0.25u increments. You'll want to purchase U-100 3/10cc syringes with half unit markings. If you live in a state where you need a prescription to purchase syringes, you'll need to ask your vet for the Rx or you can order through Amazon. Make sure you get syringes that are calibrated in half units.

The other big issue is what are you feeding Salem? We strongly encourage a low carbohydrate, canned food diet. We consider low carb as under 10% carb. However, most of the members here feed their cat a diet that is in the neighborhood of 5% carb. It is fine to feed Angus the same diet as Salem. Cats are obligate carnivores and do not require carbs. A low carb diet will be healthy for both of your cats and make your life much easier than feeding them different foods.

goodness thank you for all the info! i'm using syringes with him, my vet highly recommended that for the same reasons you gave me and I'll admit I was a bit nervous at first but they have been incredibly easy! fortunately my anxieties have been having me check his BG pretty frequently and I've been making notes in the app/my phone for significant changes and what not. thankfully my vet can also see these. i wasn't aware that 2u was so big but Salem has always been a rather large cat. once i get my spreadsheet all filled out and ready it'll be easier to refer to but so far it seems the 2u has been bringing him down to the green levels!

as for his diet, i'm switching him to mainly fancy feast wet classic since he and his brother were primarily only eating dry (a mistake on my part) and i'm looking into all sorts of resources so i can pick a good lo-carb option but from what i discover, the fancy feasts tend to lean around below 7% depending on the flavor.

thank you all so much! i'm sorry i'm notoriously slow at replying - it's a bit overwhelming but i cannot express how much this has eased my panic.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

One additional word of caution...
Since you are switching Salem from a dry food diet (most of us didn't know about the issues with dry food) to a low carb alternative, please keep an eye on Salem's numbers during that transition. The switch from high to low carb can drop his numbers rather quickly. In addition, make sure you have your hypo kit stocked. Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers is a good option for a high carb food. The info on what you need to have in a hypo kit is at the top of the page in the helping us to help you post that Mary & Jude linked (#7 above). Also, some kitties experience a GI issue with a switch in foods. Taking it slow can help. This is a post on transitioning over to canned food.

 

[Salem & Angus]

One additional word of caution...
Since you are switching Salem from a dry food diet (most of us didn't know about the issues with dry food) to a low carb alternative, please keep an eye on Salem's numbers during that transition. The switch from high to low carb can drop his numbers rather quickly. In addition, make sure you have your hypo kit stocked. Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers is a good option for a high carb food. The info on what you need to have in a hypo kit is at the top of the page in the helping us to help you post that Mary & Jude linked (#7 above). Also, some kitties experience a GI issue with a switch in foods. Taking it slow can help. This is a post on transitioning over to canned food.

I'll definitely take a look! Thankfully I got the hypo kit set up really quick just in case (hopefully will never need it)! I'll definitely be keeping this in mind, though he doesn't seem to drop to under 95BG. Before this he was on a dry food diet but with some wet food a few times a week, and he seems to be taking the transition okay (same cannot be said for his brother Angus who is protesting right now since I'm trying to taper him off dry and also get him on a scheduled feeding he's not happy with me but he's always been a huge diva)

 

[Lauren & Esse]

yes! i read up a bit here and will be looking into getting another phone that I can sorta just keep near his hangout spots and then link through that.

Just in case this didn't come up in your reading--once one phone is linked to a Libre, it can't be switched to another phone. So if/when you get a second phone for the cat to "use," you'll connect that to your next Libre after the current one expires.

In the meantime, the one thing to be aware of is that the Libre can hold about eight hours of data between syncs. So--for example--if you need to leave the house for 9 hours (assuming you take your phone with you!) you'll be losing an hour or so of data at the start of that time range. Not a big deal but wanted to make sure you knew what to expect!