10/15 Bruce update, seeking Freestyle Libre sensor advice

Previous threads:
10/14 update on Bruce
Interpreting vet BG curve results
New member 10/10/20- Please help- Possible to go off insulin in very early stages? (includes troubleshooting dosage)

I've tried several times to get a BG read with no luck. I don't want to stress him out if I'm just being paranoid. I don't know if he's showing signs of mild hypoglycemia. I'm bad at judging this.

About an hour after his shot he ate more than he usually would. An hour later, same thing again. He usually feeds at those intervals, but not by that much. I noticed things like dilated pupils, restlessness, he was laying completely flat and rapidly flicking his tail, slightly more rapid breathing. He's had a few moments where I spotted his leg looked a bit weak but then adjusted back. A bit slow to respond to me. Overall a bit off.

About 45 mins ago I gave him another portion. High carb dry food plus his usual medium carb and he seems to have picked up a bit, though still not his finest.

I've been completely wrong about this before, thinking he was flat but he had BG of 14.8. Should I stay up and monitor him? I have a vet I can take him to if need be, but I'm not sure how accurate their read will be if he's just a little wonky, and it costs $250. Also they suggested it could be a snake bite, but I'm guessing it's a diabetes thing given it responded to food.

Also checking what action should I take tomorrow morning? Half dose if I still can't get a read? Apologies if I missed something, trying not to get anxious.
I'm going to give another casual, friendly, calm attempt at a bg read. Wish me luck

 

Why can't you get a read?
Did you warm the ear, needle the right place and milked the ear?

Its better to test. Don't think about stressing him, it's worse if he goes too low.

 

Good luck on the BG read. It's always very worrying to see them acting even a little odd and not knowing what is going on. Lantus usually starts to take action about 2hrs post-shot, but you could be seeing effects of the previous shot still at +1 (yesterday we had a cat who gave a 2.4 at AMPS!!!), so it's hard to rule anything out.

It might be time to talk to your vet about something like the freestyle libre. I usually hesitate to recommend it because a) I have no personal experience with it and b) those that have tried it have had extremely mixed results. But in situations like this one, it might be worth a try.

What it is: a sensor that gets glued to your cat (they usually shave a patch on the flank or back), plus a handheld reader that you can use to read off the BG any time you want. So, super-convenient in theory but: the glue doesn't always hold (or the cat knocks it off early), and the sensors can be tricky or just flat-out not work. Plus, even in the best case they only last 10-14 days, so you would have to keep going back to the vet for a new one. And, it's expensive-- might be close to your curve cost just to start with the reader and a sensor and then there are ongoing expenses for the sensor if you keep using it. But, sometimes, even with all of that, it's useful for a short period of time, until you get the ear prick method down pat, for example.

All that said, I have no idea if it's even available in Australia, or how much it would cost. Maybe there's even another similar alternative? Anyway, something to ask the vet about.

I hope Bruce has a smooth evening with no more scares. Please let us know how the latest BG attempt goes!

 

There's a new sensor on the market. Glucomen I believe has made one.
If its not available there's always the option to buy it on Amazon or likewise.

 

((((Nick))))) (((((Bruce)))))

 

Score! I got the results! 15.8 so he's not too low. Don't know what happened there, then. That's a relief. Still struggling with tests and I got hissed at again. This is a fine art and I feel terrible that he's uncomfortable. I might have to revise my method.

The vet offered a freestyle libre and honestly it's probably going to help out a lot if it works. He suggested buying one online and they can put it on.

 

YAAAAAY WOO HOOOO GOOD FOR YOU NICK! AND BRUCE!

 

This probably may be the way to go WHILE you are working on testing. Be aware though a lot of cats get them off all on their own.

I think I remember a member having it placed on the neck then wrapped with the sticky gauze tape.

 

So glad you got the test, hooray!!!

Wish I had some suggestions about the behavior... I will say that sometimes, when we get this diagnosis, the instinct is to watch our kitties much more carefully than we usually do, so we notice more weird stuff they do. Not sure that's all that is going on in this case, you've mentioned several things that sound a little worrying, but just throwing that out there.

 

Yeah I think that's the problem, needing to test promptly, but also needing to slowly warm him up to it at the same time. Poor dude's gonna end up traumatised from being thrown in the deep end.

Yeah I spent hours watching him trying to figure out if I was overreacting or not. Figured better safe than sorry. Problems would be solved much easier if I could just get the hang of testing.

Also cheers for the celebrations. Honestly this is so frustrating I feel like I'm really not cut out for it, but I don't have a choice, so pressing on! Maybe I should try to find a better vet who can help me with this.

 

read previous threads. Bruce hasn’t been cooperating despite best efforts and our tips

 

youre not dumping him in the deep end. Youre SAVING him from the deep end.

 

have we discussed the burrito technique?

 

agree some need extra time AND understanding.

 

And btw, I don’t know that any vets will be able to help with testing. They don’t do it that way and they don’t really know about it. The tech who showed me how to test, did it completely wrong (I know that now) and failed the first time. Had to do it over

 

My cat is using the FreeStyle Libre right now -- I wanted to let you know that you do not need to buy a separate reader if you have a smart phone; there is a free app that you can use instead, you just hold the phone to the Libre and scan it. You can also share access to the data in the app with your vet so they can check in periodically to see what you're seeing. They had a coupon for 50% off when I got one at a pharmacy here, it doesn't hurt to check and see if they have something like that available to you. Best of luck with your sweet kitty.

 

FABULOUS info! ty

 

I don't think so. A new attempt to try would be helpful. I'm sure he'll be ok once we get the routine. If it's a way to hold him more securely, that's exactly what I need. He pulls away and tucks his ear up whenever I slightly move, I have to calm him down again, then his ear gets cold, and over we start again. He also doesn't let me tend to his ear properly without a fight after the prick, so it's probably real painful too.

Thank you! Ah I was looking into that and panicked when I saw the reader device on top of the sensor. Our pharmacies aren't great at having these things in stock so I just bought a sensor and I'll see how we go. Does the sensor go on the ear? I'm just double checking my vet's advice around that because I don't have great trust in him right now

Hehehe thank you for all the support you give. It helps so much

Once again I have no idea where I'd be without this place. Thanks!

Edit: I should also add, I really need to go sleep, it's nearly 3am. But thanks again, I'll keep you updated!

 

GNITE!

 

Boy you sure can tell shes done this more than a couple of times lol

 

Aw that's just annoying when they don't want to cooperate.
What about some feliway spray? Relaxing atmosphere? Uuuuh playing relaxing youtube catmusic?
I really wish we could explain to them why we do want we do....

 

Can imagine me having a go & filming my attempt - it would end with a shredded towel shredded arms and a cat sitting on top of the cupboard sniggering to himself !!!

 

Omg right??! Me too

 

The Freestyle Libre sensor goes on the body up near the shoulder region, but away from the spine.
Please let us know how it goes. A photo would be great.
WooHoo! Congrats getting a reading!

 

Awww the burrito looks adorable. Going to be interesting to see me try getting my extra large burrito made safely lol. Imagine being able to pick up a cat that easily with one arm! I'll go back to the slowly, one step at a time method to try to get him adjusted. Now that I'm not panicking so hard. Burrito attempts might be my best option. I'll have to feed tuna to my cat burrito to get him used to it lol.

Ah thanks for this. Now I have a moment of banging my head against the desk figuring out how to convince my dismissive vet that it, in fact, does not go on the ear, please do not put the $100 device in the wrong place, omg. Maybe vet shopping needs to be done before the device arrives.

 

It won’t fit on the ear anyway and it would be too heavy for the ear!
Maybe ring around and ask if vets have put them on. If they aren’t put on correctly they can fall off and then it is wasted.

Maybe change your subject line to something like.. ‘anyone have photo of their cat with freestyle libre insitue’ ... I have seen photos of cats with them on here on the forum.

 

OK wow I'm in a great mood now. Someone recommended a different vet office from the same franchise for general care, saying "well, I don't know how good they are with diabetes, but they're very good at listening". Gave them a call and it's a world of difference! They made sure I'll be set up with a good consultation appointment, and gave very specific directed instructions. They can put the sensor on, and, AND, get this... they actually knew right off the bat where the sensor goes. The bar was admittedly low, but we've cleared it! Fingers crossed it's a good vet!

Also if anyone has some general advice or bits of info around the sensor, I'm all ears. I've ordered one, we'll see how it goes. I may end up relying on them to do curves if Bruce can't take to ear pricks.

 

You might be interested in this post in the Think Tank forum, includes a video on application:
FreeStyle Libre: video, demonstration, explanations, tips – discussion!

 

Hi Nick
I see Wendy has sent you the link
I'm tagging a few people who I know have used one before in case they want to share their experiences both pros & cons with you - thanks folks
@JoeAndTiger
@Lacy
@Dusty & Roe
@Aleluia Grugru & Minnie

Gill

 

Thanks! This is super helpful!

 

Have you seen my writeup of using Libre on my Badger
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/results-of-using-libre-on-my-badger.212928/#post-2359139

 

Sorry, I’ve never used a libre

 

Sorry Ale just saw your name in an old post about one. Must have misread

 

Ok the Libre CONS the sensor Has a small needle in the middle and is put on with surgical glue the problem is IF your cat dosent scratch it off . Kitty can also have a reaction to the glue . The sensor is suppose to last 14 days mine lasted 9 .
PROS Once on I had the meter reader but you can use a smart phone . The sensor collects information 24 hours which you can link to a web site so your Vet can follow anytime . The Vet will tell you how to do this . Testing is a simple as waving the reader over the sensor .
My kitty was 8 to 6 lbs she loss weight she did not take well to the glue

 

The sensor has to be scanned at least every 8 hours:
"The sensor stores up to 8 hours of glucose data. After 8 hours, the oldest data is overwritten by the most recent data. "
Above from:
https://www.freestylelibre.us/support/faq.html#faqTabsTenDaytab-2

 

Perfect! You've got so much info. Thanks for sharing. I'll keep an eye out for BG rising and signs of irritation.

Thanks! Seems most of my concerns should be around a reaction to the glue and/or irritation. That's good to know.

Also just a quick Bruce update while I'm here. He's doing fine again. I think maybe the weather made him anxious at the time, he also drank more water that day, but adjusted back to normal once that drama was over.

I've pressed on with doing some dummy BG reads, just touching an unopened lancet to his ear (a bit of plastic, not the needle part) so he doesn't associate it with pain. I have a towel layed down that I've sprayed with (expired 2018) Feliway. I'm not sure it'll do anything, but I'll pick a fresh one up if need be. I'm giving him bits of treats all the way through. He's still getting used to it. If he takes to it, I'll start pricking. If he doesn't... cat burrito time. Also I've been aiming on the inner side of the vein, I just discovered aiming for the very edge of the ear (I was too overwhelmed to figure this one out before). Problem is my fine motor skills aren't crash hot, so I might need to pick up a lancing device. Today I'm going very easy on him because I'm just flat out exhausted from this week and need to recharge.

Plus we're back to injecting while eating without running away. Calming myself properly is making all the difference there I think. Even this morning he flinched and moved to the side and I just jokingly teased him and had another try while he sat there. Went well! If only I could more easily get rid of my anxieties, lol. It's definitely effecting the BG reads. Honestly the dummy runs are mostly for me to adjust and calm myself at this point.

 

Well done Nick ! It sounds like you are going about everything the right way and making real progress.

The ideal way to do it ! Mac is exactly the same and will pull away a couple of times. But if I stay calm and keep talking to him telling him he's a good boy then I will get the shot. Its all about staying calm and waiting for the right time as you showed this morning.

Give yourself and Bruce a big pat on the back for coming so far!
Gill

 

Hi Nick! My experience with lancing devices was disappointing. This was back in early days (only 10 days ago) when I was attempting to get blood from Lola's (apparently carbon fiber) paw pads. I was using the lancing device that came with my AT2 meter. I finally concluded that it was defective and bought one from the pharmacy -- which drew blood from me just fine but none from Lola. I abandoned attempts to get blood from her paws and moved on to the ear. The lancing device only pierced her ear, through and through.

Then I found FDMB. The game-changers for me were 1) free-handing the lancing provides better control; 2) finding the "sweet spot" diagram & photo (!!!!); and 3) the advice a kind member offered -- to use an angle of 45 degrees, not 90. (And there was a degree of luck in that in the 'early days' Lola was pretty tolerant. It's only now that she's getting squirmy because she knows what's coming - but at least I know what I'm doing now so it's pretty much no-drama.)

E

 

Ahh I see. Yeah I probably need to download that sweet spot diagram. Now that I think about it, I think I was going for 90 degrees. Oooof I'm gonna have to watch some videos on this. I'm going to need Bruce to learn to be still if I'm going to get this, so I'll stick with the practice runs for now. Luckily I have some time up my sleeve. He's staying stable and this freestyle sensor should be put on soon.

I can prick the sweet spot from the back of the ear, right? It might be easier to see and control what I'm doing with all the squirming.

Edit: Just quickly adding, we just did another practice run. We're having fun with sound effects and snacks. He's still not happy with having his ears handled, but left the table purring. Progress!

 

Try putting a torch or the light from your mobile behind Bruce’s ear and you will see where the vein goes.

 

I saw a video demonstration where the woman pricked the back of the ear, but she had a lovely pale grey cat. The backs of Lola's ears are dark and I can't see there as well there as I can on the inside of her pretty pink ears, so I use the inside. Another thing that has helped is to use a thin smear of Vaseline at the prick site. It helps the blood well up into a droplet instead of dissipating into the fur. It seems to be the sound of the Vaseline jar lid being snapped down that triggers her anxiety now, so I'm leaving the container open until well after we're done. (Top tip: make sure your fingers are free of Vaseline before you handle the testing strip or it will black absorption of the sample.)

That Libre device sounds like a dream come true. Think of all the valuable data you'll be able to get from it (and transmit to your vet).

 

Hey Nick?
Youre doing it right. Good job!

 

Thanks! It's going to be some trial and error but always making progress. I'll keep updating and having a go at BG reads while this device is in the mail.

 

A LOT of diabetes is trial and error even for veterans.