6/18 - Xander | 268 ~1 hr before AM dose, +6 112 | Feline Diabetes Management Board

6/18 - Xander | 268 ~1 hr before AM dose, +6 112

Brianna & Xander

Active member
6/15/25

Missed a couple days (sorry). I'm so exhausted that I'm not sure how well I'll be able to write this out. Today alone has felt like a week long and I'm barely conscious. Apparently this was also too long because when I hit submit it told me to shorten it, so hopefully I edited it well enough.

We had a really nice stretch of green yesterday and I feel like the food blend helped him be steadier. Since I started this he's seemed to generally drop immediately after +3 so I might not always be able to use +2 or +3 to tell if it's gonna be an active cycle. But I gave him his lunch half an hour early when he was headed toward a lime and made it the 7% and he surfed for hours.

The bandage wrap has been making him progressively itchier over time. He's not allergic to it, but he can't groom underneath so fur and dandruff etc just make him itchy. I planned to give him a short break from it today by putting this small bandage with a hard shell meant to go over a Libre on it and taking the wrap off so he could groom himself until we replace the Libre tonight. Unfortunately, it took him literally less than a minute to rip not only the bandage off but the entire Libre off. So we had no numbers right around PS. He had been very high overnight and the last number I had made me comfortable enough to shoot, so I did.

We figured we'd give him another couple hours to groom and we'd put a new one on and wrap him up. Also unfortunately, he didn't bother licking anywhere but where he'd just ripped the Libre off. Normally we use a really gentle adhesive remover to gently get it off and he'd just torn it off all in one go, so it was undoubtedly raw. He wouldn't stop licking it and it was bright red and dewy, which obviously we can't cover up; it'll hurt and get infected. Called the vet and asked if they had any cones of shame we could pick up so that we could leave it uncovered but still have a new Libre put on. They did, so we went and got one.

Continuing in a comment because I keep getting an error that the post is too long.
 
After putting that on we attempted to replace the Libre. Ha. I realized that he had also licked the opposite side enough that it was too irritated to use alcohol and apply one, which meant both of our usual spots were unavailable. We decided to try his side further back. The first 2 got so stuck in the applicator that they were lost. Didn't even stick enough to bother trying to pry it out of the applicator. The third also got stuck, but I managed to pry it out and get it to stay. It probably won't last long, but hopefully long enough for his normal spots to heal.

He cannot stand the cone. Poor guy is miserable, but it's the best we can do to keep him safe in every regard until his sides heal.

This should be even more proof for anyone still skeptical that yes, we would much rather manually test because it would be infinitely easier. I would not choose this. Unfortunately I don't have a choice.

I really struggled to even write this out so as much as I desperately want to get caught up on everyone's condos it might end up having to wait until tomorrow. I'm sorry. I'm thinking of everyone and their sugar kitties and I hope everyone is doing well. 💚💚💚

A sad picture 😞 but then some cute ones to help balance it out. Bonus fangies. 🦇

signal-2025-06-18-153019_002.jpeg
signal-2025-06-18-153137_003.jpg
 
That’s weird… the maximum message length is set at 60,000 words. Next time that happens can you send me a pic?

Poor guy, I’m sure he trusts you that it’s for the best and he’ll heal up soon 🤗
lol Well, I definitely didn't hit that limit! If it happens again I'll take a screenshot for you! Usually my posts aren't quite this long anyway.

I hope so! The sooner he heals the sooner he can get the damn thing off. I'm a little worried about him getting himself hurt overnight. :(
 
Oh man, I'm so sorry that all of that happened ( and YES, it is a lot!!.) Nothing like your hard earned $$$$ flying out the Libre window! ACK!! Have you considered a shirt for him? I I've had success with a harness, and also with a shirt. I'll find the links for you. I thought our guy would go berserk if we put anything on him to cover the libre, but he has done shockingly well. Now I shave enough to put the libre on plus a patch (using skin tac first and letting it dry until it's tacky), then I put the little plastic cover on that I see you know about, then a libre patch, then the shirt goes on. The shirt seems most comfortable for him. He's become much less sketchy/jumpy with the shirt on and he's a lot more lovey dovey, too. Must be acting sort of like a thunder shirt. I think that the important thing is that the legs area is one big opening for both front legs. It fits snugly around his middle and holds his sensor on really well.

Bat in shirt.jpg


https://www.amazon.com/Small-Dogs-F...p_d_grid_rp_0_1_ec_pr_pd_hp_d_atf_rp_2_i&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XCWG4D1?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2&th=1

Are you using vet skin glue? Skin tac works better and is removable with rubbing alcohol. It takes zero fur off when you remove the sensor.
 
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Oh Brianna I’m soooo sorry you had such an awful day and poor Xander.
The first thing I wanna suggest is a soft cone.

Those hard cones from the vet are absolutely the worst thing in the whole world. They’re just uncomfortable and they’re hard and I don’t see anything good about them.
When Ivy broke her leg two years ago she had to have a cone on 24/7, I think it was for like 2 months.

This is what I bought (yes all of them) 🫣
https://a.co/d/gy2MpI3
https://a.co/d/7fK9qOs
https://a.co/d/cL64Lm4

I must’ve bought six soft cones and rotated them depending on the time of day, or overnight, etc.
We had to keep her from licking her leg which had stitches and we didn’t need it getting infected.
It was critical that she wasn’t able to lick the leg at the surgery site.
In fact, now when I go to the vet, I take the soft come with me and sometimes they’re able to use that.

As for the Libre’s, well, it seems like sometimes when one goes downhill the rest do too.
It’s just a bad situation that you had and everything sort of spiraled 😣
I’m so sorry I know it must’ve been so very upsetting.
I wish I could give you a big hug in person 🫂😢
Tomorrow will be a better day and you’ll get through this.
Some days just suck 😢😢😢
❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹😻💕💕😻
 
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