Eating in between the two meals?

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edenbee

edenbee

Member Since 2018
My 16 year old cat was just diagnosed....we started him off on 2 units and he was very twitchy and he threw up 3 times but seemed happier and less depressed and lethargic. Today I gave him 1 unit only as my vet said to do but he's very upset he can't eat his fancy feast grilled which he is obsessed with. He ate some of the chunky kind last night but today he wouldn't touch it. He does like the royal canin glyco a little which is a nice surprise. He never cared for dry food and he has no teeth so that is no problem.
Vet said to give him two meals a day 12 hours apart but he is barely eating really at this point though I know he must be hungry. Someone mentioned its okay if they snack a little bit in between the meals. Is this okay? If he could eat a little bit during the day here and there that would be great as that is how he usually eats. He was diagnosed two days ago and his blood levels were very high. I take him in on Friday six hours after I give him the shot to check how they are again. He is getting Prozinc. This is all new to me I cold barely steady my hand to give him the first shot I was so nervous!
 
Many here think more than two meals a day is better. In any event, one just wants to be consistent every day otherwise BGs will vary when a cat eats between the 12-hour shooting times and does not eat. Also, one should not feed within two hours of measuring aBG/main feeding/shooting.
 
I thought I give the shot while he is eating or right before? I am not home testing yet as my vet is on my block and I have just started with this. I have never given a shot before yesterday. I can see its very easy though now. But I give the shot then the food. Or I give him it as he is eating so he barely notices.
 
small meals throughout the day is best to most of us, especially when they are always feeling hungry when their first diagnosed. no fun feeling like you are starving all day after-all BUT, i use lantus and don't know how prozinc insulin works but with long lasting insulins feeding low carb foods whenever (other than 2hrs before BG reading for their shot times) is no issue for most cats. personally i prefer my cat eats something around his peak time too so he gets at least 3 wetfood meals a day now, before his numbers went into the hundreds regularly, i fed him small wetfood meals every couple hours or so.
 
Okay thank you. I can ask my vet about it at his upcoming appt this week. Right now delgado is barely eating so today it's not much of an issue. His numbers were 500 so my vet was very strict about the two meals with no snacks etc. But he did say Del is responding very fast and when he is stable we can talk about more meals or snacks.
 
Congratulations on getting those first shots in! It is scary at first, but becomes second nature.

I agree with what others have said, small frequent meals are fine. I'm more concerned that your kitty isn't eating, and that he threw up after his shot yesterday. I really encourage you to start home testing as soon as you can-- like the shots, it seems scary at first, but gets easier quickly, and it really is the best tool to keep your cat safe while giving insulin.

If he's running in high numbers (as far as you know) and not eating, there is also the possibility of developing ketones, which can be very dangerous. You can test for ketones in urine at home very easily (Tips to catch and test a urine sample).

How does he seem to be feeling today, other than not wanting to eat the new food? If that's really the only problem, it is probably better to make a gradual transition to the new food-- sudden switches can upset the digestion, and that may be why he doesn't want to eat it today.
 
edenbee said:
I thought I give the shot while he is eating or right before?
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Ideally one wants to shoot after eating. To to is to ensure the cats eats. If you give insulin and the cat does not eat then the cat's BG can go too low with not enough food is eaten. However, I shoot my patches when she is just finishing her food. If I wait until after she claws at/scratches me.
 
Okay I can really give the shot anytime. Del is sweet and he just wants to lay on me and be petted all day. He would never scratch me or anyone else.
Today he seems tired. He did eat a little then lost interest and jumped on to the top of the couch to sleep on the pillows. His back legs were too weak to do that last month so thats good I think. I cant find the vomit but I heard him when I was half asleep. It may be a little bile. So far his urine shows no signs of Ketones. His numbers were 550 and yesterday they were 190 but I had given him the shot two hours before. I made an emergency appt because of the vomiting and the bad twitching. The home test is drawing blood and testing it? He's not hard to give the shots too I think I can handle the home testing soon. My vet didn't mention it. I will check out that link to testing the urine. Yeah we didn't really do a gradual change with the food we just switched it due to the high numbers and that could be why he is throwing up. He was up all night wanting to be petted and now that I am awake he just wants to sleep it seems.
 
You want to feed at shot time morning and night, but it's OK to eat in between, just no food 2 hours prior to the preshot test.
 
Okay. So far only the vet is testing him and I take him in this Friday with six hours in between the shot and the bloodwork. Delgado is a very mellow cat who is extremely attached to me. I am really the only person he lets touch him and my husband and I have had him for almost 16 years when I found him starving in Mexico. He's very scared of people except for me. Which makes going to the vet a traumatic experience for him but also allows me to handle him easily. He won't care if I put a strip under him when he pees. He wants me to be near him at all times. He hasn't noticed the shots at all.
 
Awwww, he sounds like such a sweetie!

On the home blood glucose testing: yes, it's pretty rare for vets to encourage it especially at first diagnosis (I think they think it scares people off of treating FD, among other reasons), but it really does give you a lot better handle on treating the FD, especially if you have a cat that gets super-stressed at the vet. It's also a lot cheaper than having to go to the vet repeatedly for blood glucose level assessment!

We test by pricking the margin of the ear for a blood sample, and most of us use human glucose meters for reasons of cost and convenience. The numbers don't match up with vet numbers, but they work really well for figuring out trends, and as long as you know what numbers are "too high" and (especially) "too low", that's really all you need. We have lots of tips and tricks for blood testing, but to get started, check out the video in @JanetNJ's signature (in reply #9, just above) to see how it's done.
 
edenbee said:
Okay. So far only the vet is testing him and I take him in this Friday with six hours in between the shot and the bloodwork. Delgado is a very mellow cat who is extremely attached to me. I am really the only person he lets touch him and my husband and I have had him for almost 16 years when I found him starving in Mexico. He's very scared of people except for me. Which makes going to the vet a traumatic experience for him but also allows me to handle him easily. He won't care if I put a strip under him when he pees. He wants me to be near him at all times. He hasn't noticed the shots at all.
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I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC at home.
 
Great!! I will check it out. Yeah I think my vet will definitely not recommend it but I have read enough by now to see that everyone seems to do it and does fine with it. Anyone have an option on Halo treats? LivALittle dehydrated chicken? He has no teeth and he likes to sort of lap at it sometimes thought lately I think he is tiring of it so we gave him salmon instead. I crumble it up to a powder.
Yeah he's a sweetie...I have had many pets and never had one this attached to only me ever. It was insane getting him to the states from Mexico and I think we bonded on the plane ride when he was sedated. He was feral and starving to death by a beach when I began buying him cat food while on vacation. He's really a character.
 
edenbee said:
Great!! I will check it out. Yeah I think my vet will definitely not recommend it but I have read enough by now to see that everyone seems to do it and does fine with it. Anyone have an option on Halo treats? LivALittle dehydrated chicken? He has no teeth and he likes to sort of lap at it sometimes thought lately I think he is tiring of it so we gave him salmon instead. I crumble it up to a powder.
Yeah he's a sweetie...I have had many pets and never had one this attached to only me ever. It was insane getting him to the states from Mexico and I think we bonded on the plane ride when he was sedated. He was feral and starving to death by a beach when I began buying him cat food while on vacation. He's really a character.
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Dehydrated meats and fish are a perfect low carb treat. :). Testing can literally be a life saver.
 
Welcome to you and your furbaby!! It's ok to feed smaller meals more frequent. Their bodies are basically starving because they are not getting the calories they need. Sounds like your boy might be nauseated. Does he lick at it then walk away with lip smacking or sitting like a meatloaf with head down. He could have just stomach acid if he's puking bile.
Home testing will save his life. You wouldn't give insulin to a child before first checking their bg. It's the same with our furbabies. It gets easier and how much he loves and wants to be near you, he will do it for an extra scratch I bet. I have one of those too. :) ask any questions you got and give your boy head bumps from Phoebe. :)
 
A good, low-carb treat for cats with dental issues is Orijen freeze-dried treats. They just freeze-dried meat, but they are soft and crumbly.

One thing to remember, especially if your Delgado is prone to stress when travelling, etc, is that his blood glucose numbers can be as much as 200+ points higher at the vet's than they would be at home, without the stress. This is another reason why home testing is so important; it can be very easy for a kitty to be inadvertently overdosed.
 
Okay I am convinced. I will buy the kit tomorrow online I guess. I will get what was in the video I watched on here. we can afford the $1 strips and the animal meter thing right now. I can get the human one later on maybe if its getting too costly.
can I find it all online? That video was great and named everything she uses to test. I will copy what she does.
Delgado is hiding in the closet right now on he floor. I think he puked up a little bile the last few days. So I guess he is nauseous for sure. He is not really smacking his lips its more like just sitting there looking at it. I give him two tablespoons of royal at 6 and he ate some of that with some enthusiasm. His next shot is at midnight and I will try to get him to eat before I give it. Vet said give fancy fest grilled though its not great for this if he really not eating s he needs to eat something.
 
Yes definitely needs to eat. We all have given things in hopes they will eat. There are some tricks, like sprinkling parmesan cheese on it or getting Fortaflora for a topping. Or even crushing up the freeze dried meats to sprinkle on the food. Make sure to warm it up in microwave. It increases the smell factor. But if he's nauseated it won't matter you need to get some cerenia or zofran in his belly. Your doing great it's alot to take in. :bighug::bighug: those are for you.
 
Aww. thanks! I wrote down the Orijen meat treats and the other things. He just ate some of the low carb Purina so I gave him the shot right after he ate. It wasn't that much but its something. How long can I keep the food dish out before dumping what's left? Can I give him a bit to come back to it and eat more? Like half hour or something? cause that's how he usually eats. I put out food and he nibbles then comes to be petted like thanking me for the food then goes back to the dish after I pet him for a bit.
This guy has been through so much...and he had hypothyroid twice which is rare. He had radiation for a week two times and was so scared at the clinic overnight they had to sedate him and lols give him appetite stimulants as he wasn't eating there out of stress. I am trying to take this all in calmly but it really is a little overwhelming. I guess I will leave the food dish out for a bit as he can't eat now until tomorrow and he barely ate today. He seems to have energy though and he didn't notice the shot once again at all.
 
edenbee said:
Aww. thanks! I wrote down the Orijen meat treats and the other things. He just ate some of the low carb Purina so I gave him the shot right after he ate. It wasn't that much but its something. How long can I keep the food dish out before dumping what's left? Can I give him a bit to come back to it and eat more? Like half hour or something? cause that's how he usually eats. I put out food and he nibbles then comes to be petted like thanking me for the food then goes back to the dish after I pet him for a bit.
This guy has been through so much...and he had hypothyroid twice which is rare. He had radiation for a week two times and was so scared at the clinic overnight they had to sedate him and lols give him appetite stimulants as he wasn't eating there out of stress. I am trying to take this all in calmly but it really is a little overwhelming. I guess I will leave the food dish out for a bit as he can't eat now until tomorrow and he barely ate today. He seems to have energy though and he didn't notice the shot once again at all.
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You can leave his food out all day, if that's what he wants. If you mix a little water into it, it helps both him and the food stay hydrated!:) Diabetic kitties are hungry all the time, because the disease keeps their cells from being able to properly utilize their food. Just remember to take the food up at least two hours prior to his pre-shot blood glucose test! :cat::cat:
 
edenbee said:
Okay I am convinced. I will buy the kit tomorrow online I guess. I will get what was in the video I watched on here. we can afford the $1 strips and the animal meter thing right now. I can get the human one later on maybe if its getting too costly.
can I find it all online? That video was great and named everything she uses to test. I will copy what she does.
Delgado is hiding in the closet right now on he floor. I think he puked up a little bile the last few days. So I guess he is nauseous for sure. He is not really smacking his lips its more like just sitting there looking at it. I give him two tablespoons of royal at 6 and he ate some of that with some enthusiasm. His next shot is at midnight and I will try to get him to eat before I give it. Vet said give fancy fest grilled though its not great for this if he really not eating s he needs to eat something.
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the kit I used in the video can be purchased in amazon or Adwdiabetes.com. The price is about the same but you can get a discount coupon for adw on Retailmenot.com. They usually have 10% off coupon codes. https://www.retailmenot.com/view/adwdiabetes.com The 10% off code right now is MISSU10

This is the kit.

https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/2752/alphatrak-pet-glucose-meter-kit

You would also wanna get extra test strips (always have backup strips, you don't wanna be in a pinch without them so I'd order 100 to start). https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/6972/alphatrak-pet-glucose-test-strips



These are the lancets I use.... At least they are cheap. Haha.
https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/8013/trueplus-sterile-lancets-28g-100ct


This site also has good prices for syringes with half unit markings.
 
edenbee said:
He just ate some of the low carb Purina so I gave him the shot right after he ate. It wasn't that much but its something.
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Is he eating any more today? 2U of Prozinc is a big dose for a cat who isn't eating very much, especially if he's recently switched to low-carb from a higher carb food. Until you can start home testing to make sure he's staying safe, I would advise letting him go back to eating some of the FF grills that he loves, just to make sure he's got enough food on board for the insulin.

How is he doing in general today?
 
Thanks so much we just went on Adwi and bought the 3 supplies! It wasn't that expensive really considering how much we bought with the extras. I am SO glad I found this message board! Someone on Instagram saw my post about delgado having diabetes and sent me here.
Today I gave him some FFchunky which is recommended and he was pretty hungry...he ate some of that. Then I thought he should eat more so I gave him his favorite FF grilled beef and he got excited and ate some of that then lost interest. So maybe his appetite is just not great in general. No throwing up today so far. He is getting only 1 unit now not 2. Vet said to go down one unit.
Right now after the shot he's just sitting in his bed and seems kinda out of it. But in the morning he was stepping all over me and trying to wake me up to feed and pet him. Right now he just looks tired and out of it.
 
Just a few hours. We are on a late schedule so he gets them noon and then midnight. He crawled into my lap now to petted.
 
Aw, so cute!

I was just a little worried about the change in attitude before/after the shot because lethargy and disorientation are symptoms of hypoglycemia, but it sounds like he's doing fine, just a little sleepy.

If you do see any behaviors that worry you, you can give him a bit more of the higher-carb food or (if he won't eat) rub a bit of honey or karo syrup on his gums for a quick boost of sugar. It'd likely be overkill ("Mom! What are you doing, I was just napping!"), but better safe than sorry-- a true hypo is a really dangerous thing, so if you're at all suspicious, don't take chances.

Here's more info on hypos: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/
 
Thank you so much! I actually have the symptoms of hypo cats taped to the wall. I think I found them on Pierson's page or another one.
Del got diagnosed late Thursday evening but I went to the vet with him and they showed me how to do the shots and explained things to me. My bottle of insulin won't be here until Tuesday but he gave me a bunch of syringes filled to two units until my bottle comes in. On Friday when I gave him his first shot he threw up and was very twitchy. I can see his back spasming as he is shaved a little so I can see the shot go in better.On Saturday he was the same and I saw his symptoms were on that list for hypo so I called the vet and they gave me an appt that day at 2pm. I was sort of panicking. They checked his blood and it had gone from over 500 to 190 in that one day only a few shots. I had just given the shot at noon though so those numbers were not accurate I guess but the vet said it was a good sign that he was so responsive and he said to go down to 1 unit. He also gave me his cell phone and said feel free to text him with any questions. My next appt is this Friday. I think when I get the numbers from him I will start to try and home test so I can compare. My vet is not thrilled with me giving the shots on such a late schedule but it works for me and my husband. He will get the shot just an hour or so earlier than he usually does on Friday. for his 5pm appt.
 
Thanks! Yeah now my worst fear is his BG becoming too low. Trying to be calm about all this but having bad flashbacks to when my dog had to get chemo twice a week and for a year that illness was my entire life. That video is very good...our stuff to home test is on the way to NYC now. Delgado seems okay today. He woke me up for food I didn't give him at 7am..but he got fed some FF at noon then I gave the shot easily. He ate an okay amount. Now he's purring on my lap with no twitching and no vomiting.
 
My Delgado seems okay but he is still vomiting every day. Usually in the morning before he gets his shot.I have a vet appt to check his BG levels five hours after he gets his shot so I guess I will see then how he is doing. Still not too much of an appetite either. But he does eat some.
 
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