Diabetic cat won't gain weight / always hungry

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Renee & Whiskers

Renee & Whiskers

Member Since 2018
Hi everyone! I apologize in advance for the long read.

I just recently created an account on here to seek some help.

When Whiskers was diagnosed with diabetes in October last year, his BG was extremely high. I was told to start administering 2 units of insulin a day and to start feeding him only 2 times a day with the insulin. They recommended Hill's Prescription Diet m/d dry food and ordered it in for me. I ended up not picking up the food once it came in because I did some research and apparently this food is loaded with carbs. I decided to do what a majority of everyone does, and started feeding an low carb wet food diet.

I started out with Tiki Cat because there are next to no carbs in this food. After a week I went back to the vet for them to check his levels. Before this appointment I fed him and gave him his shot, however the vet did not ask if I had done so. After the appointment, I was told that his BG was still a little high and they wanted to increase his dosage from 2 units to 3 units.

A week later, back at the vets again. This time I did not feed him or give him his shot before hand and I made sure to mention this before they took him back. They called me back and said his levels were perfect and wanted to make sure what unit dosage I was giving him. I reminded them I had be informed only last week to increase it to 3 units. They told me to keep on that dosage and I didn't have to bring him back for 6 months for another blood test.

End of November, I ended up switching him to Fancy Feast Classic Seafood. Unfortunately, Tiki Cat was getting way too expensive. I was only feeding him 2 cans a day, but shortly after switching his food from Tiki to Fancy Feast I noticed that he was throwing up bile aroung 2-3 PM everyday. This is when I decided to increase from 2 cans a day to 3 cans a day.

This is when I should probably tell you, Whiskers is a big boy. He is very large in stature and length. I believe a healthy weight for him would be 15-16 lbs. At his heaviest he was maybe 22 lbs? He has lost a significant amount of weight and now only weights 11-12 lbs. I was hoping the can increase would help him gain weight but it hasn't. The throwing up has stopped because now a can is fed to him around 2-3 PM when he usually throws up. However, his hunger is getting to the point of driving me crazy. 8:30 AM he is fed his first can with a shot, 2-3 PM his second can, and finally 8:30 PM his third and final can with another shot. Last night for example, I fed him between 8:30 and 9:00 PM and about an hour letter he was in the kitchen with me very vocally begging for more food. 8 AM on the dot he will climb in bed and stand on me and meow and bite my hair and pull it until I wake up. As soon as I walk in the door from work he is begging for food. If you are eating he is up your butt. He never was like this ever before.

I first chalked this up to him not being used to scheduled feedings since he was free feed his whole life. The issue that I'm having now is, I want him to put on weight. You can slightly feel his ribs but his sides, after his ribs and to his hips, have significantly sunken in. I'm not sure if I need to feed him more or what. I have seen since stumbling across this forum that most people use home testing kits on their cats and I have decided this weekend I am going to get a home monitoring kit to start checking his BG because I feel like this is necessary and I'm not sure why the vet didn't recommend me to do this.

Along with Whiskers I have another cat named Leo (not diabetic). I have altered Leo's eating as well to low carb wet food. He eats the same food as Whiskers and 3 cans total, but with 2 cats the wet food is starting to get really expensive. I am thinking about incorporating a dry food into their diet and reducing the cans to 2 times a day to save money. I was thinking either Blue Buffalo Wilderness Indoor or American Journey.

What do you guys think about this? Do you think I should home test him first before changing his diet? Should I start feeding Whiskers more or try to increase his insulin first? Any advice that you have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Renee
 
Hi Renee, welcome! Definitely get the home test kit as soon as you can, it’s the only way to see how the insulin is working. It’s possible Whiskers’ blood glucose is dropping low, we won’t know without some tests. As far as food, the dry foods you mention are way to high in carbs for a diabetic cat. Have you tried feeding Friskies pates? They are cheaper than Fancy Feast and also come in large 13oz cans for even greater savings. If Whiskers is hungry and losing weight, he needs more food. Feeding several times a Day is good, but it sounds like he needs more calories too.
 
Sharon14 said:
Hi Renee, welcome! Definitely get the home test kit as soon as you can, it’s the only way to see how the insulin is working. It’s possible Whiskers’ blood glucose is dropping low, we won’t know without some tests. As far as food, the dry foods you mention are way to high in carbs for a diabetic cat. Have you tried feeding Friskies pates? They are cheaper than Fancy Feast and also come in large 13oz cans for even greater savings. If Whiskers is hungry and losing weight, he needs more food. Feeding several times a Day is good, but it sounds like he needs more calories too.
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Hi Sharon. I'm going to get a home test kit tomorrow (payday). Are there any kits you recommend?

Thank you for letting me know about the dry foods I mentioned being high in carbs. When I first was doing reseach about feline diabetes I came across this page http://catinfo.org/docs/SortableCatFoodChartCatinfo.org2-22-13.htm

I was feeding Tiki Cat because on this it has practically no carbs in the calorie percentage break down. I went to Fancy Feast seafood pate next because it had very little carbs as well. I was afraid to buy Friskies because the calorie percentage of carbs for the ones listed was as 9% but now I'm reading that anything below 10% is fine. I am definitely thinking about switching, the cost is much cheaper and I would be able to afford giving him more meals if that is what he needs.

I know there can't be too much help provided on this issue without knowing his BG levels, so I'm going to post an update on here once I'm able to get a reading. Thank you for responding!
 
Hi Renee, and welcome to you, Whiskers and Leo. You have come to the right place for help.

Whiskers is hungry all the time because his diabetes is uncontrolled. His body can't process the calories properly, and he is literally starving. If you get his blood glucose levels regulated, you will find his appetite will return to normal and he will probably put on some of the weight he needs. In the meantime, it's okay to feed more.

In order to help you, we need to know a bit more about Whiskers. How old is he? Does he have any other health issues or on any other medications? Which insulin are you using? Once we get you settled here, there are forums for specific insulins with very knowledgeable people that can help.

Home testing is a very, very good idea - the best way to help Whiskers while keeping him safe. Many vets don't suggest it because it involves a bit of a hassle at first and a time commitment, and a lot of people don't want to do it. In my opinion, those people shouldn't have pets. We recommend you purchase a human meter, because the test strips for pet meters are ridiculously expensive and have to be ordered. If you go to Walmart, for instance, and pick up one of the Relion meters, you can get more strips any time and they are way more reasonably priced. Once you have your meter, here is a post that will help you with some testing tips.

Do you have the BG numbers from the tests that the vet did? If not, call and ask for them. Then we can help you set up a spreadsheet you will use to track Whiskers' numbers. It's a great tool for judging how the insulin is affecting him, and determining the best dose.

It appears that your vet doesn't have a lot of knowledge/experience with FD, which is not uncommon (vet schools only give their students about 5 hours of study on diabetes, and that covers both cats and dogs). Whole unit increases are way too big for cats, at least at the beginning (some very high dose cats take bigger increases, but that's a totally different situation). We recommend dose changes in quarter units. You'd be amazed at how much a very tiny dose change can affect a cat. You'll need syringes with 1/2 unit markings (Walmart carries them). You have to eyeball the .25 and .75 doses, but we can help with that.

Dry food is not good for any cat, but it is especially bad for diabetic cats. I urge you not to go that route. You won't be helping either of your babies. Learn more about why I say this at catinfo.org. Dr. Lisa Pierson is a vet and she posts on this Board sometimes.

Feeding multiple meals throughout the day is easier on the pancreas. We recommend feeding two to three smaller meals in the first half of the insulin cycle, and not feeding two hours before you give the shot. That way, when you test them prior to shooting, you will know the BG you get is not influenced by food.

I know this is a bit overwhelming, and I'm sure you have a million questions. Ask away! We love to help! We're glad you found us.
 
Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey said:
Hi Renee, and welcome to you, Whiskers and Leo. You have come to the right place for help.

Whiskers is hungry all the time because his diabetes is uncontrolled. His body can't process the calories properly, and he is literally starving. If you get his blood glucose levels regulated, you will find his appetite will return to normal and he will probably put on some of the weight he needs. In the meantime, it's okay to feed more.

In order to help you, we need to know a bit more about Whiskers. How old is he? Does he have any other health issues or on any other medications? Which insulin are you using? Once we get you settled here, there are forums for specific insulins with very knowledgeable people that can help.

Home testing is a very, very good idea - the best way to help Whiskers while keeping him safe. Many vets don't suggest it because it involves a bit of a hassle at first and a time commitment, and a lot of people don't want to do it. In my opinion, those people shouldn't have pets. We recommend you purchase a human meter, because the test strips for pet meters are ridiculously expensive and have to be ordered. If you go to Walmart, for instance, and pick up one of the Relion meters, you can get more strips any time and they are way more reasonably priced. Once you have your meter, here is a post that will help you with some testing tips.

Do you have the BG numbers from the tests that the vet did? If not, call and ask for them. Then we can help you set up a spreadsheet you will use to track Whiskers' numbers. It's a great tool for judging how the insulin is affecting him, and determining the best dose.

It appears that your vet doesn't have a lot of knowledge/experience with FD, which is not uncommon (vet schools only give their students about 5 hours of study on diabetes, and that covers both cats and dogs). Whole unit increases are way too big for cats, at least at the beginning (some very high dose cats take bigger increases, but that's a totally different situation). We recommend dose changes in quarter units. You'd be amazed at how much a very tiny dose change can affect a cat. You'll need syringes with 1/2 unit markings (Walmart carries them). You have to eyeball the .25 and .75 doses, but we can help with that.

Dry food is not good for any cat, but it is especially bad for diabetic cats. I urge you not to go that route. You won't be helping either of your babies. Learn more about why I say this at catinfo.org. Dr. Lisa Pierson is a vet and she posts on this Board sometimes.

Feeding multiple meals throughout the day is easier on the pancreas. We recommend feeding two to three smaller meals in the first half of the insulin cycle, and not feeding two hours before you give the shot. That way, when you test them prior to shooting, you will know the BG you get is not influenced by food.

I know this is a bit overwhelming, and I'm sure you have a million questions. Ask away! We love to help! We're glad you found us.
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Thank you so much for the information!! I feel so bad knowing that Whiskers is starving. I knew deep down he was and that's why I came looking for answers. I'm very glad I came here.

Unfortunately, I don't know exactly how old Whiskers is because he was given to me by people who did not want him nor properly cared for him. Based on information I found online about how to determine a cats age, plus some time frames I got from his previous owners years ago...today he would be somewhere between 6-8 years old. He does not have any other medical conditions and he doesn't take any other type of medication. The insulin the vet prescribed is Vetsulin. I heard that this type of insulin is pretty harsh. Do you know if that's true?

I have read a few posts on this site where people have recommended Relion meters, so I believe that is what I will get. At first I was really nervous about home testing, but now I can't wait to test his numbers so I can help my baby! I was nervous at first to give him his insulin shots, but I'm over that now, so I know I will be able to get used to home testing too. I would be very interested in starting a spreadsheet.

I did have to call the vet this morning to get his numbers. The receptionist who answered the phone said she wasn't exactly sure how to read the charts sometimes?When he first got tested his BG was 472 and that was on October 23rd. On November 2nd his BG was 416. On November 9th his BG dropped to 187. On November 30th they did a fructosamine test instead? On the phone she said told me that it was 208 and the reference number was 191-349. I have no idea what that means.

As far as syringes I'm currently using UltiCare VetRx U-40 insulin syringes. There are no other markings on them asides from whole units. Thank you for making me aware of this. When I go to Walmart to get the home test kit, I will pick up some of those as well. Is there a specific brand I should ask for at the counter or if I tell them what I'm looking for will they know? I've never had to buy syringes before and since Whiskers being diagnosed I've only used the ones the vet has recommended. Will I have to have the vet send over a prescription for them?

I am definitely no longer going to get the dry food. After reading about how high in carbs it is and just how bad it is in general even for non diabetic cats, I can't do that to my babies. At the time I mentioned it it felt like it was my only option to turn to for trying to get him to gain weight. I don't know much about FD and I don't blame my Vet for not knowing much about FD either. I read online too that not much is known about FD, so it's hard to have the proper training as a vet. Honestly, before they told me Whiskers had it, I didn't even know cats could have diabetes. Im going to try switching to Friskies pate seafood flavors. They are not as expensive, the carbs are still low, and they have more calories per can, so I feel I could feed him 2 - 2 1/2 cans in several feedings throughout the day and he should be satisfied, especially if I can get his BG level under control.

After work today I am going to go to Walmart and get everything I need and I will post an update on his BG levels. Thank you for the advice and motivation. I feel like I have a game plan now.
 
It's great that you're willing to tackle this head on! :)

rmv2 said:
The insulin the vet prescribed is Vetsulin. I heard that this type of insulin is pretty harsh. Do you know if that's true?
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Vetsulin is what's known as an in and out insulin. You inject it, it does its thing for generally 8-10 hours and then it's gone. There's no residual effect carrying over and adding to the next dose. It can drop BG quickly and fairly low which is why people often say its too harsh. However, many cats do well on it. It's too early to know if it isn't the insulin for your boy. Here's an excellent reference document about Vetsulin: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/beginners-guide-to-caninsulin-vetsulin.186099/

rmv2 said:
I have read a few posts on this site where people have recommended Relion meters, so I believe that is what I will get.
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These are very popular because the strips are inexpensive and readily available. It's best to have a meter that gives a reading with a very tiny blood drop. Two models of ReliOn that do this are the Micro and the Confirm. If you can get lancets that are the thicker 26-28 gauge they'll help you get blood more easily than the thinner 30-33 gauge that often come in the meter kit.

rmv2 said:
I did have to call the vet this morning to get his numbers. The receptionist who answered the phone said she wasn't exactly sure how to read the charts sometimes?When he first got tested his BG was 472 and that was on October 23rd. On November 2nd his BG was 416. On November 9th his BG dropped to 187. On November 30th they did a fructosamine test instead? On the phone she said told me that it was 208 and the reference number was 191-349. I have no idea what that means.
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Hard to assess these individual numbers because it depends on what the dose was, where in the insulin cycle after a shot they happened, etc. That's why we strongly recommend that spreadsheet. In a glance we can see what's going on and assess a dose's action.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

rmv2 said:
As far as syringes I'm currently using UltiCare VetRx U-40 insulin syringes. There are no other markings on them asides from whole units. Thank you for making me aware of this. When I go to Walmart to get the home test kit, I will pick up some of those as well. Is there a specific brand I should ask for at the counter or if I tell them what I'm looking for will they know? I've never had to buy syringes before and since Whiskers being diagnosed I've only used the ones the vet has recommended. Will I have to have the vet send over a prescription for them?
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You'll really need those half units on the syringes to give fractional doses. Many people order U40 syringes from adwdiabetes.com. Here's one type: https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product...NUtFzXFqqFSI7BGy9Y0KqBcA_5YcEAKoaAkMvEALw_wcB
I don't know if you need a prescription to order them. I'm in Canada but I know different states have varying laws. You could try calling for info.

rmv2 said:
Im going to try switching to Friskies pate seafood flavors. They are not as expensive, the carbs are still low, and they have more calories per can, so I feel I could feed him 2 - 2 1/2 cans in several feedings throughout the day and he should be satisfied, especially if I can get his BG level under control.
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If he's been eating higher carb food, including kibble, a full switch to low carb wet food could lower his BG significantly. I suggest you wait a few days - even up to a week - to get your testing routine established before changing food. You'll want to be able to monitor carefully so he doesn't drop too low. Any of the Friskies or Fancy Feast pate styles in any flavour are fine to feed. If he's underweight feed as much as he wants in several small meals a day. Unregulated diabetics are always hungry. That improves as their BG numbers come down.
 
Hi everyone. Thanks again for all the help. I'm very knew to this and need all the help I can get.

I got a few things I needed today. I got my ReliOn Micro, lancets, and test strips. I was able to order online the syringes that 'Kris & Teasel' linked above so they are on there way.

I went home and tested Whiskers. He obviously didn't like it, but was well behaved during.

After I was able to get a drop of blood to test, the meter read 56! I immediately fed him and gave him his insulin. He didn't seem to want to eat right away because he was still upset over his ear being pricked.

Should I test him again after he has ate to see what his levels come back up to? How long should I wait? Please help. Very concerned.
 
rmv2 said:
After I was able to get a drop of blood to test, the meter read 56! I immediately fed him and gave him his insulin. He didn't seem to want to eat right away because he was still upset over his ear being pricked.
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How much insulin did you give him? That was a very low BG number. How long ago did you give him insulin? I strongly recommend that you retest him no later than 1 hour after the shot and post the result here right away.

Do you have any gravy style wet food, karo syrup or dry kibble on hand? You might need those to boost his BG if he drops very low. What type of food did you feed him this evening?
 
Kris & Teasel said:
How much insulin did you give him? That was a very low BG number. How long ago did you give him insulin? I strongly recommend that you retest him no later than 1 hour after the shot and post the result here right away.

Do you have any gravy style wet food, karo syrup or dry kibble on hand? You might need those to boost his BG if he drops very low. What type of food did you feed him this evening?
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I gave him 3 units of insulin and he ate a can of Fancy Fest while I was administering his shot. I do have Karo syrup on hand just in case. I also fed him a few treats of Blue Buffalo Wilderness Cat Treats for doing good after I got blood for his reading.
 
Here's the recommended sequence:
  1. Remove all food at least two hours before the pre shot blood glucose test so you know the actual BG, not a higher food influenced BG. This allows you to judge whether the planned dose is safe and not too high for the BG level.
  2. Test BG.
  3. Feed meal.
  4. Wait 20-30 minutes so there's enough food entering the bloodstream to counteract the fast onset of Vetsulin.
  5. Give insulin dose.
Until you have a good amount of BG test data accumulated, don't give insulin if the BG is lower than 200. If he won't eat, don't give insulin and post here for advice. Because you haven't been following the FDMB way of doing things you won't be familiar with these guidelines. It's likely you've given insulin on very low BGs before and weren't aware of it - and have been lucky!
 
rmv2 said:
I gave him 3 units of insulin and he ate a can of Fancy Fest while I was administering his shot. I do have Karo syrup on hand just in case. I also fed him a few treats of Blue Buffalo Wilderness Cat Treats for doing good after I got blood for his reading.
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Do get that BG test one hour after the shot. Post it here as soon as you have it.
 
Hey guys. Sorry for the delay in responding back. I had to take a breather for myself because I've been so worried this past hour. I rubbed some Karo on Whiskers gums after I posted last just to be on the safe side. When I redid his test he read 104. He is on the lower side of 100, but I read ideally it should be 120. Is this correct? What should be my course of action tomorrow?

I am so very glad that I got the home test kit, because if I would have kept doing what I was doing it would have been a disaster. I'm so lucky nothing has happened already. I feel so incredibly terrible for being so uneducated about this.
 
rmv2 said:
Hey guys. Sorry for the delay in responding back. I had to take a breather for myself because I've been so worried this past hour. I rubbed some Karo on Whiskers gums after I posted last just to be on the safe side. When I redid his test he read 104. He is on the lower side of 100, but I read ideally it should be 120. Is this correct? What should be my course of action tomorrow?

I am so very glad that I got the home test kit, because if I would have kept doing what I was doing it would have been a disaster. I'm so lucky nothing has happened already. I feel so incredibly terrible for being so uneducated about this.
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That 104 could be from food and/or karo. I’m not sure what you mean about reading that it should be 120. Vetsulin generally reaches its peak action where BG will be lowest in the 4 to 6hours after the injection range. That means you’re not out of the woods yet. Test again at the +2 and +3 hours marks - ie., 2 and 3 hours after the injection. If he gets close to 50 give him a snack of high carb food. You’ll have to keep checking until at least the 6 hour mark.

Re what to do tomorrow: follow those testing steps I posted earlier. If he’s under 200 don’t give insulin in the AM. Post here for advice instead. It’s quite possible that 3 u is too high a dose.
 
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Glad he’s ok, but as Kris said you’re not out of the woods just yet. Please follow her suggestions and get a few more tests in tonight. Let us know how it’s going!
 
Hi guys. I'm sorry for not posting updates last night. Thank you for being concerned.

Whiskers last night was okay and his sugar never dropped too low. He did have to have a carb snack because it did drop slightly again when I tested him at the 3+ hour when it read 86. From then to the 6+ hour test his sugar seemed to stabilize and never dropped below 100.

This morning upon waking up his glucose was 112, no where near being over 200. So he got no insulin as recommended. Unfortunately, now he had decided to be picky, and didn't want to eat his wet food, only wanted to eat his treats. So he has only ate his treats this morning. I will test in about an hour to see where he is at.

Honestly I think him not eating his wet food is because he is simply tired of it. Before he was diagnosed with diabetes, I had to always get him different flavors to keep him interested in wet food because he was stop eating certain flavors if I fed them to him too much. Since him being diagnosed, I've only been feeding him Fancy Fest Seafood. His new Friskies is coming soon from chewy. Until then I am going to run back to Walmart to get some cans now for him to eat before the rest gets here.
 
Hi Renee - so happy Whiskers is okay Tiki cat is very low in calories - could be why he was losing weight
cat food varies markedly in calorie content - you could calculate how many calories a 15-16 lb cat should eat, and feed him that amount of calories a day
@Bobbie And Bubba knows the calorie calculator
regarding the food - I need to give Murphy a different flavor food every day or he will tire
usually I rotate turkey, chicken, duck and guinea hen (koha) he wont eat venison or lamb any longer but those are available (as are beef )
It's recommended not to feed cats fish more than once a week, so I'd say go ahead and get some different food flavors
 
Hey there. The formula for how much to feed a cat is the ideal weight X 13.5 +70 = calories a day. So if he your boy is underweight and you feel the best weight for him would be 15 -16 lbs, you want to use that weight in the formula. Let's use 16 lbs . It would be 16 X 13.5=216 +70 =286 calories a day to help maintain that weight. And as Trisha said, once he gets better regulated he will start to gain back some weight too.

According to the food chart we use for canned food, the fancy feast seafood is 86 calories a can. He would need about 3.32 cans a day to maintain a 16 lb weight. So, you could even up it a bit until he starts gaining. And as Sharon said, seafood should be given only once a week. The FF turkey and giblets is a bit higher, 96 cals. and the chicken feast is 91.

I think the Friskies will get more calories in him so he can start to gain back some weight. He sounds very much like my Bubba. At his heaviest he was 23 lbs! He is now a svelte 17.5 ( he had developed ketones and had gone down to 13.YIKES) And he is a long big boy too.

If you set up a SS we can help you more with the dosing. This is really the best place you never wanted to be! And welcome!!:)
 
Carol & Murphy said:
Hi Renee - so happy Whiskers is okay Tiki cat is very low in calories - could be why he was losing weight
cat food varies markedly in calorie content - you could calculate how many calories a 15-16 lb cat should eat, and feed him that amount of calories a day
@Bobbie And Bubba knows the calorie calculator
regarding the food - I need to give Murphy a different flavor food every day or he will tire
usually I rotate turkey, chicken, duck and guinea hen (koha) he wont eat venison or lamb any longer but those are available (as are beef )
It's recommended not to feed cats fish more than once a week, so I'd say go ahead and get some different food flavors
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I went to the store today and got new flavors cat food. I got Turkey, Chicken, and Beef. I got Friskies Turkey with Gravy to try to get his sugar up a bit, because it dropped again earlier. After he ate that I checked his sugar and he was at 141. I haven't gave him any insulin today because hast been over 200. Unfortunately, the gravy one had the "meat bites" and for some reason Whiskers will lick up all the gravy eat a little bit of the meat bites, then leave the rest. So he didn't eat a lot, so I'm kinda worried about that. I'm not sure if maybe it's because he's just upset over getting his ears pricked or what.

Kris & Teasel said:
Please consider setting up the spreadsheet we use here. It makes it a lot easier for us to give advice. ;)
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I have been writing his numbers down and on Monday once I get to work on a desktop rather than my phone, I will create a spreadsheet so everyone will be able to help me better and so I can understand this whole process more.

Bobbie And Bubba said:
Hey there. The formula for how much to feed a cat is the ideal weight X 13.5 +70 = calories a day. So if he your boy is underweight and you feel the best weight for him would be 15 -16 lbs, you want to use that weight in the formula. Let's use 16 lbs . It would be 16 X 13.5=216 +70 =286 calories a day to help maintain that weight. And as Trisha said, once he gets better regulated he will start to gain back some weight too.

According to the food chart we use for canned food, the fancy feast seafood is 86 calories a can. He would need about 3.32 cans a day to maintain a 16 lb weight. So, you could even up it a bit until he starts gaining. And as Sharon said, seafood should be given only once a week. The FF turkey and giblets is a bit higher, 96 cals. and the chicken feast is 91.

I think the Friskies will get more calories in him so he can start to gain back some weight. He sounds very much like my Bubba. At his heaviest he was 23 lbs! He is now a svelte 17.5 ( he had developed ketones and had gone down to 13.YIKES) And he is a long big boy too.

If you set up a SS we can help you more with the dosing. This is really the best place you never wanted to be! And welcome!!:)
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Thank you so much for sharing that! I might try to feed him 4 cans a day until he puts on a little bit of weight. I tried feeding him Friskies tonight but he wasn't feeling it. However I got him the meat bites and I should have known better because every time he eats meat bites/shreds with gravy, he licks up the gravy eats a little bit of meat, then leaves the rest. I'm going to try to get him some Pate tomorrow, that's what I plan on getting him anyway, I only bought him gravy for today to try to get his sugar higher. I'm glad to hear your Bubba is up to a healthy weight! Hoping Whiskers can have a success like Bubba! I have been writing Whisker's numbers down and once I get to my desktop at work on Monday I'm going to create a spreadsheet. I know it'll help me understand better and it'll be easier for everyone to give me advice.


Thanks for all the help guys!! I am very very very appreciative!! You all rock!!!
 
Wow those are good numbers without insulin! If Whiskers hasn’t had a shot, you don’t need to worry about giving him high carb food as he won’t drop too low. Just feed as normal. If you have given a shot and his numbers on a human meter drop to 50 or he starts dropping quickly from Pre shot, then you can break out the gravy. And actually at that point all you really want him to eat is the gravy. That’s where the carbs are and it won’t fill him up in case you have to keep feeding him to get his numbers up. Hope this makes sense, I’m just sitting down with my first cup of coffee!
 
Sharon14 said:
Wow those are good numbers without insulin! If Whiskers hasn’t had a shot, you don’t need to worry about giving him high carb food as he won’t drop too low. Just feed as normal. If you have given a shot and his numbers on a human meter drop to 50 or he starts dropping quickly from Pre shot, then you can break out the gravy. And actually at that point all you really want him to eat is the gravy. That’s where the carbs are and it won’t fill him up in case you have to keep feeding him to get his numbers up. Hope this makes sense, I’m just sitting down with my first cup of coffee!
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Since his sugar was normal yesterday, I didn't give him an insulin shot at all. I'm really glad his numbers stayed good. I woke up this morning and tested him and he was at 178. I fed him a can of Fancy Feast seafood (non seafood Friskies Pates are getting picked up today for his new food regimen), but he only just licked it until the pate was dry and left the rest. I'm not sure why he's not eating, hopefully we have better luck with the meat/turkey/chicken Friskies Pates. Anyhow, I tested him not too long ago and he was at 146. Since his numbers are still normal I haven't gave him an insulin shot.

Dr. Lisa Pierson from catinfo.org has said many cats that are in a diabetic state no longer need insulin when finally fed a low carb diet. I hope this is the case for Whiskers. But I know she said even with a low carb diet, some cats will always need some insulin, but obviously a significantly reduced amount. Only time will tell.
 
He needs calories or he is at risk of developing hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver) -please read this link
My cat had this from not eating, and it is life threatening - can develop quickly after not ingesting enough calories for just two days
His blood sugar numbers are great without insulin, once you get him on the pates, he may not need insulin
Could you boil up a piece of chicken to see if he would eat that? he really needs calories
 
Carol & Murphy said:
He needs calories or he is at risk of developing hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver) -please read this link
My cat had this from not eating, and it is life threatening - can develop quickly after not ingesting enough calories for just two days
His blood sugar numbers are great without insulin, once you get him on the pates, he may not need insulin
Could you boil up a piece of chicken to see if he would eat that? he really needs calories
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I'm thawing checking right now and I'm going to boil some a fed it to him. I'll post back on here once I given it to him.

I read the link. Luckily, I haven't noticed any of the symptoms that they listed, asides from the weight loss but I believe thats related to his lack of insulin prior. He has never had a problem eating before. He was always begging for food. Last night and this morning, he begs for food but only licks his wet food walks away. I believe he will eat the chicken no problem.
 
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