Missy & Oliver
Member
Hello Everyone,
First of all, how much does a cat need to eat before giving insulin? Oliver only took a few bites of his breakfast and I’m worried. Should I skip it? Give 1 or 2 units?
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Oliver is 11 and has been on inhaled steroids for 10 years. A few years ago he had a urinary blockage and last year started with chronic constipation. He recently started taking prednisolone by mouth. I thought all the soup (food mixed in water) and recently increased pred were to blame for increased urination, appetite and some weight loss. Over the last two weeks I realized he had lost muscle mass, he frequently refused to ea—or ate little—and was just not acting like himself.
I took him to the vet Saturday and she diagnosed him with diabetes, but not DKA. She sent us to the emergency vet clinic to stabilize him until he could get in to see an internist on Monday.
The internist kept him one night and sent him home yesterday with ProZinc and told me to administer 3 units twice a day, and to switch his food to Purina DM. No mention of BG monitoring.
Last night I didn’t feed him at his usual 6:30 time because I was told to adhere to the 12-hour schedule. I waited an hour, and then he refused to eat. I offered his old food and he ate a little of it. I panicked. I do have the vet’s cell number, so I called and asked what to do. He said give only 2 units. He mentioned that his level was 300 in the AM and he wasn’t worried it would go too low.
Here’s his pre-diagnosis daily regimen: I generally feed and dose at 6:30 am and 6:30 pm:
Food: raw diet, Primal pork. 3 nuggets (1 oz each)
Medications:
Ventolin salbutamol sulfate inhaler 100 mcg, 2 puffs-Only as needed
First of all, how much does a cat need to eat before giving insulin? Oliver only took a few bites of his breakfast and I’m worried. Should I skip it? Give 1 or 2 units?
—
Oliver is 11 and has been on inhaled steroids for 10 years. A few years ago he had a urinary blockage and last year started with chronic constipation. He recently started taking prednisolone by mouth. I thought all the soup (food mixed in water) and recently increased pred were to blame for increased urination, appetite and some weight loss. Over the last two weeks I realized he had lost muscle mass, he frequently refused to ea—or ate little—and was just not acting like himself.
I took him to the vet Saturday and she diagnosed him with diabetes, but not DKA. She sent us to the emergency vet clinic to stabilize him until he could get in to see an internist on Monday.
The internist kept him one night and sent him home yesterday with ProZinc and told me to administer 3 units twice a day, and to switch his food to Purina DM. No mention of BG monitoring.
Last night I didn’t feed him at his usual 6:30 time because I was told to adhere to the 12-hour schedule. I waited an hour, and then he refused to eat. I offered his old food and he ate a little of it. I panicked. I do have the vet’s cell number, so I called and asked what to do. He said give only 2 units. He mentioned that his level was 300 in the AM and he wasn’t worried it would go too low.
Here’s his pre-diagnosis daily regimen: I generally feed and dose at 6:30 am and 6:30 pm:
Food: raw diet, Primal pork. 3 nuggets (1 oz each)
Medications:
- 1/4 t. Miralax in 4 oz warm water
- 1- Prednisolone 2.5 mg chew
- 1- Alprazolam 0.125 chew
- 1- Cisipride mini tab 2.5 mg wrapped in a *Lysine chew
- Flixotide (Flovent) inhaler 250mg - two puffs
Ventolin salbutamol sulfate inhaler 100 mcg, 2 puffs-Only as needed