Struggling to Start Insulin Because My Cat Won’t Eat — Need Advice

[hellen_maggie]

Good morning everyone. This is my first post here, so let me introduce myself — my name is Eleni and I’m from Greece.

My 12.5-year-old cat was diagnosed with diabetes on November 5th with a glucose reading of 340. After switching her to diabetic dry food, we rechecked a week later and it was still high (309), so my vet advised starting insulin. The feeding plan he gave me is: measure glucose in the morning while fasting, give the insulin injection, and then feed her immediately. He stressed that she MUST eat after the injection.

The problem is that she has been free-fed her whole life, and now she struggles with eating in two meals. She’s supposed to eat 34 g in the morning and 34 g in the evening, but she only eats about 11–12 g right away and needs up to 4 hours to finish the rest. I’ve tried everything — warming the kibble, removing and re-offering the food, playing with her, even adding a tiny bit of wet food — nothing works.

Her glucose readings over the past 6 days have been: 309, 287, 258, 269, 199, and this morning 311. I feel lost and stressed. How can I safely start insulin when she doesn’t eat enough right after the shot? Why are her readings fluctuating so much?

I also work full-time and I’m away from home about 9 hours a day. How can I reduce the risk of hypoglycemia while I’m gone?

Thank you so much for reading — any advice or personal experience would mean a lot to me.

 

[Robo & B]

Good morning Eleni you've found the right place.

First we are going to disagree with a lot of the advice from your vet. There are members here who have turned themselves into feline diabetes experts from spending years caring for their pets and reading and learning everything that they can. Sadly vets just don't have the time to dedicate to learning this thoroughly about every illness they treat and rarely have much knowledge or training in feline diabetes specifically.

We are going to need some information from you to help you and your cat.
What insulin are you using?
What food are you feeding?
I see you are already home testing - which is great. Are you using a human or pet meter?

Without knowing what insulin you're using this is just general advise. I don't think there are any insulins that it's advised you shoot first and then feed after. Generally we feed and then either shoot immediately or with a faster acting insulin (caninsulin) you wait half an hour and then shoot.

As to fluctuating readings. The meters all have a tolerance of around 20%, that means you could retest the exact same sample at the exact same time and get a reading of 180, 200 or 220 and that would be absolutely fine. That also means the higher your cat is reading the larger the variance might be because it's a percentage of the whole. I'm not sure I've explained that very well sorry! Also cats do just vary their blood sugar- we all have spreadsheets here which we track readings on. There are guides to help you set that up later, it's easy don't worry, but I'm trying not to overwhelm you.

We have plenty of members who work out of the house full time and still manage to safely treat their cats diabetes, you are going to be able to do this.

 

[Tim & Pookey]

Hi Eleni and welcome. What’s your cat’s name?

I think the answer to your questions lies in feeding multiple smaller meals throughout the day. That’ll help with the eating and keep her blood glucose steady.

What food are you feeding? We recommend a low carb (<10%) wet food. I’m not sure what foods are available in Greece. Let me think about what members we have from there…

What insulin did the vet prescribe? And how much? Lantus (glargine) and ProZinc are the two go-to insulins nowadays.

It’s usually test, feed, shoot in that order. I think your vet was just emphasizing that she needs to have food in her when the insulin starts working. Which is true. But what if she’s nauseous one day and won’t eat for you, and you’ve already given insulin. I think that’s the concern I’d have. For Lantus at least, there’s a 1-2 hour window after the shot before the insulin starts working.

We’ve all been where you’re at, hang in there though. Getting the food right will be a big help. While we wait for more folks to offer their input, see if you can work through the stuff in here.
Sticky - New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

 

[hellen_maggie]

Good morning Eleni you've found the right place.

First we are going to disagree with a lot of the advice from your vet. There are members here who have turned themselves into feline diabetes experts from spending years caring for their pets and reading and learning everything that they can. Sadly vets just don't have the time to dedicate to learning this thoroughly about every illness they treat and rarely have much knowledge or training in feline diabetes specifically.

We are going to need some information from you to help you and your cat.
What insulin are you using?
What food are you feeding?
I see you are already home testing - which is great. Are you using a human or pet meter?

Without knowing what insulin you're using this is just general advise. I don't think there are any insulins that it's advised you shoot first and then feed after. Generally we feed and then either shoot immediately or with a faster acting insulin (caninsulin) you wait half an hour and then shoot.

As to fluctuating readings. The meters all have a tolerance of around 20%, that means you could retest the exact same sample at the exact same time and get a reading of 180, 200 or 220 and that would be absolutely fine. That also means the higher your cat is reading the larger the variance might be because it's a percentage of the whole. I'm not sure I've explained that very well sorry! Also cats do just vary their blood sugar- we all have spreadsheets here which we track readings on. There are guides to help you set that up later, it's easy don't worry, but I'm trying not to overwhelm you.

We have plenty of members who work out of the house full time and still manage to safely treat their cats diabetes, you are going to be able to do this.

Thank you so much for your reply and support! Right now, my biggest challenge is that my cat can’t eat her full portion at once for the two meals per day. Because of this, I haven’t started insulin yet and I don’t even know which insulin we would use.

I went to the vet again, and he said I could give insulin either a few seconds before she starts eating or while she is eating — definitely not after. I’m really confused about the timing and what’s safest for her.

I’m feeding her Royal Canin Diabetic dry, and I sprinkle a little of the wet food of the same brand on top to make it more palatable. I’d like to transition her to wet food gradually, but that’s not possible yet because she has a very sensitive stomach and has been used to dry kibble her whole life.

I’m using a human glucose meter for testing.

I would also like to mention that I’m not fully convinced it’s time to start insulin yet. I still hope that her readings (which have been better until this morning) might return to that level, and maybe we could avoid insulin — which I am really scared to give her. This is just my personal worry, not something my vet suggested.

I would really appreciate any practical tips or guidance on how to get her to eat enough at once and start insulin safely. I’m feeling a bit lost and worried, and any advice would mean a lot!

 

[Robo & B]

Thank you so much for your reply and support! Right now, my biggest challenge is that my cat can’t eat her full portion at once for the two meals per day. Because of this, I haven’t started insulin yet and I don’t even know which insulin we would use.

I went to the vet again, and he said I could give insulin either a few seconds before she starts eating or while she is eating — definitely not after. I’m really confused about the timing and what’s safest for her.

I’m feeding her Royal Canin Diabetic dry, and I sprinkle a little of the wet food of the same brand on top to make it more palatable. I’d like to transition her to wet food gradually, but that’s not possible yet because she has a very sensitive stomach and has been used to dry kibble her whole life.

I’m using a human glucose meter for testing.

I would also like to mention that I’m not fully convinced it’s time to start insulin yet. I still hope that her readings (which have been better until this morning) might return to that level, and maybe we could avoid insulin — which I am really scared to give her. This is just my personal worry, not something my vet suggested.

I would really appreciate any practical tips or guidance on how to get her to eat enough at once and start insulin safely. I’m feeling a bit lost and worried, and any advice would mean a lot!

So the reason I was asking about insulin type is that most actually work best with spreading the food out- which would obviously work better for your cat. And get around your current problem of trying to get her to eat half her food for the day in one sitting. The only exception being caninsulin which isn't actually a vey good insulin for cats but does seem to be what some old school vets still prescribe.

As @Tim & Pookey has mentioned Lantus (glargine) and ProZinc are good insulins and you do not need to feed your cats dinner all in one go. They work much better with the food spread out. Those are the insulins that you shoot while the cat eats.

Royal Canin Diabetic dry food isn't actually a great food despite the name! Trying to transition her to wet food is a good idea. The best wet food are going to have under 10% carb. I can help you work that out from the analytical constituents on the can. They don't need to be specialist diabetic foods, just need that carb % low enough.

Has your vet done any blood tests or checked your cats ketone levels? Ketone are important and you can get test strips which you dip in the urine at home to check them. If your cat has anything above trace ketones you really don't want to delay starting insulin.

 

[Lauren & Esse]

Personally I would prioritize switching your kitty to a low carb wet food and seeing how much that changes things. Many cats are able to stave off (or completely rule out) using insulin purely by getting onto a low carb diet. Ideally you'd have kitty on an all-wet diet that's under 10% in carbs. The diabetic dry food is not low carb.

If you need recommendations for low-carb wet foods available in Greece, possibly some of our other members can help you @Yanna @Carol & Rico @Anna1. There's also this link that is UK-oriented, but maybe some of those are available elsewhere in Europe?

You might find this helpful: Transitioning Feline Dry Food Addicts to Canned Food

 

[hellen_maggie]

Hi Eleni and welcome. What’s your cat’s name?

I think the answer to your questions lies in feeding multiple smaller meals throughout the day. That’ll help with the eating and keep her blood glucose steady.

What food are you feeding? We recommend a low carb (<10%) wet food. I’m not sure what foods are available in Greece. Let me think about what members we have from there…

What insulin did the vet prescribe? And how much? Lantus (glargine) and ProZinc are the two go-to insulins nowadays.

It’s usually test, feed, shoot in that order. I think your vet was just emphasizing that she needs to have food in her when the insulin starts working. Which is true. But what if she’s nauseous one day and won’t eat for you, and you’ve already given insulin. I think that’s the concern I’d have. For Lantus at least, there’s a 1-2 hour window after the shot before the insulin starts working.

We’ve all been where you’re at, hang in there though. Getting the food right will be a big help. While we wait for more folks to offer their input, see if you can work through the stuff in here.

Thank you for your suggestions! I’ve also read in my research that many recommend a low-carb (<10%) wet food for diabetic cats. I discussed this with my vet, but he is firm that most diabetic foods have roughly the same effect and that Royal Canin is an excellent choice. He also told me that, when you account for the moisture content, wet food is basically the same as the dry kibble.

I do want to try transitioning her to wet food, but very gradually, because Maggie has a very sensitive stomach and I want to avoid upsetting it.

Honestly, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. I’ve been with this vet for 25 years and he has helped me through very difficult cases, both with my cat Maggie and my dog, so I really used to trust him, at least until now.. That’s why I feel even more lost and confused with all the different information I’ve found in my own research.

We haven’t started insulin yet — my vet said to stabilize her food intake over the next few days first, and then we’ll see.

 

[Robo & B]

Thank you for your suggestions! I’ve also read in my research that many recommend a low-carb (<10%) wet food for diabetic cats. I discussed this with my vet, but he is firm that most diabetic foods have roughly the same effect and that Royal Canin is an excellent choice. He also told me that, when you account for the moisture content, wet food is basically the same as the dry kibble.

I do want to try transitioning her to wet food, but very gradually, because Maggie has a very sensitive stomach and I want to avoid upsetting it.

Honestly, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. I’ve been with this vet for 25 years and he has helped me through very difficult cases, both with my cat Maggie and my dog, so I really used to trust him, at least until now.. That’s why I feel even more lost and confused with all the different information I’ve found in my own research.

We haven’t started insulin yet — my vet said to stabilize her food intake over the next few days first, and then we’ll

I'm sorry I know it's tough to find your expert (the vet) has more gaps in their knowledge than they are willing to admit. But he is absolutely wrong about the food. You know this from the research you've done yourself.

Dry food just isn't very good for cats full stop. And as to them having the same ingredients once you take out the moisture? Also completely untrue for the foods we feed. You can calculate it yourself, and we do. You exclude the moisture and do the calcs from the dry content.

But I'm also inclined to try to get your cat over to low carb wet food and see if that brings the diabetes into control without insulin (or at a lower dose). But you do need to check for ketones- I'm hoping your vet has done this?

 

[Lauren & Esse]

Just to be clear, there is no rule that says diabetic cats can only eat two big meals a day. I have heard this guidance is more appropriate for dogs and the insulins they use.

In fact, it's usually better to eat two bigger meals (that would go with their shots, if on insulin) and several smaller snacks throughout the day--that's what most members here do.

Unfortunately vets do not always have the best or most up-to-date info on nutrition, much of what they know might be general guidelines--or education provided by the prescription food companies.

 

[Carol & Rico]

Thank you for your suggestions! I’ve also read in my research that many recommend a low-carb (<10%) wet food for diabetic cats. I discussed this with my vet, but he is firm that most diabetic foods have roughly the same effect and that Royal Canin is an excellent choice. He also told me that, when you account for the moisture content, wet food is basically the same as the dry kibble.

I do want to try transitioning her to wet food, but very gradually, because Maggie has a very sensitive stomach and I want to avoid upsetting it.

Honestly, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. I’ve been with this vet for 25 years and he has helped me through very difficult cases, both with my cat Maggie and my dog, so I really used to trust him, at least until now.. That’s why I feel even more lost and confused with all the different information I’ve found in my own research.

We haven’t started insulin yet — my vet said to stabilize her food intake over the next few days first, and then we’ll see.

Hi there, as a mother of a 15 year old cat in remission, living in Greece, I have to tell you that there are NO vets who can treat diabetes according to the protocols! I've got the same vet for almost 20 years but when it came to Rico's treatment, I followed this group's guidelines and proved to be right in doing so! My vet told me exactly the same things yours did. Feel free to message me for details. I hope your baby will feel better soon!

 

[hellen_maggie]

Hi there, as a mother of a 15 year old cat in remission, living in Greece, I have to tell you that there are NO vets who can treat diabetes according to the protocols! I've got the same vet for almost 20 years but when it came to Rico's treatment, I followed this group's guidelines and proved to be right in doing so! My vet told me exactly the same things yours did. Feel free to message me for details. I hope your baby will feel better soon!

Hi there, as a mother of a 15 year old cat in remission, living in Greece, I have to tell you that there are NO vets who can treat diabetes according to the protocols! I've got the same vet for almost 20 years but when it came to Rico's treatment, I followed this group's guidelines and proved to be right in doing so! My vet told me exactly the same things yours did. Feel free to message me for details. I hope your baby will feel better soon!

Thank you so much for your message and for sharing your experience, it truly gives me hope during this difficult time. If you don’t mind, I would love to hear a bit more about how you managed your own cat’s treatment.

What approach did you follow for regulating her blood sugar? Which canned food or brand do you use here in Greece? It would also help me a lot to know what type of insulin you’re using, whether you give it before or after meals, and anything else from your experience that you think might be useful.

I feel like I’m struggling on my own and trying to do the best I can, so any guidance from someone who has actually been through this would mean a lot to me.

 

[hellen_maggie]

So the reason I was asking about insulin type is that most actually work best with spreading the food out- which would obviously work better for your cat. And get around your current problem of trying to get her to eat half her food for the day in one sitting. The only exception being caninsulin which isn't actually a vey good insulin for cats but does seem to be what some old school vets still prescribe.

As @Tim & Pookey has mentioned Lantus (glargine) and ProZinc are good insulins and you do not need to feed your cats dinner all in one go. They work much better with the food spread out. Those are the insulins that you shoot while the cat eats.

Royal Canin Diabetic dry food isn't actually a great food despite the name! Trying to transition her to wet food is a good idea. The best wet food are going to have under 10% carb. I can help you work that out from the analytical constituents on the can. They don't need to be specialist diabetic foods, just need that carb % low enough.

Has your vet done any blood tests or checked your cats ketone levels? Ketone are important and you can get test strips which you dip in the urine at home to check them. If your cat has anything above trace ketones you really don't want to delay starting insulin.

I’m not really familiar with what ketones are, to be honest. We did full blood biochemistry tests at the vet and he told me that everything looked good and nothing was concerning. But I will definitely ask him specifically about it, thank you for mentioning. Do you think that royal canin diabetic wet food is ok? (starch 1,2%, total sugars 1,3% are listed on the package)

 

[squeem3]

Here is info on ketones: Ketones - Felinediabetes.com Ketones can be tested via a fresh urine sample (use the same urine test sticks Human diabetics use) or by a ketone blood glucose meter.

The Royal Canin wet food is only slightly better than the dry. The carb content is too high for a diabetic. @Carol & Rico can suggest suitable foods if she checks back in this thread.

Carol used glargine insulin for her cat. It's noted in her signature. That's a good choice. With glargine, there is some flexibility with the timing of food and insulin. Most people test the cat first, feed the cat, and while the cat is busy eating give the insulin. It's ok if you give insulin first and then feed. No need to wait X amount of time between food and insulin. Whatever works for you and your cat If the cat doesn't eat right away, no worries. Just leave the food out. A few small snacks spread throughout the day is best for diabetic cats. The only food thing to note is to not give food within 2 hours of a glargine insulin injection. Food will cause blood glucose levels to spike.

As already mentioned, vets don't know much about nutrition and some just go by whatever the pet food companies market and push to sell. It's ok to ignore the vet on what to feed

 

[Robo & B]

I’m not really familiar with what ketones are, to be honest. We did full blood biochemistry tests at the vet and he told me that everything looked good and nothing was concerning. But I will definitely ask him specifically about it, thank you for mentioning. Do you think that royal canin diabetic wet food is ok? (starch 1,2%, total sugars 1,3% are listed on the package)

ok, you can get ketosticks that you can use to test with yourself- I'm not sure which ones are available in Greece sorry.

No that food doesn't look any good if it's the same formulation as available in the UK.

protein	8.9 %
fat	3.2 %
fibre	1.1 %
ash	1.7 %
moisture	82.5 %
starch	1.2 %
total sugar	1.3 %

Gives around 15% carb by dry weight which we class as a medium carb food. You really do want under 10% with a lot of us aiming for 5%

 

[CORKY]

Welcome Hellen to FDMB, it is overwhelming to be told your cat has diabetes, especially when, most of us have been caught off guard, and on top of that we need to work full time. You have received very good tips and suggestions from all the members that posted, your vet sound like an old schooled vet, unfortunately likes it was said above, not too many vets are knowledgeable in the present when it comes to FD, and treat this illness in cats as it were a dog, to start with, there is no such thing as a "prescribed" diabetic food, humans with diabetes eat regular food just like us, the only difference that they do not eat carbs to keep their sugar level down, if pre diabetic, once full blown diabetic they will need insulin as well. The same for a cat, A diabetic cat's glucose should be between 50-120, your cat needs insulin, and a low carb wet food diet between 0-10% crabs, and the 10% is the DRY MATTER CARB that coubts the Royal Cannin foods contain anywhere between 20-25
% carbs if not more, cats cannot digest carbs, so the pancreas damage not releasing insulin, once you regulate the BG with low carb diet and insulin, and several meals during the day, you will start to see the Glucose numbers lower The best insulins for cats are ProZinc and Lantus, they are a 12 hour insulin and soft on a cat and the protocol is Test, Feed, Shoot, unlike Caninsulin it is a harsh insulin that hits hard with a quick down spiral, and the name specifies that is a dog insulin. You mentioned you work, you may want to purchase a Wet food Feeder, that you can program up to 3 meals, and YES!, the transition needs to be a slow one, your baby's stomach is already sensitive we don't want it to get worse, You are in the right place, keep posting any concern you may have, no concern is a small one. We are here for you

 

[squeem3]

You mentioned you work, you may want to purchase a Wet food Feeder, that you can program up to 3 meals,

Some feeders do up to 5 meals It depends on what OP can get in Greece or can order online from Amazon or other similar web site.

Many people here work full time, live alone, and are able to manage their diabetic cat all on their own It's doable. The beginning is hard since there are so many things to learn. You and the cat do get into a routine.

 

[Carol & Rico]

Thank you so much for your message and for sharing your experience, it truly gives me hope during this difficult time. If you don’t mind, I would love to hear a bit more about how you managed your own cat’s treatment.

What approach did you follow for regulating her blood sugar? Which canned food or brand do you use here in Greece? It would also help me a lot to know what type of insulin you’re using, whether you give it before or after meals, and anything else from your experience that you think might be useful.

I feel like I’m struggling on my own and trying to do the best I can, so any guidance from someone who has actually been through this would mean a lot to me.

It would be a VERY long list to write everything in detail but, since we both live in the same country, I could give you my phone number and guide you all the way. In general, I've followed the TR protocol and all the instructions given to me here. I believe if you search the chat, you will find all the discussions I've had here. As about food, I experimented with several brands from the list and finally found the ones that are helping Rico - each kitty responds differently to each good. All in all, I'm here for you and I'm willing to help you out in anything you want!

 

[Yanna]

Hi Helen!
I trusted my previous vet as well so I followed their advice and fed my diabetic cat Royal Canin diabetic and used caninsulin. It proved to be the wrong way to go as my cat was not even close to being regulated, she had high glucose for about two years.

Please do your own search, there are guidelines for the management of diabetes in cats.

You need to feed your cat low carb food (wet) : Purina pro plan diabetes, Animonda Carny, Bozita, Animonda integra diabetes, Wellfed from Petcity. There's a list with more options.

Insulin: Lantus

You don't need to feed every 12 hours.

Feed before or around the insulin time and then give small snacks every 2-3 hours.

Test your cat for ketones. You can do this at home. Buy Siemens ketostix from the pharmacy.

I live in Greece. Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions

 

[CORKY]

It would be a VERY long list to write everything in detail but, since we both live in the same country, I could give you my phone number and guide you all the way. In general, I've followed the TR protocol and all the instructions given to me here. I believe if you search the chat, you will find all the discussions I've had here. As about food, I experimented with several brands from the list and finally found the ones that are helping Rico - each kitty responds differently to each good. All in all, I'm here for you and I'm willing to help you out in anything you want!

Remember not to post any personal details in this forum thread, use the private message post

 

[squeem3]

Try this old thread for European brands of foods: Canned cat food for EUROPEANS and INTERNATIONAL buyers

 

[Carol & Rico]

Remember not to post any personal details in this forum thread, use the private message post

I know, that's why I asked Hellen is she'd like me to contact her with my phone number.

 

[hellen_maggie]

Hi Helen!
I trusted my previous vet as well so I followed their advice and fed my diabetic cat Royal Canin diabetic and used caninsulin. It proved to be the wrong way to go as my cat was not even close to being regulated, she had high glucose for about two years.

Please do your own search, there are guidelines for the management of diabetes in cats.

You need to feed your cat low carb food (wet) : Purina pro plan diabetes, Animonda Carny, Bozita, Animonda integra diabetes, Wellfed from Petcity. There's a list with more options.

Insulin: Lantus

You don't need to feed every 12 hours.

Feed before or around the insulin time and then give small snacks every 2-3 hours.

Test your cat for ketones. You can do this at home. Buy Siemens ketostix from the pharmacy.

I live in Greece. Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions

Hi Yanna, I’m really glad to e-meet you and thank you so much for your advice. I’m feeling very confused right now and I really need some help with the following:

If I understand correctly from this forum, the steps are: measure her glucose, give her food, and as soon as Maggie starts eating, give the insulin. After that, how many grams does she absolutely need to eat to be safe and avoid a high risk of hypoglycemia, and within what timeframe after the injection? For example, if her daily portion at the moment is 68 grams, what percentage of that does she need to eat after each injection to be safe?

Also, my vet said she will need 2 injections every 12 hours (I don’t know which insulin yet, but I plan to ask about Lantus). Is the risk of hypoglycemia for the full 12 hours or just for a few hours after each injection? I’m trying to see if I can adjust my work schedule around this. The bad thing is that I cannot give her treats every 2–3 hours because I’m away from home for 9 hours daily because of my job.

Is it ever possible to get out of this nightmare, or will our life from now on just be injections, measurements, insulin, and endless stress?

I’ve also been looking for wet food, which one would you recommend best, Hills m/d Diabetes or Purina Pro Plan? I’m torn between the two, unless there’s a better option.Are the ones you suggest better? Right now she’s eating high-carb kibble (royal canin diabetes), and I need to start insulin under these conditions since I don’t have time to transition her gradually to wet food. Is it risky to switch her to a low-carb food while she’s on insulin? I’m so confused…thank you so much for your help..

 

[Yanna]

Hi Yanna, I’m really glad to e-meet you and thank you so much for your advice. I’m feeling very confused right now and I really need some help with the following:

If I understand correctly from this forum, the steps are: measure her glucose, give her food, and as soon as Maggie starts eating, give the insulin. After that, how many grams does she absolutely need to eat to be safe and avoid a high risk of hypoglycemia, and within what timeframe after the injection? For example, if her daily portion at the moment is 68 grams, what percentage of that does she need to eat after each injection to be safe?

Also, my vet said she will need 2 injections every 12 hours (I don’t know which insulin yet, but I plan to ask about Lantus). Is the risk of hypoglycemia for the full 12 hours or just for a few hours after each injection? I’m trying to see if I can adjust my work schedule around this. The bad thing is that I cannot give her treats every 2–3 hours because I’m away from home for 9 hours daily because of my job.

Is it ever possible to get out of this nightmare, or will our life from now on just be injections, measurements, insulin, and endless stress?

I’ve also been looking for wet food, which one would you recommend best, Hills m/d Diabetes or Purina Pro Plan? I’m torn between the two, unless there’s a better option.Are the ones you suggest better? Right now she’s eating high-carb kibble (royal canin diabetes), and I need to start insulin under these conditions since I don’t have time to transition her gradually to wet food. Is it risky to switch her to a low-carb food while she’s on insulin? I’m so confused…thank you so much for your help..

For some cats, just the change to low carb food is enough for them to go into remission. If there are no ketones, you could try feeding low carb food before you start insulin.

Hills m/d is not low carb. Try to find a low carb food that your cat likes to eat. I wouldn't mind the quality of food right now. If you check the UK list, there are a lot of options available in Greece.

Don't worry too much about the grams you need to feed per day. Once you find a food she likes, feed according to her kilos, but if she wants to eat more than that, just feed her.

Feed 2 bigger meals before or around insulin time and then give 1-2 tsps every 2-3 hours. You could use a time feeder when you are not at home.

If you switch to low carb food while your cat is on insulin, you need to be very careful, test more, perhaps you would need to reduce the dose.

There many experienced members in this forum who could explain better than me how insulin works.

You are in the right place.

 

[hellen_maggie]

Remember not to post any personal details in this forum thread, use the private message post

Thank you all so much for your help!

 

[CORKY]

You shouldn’t worry about hypoglycemia if you cat has a BG higher than 150, I say that number because your a newby, I shoot Corky right after I see he has eaten a few bites, I just go behind him pull up the scruff and shoot, he does not even stop eating the grams he eats is irrelevant, what counts is that you test 2 hours after shooting if you can after the first shot, I suggest you purchase a wet food feeder. You’ll time it to open every 4 hours, if you have the correct dose of insulin he should not get hypo, relax, take it one step at a time, right now the most important thing is the low carb food, home testing and tge right insulin like Lantus or ProZinc, and the foods you just mentioned On your last post are a no no, they are also very high carbs. I will tell you what was told to me here at first “ take a step back, breath in and breath out, cats are very sensitive to stress, you stress, they stress” you will be ok! Your cat will be ok, Trust this forum and their members they save cats lives every day, they saved my Corky, I trust every sugestion, increase/decrease blindly, My Corky will be a lifetime diabetic, but today his BG numbers are remission numbers 2 Digits, compared to how he spend 8 days in the hospital with 650 BG when first diagnosed, the important first step is to get the wet feeder before you start insulin, transition during the weekend to wet 10% foods, learn to test, also FYI you can also get the Libre3. Monitor and sensor, no need to draw blood you use your phone and u can see his hourly BG reading as you work, I do have to warn you though, tge sensors are expensive and only last maybe 14 days soñé times less, and it has its faults it reads low numbers much lower than reality, but it might be something you may want to consider at least till you get more comfortable with the process