? 03/14, Shmee, AMPS 327

[Amanda & Shmee]

Hello everyone,

My Shmee has been on Lantus for about two weeks. I want to eventually start the tight regulation method (hoping by next week). He used to be free fed dry food (I wish I had known better), then when he was diagnosed I transitioned him to wet food (FF classics and chunkys). I thought I was supposed to be feeding him two big meals only, in the AM and PM before his shots, but I saw on both the TR and SLGS method forums that we should be feeding multiple small meals a day. So as of a few days ago, I now do three smaller meals: one before AM shot @ 9am, one around 3pm, and one before PM shot @9pm. I am lucky enough to work from home at this time, but I don't know how long this will last.

Curious what others food schedules look like?

Also, if anyone has any other advice or comments about his spreadsheet please by all means, I would love you learn anything I can.

Thank you!

 

[Carol in Chicago]

Welcome Amanda and Shmee! Great job getting up and running with home testing and your SS!

I feed multiple small meals and snacks every day and use an auto-feeder overnight. In general, my Rosie eats every 3 hours. I am also a test-a-holic, so I have many mid-cycle tests during the day. Not so much at night...

While you are home during the day, I would suggest some mid-cycle tests. Your goal at this point should be to "fill in the blanks" on your spreadsheet. I'd want to understand when his lowest point in the cycle occurs and what that lowest point is. That will really help you in making decisions going forward.

Going forward, dose changes should be in smaller increments. Hope you have syringes with 1/2 unit markings so you can make 1/4 unit dose changes. With dry food recently in the picture, I'd be on the look out for some improvement based on food changes. I'm not familiar with FF chunky. All FF classics are low carb (LC) so if chucky is also LC that should really help.

Again - Welcome. Please keep asking questions. You will find this group is very generous with advice and opinions. We love to help you help Shmee.

 

[Amanda & Shmee]

Welcome Amanda and Shmee! Great job getting up and running with home testing and your SS!

I feed multiple small meals and snacks every day and use an auto-feeder overnight. In general, my Rosie eats every 3 hours. I am also a test-a-holic, so I have many mid-cycle tests during the day. Not so much at night...

While you are home during the day, I would suggest some mid-cycle tests. Your goal at this point should be to "fill in the blanks" on your spreadsheet. I'd want to understand when his lowest point in the cycle occurs and what that lowest point is. That will really help you in making decisions going forward.

Going forward, dose changes should be in smaller increments. Hope you have syringes with 1/2 unit markings so you can make 1/4 unit dose changes. With dry food recently in the picture, I'd be on the look out for some improvement based on food changes. I'm not familiar with FF chunky. All FF classics are low carb (LC) so if chucky is also LC that should really help.

Again - Welcome. Please keep asking questions. You will find this group is very generous with advice and opinions. We love to help you help Shmee.

Thank you! What is an auto feeder? For dry food?
Also, my vet suggested going up to two. After reading the Lantus dosing though, this does sound like a big move up. I do have syringes with the half markings, so when I move to TR I am hoping it will help.
FF Chunky is on the CatInfo chart for low carb, just not the roasted/gravy ones. So I am hoping I am ok there.
One more question. You said you feed your cat every three hours. How much do they eat a day? Because right now I am only feeding him 2.5 cans a day (he is 15.5 pounds, and per the CatInfo site it should be 15 calories per pound? But he always seems hungry (he is on an appetite stimulant though, that I am hoping he will be able to come off of asap).
I appreciate it!

 

[Carol in Chicago]

Great. An auto-feeder will let you serve wet food at timed intervals either for overnight or when you are away. Mine is similar with 2 compartments, a cool pack and timer. I use this to make sure Rose always has some fresh wet food available. Some get by with freezing a portion of food that will then thaw slowly over time so it can be eaten later.

For how much food to feed, there is a formula. Not sure I would suggest that given you are using a stimulant - is Shmee overweight, underweight or just right? Until he is more regulated he just may need more food. If always hungry why is a stimulant needed?

 

[Amanda & Shmee]

Great. An auto-feeder will let you serve wet food at timed intervals either for overnight or when you are away. Mine is similar with 2 compartments, a cool pack and timer. I use this to make sure Rose always has some fresh wet food available. Some get by with freezing a portion of food that will then thaw slowly over time so it can be eaten later.

For how much food to feed, there is a formula. Not sure I would suggest that given you are using a stimulant - is Shmee overweight, underweight or just right? Until he is more regulated he just may need more food. If always hungry why is a stimulant needed?

Thank you I will check that auto-feeder out! Do you have a link to where you bought yours?
He has been losing weight. He was 15.5 pounds at the vet last time and I feel like this has to be wrong (he was moving a lot) but I just weighed him and he is only 14. I am going to move him up to 3 cans a day until he is better regulated.
He is on an appetite stimulant because when he was first diagnosed he was hardly eating. The dose has gone down little by little though - he has gone from 1/2 pill every two days to 1/4 pill every three days, and now I do 1/4 pill every four days. This last time I was supposed to give him the pill I waited to see if he would eat on his own and he didn't. But, I think this was my fault - I should've given him more of a chance/more time to see if he would eat. I was too nervous he wouldn't eat so I gave him the pill. He is supposed to have his next one in a few days, so I plan on holding off and seeing if he will eat on his own. The vet thinks he wasn't eating because he needed insulin, and we found out he has a slightly enlarged liver/high liver numbers. She is hoping he will gain his appetite back now that he is on the Denamarin and insulin, and his liver numbers have gone down (I just updated my spreadsheet with the bloodwork).

 

[Carol in Chicago]

My autofeeder is an older version of the one in the link from amazon - no longer current. I must be getting old!

More food sounds appropriate now, especially if he has lost weight. I don't have experience with his meds, maybe others will chime in. Many here struggle with appetite issues. If he will eat, my vote is to save the drugs until you really need them.

 

[Amanda & Shmee]

My autofeeder is an older version of the one in the link from amazon - no longer current. I must be getting old!

More food sounds appropriate now, especially if he has lost weight. I don't have experience with his meds, maybe others will chime in. Many here struggle with appetite issues. If he will eat, my vote is to save the drugs until you really need them.

Thank you Carol I totally agree. When he wasn't eating I was just so scared that it makes me nervous not to give it to him now.. but this next time I really need to give him a good chance to try and eat on his own and see how he does.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Multiple small meals per day are easier on a healing pancreas. You might want to try to give most of the food in the first half of the cycle. After nadir, the insulin action is slowing and extra carbs could "slam the brakes" on the insulin action, giving you higher preshot numbers. My Neko like to drop fast on Lantus so she got smaller meals at +2 and +3 to try to slow her down. Not all cats nadir at +6, as you get more data on Shmee, you'll see when he likes to nadir. Some cats nadir earlier, my Neko like to nadir around +7 to +9. Good thing you are working at home now and can get some of that data.

What type of appetite stimulant are you using? It's best to make sure they aren't nauseous before giving an appetite stimulant, or you can get food adversions. I was just wondering why you were only giving the pill every few days.

Any chance you can get a night time cycle test, maybe before going to bed? We determine the dose based on how low it takes the cat, not the preshots which are more often the highest numbers. Many cats go lower at night.

I used the Petsafe 5 auto feeder.

 

[LeeAnn (Lannie)& Freckles]

Curious what others food schedules look like?

Freckles was also a dry food free feeder. After she moved to wet food, I pretty much feed her on demand. She typically eats 2-2.5 cans a day and they are split up into 6-10 "meals". I'd feed her more at once and cut down on the number of feedings, but it's not uncommon for her to snarf it all down right away and then throw it up (scarf and barf) so many small meals is what works for us.

 

[Amanda & Shmee]

Multiple small meals per day are easier on a healing pancreas. You might want to try to give most of the food in the first half of the cycle. After nadir, the insulin action is slowing and extra carbs could "slam the brakes" on the insulin action, giving you higher preshot numbers. My Neko like to drop fast on Lantus so she got smaller meals at +2 and +3 to try to slow her down. Not all cats nadir at +6, as you get more data on Shmee, you'll see when he likes to nadir. Some cats nadir earlier, my Neko like to nadir around +7 to +9. Good thing you are working at home now and can get some of that data.

What type of appetite stimulant are you using? It's best to make sure they aren't nauseous before giving an appetite stimulant, or you can get food adversions. I was just wondering why you were only giving the pill every few days.

Any chance you can get a night time cycle test, maybe before going to bed? We determine the dose based on how low it takes the cat, not the preshots which are more often the highest numbers. Many cats go lower at night.

I used the Petsafe 5 auto feeder.

Interesting thank you Wendy I appreciate it. So you have used that auto feeder (which is an awesome value by the way!) for wet food? Its ok to sit in there for hours?

The appetite stimulant is Mirdzapine. But I am hoping he is now off of it - I have him down to 1/4 a pill every four days; this is his fourth day and he seems to be fine so far. So I will see how he eats in these next few days and am hoping I wont have to give it to him any more. The pill is very strong and he was acting very aggitated in the beginning so my vet lowered the dose. He was never nauseous though.

I will definitely try to get much more information/BG tests done. Today is his full curve, and I am supposed to call the vet to see if she wants to increase his dose, I have a feeling I am not going to like her advice since she had me move from 1 to 2 last time and I am just realizing that was too big of a dose increase...

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Yes, I used the feeder for wet food. Even for raw food. There is a small spot under the rotating feeding tray where you can ice cubes or a freezer/gel pack. There is one that actually fits this feeder. Or you can add cool water/ice cube on top of the food. It'll melt and add water. A little extra water on the food for a diabetic is always a good thing. And it kept things nice and cool.

Good luck with the curve today. Our dosing methods would have you increase to 2.25 units. Your call whether you follow our dosing methods here or the vet. Many of us get good at smiling and nodding. I followed my vet the first while, then there were times I couldn't get in touch with her because she was so busy, or off that day so I started listening to suggestions here. There's practically always someone on here. I printed off the dosing method I was using and gave it to her. She was happy with that and weekly copies of the spreadsheet.

 

[CassAndGordy(GA)]

Its ok to sit in there for hours?

For my feeder, i actually make frozen food with added water. I do a large can of pate, add a little water and put them in mini-cupcake pans. (I use plastic ones that the two-bite cupcakes come in so its easier to pop out ) One can does about 12 little frozen cakes. Ive checked them while everything is thawing and it stays fresh for the needed duration.

Everyone has their little tricks. You'll figure out what works for you .