11/16 Clare AMPS 358;PMPS 322 Clearing bounces more quickly

[Georgette and Clare]

Googd Morning, Lantus Land Neighbors!

We're sending out healing wishes, hugs and skritches to the kitties and beans in LL who need them today.

Yesterday's Advice Condo

Today's News:

AMPS 358
+3 231
+5 163
+6 181

PMPS 322
+3 145
+4 78 :mrgreen:
+4.5 82
+5 78
+6 79
+7 188

We've got a fresh blanket of snow this morning and everything looks so peaceful. Having missed the shot last night, DH is feeling sorry and doing all kinds of loving things to make up -- warming Clare's ear before the tests and cooing to her, letting me sleep in during the second breakfast -- he really is such a big supporter of what we're doing. I'm inclined to wish that he'd feel guilty more often! :twisted: But these things happen. ;-)

Even with the missed PM shot, Clare seems to be clearing her bounce! And she's not diving as usual! We've been so accustomed to seeing her take 4-5 cycles in pink numbers to do this, it's a very nice surprise.

Please don't let me get my hopes up that we've had a significant breakthrough here! ... FD is so tricky ... and it's been such a nice morning I don't have my resilience factor up yet today. :roll:

Ah well, live in the moment! And a very pleasant moment it is .....

Have a great Sunday, Everyone!

Georgette and Clare

 

[carfurby (GA)]

Re: 11/16 Clare AMPS 358

I hope Clare keeps sliding down for you. The way FD is, you have to take it moment by moment and enjoy the good ones without thinking about what's next. I do love the surprise good moments.

 

[Ann & Tess GA]

Re: 11/16 Clare AMPS 358

HI, thanks for the visit to Tess's condo. I wouldn't say we "nailed down"! We do what we can, the cat always has the last say. ………and then she changes her mind! :roll: Right now she is really liking the Dave's foods, although they are a little higher in Phos than is ideal. We rotate to keep things balanced.

Tell DH it happens to all of us! :roll: But take advantage of the abject apologies while you can! :lol: :lol:

Marje, our vet has said that Clare's ideal weight is 7 lbs. or "maybe a little more" so here's what I get when I use the formula for calories:

(13.6 X 7.25) + 70 = 168.60 Calories

I see this formula quoted a lot around here, but if you read Dr. Lisa's website, this is the starting formula for a WEIGHT LOSS diet! Cats need 18 to 30 kcal a day per pound depending on their activity level to maintain their weight. CKD kitties need to keep their weight up, so I wouldn't be afraid to err on the side of generous helpings if she wants to eat. The number you came up with is right in the middle of the range (140 to 210 kcal), but you could certainly feed her more. Tess is just over 6 pounds and we feed her 160 calories a day when we can get her to eat it all, more if she really wants it. Slowing or preventing weight loss in a CKD cat is really important.

 

[Marje and Gracie]

Re: 11/16 Clare AMPS 358;PMPS 322 Clearing bounces more quic

I guess I am not reading Dr. Lisa's site the same way or interpreting it the same way. When I read it, she's saying that is the starting point to determine what your cat should weigh and if you are starting a diet, that's the number of calories you would start at because it's what the cat should weigh. Not sure if that makes sense. I used that formula for Tobey and Gracie and when feeding that amount, they have both maintained their weight very well.

Point is very well, taken though, that CKD kitties are in a different boat. They are prone to muscle wasting and sometimes inappetance and so a few extra calories will likely help them.

Clare is looking better. Poor Don ;-)

 

[Georgette and Clare]

Re: 11/16 Clare AMPS 358;PMPS 322 Clearing bounces more quic

Hi Marje,

I'm glad for the formula, because it gives you some kind of anchor. Generally we've learned that to keep up her weight we need to just keep Clare eating, especially with the lower-carb foods. The main issue it seems has been with pacing her meals and not letting her eat too much right at PS.

As far as timing her meals I think we're in a good ballpark now, and so for awhile I think we'll stay with the pattern of feeding her a smaller amount (2 oz) to start out with, then waiting and just adding to her bowl as needed after +2. After +2 she doesn't seem to overeat so that it affects her BGs adversely. So if we limit that one initial meal we may be able to keep free-feeding her after +2.

Do you think that will work? I know it's not a very controlled way of feeding her but for now anyway, it seems to be working for her.

Georgette and Clare

 

[Ann & Tess GA]

Re: 11/16 Clare AMPS 358;PMPS 322 Clearing bounces more quic

On Dr. Lisa's "Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition" page she says:

The caloric needs of an average cat can range between 150 - 250 calories/day depending on their lean body weight and activity level.

But she never gives a formula for calculating the exact amount.

The only place she gives a formula is on her Obesity page, in the section on how to develop a diet for an obese cat.

How Much Should I Feed?

I cannot stress this enough -I can give you a formula that will provide an approximation of the optimal caloric intake for a safe weight-loss program but the bottom line is that you need to weigh your cat every 3-4 days to make sure that he is not losing weight too rapidly - or not losing weight at all.

Why is weighing your cat so important? Because:

1) Every cat is different in terms of how they metabolize food and their caloric needs.

2) We have no way of knowing if the calorie information given out by the pet food companies is accurate.

Also, as stated above, it is very important to pay attention to your cat's top line (back bone area) and the back of his head for signs of excessive loss of muscle mass.

There are three ways to arrive at a starting figure for the amount of calories to be fed.

First method:
The most accurate way is to calculate how many calories your cat is currently eating to maintain his not-so-svelte figure. Then take 80% of those calories as a starting point. Check the bag of dry food that you are feeding and see if it lists the calories/cup. Most dry foods do list the calorie content on the bag but canned foods do not. See the Cat Food Composition chart to see if the canned food that you are currently feeding is listed.

Second method:
Since most people free-feed dry food, the amount of calories consumed in a day is not known. In this case, figure out what you think your cat *should* weigh and plug that number into this formula:

• Required calories per day = [13.6 X optimal lean body weight in pounds] + 70

Most female cats should weigh a nice, lean 10 -11 pounds. Most male cats should fall into the 11 -13 pound range.

Using an optimal body weight of 12 pounds as an example, we come up with 233 calories/day as a starting point.

[13.6 X 12 pounds] + 70 = 233

The formula is quite generous and is intended to start at enough calories that the cat doesn't loose weight too quickly, and she says that the caloric intake often needs to be reduced.