7/1 Shooter AMPS 139, +6 411, PMPS 393, +3 293, +5 120

[Heather & Shooter]

6/30/21 Shooter AMPS 195 | Feline Diabetes Message Board - FDMB

Starting out good this morning, so hopefully he's done bouncing. I think you call it "clearing the bounce." I do have a couple questions...
1) He's been chewing his legs/feet/belly a pretty fair amount since being diagnosed. I'm assuming it's neuropathy as my last diabetic did that as well. It looks awful the way he "attacks" these spots. What can I do for him?
2) When he gets lower in his numbers more consistently will he start to lose weight? He's 17 lbs and should probably be closer to 13 or 14 lbs. How have some of you gotten your cats to lose weight? I can't get him to run and play for anything (except raw venison). lol

 

[Summer and Susie (GA)]

Nice start to your day, Heather. There is a link about safe weight loss but I don't remember where it is. Maybe someone will post it for you. My Susie is about 2 or 3 lbs overweight and I was told to look at how much you are feeding per day in calories. I am restricting Susie to 2 cans (6 ounces) of Fancy Feast Classic Pate a day on most days. 1 3 oz can in the am cycle and 1 3 oz can in the pm cycle broken into about 3 meals each cycle. I think for her desired weight (12 lbs) she is only supposed to get about 180 calories per day to start to safely lose weight. Did you get the Cat Food - Nutritional Composition Chart? It shows the calories of all the Fancy Feast foods on the left. I believe I guestimated with the FF pate she would get between 164 and 194 calories a day if I only fed her 2 3 ounce cans so that is what I go with. She is losing a little weight slowly which is what you want. Others will come along and offer assistance. By the way, the FF Classic Tender Beef (3 oz can) is 90 calories and the FF Chicken is 91 calories so if you only feed two cans a day then Shooter will be getting around 181 calories per day. Looks like this is what you are feeding.

Regarding the chewing I have no answers but that is sad. I would wonder if it wasn't an allergy to something. Is there anything new with his diet or environment? I don't know anything about neuropathy in cats. Also, I see you are in Florida where we do have a problem with fleas. I am in Merritt Island. If he is allowed out, or if you have dogs that go out, or even when you go out there is the possibility of fleas coming back into the house. I have also noticed when I walk out into the yard these days that there are little bugs that bite my feet. I don't know what they are but they can be a problem for me with itching.

 

[JaxBenji]

1) He's been chewing his legs/feet/belly a pretty fair amount since being diagnosed. I'm assuming it's neuropathy as my last diabetic did that as well. It looks awful the way he "attacks" these spots. What can I do for him?

I don't have much to add here - Jax had mild diabetic neuropathy but it was walking on his haunches a little bit - he never did chewing and from my personal research chewing isn't related to diabetic neuropathy...maybe ask your vet...could be an allergy?

2) When he gets lower in his numbers more consistently will he start to lose weight? He's 17 lbs and should probably be closer to 13 or 14 lbs. How have some of you gotten your cats to lose weight? I can't get him to run and play for anything (except raw venison). lol

Dr. Lisa is a great source for weight loss - Epidemic of Feline Obesity - if you don't already own a baby scale, it's great for tracking weight loss/gain. It's such a fine line losing weight as you don't want kitty losing weight too fast - Dr. Lisa covers this on her site. In summary, you'll need to figure out how many calories Shooter eats a day and then reduce it by little bit and track his weight every few days. Hope that helps a little bit

 

[Heather & Shooter]

Ok thanks everyone. I'll look up all the weight loss stuff when I get home tonight. It sounds like I might be way over feeding, but I thought I was going by what's on the can.

As far as his chewing, it's strange that of all the cats I've had the only 2 that have been diabetic are the only 2 chewing their feet. I wonder if there's something we can give them for allergies.

 

[Summer and Susie (GA)]

Ok thanks everyone. I'll look up all the weight loss stuff when I get home tonight. It sounds like I might be way over feeding, but I thought I was going by what's on the can.

As far as his chewing, it's strange that of all the cats I've had the only 2 that have been diabetic are the only 2 chewing their feet. I wonder if there's something we can give them for allergies.

Maybe your vet can help with that. My Susie started to lose her fur on her back just above her tail several months ago. I asked the vet and he said it is probably fleas although he didn't see any on her. He said just one flea bite can affect a cat if they are allergic. He gave me a flea medicine that last three months and she is better but I don't think the fur will ever grow back normally.

 

[Heather & Shooter]

Ugh! +6 411 that's so crazy! If this is a bounce, isn't a weird bounce?

Maybe your vet can help with that. My Susie started to lose her fur on her back just above her tail several months ago. I asked the vet and he said it is probably fleas although he didn't see any on her. He said just one flea bite can affect a cat if they are allergic. He gave me a flea medicine that last three months and she is better but I don't think the fur will ever grow back normally.

mine are indoor ONLY but I never thought about the noseeums. They always seem to get in the house.