7/27 Mr Tinkles AMPS 328 +2 363 +6 251 New, feeding question

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Laurie and Mr Tinkles

Laurie and Mr Tinkles

Member Since 2010
Hi all!

We are new to LL, we just switched from ProZinc 2 days ago. I have done a lot of reading in preparation for the switch. I know I need to be patient and let the shed fill, I've read all the stickies and I know it will take time. At this point, I don't really have any questions about the insulin. When I do, I'll be sure to ask though! I'm already seeing that Tinkles seems to feel better, even though his numbers are not in a good range yet. I'm looking forward to (hopefully) less volatility with Lantus.

I've started looking at other people's condos, and I notice references to breffis #1, #2, etc. I usually feed Tinkles his breffis when I shoot (after testing, of course) and then he sometimes has a snack at +2 or +3 and almost always at +6 or so. I can't free feed, unfortunately, so I was wondering about timing and amount of food others give with Lantus. I know ECID, but I would welcome other people's input so I can get a feel for what I might need to change.

Thank you in advance!
 
Re: 7/27 Mr Tinkles AMPS 328 +2 363 New, feeding question

Welcome, I hope you get the results you are looking for in Lantus. Trouble eats after shots then every 2-3 hours until +9 where he gets his final snack before his next ps reading. All total each day he eats about 2 and 1/2 cans of FF and a few pieces of freeze dried chicken. I hope that helps! I believe I have been told on here that more frequent smaller meals are easiest on the pancreas. I have an auto-feeder with two compartments that I use for night snacks or when I will be out of the house during feeding time. You'll find a schedule that works for you!
 
Re: 7/27 Mr Tinkles AMPS 328 +2 363 New, feeding question

Hi Laurie and Mr. Tinkles - welcome to LL. Sounds like you've been doing your homework - glad you found the stickies cause they do contain lots of great info.

Regarding feeding - for Tuscany she gets a 3 oz can of food twice a day. I put it out after testing/shooting and she nibbles at it all day. Yes, it gets a little dried up thru the day but she doesn't seem to mind. I think there are quite of few of us that "free feed" like that. Tuscany was never a gobbler so this works for us.
There are quite a few that use a timer - they will put small portions of food in the timer and have it go off at various times of the day - this is helpful when you can't be around to put out fresh little meals.
You will also see reference to "feeding the curve" - I'm sure others will pipe in on their techniques for that - but it is feeding small amounts of food at certain times to either help with slowing the dropping BG or trying to keep the cat "surfing" at a certain level. It almost sounds as if you are doing that with his snack at +2, +3, and +6.
I see you are feeding special kitty food - I am assuming it is the low carb ones and all wet food??
How much does Mr. Tinkles weight / how much should he weigh?

Again, welcome!
 
Re: 7/27 Mr Tinkles AMPS 328 +2 363 New, feeding question

Hi Laurie, Some of us have been experimenting with giving breakfast in several smaller installments, especially if our kitties drop too fast from the AMPS number. Jill (Jill & Alex) advised Sienne to do this and Sienne has been trying it and the rest of us just sort-of picked up on it from her example. Spacing out the food early in the cycle seems to slow the descent. Sometimes it works pretty well, sometimes it doesn't, but it's worth trying. "Many Mini Meals" (MMM: ha ha, I just coined a new abbreviation!) If you are giving snacks at +2 and +3 anyway, you are essentially doing the MMM thing (depending on how large "breakfast" is). Some don't feed again until about +9, but I usually feed "lunch" at +6 and then give a snack at +9. (I feed breakfast usually in 3 installments, an hour apart). Michelle & Mannie might be able to give you more precise information. The important thing is not to feed 2 hours before a preshot (AMPS or PMPS), because the food can raise the bg number and therefore the number will not reflect reality.
Good luck with building the shed!

Ella & Stu

p.s. Just read the posts made while I was writing this. Yes, the auto feeders are a big help if you can't be there.
 
Re: 7/27 Mr Tinkles AMPS 328 +2 363 New, feeding question

Hey, Laurie!!! Welcome to LL! :) Glad you're over here, and giving Lantus a try. I, too, am trying to be patient with this insulin, and I believe it's starting to work on Blackie (thank you, Lord!).
 
Re: 7/27 Mr Tinkles AMPS 328 +2 363 New, feeding question

Thank you, everybody! I do usually give 1 or 2 snacks during the day, sounds like I need to cut the amount given and increase the frequency once I see how the Lantus works with Tinkles. It might be a challenge, but I'll make it work somehow! I never give any food within 2 hours of shot time.

Oh, I SO wish I could free feed or use a timer, it's just not possible. I have two civvies, one of them is a piggie and she has already gained a pound (she didn't need) since I switched to wet food....and that is with me policing the food bowls at feeding time! I have droolers as well, but I can work around that problem.

I do feed the LC Special Kitty, only wet food to Tinkles. He seems to be carb sensitive, even the LC FF gives him a food spike, so I use FF as a MC food. I just started experimenting with Sophisticat (0-1% varieties) and those seem to work well for him too.

Unfortunately, my other civvie refuses to give up dry completely, so I still have to offer dry for her, but it is up on top of the entertainment center because Tinkles is not a jumper. Oh, the things we have to do to try to make it work!! :lol:

Tinkles had lost a lot of weight when he was diagnosed, he has put most of it back on and is at or close to optimal weight....12 lb. He could gain a little more, (he was originally 13lb) but I think he's good at 12lb.

Hi Angela, I saw your condo, I'll be over to visit! I hope Lantus works well for both of our kitties!
 
Re: 7/27 Mr Tinkles AMPS 328 +2 363 New, feeding question

Hi there,
I have to agree that the MMM plan works the best for us. Purrcie free feeds wet LC and raw most of the time. I've watched when he eats and it works out to something like this:
1Tsp at pre shot, +1 1TBS, +2 1TBS, +3 1TBS, +4 1TBS. Then he usually doesnt eat much after that and often will take a deep nap so I have to make sure he isn't dropping to low then cause he will sleep right through the drop. So I test and give him either LC freeze dried snacks or something more substantial depending on where his BG is. If he is high blue or above I don't bother giving him any snacks then. I feed again at around +9 just something small and the cycle starts again for evening. I have three civvies also and they are all nibblers so the MMM plan works great for all of them.
 
Hi Laurie,

Welcome to lantus land.

I see that your condo is well setup and well decorated, well done!
Be sure to post every day and ask a lot of questions and visit others... there is a lot to be learned in the SSs around here.

With respect to your question about food, the MMM is a very good idea... you might want to consider getting an automatic feeder (check out petsmart) if you are not home during the day. The only thing about food is that we say not to feed 2 hours prior to shot time to try to have a true PS number (and not one with food in it).

Got your hypo kit... cans of gravy?
Read the stickies?

You're good to go.... Welcome again!
 
To add a bit to what Ella explained, Jill suggested that I use food to manipulate Gabby's curve. Gabby is one of those kitties whose prone to big, early drops in BG, is bouncy, and doesn't hold her dose reductions well. To offset the early drops, she gets her meals in installments (at PS, +1, +2, and +3). I also give her a snack at around +8 or +9.

Generally, small, frequent meals helps to not cause the pancreas to work too hard versus one big meal twice a day. For a healing pancreas, the smaller and frequent approach is better.
 
I have heard about the smaller more frequent meals being better for the pancreas, that makes sense. I think I'll have to see how he does when the shed gets filled and the lantus starts to really work on his BG.

I do have the hypo kit stocked and ready to go. I've already been through two episodes of low BG, so I've gotten the panicky overreaction out of the way! The first time, I gave him way too much HC, learned my lesson after that. ;-)

Thank you all for the info about MMM (love the acronym!) and spacing snacks out! I love all the feedback, it really helps.
 
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