ALERT.. Many Cats on the board not eating.

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Hi all -

A quick search turned up some info regarding magnesium and insulin specifically. The first website is a commercial one, the second is the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. I found another couple of places that suggested that magnesium might make insulin 'more effective'. It makes me wonder if the side effect of diarrhea is similar to what you see when a cat gets too much insulin.

Jackie

http://magnesiumforlife.com/medical-app ... ium-story/

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium/
Magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism. It may influence the release and activity of insulin, the hormone that helps control blood glucose (sugar) levels [13]. Low blood levels of magnesium (hypomagnesemia) are frequently seen in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Hypomagnesemia may worsen insulin resistance, a condition that often precedes diabetes, or may be a consequence of insulin resistance. Individuals with insulin resistance do not use insulin efficiently and require greater amounts of insulin to maintain blood sugar within normal levels. The kidneys possibly lose their ability to retain magnesium during periods of severe hyperglycemia (significantly elevated blood glucose). The increased loss of magnesium in urine may then result in lower blood levels of magnesium [4]. In older adults, correcting magnesium depletion may improve insulin response and action [42].
 
carlinsc said:
... Another site says "diarrhea". Which is it? constipation or diarrhea? I've seen both conditions mentioned on the board a lot lately.
Click to expand...

It'll depend on the exact chemical compound, and possibly, the individual sensitivity (cat or human!)
 
After much nagging from member 'eeraby' telling me to buy raw chicken livers and cut them up with a sissor into kibble size chunks (eeeewwww) Tom would eat it.
Well, miracle of miracles, he did. And with a gusto, and asked for more....and licked his bowl clean.
This is a food resistance problem of 3-4 weeks now. I have not seen, no matter what I offer, an appetite like I saw with this food.
I am hopeing it will kick start his appetite.
Anyone with severe inappetance must try it.
Lori
 
So does this mean we should stop feeding Friskies?

I looked at the cans I have...case we're finishing up and case I just bought yesterday both have manganese sulfate, which is the old formula, right? We use the 13oz cans though. And I just ordered 2 more cases from wag.com (sale + coupon code = big savings) which should be here on Thursday. I'll post what is in them when they arrive. If they have magnesium sulfate, should I send them back? It's about $50 worth of food I ordered, so not something I want to dump in the trash.

Max is OTJ, so in theory, he shouldn't have a noticable reaction to the change, other than maybe the flavor, right? I'll be getting a new meter later this week, so I should be able to keep an eye on his numbers to see if they change with the food.
 
I think it is one of ECID thingy, as with my bunch it was only the civies that had a reaction to the Friskies, my sugars were fine, as well as the youngest of the civies. So it maybe that some can handle the new formula and some can't.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang.
 
Thanks for the info on the friskies. I think we should cross post that. I'll do so on the Lantus board if you guys haven't already.

Hef is back to eating. What a relief! The secret for him right now is Special Kitty but just the chicken dinner and three crushed up temptations in the 3oz of food. I am wishing that the temptations won't be enough to send him back to being diabetic. I don't have his file so I don't know his test results of the past. Just that every time I tested him here he was 2.9-3.2. He hasn't eaten kibble since I got him last week. I am paranoid about FHL after fighting it once so I get on top of things early but still worry.
 
Yeah my bunch is back to eating as well, and again the trick for them was Special Kitty...both chicken and the turkey..in fact I may need to up the number of cans I normally feed they love it so much....cats sheesh if it isn't one thing it is another.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
So glad your bunch is eating. I have thrown out so much food that its really gross but the outdoor garbage can has things moving on it. Disgusting. I will be flushing the uneaten food from now on. Seriously disgusting, beyond gross. Why did I throw them in the garbage ohmygod_smile I am well stocked up with tons of food and most in flavours he won't eat right now ohmygod_smile

Special Kitty is the only food my angel Maverick would eat also- for him it was Turkey and Giblets only.
 
It's been nearly 4 weeks...and Tom has started eating. I got him jump started with the great idea from beth (erraby) to give him raw liver..cut up in pieces with sissors....well, whatever works! He moved on that like white on bread...he's a piggy again :-D
Lori
 
Hi! Great post because I've been trying to figure this one since 5/15 (I even noted it in my spreadsheet). If you do a search, I'm sure you'll find some of my posts asking for tips on getting him to eat.

Part of it was due to his hyperthyroidism. One of the side effects of the Tapazol is lack of appetite. We reduced dosage and it got better for a while but it's back to a struggle.

He eats both FF and Friskies and if I'm not home, he literally will not touch his food. Oregano has worked but losing its effectiveness and he's not a fan of parmesan or tuna flakes.
 
Just as a follow up...
After pretty much forgetting about it, today in the mail I received my coupons in the mail from Fancy Feast. I can have 4 cans (or pouches) of any size any variety Purina product for free! (offer expires Dec 2012). Just to remind all of you, if you experience any problems relating to Fancy Feast, Friskees, or any other Purina product, please call them and let them know?

Carl
 
I wish I knew what the problem is! I can't tell whether it's the food, or the heat, or arthritis. Kitty isn't talking. He's just not himself sometimes.
 
Good thinking about bumping this post with that new info. Mine are back to eating amazing. Little sniffles flare up in a couple of them and started lysine.

I found a solution for the kibble eater - a way to keep the OTJ diabetic out of his food.... I got a four way locking cat door and my husband installed it on the bedroom door. I can put Henry in to eat his kibble and the door only allows him to get out and not in. So I'll be able to control his food intake. He won't be able to get in every time he wants it but he can now get out. I was locking him in the room but my inability to multitask meant I forgot him in there often for hours at a time. Hefner can't get in to get the kibble either. It is working amazing. Henry who isn't the smartest or bravest cat figured how to get out on his own!
 
well, i'll just throw this out there.

tom's inappetence in killing him ... but this is not the point here.

i find (at times) when he won't eat a fresh served dish of either chicken liver or raw rabbit (you can't really do this with canned wet food) i pull out the bag of temptation treats which he usually still works up a purr for. i offer one, then another, then another...then without skipping a beat i put down in the same spot a small chunk of said raw meat. miraculously he forgot he did not want it.
of course, he will only eat the pieces i put down...one at a time (DON'T FREAK THEM OUT BY PUTTING DOWN 2 PIECES) and then at best i can only get him to eat maybe 3 or 4 bites.
still, for us, better than nothing.
 
My Chester hasn't been eating well lately, but right now we're attributing it to the need for a dental (scheduled for next Thursday).
 
Sorry for laughing Lori! Is Tom on Pepcid AC by chance? My dog has a horrible appetite and temptations gets her stomach settled I think or over that first bit of yuck food feeling. Some days she won't touch temptations though and its a struggle to get her to eat. PS... Tom is a cat :lol: I have a friend and she has four cats. One of them I call the plop plop cat. To get her eating when she gets picky she has to plop wet food on the floor - she'll lap it up then. But not on a plate.
 
Hey all

I had a thought, because of whats been happening with Spitzer. Spitzer has been having issues with appetite loss too, and some vomiting and lethargy. The ER vet is wondering if he needs a much lower dose of insulin, so he's taking him off in a monitored setting (looking for evidence of DKA) and will start over very, very low.

Please take really good looks at your spreadsheets. If you are in the blues and greens using very small doses - less than half a unit, maybe you could try stopping the insulin. If you're giving insulin when it isn't really needed, it could be what is making the cat ill. Its just a thought.
 
This might be a silly question but where do you get chicken livers? Any old supermarket or a more old fashioned butcher meat market type place?
 
Most grocery stores will have them, they are usually in some kind of little plastic tub.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang.
 
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