bubbles wont eat enough

[allison and Bubbles]

first off thx for yur patience guys and forgive my lack of typing skills (i hav to shortform words as i type really slowly)...I had a little trouble just learning how to use this site...I have had awesome folks reply to my concerns...my cat bubbles should have been started insulin upon her first of now four seperate visits to three different vets as her bg is very high...I knew nothing of the dangers of ketoacidosis until today as none of the vets told me about it...unbelievable i know...so she starts insulin curve tuesday morning asap (soonest i can get her in)...I havent heard anyone on here talk about how much food bubble requires just prior to her shot other than vets saying different amounts...can someone tell me the minimum she must eat before her shot ? she is 17 and i can only get her to eat maximum of two tbsps at a time...has anyone experienced this?i am very reluctant to try to start forcefeeding her as she hates being held and she is very feisty and will hate it...what do folks do with a kitty with little to no appetite...?is forcefeeding even fair to my kitty?

 

[allison and Bubbles]

also how do i create a spreadsheet ?

 

[Squalliesmom]

Here is the link to instructions for setting up your spreadsheet. If you need help with it just post and someone will lend you a hand. You will need a Google account, if you don't already have one.

Lots of older cats have diminished appetites, for many reasons. Has Bubbles had her teeth checked to make sure she has no dental issues? As long as her teeth are okay and she has no other health problems that would affect her eating, you could put her on an appetite stimulant. There are two that are most commonly used, Mirtazapine and Cyproheptadine. I personally would recommend the Cyproheptadine over the Mirtz, it has less side effects to be concerned about. My cat is 19 1/2 and has been on Cypro for over a year now, and he does very well on it. I also have a young cat who is on it and does well with it, too. Talk to your vet and see if they think an appy stimulant is a good idea for Bubbles.

Are you home testing Bubbles' blood glucose? There is really no need to get pricey curves done at the vet's. You can do them at home and save yourself a few $$, and you'll also get better results. Most kitties' stress from going to the vet causes a significant rise in BG, sometimes as much as 200 points! This can be a real issue when deciding on an appropriate insulin dose! Home testing is not difficult and does not hurt you kitty, as some vets seem to believe it does. There are some expensive, pet-specific meters for sale but they, and more importantly, the test strips they use, are expensive, and usually only available online. A lot of us use human meters, the Relion meters from Walmart are very popular. They are affordable, reliable, and the strips are much more affordable (trust me, you will use a lot of these!). The human meters measure BG differently than the pet meters, and you cannot compare the numbers; our spreadsheet and most information here are geared toward human meters. Here is a great video made by one of our members on how to test your cat's BG.

Hope this all helps you. Keep asking questions, it's the best way to learn!

 

[allison and Bubbles]

Here is the link to instructions for setting up your spreadsheet. If you need help with it just post and someone will lend you a hand. You will need a Google account, if you don't already have one.

Lots of older cats have diminished appetites, for many reasons. Has Bubbles had her teeth checked to make sure she has no dental issues? As long as her teeth are okay and she has no other health problems that would affect her eating, you could put her on an appetite stimulant. There are two that are most commonly used, Mirtazapine and Cyproheptadine. I personally would recommend the Cyproheptadine over the Mirtz, it has less side effects to be concerned about. My cat is 19 1/2 and has been on Cypro for over a year now, and he does very well on it. I also have a young cat who is on it and does well with it, too. Talk to your vet and see if they think an appy stimulant is a good idea for Bubbles.

Are you home testing Bubbles' blood glucose? There is really no need to get pricey curves done at the vet's. You can do them at home and save yourself a few $$, and you'll also get better results. Most kitties' stress from going to the vet causes a significant rise in BG, sometimes as much as 200 points! This can be a real issue when deciding on an appropriate insulin dose! Home testing is not difficult and does not hurt you kitty, as some vets seem to believe it does. There are some expensive, pet-specific meters for sale but they, and more importantly, the test strips they use, are expensive, and usually only available online. A lot of us use human meters, the Relion meters from Walmart are very popular. They are affordable, reliable, and the strips are much more affordable (trust me, you will use a lot of these!). The human meters measure BG differently than the pet meters, and you cannot compare the numbers; our spreadsheet and most information here are geared toward human meters. Here is a great video made by one of our members on how to test your cat's BG.

Hope this all helps you. Keep asking questions, it's the best way to learn!

thank you so much..us new folks absorb every ounce of info from you mind ppl...hopefully one day i can pass along the same type info to a newcomer myself...I will try the Walmart Relion and keto strips...thank you for your time! hugs from Bubbles!

 

[Squalliesmom]

thank you so much..us new folks absorb every ounce of info from you mind ppl...hopefully one day i can pass along the same type info to a newcomer myself...I will try the Walmart Relion and keto strips...thank you for your time! hugs from Bubbles!

Lol, thanks! You'll be an old pro in no time at all, you'll see! Bubbles is adorable. I had a cat named Bubbles, years ago. She was a very special girl.