Feeding Question...

[carsoncassidy]

Ok, so Kate's BG is ok... it's not spectacular, but considering everything she's going thru, not horrible.

Just to recap: Dx'ed with Diabetes in early August. Switched to "THE LIST" of FF classics immediately and she's doing better. 2 weeks later, breathing was out of control. Rushed to the vet, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopia (HCM). So now, we manage her BG levels with food and she's getting enalapril shoved down her throat twice a day, plus 1cc of furosemide twice a day. You would think she would avoid medication time, but I found some treats, freeze-dried chicken and shrimp, that she loves. I've noticed lately that she is HUNGRY. She would eat my arm off if I let her. I've been giving her 3 to 4 cans of FF a day as it is. She hasn't gained any weight, but the child is STILL hungry. I asked the vet and she said I should be giving her 6 cans of FF a day!! PLUS DRY FOOD so she can graze. :shock: That's a lot of food! Kate is very petite and is healthy at 8.8 pounds. Her fur is nice and shiny, she purrs all the time, etc... I agree that if she's hungry, let her eat, but this dry food business is not kosher with me. I don't want to over feed her and make her gain weight, thus putting extra strain on her already failing heart. I do the frozen FF and put that out during the day which is demolished by the time I get home...

Her feeding schedule is like this:
5am - one can of FF classics, meds with treats that are 100% meat, and I put out a cube of FF frozen which is about a 3rd of a can.
3pm - one can of FF classic, and a few treats
6pm~ish - half a can of FF classic, meds with treats that are 100% meat
10pm~ish - one can of FF classic

My latest idea is to get a programmed feeder and put the freeze-dried treats in it. I just don't want to put FF in it... if it sits too long it smells rank. Besides the fact, she's eating me out of FF house and home!! I looked up some of the other canned foods that were low in carbs but had bigger cans. Maybe to offset the cost. If I feed her 6 cans a day, which I truly don't think she will eat, I will go thru the value pack at Sam's in 6 days! Good googally moogally!!

Ideas, suggestions, advice?

 

[BJM]

Pop over to Cat Info for info on obesity and proper feeding, including calories per day per ideal weight.

And until the glucose levels are regulated in a good range, she is likely to be hungrier because she doesn't have enough insulin to help her body use the glucose that is available.

I feed my pride roughly 0.5 oz per pound am and pm (or 1 oz per lb per day) of Wellness; that seems to work out fairly well as an estimate. Sometimes they eat a bit more; sometimes a bit less. Since I'm feeding 15 (my 9, his 1, and 5 up for adoption), buying in the 12.5 oz cans is most economical.

 

[Hope + (((Baby)))GA]

Has her thyroid been checked lately?

 

[carsoncassidy]

Has her thyroid been checked lately?

Thanks! Yes, It was checked in August. We did a full blood panel on her. I think that 4 cans plus some treats, the good ones of course, is the magic number. When I got home this afternoon, Kate was of course starving. I gave her two FF cans and she polished it off. Later, around dinner time, I gave her another can... she actually left a few bites in the bowl. Good sign considering she was licking the bowl until even the smell was gone.

Even though her sugar is higher than what is recommended by many on here, Kate is really doing well. She's not too big or too small. Her coat is nice and shiny... when she was first Dx'ed, she had gotten to looking like a scruffy cat and lost 4 pounds. She's 8.8 pounds, which despite her hunger, is up from the last vet visit. The Furosemide is keeping the water off her lungs so she can breathe and her heart meds seem to be helping too. I invested in a stethescope so I could listen to her heart and her lungs to make sure her heart rate wasn't out of control and there wasn't fluid on her lungs.

All in all, I feel good about her health... all things considered. I have a cat first aid book by my bed. I know how to do her CPR and chest compressions if needed. My vet is open 6 days a week and 2 minutes from the house. The ER vet (which I hate, but will use in an emergency) is 24/7 and 5 minutes from the house. Happy kitty = happy me!