Feeding Schedule for Newly Diagnosed Cat

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catchic7

New Member
Hello. Is it OK to feed small meals to my newly diagnosed cat throughout the day? He gets breakfast and dinner and I've cut out the dry food completely. But he's so hungry between his meals. Can I do lunch and a small meal before bed?

Thanks. I'm so nervous he's going to get low blood sugar because I'm not giving him enough food throughout the day.
 
Yes! Feed your diabetic small meals throughout the day :) It'll keep his tummy happy and help keep blood glucose levels stable. Just be sure to give low carb food for the meals.

The number of meals to feed depends on your cat. Most people seem to feed 2 or 3 snacks after breakfast and another 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Plus a snack or two or three after dinner and for midnight snacking. A programmable timed feeder works great to give a cat meals.

I see that this is your first post. Can you tell us more about your cat, what insulin and dose your cat is on, if you test blood glucose levels at home etc. ?
 
Thank you for replying. My cat is 9 and he was just diagnosed Saturday. He had a lot of sugar in his urine and his blood sugar was 520. The insulin is ProZinc. He is on two units twice a day to start. my vet said to feed him only twice a day but he is starving. He's also on a special kidney diet because he has kidney stones..

I ordered a blood glucose test kit and that should be here today. I'm so concerned about not feeding him when he's hungry because I don't want his sugar levels to crash. I'm finding conflicting information on the internet and don't know what the best thing is.
 
You can safely ignore the vet about feeding only twice a day. Newly diagnosed diabetic cats are literally starving so it's best to feed them as much as they can, breaking the food up into small meals.

The kidney diet might be too high carb for the diabetes but I don't know if there might be an alternative food. @Wendy&Neko @Sienne and Gabby (GA)

@Suzanne & Darcy can give you more info on using ProZinc.

What testing kit did you get? A Human blood glucose test kit works just fine for cats and is way less expensive than a pet one.

FDMB is the best place to get help for a diabetic cat :) Yes, there are other forums and such out there like on FB and Reddit but FDMB has been around since 1996, long before any of the other forums and groups existed. FDMB has helped many diabetic cats over the years.
 
What food is he eating? He needs to drink lots of water to help him, so I'm glad you got rid of the dry food. I'm not sure what's the best food to help prevent kidney stones. If this was a chronic kidney disease (CKD) issue, then there is a list of low carb foods that are good for both kidneys and diabetes. CKD food Chart, look for the diabetic one.

And seconding the suggestion to feed several small meals. Human diabetics do the same.
 
OK that makes me feel better that I don't have to make him suffer. He's so hungry. I have water bowls all over the house. That's what sent me to the vet is that his thirst was out of control. I will feed him several small meals a day and no dry food. I do have to find something that is lower in carbs without doing any harm to his kidneys so I will take a look at that list.

I got the alphatrak system. Do you suggest getting a sample from his ear? I'm nervous about it. Does it hurt them?

Finally, is it OK if I feed his breakfast at 6 and then dinner at 5:30? My vet said 12 hours but is it a big deal to be off by 1/2 hour?

Thanks so much for all your help!
 
catchic7 said:
OK that makes me feel better that I don't have to make him suffer. He's so hungry. I have water bowls all over the house. That's what sent me to the vet is that his thirst was out of control. I will feed him several small meals a day and no dry food. I do have to find something that is lower in carbs without doing any harm to his kidneys so I will take a look at that list.

I got the alphatrak system. Do you suggest getting a sample from his ear? I'm nervous about it. Does it hurt them?

Finally, is it OK if I feed his breakfast at 6 and then dinner at 5:30? My vet said 12 hours but is it a big deal to be off by 1/2 hour?

Thanks so much for all your help!
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Try feeding him a small snack at two hours after his shot and again at four hours after. If he needs more then you can give a small amount at six hours after. It’s better to not feed later in the cycle if you can help it (except testing treats.) A snack would be a teaspoon or two of low carb wet food. If he’s ravenous due to his BG being high then you may have to feed more until he gets better regulated — especially of he is underweight. You can actually split up the amount you want him to eat (every 12 hours) into smaller portions and give that much — trying not to give much after his nadir (lowest point in the cycle.)
 
Testing tips: Hometesting Links and Tips

Most people use the ear since it's easiest to access. The lancet doesn't hurt a cat. Some cat may need lots of low carb treats and patience to more or less hold still for testing.

AlphaTrak is fine but the test strips are expensive and aren't sold in stores. Most people use a Human blood glucose meter. The Relion brand sold at WalMart is inexpensive and affordable for many.
 
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