Feeding schedule?

[Mimis mom]

What kind of feeding schedule does everyone have their kitty on?

I‘ve always done every 2-3 hours round the clock but am trying one suggested to me that is feeding the bulk of the food before mid cycle and giving a tiny snack until the next shot. (Well the snack part was suggested because I worry she’ll throw up if her tummy gets too empty- I’ve seen her do that)

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Hi Rosa I feed Tyler his bigger meal in the am and pm. Through the day I might feed him 2-3 small meals about 1 tablespoon of FF Classic Pate. Never feed 2 hours before the pre shots. Every cat is different depending on the insulin

 

[Camcat]

I struggle a bit with this. Cam has her bigger meals before her shots, with a little snack about +2s to slow the drops. She's usually ravenous and begging by the +8 (even though bg is fine and not falling) so I need to give her something. Looking into high protein treats today as I don't want to over-feed her (she's already a little curvy).

I know that smaller, more frequent meals are supposed to be easier on the pancreas. I'm looking into an automatic feeder and might try ever 6 hours.

 

[Deb & Wink]

Feeding schedule can be dependent on the insulin. And on how your cat reacts, how their appetite is, fluid therapy for CKD, and lots of other factors. What works for 1 cat or 1 type of insulin will not work for all cats. Some experimenting on your part sounds like a good idea.

In general, with any insulin feeding after the nadir usually makes the BG's go up. So that feeding at +9 may be causing the higher numbers at PM pre-shot

For instance with NPH insulins, which drop hard and fast, you want to test, feed, wait an hour for the food to start to be digested, test again to see if BG is rising, shoot insulin.
With Vetsulin/Caninsulin and even Prozinc I think, you want to test, feed, wait half an hour for the food to start to be digested and counteract the onset of the insulin.

The waiting after feeding to give these insulins is to slow down the rapid, hard drops and to lower risk of hypo and bouncing.

With Lantus and Levimir, most cats do not have that large, fast drop so test, feed, shoot in a short period usually works.

Me civie gets fed 4 times a day, bigger meal in AM and then a small snack when I remember in the morning. Same thing in the evening. I did this to stop her from throwing up all her food in the morning. She was a former feral colony cat and would gobble down all her food at one go and then frequently vomit it back up (on the rug of course).

Having said all that, ECID and Know Your Own Cat are good watchwords.

p.s. Could you fill in the top sections of your 2020 SS with the dx date, dosing method, insulin used, meter used there at the top. Didn't transfer over from your 2019 SS.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Rosa, why are you swapping from a feeding schedule if it’s working?

Mimi needs a meal before every shot and it’s true that it’s better to feed most of the food in the first half of the cycle when the insulin is strongest.
If you think Mimi needs something in her tummy in the second half of the cycle, that is fine too. Just keep it away from the last few hours before the next shot so you don’t shorten the duration the insulin.

Im glad to see you are still testing for ketones you are a good mama bean.