? Food intake and insulin dose

[Bibi and Kira]

Bibi has put weight back on since her initial weight loss right before her diagnosis, and we really need to help her lose the weight (she's nearly 14lbs, and should ideally be between 11 and 12lbs). I think we were overfeeding her - based on the vet's feeding recommendations upon diagnosis - but she clearly doesn't need that much food as we were constantly having to prod her to finish her meals. So we'll be going from 1 LC can (plus few LC treats) to 3/4 LC can (plus few LC treats) per day, split into 3 small meals of 1/4 each. She is 15, arthritic, not physically active, so burns very few calories in a day. Does a reduction in caloric intake also generally call for a reduction in insulin? Or, should dose reduction be solely dependent on BG numbers and have nothing to do with caloric intake? Thanks.

 

[Bama Kitty Mom (GA)]

BG numbers rule rather than caloric intake but she does need to have food in her to give the insulin something to work with. If she should stop eating or eat a good bit less than what she normally eats due to illness or just plain "kittieness", you may need to reduce a dose to avoid a hypo incident. Getting both am and pm preshot tests along with mid cycle tests will help you learn how insulin is affecting her and put you in position to make adjustments as needed.