Food questions

[CheeseheadNicole]

Hi all,

After Lily's scary low BG weekend, her numbers have been creeping up and up and up. Vet increased her insulin dose to 3 units. She's currently getting half dry m/d and half canned Friskies pate, twice a day. My plan was to transition her gradually over to all canned LC food.

1) Given the low BG, the new heart meds, and the crazy numbers, any thoughts on holding steady with the food ratios as is versus continuing the gradual switch over to all low carb canned?
2) Excuse my ignorance, but how long is it "safe" to leave the canned food out? What do you do for grazers that like to eat several smaller meals?
3) Can a switch from high carb dry food to a low carb wet diet result in weight loss? Just curious. Lily has lost some weight which is likely due to many factors, but wondering if the food was a contributing factor.

Thanks!

-Nicole

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

Am I understanding your post correctly? The vet increased the insulin after low BG readings????

Yes, removing the dry food will significantly lower the BG readings. Dry food is high in carbs. However, do not remove the dry food unless you also decrease the insulin. Otherwise, Lily may become hypoglycemic, especially since you have already experienced low BG readings.

Right now, she is losing weight because her body cannot process food properly. Once you get the diabetes managed, she will probably start gaining weight again.

My suggestion is to start over. Remove the dry food and feed her canned food. You can leave it out all day if she is a grazer. I usually feed 1/2 can of Friskies per meal, but if she is still hungry, go ahead and give her extra food. Eventually she should start needing less food. Several of my cats are grazers and their food bowls stay out all day without any problems.

Lower the dose back to 1 unit. Like I said, removing the dry food will significantly lower the BG levels. Wait at least one week before you decide to increase the dose if needed. If you need to increase, only raise it by .25 - .5 unit. Wait at least another week before adjusting again. It takes that long for a cat's body to adjust to the new dose and then you can tell how well it is working. At the end of each week's waiting period, do a curve to see how well the dose is working.