Gaining weight on insulin

[Emilyplusfourcats]

My cat hossy was diagnosed with diabetes almost a year ago after we noticed some weight loss in him. He was 22 lbs and when getting weighed at the vet he was about 15 lb and had lost the 7 lbs over the course of just a few months.

he was put on Vetsulin and we changed his food regimen to Hills Science Gluco Support kibble and we vary his canned food regimen (tiki cat, fancy feast naturals) between low carb canned foods. He was doing better initially and gained about a pound back but I was suspicious of the effectiveness of Vetsulin and eventually it seemed to have stopped working and his fructosamine was higher than ever before he was put on Lantus. He’s been on Lantus for a month or two now and we are waiting on results of his blood work, but he has gained 2 lbs since his last checkup and is now 18 lbs. Can anyone explain the cause of this weight gain? Symptom wise, he is doing much much better and acting like his normal self again. He’s social and happy, he eats and drinks and pees normally, he is active and plays like a kitten. But I am having trouble understanding the weight gain. He is a very large cat and looked almost malnourished at 15 lbs but I would just like to understand what’s happening metabolically and if the weight gain should be concerning

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

My cat hossy was diagnosed with diabetes almost a year ago after we noticed some weight loss in him. He was 22 lbs and when getting weighed at the vet he was about 15 lb and had lost the 7 lbs over the course of just a few months.

he was put on Vetsulin and we changed his food regimen to Hills Science Gluco Support kibble and we vary his canned food regimen (tiki cat, fancy feast naturals) between low carb canned foods. He was doing better initially and gained about a pound back but I was suspicious of the effectiveness of Vetsulin and eventually it seemed to have stopped working and his fructosamine was higher than ever before he was put on Lantus. He’s been on Lantus for a month or two now and we are waiting on results of his blood work, but he has gained 2 lbs since his last checkup and is now 18 lbs. Can anyone explain the cause of this weight gain? Symptom wise, he is doing much much better and acting like his normal self again. He’s social and happy, he eats and drinks and pees normally, he is active and plays like a kitten. But I am having trouble understanding the weight gain. He is a very large cat and looked almost malnourished at 15 lbs but I would just like to understand what’s happening metabolically and if the weight gain should be concerning

@Suzanne & Darcy
@Wendy&Neko
@tiffmaxee

 

[tiffmaxee]

Welcome to LLB. The gluco dry food is very high in carbs. No reason to feed it. Does he like the canned foods? I’d start eliminating the dry gradually. Has the vet said what his weight should be? Are you testing his glucose at home? If so do you have the results for the last couple of weeks? It’s important to test before every shot and get some mid cycle ones to see how his dose is working for him. How much is he getting?

 

[Wendy&Neko]

What is his insulin dose? How many calories is he getting a day. There are also some secondary conditions that can cause weight gain, but I'd need more information about him. Also, if he's at a good dose, he's now properly able to utilize his food.