Healthy diabetic weight loss?

Status
Not open for further replies.
HappyCat

HappyCat

Member Since 2013
Hi guys. Been awhile since I've hopped over but I'm hoping you guys are as helpful as ever.
Jerry's made his way down to .10 unit. Over in lantus land I posted a general update on Jerry as well as the information that I finally did get him a scale. It was mentioned his weight loss may be a concern, being as how (despite Jerry's progress) I don't have a great handle on this I don't know if it's a bad thing or if it's results from going all pate.
Today is Jerry's 6 months of treatment. His starting weight was 15.3 pounds 8/6/13 and last night he's down to 12 pounds even. As I don't know what happened when I can just average it out, 3.3 pounds in 6 months = .55 pound per month.
I did some research and it said a healthy loss is 1-2% of current weight per week. I did some calculations based on 1% being diabetic. 15.3 pounds is .61 per month, 12 pounds is .48. So even after extensive research I don't know what to think.
Illness takes it's toll. At 15.3 he had a bony spine and hips but was fat elsewhere - at 12 pounds he's no longer bony and overall looks trim, just slightly wide cuz he's a bit short for a male. Part of the concern is overall loss. He was at around 18 pounds and then he did himself in with kitten chow ballooning up to around 20-21 pounds. After ballooning he started to lose and from probably around October-December 2012 to August 2013 he got down to 15.3 and in the past 6 months down to 12 pounds.
It was mentioned he may be at risk of fatty liver (feline hepatic lipidosis) from losing so much so quickly. What does worry me about this is he has been drooling during our testings. Ironically he isn't my only drooly cat I rescued a stray just in time for this ice age and he drools excessively so compared to him I didn't really think twice about it. He's a different can of worms entirely but these ill cats are breaking my heart. At any rate I had noticed Jerry's chin fur feeling kind of weird during scratches (probably dried drool) but have seen moisture on his chin. Sometimes after a test he'll shake his head and gets a couple drops on my arm. I am worried now since that is a symptom of the fatty liver condition. I don't think he's yellow anywhere but being an orange cat he's already got those yellow/orange eyes, I think he's good so far but will still check. Also it's not a constant thing but he does puke sometimes. My husband mentioned finding the surprise yesterday morning. I don't know if some cats are just natural born pukers though. He's been a bit of a puker the whole time I've known him but he may not have been healthy this whole time.
My poor brain and heart over these poor kitties. :sad:
I appreciate and value any input. Thanks guys!
 
That seems like a large weight loss.
Have you noticed any bumps under his chin? That would be what is call acne.
When was the last time Jerry has been at the vet?
The drooling could mean mouth/tooth problems.
 
Yes he does have that acne. :sad: What does that mean? I had thought it was flea mounds but he doesn't have fleas I check him constantly. Man you guys are smart but I'm worried what that connection makes.
He last saw the vet 8/6/13. Checked out then.
I know what you mean about dental issues. The stray I rescued literally drools puddles you'll hold him it'll drop on your arm and run down your arm and then some. He has dental issues written all over him.
Jerry however doesnt drool like him and he has no issue letting me check out his mouth to where the stray I can't hardly look at him with my husband holding him put and he's one of the best natured cats I've ever met. So comparing apples to apples anyway I think it's something else with Jerry.
He's also developed a weird twitch lately. I don't know if it's a stretching thing or something to be concerned over. It's hard to explain. It's like a flicker tail/swing twitch of the hips.
Thank you for your help.
 
Chin acne can be cause by plastic bowls and not cleaning dishes, like water bowl not frequently enough. Treatment is to periodically clean/scrub the area with a antiseptic like povidone-iodine that you can purchase OTC at a drugstore.
 
That's kind of irritating since I've talked to my husband about cleaning it since I do and it takes a village. Is it just plastics then and not ceramics or is it everything? His food bowls get ran through the dishwasher but the water bowl is in fact plastic and not dishwasher safe. You guys are just as helpful as ever cuz yeah I preemptively flea treated him when my mom's dog was here and I thought they were flea mounds but was super confused over never finding fleas. I never would've thought about acne with the fur and everything so A+++ information thank you very much!
 
Hey! While it's terribly, terribly wasteful... I've been feeding Theo on disposable plates while tackling the diabetes. It just.. makes one aspect much quicker and easier. :)
 
Wasteful maybe but we deserve a relaxing shortcut now and again.
It also may be more like having a behaved kitty! Jerry is the funniest eater ever he's such a piglet that he shoves his face in the middle to eat so it all spreads and falls on the floor so he's gotten himself banned from plates! :lol: Throw away bowls would be a fantastic idea for him though, the ceramics have to soak forever.
It also dawned on me I can get him a new water bowl now like a spillproof steel one like the others use. The one causing the trouble was bought for how huge it is when he was super diabetic (yes I'm declaring that a thing) cuz it held the most and still needed multiple refills. Now those days are long gone and the steel I imagine would be less porous and trap less germs.
A+++ helpfulness for you too. :mrgreen:
 
That sounds cute but it must be sooo annoying. Theo used to get the acne too when I let him free feed dry out of plastic bowls - Plastic has tiny nooks and crannies that make nice breeding grounds for bacteria and he has such fussy skin. One of my favourite things about feeding him scheduled meals of wet food is the acne is toootally gone.

He's had opposite weight problems - he was a healthy 15.8 when he went to the vet before his first steroid shot. No one really thought of him as FAT, but he had some extra chub. Three months later when we went in for his second shot (he'd been diabetic most of this time but I didn't know) he weighed in at 13.3 lbs. I was shocked! But no one thought anything of it. I reported the symptoms I'd seen (the drinking, the peeing, the appetite, etc) and they called for blood work but gave him a second steroid shot. By that Monday he was DKA and in so much trouble. He weighed in at 11 lbs when he was hospitalized. :( My vet wants him to be 12 lbs on the wet cat food and I objected saying I can feel his vertebra and bony shoulders and stuff. She said that's how it's supposed to be - you should feel the spine and a little rib when you stroke. He huffed up a bit once we got in on insulin - rehydrated and slowly gaining back muscle tone.
 
It's not funny but I had to laugh when I was doing research earlier. It was talking about what you said ribs should be felt with a tiny pat and bones shouldn't be protruded but should know they're there. The part I couldn't help but laugh out loud over was they said a cat should have a clear waist and they had a photo with an arrow. I've never in my life seen a cat with a waist so we're all doing it wrong! :lol:
I could see how major weight loss fast could be a problem, sorry your kitty had such an ordeal but hopefully he's feeling better - how could he not though being acne free! I kind of wonder if cats are like people to where different sizes have different weight allowances like a 5 foot person should in theory weigh less than a person 5 and a half feet. Jerry lost his weight quick but I'm trying not to be concerned due to his build. Don't tell him I said so but he reminds me more of a girl than a boy cat. He's got the boy face and the stocky build but beyond that he's not very long at all nor is he very tall so ideally he probably shouldn't weigh a ton. If your cat is a big boy I could certainly understand a weight concern and especially with what he's been through. Every cat responds differently thats why its so helpful we're all here. Jerry I think lost and continued to lose so much because I think he was bad enough off that he was losing muscle he was bony and fat at the same time sounds impossible right? Now he's got his energy back and healths improving so he's toned and trimmed. Much more though and we're going to have to have a talk about how he's perfect just the way he is. :mrgreen:
 
I use Pyrex casserole dishes. They're heavy enough not to tip easily, glass, and hold enough water for a household of cats (there are 15 here!)
 
HappyCat said:
I've never in my life seen a cat with a waist so we're all doing it wrong! :lol:
Click to expand...

I had this exact reaction when I was looking at the healthy weight charts after my vet told me she wanted Theo to be 12-13 lbs! They look so skinny! :shock: So I guess I've been making all my cats fat forever. On the plus side my friend who's cat IS fat.. well now I can tease her about her obese kitty. :lol:
 
Yes, overweight pets are an epidemic in the US. It's so easy to overfeed our cats and dogs, especially if you follow the recommended guidelines on the cans or bags of food.

This body condition score chart can help you determine where your cat falls on the spectrum.

I also liked reading Dr. Lisa Pierson's article on Feline Obesity, to know how to have a cat safely lose weight.

I had a really hard time accepting the new skinny Monet when my vet told me he needed to go from 16.5 pounds down to 14 pounds. And then once he got down to 14 pounds, she said he could really stand to lose a couple more pounds and be only 12 pounds! I was astonished, but I did it slowly but surely over a years time to keep him healthy during his weight loss diet.

Portion control was key for Monet and still is. That's why I meal feed. Well besides the fact the 2 civies are Hoovers, Dysons, Shop-vacs.........
 
A casserole dish! So simple yet brilliant! That's definitely worth a try. I've had water bowl issues for awhile. I swear the reason god made kittens so cute so they can be forgiven for all the terrible things they do. :lol:
I have water cats. Heaven forbid if they need a bath but they're all about playing with it on their own.In the sink and their water, pawing at it dumping it knocking toys in it you name it. I think it's a younger cat thing Jerry sure doesn't do it but the young ins are passionate about it and even find a way to spill from a spill proof. These are the same cats that must have 100 toys and a kitty kastle (cat tree) but always take off with my wooden and plastic cooking spoons cuz you know why wouldn't they. Awesome suggestion maybe I can finally outsmart them.
That was a great link for the body types. Jerry is maybe a moderate, he's not obese anymore that I recognized clear as day. I hadn't found that in my research so I'm definitely going to bookmark that.
It is easy for them to get large from kibble feeding instructions. It's pretty disappointing how much I used to spend on kibble for what it does to them.
I definitely look at fat cats differently now and tell their owners to trim them up to avoid diabetes. I didn't curse anyone but my friends HUGE cat after I suggested so got hospitalized for stones. I guess like diabetes stones are a boy cat issue too, not exclusively just more prone. Has me that much more motivated to have Jerry at a healthy weight. I'm just hoping he's going to be okay I read boys should be in a 12-14 pound range and at 12 pounds he's right there.
Great information as always. :mrgreen:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top