How help weight gain?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Tiger and the squid

Tiger and the squid

Member Since 2018
I see a lot of folks talking about how to keep their cats weight down, or maintain a healthy weight but Tiger has lost a lot weight in the past few months. His appetite is fairly good, but I can feel his ribs and spine and his hips have started popping out near the base of the tail. I read that this is a sign of muscle loss

How can I help Tiger while maintaining his diabetes treatment?
 
I was told by someone on here to mix egg white powder in the wet food. Up to 1/2 teaspoon a day I believe.

I've been using it for a month but unfortunately haven't really seen any results, but then again my cat has Cushing's so that is probably why.
 
his numbers are really high so putting weight back on isn't going to be easy, if even possible until they are at least under 300 i think..

it's frowned upon but, i personally left out low carb dry foods to put all the weight back on tux (gained back 5.4lbs since), fancy feast pates alone, even though i was feeding it to him every 2-3hrs, was just not doing it.. however, not so sure i would of done so at first had Tux's BG been so high like your tiger's. the dry food even if low carb can still keep BG elevated 40-50 points (less or more depending on cat) on average regularly. if you decide to feed him dry to quickly put needed weight back on, you will need to up his insulin as well (which looks like he really needs done anyways).. My other cat that lost loads of weight from ibd issues put weight back on with homemade cooked turkey and pumpkin food with salmon oil added.. The salmon oil if cat likes can add 40-45 calories per tsp, so thats a good way to safely add 40-45 cal to calorie intake per day.
 
Add a can to the daily feedings and make sure there is always food out the cat likes and will eat. Also add freeze dried meat treats. I give Pure Bites, although the cat doesn't like them as well as Orijen (I stopped feeding due to concerns about heavy metal and BPA contamination).
 
Sylvie said:
his numbers are really high so putting weight back on isn't going to be easy, if even possible until they are at least under 300 i think..

it's frowned upon but, i personally left out low carb dry foods to put all the weight back on tux (gained back 5.4lbs since), fancy feast pates alone, even though i was feeding it to him every 2-3hrs, was just not doing it.. however, not so sure i would of done so at first had Tux's BG been so high like your tiger's. the dry food even if low carb can still keep BG elevated 40-50 points (less or more depending on cat) on average regularly. if you decide to feed him dry to quickly put needed weight back on, you will need to up his insulin as well (which looks like he really needs done anyways).. My other cat that lost loads of weight from ibd issues put weight back on with homemade cooked turkey and pumpkin food with salmon oil added.. The salmon oil if cat likes can add 40-45 calories per tsp, so thats a good way to safely add 40-45 cal to calorie intake per day.
Click to expand...
I will definitely try the salmon oil! I'll check Amazon and chewy, maybe stop at Walmart after work tomorrow. I wonder if it would have the same effect to use fish oil as I know Walmart Carrie's those in pills. I could pop a gel cap.

I keep meaning to email the couple of companies that have the lower carb dry food, that give out samples. Tiger enjoys wet food but I do wonder if adding some dry back in to his diet would help.

We're still trying to figure out the best dose of insulin for him - the boy really likes to bounce on his pogo stick.
HereKittyKittyKitty said:
Add a can to the daily feedings and make sure there is always food out the cat likes and will eat. Also add freeze dried meat treats. I give Pure Bites, although the cat doesn't like them as well as Orijen (I stopped feeding due to concerns about heavy metal and BPA contamination).
Click to expand...
When I give a can and a half, he doesnt usually eat it all. I work all day so I cant even try to break it up in to more but smaller meals - he just grazes when he wants to, with fresh food supplied every twelve hours.
 
not sure about the regular fish oils at stores, i stick with the 'alaskan' salmon ones for i think i read back in the day it was safer for cats or something like that.
usually i use the 'only natural pet' wild alaskan salmon oil but, i didn't like how fast our last bottle went bad so i switched to VetPro complete pure wild salmon oil that i got on amazon. smells better to me.
 
Squid said:
I see a lot of folks talking about how to keep their cats weight down, or maintain a healthy weight but Tiger has lost a lot weight in the past few months. His appetite is fairly good, but I can feel his ribs and spine and his hips have started popping out near the base of the tail. I read that this is a sign of muscle loss

How can I help Tiger while maintaining his diabetes treatment?
Click to expand...
Two things helped me the most - and my cat has gained nearly all her weight back. She is not overly big.

I now feed high quality low carb non-prescription wet food so that she is getting all really good calories - no empty or useless calories. I feed Nature's Logic - there are other really good ones. It's expensive but about the price of prescription food - only so much better for her.

Also I changed to a free feeding schedule and leave food out all the time except for 2 hours prior to AM test/feed/shoot and 2 hours prior to PM test/feed/shoot. Eating throughout the day helped to avoid the worst of the BG spikes that happen with 2x 12 hour feeding.

After several very bad experiences with limiting her food and putting her on a twice daily feeding scheduling with 12 hours in between, these things helped me and helped Pretty Girl immensely. She's no longer scary thin and is sooooo much happier.

This probably isn't the solution for everyone but it was for us.
 
Sylvie said:
not sure about the regular fish oils at stores, i stick with the 'alaskan' salmon ones for i think i read back in the day it was safer for cats or something like that.
usually i use the 'only natural pet' wild alaskan salmon oil but, i didn't like how fast our last bottle went bad so i switched to VetPro complete pure wild salmon oil that i got on amazon. smells better to me.
Click to expand...
I picked this up from Walmart last night. Hopefully it won't go bad, and Tiger likes it. I'm starting with just half a pump in his food, since a) the package says 1 pump (about 1/2 tsp) for 14 lb dogs and Tiger's between 7 lb and 8 lb and b) it also says start slow in case it upsets their tummy.
 
that should be good, dog or cat, all the same in the end if there is no added ingredients. should stay good for awhile too since it has a pump and air can't get into it to spoil oil.
my version says 1 pump (1/2tsp) for up to 20lbs for both cats & dogs. personally i give 1/2 tsp per day to most of my adult cats (with no fish allergies) no matter what size with no issues and twice a day to my IBD cat and old man.
 
Tiger and the squid said:
When I give a can and a half, he doesnt usually eat it all. I work all day so I cant even try to break it up in to more but smaller meals - he just grazes when he wants to, with fresh food supplied every twelve hours.
Click to expand...

Mine usually doesn't eat everything from every can, but he eats more just by having it available to graze on. If he's more active on a given day, he will eat more from the cans (unless he get a mouse/mice :D I also give multiple flavors every day so he doesn't get tired of one thing and stop eating or only pick at it. I line up the cans by flavor and just repeat the sequence so it's easy to not give him the same two days in a row. I can tell which ones are his favorites by how much he generally eats of the various flavors, so I've arranged the flavors to make sure he gets one of those every day. I also try not to give him all chicken or liver or beef flavors in one day, either. I don't feed fish...

Good luck!
 
FEED - FEED, FEED, FEED. If your baby is hungry, feed. All the food they want - save the left overs. If you can, every 2 hours offer it to them - add more feed to it when it's chow time. Remember, unless they're regulated their bodies can't use the food efficiently due to insulin irregularity. That can make gaining weight hard, but it's not impossible - you need to FEED. I'm home all day so this is easy for me per say, but use an auto-feeder if you can't be there and if you can, be a part of it.

It took me a month to get 2 cats off horrible dry, past bowel issues due to it, then on to eating regular, etc. I STILL need tricks and help sometimes - it happens! My own tricks aren't always enough - just keep TRYING. xx
 
Thanks so much for your advice she eats well and often but not sure her diabetes is controlled as i have not seen my vet since August as she was insinuating it was time to let her go and i dont want to she was not walking then but has improved a lot since then.
I am wondering if i should use a more expensive insulin or ask about it
What is the difference between vetsulin and lantus do you know?
 
Stella and Ciara said:
Thanks so much for your advice she eats well and often but not sure her diabetes is controlled as i have not seen my vet since August as she was insinuating it was time to let her go and i dont want to she was not walking then but has improved a lot since then.
I am wondering if i should use a more expensive insulin or ask about it
What is the difference between vetsulin and lantus do you know?
Click to expand...
My first vet wanted me to put Tiger to sleep when we got the diagnosis in July.

From what I have gathered (I am by no means an expert) vetsulin is better for dogs. Cats metabolism is a little higher so it wears off faster. Lantus helps, as it is a slower acting insulin. It kind of hangs out in the system better.

If you do opt for lantus DEFINITELY order from that Canadian site, or see if anyone is selling here. It is MUCH cheaper. I'm on my phone or I'd find you the link to the Canadian pharmacy.
 
Thank you so very much
Can i get the website on here anywhere and do i have to get a prescription from my vet for lantus ?
Will try more testing first
Thanks
 
Gosh your puss was only diagnosed in July after my Ciara she was April 2018
Vets are so mean they think if a cat is old they should die
Ciara is only 15

Tiger and the squid said:
My first vet wanted me to put Tiger to sleep when we got the diagnosis in July.

From what I have gathered (I am by no means an expert) vetsulin is better for dogs. Cats metabolism is a little higher so it wears off faster. Lantus helps, as it is a slower acting insulin. It kind of hangs out in the system better.

If you do opt for lantus DEFINITELY order from that Canadian site, or see if anyone is selling here. It is MUCH cheaper. I'm on my phone or I'd find you the link to the Canadian pharmacy.
Click to expand...
dh
 
Candy&Company said:
FEED - FEED, FEED, FEED. If your baby is hungry, feed. All the food they want - save the left overs. If you can, every 2 hours offer it to them - add more feed to it when it's chow time. Remember, unless they're regulated their bodies can't use the food efficiently due to insulin irregularity. That can make gaining weight hard, but it's not impossible - you need to FEED. I'm home all day so this is easy for me per say, but use an auto-feeder if you can't be there and if you can, be a part of it.

It took me a month to get 2 cats off horrible dry, past bowel issues due to it, then on to eating regular, etc. I STILL need tricks and help sometimes - it happens! My own tricks aren't always enough - just keep TRYING. xx
Click to expand...
This info helped me-thank you new as of late last week
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top