How long should I wait after feeding before giving insulin?

[Cat Ma]

I am trying to figure out how much time prior to giving insulin I should feed my cat.
The vet said 10 to 15 minutes; others say 30 minutes to an hour.
What works for your cat?

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Most people here test, feed, and shoot insulin all within 15 minutes. Several will give insulin while the cat has his head in the bowl.

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

When giving insulin, it's important to know that the cat is actually eating normally and will have food 'on board' for when the insulin starts working. So, you can feed prior to the shot, or (if you're confident your cat is eating normally) you can give the shot while the cat is eating.

What you don't want to happen is that you give the shot and then find out that the kitty doesn't want to eat.

There are instances in which folks might wait a while after feeding before giving insulin. For example:
Some folks whose kitties have sensitive GI issues may wait a while after feeding to ensure their kitty isn't going to regurgitate the food.
And I've known some folks using faster acting insulins to feed first and then wait a short while to ensure that the food is getting into the system before they give the insulin shot.

In a nutshell though, the sequence is:
1. Test - to check the blood glucose is high enough to warrant that insulin dose.
2. Feed - to ensure the kitty will have food on board when the insulin kicks in.
3. Shoot - give insulin.
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