Hypos in OTJ Cat

[Becky56]

Hi, I haven't been around lately- and that is good because it means my guys have been doing well!

I had a little something happen that has concerned me, and I'm wondering if I handled it correctly or need to do something differently. Bobbie has been OTJ for about a year and a half. I test her every few months and she always has normal (under 100) readings. The last few days she has been "off" . Hard to explain but to me she just seemed a bit off and hasn't been eating. But she didn't seem "off" enough to go to the vet. I decided this morning to check her sugar before she ate and it was 29!! :shock:

I fixed her breakfast which is half a can of Friskies Pate and added some dry Friskies to it. She gobbled it all up and has seemed her normal self all day. I checked her again about lunch time she was 87.

So I'm wondering if these times she seems off and doesn't want to eat if she could be having low sugar episodes? I plan to test her several times a day in the coming days to make sure she's stable.

Is it normal for an OTJ cat to have low sugar episodes? Can that be a symptom of something else going on? Was it okay to give her the dry food when she was so low?

TIA!

 

[KPassa]

NO! This is not normal. Since she is not on insulin, this is considered "non-diabetic hypoglycemia" and is usually a sign that something else is wrong. I would take Bobbie to the vet to get her checked out.

And yes, you did fine. Hypoglycemia is hypoglycemia, regardless of the cause. Since you needed to get her numbers up some way, it's better than nothing (even if it was dry food that did it).

 

[Becky56]

Thanks for the link. She was originally diagnosed with diabetes when she was diagnosed with Pancreatitis a couple of years ago. The only symptoms she showed then were lethargy and no appetite and weight loss. She never did vomit. And the last week or so she has been having spells of lethargy and poor appetite mixed with being normal. Again, no vomiting. That is something she has rarely ever done- not even to bring up a hairball.

I'm wondering if pancreatitis can can cause low sugar? When she had that episode, she was in the hospital several days and her liver as well as pancreas enzymes were off, but returned to normal. Her sugar was in the 300s. She has not had a real good appetite since she had to go on canned only food. She loves her dry and never did regain the weight she lost when she had pancreatitis.

 

[Wendy&Tiggy(GA)]

Some cats like to sit lower than others. 29 could also be the meter given they vary as much as 20%. So it might be nothing but I would still take her to the vet for some bloodwork.

 

[Becky56]

I was wondering about the meter being off some. I think I will feel better taking her to the vet to have some labs done . She's still acting better today, but now I'm worried.

 

[lesleymweick]

Could be a combo of meter variance and not eating. Humans can get hypoglycemic if they haven't eaten (however if they are sick eg infection, this can drive the BG up). I echo everyine else take your cat to the vet for a check up

 

[Becky56]

Sorry I haven't been back to update. Bobbie is doing well. Her sugars have been good. She has been a picky eater ever since her diagnosis several years ago. Bottom line is, she does not care for canned food and prefers her Friskies dry which of course she can no longer have. She will hide sometimes when its time to head to the bathroom and have her canned food. After the dry food is put down for the civvies, she will then slip out from her hiding place and sneak out to the laundry room, where she is apprehended and taken to the bathroom to eat her canned food. :roll: poor baby.



So I'm pretty certain her low was because she hadn't eaten and maybe my meter is a little off. I bought her some Fancy feast. And have been giving her that and feeding her several small meals throughout the day. She's been grazing and at the end of the day, her total is about 1 1/2 Friskies sized cans between the Fancy Feast and friskies pate throughout the day. Thats how much her OTJ brother consumes each day too, but I have no trouble getting him to eat!
geesh, I never catered to my kids when they were picky eaters...but the cat!!

Just going to keep an eye on her....as long as she's eating this much and acting herself, I'll keep on feeding her this way...She comes to me and gets in my lap and lets me know she's hungry. And she plays, and hangs out and is a general pest when I'm working from home...It's when she hides under the bed and won't come out,nor eat either that I worry.