So this might good or bad - just don't know. My 11 year old ( 6 year diabetic) had a hypoglycemic event. A fairly bad one. She has recovered and we have lowered her insulin from 3 units 2x a day to 1 unit 2x a day. We thought she may have popped out of diabeties but her sugar level was still over 300 without insulin. However she had lost weight over the year ( a good two pounds). We ran blood work and everything looked fine except her potassium was low she is on medicine for that. Her weight loss in a way is good (as she was quite large 17 pounds as one point) but it wasnt' due to lack of eating. So since her event she has become very picky about what she will eat for wet food. One day she likes something, the next she doesn't. She is eating her DM dry (and in good amounts). But she keeps looking for her wet food but no matter what I put down (fancy feast, Evo, Newman and a host of others, she might take a few nibbles and then just walks away.) But every time I go into the kitchen she is there looking for food. Am I just being neurotic? Any suggestions?
loss of apetite
- Thread starter cindy t
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Sue and Oliver (GA)
Member Since 2009
New diabetics are often very hungry. Their bodies can't utilize the food well. We generally say to feed them more than normal until their numbers stabilize. Things that might help her eat wet food include warming it until nice and stinky, putting FortiFlora or dried kitty treats or Parmesan cheese on top. You are not being neurotic. It is very important she eat.
With a hypo and a partial food change, you are in dangerous territory. Are you testing at home? Do you have some recent numbers we could look at? What insulin are you using?
The DM dry is high carb so it may be keeping her numbers higher. Was she on DM dry when you did your insulin free time?
I know I have lots of questions but it will help us give you better ideas about what to do. I would think going off insulin with an all wet low carb diet might be an option (if that isn't what you tried) while monitoring carefully for glucose levels and ketones. It could be that the DM is what is keeping her levels high. But she must be eating the wet food first. Sometimes kitties coming off a hypo have lower levels than previously too.
Please give us some more info.
With a hypo and a partial food change, you are in dangerous territory. Are you testing at home? Do you have some recent numbers we could look at? What insulin are you using?
The DM dry is high carb so it may be keeping her numbers higher. Was she on DM dry when you did your insulin free time?
I know I have lots of questions but it will help us give you better ideas about what to do. I would think going off insulin with an all wet low carb diet might be an option (if that isn't what you tried) while monitoring carefully for glucose levels and ketones. It could be that the DM is what is keeping her levels high. But she must be eating the wet food first. Sometimes kitties coming off a hypo have lower levels than previously too.
Please give us some more info.
She has been on dry DM since she was first diagnosed 6 years ago. Her Vet recommended it. She is very difficult to test at home - I could have gotten many test on myself (cat catch anyone??) Anyway the tests we have done she had been anyway from 150 - 220 and no lower than 100. the dry food she eats is the ones recommended on this site from fancy feast but I have tried EVO as well - high protein, low carb etc.
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Member Since 2009
Purina DM is 13% carbs. We try to feed foods under 8%. So changing should bring down the numbers. Read this website by a vet to learn why dry food is just not a good diet for a carnivore: www.catinfo.org
BUT you wouldn't want to change over completely to wet unless you can get a test in before every shot and often midcycle to see how low she is going. I think I'd consider trying to feed her completely Fancy Feast pates and stop the insulin for a while, testing for ketones also, IF she is eating well. Then if she runs in the low 100s, you would be looking at possible remission. (We consider a cat to be in remission if they run between 40-120, off insulin, with the majority of the time in double digits, for 2 weeks)
How is she eating today? Would she eat Fancy Feast only if you took away the dry?
BUT you wouldn't want to change over completely to wet unless you can get a test in before every shot and often midcycle to see how low she is going. I think I'd consider trying to feed her completely Fancy Feast pates and stop the insulin for a while, testing for ketones also, IF she is eating well. Then if she runs in the low 100s, you would be looking at possible remission. (We consider a cat to be in remission if they run between 40-120, off insulin, with the majority of the time in double digits, for 2 weeks)
How is she eating today? Would she eat Fancy Feast only if you took away the dry?
Re: loss of apetite - Maggie is gone
Sorry I have not replied. Maggie took a turn for the worse. I still don't know exactly where everything went wrong. But her apetite got worse and I felt like she had lost weight so I got her to the Vet. Sure enough she had lost two pounds since early November when she had had a hyperglycemic attack. We got her through that and her eating had returned to normal - we decreased her insuline from 3 units to 1 unit. I was trying to take her BG's but she was difficult and I was inept at doing it.
Anyway I got her to the Vet on Friday and her liver enzymes had increased but the rest of her blood work and untrasound looked fine. Her BG was around 400 so we increased he insulin to 2 units, put her on prednisone and an apetite enhancer. I know prednisone is not good for diabetic cats but she has been on it before and Vet felt he had no choice due to the liver enzymes. She came home, ate up a storm and I thought OK another crisis diverted. Then by the next day she was showing signs of decrease apetite again. no diarrea, no vomiting. By Sunday she would not leave her bet except to use the box. I could have called my Vet but I just knew it was going to be bad - so I cuddled with her all day, got a full can of food in her by syringe and loved her. I got her to the Vet on 12/24 after a consult with him and he thought she might need fluids but when he saw he could not believe how much worse she was from Friday. he said he would do what ever I wanted. he would put her on IV, but did not feel he could put a feeding tube in her at this weakened state, but would try if I wanted him to. He advised I let her. This Vet is wonderful and is a friend as well. I trust him completely. I did not want to let her go, but I knew how bad she looked so I did. It was peaceful and was calm.
I know am living with the guilt of not getting her there sooner - like two weeks ago and not knowing what really what was wrong with her. Her system surely was shutting down but why? Was it due the event in NOvember? Was her liver full of cancer that could not be deticted in an ultrasound? She was not acting sick other than loss of apetite and weight.
I loved that little cat like a child. I hand fed her as a kitten. She was the one that followed me around the house and would chat insitently on the phone when I tried to talk to friends. I have four other cats, but this one was the one that greeted me every day when I got home....
What more could I have done?
Sorry I have not replied. Maggie took a turn for the worse. I still don't know exactly where everything went wrong. But her apetite got worse and I felt like she had lost weight so I got her to the Vet. Sure enough she had lost two pounds since early November when she had had a hyperglycemic attack. We got her through that and her eating had returned to normal - we decreased her insuline from 3 units to 1 unit. I was trying to take her BG's but she was difficult and I was inept at doing it.
Anyway I got her to the Vet on Friday and her liver enzymes had increased but the rest of her blood work and untrasound looked fine. Her BG was around 400 so we increased he insulin to 2 units, put her on prednisone and an apetite enhancer. I know prednisone is not good for diabetic cats but she has been on it before and Vet felt he had no choice due to the liver enzymes. She came home, ate up a storm and I thought OK another crisis diverted. Then by the next day she was showing signs of decrease apetite again. no diarrea, no vomiting. By Sunday she would not leave her bet except to use the box. I could have called my Vet but I just knew it was going to be bad - so I cuddled with her all day, got a full can of food in her by syringe and loved her. I got her to the Vet on 12/24 after a consult with him and he thought she might need fluids but when he saw he could not believe how much worse she was from Friday. he said he would do what ever I wanted. he would put her on IV, but did not feel he could put a feeding tube in her at this weakened state, but would try if I wanted him to. He advised I let her. This Vet is wonderful and is a friend as well. I trust him completely. I did not want to let her go, but I knew how bad she looked so I did. It was peaceful and was calm.
I know am living with the guilt of not getting her there sooner - like two weeks ago and not knowing what really what was wrong with her. Her system surely was shutting down but why? Was it due the event in NOvember? Was her liver full of cancer that could not be deticted in an ultrasound? She was not acting sick other than loss of apetite and weight.
I loved that little cat like a child. I hand fed her as a kitten. She was the one that followed me around the house and would chat insitently on the phone when I tried to talk to friends. I have four other cats, but this one was the one that greeted me every day when I got home....
What more could I have done?
Larry and Kitties
Member Since 2009
Sending purrs and prayers.
Sandy and Brie
Member Since 2012
I'm so sorry
Sandy
Sandy
I am so so sorry. I just lost my best friend on Earth this past week too. The events sound similar to what happened with my girl ... the vet explained to me that sometimes the cat's body is just shutting down and even starting IV at the onset of symptoms really doesn't make a difference in the outcome. I'm glad you cuddled your girl before bringing her in.... that was the best medicine you could give her and she was lucky to have such a caring and loving mommy. I am really sorry for your loss.
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