Low Sugars, but not eating

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Sarah and Baby

Sarah and Baby

Member Since 2011
So we are doing a trial off the juice, and Baby's numbers are very low this week.

I'm not sure if that's actually good because it seems like she's not eating very much. She had a high test a couple of days ago because she got into her treats and ate a whole bag. Otherwise, she isn't eating much at all.

Not sure what I should do. Don't want to give her insulin in case she goes lower.
 
Most cats need somewhere around 250 calories give or take depending on size. Most food lists the calories on the packaging. It's helpful to measure what she is eating because you may be used to her overeating. When on insulin, it can increase appetite and stimulate some overeating. If she actually isn't taking in enough calories, a more calorie dense food might be helpful.
 
She just stopped eating as much as normal when we went OTJ. She is eating about half of what she was eating before.

She was not overeating before, she was eating two cans a day, which is what was working best with her insulin to keep her at good levels, before she started having hypos last month.

Here is the previous discussion on her hypo that happened last week and what we decided to do with that.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/low-bs-26-and-we-need-to-travel.139360/#post-1438720
 
A typical 5.5-6oz can of food has between 150-220 calories. If you feed the smaller cans, these are usually 3oz, so about half. 2-3 small cans or 1-1.5 larger cans is about what a cat should be eating. There are some higher cal foods if she's not taking in this amount - Innova cat and kitten is what I feed as I have an older cat who just doesn't eat a lot. I think wellness and EVO have a couple higher cal foods too. Iams kitten food is high in calories too. Sometimes just changing the food can help stimulate appetite.

The other thing when you go off insulin is to monitor for ketones for a week or two, even if blood sugar looks normal.
 
Ah ok. At most pharmacies they sell ketone urine dipsticks. If you can get a urine sample, just follow the directions on the box of sticks. You dip it, then wait the specified time and compare colors. To get the urine, everyone has their own tricks. I find putting saran wrap over where they "aim" sometimes works. You don't need a lot to dip it in.
 
Ok, so she isn't eating, she's not peeing. She never had a problem with not eating until we went OTJ. I don't know if I should start shooting her with a very small dose, or what. Her sugars are so low though, that I am worried about doing that.
 
I think at this point if she's not eating at all or urinating, that a visit to the vet is in order. You might need subQ fluids (you can do these at home) and anti-nausea meds to get her to start eating. Will she eat dry food? if she will, then feed her that, even if it knocks her out of remission for a couple days. Mix the dry food with a little water for hydration if she will eat it that way.
 
Force feed canned food with a 3 ml or 6 ml syringe if she won't eat. Pedialyte, also given via a syringe, can help with dehydration. But if your cat hasn't eaten or gone to the bathroom, she needs subq fluids quickly.
 
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