Hello my name Cherie and I am new to this forum. I am at my wits end. My cat Tiggs was diagnosed diabetic this past May and he was doing fine. He was on one unit twice a day and eating Purina DM canned food. Three weeks ago he decided he was not going to eat the canned food so I switched him to the Purina DM hard food. He ate for about a week then stopped so I tried the canned food and the hard mixed. He ate his food up until last Thursday (Thanksgiving) I decided to take him to the vet Friday morning she said his sugar was high, gave him fluids and moved his insulin up to 3 units. Saturday he still would not eat. He went into emergency Saturday evening, they put him on antibiotics for a kidney infection, gave him fluids, checked his sugar which was staying high (600)(he was hardly eating for them) then told me to pick him up Monday and take him straight to the regular vet. They got his sugar down to 200 gave him fluids and switched him to Purina KF and asked me to pick him up because he wouldn't eat for them and thought he would feel better at home and start eating. He did up until yesterday ( he is hungry now and meows at me when I'm getting his food ready. When he goes to dive in and smells it he lays down or as of late walks away.)I bought a different kidney food (Hills KD) and he ate it once and now will not eat it. I pretty much have to beg him too which takes an hour or more and throws off his insulin time. The vet said I have to keep him on kidney food. But he will not eat it. I don't know what to do. And it seems neither does the vet any ideas??? I was hoping on some homemade food like chicken and veggies. Also he is 15 yrs old. Someone please HELP!!
My cat will not eat!!
- Thread starter tiggs
- Start date
- Status
BJM
Member Since 2010
Welcome to FDMB.
Cats get bored easily with liver based diabetic food and the dry stuff is not very low carb at all. Furthermore, you don't have to feed pricey prescription diets as there are many over the counter low carbohydrate, canned foods.
Go pick up some inexpensive Friskies pates, or Fancy Feast Classic pates both of which are low carbohydrate (less than 10% calories from carbohydrates), and try offering those.
For more information on feline nutrition, go to Cat Info.
Also, just to be prepared, pick up an oral syringe (pharmacy section, usually near baby supplies). Sometimes, assisted feeding can be needed.
Cats get bored easily with liver based diabetic food and the dry stuff is not very low carb at all. Furthermore, you don't have to feed pricey prescription diets as there are many over the counter low carbohydrate, canned foods.
Go pick up some inexpensive Friskies pates, or Fancy Feast Classic pates both of which are low carbohydrate (less than 10% calories from carbohydrates), and try offering those.
For more information on feline nutrition, go to Cat Info.
Also, just to be prepared, pick up an oral syringe (pharmacy section, usually near baby supplies). Sometimes, assisted feeding can be needed.
BJM
Member Since 2010
Also, are you home testing the blood glucose? Whenever changing food or insulin dose, it is safest to test the blood glucose level. All you need is an inexpensive human glucometer, such as the WalMart ReliOn Confirm or the unbranded version of it, the Arkray USA Glucocard 02 (available from ADW, link at top of page), matching test strips, and 27-28 gauge lancets to prick the outer edge of the ear.
Once you are home testing, you'll need to know the following
The difference in using a pet-specific meter vs a human meter (aside from the very high cost of the former) is mostly a matter of scale (though not exactly 1:1). Think of it as reading temperature in Celsius vs Fahrenheit. Both are correct. If you have the reference values for each, you can interpret them.
Here are some glucose reference ranges used for decision making using glucometers. Human glucometer numbers are given first. Numbers in parentheses are for non-US meters. Numbers in curly braces are estimates for an AlphaTrak.
< 40 mg/dL (2.2 mmol/L) {< 70 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- Treat as if HYPO if on insulin
- At nadir (lowest point between shots) in a long term diabetic (more than a year), may earn a reduction.
< 50 mg/dL (2.8 mmol/L) {< 80 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- If before nadir, steer with food, ie, give modest amounts of medium carb food to keep from going below 50 (2.8).
- At nadir, often indicates dose reduction is earned.
50 - 130 mg/dL (2.8 - 7.2 mmol/L) {80 - 160 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- On insulin - great control when following a tight regulation protocol.
- Off insulin - normal numbers. (May even go as low as the upper 30s (1.7 mmol/L){60s for an AlphaTrak}; if not on insulin, this can be safe.
= 150 mg/dL (8.3 mmol/L) {> 180 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- no shot limit for ProZinc, PZI, or other non-depot insulins
> 150 mg/dL (8.3 mmol/L) {> 180 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- At nadir, indicates a dose increase may be needed when following a tight regulation protocol.
200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) {230 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- no shot level for beginners; may slowly reduce to 150 mg/dL (8.3 mmol/L) {180 mg/dL} for long-acting insulins (Lantus, Levemir, and ProZinc) as data collection shows it is safe
180 - 280 mg/dL (10 - 15.6 mmol/L) {may be 210 - 310 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}- Any time - The renal threshold (depending on data source and cat's renal function) where glucose spills into the urine.
- Test for ketones, glucose is too high.
>= 280 mg/dL (15.6 mmol/L) {may be >=310 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}, if for most of the cycle between shots
- Uncontrolled diabetes and thus at risk for diabetic ketoacidosis and hepatic lipidosis
- Follow your insulin protocol for dose adjustments
- Test for ketones; if more than a trace level of ketones, go to vet ASAP.
Once you are home testing, you'll need to know the following
The difference in using a pet-specific meter vs a human meter (aside from the very high cost of the former) is mostly a matter of scale (though not exactly 1:1). Think of it as reading temperature in Celsius vs Fahrenheit. Both are correct. If you have the reference values for each, you can interpret them.
Here are some glucose reference ranges used for decision making using glucometers. Human glucometer numbers are given first. Numbers in parentheses are for non-US meters. Numbers in curly braces are estimates for an AlphaTrak.
< 40 mg/dL (2.2 mmol/L) {< 70 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- Treat as if HYPO if on insulin
- At nadir (lowest point between shots) in a long term diabetic (more than a year), may earn a reduction.
< 50 mg/dL (2.8 mmol/L) {< 80 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- If before nadir, steer with food, ie, give modest amounts of medium carb food to keep from going below 50 (2.8).
- At nadir, often indicates dose reduction is earned.
50 - 130 mg/dL (2.8 - 7.2 mmol/L) {80 - 160 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- On insulin - great control when following a tight regulation protocol.
- Off insulin - normal numbers. (May even go as low as the upper 30s (1.7 mmol/L){60s for an AlphaTrak}; if not on insulin, this can be safe.
= 150 mg/dL (8.3 mmol/L) {> 180 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- no shot limit for ProZinc, PZI, or other non-depot insulins
> 150 mg/dL (8.3 mmol/L) {> 180 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- At nadir, indicates a dose increase may be needed when following a tight regulation protocol.
200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) {230 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}
- no shot level for beginners; may slowly reduce to 150 mg/dL (8.3 mmol/L) {180 mg/dL} for long-acting insulins (Lantus, Levemir, and ProZinc) as data collection shows it is safe
180 - 280 mg/dL (10 - 15.6 mmol/L) {may be 210 - 310 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}- Any time - The renal threshold (depending on data source and cat's renal function) where glucose spills into the urine.
- Test for ketones, glucose is too high.
>= 280 mg/dL (15.6 mmol/L) {may be >=310 mg/dL for an AlphaTrak}, if for most of the cycle between shots
- Uncontrolled diabetes and thus at risk for diabetic ketoacidosis and hepatic lipidosis
- Follow your insulin protocol for dose adjustments
- Test for ketones; if more than a trace level of ketones, go to vet ASAP.
Thank you so much! Are these foods ok for his kidneys? The vet told me he needs low protein for his kidneys....Thank you again! I really appreciate your feedback! My fiance is curious about the carbohydrates because our vet has never said anything about carbs just low protein....
BJM
Member Since 2010
Friskies Special Diet pates should work.
Cat Info is all about nutrition for cats. Water is the most important thing for cats prone to stones, infection, or having renal disease. Controlling phosphorus intake also supports the renal cat. Depending on the stage of renal disease (there are 4 so ask your vet what stage your cat is in), protein restriction may not be as important as having adequate fluid.
Tanya's Feline CRF site has tons of info on managing the cat with renal insufficiency.
(p.s. Dr Pierson specializes in feline nutrition and also offers paid consults for those who want to create a home diet for special needs)
Cat Info is all about nutrition for cats. Water is the most important thing for cats prone to stones, infection, or having renal disease. Controlling phosphorus intake also supports the renal cat. Depending on the stage of renal disease (there are 4 so ask your vet what stage your cat is in), protein restriction may not be as important as having adequate fluid.
Tanya's Feline CRF site has tons of info on managing the cat with renal insufficiency.
(p.s. Dr Pierson specializes in feline nutrition and also offers paid consults for those who want to create a home diet for special needs)
Sandy and Brie
Member Since 2012
My Brie is diabetic and in kidney failure and he also has lymphoma. My vet has never pushed the kidney diets. She thought low carb was more important. Ideally you could feed a low carb low phosphorus food. If your kitty's appetite is really off just offer him some of the low carb foods that were suggested. It is more important that he eats something. Lately Brie's appetite has been off and I've had luck with friskies ocean whitefish special diet and weruva mack and jack. I'm not crazy about fish but it is what he'll eat. Home testing is a very good suggestion if you are not already doing it. Tiggs sugar could be running high because he has a kidney infection. Are they saying he has an acute kidney infection? Sometimes after an acute kidney infection a cat may end up with chronic kidney disease. Did the vet send you home with subq fluids? Is Tiggs getting anything for nausea?
Sandy
Sandy
- Status