Newbie - cat isn't eating much today

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kas111375

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I'm new, so forgive me if I'm not posting correctly. Anyway, my cat, Ezra is on 2 units of Lantus, 2x a day. We've been doing this for just about a month now. I'm not doing home testing - vet hasn't mentioned it and I'm really just getting used to the injections, special feeding schedule, etc.

So, everything has been going along just fine, but today for some reason, she's not eating much. She is eating, but she hasn't finished her food I put out last nite. (I give her 1/4 cup of Purina DM night and day and a little Purina DM wet food, which she mostly has no interest in.) I gave her her injection this morning, but no extra food b/c she had plenty in her bowl. I'm debating on whether or not to give her her shot tonite b/c she still hasn't finished her food.

Just had her into the vet for a glucose curve a few days ago. They tested her 3x all in the low 200s. Am I right to not give her her injection tonite? Is not eating normal? Thanks for any insight!
 
We're new to this too, but if you're not testing at home, and your kitty isn't eating much, I'd be very hesitant to give a 2nd shot. That's just me..and we're using a different insulin right now, but I don't think I'd give any shots at home without testing. It sounds scary, but it's not a big deal. We just started today, and after a few tries and a very patient cat, it was no problem.

Good luck.
 
kas111375 said:
I'm new, so forgive me if I'm not posting correctly. Anyway, my cat, Ezra is on 2 units of Lantus, 2x a day. We've been doing this for just about a month now. I'm not doing home testing - vet hasn't mentioned it and I'm really just getting used to the injections, special feeding schedule, etc.

So, everything has been going along just fine, but today for some reason, she's not eating much. She is eating, but she hasn't finished her food I put out last nite. (I give her 1/4 cup of Purina DM night and day and a little Purina DM wet food, which she mostly has no interest in.) I gave her her injection this morning, but no extra food b/c she had plenty in her bowl. I'm debating on whether or not to give her her shot tonite b/c she still hasn't finished her food.

Just had her into the vet for a glucose curve a few days ago. They tested her 3x all in the low 200s. Am I right to not give her her injection tonite? Is not eating normal? Thanks for any insight!
Click to expand...

I think it may be a good idea to start home testing because shooting insulin blindly is just not safe.
The vet may never mention home testing to you. If you are home testing, there is no reason at all for you to keep taking your cat into the vet office, stressing the cat, having curves done there to get numbers that are not true, and wasting your money.

About the food, there are not many cats who like the vet food, and there are many better foods you can feed your cat. For sure, your cat does not need any dry food as it's too high in carbs.
Binky’s Food Lists
Feeding Your Cat: Know The Basics of Feline Nutrition
Try any wet pate type food like fancy feast or friskies, and I bet your cat will be much happier and eat better.

Until you are home testing, don't make any changes to diet because once the dry food is removed, you will likely not need to give so much insulin.

Please have a look at these links relating to HYPO situations; have a kit on hand and know the danger signs.
List of Hypo symptoms
How to treat HYPOS-They can kill! Print this out!
Jojo’s HYPO TOOLKIT

Besides not eating, what about other observations? How is her litter box habits? Has she had regular stool or are they diff looking now? Is she drinking water, and how much? Is she out in the open or hiding? Any changes to her normal habits and routines?
 
Other than not eating much today, she seems perfectly fine. She's 15, so it's not like she's overly active on a normal day, but she's out in the open, sleeping in her normal spot right now. I'm definitely going to try some different food. I picked up some high protein treats from Trader Joe's today and gave her a couple of those and she scarfed them right down and really perked up after that first one!

I will head off to Walgreens tomorrow to pick up testing supplies. Is there a forum somewhere as a guide on how to adjust insulin levels based on bg tests?

Thanks so much for your help!
 
Relion is the best for most inexpensive test strips, so look for those ones first.

So long as the foods are pate, no gravies, or grilled or marinades, they should be OK.
If you have any vet food unopened, return it for a refund, say your cat refused to eat it.

As for dosing, just get the meter, and pick up some KETOSTIX to test urine for ketones.
When you are ready to test, just post and lots of people will be able to help you with testing and understanding the numbers you get, and let you know if your dose is good or needs adjusting for the numbers you are getting.
 
kas111375 said:
Other than not eating much today, she seems perfectly fine. She's 15, so it's not like she's overly active on a normal day, but she's out in the open, sleeping in her normal spot right now. I'm definitely going to try some different food. I picked up some high protein treats from Trader Joe's today and gave her a couple of those and she scarfed them right down and really perked up after that first one!

I will head off to Walgreens tomorrow to pick up testing supplies. Is there a forum somewhere as a guide on how to adjust insulin levels based on bg tests?

Thanks so much for your help!
Click to expand...

Sounds like she's just gone off the DM - Vyktor did that too. Home testing is just so vital for keeping your cat safe, I'm glad you're going to give it a try. You can post your BG readings daily on either the lantus TR forum or the relaxed lantus forum depending on which approach you are opting for. If you are able to follow the TR protocol (see the stickies at the top of the lantus TR forum) I would recommend starting with this approach so you have the highest chance of achieving remission. There are some very experienced lantus users over there (also in the relaxed lantus forum) that will assist you with dosing - you'll find that you barely need the vet at all!
 
Thanks, all! She seems to have eaten last night, this morning, so I feel things are back to normal for now.

And I will definitely give the testing a try - I like the idea of having to rely less on the vet!
 
Let us know what test results you get, and we will help you.
Please check for ketones whenever you get a chance, too, especially if she isn't eating much. Cats need to eat.
If she keeps going off her feed, let us know that, too. We have a lot of tricks to help with eating issues.
Best Of Luck to you. :-D
 
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