Newbie, Intro, New Diagnosis

Status
Not open for further replies.
SabrinaFaire

SabrinaFaire

Active Member
Seems like there's a lot of us newbies around here of late. Anyway, I'm Sabrina, and my cat, Hobbs, was diagnosed as diabetic about a week and a half ago. It's been a bit stressful, but mostly because this came shortly before we went out of town for Christmas. We're back now and he survived with my father in law watching him.

Anyway, the backstory is that back in September I had taken him to the vet because he was peeing outside the box. He'd had a UTI years ago and I wanted to rule that out. No UTI, but he does have kidney disease. He's not even symptomatic with that, they happened to catch it by chance. So we switched his diet to Hills K/D and they said to bring him back in 3 months for a follow up. So I did, back on the 15th. His kidneys are doing fine, his phosphorous and other numbers were down, but he'd lost about 4lbs (17 to 13 since September) and the vet was concerned about that. The tests came back that he was diabetic. His blood sugar that day was over 400. The vet put him on 2 units/2x day of Lantus and scheduled mealtimes. Last week (right before we left) his blood sugar was down to 150. We got back Wednesday night and I took him again last night and he was down to 57. Yikes. So the vet lowered his Lantus to 1 unit/2x day.

I was really freaked out at first, but I think that was mostly because we were about to go out of town and I wasn't sure what to do about having someone watch him. Everything worked out though! Right now he's still eating the K/D. The vet is trying to get a hold of an internist at a vet hospital here in town but of course the holidays complicates it as everyone is off! For now he's getting 1/2 can of wet in the morning and evening and last night he told me to leave a little bit out of the dry for him since his numbers dipped so low yesterday.

So anyway, that's the story with all of this. Hobbs is 12 (13 in March) and I've had him since he was 6 months old. He's an only child and my constant companion. I love him to pieces. I'll see about putting an avatar picture up of him or something this weekend. :) I'm always taking pictures of him and he never has his eyes open for it! :)
 
Welcome to the best place you never wanted to be! We all felt overwhelmed at first but you will be surprised how soon treating diabetes becomes second nature.

You are on a good insulin. We like to start low and go slow so we would have suggested .5 to one unit for a beginning dose. Then we test at home to see if the dose needs to be increased. It sounds like your kitty is being tested at the vet? If so, we would really encourage you to test at home. Stress raises bg levels and most cats are stressed at the vet. That 57 might have actually been much lower if it was a vet number!

Re the food. Check out this website by a feline diabetes vet. She specifically discusses kidney disease and that wet LO carb food is best for it: http://www.catinfo.org/#Kidney_Failure. It is a balancing act to find a wet food that is low in carbs, good for the kidneys and that your cat will eat. But we have lots of people here dealing with both issues who can help.

But don't change to lower carb wet until you are testing at home before each shot. When we changed from dry to wet, Oliver went down 100 points overnight.
 
Hi Sabrina,
Looks like your greatest challenge will be to find a food that is okay for both kidney problems and diabetes. The K/D is not a bad choice for kidney issues, but even the canned you are using is very high carbs (29%), which is going to make Hobbs' diabetes hard to control.

Here's some links for you to look at, listing dozens of canned foods, some prescription, some commonly found on the shelf in the grocery store.
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodOld.html
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodNew.html
Phosphorus is the big concern with kidney disease, right? Ideally, we suggest a carb content of lower than 10%, but you'll notice that most of those are not low in phosphorus. The trick will be finding a good balance of lower phosphorus and lower carbs. I am sure some people, like Sue said, who are dealing with both conditions will be able to suggest the best foods for Hobbs.

Carl
 
Thanks. :) Previously he'd been getting dry food in the morning, about 2/3 of a cup, and then 1/4 to 1/2 a can at night. We went with the canned for now because he eats it faster, and we thought it would be easier to keep him on a schedule. And yes, phosphorous is the main thing in kidney problems, though it's generally usually low protein too but I guess it's more the type of protein he gets.

Lately he's been pretty blase about going to the vet. Doesn't jump out and sniff everything, or shed half of his hair, or cry the whole time. But I'm sure it's still stressful to him. I'm hoping we only have to do this for the time being (going to the vet every week that is).

I picked up a meter on my way home tonight. It's the Walmart Relion Micro. Wow this is harder than I thought. I tried but couldn't get enough blood off of his ear. I need to do more reading about it I guess. I thought I was maybe doing something wrong so I tried doing my own (which I've also never done) and had a hard time with "alternate" sites but did get enough on my finger. (ouch) So I guess read more about how to do it and maybe find a video.
 
Are you trying to use the lancet device that came with the meter? I never could use it. Are you handy with a sewing needle? If so, you might think about free handing the lancet instead of using the device. I found it much easier to see what I was doing and hitting the "sweet spot".
I borrowed this pic from another thread, (thanks to whoever it was that posted it first)
 

Attachments

  • sweetspot.jpg
    sweetspot.jpg
    97 KB · Views: 1,868
Thanks for the photos and links!! They really helped. I was able to get a reading this morning! dancing_cat It was 354, that was after eating, before insulin. It was funny because he jumped up on the couch right after he ate like he knew he had to get his medicine. :smile: He doesn't like his ears touched (He doesn't even do a very good job of cleaning them) but he didn't run away either so that's good.

I've seen mentioned on here to give him a low carb treat during all this. So uh... what's a low carb treat and how do you know?

Something else I'm not sure of is WHEN to test. I tested him after he ate, before the insulin. Is that right? How do you know if it's regulated then, because that seems like it would be the highest point, right?

Thanks again
 
Since he is on Lantus you are going to want to test, feed then shoot. before each shot, then you will also want to try to get a few spot checks throughout the day, however since Lantus is dosed based on the nadir or lowest point the most important test besides the preshots (to make sure he is high enough to shoot) is the nadir, in most lantus cats that is right around 5-6 hours after the shot is given.

Now don't go my spreadsheets to get an idea of when to test, since my Maxwell is in remission and gets tested very infrequently, and my Musette is an atypical diabetic that is on a custom dosing protocol so she is monitored more often than most. But on average most folks try to get at least the preshots and the nadir. In the beginning you may want to test more frequently until you know where his nadir is as some cats have an early nadir and some a later nadir.

Then about once a week when you have a day off and can be home run a curve where you test every 2 hours between one shot to the next including the preshots, that is what the vet does when they have you bring them in for testing, so might as well do it at home where you will get truer numbers.

As far as low carb treat just about anything that is purely meat works just fine. Bites of raw or boiled chicken, turkey, human tuna, freeze dried meat treats. hard cheeses, etc. One of Musette's favorite treats is low fat cream cheese, and oven roasted plain turkey. There is also a list of low carb treats here http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9172

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
hi sabrina!

lantus works best in cats on a 12 hour shot schedule. they have a much faster metabolism than other lantus users (dogs and people) so giving him the same dose 12 hours apart will get you much better results than 1 larger shot every 24 hours. with that schedule you won't be able to get his BG to stabilize. cats don't feel as good when their blood glucose goes high low high low.

here's a great page from the Lantus Tight Reg Insulin Support Group that will help you learn a little more about how it works. That protocol was developed specifically to treat cats using Lantus or Levemir and has a proven track record for getting cats off of insulin. Many are able to have their pancreas heal and with a low-carb diet are able to go off of insulin. The stat is 84% who get on this protocol within 6 months of being diagnosed will go off of insulin. not too shabby! Lantus/Levemir New To Group? Read Here

usually the low point of the blood sugar will be about 3-7 hours after the shot is given, assuming a 12 hours apart shot schedule. i don't know what happens when it's every 24 hours but it will change the picture.

if you could get a test somewhere in that 3-7 hour range and post it here, we'll be able to help you move forward to the next step.

ps - i understand exactly how you feel about Hobbs. punkin is my furry little soul-mate. a bunch of cat-lovers "live" here on FDMB! glad to have you join us!
 
Hi Sabrina! I'm learning all of this, too. Mikey was diagnosed a month or so ago, and thanks to everyone here and an open-minded vet, he is doing really well(knock on wood, of course!)

Because I went through some crazy times while we were trying to figure out Mikey's dose (he's currently at only .1 unit!), I would advise that you test at least 3-4 times during each cycle to start. Most cats' nadir is at +5 to +6 after shot, bit Mikey's is closer to +4 and he often drops very quickly. The more data you can gather on your cat's cycles, the less stressful it will become. Now, instead of panicking when Mikey drops quickly, I know how to deal with it and what to look for, but I also know when his numbers are going to turn around. For me, that was key. Mikey also has a second drop around +10, which isn't uncommon from what I've read, so I often take a test at either +10 or +11 and again at shot time to make sure his numbers are stable or rising before I shoot. (I'm getting more comfortable knowing that 95% of the time, he will be rising, and I don't usually do the +10/11 in the morning). On most days, if Mikey doesn't dive, I test about 4 times a cycle now, including preshot. Feel free to look at his spreadsheet; it shows how often I test both when he has a normal or flat cycle as well as when he takes a quick dive.

Freeze dried chicken is a good low-carb treat. I use that and some freeze dried shrimp as well. A small bag is around $2.50 and lasts a long time. You don't have to give a big piece, just a bite.
 
i just have to tell you that you totally cracked me up with your comment about prescriptions and costs when you ended with "and your mileage may vary!" :lol:
 
Welcome Sabrina!

I've dealt with both kidney disease and diabetes with my cats, and there are several foods that are good for both conditions. Please do NOT use the Binky charts for phosphorus content as someone else suggested--while the carb values are still pretty accurate, the phosphorus values are very much out of date and there are foods on there that used to be low phosphorus that are now so high in phosphorus they are very bad to feed a cat with kidney disease.


You do not need to feed the prescription kidney diet food. Unless your cat is in the end stages of renal disease, it's not the best food anyway. The ultra low protein content causes muscle wasting (especially in older cats), and really should not be fed long term. You simply need a low carb, low phosphorus canned food, preferably without byproducts (higher quality protein sources are easier on the kidneys). Keeping your cat as hydrated as possible is key to managing the disease, along with low phosphorus foods. Mixing water in with the canned food is one good way to help with hydration.

Here's an updated food list with the values for several premium foods: https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B8...MzhkYTkxOGM4NThk&sort=name&layout=list&num=50. You're looking for something with less than 10% carbs and less than 250 mg/kcal of phosphorus. The foods I would suggest are Merrick's Before Grain Beef, Merrick's Before Grain Turkey, Merricks' Cowboy Cookout, Merrick's Surf & Turf, Wellness Turkey, EVO 95% Chicken & Turkey, and Blue Wilderness Duck.

If those are out of your price range, the next best thing to feed are the low carb Friskie's Special Diet flavors. These are Turkey & Giblets and Salmon Dinner--make sure they are the ones that say "special diet" on the can, though. PetSmart carries them, and some grocery stores. Here is an updated list of just the phosphorus values for many commercial foods. They can be cross referenced with Binky's chart for carb values if there's something on there that you want to feed. On this chart, you're looking for something that is less than 1% phosphorus (these values are on a dry matter basis, not mg/kcal): http://www.felinecrf.org/canned_food_usa.htm
 
I wanted to say welcome to you and Hobbs!!

This will be the best place you could find for you and your baby!

I used the special diet as well..... Sugar Bean could not eat the foods that Gumpy (GA) ate due to her kidney issues. But I found that I could have them both eat the special diet and all be well. There are not many flavors to chose from but they seemed to like them all.

I have found several treats that are 100% freeze dried.... made by Pure Bites, Grandma Lucy, and Merick...all in the dog isle (cheaper per oz than kitty isle). I just do like others suggested, pinch off some and feed. They (2 out of 3) looooove them..... Lamb, venison, fish flavors... also petco brand of bonita flakes.

I also use the Primal & Natures Raw for raw treats.

I would think the best advice I would give and do give often, is to home test..... my vet suggested not to, this forum suggested to.... My Sugar Bean was only 27 bg, 2 hours after her shot....we had a long way to go before nadir time (+4-6 hours after shot). This forum was my only support..... They stayed with me for 4+ hours, helping me raise Bean to a 43... They did this via posting messages, and via phone.... MY BEAN IS HERE STILL TODAY!! I cannot say enough to thank each and everyone that helped me that dreadfull night...please view my spreadsheet if you want.... What a scare! I promised my Bean girl to never ever shoot without a test first.... She thanks me each and every day: greeting me with her wonderfulness! :smile:

I was difficult at first; getting in the habit, getting over my fears of needles of any kind, remembering all the things I had to do. Until one day, I realized, we had a routine down! wow!!! It was fantistic... Bean and I were doing this... and we were giving advice to others---paying forward!

We listened to advice from here, we took the support with open arms from here, we shared tears of frustration with folks from here...we were doing this - all from the help from here... And, we were not alone, not then and not now. Bean is in remission because of the low carb food advice, the insulin amount advice and the gracious support/gentle encouragement to home test - all from here.

Again, welcome ms. mommabean and Mr. Hobbs~ keep us posted, ask, cry, do whatever you feel necessary: this is doable :razz:
 
Hi all. Again, thanks for the info!!

Julie - He is on a 12 hour schedule. I test/feed/shoot in the morning when I get up for work and repeat when I get home from work. OK well I haven't tested yet while doing work since I just got the meter Friday night, but starting tomorrow I will be! :) Even so this weekend he's mostly been in the 300s pre-shot. The vet on Thursday lowered his dose from 2 units of Lantus to 1 unit. (That's 2 times a day) I'm guessing this week they'll want to up him to 1.5.

Julia - THANK YOU!! I was hoping someone who had a kidney disease cat would chime in. I finally got the vet to call me back this morning and she said that they decided to stay with the K/D diet for now. I am concerned about the muscle wasting though. Hobbs is 12 (13 in April) and has no symptoms of the kidney disease. Cost isn't a huge issue. We're not rich but the Rx stuff is expensive enough, premium stuff might be cheaper not to mention easier to obtain. I hate having to call ahead to make sure they have it and then hurry up and get there before they close.

All - as for treats, I tried giving Hobbs some freeze dried shrimp a few years ago. I found it in a specialty pet shop and the woman who owned it swore up and down that cats love it and mine would too. Yeah. No. Hobbs wouldn't touch it. He's always been hard to treat though he LOVES cream cheese and I think that was suggested, so I might try that. Temptations is his favorite though, he likes the crunchy stuff. Unfortunately treat bags are favorite gifts for him and he frequently gets them from friends and family. I went through the cabinet this weekend and had to throw out stuff that was expired simply because we get TOO MUCH.
 
ah, that's great sabrina! thanks for clarifying all of that. dosing for lantus is based upon the lowest point of the cycle (the nadir), so if you could get any mid-cycle tests that would help in making sure the dose is good and is adjusted safely. every cat is different - and we do have cats that will go from over 300 preshot to 40 a few hours later on a regular basis. my own cat is a "flat" cat and never does that, but some do.

if you could catch a test around +4-6 or so hours after a shot it would really help. your vet may be more familiar with other insulins, where the preshot number determines the dose. all of the more traditional insulins are like that.

Lantus and Levemir are different and the important information for dosing is how low the dose is taking the cat, not the preshot number. These newer insulins form a deposit in the cat's body and kind of slow-release, although there is also a response to each shot. does that make any sense at all? anyway, many vets know that lantus is a good insulin for cats but because it's newer, they don't have as much experience with the dosing. we adjust doses by .25units to .5units - and that tiny dose change will, in fact, make a significant difference. at the bottom of this post is the Rand/Roomp protocol and you can see the dosing directions there. it's been rewritten in simple english in the information in the Lantus forum that follows that protocol.

this is the "typical" way lantus works in most cats, but i have to say not all, because cats seem to really vary in responses.

Example of a typical Lantus curve:
+0 - PreShot number.
+1 - Usually higher than PreShot number because of the last shot wearing off. May see a food spike in this number.
+2 - Often similar to the PreShot number.
+3 - Lower than the PreShot number, onset has started.
+4 - Lower.
+5 - Lower.
+6 - Nadir/Peak (the lowest number of cycle).
+7 - Surf (hang around the nadir number).
+8 - Slight rise.
+9 - Slight rise.
+10 - Rising.
+11 - Rising (may dip around +10 or +11).
+12 - PreShot number.
Click to expand...

If you want to take some docs in to your vet, here are a couple:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19592286

http://felinediabetes.com/Roomp_Rand_2008 dosing_testing protocol.pdf

and great job with the diet change and getting the tests in. kudos to you!
 
It sounds like Hobbs has early stage kidney disease. My Gabby had early stage as well. My vet had her on k/d at first, and she did horribly on it. That was when I did my own research and discovered that the prescription food was not only unneccesary, but was actually causing her harm with the low protein. I switched her to a low phos commercial food, and in her remaining two years (she passed away from cancer unrelated to the kidney disease) her kidney values did not worsen one bit.

If you're dealing with diabetes as well, the k/d is going to worsen that condition because of the high carbs. I strongly recommend you switch to one of the foods I listed. If you're worried about going against your vet's opinion, just tell them your cat refuses to eat the k/d now and you want to try a low phosphorus commercial food. The k/d is pretty awful tasting to most cats and cats with CRF can be very finicky. Remember that the vet has a financial interest in keeping Hobbs on a prescription diet. And you can get a premium food with much better quality ingredients for less money than the prescription diets.
 
Julia, yeah he's early stage. Very early. He's not even symptomatic as far as the kidney disease goes. They caught it on accident, really. From what I've read most cats are pretty far gone by the time they show symptoms of a kidney problem.

Tonight was the first night since I've started metering that DH was home. I'd been telling him it was hard to get enough blood and I worried about poking him too much and hurting his ears. He offered to help I said sure, make sure Hobbs doesn't squirm too much. Right. Well. DH was holding him, I went to stick the ear with the lancet and right then Hobbs jerked his head towards me, into the poker. Blood. Everywhere. Holy crap. Got enough for the test and then some!!! Poor little guy. I was ready with a paper towel so I was able to put pressure on it right away and I sent DH for the Neosporin. I think they'll both live. :)
 
did ya think to yourself "looks like a crime scene here!" :lol:

punkin has mastered the art of the well-timed ear flick. i've had blood spattered across my face more than once.

but putting on a positive spin - you had enough to be able to test!!!! :-D dancing_cat
 
Haha! Bandit used to shake his head the moment I got a big enough drop of blood--which of course not only meant I had to poke him again, but also hunt for all the blood splatters on my walls, floors, and person. I finally started making sure I had a firm hold on his ear at ALL times with the hand I use to back his ear with the tissue.... :-D
 
LOL Glad I'm not the only one! This morning was more fun. Got enough blood the first go but then the meter gave me an error. I considered not re-poking/testing, but I did and his level was high, 409. But I wonder if I stressed him out by having to poke him twice. He's probably more cooperative than most cats but he's still squirmy. We go back to the vet tomorrow, I have a feeling his dose will get raised. I'm not comfortable changing his dose on my own right now based on his testing levels, but I'm going to ask about that tomorrow.
 
Well it's been a fun couple of days! Today the ReliOn meter flat out died. So I got no reading this morning. (I hadn't gotten around to calling in about it) Tonight was a vet check-up, so I figured THEY would get a reading. Nope. It just said "High" which the vet said meant it was probably over 500. :o Yikes. I told Dr about Hobbs' numbers through the week and he said we should re-up the dose to 2 units 2x day and change his food to the Purina DM. The K/D was fine (according to them) as long as Hobbs was regulated, but that doesn't seem to be happening. As for the food they gave me a bag and 4 cans, I figure I'll feed him that for a day or so until I can get to the store and get him something better. (Mixing in the k/d of course so he doesn't flip) I think his high reading tonight was b/c he was hungry and therefore, stressed. The last few visits he's been calm and this time he cried in the car and was stressing out a bit more than normal.

As for the meter, I got out of my PT appt on time this morning (for once) so I got to work early and was able to stop off at the store on the way home and pick up a new meter. I got the Bayer Contour USB. The strips are more but I figure I can get them online for a bit less and if they work better then I don't mind spending more.
 
sabrina, did you shoot tonight already? we usually recommend increasing by .25 or .50 - the higher number is if the nadir (lowest point) is consistently high. increasing by 1.0 unit is typical with other insulins, but not with lantus.

you're missing is any mid-cycle tests - and that's critical data. can you begin testing some in between shots? dosing of lantus is based almost completely upon the lowest point of the cycle, somewhere mid-cycle. there are multiple reasons why you might see high numbers, and it's not completely dose-related.

what do you think?
 
I had already shot last night.

As for shooting mid-cycle. It can be difficult. I work all day and not near enough to come home, and there's no one else that could test him. DH also works. I'm not sure about night time mid cycle testing, meaning getting up and testing him. I have my own health problems and I know full well if I get up in the middle of the night, I'll be up for awhile, if not the rest of the night.
 
Sabrina, while canned Purina DM is the only prescription food that's ok for a diabetic (you did get the canned, right?), I would not recommend feeding it. Purina DM is pretty much the same as the cheaper low carb commercial foods like Friskie's, Special Kitty, or Sophistacat, or Fancy Feast so all you are doing is paying a huge markup (40 cents vs. 1.60 a can) for just the label. The ingredients in Purina DM are not high quality protein, nor is it low in phosphorus, and it contains a lot of Liver, which many cats get sick of quickly. It is also not a kidney friendly food. Since you have a cat with kidney issues, you need to feed a high quality, low phosphorus food like the ones I recommended in your other thread.

Here's a link to the Purina DM ingredients: http://www.purinaveterinarydiets.com/Product/DMDieteticManagementCatFood.aspx

Liver, poultry by-products, meat by-products, water sufficient for processing, chicken, salmon, oat fiber, salmon meal, guar gum, potassium chloride, carrageenan, salt, Vitamin E supplement, calcium phosphate, taurine, thiamine mononitrate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, calcium pantothenate, copper sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, manganese sulfate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, biotin, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, potassium iodide. I-4573
Click to expand...

Compare it to Fancy Feast Liver and Chicken:
Liver, meat broth, meat by-products, chicken, poultry by-products, artificial and natural flavors, calcium phosphate, guar gum, potassium chloride, taurine, salt, magnesium sulfate, zinc sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, niacin, manganese sulfate, calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, biotin, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, potassium iodide.
Click to expand...

The Fancy Feast is actually a BETTER quality food because it contains slightly more muscle meat (high quality protein) than the DM.

And then look at the ingredients for one of the premium foods I suggested--this is Merrick's Before Grain Turkey:

Turkey, Turkey Broth, Dried Egg, Yeast Extract, Glycine, Glycine, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride,
Salt, Guar, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Carageenan,
Mixed Tocopherols, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex,
Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, d-Calcium Pantothenate,
Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, Lecithin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid,
Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Cobalt Glucoheptanate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate,
Sodium Selenite
Click to expand...

Do you see the difference?

As for testing, is there anyone you can get to help you out with the mid-cycle checks, even just for a few times a week? You can get the curves done on the weekend when you're not working. If there's absolutely no one to help (remember that the money you're saving by home testing can be used to hire someone to come in and test a few times a week if you can afford it), and no possible way you can get them, it will be harder and take a bit longer to regulate Hobbs, but it can still be done to the best of your ability. There are people in the "relaxed" Lantus forum and Levemir forum that have similar circumstances and can help you out with altering the dosing and your testing schedule.

However, I would be more cautious in raising the dose, not less, if you're not able to test mid-cycle. Raising by 1u is a very steep jump, and if you're not testing mid-cycle and changing the diet that could lead to an overdose. A cat who is being overdosed will have Preshot numbers just as high as a cat on too low a dose, so you're not only dealing with high numbers, you're also dealing with hypoglycemia, which is double dangerous. Please read this page: http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/Somogyi_rebound

Switching to a lower carb diet will reduce Hobbs need for insulin. Most cats on a low carb canned diet do not need much more than 1u of insulin. Lantus also requires patience because it takes at least 3 days for a dose to fully settle in, and usually needs to be held a while before the cat stops rebounding from normal numbers and has consistently lower blood sugar.
 
Julia, I'm going to read/comment on the food stuff later (need to run here soon). I posted in the Relaxed Lantus forum a daily thread today (first one ever!) and well short story is ran home to re-test him at lunch. He's fine, +5 was 268. Headed back to work now.
 
OK so Hobbs is entirely on wet right now. (A combo of the Purina DM/and EVO 95% Chicken & Turkey until the DM runs out) I even cooked him up a chicken breast last night and cut it into pieces to give to him as treats instead of his usual bagged grocery store treats.

In general he's a well behaved cat. Two exceptions: When he wants attention and When he's really hungry. For instance last night just before midnight I heard something in the kitchen. Got up and found him up on the counter next to the pizza we had made for dinner. (Why DH didn't put it in the fridge, no idea) So I put the pizza away and gave him a few chunks of the chicken.

So what I'm asking is, is it OK to give him a midnight/mid-day snack, if so what (I had been giving him a bit of dry food to nosh on), and how much? He gets ~3.3oz 2x a day and is currently ~14lbs. He is a bit overweight at the moment so I don't want to disrupt that, but I don't want him to be hungry either. And I know full well he'll start opening cabinets looking for food if he's hungry enough.
 
I actually feed all my cats 4 times a day, they get fed at 7am when I test and shoot Musette, then they are fed again at 1pm or Musette's +6, then again at 7pm with Musette's evening shot and then the last meal depending on how late I'm going to be up is either put down frozen if I'm going to bed early (10-11pm) or fresh if I'm going to bed late (midnight or later). I just take what I would feed them daily and divide it into 4 equal meals, and then there are always low carb treats to be handed out through out the day of course.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
Bandit is exactly the same way--I second splitting up the meals into 4 times a day rather than two. If I feed Bandit any less than 4 times a day, he'll start ripping my house apart looking for food.

But yes, it's okay to give a small treat before you go to bed. I would look into getting an auto feeder so that you can set a meal for him while you're sleeping or while you're at work. If you end up staying up to get a late mid-cycle test, that's a good time to feed, too.
 
Yep it will keep just fine, just add a little water to it so it stays moist, and make sure the feeder isn't near a heat source such as a heater vent or the bottom of the frig etc. Otherwise it should be fine for several hours.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
SabrinaFaire said:
Will wet food keep OK in an auto feeder for a few hours?
Click to expand...

Oh yes--you can freeze it and let it slowly thaw in the feeder until meal time. I did that before work so that Bandit could be fed 6 hours after his shot (I was always afraid of him dropping low when I wasn't there, so I wanted to make sure he ate at his nadir). My feeder also has a compartment for an ice pack if I'm setting the feeder for a couple hrs away, and then I just put his food in it with a little extra water and keep it chilled in the feeder.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top