not drinking enough water

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Paul & Spook

Paul & Spook

Member Since 2018
Spook is not drinking enough water. what can we do ? Changing insulins he is on novalin n. Hate it
Lantus or Prozinc? Which is better?
 
Paul Czajka said:
Spook is not drinking enough water. what can we do ? Changing insulins he is on novalin n. Hate it
Lantus or Prozinc? Which is better?
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Most of us add extra water to all wet food meals because a lot of cats aren't good water drinkers on their own.

Re Lantus or ProZinc: both good insulins for cats but a bit like comparing apples and oranges.

ProZinc
  • pricier than Novolin (about $120 US per vial) and is U4o so less concentrated than Novolin and you'll go through it faster
  • is similar to Novolin in that it's *mostly* an in and out insulin - ie., give dose, dose gets used up by around 12 hour mark and is gone from system. It can have a slightly longer residual effect in some cats
  • some flexibility in dose timing and dose changing
  • BG profile over the cycle will be smile shaped - ie. higher at pre shot dipping to lower nadir then back to higher pre shot.
  • slower and gentler in its action than Novolin so it can moderate erratic responses to insulin.
Lantus
  • VERY expensive in the US ($300+ per vial) but is U100 like Novolin. Many people buy from a reputable Canadian online pharmacy, Marks Marine Pharmacy, in Vancouver for a little over half the price. A 5 pack of Lantus pen cartrides are a better deal.
  • higher remission rates for feline diabetes
  • can produce a much flatter curve
  • less flexibility in dose scheduling and dose changing
  • very slow and gentle in its action for many cats.
Food for thought ...
 
Wet food has a very high moisture content. Once Mia was switched to wet and started insulin to bring her BG down, she stopped drinking water. I never see her drink it at all. She gets moisture from her food (to which I also add bone broth and water). Drinking a lot of water is not necessarily a good thing. It is a symptom of uncontrolled diabetes or hyperthyroidism. Cats also drink more when they are on a dry food diet because the food does not have water content. Is Spook eating wet food? Do you have reason to believe he is dehydrated?
 
Cats innately have a very low thirst drive; in nature, they get most of their required fluid intake from their kills. Since most of our housecats don't go around killing things (at least I hope not, lol), the best way to assure they stay hydrated is to feed canned (or raw) food supplemented with a teaspoon or two of water at each feeding. I have two water fountains going but I almost never see any of my four cats use them.
 
One of my young ones never drinks water. The other drinks a little. They eat raw and I add a little water to get it to room temp out of the fridge although eating it cold doesn’t bother them, just me, lol.
 
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