Question: Ideas on regaining lost weight

[nepenthe]

My boy seems to be doing better now, recovering from pancreatitis flares and also having come off 2 years worth of prednisolone (low dose 5mg EOD). For the pasts two years, I think that both the pred and ongoing chronic smoldering pancreatitis have had him see too many higher numbers.

Before he was hospitalized overnight in Jan 2011 with pancreatitis he was on 1U of Lantus and when he came home, the vet doubled his dose to 2 units bid. Looking back at lots of his numbers over the past two years, I wouldn't doubt that the higher dose also caused some bouncing too.

I am finally seeing some better numbers now, but the problem is his weight. In October he was 13.3 and by Dec 3 he was down to 12.95. By the time I started throwing sub-qs and pain meds at the pancreatitis, he'd gone down to 12.76. Today he is at 12.80.

My question is how to get him to eat more?

(I tried "Fortiflora", which he seems to love, but noticed a spike in his BG almost immediately. The package says that its 45% protein, 15% fat, so I assume that the rest is carbs? The animal digest is likely what makes the food taste so good, but could it raise BG?)

He is eating a no-name tuna & chicken from a Canadian grocery chain, and FF Classic Chicken. No dry at all for years.

 

[BJM]

Try a a kitten food, with higher protein and fat values for growth and development.

Active play will stimulate the hunt, catch, kill, eat, behavior cycle and may get him to eat a bit more.

Warm the food so its nice and stinky.

A bit of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on the food may encourage eating.

I descovered Vetri-Lysine treats seem to encourage my cats to eat; I crumble them over the food. I have not calculated the food value in these, though.

 

[Ann & Tess GA]

Check out the new food list that Dr. Lisa put together. Look for higher calorie food, that way you can feed the same volume, but get more calories into him. FF usually has between 24 and 30 kcal/oz, Wellness about 40 and some of the raw foods as much as 65.

 

[nepenthe]

A bit of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on the food may encourage eating.

Could parmesan raise BG? (I know there is a glucose component to lactose)

 

[nepenthe]

Check out the new food list that Dr. Lisa put together. Look for higher calorie food, that way you can feed the same volume, but get more calories into him. FF usually has between 24 and 30 kcal/oz, Wellness about 40 and some of the raw foods as much as 65.

I've really been thinking of buying these raw medallions by Nature's Variety - do you think its safe to feed them these? (thinking about salmonella risk etc)

 

[Wendy&Tiggy(GA)]

Hello there, welcome to the forum!

Here are my thoughts..

1. Fortiflora is a probiotic. A lot of people use it here. It shouldnt spike the blood sugar so I think you can rule that out. BUT if he likes it he may be eating more of his food and if his food is high carb it could spike his blood glucose.

2. I wonder how high carb the no name tuna and chicken is. Some canned foods can be high carb (see the list provided by Ann and Tess) So you might want to change to just fancy feast or you could try the big of Wellness grain free varieties as they could work out cheaper?

3. To increase weight you could try coconut oil (cold pressed virgin organic). 1ml , twice a day to start. Assuming no diarrhea increase to 2ml twice a day.

4. I believe Natures variety is pasturized so its ok to feed occasionally but its not balanced nutritionally so you cant use it all the time.

let us know if you have any other questions!

Wendy

 

[nepenthe]

Hello there, welcome to the forum!

Here are my thoughts..

1. Fortiflora is a probiotic. A lot of people use it here. It shouldnt spike the blood sugar so I think you can rule that out. BUT if he likes it he may be eating more of his food and if his food is high carb it could spike his blood glucose.

2. I wonder how high carb the no name tuna and chicken is. Some canned foods can be high carb (see the list provided by Ann and Tess) So you might want to change to just fancy feast or you could try the big of Wellness grain free varieties as they could work out cheaper?

3. To increase weight you could try coconut oil (cold pressed virgin organic). 1ml , twice a day to start. Assuming no diarrhea increase to 2ml twice a day.

4. I believe Natures variety is pasturized so its ok to feed occasionally but its not balanced nutritionally so you cant use it all the time.

let us know if you have any other questions!

Wendy

Thanks!

I know that the no-name tuna/chicken I get from Food Basics in Ontario has no carb ingredients in it. (their budget line "Irresistibles")

I am thinking of either Nature's Variety medallions as a supplement to the canned or getting Wellness chicken. On Dr Lisa's charts, Wellness chicken is listed as 4% carbs, but with potato etc in it, I wonder if the true number isn't higher?

 

[BJM]

The lactose in milk is digested by the bacteria culturing it into cheese. The older the cheese, the less lactose. And you aren't using a lot, just enough to get some taste interest.

Reference.

Using Lactaid drops or tablets in milk will digest the lactose in straight milk, too, and make it more easily tolerated by cats which lose some of that digestive ability as they age. A do it yourself version of CatSip.

 

[Dr Schrodinger]

I'm having similar problems with my skeletal feline. I've started buying the premium high meat-content food, and he will take it, especially if I hand feed him.
Elizabeth & Bertie suggested to me that mixing an egg yolk into food might help with nutrition. See if your kitty likes that?

 

[Wendy&Tiggy(GA)]

I would trust Dr Lisas charts. she is specialized in this and she calls the manufacturers and works with them to develop these numbers.

 

[akbahsMum]

I had a lot of trouble getting the weight back on my cat Akbah, but now he is glossy and has lost that 'breadknife spine' he had for quite a while.
First, I found that he wasn't interested in food. He would eat a bit, then forget about it and wander off. So I started gently bringing him back to the bowl. Again and again. He was happy enough to eat a bit each time and gradually the food was gone... now he tends to only need one round of being brought back to the bowl. I give him a bit of space between returns to the bowl so each time is like a new time. I think what was happening was he was eating so little that he'd lost his apetite, like happens for humans too (I believe, I can't imagine it happening to me but I know it has happened to my husband after illness).

Second, I started feeding him raw mince a few times a week. He loves his raw mince, and gobbles it down in one hit every time. I can't feed him raw mince all the time as it doesnt have the minerals etc etc but for the sake of seeing him gobble something straight down, raw mince is king.