Question re: required food intake prior to shot

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Jessica & furbaby Indie

Jessica & furbaby Indie

Member Since 2016
My lil girl, Indie was newly diagnosed (I just posted in the Intro forum :)) Tonight will be her first insulin shot by me! Prayers much appreciated :) I do have one health related question. I emailed my vet, but he hasn't had the opportunity to respond yet.

How much does a 14 lb. cat need to eat within the 30 mins prior to receiving an insulin shot?

Am guessing this is a loaded question and you need to know her blood sugar numbers as well as the dosage of insulin. I can post tonight, if that's needed. I am just freaked out about all the Hypoglycemia talk and want to ensure there is no way for that to happen.
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I ordered the Purina DM per my vet but it hasn’t come in yet. Meanwhile I’ve been very closely monitoring her food intake to get a feel for how much she eats and when. Until the Purina DM comes in she is eating Fancy Feast Classics.

She only eats 2 - 3oz cans a day. Is that even enough for a 14lb cat? (I will never understand how she has put on weight over the years with her tiny appetite.)

I know wet food is preferred but should I leave some dry food out during the day to ensure she is getting more nutrients? She will eat either, typically.

If she only eats 1.5oz of food just prior to her insulin shot can I still give the shot to her?

She eats about half of a can (1.5oz) in the morning at 6:30am. Then usually she will eat the other half mid-day (my sister is at my place during the day as a caregiver for my gram who lives with me, so my sister is then there during the day to monitor and feed her). Today she didn’t eat any more. So she only has 1.5 oz. of food in her system. Then when I get home I will give her ½ of another can (1.5oz) at 7pm. Then finally the last ½ of a the 2nd can she will likely eat between 9-10pm. So if I come home at 7pm and she at that time only eats 1.5 oz. can I still give her an insulin injection? If let’s say her sugar is at or around 300?

So, how much does a 14 lb. cat need to eat within the 30 mins prior to giving an insulin shot?
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Thanks in advance!!
 
Actually, with Lantus, it's not necessary that they eat before the shot

Lantus doesn't "kick in" for several hours after the shot, so as long as the cat is willing to eat and not sick, there's no reason you can't shoot

With the older, harsher insulins, it was important that they eat a pretty good meal 30 minutes before the shot, but that's not the case with Lantus.

Most of us Test/Feed/Shoot all within 5-10 minutes....You Test to make sure they're high enough for insulin, Feed to make sure they're at least willing to eat and Shoot

You shouldn't leave any dry down....Most of us feed several mini-meals instead of 2 big ones....but we feed low carb foods at all times. It's actually easier on the pancreas to deal with smaller meals instead of 2 big ones.

There's also no reason you need to feed the DM..the ingredients aren't anything special and in fact, are comparable to the much cheaper foods like Fancy Feast or Friskies. Most cats tire of DM very quickly too and refuse to eat it. The only thing "special' about DM is the price!!
 
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I read this yesterday and it immediately relieved some of my stress.

This is very good to know. And actually I heard from my vet this morning and he confirmed all that you said.

LOL on your price comment. So true! Yeah, I'm not a huge proponent of the prescription diets. I suppose I'll try it (since I already ordered it). And will then switch to the cheaper foods.
 
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