Request for feeding advice, Penny 3 days with Vetsulin

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Pjmuellner

Pjmuellner

Member Since 2017
I had been feeding Penny 1 can (3 oz) Fancy Feast 3 times a day but when we started Vetsulin a few days ago, changed to 1.5 cans twice a day. I understand the insulin reacts with her food. She had lost a lot of weight (although she's been staying at 11 pounds for the last 6 weeks at least) and I want to make sure she eats enough.

But she has always wolfed down her food, eats fast and 1.5 cans may be too much for her. Her stomach jumps like she's hyperventilating sometimes, kind of like she's coughing without coughing. It has happened even when she was eating 1 can each meal and I asked the vet but she didn't seem to think it was a problem.

How can I feed her enough without feeding so much during her meals?

Thank you in advance. Three days in and I am getting good at testing and the insulin shots and understand so much more than I thought I could because I've gotten so much help and love from this board.
 
Several members advised me that twice a day feeding is unrealistic for some so they feed 3 times a day. If you feed at the nadir (lowest point in readings/day...mine is 5 hours), I believe that's called feeding the curve. I believe that is ok. I'm sure people will chime in. I believe it's not full cans, just a portion/snack. That doesn't work for me because I work and am not home for a mid day feeding. As long as it is a low carb food, like alot of Fancy Feasts, I think you're ok.

Congrats on being better at testing! Her numbers aren't horrible but still too high probably. I'm guessing you'll be told to go up a little...maybe to 1.5 if you can swing it on your syringes. My feeling is they'll tell you to go up to 3 but we went up too fast by whole numbers and ended pretty much starting over. We are at 1.25 of Vetsulin now. When do you go back to the vet?
 
We feed our cat low carb 3oz cans twice a day and 1.5oz snacks 2-3 times a day. By low carb I mean 2-5% and it does not effect her #s as long as we don't feed 2 hours prior to each pretest.
 
You can feed him several times a day, as a matter of fact is better for him if you divide his food during the day, you can stablish some schedule that works for you or just leave food out for him to grace all day some of us use time feeders to give them food mid day or mid night.

Which is not the same as feeding the curve that would be feeding him at a very specific time just when he is starting to get low to avoid getting too low
 
vbc2000 said:
Several members advised me that twice a day feeding is unrealistic for some so they feed 3 times a day. If you feed at the nadir (lowest point in readings/day...mine is 5 hours), I believe that's called feeding the curve. I believe that is ok. I'm sure people will chime in. I believe it's not full cans, just a portion/snack. That doesn't work for me because I work and am not home for a mid day feeding. As long as it is a low carb food, like alot of Fancy Feasts, I think you're ok.

Congrats on being better at testing! Her numbers aren't horrible but still too high probably. I'm guessing you'll be told to go up a little...maybe to 1.5 if you can swing it on your syringes. My feeling is they'll tell you to go up to 3 but we went up too fast by whole numbers and ended pretty much starting over. We are at 1.25 of Vetsulin now. When do you go back to the vet?
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I'm supposed to call the vet in a few weeks. She's already getting 2 units but it's only been 3 days.

Penny will be glad to get a midday meal, at least a snack. And I'll keep an eye on her weight.

Thank you.
 
I leave catfoodsicles out for my boy to have a wet food snack when I'm at work. I freeze portions of wet food with water in ice cube trays and leave him one as I'm heading out. Thaws out in an hour or so and then he has a timed feeder for his YA dry snack. It has helped him not feel the need to wake me 2 hours before the alarm goes off :p
 
How much does Penny weigh currently? Also is this a good weight to stay at, or are you trying to get her to lose or gain?

Fabby is on Vetsulin, and through testing I've found that food helps regulate her glucose almost as much as the insulin. Which means the more opportunity she has to eat, the better her numbers look through the day.
I feed 4 times a day once at AMPS, then at nadir, and again at PMPS, then somewhere in the middle, depending on sleep schedule. Fabby is 12 lbs, and I need her to gain a couple pounds to be healthy. She's eating only 11 oz a day, but that will only maintain, not help her gain. So when I can get more food in her I try. Fabby eats Friskies Pate versions that are 5 carbs or less per Dr. Lisa's list.

If you can leave food out for Penny she should begin to self regulate, just make sure you pick it up 2 hours before your glucose test.
 
AlphaCat said:
How much does Penny weigh currently? Also is this a good weight to stay at, or are you trying to get her to lose or gain?

Fabby is on Vetsulin, and through testing I've found that food helps regulate her glucose almost as much as the insulin. Which means the more opportunity she has to eat, the better her numbers look through the day.
I feed 4 times a day once at AMPS, then at nadir, and again at PMPS, then somewhere in the middle, depending on sleep schedule. Fabby is 12 lbs, and I need her to gain a couple pounds to be healthy. She's eating only 11 oz a day, but that will only maintain, not help her gain. So when I can get more food in her I try. Fabby eats Friskies Pate versions that are 5 carbs or less per Dr. Lisa's list.

If you can leave food out for Penny she should begin to self regulate, just make sure you pick it up 2 hours before your glucose test.
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Thank for the advice, now I feed her 4 times a day, very similar to your schedule. She is MUCH happier eating more often. She's eating 9 oz/day. at 11 pounds, she could gain and be healthier.
The Vetsulin and bg testing and now giving Zobaline is a lot to manage for me. Penny could sense my apprehension and started to snap at me for the insulin. If I take my time and give her attention before and after the test or the shot, she's fine. I was using a rice sock but that chafed her ears, now using a warm water pill bottle but her poor ears needed a break. They're getting better now.
We've got one week under our belt and I am definitely in for the long haul and committed to helping her be the healthiest cat she can be. I've learned so much already. Thank you.
 
Pjmuellner said:
Thank for the advice, now I feed her 4 times a day, very similar to your schedule. She is MUCH happier eating more often. She's eating 9 oz/day. at 11 pounds, she could gain and be healthier.
The Vetsulin and bg testing and now giving Zobaline is a lot to manage for me. Penny could sense my apprehension and started to snap at me for the insulin. If I take my time and give her attention before and after the test or the shot, she's fine. I was using a rice sock but that chafed her ears, now using a warm water pill bottle but her poor ears needed a break. They're getting better now.
We've got one week under our belt and I am definitely in for the long haul and committed to helping her be the healthiest cat she can be. I've learned so much already. Thank you.
Click to expand...
9oz a day is a great appetite!
 
You are doing good! This is a lot of change for you both. There are ups and downs, but I find all of life is like that... but the beginning is definitely the hardest. So, keep up the good work. And you're right, you have learned so much already. The neosporin really helped Fabby in the beginning too.
Fabby will still occasionally snap at me when I give the insulin shot. But she's got a general grumpy personality, so I don't pay her any mind, and just say back to her, "you need this!"

The biggest thing that helped our first week was treats after the ear test. We ear test in the same spot each time, and I picked up Fancy Feast one ingredient treats in salmon, so there's no carbs and they are individually wrapped. Within 3 days if I sat down in our spot and grabbed her case she came running. She knew she was getting a treat. And honestly I felt so bad about her poor ears giving her a treat made me feel better too. I don't treat after every time anymore, just randomly, or on days that I do a curve, but she still comes running because she knows she'll get fed and that this is our process. She drools while I test her because she knows food is coming... gross, but it makes me happy to know she's thinking of her reward rather than pain or process.

Anyway, you're doing great! Hang in there, and it does get easier the more routine you get into! And Penny already dipped into the Blue for you! Fantastic!
 
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