hi. I have a 6 yr old male yellow tabby cat named Butter. Life was good & then he started peeing up a storm. Went to vet last week, yes: high sugar. They kept him overnight & did lots of tests. Everything else was fine (Thank God!) & vet said she thought he is actually borderline DM & can hopefully be managed with diet. I have another cat, Squeaks, who is 13 & the MOST finicky eater in the world. I was among the sinners & was feeding dry food, Purina One Urinary Tract & Wellness Grain Free. I noticed Butter appeared to be gaining weight on this food, which I only started 2 months ago. Anyway, after visiting the vet I bought Wellness Core canned & Nature's Variety Instinct. I had no clue how to feed. I started out feeding every 6 hours. Between the two of them they would eat maybe 1/2 can at a time (of 3 oz can). That seemed to be too often. Then I tried every 8 hours, etc. Now I'm sort of at 10-12. They don't always want to eat at the same time & I'm just worried they aren't getting the right nutrition. Butter has lost some weight, I can tell. He weighed 18 lbs. But vet said he is a very large cat. Also Butter is still not really back to his old self yet. Is this normal? He had been peeing a lot for about a week-10 days when we took to vet, he had gotten lethargic. I guess I want to know if I need to be fretting over his food times, etc and is it normal for him to not quite be up to par?
SO stressed out over feeding
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Chris & China (GA)
Member Since 2013
It's actually easier on the pancreas to deal with several small meals instead of a few bigger ones
Most of us feed mini-meals every 3-4 hours, so if feeding every 6 hours has been keeping everyone happy, I'd go with it!
Most of us feed mini-meals every 3-4 hours, so if feeding every 6 hours has been keeping everyone happy, I'd go with it!
Squalliesmom
Member Since 2015
Welcome to FDMB!
I have a couple of finicky eaters myself, so I feel your pain! Two of my four have to be on special diets so it always has to something all four will eat (too crazy trying to feed them all different foods, separately!) Diabetic kitties usually do best with several small meals a day, rather than one or two large ones. My guys get Fancy Feast Classic Turkey and Giblets three times a day. It took a while to get them used to the schedule (they were all free-grazing kibble junkies) but it has sorted itself out and now is working really well. If you are not sure how much he should be eating here is a simple formula that will give you a rough idea of the calories he needs daily: cat's weight x 13.5 + 70. If he needs to gain weight, substitute desired weight for current weight. Also here is a link to a great list of a lot of popular cat foods, listing their percentage of carbohydrates:
http://catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf
Diabetic kitties should eat foods with low carbs, 10% or less is the general rule of thumb. Some cats are more sensitive to carbs so you may have to try a few before you find the right one for him.
It would be a good idea for you to start home testing him. Another link to follow, oh goody, lol! But they really are helpful!
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
Good luck! Don't hesitate to post for more info, any time!
I have a couple of finicky eaters myself, so I feel your pain! Two of my four have to be on special diets so it always has to something all four will eat (too crazy trying to feed them all different foods, separately!) Diabetic kitties usually do best with several small meals a day, rather than one or two large ones. My guys get Fancy Feast Classic Turkey and Giblets three times a day. It took a while to get them used to the schedule (they were all free-grazing kibble junkies) but it has sorted itself out and now is working really well. If you are not sure how much he should be eating here is a simple formula that will give you a rough idea of the calories he needs daily: cat's weight x 13.5 + 70. If he needs to gain weight, substitute desired weight for current weight. Also here is a link to a great list of a lot of popular cat foods, listing their percentage of carbohydrates:
http://catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf
Diabetic kitties should eat foods with low carbs, 10% or less is the general rule of thumb. Some cats are more sensitive to carbs so you may have to try a few before you find the right one for him.
It would be a good idea for you to start home testing him. Another link to follow, oh goody, lol! But they really are helpful!
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
Good luck! Don't hesitate to post for more info, any time!
Thanks so much! I'm supposed to take him to vet tomorrow for a follow up BS. But it's been so incredibly hot here I worry about taking him out in the heat. Extremely humid.
Welcome to FDMB!
I have a couple of finicky eaters myself, so I feel your pain! Two of my four have to be on special diets so it always has to something all four will eat (too crazy trying to feed them all different foods, separately!) Diabetic kitties usually do best with several small meals a day, rather than one or two large ones. My guys get Fancy Feast Classic Turkey and Giblets three times a day. It took a while to get them used to the schedule (they were all free-grazing kibble junkies) but it has sorted itself out and now is working really well. If you are not sure how much he should be eating here is a simple formula that will give you a rough idea of the calories he needs daily: cat's weight x 13.5 + 70. If he needs to gain weight, substitute desired weight for current weight. Also here is a link to a great list of a lot of popular cat foods, listing their percentage of carbohydrates:
http://catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf
Diabetic kitties should eat foods with low carbs, 10% or less is the general rule of thumb. Some cats are more sensitive to carbs so you may have to try a few before you find the right one for him.
It would be a good idea for you to start home testing him. Another link to follow, oh goody, lol! But they really are helpful!
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
Good luck! Don't hesitate to post for more info, any time!
I've read more in the last week on FDB than I ever wanted to know. I still have a bowl of kibble down, but it's Veterinary stuff from the vet & they hardly touch it much. I know with people with diabetes, they eat several small meals, so I was confused about the cats. Re the finicky eater, I put her food in a different bowl & she wouldn't eat it. I thought something was wrong with her. Changed back to old bowl & she ate it all. Cats!
Squalliesmom
Member Since 2015
Lol!
Squallie looks like my precious cat Spike. He died 6 years ago of liver cancer. He was quite a character. Thanks for the link re testing.Lol!
Squalliesmom
Member Since 2015
You are very welcome, hope the info helps you! And Squallie is quite a character, too, lol!
Chris & China (GA)
Member Since 2013
Take it back and get your money back....those "Prescription" foods are high carb garbage, but they also have a 100% guarantee on them so even if the bag is opened, you can return it for a full refund
Take the money you get from returning the food and run to WalMart for a Relion Confirm or Micro blood glucose meter (about $14) and 100 strips is $35.88
You'll also need a box of lancets to "poke the hole" in the ears. Get lancets that are for "Alternate site testing"....usually 24-28 gauge lancets...box is about $8
You can do this sister!!!
jayla-n-Drevon
Member Since 2015
LOL@ 1 of the sinners
Don't be so hard on yourself!
I just wanted to say welcome and share something I wish I had done..... my vet also told me I could try to control with food but after consulting other specialists and this wonderful group I truly believe if I had started insulin sooner and let his pancreas heal faster he would be farther along. We are still hoping for remission but control is really what is important so internally the organs do not suffer (especially the kidneys)
Welcome aboard!
Don't be so hard on yourself!
I just wanted to say welcome and share something I wish I had done..... my vet also told me I could try to control with food but after consulting other specialists and this wonderful group I truly believe if I had started insulin sooner and let his pancreas heal faster he would be farther along. We are still hoping for remission but control is really what is important so internally the organs do not suffer (especially the kidneys)
Welcome aboard!
Well, thanks to all for the info. Took Butter back to vet, BS was 350 so he's on Lantus Insulin now. Hubby & I are on social security so the $270 (!!) for insulin & 20 for needles hit us hard, not to mention the vet bills. I started him on insulin Friday night, Saturday he was so much better, but today he's kind of flat, although I'm a dyed-in-the-wool night owl & he was up with me quite late til 5 a.m. I get hopeful then depressed. No $$ right now for glucose monitor, take him back to vet for glucose level Tuesday. I feel an almost constant level of stress, afraid to leave him alone. I can't tell you how glad I am to have found this board, my vet actually told me about it.LOL@ 1 of the sinners
Don't be so hard on yourself!
I just wanted to say welcome and share something I wish I had done..... my vet also told me I could try to control with food but after consulting other specialists and this wonderful group I truly believe if I had started insulin sooner and let his pancreas heal faster he would be farther along. We are still hoping for remission but control is really what is important so internally the organs do not suffer (especially the kidneys)
Welcome aboard!
I please need help on NEEDLES! The ones they gave me are the most dinky looking things I've seen, 31 guage, very short. Butter has a very very thick coat. When I pull the needle out of him, it is always bent. Not sure he's getting his dosage. I'm thinking a 26 guage & longer needle would help. Ideas? This 'ain't' working!
Cindy & Josh
Member Since 2015
You probably have 5/16" needles which are pretty short. We have good luck with ReliOn (Walmart) 29 gauge, 12.7mm (1/2") needles and they are relatively inexpensive. Make sure you pull his skin up enough to dispense the insulin into. Because this needle is longer, make sure it stays within that pocket
and doesn't poke out the other side. You can do it! Good luck!
Shenandoah
Member Since 2015
Haha. My two cats get exactly the same food. Shenandoah's bowl is white, Foxy's bowl is black.
If the food's been down a while, they will nibble off each other's bowls, so they have no problem with the opposite ones.
Put if I accidentally swap the bowls when I SERVE the food, they both just stare at me, waiting.
Thanks for your suggestion. I was thinking the BG thing was really expensive. I hate dragging him to the vet, esp in this heat. Stressful to everyone! I see you have a Maine Coon. We used to have 2 females. They are the funniest cats. They lived to be 14 & 16 years old, died within a few months of each other. Still miss them, but I miss all my fur kids that have have crossed over.
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