? Tiger next step advice request

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J9 Pearson

J9 Pearson

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Tiger is doing much better overall. I've been out of town for most of the past month and my son has been taking his blood sugar and feeding him. Tiger has been in yellow numbers for the past month and hoping to get him down into the green. Hoping for some suggestions. I'm thinking I may have to buckle down and keep him inside but he LOVES going outdoors. Our other struggle is he gets into his (much) older brother's food (17 year old yorkie) We've been pretty good about testing before insulin and recording with some sporadic numbers occasionally. Sugar Sheet should be on my signature. Appreciate any advice!
 
Before anything else, I'd strongly recommend that you get a minimum of 4 tests per day. You or your son have been good about the AMPS and PMPS tests. However, without any tests closer to the middle of the cycle, you have no idea how low the current dose is taking Tiger's blood glucose numbers. Tiger could already be in green numbers and you will never know.

There's also no indication if the AM shots were skipped or what the dose was from 10/22 to present. If the shot was skipped, please enter either "NS" or 0 in the column.

The issue with a cat eating a dog's food, other than the possibility of the carbs, is that a dog's food is not nutritionally good for a cat. If your dog is eating kibble, it's likely quite high in carbs. However, Tiger's numbers are pretty good for a cat that's eating a dog's food.

My biggest worry about Tiger going outside is the possibility that he doesn't come home for a couple of days. He could be without insulin which could be problematic.
 
Thank you! So helpful. I am going to be around all week so there will be lots of testing happening. Just did a +5 test and he was 186. I updated the spreadsheet to reflect the insulin too. He's not getting much of the dog's food but the occasional times he has I notice his BG seems up a bit. It's also low fat wet dog food. As far as outside, I agree with you but he really stays very close in our yard and has never been a cat that goes out for long period of times and/or doesnt' come home. He's a lover and can't be without human pets for very long! Lol. I'm trying to balance his quality of life with diabetes. :)
 
There are devices you can use to make sure that the right pet gets the right food, like a bowl that only opens when it scans the correct collar or microchip, unfortunately they are fairly pricey. Otherwise, maybe talk to your vet about feeding Tiger more low-carb snacks between meals.

Also you may want to consider trying to let him outside but only when on a leash or in a catio, or other safe structure. Many cats who love the outdoors have have transitioned to this lifestyle and are happy! That way you won't have to worry about dangers besides him missing an insulin shot, like diseases, mean animals and people, etc. Theres a lot of resources and info online if you want to see if itll work for your family :)
 
Remember, you need to get an additional test during the PM cycle, too. I generally suggest a "before bed" test so you know that when you're heading off to sleep, your cat is in safe numbers.
 
You also may want to look into getting a microchip feeder for your yorkie. This would keep Tiger out of his food. I use the SurePet feeders and love them
 
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