Tink's new LOW - feeder issue - dosage??

[JenM]

Hi All. Sorry I've been MIA for quite awhile. Things have been going pretty well with Tink - especially these past two weeks or so - NICE numbers lately (anti-jinx!!).

So, my Petsafe5 feeder tried to kill poor Tink the other day. I'm going to have to get on a regular battery changing schedule (or get a battery tester). I assumed it would give me a low battery warning of some kind. Apparently it does not. Had a green preshot a few days ago - thought "huh... that's weird"... shot anyway. He's been taking his low preshots GREAT (finally - and again, anti-jinx!!!). Since preshot was 86, he was sneaking down to the upper 50s by +3.5, so I thought it best to throw an extra bite of food into the feeder to go off after I was in bed. Open the feeder to find all 3 of that morning's meals still sitting there! YIKES!!!! NO WONDER he was so low at PMPS!!! Changed those batteries out right quick like! That could have been SO dangerous - and does make me wonder how low the poor guy got.

Anyway... then a couple days later I get another low PMPS, but just below 100. No biggie. Give him his shot, go about my evening. +3 rolls around and I go to test & feed... GOOD GRIEF!!! 39!?!?!?!?! he's never gone below 45 before I don't think! EEEEEK! So I fed and put a tsp of honey with it. He started coming right back up and never showed any hypo symptoms... but yikes! Of course after the first feeding with honey, I remember DUH... get the HC food dummy! LOL It'd been so long since I'd needed it!

So, obviously we reduced his dose the next morning. However, last night (dose 2 of reduction) he did it again. Nice preshot of 137 - but was at 36 when I tested at +3.5. Granted, again, I'd gotten sidetracked and not fed at +3... but still! Still had some HC in the fridge from the last PJ party... so gave him that and he came right back up.

So... if you've read this far, thank you. LOL I did NOT further reduce his dose based on this last hypo number. Again there were no symptoms - but my rationale was that it was only the second dose of the reduction. Was I correct in this decision??

I do find it noteworthy that we've not seen a bounce from EITHER of these sub40 numbers! And this is from bounce-happy Mr Tink!! Anyway... appreciate any input on holding this reduction or reducing it further. I don't want to derail our great numbers... but don't want to come home to a comatose kitty either.

 

[JenM]

Also, I seem to have found a rhythm with his food that has helped us keep his numbers pretty stable. I've always fed Wellness GF, using the "4% flavors" (turkey, chicken, chicken&beef)... however I noticed long ago that they do NOT seem to have the same carb content as they're supposed to. I even contacted Wellness about it, but they assured me they're all extremely similar in carb content. Anyway... maybe it's about something more than carbs - digestibility, certain veggies, I don't know. But my anecdotal info tells me that the Chicken is the lowest carb, followed by turkey, then the beef & chicken. If we get a preshot under 130, I feed the beef - to keep his numbers up a bit. He gets a decent food spike from it. If we're 130-170 at PS, I feed the turkey. It keeps him pretty flat. If he's over 170, I feed the chicken, from which he doesn't seem to get any food spike generally and surfs smoothly down.

This method came about because I noticed that he rarely got a food spike from the chicken, and only a small one from the turkey. But the beef/chic gives him a large one. Watched it for a bit, and it seemed to hold true pretty consistently. It's pretty much been the month of June that I've been feeding this way - and his numbers look SO much better! We'd gotten into an awful lot of yellow prior to this routine.

Anyway... just thought I'd share. I know a lot of folks feed Wellness, so might be something to play with and see if your cat also notices the difference between these flavors.

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

Wow, what a change in Tink's SS lately! Two thirties in a row like that make me think he's still getting too much juice, but I understand your wanting to wait to see what happens when the depot is adjusted to the new dose. You'll need to watch him carefully, though, because I think he means business! Remember you don't know how low he goes while you're away at work during the day - I suspect there's been a lot of green in there.

Just FYI, I make a point of checking the autofeeder as soon as I get home, to be sure it worked correctly and to see how much Cinco ate. Very scary to think he went so long without food when he might have been low.

Very interesting about the food. Cinco is not that carb sensitive, but sounds like Tink sure is! If that's all you changed, and it brought about those great numbers, doesn't it make you go ! Why didn't I think of this sooner?!

I can't wait to see what Tink does from here - I just have a feeling there will be more reductions coming (anti-jinx).

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

That's a bit scary on the feeder not opening. I can imagine Mr. Tink sitting there, waiting for his friend to dispense the food, and NO FOOD! That must've been very discombuberating for the kitter. Aside from that, it is unsettling to think it might not open. Too bad they don't have a corded option.

I can understand your rationale for not reducing with the second 30's. The one thing I'm thinking, though, is that if he didn't bounce from the 30's, that says he's likely spending more time there than you know. Most cats will bounce from 30's, even after they are very used to higher green numbers. I'd just keep a close watch - which you do - for any sign that he's headed there again. I wouldn't hesitate to reduce again - you can always go back up in dose if his numbers trend upwards.

nice to see you and get a Tink update!

 

[JenM]

Thanks ladies. Hmm... that's a good point about the lack of a bounce... didn't think of that. Seems he's had nice surfs since those two semi-scary nights... but that is concerning. I can only imagine how frustrated he was the day the feeder didn't open. He sits by it all morning, just waiting. A corded option would be lovely.

And yeah... crazy about the food. That's the only change. Though Tink WAS dx with pancreatitis last summer... so could have had a flare up for a bit there. But I'm pretty sure it's the food. I've had my suspicions for awhile (since last summer actually - that's when I'd contacted Wellness). I've known from the start that he's ULTRA carb-sensitive... but I THOUGHT since those are all supposed to be around 4% that we were good. Apparently not. The beef almost acts like a medium carb food for him and the chicken more like a 1or 2%.

I do hope he earns more reductions. I'd LOVE to see him go off the juice again! Sure would make my life easier! But... I'll take the baby steps. Will definitely reduce right away if we get any more super lows. Thanks again! I'll try to stay in touch better.