Weight loss

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Ann & Liz

Ann & Liz

Member Since 2016
Hi we have weighed lila tonight and she is now 8.5lbs instead of her usual 9lbs. We last weighed her on weds 5th. Nothing has changed in her feeding regime. She has 2 x 100g lilys kitchen organic chicken dinner. Any ideas on what would be the best approach?
 
Yes we are keeping the weighing to same time of day and same scales etc. We have now increased her food a little. (Was on 200g, so have increased to 200/250g). As she is on a low carb food will this increase affect her bg readings & insulin requirements ultimately.
 
She is losing weight as she is unable to use her food effectively so she needs the insulin to drive the glucose into her cells and out of the blood. I note she is still in high numbers and you have reduced her dose to 0.75 units, you need to get her out of those black pre shot numbers as soon as possible as she is at risk of developing ketones if she continues to run such high numbers and is losing weight as well. You need to be feeding additional calories over and above her normal at this stage and follow the sugars with the insulin, as she becomes better regulated the numbers will come down, her weight will go up and she will start to feel a lot better - how many calories has she been getting per day? Are you checking her urine for ketones?
 
Alexi said:
She is losing weight as she is unable to use her food effectively so she needs the insulin to drive the glucose into her cells and out of the blood. I note she is still in high numbers and you have reduced her dose to 0.75 units, you need to get her out of those black pre shot numbers as soon as possible as she is at risk of developing ketones if she continues to run such high numbers and is losing weight as well. You need to be feeding additional calories over and above her normal at this stage and follow the sugars with the insulin, as she becomes better regulated the numbers will come down, her weight will go up and she will start to feel a lot better - how many calories has she been getting per day? Are you checking her urine for ketones?
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Thanks, Alexi, yes have had to try 0.75 Caninsulin under vet guidance due to some low numbers and her tendency for big drops in addition to her marked reaction (wobbling, lethargy etc) at higher doses. Have just done her PMPS and it's 23.9! After a higher reading at +6. Doesn't seem (to us) to be much of a pattern. She was tested by vet for ketones on Thurs (neg). We now have strips so will test too. Will need to come back to you re exact calories but she has been having 200g of very low carb. Although she is hungry she does not always clear her bowl without encouragement so probably will struggle to get her to have more than 225g daily we suspect.
 
Alexi said:
She is losing weight as she is unable to use her food effectively so she needs the insulin to drive the glucose into her cells and out of the blood.
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@Alexi -

Is there any chance you might visit the following thread to see whether you might be able to help Steph and Chuck (he is seriously underweight and I'm very worried about him but don't have enough relevant knowledge or experience to make helpful suggestions).

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/not-gaining-weight.166313/


Mogs
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What may help is to feed smaller meals more frequently, with Caninuslin 2/3 of her food pre dose then the remaining 1/3 3-4 hours later, or leave food down for her to graze during the day lifting it 2 hours before her meal is due. This will also help to steer the drop in numbers. My cat had lost 1/4 of her body weight at diagnosis so for the first few weeks was free feeding and I gradually switched her to a 12/12 regime on food as her weight came up and her numbers came down. Ask your vet for an ideal weight to aim for and make sure you weigh her at least once a week to monitor.
 
We have now calculated the calories that Lila has been having - 166 cals per day. We are aiming to increase this to 186 or 206 (depending on her appetite). Do these amounts of calories sound OK to increase her body weight a little? (currently 3.85kg). As her numbers were too high yesterday we have increased insulin back to 1u again to try to get some improvement too.
 
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Do you know how much Lila should weigh? A 4kg cat needs about 190 cal per day to maintain weight, a little more to gain and a little less to lose weight. Unregulated diabetic cats need more but gradually increasing the food and insulin with regular weighing should give an indication of how she is doing, don't try to get the weight on too quickly.

Body condition is important, if you can feel the ribs, pelvis and backbone she is underweight, particularly if you can feel the pelvis. Here is a body condition score to guide you, you should be trying to get her to a 5 but it does take time! Take it slow and steady. http://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body condition score chart cats.pdf
 
Alexi said:
Do you know how much Lila should weigh? A 4kg cat needs about 190 cal per day to maintain weight, a little more to gain and a little less to lose weight. Unregulated diabetic cats need more but gradually increasing the food and insulin with regular weighing should give an indication of how she is doing, don't try to get the weight on too quickly.

Body condition is important, if you can feel the ribs, pelvis and backbone she is underweight, particularly if you can feel the pelvis. Here is a body condition score to guide you, you should be trying to get her to a 5 but it does take time! Take it slow and steady. http://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body condition score chart cats.pdf
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Thanks, Alexi, not sure of Lila's ideal weight. But don't think she is too far from ideal in weight or body condition thankfully at the moment, just need to increase a little & maintain. Will check with vet too at next appointment. At present she has a good appetite and managing the slight increase in quantity. No ketones and some slightly better numbers mid cycle at least.
 
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