Fin the fatty...

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by tecwmn, May 16, 2010.

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  1. tecwmn

    tecwmn Member

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    May 8, 2010
    Fin and C.C. came home today (hurrah!) and so far so good. Now that I have had more time to spend with him, he is bigger than I thought. I weighed him today and he is 15 lbs...he should probably be around 10 lbs.

    Any ideas on how to exercize a fat, lazy, diabetic cat?? :?
     
  2. Venita

    Venita Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Welcome home Fin and CC.

    Dr Lisa's site has a section on obesity that it would be helpful to read. She recommends that weight loss be done in a slow, controlled manner.

    Fin may have joint damage from the excess weight. XRays would show that and he may need some medication or supplements for that. Even if he doesn't have joint damage, he may have trouble mobilizing just because of the weight. Again, something you should work on in a slow, controlled manner.

    As for exercise, if he is food focused, you can "walk" him for his food. Carry it back and forth between rooms or up and down a hall a couple times, having him follow you, to get him moving a little.

    Thanks for adopting a diabetic!!
     
  3. Marvie and Tugger

    Marvie and Tugger Well-Known Member

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    Dec 31, 2009
    Thank you for adopting an FD kitty!

    I have a fatty too =) Tugger is 19 pounds, down from 25. I do exactly what Venita suggested, Tugger loves his food and will usually race down the hallway from the bedroom to the kitchen, trying to beat me there ;-) So I make several trips back and forth at meal time (I don't even need the food in my hand, there just needs to be none in the kitchen to eat lol) he races from the kitchen to the bedroom if I "forget" to put the food down then when I head back in the kitchen direction he goes racing back :twisted: We do this about four times a day (we do mini-meals instead of two big meals) plus he also runs away from the dogs (I have great danes) when they get hyper.

    I also have a feather ona stick toy that he adores and lots of floor space in the living room... so I get that out once a day and get him moving. Some days are lazy days, he won't get moving for anything but the dogs, but they have daily zoomies so even on his lazy days he gets a little exercise ;)

    Getting him off the dry food and eating a good low carb canned diet has also helped a lot. He hasn't lost weight yet but he's slimmed down a hair. His belly used to be round and hard like a little beer keg but now it's sticking out less on the sides and he's getting saggy belly skin. He's grooming himself a bit more too, though he still can't do his whole self. I need to get at least three or four more pounds off him to see that again probably.

    It's taken some time, but he's getting there =) I'd say start with getting him to chase his food, you might have to walk quickly or even jog a bit to get him moving, your drag a string behind you a few times to get him interested then give the food as a reward for chasing it/you. I didn't have to teach Tugger to move for his food, I just started using what he normally does ;) Good luck!!
     
  4. Lisa and Witn (GA)

    Lisa and Witn (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Just by changing his diet should help. When I switched all of my cats to canned food only, all of them slimmed down to have sweet girlish figures. Now if I could only do that for myself. :lol:
     
  5. Jayne & Sweety

    Jayne & Sweety Member

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    Jan 16, 2010
    I have the opposite problem - keep losing weight! I weighed myself last night - 84 lbs! How did I do it? (believe me, not trying to!) Being unemployed I don't eat so well - I eat a lot of yogurt, just to stave off hunger but that tv commercial about YoPlait and losing weight - it's true.

    And Sweety lost weight from the diet change too.
     
  6. tecwmn

    tecwmn Member

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    May 8, 2010
    Thanks for the recommendations...I do believe Fin will chase me ;-)

    I'll give it a try this afternoon...

    and it worked! Instead of having him chase me for food, I made him follow me around the house for brushing him.
     
  7. Marvie and Tugger

    Marvie and Tugger Well-Known Member

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    Dec 31, 2009
    Yay! Now you'll get him moving =) Feather on a stick. Chasing for food/brushing/treats. Good ways to get him moving.

    you could get a dog and teach it to chase the cat in circles... a little drastic though :lol:
     
  8. tecwmn

    tecwmn Member

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    May 8, 2010
    Actually, I have a dog....but they haven't met yet. Getting them acclimated to the new house first and then we will slowly introduce the dog (but not for exercize ;-) )
     
  9. tecwmn

    tecwmn Member

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    May 8, 2010
    The vet came today and Fin starts his new diet tommorow. He will get 1/4 cup of wet food and with 3 u of ProZinc at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

    I am going to monitor him and the vet wants to see him in two weeks for a BG curve to see what his numbers do with just the food change before he makes a decision on the insulin. He told me to call if the numbers drop below 100 or if they get any higher. From looking at his chart and reviewing the BG curves the vet pointed out that he has never been properly regulated. His numbers have always been between 300 - 500 consistently.

    He is also 4 lbs. overweight and we hope to have him down to 11 lbs in 6 months.

    Wish me luck!

    Barbi and Fin and C.C. and MiAmor (drooler)
     
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