? Free feeding on Lantus

I just heard back from the vet and they're calling in a script for Smudge for cyproheptadine. He's still not eating on his own and I hope this will help and not cause the issues of mirtazapine. That said, I have a question on feeding.

I was told to only feed him twice a day and give his insulin about 20 minutes after. A friend with a diabetic cat said this is an old way of thinking. Smudge is on d/d, but expresses very little interest. This morning, I tried some Ziwipeak rabbit/lamb, which is lower in carbs, and he actually tried to eat it, but acted weird, wiggling his tongue around like it was stuck or tasted funny. BUT, he showed interest in food for the first time in five days!!

Would it be worth a shot to put some watered down Ziwipeak down and leave down for him? The two times I've been able to test him he was 136(5+) pm and 148 pre-morning dose the following am. This is with him only being force fed about 10 cc of his diet food. I am desperate to get this cat to eat. He is extremely emaciated... listed as cachexic by the vet. I've already been told not to give nutrical as it could shock his system by giving him TOO much... I guess good stuff... can't remember how it was put now. Anyone heard of this? Would the rabbit/lamb be too rich for him? Is there something else recommended that can be put down for him to maybe eat at his leisure? I've got sardines and baby food, too.

 

Most of us feed our diabetics multiple times a day and many allow free grazing. It seems his very low weight and lack of appetite are bigger issues right now than insulin dose and BG level. I think he needs food, whatever he’ll eat and as much as he wants in many small meals. Keep up the pre shot BG tests and try for some mid cycle numbers too. If you need to increase his insulin dose because of what he’ll eat, so be it.

I suggest you go post on the Lantus forum. There are a lot of very experienced people there to help you with any number of issues.

 

The AAHA guidelines say:

• Feeding meals four times daily is ideal to prevent clinical hypoglycemia for cats on insulin. Timed feeders are useful for cats that require multiple meals per day to manage weight and control calories. Use of insulin glargine may reduce the need for timed feedings, as long as home monitoring of BG is being done. (See Insulin therapy in the cat.)
• Free-choice feeding is acceptable for underweight cats on insulin therapy.

 

Feed him anything & anytime he’ll eat. Just smaller amounts throughout the day so he keeps it down! Are his teeth ok & any mouth sores? Did the vet check his mouth? My Baby eats at least 4 x’s a day & sometimes 5. She’s hungry! Do not worry about what it is at this point! Just eat anything kitty! 5 days of not eatting & I guess I did I miss the dx?

 

i free-fed my cat low carb dry food (best for putting weight back on quicker IMO) & fed him fancy feast turkey & giblet pate (added water to make it soupy, he didn't care for the drier pate texture) every couple hours till he gained all his weight back (almost 4lbs) and i now just free-feed wet food. Free-feeding on the low carb wet food, i see little influence on his BG. when he grazed on dry there was some noticeable influence but, insulin still kept him under 200 so i was quite okay with that, for putting his weight back on was the most important thing to take care of to me..
limiting their food times when they are very underweight and not feeling like they want to eat just doesn't help one bit but, leaving high calorie foods out for them to nibble on throughout the day when their tummies are not as upset, is best and worked for us. do what YOU think is best within reason, sometimes our vets don't know all and often are stuck in the old thinking ways of doing things..

 

When I had to assist (force ) feed Babu, I gave him little amounts between 2 and 3 ml in the syringe every two hours, is easier for them to digest and not feel sick of their stomach if you give them small amounts more often than trying to give a lot at once.
The most important thing for them is to eat no matter what, you can worry about getting him back on track with the proper food later on

Babu has been a free feeder all his life so I leave food out available for him all day and he's just fine with it, Lantus since is a long acting insulin does not require an strict feeding schedule, just make sure he doesn't have food 2 hours before his shooting time so that the test is not food influenced