? Quick Reductions and Feeding Times

Okay, I posted nearly the same thread a few days ago, but realized I didn't get an answer regarding feedings and feeding times:

In order to keep a steady BG, I have been feeding Pearl every 4 hours a quarter can of her LC food. This has worked great because it prevents her blood sugar from dropping too low or spiking too high if she were to have a larger meal every 12 hours. However, now that she seems to want to reduce insulin dose, I believe that the feeding is keeping us "too" level.

The system I've created works for her safety but may be muddling her true nadirs and therefore may impact dose reductions.

*She is not super carb sensitive, her food is 9% carbs by dry matter. ie: If I test her prior to her usual feeding time, and she is trending downward at +4 (let's say she's 80 at this time), she is scheduled to get fed, that will raise her otherwise natural nadir at +6/7 (possibly to 100). If she were fed less frequently, her nadir may drop into the 50/60 range, calling for a dose reduction.

The TR protocol doesn't really highlight different feeding styles or frequencies. If she were fed twice daily her nadir may naturally plummet.

What are your thoughts? How often do you feed your cats? For those that have seen quick reductions, what feeding schedule would you recommend?

 

I think frequent small meals help them to stay level. You could test two to lthree hours after any small to see the bg. A working pancreas will lead to normal bg around three hours after food. I used to fed Max according to his bg tests and stopped feeding from +6 to preshot. He stopped wanting food by then. He was carb sensitive.

I think Pearl is responding really well to lantus especially since she’s getting prednisolone.

I have an almost two year old with EGC. She can’t eat chicken, turkey, beef, or pork and currently doing ok on duck. So far she only has had it on her lips. Have you not had success with a novel protein? I hope I never need prednisolone for her and so sorry you do.

 

I love to meet another pet parent of an EGC cat (not under a great circumstance, but you know what I mean).
Pearl has been on and off of her Prednisolone since 3 months old for her EGC (very young for that!). She gets it on her lips, both swelling and ulcers, and she gets the swollen chin and nose. We are switching to Cyclosporin as it does not impact BG and pancreatic function the way Pred does.
At the time of DM diagnosis we were on Pred for a flare up and then we started trying novel protein diets to reduce the need for steroid use. Duck first, for about 4 weeks, then rabbit. Initially on the rabbit she was just so swollen that I had to reintroduce the Pred and steady her insulin dose. Pred has officially been discontinued as of last week and we are hoping to do some food allergy testing next month (it requires a 4-6 week Pred washout period). Have you done any lab testing or just the food trials?

We are starting to believe it isn't even food related at this point.

Thank you for the food advice. I think I'm going to start spreading out feedings more. Maybe just preshot, and +6...if she will let me!

 

You might find big drops if you wait until +6 to feed but worth a try. Stopping prednisolone just might get her OTJ. (Anti-jinx)

I think I didn’t give the pork long enough. I was told by my vet when I changed to duck to give it at least two months even if I saw a relapse which I did. Then after a conversation with my vet not to stress as it might not be the food, I foolishly tried turkey again. Bad idea as I may have ruined pork. Who knows? My vet didn’t want to go the pred work with the breakouts happening so often and I didn’t either after having one diabetic. He also said we may never know the cause.

My vet doesn’t think the allergy tests are reliable so I didn’t bother. I spoke with the folks at one lab and they lost me when they started talking about whether the animals were grass fed might be a cause, grass being the intolerance as opposed to beef. It will be interesting to see if it’s of any help to you. Does it bother Pearl when she has breakouts? Mocha doesn’t seem to be bothered.

 

Most diabetic cats do best with small frequenct meals.
Once I established feeding Black Kitty at shot time, +4 and +8 both AM and PM cycles, I stuck with it even while free falling down the dosing ladder (which we did on more than one occasion). If I needed to guide a cycle with HC to keep him safe, it was additional to the routine food any timing. I continued the same food timing all the way to the Falls and for the entire 6.5 years he was OTJ ( which was the rest of his life).

My $0.02:
The way I see it changing it based solely on the possibility that it is masking the need for a reduction isn’t worth throwing a new variable into the current balance. If your system of feeding.is working and is one you feel you can maintain, I say don’t mess with it. If she is looking for a dose reduction it will become apparent... the numbers will be your guide.

 

Actually, I answered the questions you asked the other day. What you are asking today is slightly different.

But, for the question you asked, I responded essentially the same as Sandy.