will not eat- help

These are your glucose reference ranges for decision making using a human glucometer

< 40 mg/dL
- Treat as if HYPO

< 50 mg/dL
- If before nadir, steer with food
- At nadir, often indicates dose reduction is earned

50 - 130 mg/dL
- On insulin - great control
- Off insulin - normal numbers

> 150 mg/dL
- At nadir, indicates a dose increase may be needed

180 - 280 mg/dL
- Any time - The renal threshold (depending on data source and cat's renal function) where glucose spills into the urine. Test for ketones, glucose is too high.

>= 280 mg/dL, especially if for most of the cycle between shots
- Uncontrolled diabetes and in danger of DKA and hepatic lipidosis
- Test for ketones; more than a trace, go to vet ASAP.

 

A couple of people here and my vet said that if he tests below 200 (after eating and right before insulin) to skip the insulin. I'm a little confused.

 

The 200 bg threshold is typically for new people starting out. It is used as a safety guideline so you learn to become more comfortable with testing and giving insulin. Once you are testing, this guideline goes away as the goal is to get and keep them in normal bg range and get them off insulin (if possible).

Normal BG range is 40-120 (without insulin), with most of the time spent 100 or less.

 

A thought.........
The BF and I were discussing Spot and how long he's been not feeling well, and I am wondering if I inadvertently made his sick.
Exactly 4 weeks ago to the day, I came home with fresh corn, and forgot to put it in the microwave (the only place Spot Can't get into). He immediately started to eat the husk, and after a tug of war, I was pretty sure I got it all out of his mouth.
The next day he was quiet- out of sorts if you will- and vomited a little corn hair. Later on he vomited a hairball, so I got Laxatone and followed the instructions. Since his eating was off, I could only get a little into him at a time, so for about one week I gave him a little throughout the whole day. The next week he was still off, and not eating as usual, but by the end of that week he perked up and was eating/acting normal. This lasted 3 days, then he stopped eating and was sleeping all the time (Monday the 1st of July). That Tuesday I went to Petco and bought everything palatable that I could find. A lick here and there was all I got. On Wednesday I had Dr. appointments all day so the BF was in charge of getting Spot to eat, but by the time I got home and realized the BF had no luck, It was too late for the vet; So the 4th of July I cooked a chicken (w/ gravy), Crock pot beef stew & pork chops. The rest is history.
Now I realize that if I had gotten him to the vet sooner, we'd be better off, but my question is this........
The whole time he was "off" my BF and I were giving him (and force feeding= wiping on his lips) nutrical and laxatone, which I imaging is very high in sugars/carbs.
Could that have given him diabetes?

 

My guess is most likely No.

Diabetes can be caused by steroid use - if he ever was given oral steroids or injections as well as a diet of dry food and high carb wet foods - such as foods with gravy, etc.

Maui's diabetes was caused by years of steroid shots and dry food.

 

his diet, his whole life, was FF classic- (pate-which are very low carb); fed in small amounts throughout the day. No crunchies. Maybe the occasional piece of chicken, pork, or steak from the dinner table. Never had pred. Now he'll only eat the FF with gravy.
I don't get it... his whole life I have fed him the exact way you should feed a cat that has diabetes, and he still came down with diabetes. This is why my BF and I are perplexed.

 

there are so many other things that can cause diabetes, not just diet and steroids. At this point, trying to figure out how it happened isn't going to get you anywhere.

Genetics, weight, illness, infection, dental problems, etc - all could be a reason....with some there is just no way to tell.

 

Thanks... perhaps I'm in the denial phase LOL.
His BG was 120 this am, and I'm holding off insulin until I speak with the vet. He 's currently taking 2U.

 

It may be time to lower that dose. If you would create that spreadsheet, we could help you with that.

 

yep I would like to see the spreadsheet too - see what we can do to help out a bit more. I wonder if he is bouncing.