not eating enough, weak legs

My cat Scout is not eating enough. She was eating a combo of wet and dry food. She is no longer interested in dry. She is only eating about one can of fancy feast a day, which is not enough. Her BG levels are varying a lot. When I check her before she eats it is between 390-500+. 6 hours after insulin she is between 120-200. I feel that the high levels are effecting her back legs. How can l get her to eat more wet food when I am not at home?

 

It sounds as if she has neuropathy.
Do you have her on B-12? the methylcolbamin type.
She is starting at high numbers but she's getting down to some good ones in the mid cycle.

And hurray that she doesn't want any more dry. Dry doesn't help them at all even when it is low carb. Part of why they become diabetic
is because of dry food and how it affects them.
Many of us have timed feeders to serve than when we aren't around. We add water to make the canned food a little soupy and to give them
much needed water.
Do you work and are absent for long periods?
Does she like her food?
I have trouble sometimes getting my own cat to eat some of the foods because she gets really bored with her selection.

And have you seen the list of things you can sprinkle on food to make it more attractive? I'll go look for it ... brb

 

No B-12, the weak leg thing only just started about a week ago. I work 8-3:45. Can be home by 4. I only just started the fancy feast a week ago when she quit eating dry. Trying to find flavor she likes. I use a carb calculator when choosing the food. Most are below 2 carbs. Can the neuropathy go away. All this drama began January 4 when I hot home and she had a BG of 30. she is on 1 unit of insulin twice a day. Novolin.

 

Hi Amy! Welcome!!! (Kathleen from FB)
The neuropathy CAN go away (for some cats). Some of us here use a product called Zobaline--I am seeing improvements in Gobbles already after a few weeks. Here's a link to the website where you can purchase it: http://www.ilifelink.com/zobaline-for_diabetic_cats-3_mg_x_60_tablets.html As for food, I feed Gobbles wet food that is 6% or less in carbs. I'll be right back with a link for a list of % values, unless someone beats me to it

 

Should I have a food that is higher than 2percent carbs?

 

Food list - http://www.catinfo.org/docs/Food Chart Public 9-22-12.pdf

 

Gobbles (and my other 2 kitties, who aren't diabetic) eats wet foods that are 0-6% carbs. When I first joined here, I printed out that list that I just posted, then made a list of all the foods he could eat, that are in my price range (friskies, fancy feast, purine one, 9-lives) and keep it in my purse so it's handy when I'm shopping.

 

No. 2% would be a great one. I have a hard time getting my cat to like the one's that are best for her.
I just wonder how you are calculating it.
The food list she just gave you is our most reliable one currently.
And this one is my shortcut shopping list for my own cat, focusing on poultry foods. shortcut list

 

Our kitty Zener also had peripheral neuropathy and was walking on his "wrists". We started giving him zobaline, one pill per day and it took about 6 weeks but he walks normally now. You can start with 2 pills per day and reduce to 1 when Scout improves. We use pill pockets from Greenies to give the zobaline. The zobaline easily breaks up into 4 pieces. We use the duck and pea pill pockets, dog version. We use 1/8 of a dog pill pocket to give one zobaline pill broken up into 4 pieces.

That's great that Scout is eating wet food! It's much better for her. Definitely try to give her lower carb food but even more important is to make sure she is getting enough calories, even if its a little higher carb food.
Liz

ETA: 8% carb or less is good. The main thing is that she eats.

 

Tips for transitioning from dry food to wet food

 

Just so everyone here knows, Scout is on Novolin, since May.

 

hello, im a newbie as well and have no info for you except you are at the right place, you could not be in a more warm supportive and loving group. i will pray for your little kitty, i know how horrible it feels when our best friend doesnt feel well.
think positive and know your not alone. also everyone keeps telling me to breath, and the funny thing is every time someone says it i relize i was holding my breath. so big deep breaths
it gets easier, or so i hear...lol no it really does, just little by little. were here for you. im on all the time and feel free to pm if you need support or empathy, thats all i can offer
~Samantha

 

Could we get you to create a ss so you can post your bg test numbers? Here's a link of how to do it.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207

If you have trouble, there are many here who can help you set it up. ( I'm not one of the tech savvy :lol: )



You said she had a low of 30 on Jan 4. Is that when you noticed her hind legs? I'm wondering what you mean by all the drama?
Has she had similar lows since then?

 

The hind legs were after the 30 (Jan 4). About a week ago is when the legs started. By drama I mean the large change in BG levels and the not eating right. When I took her in because of the 30 they did a full blood panel and her white blood cell count was really high. She was also having liquid poop at the time so they put her on orbax for 10 days. She has solid stool now! Which is a big deal because she was losing so much weight from it. But she has not been eating enough to build her back up.

What is a ss? I would love to post her BG's.

 

ss is spreadsheet. Sorry. we have our own language around here.


Her change/drama could be that she went lower than 30 or even that the 30 was difficult on her.

 

Can she come back from it if it was really hard on her or are we now in this difficult swinging BG levels for a long time?

 

oh yes she can come back just fine.
There are some here who have had some very scary times.

Do you have bg numbers on her already? just not a spreadsheet? Is she having some wild swings up and down?

 

Yes... I track them with an app on my phone. It can email them as a spreadsheet. I'll figure out how to post it. In the past two weeks her biggest BG before breakfast was 633. Lowest after .5 units of insulin 45. I think part of the low is not eating enough. The past three days have been between 300 -500 post meal . 120-200 six hours after insulin.

 

We do all use the same spreadsheet here so it would be great if you could create one from that link....
and then go put in all your numbers...

homework.... sorry :roll:


120 is good....


30 can be scary .... it really depends on the cat.

 

She just threw up. Poor Scout. Is the elegant medleys from fancy feast bad?

 

Rhiannon asked me to come over from the Lantus ISG. I have never used Novolin but I can tell you it is a rather harsh, quick acting insulin. Not many vets use it anymore.

The best suggestion I can make for you is to see if your vet will prescribe lantus for your kitty. It's a much gentler, long duration insulin that is known for long, flat curves. It is the gold standard for insulin for cats now and the protocol many of us use is the only one based on scientific research.

I think if she's been seeing fluctuations like that, the dose might be too high.

 

the lowest elegant medley is 12% carbs.

see chart page 7 for elegant medleys, the third number in the columns are carb values....
food chart

 

Throwing up can be from other things.

could be new protein she's not used to.
could be hair ball brewing...
could be the short action insulin. Had you tested her recently? Bg will go up after throwing up for a short while.


Where are you? Would you be able to get Lantus instead? It really has made a difference for so many. My cat is now OTJ after 100 days
on Lantus. ( I did catch it early)

 

I sent you a pm. (private message)


How's Scout?

 

What is otj and how expensive is lantus?

 

otj is short for Off the Juice.

My cat is currently a diet controlled diabetic. ( once a diabetic, always a diabetic)
She does not get insulin currently.

My vial of lantus was around $135. It can easily last 4 months and if one is careful, might even make it 6 months.

There are also pens available (in a multi pack) , which are cheaper in the long run but cost more when you purchase them. They last longer because you
take one pen out of the pack... and leave the others in the fridge until you need them..... thus spreading out their longevity.
I never got to getting those.

 

I may have missed it - but have you been back to the vet to repeat bloodwork? Having normal firm poop is great, but it sounds like Scout could potentially still have something going on.

 

Re: not eatin)g enough, weak legs

Re:Lantus pens - They are sold in 5 packs (about $250, I think) however, I found a local pharmacy who will sell me one at a time ($42). Most pharmacies won't break a pack up, but after calling around, I found a "mom and pop" type pharmacy who would...

One pen, opened, will last approximately 2 months (verses a Lantus vial which lasts anywhere from 2-6 months). For monetary reasons, for me, it is cheaper and easier to pay $42 at once verses $150 (vial).

 

Most caregivers who are using Humulin N find this document written by FDMB member, Kimber & Bunny, very helpful:
Humulin N Primer.