Food and testing

Kahlua currently weighs 5.8 lbs. She is way underweight. I'm feeding her Fancy Feast classic. She likes beef or chicken. How much should she eat a day? She seems pretty finicky and is kind of a nibbler. She got fluids yesterday a.m. because she was very dehydrated. She looks better today and is sleeping. This poor girl has had 2 new homes in 3 months, so she is stressed out. I got the right test strips now.....So, when should I test her? Does she need to be fasting?

 

Link to your previous post:
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/intro-and-questions.254177/

The rule of thumb of how much to feed per day is 20 calories per pound of their ideal weight. Unregulated diabetic cats cannot process their food and tend to be ravenous. Smaller meals through the day helps with that and is also easier on the pancreas.

Do you know if she has ketones? If she doesn't, you want to give the food change a few days to see how it affects her numbers before you start insulin. I see you changed her to a low carb diet just yesterday? You could test her a few times in the day and night to see what her numbers are like.

Once you start her on insulin, you test before each shot (preshot tests - AMPS & PMPS). If you are able to it is also good to get tests between shots to see how low the dose is taking her so that dose changes can be made accordingly. The only time she needs to be fasted is 2 hours before the shots - so no food 2 hours before the AMPS and 2 hours before the PMPS. This is to ensure that you don't get a food influenced number when determining whether it is safe to give insulin.

I am linking the sticky to the dosing methods we follow here for you to read whenever you get the time:
Dosing Methods: Start Low, Go Slow (SLGS) & Tight Regulation (TR)

 

If she's underweight feed her as much as she will eat! Aim for 140+ calories but the more she will eat the better if she's under weight. She can eat any time except 2 hours prior to the preshot test. Try feeding several meals. I always did breakfast, lunch, dinner and before bed. Test before each shot and try to get at least one test in mid cycle.

Feliway diffusers may help de-stress her a bit as she's settling in.

 

I have the Feliway going! She's going to be kitty #3 when she's feeling better so I need all of them calm!

In am just free feeding her for now. She is hungry, but very picky. I think yesterday she ate 82 calories. Nowhere near enough. Her poops are looking like poops now, so that's something!