How flexible is insulin timing for my diabetic cat with my work?

Hello, and thanks for your question. While it's ideal to keep the meal and insulin dosing as close to 12 hours apart as possible, "real life" work schedules certainly factor in, and I have had several patients on a schedule like what you described. Andy would most likely do fine on a 8am / 6pm schedule, but double check with your vet, since they have more details on where Andy's been with his blood sugar numbers. Hope this helps!

Based upon the context of your question, I'm assuming that you are inquiring about the timing of insulin injections in a diabetic cat. If this is the case, yes, it is best to feed Kitty and then wait half an hour before giving her a dose of insulin. The reason for this is that eating food increases the blood glucose (sugar) level shortly after eating. Insulin then forces the glucose into the cells so that her body is able to use this glucose as an appropriate energy source. Diabetic animals should be fed twice daily half an hour before each dose of insulin. Food or treats throughout the day should be avoided since they will cause random spikes in the blood glucose. I hope this helps to address your questions about Kitty! If this does not answer your questions, feel free to post another question or request a consultation for more in depth follow up.

No it is usually and commonly recommended, through experimental and case series studies, in order to achieve the best glycemic control, to feed two times daily (at the same time of the insulin injection). This is mainly due to the fact that cats and human have different metabolism and different alimentary habits. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I would wait about 12 hours after his last dose of insulin. I would also make sure he eats something before giving the insulin at that time. If you are not going to be up at the 12 hour mark I would recommend holding off the insulin until tomorrow. If you give the insulin now you risk his glucose going to low even if he just ate. Just know he may develop diarrhea from the cat food. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there. Your veterinarian may be able to board Cody for a few weeks so that staff members can administer his insulin regularly, monitor his glucose levels, and make adjustments as needed until he's regulated. Keep in mind, though, that stress can affect glucose readings in cats - so it's generally better for this process to be done with the cat at home, if possible. You don't mention why you're having difficulty - giving the insulin injections, checking his glucose at home, feeding the appropriate diet, or something else? Feel free to post again with more information about what you're having trouble with. We would be happy to try and make some suggestions to help.

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If glucose was high on blood work and glucose is also present in the urine, then this is a diagnosis of diabetes. Insulin should begin as soon as possible when a diabetic is first diagnosed. Unless the patient is really ill or unstable, one or two day delay for insulin should be okay. A 12 hour glucose curve at the hospital should be run with the insulin Bella will be on for her first day of insulin treatment so the proper dose can be calculated and to make sure Bella does not have any negative reactions to the insulin or become hypoglycemic at any point. I hope this helps!

Hi, you would probably need to go through a consultation as this allows several messages and much more in depth advice. Important information such as when was she first diagnosed and what dosage of insulin she was started on and if she had any blood tests afterwards and what they indicated. What was her initial weight and how is her weight doing. What do you normally feed her and what times. Is she allowed to go outside, what other medications is she on. There are lots of things to consider and a face to face examination is always advisable at least once every six months. However in the short term, you could have a consultation with one of the experts here, hope this helps !