Should I feed my diabetic dog twice a day for better insulin timing?

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.

Unfortunately most diabetic dogs have extreme appetites. You should discuss this with your vet - the amount and timing of meals can affect the effectiveness and dosage of insulin and frequent feeding can affect treatment. Most diabetics are only fed twice daily to coincide with insulin peaks. Specialist diabetic formulas can be helpful in reducing blood glucose spikes after feeding and tend to be high fiber also so Tigger will feel fuller for longer

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!

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.

The best things for diabetic dogs to eat are food items low in carbohydrates. Aim for food with higher protein and fat. As far as insulting goes, anywhere under the skin is okay but I aim for a loose area of skin such as between the shoulders. Most importantly, if the dog doesn't eat, don't give the insulin . Hope that 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.

In general, try to make the injections as close to every 12 hours as you can. Most pets will still do well even if the injections are sometimes 13 hours apart.If it is going to be longer than 13 hours, talk with your vet about maybe adjusting the amount of insulin to give. You and your daughter should devise a treatment plan each week based upon your work patterns and write it down. Then keep the paper by the insulin and MARK down when the insulin was given (time). This will eliminate confusion. You must treat the diabetes. A special diet like RC Glycobalance will help. You may also look into asking a friend to help give injections or hire someone to do it. many technicians will make extra money helping out others like this. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.