Lantus causing diarrhea?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Chris and Daisy

Chris and Daisy

Member Since 2015
My 10 year old cat, Daisy, was diagnosed with diabetes a little over two weeks ago. The vet started her or 2 units of Lantus 2x a day. Three days after starting Lantus she developed diarrhea. The vet tried to control the diarrhea with Metro? But it only stopped her up and then she had diarrhea after a couple of days. The vet never hears of Lantus causing diarrhea but switched her to Humilin N which I started last night. Has anyone 's cat experienced diarrhea on Lantus and if so what did you do?
 
I don't think it would occur because of Lantus.
Did you recently switch foods? That's always the most likely cause.
And food batches aren't always consistent... in fact, lately it seems the companies are doing worse , not better.

I would ask the vet to go back to Lantus. It's a far superior insulin for cats. And you have a better chance at getting remission with it.

You might want to add a probiotic like fortiflora to help with digestion issues.

Tell us more about Daisy.
 
Daisy is 10 yrs old, a very large cat, possibly part Maine Coon, who weighs 18 lbs. and likes to eat. she has lost 4 lbs over the last year by limiting her food intake. She had surgery for bladder stones in November and has been on CD canned since then. She had never had diarrhea, in fact, she has had occasional constipation. I did not change her food and would like her to be on the preferred insulin Lantus but don't feel the bouts of diarrhea are healthy and may affect her levels. She goes for curve testing on Wed. I see that some folks mention Levemir is also a long acting insulin and wonder if that would be a possibility that she may tolerate.
 
I've not heard of Lantus causing diarrhea, either but anything is possible. I think the question will be whether the diarrhea persists while your cat's on Humulin N. If it does, then your kitty may have a GI issue going on that's unrelated to Lantus.

By any chance are you home testing yet? If your cat's numbers dropped into lower ranges,, it may be a reaction to that.

Levemir is also a very good insulin and the approach to dosing is the same as with Lantus.

 
No diarrhea today just normal stool. Last Lantus injection was yesterday morning. I have not started home testing yet. I really am at a loss and so is my vet. She reached out on a website for vets and six replied they had not heard of Lantus causing diarrhea but that it is a side effect in humans.
 
Squeaker developed this issue when he was first diagnosed. I thought it might be either/or both-----nerves from the new routine or pancreatitis. You can use pumpkin to stop the loose stools. I use it for my cats and dog and it works well.
 
I can't speak to cause and effect, but I remember Jenks going through a pretty rough bout with very smelly, very loose stools in the beginning of our Lantus adventure.
 
Thanks for your reply. Did the loose stools eventually subside with continued use of Lantus? Did you do anything to control the loose stools?
 
they do mix pumpkin in with food....
you'll have to see if Daisy will eat it. you need to find pumpkin puree.... ( not the kind that goes in a pie)
so check your labels. Some special pet stores are now selling it in a pouch....
 
Thanks for the purée tip. I would have bought the pumpkin used for pies. I'll look for the purée. I guess the amount needed varies with each cat.
 
I've never heard of insulin causing diarrhea directly, however, insulin can lower potassium levels and decrease GI motility. When obstructions or constipation happens, liquid stool builds up behind the obstruction and can cause diarrhea.
 
AZJenks said:
I can't speak to cause and effect, but I remember Jenks going through a pretty rough bout with very smelly, very loose stools in the beginning of our Lantus adventure.
Click to expand...

Were the loose stools only in the beginning and did they clear up after being on Lantus for a while?
 
Chris and Daisy said:
Thanks for your reply. Do you mix the pumpkin in your cats food? How much pumpkin should I give her?
Click to expand...
I mix it in with Squeaks food. Since I'm not overly familiar with your cat, I would start with about 1/2 tsp twice a day. Wait a couple of days and if that doesn't work then increase that amount by about 1/4 tsp. You will have to experiment a little to find what is right for your cat.
 
Tess won't eat pumpkin, but my other 2 get about a tsp. twice a day mixed in their food. When I got them and switched them to canned they had very stinky loose stools.

To clarify on the pumpkin, it is the type you use for pies but NOT the "pie filling" that has the added sugar and spices, just the plain pumpkin. You can get the Weruva, but it a lot more expensive that way and it is the same thing. I put a can in a pastry bag to fill mini ice cube trays and freeze it. Then I put the frozen cubes in a freezer bag and can take out a day's worth at a time.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top