I need advice for my 14 year old diabetic cat, rocky

[Laura Ann Beckwith]

My cat is 14 years old. He has been living with diabetes for 4 years. We used to feed him wet food, ocean white tuna was his favorite. We didnt know that too much fish for a diabetic cat is not good. He ended up having surgery to unclog him. Now he is on a gastrointestinal diet with vet perscription dry food. We check his sugar when he looks lathergic n not looking so good. When it is too high we give him 7 units to bring it down. You will know if its too high cos the meter will say HI. Anyway, he has recently lost alot of weight. He poops in the litterbox, but we had to put down potty pads on the floor for him to pee. We are scared we are gonna come home n find his passed away. Its sad and scary. My question is, why is he peeing on the potty pads n not peeing in the litter box?? He just started doing this the begining of this year.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

My cat is 14 years old. He has been living with diabetes for 4 years. We used to feed him wet food, ocean white tuna was his favorite. We didnt know that too much fish for a diabetic cat is not good. He ended up having surgery to unclog him. Now he is on a gastrointestinal diet with vet perscription dry food. We check his sugar when he looks lathergic n not looking so good. When it is too high we give him 7 units to bring it down. You will know if its too high cos the meter will say HI. Anyway, he has recently lost alot of weight. He poops in the litterbox, but we had to put down potty pads on the floor for him to pee. We are scared we are gonna come home n find his passed away. Its sad and scary. My question is, why is he peeing on the potty pads n not peeing in the litter box?? He just started doing this the begining of this year.

here’s a link for you to see how to setup your signature and spreadsheet too. Are you home testing yet?

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/

Hi and welcome
First thing what insulin are you giving?
What meter human or pet
You say you give him 7 units when he looks lethargic or not looking so good,
is that the only time you give him insulin, if so not to sound rude but you are going to kill your cat.

Who suggested you to do that a vet?

First off you should be testing him in the morning to see what is BG is, this is to make sure it's safe to shoot insulin. Then you would test him maybe @+2 ( 2hours after giving insulin, the @+4, then maybe @+5 , @+6 to see how low the insulin is taking him.
You first test, then feed, then shoot
This depends on what insulin you are using, whether to wait 30 minutes or an hour after eating.
You would do the same thing for the night cycle
Insulin should be given twice a day every 12 hours
Your cat should be getting insulin every day and night, not just when he looks lethargic,
Don't know how you decided on 7 units?
This is extremely dangerous
To be honest with you and I'm not being mean or rude but but having to put down pee pads is the least of your worries and going on for a year
Do you bring him to a vet for blood work, check up, etc
Just to maybe answer your question about peeing on the floor, does he have trouble walking, is he walking on his hocks , his back feet like a rabbit , flat footed?
If so he may have neuropathy, and this will not improve until you get his diabetes under control.
Please read the link I posted above.
Take a look at my spreadsheet , it will say Tyler's Spreadsheet under my signature it's in blue .
Signature is where you tell us your cats name, meter you are using, food you are feeding, what insulin you are using , etc
You said you are afraid you are going to come home and find him dead, if you are just giving 7 units which is extremely too much , only when he doesn't look good you may find him dead.
This is an absolutely amazing group here and we are willing to help Rocky
Please make sure you read the link I gave you

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Hello and welcome. Usually we are a bit more welcoming than some of what you've seen so far. Sorry about that.

There are several reasons a cat could be missing the box when peeing. Has Rocky had a vet visit within the last six months? It's always good to rule out medical reasons for different litter box behaviour. Combined with losing weight, it could be a sign something else is on, or it could be something to do with his insulin dose. What type of insulin is he on, and what is his typical dose. The vet dry food is probably making it harder to control his diabetes. How long ago did he start the dry food?

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Hello and welcome. Usually we are a bit more welcoming than some of what you've seen so far. Sorry about that.

There are several reasons a cat could be missing the box when peeing. Has Rocky had a vet visit within the last six months? It's always good to rule out medical reasons for different litter box behaviour. Combined with losing weigh, it could be a sign something else is on, or it could be something to do with his insulin dose. What type of insulin is he on, and what is his typical dose. The vet dry food is probably making it harder to control his diabetes. How long ago did he start the dry food?

Thank you Wendy, I just couldn't believe what I read. This isn't the first rude comment from this person.
I felt so bad if Lauren Ann saw it

 

[Laura Ann Beckwith]

Hello and welcome. Usually we are a bit more welcoming than some of what you've seen so far. Sorry about that.

There are several reasons a cat could be missing the box when peeing. Has Rocky had a vet visit within the last six months? It's always good to rule out medical reasons for different litter box behaviour. Combined with losing weight, it could be a sign something else is on, or it could be something to do with his insulin dose. What type of insulin is he on, and what is his typical dose. The vet dry food is probably making it harder to control his diabetes. How long ago did he start the dry food?

He has started peeing on the floor at the beginning of this year. When we first found out he had diabetes he would stick his head in the fridge like he was cooling off. We have been taking him to same vet since he was a kitten. He was diagnosed with diabetes about 4 or 5 years ago. We use a relion meter from walmart, test strips from walmart, needles and vetsulin from the vets office. This one girl on here made the comment maybe you shouldnt have a cat. Lakabee or sumthing like that. Any i know too much insulin can kill a cat. When it gets too low we put a little bit of honey on his nose so he will lick it and bring it up to where it needs to be. My vet knows what hes talking bout. We give him 5 to 7 units of vetsulin. Not all the time!! We are not stupid. Apparently we have been doing a great job cos hes still here with us.

 

[Laura Ann Beckwith]

He has been on gastrointestinal food from the vet for about 3 years. He had to have surgery to unclog his intestines cos he was eating too much ocean whitfish tuna wet food by friskies. So he is now on the perscription dry food so he doesnt get a mega colon which can kill him.

 

[Laura Ann Beckwith]

Thank you Wendy, I just couldn't believe what I read. This isn't the first rude comment from this person.
I felt so bad if Lauren Ann saw it

I saw it. We have been taking rocky to the same vet since he was a kitten. He is a manx. He has always been an indoor cat.

 

[Laura Ann Beckwith]

here’s a link for you to see how to setup your signature and spreadsheet too. Are you home testing yet?

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/

Hi and welcome
First thing what insulin are you giving?
What meter human or pet
You say you give him 7 units when he looks lethargic or not looking so good,
is that the only time you give him insulin, if so not to sound rude but you are going to kill your cat.

Who suggested you to do that a vet?

First off you should be testing him in the morning to see what is BG is, this is to make sure it's safe to shoot insulin. Then you would test him maybe @+2 ( 2hours after giving insulin, the @+4, then maybe @+5 , @+6 to see how low the insulin is taking him.
You first test, then feed, then shoot
This depends on what insulin you are using, whether to wait 30 minutes or an hour after eating.
You would do the same thing for the night cycle
Insulin should be given twice a day every 12 hours
Your cat should be getting insulin every day and night, not just when he looks lethargic,
Don't know how you decided on 7 units?
This is extremely dangerous
To be honest with you and I'm not being mean or rude but but having to put down pee pads is the least of your worries and going on for a year
Do you bring him to a vet for blood work, check up, etc
Just to maybe answer your question about peeing on the floor, does he have trouble walking, is he walking on his hocks , his back feet like a rabbit , flat footed?
If so he may have neuropathy, and this will not improve until you get his diabetes under control.
Please read the link I posted above.
Take a look at my spreadsheet , it will say Tyler's Spreadsheet under my signature it's in blue .
Signature is where you tell us your cats name, meter you are using, food you are feeding, what insulin you are using , etc
You said you are afraid you are going to come home and find him dead, if you are just giving 7 units which is extremely too much , only when he doesn't look good you may find him dead.
This is an absolutely amazing group here and we are willing to help Rocky
Please make sure you read the link I gave you

Dude, my vet knows what hes talking about we dont give him 7 units all the time. When it gets too low we put a bit of honey on his nose so he can lick it off. My cat is not like all other cats he is a MANX!! Look up the breed and read up on those kind of cats. Have a nice day!!!

 

[Laura Ann Beckwith]

Hello and welcome. Usually we are a bit more welcoming than some of what you've seen so far. Sorry about that.

There are several reasons a cat could be missing the box when peeing. Has Rocky had a vet visit within the last six months? It's always good to rule out medical reasons for different litter box behaviour. Combined with losing weight, it could be a sign something else is on, or it could be something to do with his insulin dose. What type of insulin is he on, and what is his typical dose. The vet dry food is probably making it harder to control his diabetes. How long ago did he start the dry food?

Thank you wendy.

 

[JanetNJ]

Hi and welcome. Your cat may be hitting HI on the meter because he's bouncing from going too low. Sometimes too much insulin can look like not enough. 5-7 units is a huge dose, most cats never need more than 2-3u. Chances are good your cat is going too low, then his body is releasing stored glucose to try to stop from going too low. The doses you are giving are usually only needed for cats with a special high dose condition called acromegaly (which unfortunately my cat has). Your best chance of helping him and finding the ideal dose is through consistent daily testing. Test before each shot, then get at least one mid cycle test to see how low he's going. Insulin isn't a set it and forget it kind of thing. Their insulin needs fluctuate.

Vetsulin often doesn't last long enough in a cat, it is really insulin meant for a dog who had a slower metabolism. You may find you get better result switching to ProZinc or lantus.

If your cat is getting constipated, rather than using dry food, which is super high in carb and dehydrating (which can make constipation worse) you may want to try giving low carb wet but adding a teaspoon of plain canned pumpkin to the food. Some foods come with pumkin in them like weruva steak frites and a few bff flavors. If you change to a lower carb food make sure to lower the dose and test because the insulin needs will lower with a lower carb diet.


He's peeing out of the box because he doesn't feel well. Some changes to his dose and food, and possibly an insulin change may help that.

 

[JanetNJ]

If you can post a copy of his most recent lab work it may help us suggest some solutions for you as well.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Dude, my vet knows what hes talking about we dont give him 7 units all the time. When it gets too low we put a bit of honey on his nose so he can lick it off. My cat is not like all other cats he is a MANX!! Look up the breed and read up on those kind of cats. Have a nice day!!!

Dude I never said your vet doesn't know what he is talking about. Only asked you if that was the only time you gave him insulin. I just wanted to know if you were testing after each pre shot, I was only trying to help you.
I don't know why you are getting so defensive. I asked you to set up a signature only because it's easier to see what type of insulin Rocky is on and the dose, so members don't have to keep asking you the same questions and a spreadsheet so we can help you and Rocky, that's all
And yes I did look up your breed of cat, I don't know what that has to do with anything.
Like I said I was only trying to help you, I even asked that person why would she say such a thing to you
You have a good day ok

 

[Sarah&Soph]

I know it can be very off putting coming to a forum like this and having people contradict your vet or say they’re wrong, but please try not to take it too personally. I know this is easier said than done, especially when you’ve been with your vet for a long time! I personally felt somewhat attacked when I first joined groups like this and read advice that was the complete opposite of my vets. I trusted my vet very much and he himself was diabetic, so surely the advice he was giving me was correct! Unfortunately following his advice caused my cat to have a very severe hypoglycemic episode. Within one month of following the advice here my cat was in remission and has not needed insulin for over a year.

Many vets simply do not have experience treating diabetes and it sounds like yours might be one of them based of what you’ve said so far. Again, that’s not an attack on your vet at all, they have to know a lot about many different things and animals so we can’t expect them to be experts on everything! You have gotten some good advice so far, so we ask that you just try to have an open mind

 

[Heather & Ducote]

My cat is 14 years old. He has been living with diabetes for 4 years. We used to feed him wet food, ocean white tuna was his favorite. We didnt know that too much fish for a diabetic cat is not good. He ended up having surgery to unclog him. Now he is on a gastrointestinal diet with vet perscription dry food. We check his sugar when he looks lathergic n not looking so good. When it is too high we give him 7 units to bring it down. You will know if its too high cos the meter will say HI. Anyway, he has recently lost alot of weight. He poops in the litterbox, but we had to put down potty pads on the floor for him to pee. We are scared we are gonna come home n find his passed away. Its sad and scary. My question is, why is he peeing on the potty pads n not peeing in the litter box?? He just started doing this the begining of this year.

Hello Laura I am glad that you got everything straight with your cat's diet. My cat also had a lot of trouble with the meter reading HI as well as potty accidents outside of the litter box so I know how frustrating that can be. My cat lost lots of weight as well. He went from 18lbs to 8 but now that his numbers are getting better he is up to 10lbs. My cat also started on Vetsulin but we switched over to Prozinc a week ago because he was just having too many HI readings. One reason that a diabetic kitty will urinate outside of the box is because one symptom of uncontrolled diabetes is the need to urinate a large amount and frequently. Sometimes they just can not make it to the box. Is your cat urinating in the same spot each time or in different places? Before my cat was diagnosed he would have potty accidents all over the place. I started just picking him up every hour or so and putting him in his box. This did the trick for us and he stopped having accidents. When he started on insulin his accidents stopped happening everywhere but he was using it right outside of his box (poop this time ). I tried lots of different things but what ending up working was just to put a strip of tin foil outside of his litterbox. He does not like how it feels to step on so he goes in his box. Every cat is different but it is worth a try.

Reading your post I have a few questions that might help me to steer you in a better direction:

-Are you giving the insulin twice a day, 12 hours apart? This will help to insure that your cat is regulated, safe, and in turn the help the urinating problem.

-Did you start at one unit and work yourself up to 7? Starting at the smallest number and working up is the best way to keep your cat safe and insure that you find the right dose to help him get regulated.

 

[JanetNJ]

OH! Another litter box suggestion... try Cat Attract Litter, it could help. Sometimes even adding an additional box (if you have the room) or if the box is more then a year old, replacing it could help.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Manx are known to have megacolon issues, so thanks for letting us know about that. We've seen other people with manx issues, and getting the food right is almost harder than the diabetes part.

Good to see you've got a picture up now for Rocky. We've put together a post for new members called How You Can Help Us Help You. Click on the blue link to read it. As you are not new to diabetes, just to FDMB, not all of it will apply to you. The section on signature tells you what information we like to be able to see about your cat at a glance. It includes insulin type, any known medical issues like the megacolon. If you are willing to share your testing data with us (see instructions on our spreadsheet), we might be able to help you determine if the issue is related to insulin dose.

Litter box issues are very common here. If you do a search on it, you may find lots of suggestions of ways to help, if the vet finds there is nothing physically wrong. It could be something as simple as a little bit of arthritis which makes it harder for him to squat down and you are getting pee over the edge of the box. Sometimes taller boxes with doorways help with that. Or maybe it's just time to replace the box with a new one.