diabetic cat urinating on carpet

[dsb]

hello - any suggestions on the occasional urinate on the carpet and choosing not to make it to litter box? he has slowed down over the last year, almost seems like he has arthritis....thank you!

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

Can you give us some more details? When diagnosed? What insulin and what dose? Do you home test and have a record of his blood glucose levels?

Often, unregulated diabetics develop neuropathy: http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/Neuropathy. It can be helped by Methyl B 12 and regulation of his blood sugars. (both things are necessary for it to improve)

Another idea would be to cut down the sides of the box so he can get into it easier. But if it is neuropathy, regulating his diabetes will help the most.

 

[tuckers mom]

Hi and welcome.

I agree with Sue on the neuropathy but wanted to add that often carpet urination means pain. Diabetics can get sugar in their urine and that leads to urinary tract infections.

 

[dsb]

Thank you for your quick response - my cat takes 5 units of Lantis twice daily and 2 capsules of Cosequin twice daily. Diagnosed about 15 months ago.

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

Five units is a lot of insulin. Most cats here are on doses around 1 or 2 units. Do you test at home and have an idea of his levels? Well regulated cats run are in the 200s preshot and around or below 100 mid cycle. if he is not regulated, we might be able to help you with that.

 

[dsb]

Please tell me how to test "at home." Vet increased dose from 4 units to 5 units after a few months. He IS a rather large cat.

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

Here's a video that shows how it is done: Video for hometesting If your cat is only tested at the vet, it can be that the levels are consistently higher there than they would be at home. Stress raises bg levels and cats are usually stressed by the strange noises, smells and animals there. If doses are based on those levels, the dose can be too high once the cat is home and the cat is in constant rebound: Rebound If you test at home, you can be sure the dose you are planning to give is safe and you can see how the insulin is working in the cat by taking tests in the middle of the cycle.

We have taught hundreds of people how to test over the internet and would be happy to teach you.

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

Please tell me how to test "at home." Vet increased dose from 4 units to 5 units after a few months. He IS a rather large cat.

The maximum starting dose for Lantus is 2u--and that's for VERY large cats. Most cats only need around 1u if they're on a low carb canned, diet. Also, dose increases for Lantus need to be made in .25u to .5u increments, not in whole units. Often vet test numbers are inflated from stress and leads to dangerous overdosing, which is why testing at home is the only way to safely administer insulin and determine your cat's correct dose. Unfortunately, sometimes vets are not aware of all of the aspects of current recommended treatment of feline diabetes.

Home testing seems daunting at first, but after about a week people are amazed how easy it is and how much their cat cooperates. You can get an inexpensive human meter and strips at Walmart or the drug store, and you will save a ton of money because you will no longer have to bring your cat in to be tested at the vet.

Not only that, but testing before each shot prevents deadly hypoglycemic incidents. Studies have shown that with the combination of home testing, Lantus, and a low carb canned diet, newly diagnosed cats have an 80+% chance of going into remission. I've attached an article that I would strongly urge you print out and give to your vet so that he can get on track with the right treatment for your cat.

In the meantime, though, there are a ton of very experienced and helpful people here that can help you get your cat regulated, so that he can get better. As Jennifer mentioned, you may also want to have him checked out for a UTI, since they are very common in uncontrolled diabetics. Once his diabetes is under control, the urinating should stop. There is a wealth of knowledge here--we can help you learn to home test, find the right food, and adjust doses properly so that your kitty can get better.

 

[Blue]

That dose of 5units of Lantus twice a day is quite alot.
Can you please tell us what you are feeding? If you are feeding dry cat food, it may explain the need for so much insulin. If you are feeding dry food, please do not switch to wet low carb without lowering the insulin dose.

There are many cats who are DIET CONTROLLED, so it is one area to explore .... adjusting diet and reducing insulin.

NOTE: please be sure to be home testing, just pick up a normal blood glucose meter like Relion, OneTouch, Bayer or something like them at your pharmacy... once you are testing, you will be able to safely know what your cat's numbers are and if you need to give that much insulin or not.


Alternately, there are cats who are high dose, but there's really now way to tell until you are testing and know how the insulin is affecting the numbers.

 

[squeem3]

Please tell me how to test "at home." Vet increased dose from 4 units to 5 units after a few months. He IS a rather large cat.

You test your cat's blood glucose level with a blood glucose meter. You can buy a blood gluocse meter and matching test strips at any pharmacy. Wal Mart has the ienxpensive ReliOn brand of blood glucose meters. Any of the big name brands (OneTouch, AccuCheck, FreeStyle, etc) are good.

Here is info on how to do test your cat's blood glucose: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287 Most people get blood from the cat's ear but you can also get blood from a paw pad.