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ktp

Member Since 2011
Hi -
I have a cat named Marcus who was diagnosed with diabetes four months ago.....He had been losing weight and losing fur and I didn't know what was wrong. (They did a pee test at the vet.)
Thanks to DCIN I was able to get some insulin and syringes to give him. Very much appreciated.
I'm not quite sure how old he is as I adopted him in CT....I suspect perhaps around 9 years old at this point.
Now the problem is - he is not using his litter box - there is one in the basement and now one in my room but he is preferring to pee on the floor (Or on all my important papers I had spread out to go through!)....and to poop on the floor in the basement though not in the box (which is kept very clean)...Also, he is pulling out his fur with his mouth all the time.
He still seems to have energy though he cannot jump up on things like he used to.....and he prefers to stay outside all night.....He is still extremely affectionate and best friends with our other adopted cat, Digger.
He also wants to eat ALL THE TIME.
Any advice much appreciated. Thank you so much.
KTP
 
Hello there!

One quick question, are you home testing? That would be my main question, followed by what are you feeding? What insulin are you using and how much?

Some of what it sounds like is diabetes associated. How is is poo? Does he strain when he goes? If so, they associate box with pain.

My baby girl - not diabetic - has allergies....just found out, so I cant advise you much, but that could be it. One of my babies - long ago - would pull her hair out and the vet thought it was stress, however, we never did a allergy test. My 16 yr old will do that, hair on the back legs. I think it is stress, as she will stop when my company leaves the home - thanksgiving. And she acted just fine during the holiday with company and started this act but stopped a few days later.

Does Marcus walk on his toes or on the whole foot in the back? sometimes if they walk low, on whole back foot, that is another issue that can be corrected many times. Perhaps that is what is keeping him from jumping???

Eating all the time is a sign of diabetes as well, once he is regulated, that might become less.

Welcome aboard, you have found the best place to be but I am sure you already know that having dealt with DCIN.
Keep us posted
 
Thank you. I am using the insulin supplied by DCIN. Marcus is walking properly. My question is - if he has a UTI then he must be treated by a vet, correct? But as he is diabetic, will he just get a UTI again? Thanks.
 
If you were to hometest you can prevent UTIs, by keeping the blood sugar in a healthy range. DCIN sends testing supplies, do you still have the kit? Do you want to try testing his BG?

At this point if he does have a UTI he would need antibiotics, they are painful so getting it treated quickly is important.
 
First off, Welcome!

I don't know if this has anything to do with anything, however, Mags, my big cat who is excruciatingly fastidious about his plumbing and its locations; well, one day I was sitting on the hopper and in comes Mags. He jumps in the tub and peed in front of me....good thing he did. There was blood in his pee. That was his way of saying "Mama I don't feel good." Took him to the Vet, he had a real nasty infection and after medication he was right as rain.

Kindest regards.
 
You mention you are using the insulin supplied to you 4 months ago. It may be the insulin is no longer working. Without testing you have no way of knowing what's going on. His blood glucose is could be too high. Or too low. Or he may have a UTI.

Hometesting and a vet visit seem to be in order.
 
Help. Marcus now has diarrhea though he pooped in the box, but he just threw up for the first time I can remember. I cannot afford the vet at this time. I have the old insulin and just a couple syringes left. I am worried his systems are shutting down. HELP!
 
Have you tested Marcus for ketones?
Is he dehydrated (if you pull up on the skin at the scruff of his neck, does it go right back down again)?
 
Where do you live (just town and state)? Maybe, there is someone near to you, that can come help you.
 
You can go ahead and Edit your first post in your condo to add the 911 icon, to get as much help as possible.
I would also Edit the Subject Line in your first post to be something like Need Help Now, Please.
 
Just one more thing, because I have to get off the board for a little while.
Do not let Marcus outside. He needs to stay in until he feels better. Was he outside all night last night?
I think he really needs to see a vet. Can you beg or borrow from some family, or friends, your boss, or neighbors?
I'm sending strong healing vines to your baby, now.
 
I am trying to use the Contour Self Monitor device but when I pull the cocking part back it doesn't stay. Even if I hold it back and press the release button the lancet doesn't pop out so I can't test him.
 
You can just hold the lancet in your hand if you don't like the device. I never could get mine to work.

He is showing signs of some advanced disease. Hard to tell what that may be without more blood work. My guess is that 4 month old insulin is no longer working because it is too old. You really need to get more as soon as possible and take kitty to the vet. Sometimes they will allow you to do a payment plan. From his symptoms something serious is going on. I would get to a vet ASAP.
 
Maybe get on the phone with the place you got his insulin from before and see if there is a rescue place that could help you today??

What is the name of the insulin on the bottle/pen/vial? Do you remember how much you were giving? I don't think my vial would last 4 months if I was giving it regularly.
 
ktp said:
Yes, Marcus is very dehydrated. I live in Easthampton, NY.
Click to expand...
Most kitties like tuna water (the water that comes from the cans of human grade tuna in water). Have you tried offering any tuna water to Marcus? He needs fluids. If he likes that, maybe, he'll even eat some food with tuna water poured over it.
 
just want to add my encouragement. wondering if you've gotten him to a vet. a cat that stops eating and drinking is in need of immediate help.
 
Hi
The problem you are having with the lancet device..... is that just a recent problem, like do you need a new device, or has it always been a problem that has not let you test his BG all along?

The insulin, if it came from DCIN, should be Lantus, correct? Can you tell us what his normal dose has been lately, and what times you shoot him each day? Are you shooting him once every 12 hours?

Please let us know more so that we can help you,
Carl
 
Marcus is eating again but he is still peeing sometimes in the box and sometimes on the floor. I have been giving him 2 cc per day of insulin but the vet told me yesterday it should be 4 since he tested at a glucose level of 503 in August so I have not been giving him enough. DCIN is very kindly sending me fresh insulin today via fed ex!
 
Kathryn,

Please don't listen to your vet. The 503 in August means nothing and it was your vet who told you to start at 1 Unit back then so why now 4 units? You are using insulin syringes, U100 so your dose is 2 units of insulin twice a day that you've been giving him, not 2 CCs, correct? 2 CC would be quite a lot of insulin.

You have the glucose monitor, you really must use it. It's the only safe way to treat Marcus. If you were to double his dose and do that with a fresh insulin that is arriving today via FedEx, that is going to be quite a jolt to his system.

Please do listen to the folks here and please start hometesting immediately. I cannot stress enough how important this is. It's the only way you are going to help him.
 
anyone heard about Marcus lately??? Does anyone live near Marcus? Wish texas was closer! :sad:
 
Thanks for all your help. I checked with the vet and he said I should be giving Marcus 2 units, twice a day, of insulin. He is eating and is using a fresh box I got for him. (The other box was in the basement and I've discovered he just doesn't want to go down there, though the other cat does). Thanks again.
 
I do have one question for members - Marcus is acting fine EXCEPT that he is using his mouth to pull out his fur still....Is this from stress? Thanks.
 
The hair pulling could be medical. He is an outdoor cat and he could have a flea allergy. He could have a food allergy. I would have him vetted for a medical problem rather than assuming it is stress. But stress is a possibility, and he may need to be put on Prozac for that.
 
hi - i just want to really encourage you to try again on testing his blood sugar. lantus is a kind of insulin that accumulates and the dose usually needs to be adjusted. it's a hormone, not just a "pick a dose and stick with it" kind of thing. think 13 year old girls who are happy one moment and slamming the doors while screaming the next moment. hormones are different than "normal" drugs.

it's not hard at all once you learn it - probably took me about 4 days of somewhat feeling desperately "i HAVE to do this" move to feeling like "i can do this" and now i can do it while i'm talking on the phone. :lol:

truly. it is challenging at first, but it's the only way to know what's happening in their little bodies and once you've got it, it's nothing. we'd all be glad to help you learn it.

many hugs!
 
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