New here - Non-diabetic cat with blood glucose issues?

[justinbear21]

Hi all,

I hope this post is okay. My cat, Wills, is 14 and does not have diabetes but is having some blood sugar issues I thought you all might have advice for.

He had routine bloodwork and urine cultures as part of a workup for a UTI after he started peeing over the side of his litter box. He does not have a UTI and everything on his bloodwork was perfect, except his blood glucose was 49.

The vet called and said that she thought it was a lab error. We retested it at a visit a few weeks later and it said his blood sugar was 50, even when they ran the sample twice.

The vet said that she thinks he has an underlying medical condition because that blood glucose was very low, but reading here it seems that 50 can be normal for a non diabetic cat?

He is not on any medication other than B12 injections once a month for IBS symptoms and he eats Royal Canin Hydrolyzed protein kibble plus half a can of wet food a day as a treat.

He has shown absolutely no symptoms of low blood sugar. She set us up with an internal medicine specialist in two weeks to check for a pancreatic tumor but until then i am very anxious his blood sugar will dip too low. She made it seem like he may have catastrophic low blood sugar symptoms at any moment, and i am very confused. Any advice appreciated.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

How was that 49 and 50 tested? The pet blood glucose meters gives slightly different results from human blood glucose meters which differ from what is tested at the labs. Meaning the ranges of normal are different. I have tested several kitties with human meters in the low 50's, and one in the upper 40's.

We have seen a couple pancreatic tumours here, but not very common. This post might help you with low numbers, should they occur:

• How to treat HYPOS - THEY CAN KILL! Print this Out!!

Good luck with the upcoming vet visit.

 

[justinbear21]

I think the original test was part of a blood draw from a vein and run at the Banfield office.

When they retested i know they got the blood with a lancet on his ear. The vet didn't say what kind of meter was used, but i am assuming it was one for animals since it was at the vets office. The reference range they gave listed the low end of normal starting at 71.

I have read that insulinomas are very very rare in cats and am partly skeptical because he has no signs of feeling ill - but also very scared he might be ill and go low without warning. Thank you so much for the info on lows.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Here we say we don't want cats below 68 on a pet meter when they are on insulin. FWIW, vets used to use human meters though the pet meter marketing companies seem to have gotten to most of them.

Did the blood work include a check of his T4 levels? Although insulinoma is the most common reason of low blood glucose, there are other conditions, like hypothyroidism, liver disease, digestion problems and addison's that can lower blood sugars. As well as some medication, which he's not on. Good thing you are going to an internist. They are great at working with multiple issues and sorting things out. The IBD may be causing digestion issues? Just guessing. Any GI symptoms?

He still peeing over the edge of the box? Older cats can get arthritic and have difficulty squatting enough. Higher sided litter boxes might be needed.

 

[justinbear21]

That is all really good information to know. Thank you so much!! I just assumed a vet would use a pet meter but maybe it was not. It's a Banfield office.

His T4 levels were checked and normal as part of the investigation of why he is peeing over the side of the box. The vet never decided on a reason except for a vague "could be stress or arthritis." This is not the vet we typically see at the practice and I am not really pleased with her. He pees over the box sometimes but not always. It started abruptly in May and has continued on and off since then. My best guess is difficulty squatting sometimes. He is still very active and playful.

He has had IBD symptoms for a couple years. The B12 shots and prescription diet helped tremendously. Sometimes he will get a flare up of vomiting and/or diarrhea, maybe once a month.

The vet visit where they retested his blood glucose he was getting over a bout of vomiting and diarrhea after eating some potting mix he got into. The vomiting had cleared up but he still had some diarrhea that was lingering. When I asked, the vet said it couldn't cause the low blood glucose but now i am not so sure.