New here, trying to figure out how to stop the pee

[Rocky’s Mom]

so we were diagnosed with diabetes dec 14 2019, so still new to all this. I was told my Rocky could also have kidney failure.

Our family is young with a 1.5 year old and a new born on his way. So Im having a major issue processing all this. Right now we have him on 2 units 2 times a day of pro zinc. He is using the litter box, he gets a ton of attention from me, my husband and our little one loves him.

Now the bad, he seemed to be doing well. But then th3 past 2 nights he has peed on the floor. Weds was on towels in the bathroom and this morning was on the bed comforter Cornor that was on the floor. This seems to be reoccurring. And sinc3 I’m not supposed to touch his pee or poop my husband has been doing it, which is a strain since the kitty is mine (12 years old). I don’t know what else to do my vet has been wonderful, but I had a complete melt down this morning after I found the pee.

I wanted to talk to people who understood and the forum seems better than the other one I joined who was shaming me....

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

Welcome to FDMB. We understand what you are going through and will not shame you. The excess peeing is most likely due to Rocky's glucose levels not under control. The best way to determine how well the insulin is working is by home testing. This means testing his blood before every shot. You can use either a human glucose meter or a pet one. Both work, however the humane meter are less expensive to use and the strips are available at any pharmacy.

Testing is not difficult though there may be a little learning curve. You test by getting a small drop of blood usually from the outside of the ear. We recommend home testing for several reasons. First is to make sure it is safe to give the shots. Glucose levels vary during the day and you do not want to give a dose when they are too low. This could cause hypoglycemia. This occurs when the glucose levels drop too low and is very dangerous for your cat. By knowing you the glucose levels before you give insulin you can avoid giving a shot when the readings are below safe levels.

The next reason for home testing is to determine how well the dose is working. As your cat becomes more regulated insulin needs may change. The dose may need to be adjusted either higher or lower depending on how well your cat is responding to the dose. One other reason we recommend home testing is that these tests are more accurate than taking your cat to the vet to be tested. Stress can increase glucose levels significantly and so the readings at your vet office will probably be much higher then the ones at home. don't worry we can help you learn how to home test or if your vet is willing can also show you how to test. Don't be surprised if you ask your vet that they try to discourage home testing. Unfortunately this is a response we often see. But look at it this way if Rocky was your child, would you want to give insulin without knowing it is safe to give it? By testing before every shot you will know if it is safe to give the dose.

I see you are on ProZinc and that is a good insulin for cats. Can you tell us what you are feeding Rocky? Diet also is a significant factor in controlling glucose levels. A low carb canned or raw food diet is best for diabetic cats. Most dry food including prescription food is high in carbs. However please do not change the diet to a low-carb diet yet until you start home testing. The reason why is that by switching the diet can significantly lower glucose levels. You will most likely have to also lower the insulin dose also.

 

[Sharon14]

Hi and welcome. No shaming here. I agree with Lisa that Rocky’s problem is probably due to unregulated glucose and that testing is the only way to know. But another possibility is a UTI. You said Rocky has possible kidney failure. Was a blood test done? If you have the results, please post them. Often simple dehydration can look like kidney failure and the numbers will improve with fluids and getting the glucose under control. We are here for you, no shaming, so ask any and all questions you have.

 

[Rocky’s Mom]

Thank you, and I am hoping to get a tester next week. Right now he is on meow mix wet food twice a day and I have meow mix dry down since he has always been a grazer. I have been doing research on changing him to a different wet possibly fancy feast ?

 

[JL and Chip]

Welcome and kudos for reaching out for help. No shaming here.

One of the hardest things to cope with is a cat who pees outside the litter box. If he has faithfully used the box for 12 years, then peeing on the floor or comforter (or any very visible or “in-your-face” location, actually) might be his way of telling you that he’s not feeling well and is a plea for help. Think about it ... if you were a cat and couldn’t speak words, how would you get your owner’s attention?

Diabetic cats are prone to urinary tract infections (UTIs), which can be painful and uncomfortable. I encourage you to have your vet check for a UTI as soon as possible so antibiotics can get on board quickly if needed. Kidney disease and uncontrolled diabetes can also cause a cat to feel poorly and affect litter box habits. Often the issues can be resolved but you have to be a bit of a detective to figure out the root cause. Just remember that the cat likely is pleading for help and isn’t trying to be bad, so getting angry or punishing him won’t help and might actually make things worse (not that you’d do either).

Has the litter box moved? Do you have more than one box? How high are the sides of the box? Is your cat peeing a lot? Are you keeping the boxes clean and filled with fresh litter? Is he having any mobility issues?

Sometimes diabetic cats develop weak back legs (reversible when the diabetes is better controlled) which makes it harder to get into a box with high sides, or are deterred because their increased urination “trashes” the litter more quickly and they find it undesirable. Most of us have dealt with “concrete booties” at one point ... those lovely urine and litter soaked gooey feetsies. I’m sure the cats don’t like it any more than we do.

Also, you might want to pick up some enzyme cleaner and treat the affected areas to remove any potential residual smell that might attract him back to the same location. I use “Anti Icky Poo” and have used “Natures Miracle” in the past.

Getting a glucometer and testing your cat’s blood glucose at home will empower you to make good, data-based decisions for your cat. I’m glad you’re planning to do that. Knowledge is power. I also think it reduces stress in the end.

2u isn’t a crazy high dose but it is a higher starting dose than many vets recommend (I personally would never start above 1u). It might be just right ... or it might be too much ... or it might be too little. Please DO NOT change to a low carb food until you start home testing. Low carb food can dramatically reduce insulin needs and until you start home testing and get some data, you don’t want to risk overdosing your cat and having a hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episode. I don’t want to scare you, but those can be life threatening so it’s best to keep the food (especially the dry since it’s high carb) the same for now. Fancy Feast is fine, by the way.

On that note, has your cat had any “episodes” of weakness or staggering or glassy-eyed listlisness after you started insulin? It’s possible (though probably less likely than the other things mentioned) that his BG is getting low and he’s peeing outside the box because of that.

 

[Sharon14]

The meow mix dry is very high carb, not sure about the wet. When you start testing, we will help you transition to a lower carb food. Please do talk to the vet about a possible UTI.

 

[Rocky’s Mom]

Welcome and kudos for reaching out for help. No shaming here.


Has the litter box moved? Do you have more than one box? How high are the sides of the box? Is your cat peeing a lot? Are you keeping the boxes clean and filled with fresh litter? Is he having any mobility issues?— the box is in th3 same place plac3 my husband cleans/changes daily worst case every other day. He was peeing a lot however in the past 2 week, sinc3 we upped the insulin he seems to be less...

Also, you might want to pick up some enzyme cleaner and treat the affected areas to remove any potential residual smell that might attract him back to the same location. I use “Anti Icky Poo” and have used “Natures Miracle” in the past.—- good to know I will!

2u isn’t a crazy high dose but it is a higher starting dose than many vets recommend (I personally would never start above 1u). It might be just right ... or it might be too much ... or it might be too little. Please DO NOT change to a low carb food until you start home testing. Low carb food can dramatically reduce insulin needs and until you start home testing and get some data, you don’t want to risk overdosing your cat and having a hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episode. I don’t want to scare you, but those can be life threatening so it’s best to keep the food (especially the dry since it’s high carb) the same for now. Fancy Feast is fine, by the way.—— we started at 1 unit on 3 a day and he was a monster.... so the vet increased. He seems better on the 2 2x a day

On that note, has your cat had any “episodes” of weakness or staggering or glassy-eyed listlisness after you started insulin? It’s possible (though probably less likely than the other things mentioned) that his BG is getting low and he’s peeing outside the box because of that.

. ——- nope none thank goodness

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

If there's any way you can get a glucometer sooner ratier than later, that would be a good thing. The inappropriate urination may be due to a UTI so getting your kitty checked by your vet may be helpful. If it's not due to a UTI, cats with high blood glucose (BG) readings tend to make a great deal of urine and tend to drink a great deal (i.e., polyuria and polydipsia) -- they are symptoms of diabetes. The Meow Mix, if it's the grain free variety, is about 5% carbs. However, the dry stuff is over 40% carbs. Low carb is considered less than 10% carb and high carb is above 15%. 40% is a whoppingly high carb food.

Part of why I'm suggesting to get a glucometer is that a cat's insulin needs can change rapidly if you make a change in diet. We wouldn't want you to remove the dry food and have your cat become hypoglycemic due to too much insulin once your remove the source of carbs. Testing will allow you to monitor the change. It's likely that getting your cat in better numbers may reduce the inappropriate urination.

You may also want to buy some of Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter.

 

[Deb & Wink]

....so we were diagnosed with diabetes dec 14 2019, so still new to all this. I was told my Rocky could also have kidney failure.

Would you share your first name with us please? You were probably so nervous, you forgot to tell us. If you are concerned with privacy issues, we'll keep calling you Rocky's mom.

Our family is young with a 1.5 year old and a new born on his way. So Im having a major issue processing all this.

Deep breath, hold release, deep breath, hold, release, ........ Pretend you are doing something like Lamaze breathing. Or mindfulness breathing. It's scary for sure.

I don’t know what else to do my vet has been wonderful, but I had a complete melt down this morning after I found the pee.

Good vets are priceless. Meltdowns are normal. Plus the pregnancy hormones can run havoc with your emotions.

I wanted to talk to people who understood and the forum seems better than the other one I joined who was shaming me....

DCC by any chance? there are some real "queen b's" over there. Hope it wasn't our sister facebook page. If it was, it can be reported to the moderators.

 

[Deb & Wink]

How's it going with Rocky?