Sticky urine and litter everywhere- yuck!

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static

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I mentioned this in my last post, but I think it got overlooked due to the main question I posed. Dale's urine is very sticky- litter is sticking to him and he drags it everywhere. This happened when he first got diagnosed and it improved after he started on insulin, but it seems worse again lately, so I'm wondering if that means he may need an increase. Before everyone starts telling me how empty my spreadsheet is, don't worry- I won't increase it without either doing more testing or consulting a vet. I'm just wondering what some of your experiences have been with this. I hate having kitty litter on everything!
 
I am wondering how you are connecting the urine and litter to a possible need for more insulin.

What kind of litter are you using, and have you made any changes recently?
What do you mean by sticky urine? If you used clumping urine, you may have litter sticking if the cat literally sat on the litter when urinating.

What did the urine improve to - something more watery or what?
 
I'm connecting it because the urine appears to be more "sugary". Also, it was never like that until right before his diagnosis and improved once he went on insulin. I don't see how I could NOT connect that. I have not changed his litter, and it is clumping. It was way more clean before. He would bury it and jump out of the box, maybe scatter a little litter on the floor but it wasn't clinging to his paws like it does now.
 
When Kasha's numbers are high, she gets litter stuck to her back feet. I'm not 100% sure why, but I think it's a combination of her urinating more frequently and increasing neuropathy in her back legs - thus - there are more pee balls in the litter box and she isn't as coordinated so she steps in them and collects litter on her feet. I was washing her back feet regularly when her numbers were high, but I notice when her numbers come down, I don't have to wash her feet - because she's urinating slightly less (she's always been a big drinker, so it follows that she's a big pee-er) and she's steadier on her feet.

So, I'm just sharing my experience. There may be a relationship between high numbers and the urine and litter, but I don't know that it's because the urine is stickier due to glucose or anything.
 
Moonie has the same thing as Kasha--Neuropathy in back legs causing weakness, they can stand regularly in the LB, so pee & litter get stuck to them when they finish or leave the box, or when they bury urine--
Moonie also has sticky urine sometimes still, and yes It can happen when numbers are high. Doesnt mean anything associated with the insulin dose.
Increases & decreases are done according to their bg numbers--The only way to do that is to collect data & do spot checks of the bg daily at least 4 times a day or more--That way a pattern emerges & we see how they are responding to the insulin..
Have you read the Stickys at the top of the lantus main page?? Lots of good info in there-
 
For those not seeing the connection, "diabetic cat sticky urine" has 21,000 google hits, this: http://www.northamptonvetclinic.com/doc ... llitus.pdf says "when a cat with DM spills glucose into its urine, it causes the urine to be sticky. Therefore, cat litter may stick to the feet." And here: http://ezinearticles.com/?Diabetes-in-C ... id=3444279, "Your cat's urine may appear sticky due to the large sugar content." Maybe there should be a sticky on that?

Does anyone do urine testing in addition to the glucose testing?
 
Are you ketone testing? There are test stick for glucose in the urine as well as ketones. You can get them at the pharmacy.
 
A sticky about sticky pee! I like it. :lol: Sorry, I couldn't help giggling.

But the messy litter everywhere isn't funny. I hope when Dale's numbers come down more, this will not be such a problem. I think in the beginning of my kitty's FD I had the same stuff going on with litter being trailed out from the box. I tried using towels on the floor a few feet away from the box so my cat could walk over them and hopefully some of the litter would fall into the towels from his feet. Anything that was stuck hard had to be brushed off with a brush. Sometimes this was difficult because BigMac liked to hide when he felt bad. :sad:
 
Sabrina, I noticed that also when Frip’s BGs were more regularly above 300. I think it makes sense that when glucose spills into the urine, it causes it to be sticky and I noticed it smells sugary also. It doesn’t happen as much now.
 
Same for me as for Krys and Roni. When Kitty's neuropathy was bad, it seemed like he stepped in the wet litter, couldn't bury it as well -- whatever, but it stuck to him more. I never connected it with his numbers, just didn't realize that could be an issue. It came and went with the neuropathy.

Good luck with it. I hope Dale improves soon!
 
not sure if you are aware - but on lantus - we typically do one post per day per cat - meaning, all your questions/concerns issues, should be put into one post/thread - and if there is a question you need help with - add advise please or help needed in the subject.

this way all your posts stay together, don't get lost in the shuffle and you have something to refer back to and follow more easily.

plus it makes it easier for the others on here to follow what's going on.

and if you look at other posts on here - you will see that each daily post is written like this:

date, cat name, AMPS# -- need help please


make sense?

and if you have general questions about food or litter, etc, you can also post that on the health forum, where you will get more views other than lantus on these kinds of matters that you may find helpful as well.
 
when Tray's #'s were high his urine was sticky too, the vet said it was from the sugar in the urine. I'd advise doing a ketone test and getting some BG tests in too. Your hunch is probablly right and an increase is due.
 
Back to the sticky urine = not enough insulin question, I just wanted to add that my Max's numbers were much higher on a higher dose of insulin because he was rebounding. His BG would dip really fast, then shoot up to compensate. We would never have known this if we hadn't done regular testing, especially on weekends (we both work full-time, and DH works a lot of OT).

I guess what I'm saying is make sure you know what's going on in your little guys body throughout the day before you change your dose. It looked like you've had some low blues and pink/red in the same cycle which looks a bit like how we were in the beginning.

There are some awesome beans here who have lots of experience & will help you out. Just wanted to share my experience.

Holly
 
There can be other reasons for excessive urination. Kidney disease is one of these. We went through the sticky urine on the feet with Blackie because he pees huge quantities because of his renal disease and he usually pees in the same place. So he was stepping in it when he was getting out of the box and then carrying it everywhere. I switched to the Breeze litter box system and there are no more sticky feet.
 
Hillary & Maui said:
not sure if you are aware - but on lantus - we typically do one post per day per cat - meaning, all your questions/concerns issues, should be put into one post/thread - and if there is a question you need help with - add advise please or help needed in the subject.

this way all your posts stay together, don't get lost in the shuffle and you have something to refer back to and follow more easily.

plus it makes it easier for the others on here to follow what's going on.

and if you look at other posts on here - you will see that each daily post is written like this:

date, cat name, AMPS# -- need help please


make sense?

and if you have general questions about food or litter, etc, you can also post that on the health forum, where you will get more views other than lantus on these kinds of matters that you may find helpful as well.
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Not sure if YOU noticed, but I mentioned at the beginning of my post that I DID ask this question in my last post and nobody answered it. Many people are helpful on here (thanks to those of you who are nice!), but I feel like the majority are being pedantic like you. I also didn't realize two posts, in which I mention I am asking for advice, would make it too difficult for people to navigate the boards or infer that I wanted advice without putting it it the subject line. I guess I will look for advice elsewhere.
 
hollymayb said:
Back to the sticky urine = not enough insulin question, I just wanted to add that my Max's numbers were much higher on a higher dose of insulin because he was rebounding. His BG would dip really fast, then shoot up to compensate. We would never have known this if we hadn't done regular testing, especially on weekends (we both work full-time, and DH works a lot of OT).

I guess what I'm saying is make sure you know what's going on in your little guys body throughout the day before you change your dose. It looked like you've had some low blues and pink/red in the same cycle which looks a bit like how we were in the beginning.

There are some awesome beans here who have lots of experience & will help you out. Just wanted to share my experience.

Holly
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Thanks Holly, I hadn't thought of that. Dale's #'s are up and down a lot even though I haven't changed his dose. I'll take him to his doc soon.
 
By the way--I Urine tested Moonie for 11 months--sometimes her pee was sticky, sometimes not..
The real barometer is the BG testing--Guess sticky urine could be happening when the bg number goes over renal threshold(glucose spills into urine) which is at about 240-250...I would focus on the bg right now!
 
static said:
Not sure if YOU noticed, but I mentioned at the beginning of my post that I DID ask this question in my last post and nobody answered it. Many people are helpful on here (thanks to those of you who are nice!), but I feel like the majority are being pedantic like you. I also didn't realize two posts, in which I mention I am asking for advice, would make it too difficult for people to navigate the boards or infer that I wanted advice without putting it it the subject line. I guess I will look for advice elsewhere.
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Seriously? Hillary was just trying to be helpful. A lot of people in the known on FDMB are kind enough to check out other people's condos and sometimes they are quite busy helping out people. Sometimes you might ask a question and not get an answer. I think maybe you could ask again and make sure it's added in the subject line of your condo, along with your regular info.

And following the one condo per day rule, while it may seem frivolous to you, may help those people keep track of what's going on with a particular cat/bean. If everyone just posted several condos per day, I could see where it might get out of control and it could be hard for our experts to keep track of what's going on with each cat and answer our questions.

Sorry that you are feeling like the majority of people on FDMB are pedantic. That has not been my experience at all, although I understand how frustrating this process can be and in the beginning we all need to learn a lot, so sometimes things get repeated to us. I can't tell you how many times people have sent me copies of the typical Lantus curve... LOL...
 
Kryskat wrote:
I can't tell you how many times people have sent me copies of the typical Lantus curve... LOL...
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Guilty!

Sabrina,
you've gotten good feedback. Checking for ketones and checking the numbers.

Good luck and hope you keep us posted on Dale, ok? When you can.
 
Ronnie & Luna said:
Kryskat wrote:
I can't tell you how many times people have sent me copies of the typical Lantus curve... LOL...
Click to expand...

Guilty!
Click to expand...
I had to restrain myself just now from sending the typical Lantus curve to Krys AGAIN, just to be silly, hahaha!!

Feline Diabetes = very serious disease
FDMB members = information, experience, support, kindness, friendship... with a dash of silly to make you smile. :lol:
 
Hi, Sabrina,

Please don't take Hillary's gentle housekeeping reminders personally. The more time you spend in Lantus Land, the more you'll see how much the routines help keep things organized.

We have some truly experienced and knowledgeable people (I'm not one of them! :mrgreen: ) who will try to give feedback fast - like, in time for a shot in 20 minutes -- and it helps them to have all the information in one daily condo, with a link to yesterday's experience.

Experienced hands try to pass along the routine to new family members, and it all makes Lantus Land the amazing place it is. Insight, experience and support, with a mix of silliness... and parties! :lol:
 
I know, a lot of people HAVE been very helpful. It's just that I only wrote two threads, and since what I was asking was not about Dale's amps and pmps for that day, I don't see the point of putting that in the subject line. It seems to me like most of the posts are like, "these were my cat's #'s today", and then people comment on how that's great or hope they get lower or whatnot. But I was asking about something, not announcing his amps. I've been discussing this with someone over PM, and the thing is, of course I read up on all this stuff when Dale was diagnosed. I hate when I post something and am just told to read the stickies. There is so much information, and some of it contradictory, that what I am really looking for is hearing peoples' personal experiences. If this is not the place for that, bummer. But a party never hurts either!
 
The way I have it figured is that this forum focuses heavily -- not exclusively, but heavily -- on managing BG, with all the complications that involves. Food, general health, neuropathy complications, other medical conditions, handling of the insulin, doses, responding to confusing results. You get the idea. Discussing these issues is facilitated by organized each cat's data in a certain way: according to the cat's daily experience. (We also try to laugh a little.)

In the general health forum, posts are about specific health issues. One person may have several general questions related to diabetic care, or just cat care. In that forum, it makes sense to organize posts as one issue per post.

It's just a way of organizing information. Again, my opinion, your question -- and I completely see that you have a major issue to deal with! -- isn't specifically about Lantus and BG, and so you might want to divide your time. The litter box issues in one forum, with your BG questions here. The general health forum is visited by all the insulin groups, so you get lots of input. (And many of us who post on health "cross post" here by putting that URL into the daily condo. That lets people here know your kitty has another issue.)

So many cats, so many complications, so many helpful people just trying to stay organized, so we avoid SNAFUs! :lol:

In conclusion: There are multiple places for multiple purposes at FDMB, and you're welcome in all of them. :-D
 
It's fine to open a condo separate from your usual one if you have a question. Alternatively, you can draw attention to a question if it's in your usual condo by noting something in the subject line. Either way is fine. Please take feedback in the manner it is intended. The Lantus board is one of the busiest in FDMB. Some of us try to visit every condo on a daily basis so having questions/information consolidated in one place makes it easier.

Static said:
Does anyone do urine testing in addition to the glucose testing?
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Urine glucose testing is notoriously unreliable at least as compared to blood glucose testing. In order to get the test, enough urine needs to collect over a period of what is likely to be hours so you are not getting a real time value for the glucose level. In addition, urine glucose tests will not tell you if levels are too low. If you simply want to know if your cat is over renal threshold, this may be an adequate way to get a "yes" or "no" answer but a urine glucose test is not equivalent to a BG test.
 
You're right, it wasn't really a Lantus specific question, so the general forum may have been a better place. This one seems more active and to elicit faster responses so I've been coming to it automatically lately.
 
Sabrina, if I had a sticky urine and litter everywhere problem, I'd want a fast answer too!! :lol: When those numbers come down, maybe the problem will solve itself.
 
I'm glad to see Cheryl's post.

"It's fine to open a condo separate from your usual one if you have a question. Alternatively, you can draw attention to a question if it's in your usual condo by noting something in the subject line. Either way is fine."

We strive to not miss questions here but yours did get missed, sorry about that. If that happens again you can post in your thread (condo) "hey, you missed this question I have..."
 
I know lots of people here are very pro-clumping litter. I, however, am not. Even without spilling glucose into the urine my cats end up with litter stuck to their feet frequently. Years ago we switched to non-clumping/traditional litter and it's great. No more litter tracked all over my house, no more clay-ish looking paw prints all over the floor. When Max was first diagnosed with diabetes, I tried switching to clumping because he was peeing on every rug in the house (we have laminate floors and very little carpet), and my thinking was that the clumping box could be cleaner for him, so perhaps he'd go there more often instead of on my rugs.

That was an epic fail. Some here may remember it...one of my cats, I don't know which one (but my bet is on Truman) actually peed in the reservoir on TOP of the box that hold the handle for pan cover. ohmygod_smile To keep litter better contained, we use covered boxes because otherwise Max would kick it everywhere. Anyway, I did not notice this reservoir of pee on top of the box until I stuck my hand in it. Eeeew! Needless to say, we went back to non-clumping litter that night.

Eventually we'll switch over to the Tidy Cats Breeze system--it sounds like a perfect LB system, but at the moment I don't have the cash to shuck out for two of those. Perhaps this fall we'll get to it...we'll have to once we start working on finishing our basement, which is where the LBs are. I think a pp mentioned this system, and I remember seeing a lot of discussion about them, maybe on Health, in the last few months. I believe if you google for coupons you could find some...maybe $5 or $10 off?

Anyway, good luck! Sticky pee just sounds like misery to me!
 
Yeah, I'm intrigued by the Breeze system too. My main concern is the smell. I've been using Tidy Cats clumping litter because so far it's had the least amount of odor. And it DOES clump really well.
 
I currently mix some Precious Cat clumping litter with World's Best Litter and it works great. No more concrete clumps that I have to scrape off the sides of the box (which is where they always pee) - It clumps fast and doesn't adhere to the box. And as long as I keep it clean, I don't notice any odor.
 
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