Supplements for Urinary Issues Safe For Diabetic Cats?

PirateLuke

PirateLuke

Member Since 2026
Hi,
This is the second time in a few months that Pirate Luke has been straining to pee, going back and forth to the litter box, scratching about, distress vocalising, but not peeing.

The first time, I rushed him to the vet in case it was a blockage. He actually peed on the way to the vet, and upon palpation, his bladder was found to be normal. We never had to do anything. It just resolved.

A few hours ago, he started to do it again. He has peed a tiny amount (not the huge floods he usually has as he is unregulated as yet), but he has gone.

He has calmed down now and chilling out. I felt around the bladder area whilst giving him belly rubs and there appears to be nothing abnormal there and he did not mind me poking around. I will obviously keep an eye on him and rush to the vet if necessary.

For the future, are there any diabetic-friendly supplements that could help prevent this from happening again? He's already on low carb wet food and drinks plenty of water.
Thanks!
 
Hi! I have a cat who suffers from both UTIs and Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC). So far, he hasn't had any blockages, thank goodness. It's definitely a challenge, coupled with his FD, since when he has UT problems, his numbers go up (which is both good and bad--good because when the numbers go up, I know that something is amiss early on, but bad because, well, his numbers are higher). First of all, you were absolutely correct to take Pirate Luke into the vet when he couldn't urinate. Blockages in urination can be sudden and very dangerous for kitties. If you are on FB, I suggest that you join the Feline Lower Urinary Tract group. They have a lot of useful information. It's going to be key for you to understand exactly what is happening with Pirate Luke and his UT issues. Not all UT issues are treated similarly.

When you took him to the vet the first time, did they examine or do an analysis on his urine? Did he have infection? Did he have crystals? Crystals can cause blockages, and there are certain supplements that can help to break them down, one being dl-methionone. This is the active ingredient in many UT prescription foods, but since those foods are typically too high in carbs for FD kitties, it's best to use the supplement and avoid the food. I am currently not using this supplement, but only because I only just recently heard about it and spoke to my vet about it; I haven't had a chance to get it ordered yet. You do want to check with your vet on using it, though. There are other supplements to target crystals, so I suggest going to the FLUT FB group to read about them.

Other measures you can take: be sure that litter boxes (and you should have one and a half litter boxes per kitty in your household) have non-clumping litter and that the boxes are cleaned (scooped) daily if not more frequently.

Be sure that he has access to LOTS of fresh water. Jude doesn't drink from a fountain (which is a great water resource to add, if you don't have one), so I put a lot of water in his wet food. Also, no kibble!!

Here are the supplements Jude uses to prevent/mediate a UTI or FIC flare (remember: you need to determine exactly what you are dealing with to get a treatment plan--this is what I give him and he has UTIs and FIC flares): Urinary Gold (some people prefer Tinkle Tonic, but they contain about the same ingredients); d-Mannose (1/8 tsp. once a day for maintenance--double that in the event of an infection or flare); Alcohol-free Cornsilk Extract; and Cystease (contains: N-acetyl glucosamine, precursor for the glycosaminoglycan layer that protects the bladder wall; Hyaluronic Acid, a key component of the bladder's protective lining; and L-tryptophan, an amino acid that helps reduce stress and anxiety by acting as a precursor to serotonin). I give him these supplements daily as a prevention and to minimize inflammation in the bladder; if he has a flare, I double the dose.

We also use Feliway dispensers around the house at all times.

When Jude is having an FIC flare, he takes Gabapentin and Prazosin. UTIs, blockages, and FIC flares can be quite painful for cats, and you want to treat that pain accordingly. Some people believe that Buprenorphine is the best to manage UT pain; we are relatively new to Jude's UT issues, so we are trying Gaba only at this point. Prazosin is an anti-spasmodic for the bladder.

I'll be glad to link anything--just let me know.
 
Last edited:
Mary & Jude said:
Hi! I have a cat who suffers from both UTIs and Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC). So far, he hasn't had any blockages, thank goodness. It's definitely a challenge, coupled with his FD, since when he has UT problems, his numbers go up (which is both good and bad--good because when the numbers go up, I know that something is amiss early on, but bad because, well, his numbers are higher). First of all, you were absolutely correct to take Pirate Luke into the vet when he couldn't urinate. Blockages in urination can be sudden and very dangerous for kitties. If you are on FB, I suggest that you join the Feline Lower Urinary Tract group. They have a lot of useful information. It's going to be key for you to understand exactly what is happening with Pirate Luke and his UT issues. Not all UT issues are treated similarly.

When you took him to the vet the first time, did they examine or do an analysis on his urine? Did he have infection? Did he have crystals? Crystals can cause blockages, and there are certain supplements that can help to break them down, one being dl-methionone. This is the active ingredient in many UT prescription foods, but since those foods are typically too high in carbs for FD kitties, it's best to use the supplement and avoid the food. I am currently not using this supplement, but only because I only just recently heard about it, and spoke to my vet about it; I haven't had a chance to get it ordered yet. You do want to check with your vet on using it, though. There are other supplements to target crystals, so I suggest going to the FLUT FB group to read about them.

Other measures you can take: be sure that litter boxes (and you should have one and a half litter boxes per kitty in your household) have non-clumping litter and that the boxes are cleaned (scooped) daily if not more frequently.

Be sure that he has access to LOTS of fresh water. Jude doesn't drink from a fountain (which is a great water resource to add, if you don't have one), so I put a lot of water in his wet food. Also, no kibble!!

Here are the supplements Jude uses to prevent/mediate a UTI or FIC flare (remember: you need to determine exactly what you are dealing with to get a treatment plan--this is what I give him and he has UTIs and FIC flares): Urinary Gold (some people prefer Tinkle Tonic, but they contain about the same ingredients); d-Mannose (1/8 tsp. once a day for maintenance--double that in the event of an infection or flare); Alcohol-free Cornsilk Extract; and Cystease (contains: N-acetyl glucosamine, precursor for the glycosaminoglycan layer that protects the bladder wall; Hyaluronic Acid, a key component of the bladder's protective lining; and L-tryptophan, an amino acid that helps reduce stress and anxiety by acting as a precursor to serotonin). I give him these supplements daily as a prevention and to minimize inflammation in the bladder; if he has a flare, I double the dose.

We also use Feliway dispensers around the house at all times.

When Jude is having an FIC flare, he takes Gabapentin and Prazosin. UTIs, blockages, and FIC flares can be quite painful for cats, and you want to treat that pain accordingly. Some people believe that Buprenorphine is the best to manage UT pain; we are relatively new to Jude's UT issues, so we are trying Gaba only at this point. Prazosin is an anti-spasmodic for the bladder.

I'll be glad to link anything--just let me know.
Click to expand...
Let me also add, that FIC is like a UTI without the bacteria present--they do not know the cause of FIC, but it is generally believed to be stress-induced, which is why a lot of these treatments are designed to calm him. UTIs and urinary crystals are different. If he has a UTI, he should have a urinary analysis performed along with a culture and sensitivity test, which will identify the bacteria and the specific antibiotic which treats the bacteria. For crystals alone, please check the FLUT FB group--I'm just not very knowledgeable about crystals other than I know they can cause blockages.
 
Mary & Jude said:
Hi! I have a cat who suffers from both UTIs and Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC). So far, he hasn't had any blockages, thank goodness. It's definitely a challenge, coupled with his FD, since when he has UT problems, his numbers go up (which is both good and bad--good because when the numbers go up, I know that something is amiss early on, but bad because, well, his numbers are higher). First of all, you were absolutely correct to take Pirate Luke into the vet when he couldn't urinate. Blockages in urination can be sudden and very dangerous for kitties. If you are on FB, I suggest that you join the Feline Lower Urinary Tract group. They have a lot of useful information. It's going to be key for you to understand exactly what is happening with Pirate Luke and his UT issues. Not all UT issues are treated similarly.

When you took him to the vet the first time, did they examine or do an analysis on his urine? Did he have infection? Did he have crystals? Crystals can cause blockages, and there are certain supplements that can help to break them down, one being dl-methionone. This is the active ingredient in many UT prescription foods, but since those foods are typically too high in carbs for FD kitties, it's best to use the supplement and avoid the food. I am currently not using this supplement, but only because I only just recently heard about it, and spoke to my vet about it; I haven't had a chance to get it ordered yet. You do want to check with your vet on using it, though. There are other supplements to target crystals, so I suggest going to the FLUT FB group to read about them.

Other measures you can take: be sure that litter boxes (and you should have one and a half litter boxes per kitty in your household) have non-clumping litter and that the boxes are cleaned (scooped) daily if not more frequently.

Be sure that he has access to LOTS of fresh water. Jude doesn't drink from a fountain (which is a great water resource to add, if you don't have one), so I put a lot of water in his wet food. Also, no kibble!!

Here are the supplements Jude uses to prevent/mediate a UTI or FIC flare (remember: you need to determine exactly what you are dealing with to get a treatment plan--this is what I give him and he has UTIs and FIC flares): Urinary Gold (some people prefer Tinkle Tonic, but they contain about the same ingredients); d-Mannose (1/8 tsp. once a day for maintenance--double that in the event of an infection or flare); Alcohol-free Cornsilk Extract; and Cystease (contains: N-acetyl glucosamine, precursor for the glycosaminoglycan layer that protects the bladder wall; Hyaluronic Acid, a key component of the bladder's protective lining; and L-tryptophan, an amino acid that helps reduce stress and anxiety by acting as a precursor to serotonin). I give him these supplements daily as a prevention and to minimize inflammation in the bladder; if he has a flare, I double the dose.

We also use Feliway dispensers around the house at all times.

When Jude is having an FIC flare, he takes Gabapentin and Prazosin. UTIs, blockages, and FIC flares can be quite painful for cats, and you want to treat that pain accordingly. Some people believe that Buprenorphine is the best to manage UT pain; we are relatively new to Jude's UT issues, so we are trying Gaba only at this point. Prazosin is an anti-spasmodic for the bladder.

I'll be glad to link anything--just let me know.
Click to expand...
Thank you, Mary!

The vet was going to take a urine sample, but as the first episode resolved on its own, we didn't do that. It definitely wasn't an infection as he was already on a broad-spectrum antibiotic for something else at the time. It was a stressful time in general for him as he was seriously ill.

This one appears to have resolved as well. Pirate Luke has had a proper pee now.

The only reason I can think he's having this is perhaps because he is unregulated, he is peeing a lot. And perhaps that's irritating him from time to time? I don't really know.

The only extra stress he has had this time is that I had the cheek to move his food bowl to a counter top so that my wobbly cat (who has a hepatic-only diet) couldn't get it. Maybe that has stressed him out though.

I did give him some cat nip and sprayed Feliway around his tray in case it was stress-related. But I would be happy to add a supplement into the mix if it wouldn't cause any side effects.
 
PirateLuke said:
Thank you, Mary!

The vet was going to take a urine sample, but as the first episode resolved on its own, we didn't do that. It definitely wasn't an infection as he was already on a broad-spectrum antibiotic for something else at the time. It was a stressful time in general for him as he was seriously ill.

This one appears to have resolved as well. Pirate Luke has had a proper pee now.

The only reason I can think he's having this is perhaps because he is unregulated, he is peeing a lot. And perhaps that's irritating him from time to time? I don't really know.

The only extra stress he has had this time is that I had the cheek to move his food bowl to a counter top so that my wobbly cat (who has a hepatic-only diet) couldn't get it. Maybe that has stressed him out though.

I did give him some cat nip and sprayed Feliway around his tray in case it was stress-related. But I would be happy to add a supplement into the mix if it wouldn't cause any side effects.
Click to expand...
It's amazing how sensitive these kitties can be. Real delicate flowers. Jude seemingly gets upset when we have company. Or when anyone approaches the house and threatens to visit. Bad people!

There is another person on the forum who has often offered me guidance with Jude's FIC (@Angela & Cleo), and she shared this, which has become an indispensable resource. I had no idea how well kitties mask their pain, and, as I mentioned UT issues can be painful, so identifying that pain can be key: Feline Pain Scale
 
Mary & Jude said:
It's amazing how sensitive these kitties can be. Real delicate flowers. Jude seemingly gets upset when we have company. Or when anyone approaches the house and threatens to visit. Bad people!

There is another person on the forum who has often offered me guidance with Jude's FIC (@Angela & Cleo), and she shared this, which has become an indispensable resource. I had no idea how well kitties mask their pain, and, as I mentioned UT issues can be painful, so identifying that pain can be key: Feline Pain Scale
Click to expand...
Thanks for this. It's interesting as Pirate Luke is generally a very chill boy.

When he's in discomfort, he usually overgrooms (or grooms anything in sight quite aggressively). When his blood sugar is very high, he runs around the place like a madman and picks on my other cat. When he's really uncomfortable, he will "distress" meow. It's very different from his normal meows.

He's currently chilled and looks like a zero on the AU scale. I will spray some more Feliway later around his bowl. I do really want it moved to the counter-top as it will be much easier overall. My wobbly cat tries to butt in when I leave it on the floor and it's stressful trying to shepherd her away while trying to do his insulin at the same time.

I will definitely look at getting a supplement as well. It can't hurt and would save me some stress as I had to stay with him today to make sure he peed or, if not, rush him to the vet.
 
Hi my boy has FLUTD & he struggles with UTIs occasionally. Something that has helped him tremendously is NOW brand D Mannose & Cosequin. I give him 1/4 of a tsp of D Mannose 2xs a day & cosequin one time a day. The D Mannose is powder & I mix it in his food, it's tasteless. The Cosequin is a capsule so I open it up & put the powder in his food, it's also tasteless. I will try to attach some pictures in my next post. Hope this helps :bighug:
 
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@Chrispooky12 Thank you!

I took him to the vets today to get his Libre fitted and I mentioned the urinanary issues. They are sure he's not blocked, and didn't think he had a UTI, although they did say it can be more likely in diabetic cats.

I have had him on Cystease for a couple of days (125mg N-acetyl glucosamine, 10mg hyaluronic acid, and 37.5mg L-tryptophan) and will look at D-mannose. I also have some leftover metacam and they said I can give him that if he sounds in pain.
 
PirateLuke said:
@Chrispooky12 Thank you!

I took him to the vets today to get his Libre fitted and I mentioned the urinanary issues. They are sure he's not blocked, and didn't think he had a UTI, although they did say it can be more likely in diabetic cats.

I have had him on Cystease for a couple of days (125mg N-acetyl glucosamine, 10mg hyaluronic acid, and 37.5mg L-tryptophan) and will look at D-mannose. I also have some leftover metacam and they said I can give him that if he sounds in pain.
Click to expand...
Some here do their own CGM placements rather than paying the vet. Here is a link that discusses getting started, in case it's something you might be interested in: Getting Started With Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) for Diabetic Cats

Regarding the Metacam, I'm sure you might know this already, but in the US, Metacam (Meloxicam) has a black box label for avoiding it's repeated use. Here is a link that discusses this further: Long term treatment with meloxicam in cats - EveryCat Health Foundation.
 
Mary & Jude said:
Some here do their own CGM placements rather than paying the vet. Here is a link that discusses getting started, in case it's something you might be interested in: Getting Started With Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) for Diabetic Cats

Regarding the Metacam, I'm sure you might know this already, but in the US, Metacam (Meloxicam) has a black box label for avoiding it's repeated use. Here is a link that discusses this further: Long term treatment with meloxicam in cats - EveryCat Health Foundation.
Click to expand...
Thank you. He only had a couple of doses of Metacam after he had VBO surgery in January, so I have some left over. It's not going to be a long-term treatment, just a dose tomorrow if he's still pain-vocalising while trying to wee to give him a break. I am generally not a fan of over-medicating anyway, so hopefully we will not need it.

It's £30 ($40) to get the Libre fitted at the vet nurse, which isn't too bad, but getting an UberPet there and back really adds up, and I don't drive. But I don't think it's possible to do on my own. He's a very squirmy and resistant cat when they put it on at the vets. It always needs two people and I am the only person home. I might consider roping in a friend!
 
Most likely at home he will not be as stressed cats are very sensitive to stress andxit does help his glucose levels, placing the sensor is quite simple also to save money ask your vet to give a lot of refills for the sensor, they only last 14 days, and is always good to have at least a couple handy in case they fall off or stop working before the 14 days, please note that it will be wise when using the CGM of you get a low (2) digit number, to re test manually, the LIBRE reads low numbers much lower, they are a good source for fidgity cats. As well if your vet discusses to do a curve, you can save your money and stress for your cat, a curve is testing every 2 hours for a cycle (12 hours) the CGM already does that😉 or you can manually test, most members use the ReliOn human meter and strips, or any other brand is good, the pet meter’s strips are also expensive
 
CORKY said:
Most likely at home he will not be as stressed cats are very sensitive to stress andxit does help his glucose levels, placing the sensor is quite simple also to save money ask your vet to give a lot of refills for the sensor, they only last 14 days, and is always good to have at least a couple handy in case they fall off or stop working before the 14 days, please note that it will be wise when using the CGM of you get a low (2) digit number, to re test manually, the LIBRE reads low numbers much lower, they are a good source for fidgity cats. As well if your vet discusses to do a curve, you can save your money and stress for your cat, a curve is testing every 2 hours for a cycle (12 hours) the CGM already does that😉 or you can manually test, most members use the ReliOn human meter and strips, or any other brand is good, the pet meter’s strips are also expensive
Click to expand...
Thanks. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Libre never runs the whole 15 days, so I always get a free replacement from Abbott! :D And I always keep a spare, yes, because it takes them a few days to send the new one.

I actually have blood sugar issues myself (hypoglycemia and reactive hypoglycemia) and already have an Accu-chek meter somewhere for when I had to test my own blood glucose. I could probably get away with a paw test while he's resting as he likes having his paw held and rubbed. He was very upset by the ear prick at all at the vets!

But I also have a chronic illness, another cat with disabilities, and a lot on my plate generally, so I have to keep things as simple and stress-free as possible for myself right now. Yes, I do "curves" via the Libre. I know the numbers aren't always accurate, but the trends are, and that's what I'm interested in right now along with symptom monitoring.

When (paws crossed) we get down to lower numbers, then I will look at confirming via the Accu-chek. He has been on Prozinc, which hasn't really worked well for him. We start Lantus tonight, so will see if that is better. I hope so! :)
 
PirateLuke said:
Thanks. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Libre never runs the whole 15 days, so I always get a free replacement from Abbott! :D And I always keep a spare, yes, because it takes them a few days to send the new one.

I actually have blood sugar issues myself (hypoglycemia and reactive hypoglycemia) and already have an Accu-chek meter somewhere for when I had to test my own blood glucose. I could probably get away with a paw test while he's resting as he likes having his paw held and rubbed. He was very upset by the ear prick at all at the vets!

But I also have a chronic illness, another cat with disabilities, and a lot on my plate generally, so I have to keep things as simple and stress-free as possible for myself right now. Yes, I do "curves" via the Libre. I know the numbers aren't always accurate, but the trends are, and that's what I'm interested in right now along with symptom monitoring.

When (paws crossed) we get down to lower numbers, then I will look at confirming via the Accu-chek. He has been on Prozinc, which hasn't really worked well for him. We start Lantus tonight, so will see if that is better. I hope so! :)
Click to expand...
If you'd like, come over to the Lantus forum--you'll find a strong, supportive community there.
 
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