Think Kitty's Having a Relapse... How Bad Is It?

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nalasmom

nalasmom

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Hi there. My cat, Nala, was diagnosed with diabetes in 2008. This site was tremendously helpful in calming some of my fears and educating me about the condition. Once she was diagnosed, we switched her diet to a grain-free, mostly wet/can food diet (EVO and Wellness brands). After only a few months of insulin, and much to our relief, she no longer needed insulin shots. She has been insulin-free since Early 2009 and has been doing great.

Unfortunately, this week, she has started pooping on the floor every day. (Different spots, always near the litter box.) She is not lethargic, no change in activity or diet (she is ALWAYS hungry), so at first I thought this was behavioral. (She has had numerous behavior issues since we adopted her from the shelter). However, today she has begun chugging water, much more than usual. She has drank at least 3 bowls of water today - she usually only has 1. The last time we put a bowl down, she drank the whole thing immediately, then we refilled and she drank more. I have not noticed her peeing more than usual, but I might be just distracted by the pooping on the floor.

I am going to call the vet tomorrow because I suspect that she might need insulin again - that's what the water is telling me. (Even though she's been to the vet in the last 3 months and her glucose reading was perfect.) Do you guys think this is anything more serious?

I will be totally heartbroken if she has to go on insulin again. I hate giving her shots; it really affects our bond and I feel like I"m always hurting her.

She is about 13 years old. Thank you for your feedback.
 
Both Hyperthyroid, and Kidney insufficiency, could cause more drinking. Anecdotal evidence from several board members suggests that some kitties have poop issues when hyper T.

Is she eating more, or less? Gaining or losing weight? Peeing more or less?

A vet visit is in order.. you probably need a Full Body function blood panel.

Hope it is nothing serious. Diabetes relapse would not be the worst thing, and we are still here to help. Sending cyber hugs!
 
Thank you. Her eating habits are normal - she still is hungry/eating and asking for food. I think that's a pretty good sign.
She doesn't seem to have lost any weight but it's hard to tell - she's a teensy cat in terms of height but she's very round and usually has a healthy appetite. No physical changes - eyes still look good, coat looks good. But her nose is dry.

She doesn't seem to be peeing more or less - but we just noticed the increased water intake so I'll obviously keep an eye on her today and this week.

I just feel so bummed and worried. I hope she's OK.
 
I am sorry you are having these issues again with FD.

Sounds just like my Mickey. Diagnosed in 06, Dec and was off insulin Jan 07. We made it through until June of 2010.
And he has taken up pooping/runs where ever and when ever he wants. Human/cat beds, floors, rugs, I can go on. Very frustrating.

Have you tested her blood sugar yourself? A vet visit is due unfortunately. Hope everything is ok!!
 
My Tom is a retread..don't worry, it's not the worst thing.
We were only on the juice for 28 days the first time around..then off for 2.5 years.
We're finally getting good again and I have every hope we will go off again.
Soooo, you got rid of your glucometer?
 
Whatever is going on with your kitty, you caught the symptoms early. This makes the prognosis for treatment much better. Even if the diabetes has returned, it is nothing you did wrong on your part. Maybe remission (OTJ) is overemphasized. It is good if it happens but people shouldn't feel bad if their cat doesn't stay in remission or never gets to remission in the first place. Even. If your cat has hyperthyroidism or renal issues, there are treatment options available for those disorders also.

I work in the human medical field and assist people in learning to manage their condituions and compensate for their limitations. Most people and pets I have have dealt with adapt to their conditions fairly well. Even if you have to give your cat insulin injections again, he or she will get used to it and so will you. Think of it as you are saving your cats life and not "hurting" it.

Many parents are horrified when they find out their child is diagnosed with type I diabetes. The same parent who feels overwhelmed and discouraged will often be helping other parents learn to do injections a year later.

Paws are crossed for you and your kitty!
 
Thanks everyone. She has continued to chug water through the night and pooped on the floor again today. Sigh.
I called the vet and made an appointment for tomorrow. Until then, it's a waiting and watching game. I sincerely appreciate the encouragement and advice.
- Nala's Mom
 
lori and tom said:
Soooo, you got rid of your glucometer?
Click to expand...

Oh, we actually never had one. We were paying $10 a pop at the vet to have her checked regularly. I was considering buying one in 2009, but then she got off the juice and her glucose numbers have been perfect ever since and totally regulated with food. Since things have been going so well, the thought to buy one for this type of situation never crossed my mind. Dumb, I know.
 
well heck, get one now...it will save you time and worry...and if you still have your insulin it will save you a trip to the vet.
 
Sorry to hear of the possible relapse. I also think she needs to go to the vet since it could be other things. Come back even if it isn't diabetes. We have loads of people who might be able to help.
 
I would not forgo the trip to the vet and just start giving insulin again! You don't know if it is a relapse or something else until you go get him checked out, and if it is a relapse, you should have a full checkup to look for a possible cause for coming out of remission. Sometimes the kitty needs a dental or has some sort of infection, and that needs to be addressed....it will give your kitty the best shot at getting back into remission. Good luck!
 
Hi everyone,

Here's the update. Nala's glucose has risen since her last visit. She's at 218, up from December, when she was in the 150 range. She has also gained a half pound in the past two months- she's up to 12.59. The vet isn't ready to start her back on insulin just yet (when she first went on insulin, she was in the 500s). She wants us to go back to our VERY strict wet-food only diet that we were following when we brought her glucose down the first time. (I am only going to buy EVO brand and she is only getting 1 can per day, no EVO grain-free kibble in between meals). She also wants me to start giving her chromium picolinate once per day again. She wants to see her in three weeks for a recheck; obviously sooner if things go downhill.

Re: the pooping; Nala's glands were totally full (again), so much so that the vet had to go wash herself off after expelling them. They just get so backed up. The vet suspects the pooping on the floor is due to diabetic neuropathy, which she explained to me but I have to go look it up again. She said Nala looked good - her coat, her eyes, her energy levels, her abdomen - but that she seemed kind of sore and like her range a motion was a little limited. We have 2 litter boxes, but she wants me to replace them both with one that features a shorter entryway - she recommended the SecondNature Purina dog litterbox.

Poor Nala was shaking like a leaf the whole time. The vet drew blood; turns out she was overdue. She doesn't suspect thyroid problems because she said it would be odd for the cat to gain weight if she was hyperthyroid. But she is going to check kidneys, liver, infection, etc., just in case.

All in all a fairly positive, albeit costly, appointment (due to the blood panel). I'll check back in when I get the results. Until then, thank you so much for all your support.
 
Guys, I should clarify that I never posted on this board before when Nala was really sick so some of this info is new to me. I was just a lurker, or a sponge, soaking in all your wonderful knowledge.

So just now I was lurking and on one of the newbie posts you mentioned the reasons for having a gluometer at home. I absolutely agree with the rationale. Still a little hesitant but my vet is so great I bet she'd teach me how.

With other cats that are 'off the juice,' how often do you check their glucose?
 
untreated or poorly regulated cats are at risk for developing ketones. you can test at home using ketostix from your nearest pharmacy. I wish the vet had tested for them :( they can be very dangerous.

as for how often to test glucose levels, I would guess once a day would be sufficient.

I'm a bit concerned about the weight gain...that doesn't usually go along with diabetes

Jen
 
I just noticed her jumping up on the couch and she almost didn't make it... her back legs are totally bothering her. Makes me sad. She is definitely not herself tonight after that visit to the vet, but at least she's calmer and sleeping now.

Re: weight gain, it could be a couple different things... we're in an apartment with a REALLY cold floor (despite having a carpet) and the weather has been very cold since her last visit (in Chicago) so she's been spending lots of time lounging on things up high instead of walking around on the floor. Also, she's been hungrier lately (maybe also because it's cold?) and asking for kibble in addition to her usual wet food. (She would eat all day if she could.) And finally, boyfriend is studying for the bar exam, so he's home all day, but parked in front of the desk and not necessarily playing as much with her as he used to. But it's disappointing since she had really been trending down the last several visits and now she's back to her weight from May of 2010. It's disappointing, because she was doing SO GREAT in December. I am going to really monitor her food intake. I'm hoping she's lost some weight again in 3 weeks time.
 
inability to jump like normal could be diabetic neuropathy, which is reversible with regulation.

Have you read the faq?

Jen
 
Re: FAQ Long ago, and recently only in bits and pieces. Going there now. THANK YOU for the reminder :smile:
 
Blood results are in and are normal, but they showed elevated glucose at 255 vs. the 218 shown on the glucometer.
Otherwise, liver, thyroid, etc., all appear normal.
Doc wants us to watch her closely and if she's still having problems or if sugar rises, she may go back on insulin.

Soooo.... apparently the pooping on the floor was either related to her backed up glands, or the height of the litter box, or her just feeling bad. Or could be related to her other behavior problems. But in general, she's fine. Thanks again for your help and advice.
 
Cats can get impacted or ruptered anal glands, although it happens more in dogs.I have a cat that can gotten it twice. One sign is that she starts to walk funny like something is stuck up her rear.Another sign is pooping outside the litter box and some blood in the stools. You can learn to express he anal glands yourself.It is messy and smelly but saves paying fifty dollars a month to have the vet do it.

The anal glands can also get infected which might explain why your cat's BG is higher now. Did your vet just express the glands or did she culture some of the discharge for bacteria?
 
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