urine output question

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Theresa6

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My cat Stella is newly diagnosed. We have been doing insulin (Lantus, 2 units, twice a day) and today is day 5. She is still peeing like crazy, literally flooding the litter box. This was the symptom that got us in to the vet to have her checked in the first place.

Is this normal? When should she regulate a bit better? Thanks!
 
It's normal for an unregulated kitty to be peeing huge amounts. How long this takes to settle down varies, because cats vary a lot in how quickly they become regulated.

Are you testing the blood glucose at home? It's really not hard (after a bit of a learning curve), and it's the best way to know for sure whether that Lantus is doing the job or you need a higher or lower dose. And it saves you oodles of money over having the vet test the blood glucose. And it keeps the kitty safe (and you sane).

Lantus is an excellent insulin for cats. Don't misunderstand. But dosage isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition.
 
Theresa6 said:
My cat Stella is newly diagnosed. We have been doing insulin (Lantus, 2 units, twice a day) and today is day 5. She is still peeing like crazy, literally flooding the litter box. This was the symptom that got us in to the vet to have her checked in the first place.

Is this normal? When should she regulate a bit better? Thanks!
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Normal glucose ranges for normal cats run about 50 - 120 ish.

SHe'll stop peeing floods when she is regulated and that won't be possible without some data, either from blood glucose testing (the best option, at home, or more expensively at the vet) or from using urine testing strips, such as ketodiastix (test for ketones and for glucose) to see if she is dumping glucose in her urine, or ketones (ketones are an urgent warning sign - high ketones may indicate ketoacidosis which is a serious, potentially fatal complication of diabetes).

The dose for Lantus is based on the lowest blood glucose level measured in the 12 hours after the insulin injection. If you use a human glucometer, you can check the numbers against the reference ranges for cats which were established using human glucometers. Typically, if you see a nadir (lowest point) under 50 on a human glucometer, a dose reduction has been earned. If you see a nadir over 150, a dose increase has been earned. Dose changes are 0.25 units when the total dose is 2 units or less.
 
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