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Old June 21st, 2008, 07:35 PM
Stoli Stoli is offline
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Location: MA
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Unhappy Diabetic cat issue - possible long-term complication? Unknown cause of diarrhea

I have a 16yo female DLH (tortie) cat who has had DM x 6 years.
She is (and has been) on Lantus 3u sq qd for at least a year (nph bid before that) without incident.
She eats hill's rx m/d dry food and 1/2 can fancy feast bid.
She is also an indoor cat as well. Her weight is "normal" for her now - ~10 - 11lbs. She has lost 5 -6 lb over the past 6 years, so no new weight loss or gain issues.
For the past week she has had diarrhea and we don't know why. She doesn't "appear" to be in pain, but I can tell she doesn't feel good. She has also (as of today) pooped on a rug (not a good sign). She was very well groomed a month ago (a "lion cut"), so her fur hasn't grown in enough for us to think a fur blockage is the issue.
I am concerned about possible pancreatitis or partial gastroparesis due to the diabetes. She does vomit ocassionally, which is "normal" for her, but nothing seems to be out of the ordinary with the exception of the diarrhea. She still eats and drinks water normally. We figure if this doesn't improve by Monday, she will go in to see the Vet for an assessment, evaluation, and testing.
Any other thoughts or something that we can do? Thank you.
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Old June 21st, 2008, 07:53 PM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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First of all, welcome to pets.ca! Sorry to hear about your cat's diarrhea. I think a checkup with the vet would be a good idea.

Do you home test your cat's blood glucose levels at all? If so, what kind of numbers have you been getting? The reason I ask is because Lantus, even though it's long-lasting for people, is rarely a once-a-day insulin for cats. They metabolize insulin much faster than dogs or people so bid dosing provides the best coverage.

Also, about that Hill's M/D: not the best quality ingredients, and to be honest, diabetics shouldn't be eating any dry if possible. You don't need prescription food, any low-carb canned (or raw!) will do. Having said that, I wouldn't make any diet changes unless you are testing bg's at home because removing the dry could decrease insulin needs, resulting in a hypo if adjustments aren't made.

In the meantime, you could try some slippery elm bark for the diarrhea and to sooth the intestinal tract. There's info here on that: http://www.littlebigcat.com/?action=...em=slipperyelm

I hope your kitty gets better soon. Give us an update on her condition.
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Old June 23rd, 2008, 03:42 PM
Stoli Stoli is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2008
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Smile diabetic cat issue - update

Update on diabetic kitty with diarrhea
We could've sworn that our 16 yo diabetic kitty was on her deathbed. She was miserable, didn't feel well, yet was in no pain and continued to eat and drink regularly, as well as use her box (accept she started to poop on the rug yet pee in the box).
This morning she was almost back to her normal self - a complete 180 degrees!
Had the vet check her out and the thought is that although she is an indoor kitty (we have 2), for whatever reason, can still be susceptible to viruses and that it was probably a GI virus. The other kitty hasn't gotten it so it's hard to pinpoint a definite, but she is better and we are all greatly relieved! ;o)
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