Diabetic cat's urine is sticky. Is her insulin dose too high or low?

Hi, you would probably need to go through a consultation as this allows several messages and much more in depth advice. Important information such as when was she first diagnosed and what dosage of insulin she was started on and if she had any blood tests afterwards and what they indicated. What was her initial weight and how is her weight doing. What do you normally feed her and what times. Is she allowed to go outside, what other medications is she on. There are lots of things to consider and a face to face examination is always advisable at least once every six months. However in the short term, you could have a consultation with one of the experts here, hope this helps !

Hi there. Pets who are on an insulin dose that is too high can have something happen called the Somoygi effect, which basically means that their glucose levels can drop suddenly and then get really high afterwards as the body "overshoots" as it tries to compensate for the sudden drop. So yes, it's possible for an animal on a too-high insulin dose to have high glucose readings in some cases. This is why blood glucose curves are generally needed to assess the pet's response to insulin. This means checking the glucose level every 2 hours for an 8-12 hour period, to give a clearer picture of exactly how the levels are changing throughout the day. I would recommend talking to the veterinarian who is managing Cupcake's diabetes about how best to monitor her glucose levels and determine if any insulin dosage changes are needed.

Please try to bring her appointment forward to get her rechecked and her blood sugar levels controlled more effectively if possible. It may be necessary to change her insulin type but she should also be checked for infections/inflammation etc which may be altering her ability to regulate her condition

I'm always hesitant to disagree with another veterinarian, because she may well have valid reasons for choosing to do this - but, that being said, I have not personally ever heard of anyone starting a newly diagnosed diabetic cat on this high of a dose. Most internists recommend a starting dose of 1 unit twice daily for an average sized cat, or 1.5 - 2 units twice daily for a very large cat. If you're uncomfortable, there is nothing wrong with asking your veterinarian to explain her reasoning to help allay your concerns, or seeking a second opinion from another veterinarian in your area. Best of luck with your diabetic kitty! :)

Blood in the urine would not be caused by his insulin, so don't worry :) It's likely that he has a UTI, as these are extremely common in diabetic cats. If he's acting normal otherwise, I wouldn't consider this an emergency - but I would definitely recommend calling Meatball's regular vet in the morning or taking him in for an exam. You should continue on his regular insulin dosing schedule as directed by your veterinarian unless he/she instructs you differently.

It sounds like Kosey's glucose is getting under control pretty well this time around as well which is great news. If you are ever worried the glucose is too low the safest thing to do is to not give any insulin so I think you did the right thing. It sounds like at this time the 5 units may be too much and you can start giving lower doses. To be sure this is the right thing for Kosey I would recommend having a glucose curve done at your vet (where multiple blood glucose readings are taken throughout the day). You may have done this in the past but it can be helpful to do it again while trying to regulate your cat. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is not a set number of times per day or anything like that. That is something that is determined based on the current control of the diabetes and is adjusted accordingly. That should be recommended by the veterinarian who is prescribing the insulin and keeping tract of the case closely. There is no way to accurately measure glucose in the urine for these cases. How long it takes to achieve steady levels also varies widely per case but possibly within a week or so. Best of luck!