Possible Diabetes?

[CaramelKittey]

Hi all! Back in 2019 we rescued a stray kitten (looked almost ready to be weaned from mom, continued with raw goat milk) and fast forward three years later, she's been an awesome cat. However, lately I have been noticing some odd things going on with her. She has started urinating in other places, but usually right in front of the litter box. (It is cleaned). Lately I have been letting one of our outdoor cats in (barn cat, we're far away from the road and he is neutered) and just assumed she was marking territory. But more odd behaviors are becoming of it. Not only has she been urinating in the wrong places, but she smells of urine which makes me worry she actually has loss of bladder control. In addition to that, normally every night she whines and whines for food, but lately she's stopped. She used to come into my room and be affectionate, but now is laying under a bureau and hasn't moved pretty much the entire day. I'm worried this could potentially be diabetes or a UTI but wanted to check with you guys. There hasn't been blood in her urine. She really overall just looks off. She's normally very affectionate, but lately just looks out of it. Not as bright eyed and alert as usual.

I raise dairy goats and have a glucose test kit for them. I'm assuming I can use this on her to test since glucose is the same molecule no matter the species? I read normal blood sugar count for cats is 80 - 120, is this correct?

My other question is, if we rule out diabetes and if it is in fact a UTI, what antibiotics work best for this? I have Penicillin and LA200 (Oxytetracycline) in injectable form, but off label for cats (meant for livestock). Is there something else I could pick up or do I need a vet RX? Perhaps an oral gel that would be more comfortable for her? Anything I should know about giving injections to cats vs livestock? Just trying to be prepared and explore all options, and see what we can do/rule out at home before trying to get a vet involved (can't until Monday anyway). Thanks in advance!

 

[Norachan]

Hi CaramelKittey Welcome to TCS.

Your cat could be diabetic, but I would recommend getting her checked over by a vet rather than trying to diagnose this by yourself. There are a lot of other conditions that could be affecting her and just by ruling out one you can't say for sure it's the other.

Cats can get UTIs and not have any blood in their urine. URIs can be bacterial, caused by a virus or be stress induced. You need to know exactly what you are dealing with before you try to treat it, which is why I'd strongly advise against trying to treat her with whatever livestock medication you have lying around. Cats are way smaller than cows or goats, have very different systems and can react badly to medication that is safe for other animals.

Even supplements like cranberry juice, which are fine for humans, are not thought to have any beneficial effect for cats and may even harm them.

Fact vs Myth: Can I use Cranberry Juice for my Cat’s Cystitis? - Vet Help Direct

The high amount of chemicals called oxalates in cranberries could cause crystals in the urine (this has been shown in humans), so if your cat has been suffering from crystals in the urine this could in fact make the situation worse. This may be compounded by the fact that a change in the urine pH to be more acidic makes some crystals more likely to form.

The only home treatment I would suggest for her is providing her with a heating pad to lie on, as this will give her some comfort if she does have a bladder problem, and keeping her calm and quiet.

Take her to the vet tomorrow and please keep us updated on how she gets on.

 

[LTS3]

A quick check of the blood glucose level won't hurt but it definitely shouldn't be used as a definite diagnosis of diabetes. That's for a vet to determine through a fructosamine test and the symptoms. Do you have a Human blood glucose meter? That can be used on a cat. You get a drop of blood from between the edge of the ear and the blood vein that runs along it. If you hit the vein, no big deal. Just hold off with a tissue to stop the bleeding. Normal cat blood glucose level is roughly 60 to 150 mg/dl. Anything over 300 mg/dl is considered diabetic but stress and underlying illnesses may also cause blood glucose levels to be super high.

Lethargy isn't a symptom of diabetes or urinary issues so there may be something else going on that a vet will have to diagnose. Diabetic cat urine smells sugary so if your cat's urine doesn't, it's more than likely she is not diabetic. Other health conditions can cause excessive urination such as kidney disease.