Diabetic Cat keeps Meowing

[Kittiecat]

Hi everyone,

I have an 8 year old cat that was diagnosed with diabetes 1.5 years ago. He just wouldn't stop meowing and I thought it was due to a new baby. But the vet diagnosed him with diabetes. Since then we changed his diet to a mix of diabetic wet/dry food twice a day with prozinc insulin injections. He seemed to get better. Every so often we have done glucose curves, and monitors, and the vet is happy with his current state. His blood sugar is high, usually around 21, but then dips into the normal range for a bit, then back up. He still pees a lot and drinks a lot of water. But when we went up on insulin, it caused a low episode.

He never used to meow before his diabetes, he was such a quiet cat. But now he meows for hours before his feeds, and all evening after I feed him! Literally hours non stop. I try to get him to cuddle with me, but he will go just out of reach and meow. It is difficult as I am getting the baby to bed or he wakes the baby up from his meows. I live in a small condo and I can't get away from the meowing. It is causing a lot of stress in our home, because he won't stop.

Is this a diabetic thing? Is it normal? Is he suffering? I don't know how to make it stop.

 

[Tim & Pookey]

Feeding twice a day is outdated advice. You could take some of the pre-shot food and spread it out over the first half of the cycle.

What specific food are you feeding? I have a hunch it is too high in carbs.

 

[Kittiecat]

I am feeding him 1/2 cup of Purina DM dietetics management and 1 can of royal canin diabetic a day, split into 2 feeds. He gained all his weight back. He usually leaves a bit of his dry food and will eat it at a later time. I fed him a couple hours ago and literally is meowing non stop. I even brushed him, tried playing with him, cuddling him, gave more food. He is flicking his tail too, so it makes me feel like something is wrong??? But vet is happy, so I'm not sure.

Edit - and pre shot food, like an automatic feeder that feeds throughout the day? He is meowing now but not eating more food

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Hi everyone,

I have an 8 year old cat that was diagnosed with diabetes 1.5 years ago. He just wouldn't stop meowing and I thought it was due to a new baby. But the vet diagnosed him with diabetes. Since then we changed his diet to a mix of diabetic wet/dry food twice a day with prozinc insulin injections. He seemed to get better. Every so often we have done glucose curves, and monitors, and the vet is happy with his current state. His blood sugar is high, usually around 21, but then dips into the normal range for a bit, then back up. He still pees a lot and drinks a lot of water. But when we went up on insulin, it caused a low episode.

He never used to meow before his diabetes, he was such a quiet cat. But now he meows for hours before his feeds, and all evening after I feed him! Literally hours non stop. I try to get him to cuddle with me, but he will go just out of reach and meow. It is difficult as I am getting the baby to bed or he wakes the baby up from his meows. I live in a small condo and I can't get away from the meowing. It is causing a lot of stress in our home, because he won't stop.

Is this a diabetic thing? Is it normal? Is he suffering? I don't know how to make it stop.

@Suzanne & Darcy

 

[Daphne and Aida]

Sorry you’re going through this, it is very stressful indeed, it makes me think of hypertension because my boy was mewoing non stop before being diagnosed.
Has his bp been checked?
Maybe you could go for a second opinion at another vet? If the blood glucose is high and the vet is happy… not sure… also if his behaviour clearly shows that he’s not feeling that good and the vet keeps saying that it’s all good… not sure..

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

It sounds to me as if he is hungry all the time. My Sheba meowed all the time until I joined this group and started to feed her more often.
If your kitty is still peeing a lot and drinking a lot he needs to have his insulin looked at.
How much did the vet increase the dose that caused the BG to drop low.? We don’t increase as much as the vets do. if I were you I would think about home testing the blood glucose. It may sound a lot but in the long run you will get results, your cat will be happier and so will your hip pocket. If you are interested let us know.

 

[SmallestSparrow]

I think he meows because he’s hungry—if diabetes isn’t well controlled a cat doesn’t get the needed nutrients from the food and will act like he’s starving (because he is). One thing I started was giving broth—just like humans it helps fill my boys up and bonus keeps them hydrated.

There are two other things I’d consider though—cats who are hyperthyroid (and that’s not uncommon in cats) also cry a lot (again because they’re starving)—and hyperthyroidism can contribute to diabetes (I assume the vet checked for this?). And uti’s are not uncommon in diabetic cats—if you think he may be crying because of pain I’d get his urine checked

 

[squeem3]

More food! Offer several small snacks daily in addition to breakfast and dinner. Add a night time snack or two for those midnight munchies. A programmable timed feeder is your best friend. Canned food is fine to put into a timed feeder. Do throw out any uneaten food after 12 hours or so and wash the tray out.

I wouldn't feed the dry even if the vet recommends it. Dry foods contain carbs which just keeps blood glucose levels high. Some diabetic cats are super carb sensitive and may need a higher dose of insulin to keep blood glucose levels in a good range.

Has full blood work been done recently? A senior panel is generally suggested for cats over 8 years old. There may be additional tests that can be done to check for health issues that regular blood work won't show.

 

[SmallestSparrow]

Also re: appropriate calorie intake—if a cat’s diabetes is poorly controlled they will need more calories than usual because they aren’t metabolizing their food correctly, and will need more if they have ketones —your vet can tell you how much more in those situations

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

I totally agree with the comment about high blood pressure. The vet needs to rule this out immediately because it can cause seizures, blindness, kidney damage, etc.

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

More food! Offer several small snacks daily in addition to breakfast and dinner. Add a night time snack or two for those midnight munchies. A programmable timed feeder is your best friend. Canned food is fine to put into a timed feeder. Do throw out any uneaten food after 12 hours or so and wash the tray out.

I wouldn't feed the dry even if the vet recommends it. Dry foods contain carbs which just keeps blood glucose levels high. Some diabetic cats are super carb sensitive and may need a higher dose of insulin to keep blood glucose levels in a good range.

Has full blood work been done recently? A senior panel is generally suggested for cats over 8 years old. There may be additional tests that can be done to check for health issues that regular blood work won't show.

Agree 100 percent here too

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

Without a spreadsheet and/or specific data on what a “low episode” means in terms of BG numbers and without knowing what high BG refers to (which is really bad for your cat) I can’t comment too much about the BG or the dose or anything. It sounds like he’s eating the wrong food, is not getting enough food and not frequently enough either (which also can cause his BG to drop too low if he’s only been fed at shot times morning and evening). What is the trend in his weight? If he’s drinking lots of water and urinating large amounts then it’s likely his diabetes is quite poorly controlled. There could also be kidney disease, but hopefully you have had a full panel of bloodwork done recently and also a urinalysis to check USG and for any signs of infection — as others have already noted.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

As one of the other members pointed out, the dry food your feeding is high in carbohydrates. Despite it being dietetic, there's nothing particularly useful for managing diabetes in any of the prescription foods. It's the reason the manufacturers had to stop calling the prescription food "diabetic." It's likely that you'll see better blood glucose numbers if you feed your cat an entirely low carb diet.