Albert update & neuropathy question

DCIN foster Albert needs a forever home...his blog is here: http://fdmb-cin.blogspot.com/2012/04/albert.html

Neuropathy question first. Is it possible that neuropathy can affect the taste buds as well? My mother just went through six months of chemo and got neuropathy. She described to me the numbness she felt in her feet and hands, as well as how she couldn't taste anything and it was difficult for her to eat (because of the lack of taste). Albert has neuropathy and does not want to eat anything. Well, he'd like to have a little dry, but even when I've given that to him (I was desperate for him to eat) he didn't eat a whole lot. It seems only the smelliest foods get his attention, such as tuna and cooked chicken livers. I wonder if his neuropathy has affected his taste buds.

Update: What little appetite he had has gone downhill and I have to make him eat his pill pockets (which have his Methyl B12). It might be that particular flavor (salmon); it was a new bag, but I have another flavor I'll try on him that he may like. I've been syringe-feeding him FF. I wish he would eat on his own, but he won't. He won't even drink tuna juice anymore. I've tried Parmesan cheese and FortiFlora but he won't touch either. He will drink water, however.

Last weekend I fed him some dry because I was desperate for him to eat something. I'm not sure how high he went, but the highest number I got was in the low 200s. I didn't give him insulin because his numbers were going down. He started walking on his hocks again, whereas before his walking had been getting better. He hasn't had any dry food since. His numbers are now excellent and I haven't had to give him insulin. He seems to be staying around the 80-90-100 range.

I take him outside on a leash everyday and he is able to get up and down from his window on his own, although I'm sure it must be difficult for him. I've tried to make everything easy for him by putting objects around for him to climb on to get to the bed, etc. He's met the other cats and they all like him. Well, Bingley was a little jealous at first, but he's coming around and not hissing or growling anymore. Spirit liked him from the beginning. Sometimes I let Albert go in other parts of the house, but he prefers to stay in his room where he feels safe. He is sometimes vocal, but he's always a sweetheart. We (meaning I and some of the others here on the board) think he's part Bengal. You can't see his Bengal markings in this latest pic, but in my last post about him you can. He has a little bit of dander, but that's gotten better since I've been fostering him.
edited to add: we have a flood watch for the next couple of days, and Albert's room tends to get water in it sometimes so I'm going to have bring him into my bedroom.

 

One more quickie update: Albert is walking around the downstairs at this moment and he's doing quite well. He's walking mostly on his toes, but when he stops he rests on his hocks. However, he's doing a LOT of standing and not the take one or two steps and then sit down thing. I have to go follow him! This is great!!!

 

Go Albert Go! dancing_cat

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang

 

He is! He wanted to go out for a walk so I got him harnessed up and got a flashlight and we took a little walk around the driveway. He did much more walking than in the past, although he was using his hocks a little bit. He also sat down often, but we never usually go very far. He wanted to go exploring all over and I had to say, no, Albert, not tonight!

 

Awwwww continued prayers for Albert.

 

Heather -

Will your vet give you cyproheptadine for Albert? Since Scruffy died, my Milkshake has shown even less interest in food than before. But 1/4 cypro a half hour or so before "dinner is served" seems to give him just enough urge to eat that, while he's not gaining any weight, he's not losing, either. The cypro seems to short-circuit the "sniff and wander away"syndrome here. And I haven't noticed any other side effects with it.

It might also be worthwhile trying fortiflora or something similar to sprinkle on Albert's food. Sometimes it worked here to crush Temptations treats and sprinkle them, too.

Does Albert eat with your other cats? Sometimes if they think they're putting something over on you by eating someone else's food, it helps them eat a little more.

He's a such a pretty boy. I'm so glad he's got you to care for him.

 

Lynda--thank you for the info on cyproheptadine. I will call my vet tomorrow. I did try FortiFlora with him but he wouldn't touch it. He wouldn't even touch a different flavored pill pocket this morning.

Albert has been separated from my other cats all along, but tonight we have a flood watch and his room sometimes gets a little bit flooded. I opened his door so that he can join us if he wants to. I put all of his essentials on top of the bed so they wouldn't get wet. I closed the cat-door so no one could go out. The other guys aren't too thrilled with this set-up (the closed cat-door; they do like Albert) but they know that it's yucky out. Albert isn't very strong yet so I don't think he'll even bother checking out the other cats' food.

I will keep you all updated on how things go.

 

I think humidity & wetness will impact on bone & joints issue. Is it possible to have a dehumidifier put in Alberts room so that it will be more dry & warm? An electric blanket/ hot pad in his bed underneath Albert might help too.
I am in HK, although the weather is not cold at all, but during cooler times, I have an electric blanket on all day for my cats. When in winter days, I give them hot water bottle too. Maybe you can try wrapping a hot water bottle & put it beside Albert. He will sense the warmth, & if he needs it, he'll sleep near it like my cats did. That's how you'll know if he needs more warmth for comfort.

 

Oh, this is a good idea! I have/had (put them away a couple weeks ago, before winter arrived again!) small electric heated mats all over the house - and they were never unoccupied! I got most of them on sale at PetSmart, but their sales are erratic; any time I was successful, it was purely by accident, because they never seemed to advertise sales. I have a couple outdoor ones, that have the cables encased in hard plastic, but most of the others are just a piece of fake lambswool/wool with heat cables running through them. Very comforting to old bones, and attractive here to young bones as well... They have a thermostat so they don't go above the temperature of the cat.