Diabetic Neuropathy - Injectible B12

I've started my Puckett on weekly B12 shots for his diabetic neuropathy and it's been fantastic. My vet helped me get the injectible B12 but this is the first cat she's treated with the B12 shots for the neuropathy. She's used it with IBD kitties but not diabetic kitties. So we're flying by the seat of our pants here. Originally she had me giving him .25cc once a week for 6 weeks. But now we're thinking we'll leave him on it as any B12 he doesn't need will be excreted in the urine. Has anyone here gone the injectible route for B12 for diabetic neuropathy? While Puckett accepts the injections very well he isn't an easy cat to pill which is why we did the injections. I'm interested in hearing what others have done for the neuropathy and whether you've kept the kitties on the injectible for any length of time. I would assume (as does my vet) that if you give the oral B12 as an ongoing treatment that we'd do that with the injectible also. (OK ... I'm rambling ... I know ... long, long work week!)

 

You don't need to pill or inject mb12. If you get it in capsule form. You can empty it into his food and he can eat it. The one I use and recommend is sold by vitacost.com. I will post the link in a bit. And has no taste. I just emptied one capsule daily and mixed with water into maui's wet food.

No fuss no muss.

http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Vitamin-B-1 ... lcobalamin

 

The problem with putting it in his food is that I'd never know if he got the right amount. Although he's getting canned food he doesn't always finish his food when I put it down and with all the other kitties in the household nothing stays down for long. That was yet another reason for the injections. Oh, the joys of being a slave at Camp Happy Cat

 

Jason and Mr. Kitts used injectable methylcobalamin and he absolutely swore by it, said it was much more effective than the ingestible kind. Unfortunately, while many vets are willing to prescribe injectable B-12 in cyanacobalamin form, very few are willing to prescribe injectable B-12 in methylcobalamin form (the preferred form for diabetic neuropathy; most IBD kitties get the cyancobalamin form to help with digestive issues).

 

When I checked with Ian at Thriving Pets and my vet I was told me that cyanacobalamin in injectible form is metabolized by the body just fine. It's when you go orally that you need to use methylcobalamin. It seems to be working so I guess that's all that matters. Apparently not many people go the injectible route.

 

the injectable B12 (cyanocobalamin) helps absorption and any excess doesn't stay in the body, which is great. but it doesn't help with neuropathy. for that you need the methyl B12 (methylcobalamin), which we normally get in tiny pills (many have some cherry flavoring).

i give injectable B12 for my cat, who is underweight from lymphoma.

 

If you read various articles on the web it says that:
- cyanocobalamin is synthetic, and not fount in nature
- The body converts cyanocobalamin into the methyl form (methylcobalamin).
- methylcobalamin is used by the body for various uses including for nerve problems
- Because today mega dosages of cyanocobalamin are readily available, a lot of sources ay there is no reason for using methylcobalamin.

I myself would still give oral methylcobalamin if one of my cats needed it for neuropathy.

 

Why do you say it doesn't help with neuropathy? Is there any scientic studies that say it doesn't because it sure seems to be working for Puckett. He's walking on tip toes again since starting the B12 injections.

 

I guess your second statement is why my vet (and the pharmacist) are saying that the B12 (cyanocobalamin) I have will work for the neuropathy ... and it certainly seems to have made a difference for Puckett.