Help please... having problems with hind legs

Recently diagnosed. Was on one week of Novolin N and then started Lantus on Tuesday morning of this week. Same dosage for both - 1 unit twice a day. Only received glucose meter last night and we're setting it up now, so I don't have BG level to share. He's been good and I thought he was feeling better. A little more energy - playing with more gust and a little more pick up in his step. He was good earlier this morning (4:00 - 600 am). He usually joins me while I get dressed for work. When it came time for him to join me he was in the living room. When he got up to follow me, he seemed to have a problem with his back legs. Sort of limping on them. Kind of. When he made it to the bedroom, he hesitated before jumping on the bed. When he did jump, he almost fell off of it. He was sort of grabbing on with his front paws and clearly had difficulty with the back ones. I've been trying to get him off of the bed to see him walk, but he doesn't want to leave it. He typically follows me around. Most times (not all) when I leave a room, he follows. Went back to see him a few minutes ago and he had changed locations on the bed, but still wouldn't leave it and is sleeping. I've found with this diagnoses, we're watching his every move, so it's difficult to tell what's normal, but magnified and what's a problem. Just went back and he's awake, but still won't move. Can anyone advise please?

 

Just got him off the bed and had him walk down the hall and then back to the bedroom again. He seems hesitant, but better. When he jumped on the bed again, he was better also. How do I know if I'm looking at him through a magnifying glass and seeing or exaggerating something or what's really a problem?

 

Still not his usual self. Won't get off the bed. Took his glucose and it was 447 before food. Our first time using the meter so we were clumsy. He left the bed once we were done messing with his ear. It was 455 with his initial diagnoses and 317 a week later in the vets office (3 hours after his insulin shot). Just gave him his breakfast and he's eating now. Any advice?

 

This is called diabetic neuropathy. What will help out is getting the bg numbers down (glad you got a meter) and it helps to add a b12 methylcobalamin supplements such as zobaline. ZobalineTM (for Diabetic Cats) 3 mg x 60 tabs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008G3LI2M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_UQbtDbZZ0S03Y

 

It can take weeks to months to resolve the problem... But be diligent with testing and you'll get him there.

 

So do I feed him and give him his insulin as normal?

 

Yes

 

Yes you did great getting a preshot number. Try to get another mid cycle of you can. Glad to read in your signature you're getting him off the dry. That will help too.

After a few days of getting numbers ask in the lantus boards their opinion of whether it's time to raise the dose.

 

JanetNJ - thank you. And thanks for the video. Very helpful for the first time meter user. I know everyone says this gets better, but this is so overwhelming. Feels like one step forward, three back. His numbers were lower at the vets office on Monday. Assume it has something to do with the time of day/dosage, but is it normal for it to be higher again today?

 

It sounds like your kitty has neuropathy, it looks like they are walking on their hocks. Like they are flat footed, walking like a rabbit. It's caused by high BG. Once you gave their BG regulated it could get better or not, stay the same or completely go back to them walking normal.My cat walks like this. Most people give what's called Zobaline,
$38.90


+ $4.99 shipping
Get it as soon as Aug. 14 - 19when you choose Standard Shipping at checkout.

As you can see it's pretty expensive, the pic of the Zobaline is under the Vitacost brand sorry about that. someone on the forum told be about the same thing it's from Vitacost

Vitacost Vitamin B-12 Methylcobalamin -- 5000 mcg - 60 Capsules

• SKU #: 844197016143
• Shipping Weight: 0.08 lb
• Servings: 60

For 60 pills it's 17.57 and for 100 pills its 23.92
It has to be Methylcobalamin vit B
The only difference with the Zobaline is it has 200 mcg of folic acid
So I just buy folic acid in the store 400 mcg and cut them in half and crush it
The Vit B from Vitacost comes in capsule form it's red , so just empty it into the wet food and the folic acid , mix it up. The Zobaline is a pill so you have to crush it up
The Vitacost brand is 5000 mcg and the Zobaline is 3000 mcg that is ok
The cats will pee out what's not needed .

A lot of times the Vitacost brand has buy one get one half off and free shipping in the qty of 100 .
You can Google Neuropathy in diabetic cats, something like that and tear about why they walk like that, also you can tell your vet
Hope this helps

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Click image to open expanded view

Zobaline™ (for Diabetic Cats) 3 mg x 60 tabs
by Zobaline

 

I also see someone asked if you can set up the Spreadsheet, and posted how it works, it would be very helpful so that members can see how the dose is working for you cat, and when he hits nadir, and help advise on dosages you can read all about this on the forum

 

Setting up the spreadsheet now. Will have it up ASAP. And will purchase the supplement as well. He ate and seems to be walking better. A little slower, but not what it was a few hours ago. The way he is walking now, I wouldn’t have noticed anything wrong.

He ate, had his insulin and is now napping.

Thank you so much.

 

You are very welcome, Puss is a handsome boy. I see we are both from N.J.

 

All three of us are from nj... JERSEY IN THE HOUUUUUSE

 

Yesssss Jersey in the Houuuuse from the show The Jersey Shore lol, too funny CC is adorable @JanetNJ

 

My cat has bad neuropathy. He’s got what they call a plantigrade stance. He’s doing tons better than he was, but he does not walk normally. Keeping your cat’s blood sugar low is the best thing you can do and by acting fast he’ll recover quickly. Jackson does have good quality of life even though he can’t jump much now. He’s gotten stronger and can tackle stairs.

 

My kitty also had slight problems with walking when he had bladder infection. It was at the very beginning, just after diagnosis.

 

Tyler also has the plantigrade stance, he also has gotten so much better but not completely back to the way he was. It just breaks my heart to see our kitties walk like this. He can now jump onto the couch and sometimes the kitchen chair, but that's about it.

 

When I adopted Spot she had severe neuropathy. It took several months of her being on insulin, low carb food and methyl B12 before it was reversed. When she was adopted she could barely walk. Six months later she was running and jumping to high places. It takes time and right treatment to get the glucose levels under control. However once you start getting the glucose levels under control, you should start to see some improvement in his condition.

 

So scary. It only happened that one morning and by the evening, he was ok. I did order the Zobaline and we're keeping him on the law carb wet with only a tablespoon of dry. Should have him off that within a few days. He's not happy. I know everyone says it gets better and with some things it already has. We have no problems (mostly) with his insulin shots, getting his BG is a totally different story. Being a formal feral, he doesn't like to be held or restrained. I'm struggling with that part of this, so I hope that gets better as well.

 

When first diagnosed, my cat was getting 2 units of ProZinc and her BG was still 300-400 with dry food. I switched to Hill's m/d (yuck, but so far it's the only wet food she'll eat) and her dosage is down to 0.5 and her numbers are mostly blue. I'm still trying to get curves and to a stable place so we can fine tune. Next up is better quality, lower carb food. I've learned from reading that you can't vary dosages widely; there are reactions and the BG levels can go in the direction you are trying to avoid. There are lots of wonderful, experienced people here and ask for advice! Sometimes you have to deal with one problem at a time.

Read through some posts; there are some good hints on how to make the BG testing less stressful, such as singing, giving a treat, humans being calm. Making the BG testing have a "fun" aspect to it is what you are striving for. If Puss likes to play, have a play session after the testing and Puss will associate the tests with playing.

I think there is a recent post in the Intro forum that has good suggestions to someone else who is struggling with this. My cat is also a kidney cat and having to catch her every morning for meds/fluids used to be a big deal. I would "chase" her around the house until she tired a bit and lay down and I could pick her up. As she's gotten older and slower, it has gotten easier. But I notices since I started with the diabetes treatment, there's not really any chasing.

 

Thank you for the suggestions. This site has truly been a life-saver. Will keep reading.