Worried about my cat. (diabetic)

I gave wilbur a shot at 8pm. it's not 2:10am and his blood sugar is at 80.

i don't know what's wrong with him but he's struggling to walk. I can't tell if it's his foot, but when i touch it he doesn't mind. but when i try to get him to walk he shrugs down. he favors his left rear foot. i can't for the life of me think of what went wrong, he was fine an hour ago and hasn't left the room.

his blood sugar isn't too low is it? he gets Prozinc

 

i should add, after posting this i went to play with him and he's friskie. he even wants his cat nip.

 

No his blood sugar is not too low but can you please let us know what meter you are using.....human or pet because the scale of measurement is different?

Not sure what to tell you about his foot? It is possible that it could be diabetic neuropathy but if you just noticed this all of a sudden, it would seem more likely that he may have twisted it or something?

Oh Just saw your second note.....so is he walking all right now?

 

not really. I'm using a "trueresult' meter. some strips were recalled but not mine. I checked.

i am starting to wonder if it's hurting him to go pee.

 

oh also, not only has he not been bad recently. he's been ultra happy and snuggly for the last week. maybe he did just twist something. but he's had so many health issues I'm worried

honestly after waiting a half hour I don't think it's what i thought originally, I was worried he was lethargic, but i think either he's struggling to go potty, or he hurt himself. ii just poked his string/ball toy and he was batting it.

edit: he just walked over to his food. he's hungry too. i'm not sure if it's one or both of his rear legs but he's not walking right

 

With numbers in the normal range our kitties quite often will start showing their frisky side again. Have you been tracking Wilbur's glucose regularly? If so what kind of numbers has he been getting pre-shot and mid-cycle? If his numbers have been up and now he is getting to better numbers, he is feeling better.
I would keep an eye on the peeing though because our sugary furkids are prone to urinary tract infections. If he makes trips the box without any results or seems uncomfortable then I'd take him to the vet to have him checked.

 

yeah, he FINALLY started letting me dink with his ears. and I also learned how to hit the blood vessel in his ears correctly instead of jabbing him 10 times. so I can check now.

at 2 hours pre-dose he's generally right around 200. 2 hours after he's usually 170 to 190 then at 6 hours he's usually around 120. that's why 80 scared me.

i think I've got him just right, and I was probably paranoid, but man he was favoring that leg. he seems better now, not 100% but better.

Listen, please forgive me. i KNOW I'm paranoid but this is my best friend and he's had such a rough few years I just panic. I'm very sorry

 

oh also, we think he had a UTI about 4 to 5 weeks ago. the doctor gave him a long activing antibiotic that was to last 3 to 4 weeks i think. but it might have come back.

 

John, there is absolutely NO reason to apologize. I too worship the ground my four footed kids walk on (as does everyone else here) and I understand the worry only too well. Do not hesitate to come to the board with ANY issue even if it's just to let off steam or what you think is a minor issue! We all have those panic situations at times and we all want our furkids as happy and healthy as possible!

 

OK i appreciate that. My vet is tired of seeing him I'm sure. they only have 3 cats that are diabetic right now. i wonder if I should take him in first thing or if he seems ok just keep an eye on him. he's already seeming better.

i just worry, my vet is closed Sunday and it's not feasible for me to go to an er clinic. it's too far away

 

Sounds like the vet gave him Convenia. Unfortunately a lot of vets are using it for everything these days, I suppose largely because cats can be hard to pill. The problem is that Convenia was developed and marketed for skin issues not urinary tract infections so while it may work, often it doesn't. There are also some concerns with that drug because it does stay in the cat's system so long. Wilbur is obviously fine but if a cat has a reaction to the drug, there is no way to get it out of their system and only supportive treatment can be offered. I, along with many folks here, have a notation on my cats' files that Convenia is never to be used on my cats. Just a heads up for future reference.

I doubt your vet will get sick of seeing you ($$$$ good for him, bad for you)! If you think Wilbur is having any discomfort/difficulties peeing, I'd take him in tomorrow and have him checked. Obviously his BG seems to be fine and him being frisky is a good sign but these little critters are the masters of hiding stuff so even if they act Ok most of the time, any odd elimination/litter box behaviour is cause for a vetty visit especially with little boys!

 

this is something I've never heard about with Convenia. she's given it to him twice. she says the reason is it's long lasting and it keeps from me having to pill him,. which didn't make sense because I pill Wilbur twice daily and I've gotten very good at he. he doesn't even fight me anymore.

anyway, he's fine now. i wonder if it could be signs of arthritis coming on.

Honestly, I sure am thankful you were here when i was panicking. thank you!

 

A lot of cats do fine with Convenia in fact a couple of my cats have had it with no side effects before I knew any better but the prospect of side effects occurring at any future date led me to have a note put on their files. If it were the best option/only option, I might risk it but otherwise, I'd rather risk a finger or two!

There's always someone around although at night it is a little quieter so may take little longer to get a response. We're all kitty crazy and understand the anxieties that can go hand in hand with kitty parenting.

Glad to hear Wilbur is fine now. That must be a big relief. There are some supplements that folks here use for arthritis so if you determine you need/want to try something, post with a question about supplements for arthritis. I've not used them myself so can't advice on that subject.

 

thanks for that.

I don't know if this post will work or not, but here's a very quick clip of them 8 years ago

 

Oh that just tripped my cute overload button!!

Which one is Wilbur and what's the other kitty's name?

 

Thank you!.
i have thousands of pictures of them back then, and several videos lol

here's wilbur now (he's the one with diabetes and epilepsy) ironically this is on the same blanket at the pic from 8 years ago. he demands it, and he sleeps between my legs in bed, so what you see here is me putting my pillows under the blanket to recreate the 'v' of when i'm in bed. he will sleep here all day



and here's tinker, my little lady, she's sitting on the cat trap i installed behind my desk.
it's a presure sensitive heating pad so it gets nice and warm


although she's not always that majestic

 

Oh my goodness, what adorable babies!!! Is Wilbur the orange kitty? What is his sibling's name?

Never apologize for feeling "paranoid" about the well-being of one of your fur babies! We all understand your concerns, we've all had similar experiences. So much better to be worried and have it turn out to be nothing than to not worry and have it turn out to be a real issue!

Regarding Convenia, just Google it and you will get a whole lot of information about it, some good and some bad. I am a firm believer that Convenia is never worth the risk, and all my cats have "NO CONVENIA" in big red letters on their veterinary charts. These two links are from very well-respected professionals (one of them actually mentions a cat who suffered leg problems after a shot of Convenia):

http://www.catinfo.org/?link=convenia

http://consciouscat.net/2011/09/26/convenia-for-cats-sacrificing-safety-for-convenience/

I am glad Wilbur is doing better, now!


ETA: Just saw the other pictures, what beautiful kitties they both are!!!

 

You have a couple of real charmers there John! Love those pics! I remember going through the pics at my house and noticing I had far more pics of my furkids than anyone else. OOOPS! But they are so cute and just beg to have their pics taken!

 

Cuteness overload!!!! I hope the leg feels better soon.

 

Holy dose of cuteness. I think you just caused me to hypo They look pretty sweet as adults too.

 

you guys are all so nice.

here's a cute video of wilbur. when he was young he would suck his paw pads. he stopped only when he couldn't get a good suction anymore lol

 

They are SO cute! And the paw sucking... adorable!

 

Wilbur is such a good boy. That is so cute.

 

Oh Jeff, that video is soooo adorable and the purring is so soothing to listen to! Be grateful though that he sucks his thumb. My mother had a kitty who literally would nuzzle at her neck and suck to the point he left a hickey. She never did managed to break him of the habit although it did do it less as time went on.