New to treatment need help with neuropathy

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Mia’s mom

Mia’s mom

Member Since 2019
Hi All,

This is my first post. I don’t mean to be repetitive. I will search the boards for info on neuropathy. But I wanted to tell Mia’s background. She is geriatric, almost 18 years old in July. She was diagnosed by her vet one month ago. Since then, I did the things that your wonderful site says, that is, I had taken her weekly for four weeks and her last reading went down to 160. Now my vet wants to see her next week again so we had a few weeks off. Mia seems to be doing well with the Vetsulin but I have not yet bought a home glucometer.

The vet told me that I probably would not need one because they would want to see her every three months when perfectly stabilized. Her neuropathy though, especially today seems like it has increased. She is not walking on her hocks but she seems more weak in her legs. In reading on your site I want to get her B12 and I see that the right kind to get is the methylcobalamine or xobaline? Mia will NEVER let me get a pill down her throat. I would have to buy the liquid form i think I saw on Amazon. Is that correct? If it is available for humans on Amazon this is also safe for cats? I can ask my vet but I feel that I just want to order it and try it for Mia. Is this a good decision?

Also right now, I have a cast on my hand so I can’t drive to the vet easily. I would have to call a cab and her vet is in the next town over. I am single so I would have to find someone to help maybe as well for rides. My cast comes off next week on Wednesday so after that I can do anything for Mia as I have been doing. Mia also has IBD and I have a compound medicine for her for that condition. I have to open the pill and put in her food. She doesn’t like it at all. She was on prednisone for the IBD and I figured that the prednisone could have given her the diabetes. I don’t think I got the right guidance from her vet there. But I saw her vet’s partner one day for her blood glucose reading and she said it’s difficult to regulate IBD and diabetes. She said as with human health, meds like prednisone has side effects and it’s like having to pick your poison. I feel very badly if the prednisone gave Mia the diabetes but it also could be her age.

Thank you for any information you can give me and I will search and read the forums on B 12 and neuropathy. Blessings to all of you for this site.
 
Mia’s mom said:
In reading on your site I want to get her B12 and I see that the right kind to get is the methylcobalamine or xobaline?
Click to expand...

You want Zobaline for cats.....not the Xobaline (it's for humans and has a sweetener that cat's can't tolerate)

Mia’s mom said:
Mia will NEVER let me get a pill down her throat. I would have to buy the liquid form i think I saw on Amazon. Is that correct?
Click to expand...

The Zobaline for cats is a tiny little pill that crushes easily and has no taste....it can be added to her food
 
My cat has been eating a crushed zobaline pill in his food and he has improved. It could be just consistent treatment, but he actually jumped today. This poor cat couldn’t walk across the room without resting a month ago.
 
Larry and Kitties said:
I would purchase and use a glucometer. The neuropathy indicates that BG is not well controlled.
Click to expand...

I agree. You can only tell how well the insulin is working by testing her glucose yourself. A single test at the vet's office does not really give you an accurate picture since glucose level fluctuate during the day. By testing before every shot and also doing your own curves, you will have a better picture of how well the dose is working. To treat neuropathy the glucose levels have to be under control and give the Methyl B12.
 
Lisa and Witn (GA) said:
I agree. You can only tell how well the insulin is working by testing her glucose yourself. A single test at the vet's office does not really give you an accurate picture since glucose level fluctuate during the day. By testing before every shot and also doing your own curves, you will have a better picture of how well the dose is working. To treat neuropathy the glucose levels have to be under control and give the Methyl B12.
Click to expand...


Then why is my vet, who is normally good, or at least I’ve been happy with her for ten years... telling me just to come back to her for a reading? Hmmmmmm..... I brought Mia again last week and her reading was 106. I finally got the zobaline tablets from Amazon last week. It took a long time to get them. So she’s been taking them now for about a week, yes I’m crushing them in her food. For the most part, she’s eating most of the food I’m giving her so she’s getting most of the zobaline. She too had trouble walking across the floor and i notice she jumped once onto a part of the couch that’s low. I have a ramp for her and will put it up for the couch, but I think the zobaline did something because she jumped. I have stairs for her to the bed, poor thing, and she uses them faithfully.

Larry and Kitties said:
When was that reading taken with respect to injecting the Vetsulin?
What is dose (units) of Vetsulin you are injecting? Is this dosing twice a day?

I would purchase and use a glucometer. The neuropathy indicates that BG is not well controlled.
Click to expand...

Hmm... I’m giving her two units twice a day. I don’t know what to do now about the long standing vet. She has all her records and understands her health. I’ll get a glucometer then and read on this site how to use it. I felt better but now I’m nervous all over again.
 
No reason to be nervous. We all have learned to test and we can offer all kinds of tips and suggestions on what worked for us. It's just the very best way for you to know what Mia's blood sugar is real time, not vet stress influenced. Some members start out with the ReliOn Prime glucometer, because it and the strips are affordable and available if you have a nearby Walmart. You can also order this online from Walmart.com.
You will need to use 26 or 28 gauge lancets to start, and using a lancing device is a personal preference. You can use a cotton sock with raw rice or oatmeal, warmed in the microwave, or even a little pill bottle filled with warm water, to bring blood more closely to the surface. A dab of petroleum jelly to help the blood drop form up, and if you want, some pain relieving ointment like Neosporin or Equate (Walmart brand) for after the ear prick and test. We always reward Idjit with a low carb treat, successful or unsuccessful test, and this seems to really help.
Take a look at this link: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
There are also lots of testing videos on YouTube and a member, JanetNJ has an excellent video on how she tests her kitty, CC.
It's a process of patience and practice, so each test or attempted test is a step in the right direction.

It would be really helpful if you would create a signature so that we can see Mia's information when you post.

Setting up your signature (light grey text under a post). Here's how:
click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
click on "signature" in the menu that drops down
type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using and dosage amount /glucose meter you're using/what (s)he eats/any other meds or health issues (s)he has. You can add your name, and a geographic location (sometimes the time zone matters) Be sure to SAVE when you are finished.

Another thing that will help us help you when you get started BG testing at home is to set up a spreadsheet like the one we use here. You will see how the trends and patterns emerge, and members can review his/her progress before offering suggestions or advice:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/
If you have any problems setting up, give a shout and someone will set it up for you.
 
Idjit's mom said:
No reason to be nervous. We all have learned to test and we can offer all kinds of tips and suggestions on what worked for us. It's just the very best way for you to know what Mia's blood sugar is real time, not vet stress influenced. Some members start out with the ReliOn Prime glucometer, because it and the strips are affordable and available if you have a nearby Walmart. You can also order this online from Walmart.com.
You will need to use 26 or 28 gauge lancets to start, and using a lancing device is a personal preference. You can use a cotton sock with raw rice or oatmeal, warmed in the microwave, or even a little pill bottle filled with warm water, to bring blood more closely to the surface. A dab of petroleum jelly to help the blood drop form up, and if you want, some pain relieving ointment like Neosporin or Equate (Walmart brand) for after the ear prick and test. We always reward Idjit with a low carb treat, successful or unsuccessful test, and this seems to really help.
Take a look at this link: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
There are also lots of testing videos on YouTube and a member, JanetNJ has an excellent video on how she tests her kitty, CC.
It's a process of patience and practice, so each test or attempted test is a step in the right direction.

It would be really helpful if you would create a signature so that we can see Mia's information when you post.

Setting up your signature (light grey text under a post). Here's how:
click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
click on "signature" in the menu that drops down
type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using and dosage amount /glucose meter you're using/what (s)he eats/any other meds or health issues (s)he has. You can add your name, and a geographic location (sometimes the time zone matters) Be sure to SAVE when you are finished.

Another thing that will help us help you when you get started BG testing at home is to set up a spreadsheet like the one we use here. You will see how the trends and patterns emerge, and members can review his/her progress before offering suggestions or advice:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/
If you have any problems setting up, give a shout and someone will set it up for you.
Click to expand...


Thank you so much idjit's mom and everyone. So some questions. The reason I said I'm nervous is that Mia is TERRIBLE. She doesn't even like me cutting her nails. She has a reputation in the vet's office. So it will be hard but I have to do it. She started to give me a bit of a hard time with the insulin and that's quick. Anyway, I'll have to do it.

a) Thank you for the youtube video also. First in more researching on the internet, I've seen that Alphatrack glucose monitors are the ones for cats and dogs. I've read that the other ones, human meters are not calibrated for cats and can give a false, lower reading on a cat. But I see many people here use Relion the Walmart brand. Comments on this?

b) Petroleum on the ear. Even when I wipe it off, residue will still be there. I don't like using petroleum because if she wipes her ear when cleaning her face, she might lick it. Same with Neosporin or Equate? Do I have to use it?

I'm watching the videos.

Would her neuropathy in her legs completely disappear if the units are increased? So far vet has given me 2 units twice a day. I think the zobaline is doing something but she is still weak in the legs. I see a small improvement. Of course she is 18 so she could also have arthritis.

Thank you for your continued help.
 
My cat adapted rather quickly to being tested - that said I think I would have a near impossible time getting her to let me clip her nails, so I wouldn't compare the two haha. Everyone here ends up with a different method to pricking their cats - some do it from behind and kind of kneel over their cats, others "burrito" their cats, and I personally just set my cat in my lap with my knees propped up. Try what makes you both comfortable and just remember that the less you hold down your cat the more they'll cooperate. :)

As far as the glucose monitors - the Alphatrak2 is indeed designed for cats and dogs. If price isn't an issue, it is technically easier to use those since the numbers will be accurate to what she actually is. However most people don't use them because the strips are about $1 each, and if you're testing minimum twice a day, that's $2 a day - most people test I want to say 5-8 times a day. So it gets expensive.

Human meters read lower than cats but at the end of the day a high number is high and a low number is low. You're not so much looking for whether kitty is 320 or 350, but rather watching the pattern of the numbers, how they rise and fall, how high/low you get, and how fast/slow. The strips are much cheaper, I think the ReliOn Walmart brand sells them $0.18 a strip.

The petroleum jelly is just for getting the blood to bead up, you're only putting a teeny smear on the ear. I know there are alternatives, like olive oil, but you will have a hard time without it.

I'll let more experienced members answer your other questions. :)

Mia’s mom said:
Then why is my vet, who is normally good, or at least I’ve been happy with her for ten years... telling me just to come back to her for a reading?
Click to expand...

I'm very attached to my own vet but her knowledge of feline diabetes was very small...she never mentioned home testing to me, sent my cat home on a dry food diet and had way overdosed her ... but feline diabetes is very complicated. A generic vet can't be expected to know much about a very specific disease. A lot of the stuff we've learned about feline diabetes is still fairly new, and our older vets aren't always up to date on everything. Nothing wrong with that as long as they're open to learning!
 
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I make a habit of just messing with my cats so they are used to it. When I get a kitten I always mess with their paws a lot so I don’t have trouble later with trims. I don’t have a lot of experience with older cats who aren’t cooperative, but I might give treats in exchange for ear rubs, just to desensitize the cat.

Don’t give more insulin in hopes of healing neuropathy. That healing comes from months of good blood sugar levels, and can be assisted by Zobaline.

My vet gives me the impression most people aren’t willing to test, so I think they make assumptions. Let your vet know you want to take charge, maybe she will be supportive, as mine has been.
 
Mia’s mom said:
Would her neuropathy in her legs completely disappear if the units are increased?
Click to expand...

Evening from New Zealand.

Increasing the units will not help the neuropathy. It is regulating the diabetes to good levels that can help.

It can be very hard to balance everything with a geriatric pusscat but it can be done.
 
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