Neuropathy hind legs - can't walk

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Denise_Dutch

Member Since 2021
I just created a post about my cat Nero to introduce him.
Tonight Nero entered the living room, dragging his body forward with his front legs. He couldn't use his hind legs anymore.
We ended up in the emergency hospital. They checked up on him. He still had some strength in his legs. A blood clot was excluded. As Nero's blood sugar is not regulated, they are concerned that this is what has effected his nerves. His blood pressure was high normal. We checked his blood sugar before we run to the hospital. It was 675 at 21.00 pm (Prozinc insulin 3.5 units).
They didn't see any emergency or need to help him, so Nero came back home with us. They gave him an anti nausea injection. I asked for a B12 injection. They didn't see the necessity. Tomorrow I will have to call our Vet for further procedures. The emergency hospital adviced us to see a specialist/neurologist to discuss his diabetes treatment.
At this point (12.45 am) Nero is laying in his bed, unable to move . He will have to use his litter box and has to eat. I honestly don't know how to get through the night! .
I am hoping some of you can give me advice on how to get Nero back on his feet!!
 
That doesn't sound like neuropathy which comes on gradually, not all at once. My first thought was a blood clot but you said that was ruled out. Did they take any x-rays? I wonder if there's something going on with his spine.

If the problem truly is diabetic neuropathy, getting his blood glucose down is the most important thing but that will take time.

Something you can add is some Methyl B-12. The brand name is Zobaline, but any Methyl B-12 will work (but it has to be the Methyl form). You just don't want it to have added sugar, xylitol or flavorings. But again, nerve cells take the longest time to heal of any other type of cell and until his blood glucose (BG) is under better control, the diabetes will continue to destroy more nerve cells.

For now, if he can't get up to the litter box, you'll need to take him. You can try making a sling out of a towel or something to help hold up his rear end. Depending on what's really going on, you may need to learn how to manually express his bladder.

Wish I had better news but I will pray for your dear Nero and hope whatever is going on will improve soon.
 
Could he have jumped off something and hurt his back? Did they do an X-ray ?
I haven’t any other suggestions sorry. Chris has covered everything I could think of.
Please post again if you have more concerns.
I hope things improve for Nero:bighug:
 
If it is neuropathy, getting the glucose levels under control and the methyl B12 can reverse a lot of the damage, but it will take several weeks. When I adopted Spot (GA) she was an uncontrolled diabetic and could barely walk. I immediately started her on insulin and methyl B12. It took several weeks before I started seeing improvement. If you are not home testing, you need to start. This is the only way to accurately see how well the dose is working to get his glucose levels under control.
 
Good morning all!

Thank you for your thoughts and advices. I really appreciate this! ❤️.

Nero didn't show any approvement last night . He really can't walk or stand on his hind legs. His lower body seems paralyzed. His front paws are extremely strong on the other hand and he is very alert. He keeps turning around in his bed and uses his nails all the time. That makes him getting stuck to all materials around him.
We do hometesting. We have always been very careful with increasing and decreasing his insulin. Took small steps. Still, his BG is not controlled. He can be nice and low for a few days and be back to high the other day. I joined your group for a better knowledge and advice on how to get the BG controlled. He has been on low carb food for a little more than a week. Partly wet and dry, because he prefers dry.
I have seen the neuropathic changes coming. Real slow. I was hoping to get it controlled with his food and your advices. I was planning on seeing his Vet soon, but unfortunately now I am too late... .
I am now waiting for my Vet's clinic to open. Hope she is available. At this point I don't think he has any quality of life. I feel really bad, because even though he is 17, he really enjoyed life to the fullest!
I will give you an update when I can.
Thanks again for your concerns!
 
If he is alert and does not appear in pain, please do not give up on him yet. As I said, getting his glucose levels under control and the methyl B12 can reverse most of the damage if it is neuropathy. When I adopted Spot(GA), she could barely walk, she was dragging her back legs. After treating her properly, within a few weeks she was able to walk, though it was noticeable that she still had issues. After a few more weeks, she began running and jumping. It took a few months of treatments, but eventually you would have never guessed that she had been as bad as she was when I adopted her.

Home testing is essential. I don't know if you are testing, but I do not see a spreadsheet attached to your signature so I think you may not be. By testing your cat's glucose levels at home before every shot and doing your own curves is the only true way to tell how well the dose is working and if it needs to be adjusted. The tests done at the vet are not always accurate since stress can affect a cat's glucose levels. By testing at home, you can tell how well the dose is working and make adjustments if needed. Also, by testing before every shot, you can prevent hypoglycemia by skipping the dose if the glucose levels are too low. Hypoglycemia is extremely dangerous and can be deadly.

We can help you learn how to home test. You can use either a human glucose meter or a pet meter. Most people here use the human meter since it is less expensive to use and the test strips are available at your pharmacy.

Hopefully your vet will also support home testing and show you how to test. But do not be surprised if the vet tries to discourage it. Unfortunately, that is a common response we see. However, you do not need your vet's permission to home test. Nero is your cat and it is your responsibility to provide the best care for him, even when it goes against the vet's wishes. Look at it this way, if Nero was your child, would you give him insulin without knowing it was safe for him? People must test their glucose levels all of the time, why shouldn't it be the same way for our pets?
 
Here's a video of a cat who developed severe neuropathy but who recovered over the course of a few months with improved regulation and treatment with methyl B12:




There are other issues that might cause a plantigrade stance. It might be an idea to ask your vet to run blood tests (if they haven't already done so) to check for things like potassium and phosphorus imbalances (may cause weakness and problems with walking). Maybe also ask the vet about a referral to a suitable specialist?

(((Nero)))


Mogs
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Critter Mom said:
Here's a video of a cat who developed severe neuropathy but who recovered over the course of a few months with improved regulation and treatment with methyl B12:
Click to expand...
Spot's neuropathy was much more severe than the cat in the video and she was able to fully recover. Please have your vet rule out everything else and if it is neuropathy, give him a chance to recover with the proper treatment and time.
 
Unfortunately we had to let Nero go. I feel devastated .
The Vet said his situation increased over the night. He didn't have any feelings left in his abdomen (hind legs). He lost control over his batter. The Vet said she thought it was something neurological, but not related to his diabetes. She guessed "something" in his spine.
There really wasn't much left of him this morning. It was terrible to see him like that.
I hated to let him go, but it was clear that there was nothing we could do for him anymore.
He was a fighter and enjoyed his new life in the US. Too bad he couldn't enjoy it any longer.
Thanks for your great support!!
 
I am so sorry for your loss. It is never easy to say goodbye and my heart breaks for you.

Fly free Nero and watch over everyone who loves you. cat_wings>o
 
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