Desperately in need of help, cat dying!

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cp_the_nerd

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My big orange cat, Chewy (12 and 1/2 years old), was diagnosed with diabetes about 3 weeks ago. We have had 2 blood tests done since then and have gotten his diabetes under control. Unfortunately, within a week of diagnoses, Chewy's hind legs went out, almost certainly the result of neuropathy. The problem is that he keeps getting worse.

In spite of the diabetes symptoms being controlled and 3 mg of Methyl B-12 daily, he is continuing to get even worse. He cannot get in and out of the litter box, so he goes wherever he feels comfortable. His hind legs can't support him at all anymore, so we have to periodically carry him to his food and to different places in the house. Everything I've read on the subject indicated he should have improved significantly by last week. We've already spend $500 and cannot afford any more tests that wont basically guarantee his livelihood.

Without some miracle advice, we will be forced to put him down this week or next, and this has all been so sudden that it's been very hard on my family to deal with.
 
I am so sorry you and your kitty are having a difficult time. We have a protocol that has worked great for diabetic cats. I was wondering whether your kitty is diabetic or not. It is rare to get them off insulin in 3 weeks. How was he diagnosed? A fructosamine test is the definitive test. Then we test the cat's blood sugars at home. What numbers were the blood tests?

If he has neuropathy, it can be helped with Methyl B12. But if he is not diabetic now, I am wondering if he was truly diabetic.

Tell us more about his symptoms and the testing done to determine diabetes. And then how was it treated?
 
Welcome and I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid I don't have that miracle advice, but I can say you have found the website which will lead you to the help Chewy needs. So we will have some questions.

What leads you or your vet to believe that his diabetes is "under control?" What information was included in the 2 blood tests? Were they called by the name Fructosamine? That is a type of test used to determine an average blood glucose level over a period of about 2 weeks and does not give an accurate picture of how the insulin is working for him during each day. That average simply lumped all numbers together and does not show highs and lows, which are more important to know to determine a good insulin dose. Unlike most medications, insulin is a hormone and acts differently in each cat, so one dose does not fit all and weight does not determine a good dose either. What type of insulin did the vet prescribe for Chewy?

It is very unlikely that the diabetes is controlled within 3 weeks of diagnosis, especially since the neuropathy still presents. The Methyl-B will help, but that takes time as well, however, good glucose control is the best help for neuropathy. There may be other health issues causing his leg weakness, has he seen the vet since this happened?

Others will be along to give you information about testing Chewy's blood glucose levels at home, that gives us a better picture how his insulin is working throughout the day and is better than constantly taking him back to the vet for expensive blood tests. I cannot remain online any longer to answer further questions, but members are here 24/7, so I'm sure the conversation can continue and you will learn a lot!
 
How do you mean you have gotten his diabetes under control? It's next to impossible to get it under control within such a short period of time.

Are you giving daily insulin shots and testing his blood sugar level at home to know what his sugars are running at? If they're still consistently running very high, all of the Vit B in the world won't make much of a difference.

Was other bloodwork done? Was kidney function checked? Potassium level? (Low potassium is common in cats with failing kidneys and can occur in cats with uncontrolled diabetes because they pee out their potassium, and they pee frequently. Low potassium impacts muscles and hindleg weakness can be a sign of low potassium just as diabetic neuropathy is).

What have you been doing to get your kitty's diabetes under control?
 
By under control, I mean he still gets two shots daily, but his blood glucose levels were in the good range after the last day of testing, so the vet told us to simply wait for improvement and look out for bad signs like too much eating, drinking, and peeing as a result. We are not satisfied with the vet's advice, as his hind leg debilitation was brushed off at every visit, but cannot afford to try another vet clinic where the testing will essentially start over.

The vet initially did a full blood work up to diagnose the diabetes. During the physical examination, she found no problems with his kidneys and organs, and the blood work confirmed that. We caught the diabetes early, though little help that did for us. Since the initial examination, no other tests have been done aside from two glucose curves.

We know he doesn't have too much glucose in his blood because he's not constantly drinking and his food consumption actually began to decrease because he apparently hates the diet food. So much, in fact, we have actually had to mix a little of his old food with the diet food just to get him to eat normally again (which has been successful).

Until this past month, Chewy has been strong and healthy (albeit overweight) for 10 straight years.



Chewy is taking 3ml of Lantus insulin twice a day.
 
I was under the impression dogs and cats with diabetes would significantly improve physically after the glucose level came under control. It has been 8 days since the last test and Chewy just keeps getting more weak and pathetic, primarily in the hind quarters. We were upset the vet did not hardly acknowledge this problem when even then he couldn't walk on his own.
 
If all your tests are done at the vets, you really can't have a handle on his diabetes. Stress raises bg levels and most cats are stressed at the vet. We test our cats before each shot, just like a human diabetic does, to be sure the dose we are giving makes sense.

Here is some info on hometesting including some videos on how it is done:

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287

We also suggest you start with a low dose and raise it slowly, using your test numbers. With Lantus, most cats on this site started with .5 or 1 unit twice daily. We have a Lantus forum that has great info on how the insulin works best in cats:

viewforum.php?f=9

I think we can help you help your cat. Using our protocol, we have gotten hundreds of cats healthy and in remission or regulated. I would do a lot of reading, get a meter and start testing. Ask questions and educate yourself. This is not a deadly disease. It is very manageable.
 
I have been told, and have to remind myself sometimes, that this is a marathon and not a sprint. Chewy's hind leg neuropathy didn't come on overnight, and unfortunately, won't go away that quickly either. In some cats, it does seem to resolve fairly quickly while in others it takes some time. My cat, for example, had trouble getting around for several months and wasn't helped by me stepping on him in the dark and hurting a leg. Now, however, he is quite able to trot and climb wherever he wants to.

What type of food are you feeding Chewy? Most people on this board do not use the prescription food from the vet. There is an excellent food list called "Janet and Binky's" that gives the carb content and calorie value for a long list of wet foods. Dry foods are not good for any cat, and especially for diabetic cats.

What type of insulin and what dose are you using? Are you testing Chewy's blood glucose levels at home? This is the best way to get accurate data to know how well the insulin is working in your cat.

There are lots of very experienced people on this board who can help you with Chewy's diabetes.
 
First let me say thank you everyone, sincerely, for your timely and extremely valuable help. We have been distraught lately over this problem and our seemingly indifferent veterinarian. I've learned as much from these responses tonight as I've learned from the vet and the internet resources I searched out over the past 2 weeks.

Anyway, the food he's eating is science diet brand diabetic cat dry food (vet prescribed). He hates it so we had to mix in some of his old dry food so he'd eat more. Thank you for the recommendation, I will certainly check it out.

No other tests have been done (or even recommended by the vet) since the last glucose curve. And frankly I don't think we can afford it.

Not to be a smart-alec but I should mention Chewy's neuropathy came on very suddenly over just a day or two and within a week he was immobilized.
 
When my cat was first diagnosed, he was jumping up in the window sill and telling the neighbours to call the SPCA! Within a few days I was pretty sure that he wouldn't live another week. I think that the toxin (which is what excess sugar is to the nerves in my elementary understanding) builds to a certain point and then there seems to be a dramatic result. In my cat's case, it took quite a long time to reverse, but it did, although not to the point where he can beseech the neighbours through the window. I found that he had an easier time to get his legs under him on the carpet - the slippery floor was impossible. I guess my point is that it may take time for the neuropathy to resolve.
 
I would HIGHLY recommend you start home testing. I use the Relion meter from Walmart, it costs only $9 and you can get 20 test strips for $9. My cat is a bit 'squirmy' but after a few days of trials we got the testing down to a regular routine. Home testing is the only way you'll know if your cat is well-regulated.

3 units of Lantus twice a day is quite a high starting dose, most cats start on 1 or even .5. Was a Fructosamine done? What was that number?

It is also quite important for diabetic cats to be on an all-wet food diet, all dry foods are very high carb. A lot of us here feed Fancy Feast (any of the CLASSIC varieties are great) and pate-style Friskies. But please note: switching from dry to wet will immediately reduce your cats need for insulin, so a dose reduction (usually at least 50%) will be required. I would suggest learning to home test first, then switch to wet and test before each shot. My cat Mali recently switched from dry to wet and within weeks he was completely off insulin (he was getting 3.5 units twice a day).

I know in the beginning it can seem very overwhelming, but diabetes is a very manageable condition. And if you start home testing you won't have to bring your cat to the vet anymore for those expensive curves because you can do them yourself for just a couple dollars! Don't give up yet, keep coming here for support and ask as many questions as you like.
 
I agree with the prevoius comments. Three units of lantus twice a day is a high dose. If you are not testing your cats BG at home, he could be going too lolw (hypo) between injections. When the BG goes too low, then the body overconpensates and triggers a chain of events that rapidly increases BG ; this is called a rebound effect. If your cat is on a dose of insulin that is too high, the BG will look like a roller coaster ride.

You need to test your cat's BG at home to get an idea of how he is responding to the insulin. I would also suggest getting some urine test strips to test for ketones. There is another condition called DKA that can develop when cats are not regulated.

When Nomad showed up as a stray on my porch I also thought he was at death's door. It is almost 16 months later and he is almost in remission. He could barely walk and now jumps on everything.

You might want to ask your vet if they will do payments over time or if they have any financial assistance.
 
Hi there

I won't go over what has already been said but there are two things that jump out

1. as has been said, you have no idea whether his diabetes is under control without hometesting
2. sudden neuropathy scares me. I would wonder if his potassium levels are wacky or whether he's thrown a clot or something else. I would really like a second opinion on this because I'd hate to be treating this as 'just' a diabetes issue only to find out something else was going on as well

Jen
 
Can you tell us where you are located? There might be a member who lives in your area and would be willing to help show you (in person) how to hometest -- if you are still unsure about it after watching the instrucional videos.

Hometesting is really the best way to know how well your cat is responding to treatment.

Also, if you are going to switch to low-carb canned food, please make sure to:
1) Start hometesting beforehand.
2) Decrease the dose by at least half (most cats on ANY insulin start at either .5 or 1 unit twice per day).
3) Keep testing once you start the switch, and try to get mid-cycle numbers (at around +5 or +6 hours after the injection) so you know how low your cat's numbers are getting.

And if your vet tells you that you shouldn't test at home, or a human glucometer isn't accurate enough, don't be discouraged. Many of us have heard the same thing and can vouch for the fact that they ARE accurate enough for the protocol we use. And remember: you don't need your vet's permission to test YOUR cat at home.
 
Jen & Squeak said:
2. sudden neuropathy scares me. I would wonder if his potassium levels are wacky or whether he's thrown a clot or something else. I would really like a second opinion on this because I'd hate to be treating this as 'just' a diabetes issue only to find out something else was going on as well
Click to expand...
ditto.
 
I hope as I write this your kitty is improving. Some vets are not supportive of home testing. I switched vets last month because she was insensitive to my cats needs. Give your kitty a chance by considering a new vet, it could make the world of difference! They should be able to transfer all the tests/history you have already paid for, if they give you run around (my vet did) then demand them! Maybe consider a raw diet too? My boy Julius went from 360 on his froctosamine to 304 in a week with diet alone. The vet prescribed diets are very expensive ( I was on the low allergen diet ZD and DD for 2+ years I know) and when I switched vets I learned that in my kitties case I could do the raw diet (I feed canned tuna, salmon, sardines and raw chicken thighs +supplements) to both my sugar kitty and my allergy kitty! Good luck!
 
Hey everyone, we took Chewy to a new vet today for a re-evaluation. The new vet immediately took note of all the issues the other vet kept blowing off. He is now on antibiotics and medication to help his thyroid. The new vet also found that Chewy was very weak, had a low temperature, and was badly constipated (no wonder he wasn't excited about eating). We have already taken many steps to correct this and the new vet suggested home testing and showed us how.

I'm from the Harford County Maryland area. I would be ecstatic if there was another member in my region who could give us a hand. I will keep things posted and learn all I can from this forum.

Everyone's input definitely helped steer us toward renewing our effort with our furry best friend.
 
This sounds good! Dose amount is better. Let us know if you need some help with the testing. We all have tricks that helped us.

Things seem to be looking less grim than last night. Hope things continue to improve!
 
Sounds wonderful, I'm so happy to hear that you got a second opinion!! It sounds like the new vet is doing a much better job and is taking your cats condition more seriously. Keep us updated over the next couple days and feel free to ask any questions about home testing. Yea!
 
I'm just sending you, cp_the_nerd, and, of course, you, too, extra-sweet Chewy, hugs!

Sometimes, that's all we need to press on...

Okay, and here? Dance...

Love and hugs,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz, who taught me to dance and then, sent me Nikki!




PS: Are you catching pee? It's so not ucky as it sounds...
 
That's good news

That sounds very promising. I hope you start to see improvement right away.

Have you gotten some testing supplies to use at home?

P.S. Check your "private messages".
 
Um, Jen

I think you mean Units, not mL (milliliters), of insulin, as a U-100 insulin like Lantus has 100 units of insulin per 1 mL. Its really important to understand the difference - my friend didn't understand and overdosed my cat (he survived after $600+ of vet bills).
 
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