Diabetic and IBD

[kazi37]

i really hope someone can advise
my cat is 12 years old and has been receiving a combination of steroid injections and tablets prescribed by the vet for IBD and i was also advised to put her on the dry James well beloved cat food, she has been doing well since the diagnosis and treatment until last weekend when she started having problems with her back end, she has problems walking as he back end or legs appear very weak and wobbly. I went to the vets yesterday who said that they think that she has diabetes. he wanted to confirm with a blood test but i chose at that point not to have it as it felt like if the test was positive the she would have to be put to sleep. he spoke about twice a day injections but would have to come of her steroids, which without she will be miserable and unwell. i want to do everything i can for my cat as the thought of loosing her is heart breaking, but i don't want to prolong her suffering as without her steroids she again loose weight and become very sick and currently she is purring and happy.

i know that this will be short lived as i am having to carry her out to the toilet and bring her food and water. i really hope someone can advise as cant loose her but i didn't feel that i got clear help from the vet, it was all so vague and with her age and IBD is it kinder to her to put her to sleep when she gets worse or could there be some hope with both these issues. i hope someone can help as i guess she will just get worse so don't feel i can sit to long on this decision as would not be fair on the cat, but currently she is purring and eating and drinking well, just very under active. please advise.

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

Hello, and welcome to FDMB!

You've found a great place for advice and support.

OK, first off, diabetes is NOT a death sentence. Diabetes is a very treatable condition. My own cat has been diabetic for nearly six years now, and is happy and healthy. :smile:

LIke you, I took my cat to the vet when I noticed weakness in his back legs. He was diagnosed as diabetic, and the leg weakness was caused by diabetic neuropathy. He was started on insulin for his diabetes, and I also supplemented that with methyl B12 to help his neuropathy. His health started to improve within a few weeks. And his neuropathy vanished!

Your cat has not yet been diagnosed with diabetes. There may be another cause for the back leg weakness. BUT if your cat is diabetic you can learn to treat her. Honestly. You CAN do it.

The idea of giving insulin shots seems scary at first. (I was convinced my cat would hate me! But I was SO wrong). And most of us here test our cat's blood glucose at home too. It can be a steep learning curve at first. But the rewards are immense! cat_pet_icon

Some cats can become diabetic after a course of steroids. And the dry food will certainly exacerbate diabetes. I have no experience of IBD in cats but I'm sure there are others here on the forum whose cats have both diabetes and IBD, and hopefully they can advise you about that...

Please don't think that your cat will need to be PTS if she is diabetic. If the diabetes is managed then she may live for many more years. That has certainly been my experience. (Do have a look at the link in my signature at the bottom of this message for more about my own cat's story).

Where do you live? Are you in the UK?

 

[BJM]

You need to know now if she has diabetes. If she has diabetes, not treating it is like starving her - she can't use the glucose calories from the food. It is a very treatable condition - humans live with it, and so can cats. Many of our members have been managing their cats' diabetes for years. Yes, it takes some time to learn and understand treatment and how it works in your cat; we'll help you all the way.

Untreated diabetes may result in diabetic ketoacidosis, too, where fat breakdown creates ketones that are toxic to the cat. It results in very expensive, hospitalized treatment and can kill. Pop over to a pharmacy and get some urine ketone strips, asap. They are not expensive. Follow the instructions in my signature link for ketone urine testing to see if she has ketones. If she does, she needs to go to a vet now for treatment.