Diabetic cat dropping weight alarmingly and weak in limbs

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Mookie629

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My male diabetic cat, Mookie: 13 years or older, (not knowable, as he was a rescue,) 3 years diabetic. Gets 3/4 unit insulin 2x/day. Has become blind in the last months, (progression over the last 9 months, or so,) and is anxious because of it. Also weak in his legs. In the last couple of weeks he has dropped 2 lbs. (Under 8 lbs. now.) We saw the vet today for blood work, etc. (Last time, Oct., when he had already dropped a lb.) His sugar is stable, with insulin, and he eats.

The vet is concerned about giving steroids, which he would if Mookie weren't diabetic, and wants to see test results before prescribing an anti-anxiety drug. (I'm interested in the anti-anxiety because Mookie has been prone to circling and crying, and also falling, since he became nearly blind/blind, and tends to hide. I have cat-proofed my entire apt., but he is a danger to himself. Also, he is so much less happy than he was.)

I've worked with this vet a long time. He understands that what works for some can defy conventional wisdom. (He told me of a 23-yr. old diabetic cat that was on steroids, not his patient, but a friend's pet.) He's cautious, but we have discussed "quality of life" issues. We're due to discuss test results on Friday.

My questions: Does anyone have experience with giving steroids to diabetic cats? Or anti-anxiety drugs? Also, he has given me some Hill's Diet a/d to put some weight on him, which Mookie likes. Any thoughts on the notion that he might be age-demented, or just disoriented, due to blindness? He is pretty adapted to the blindness, beyond the anxiety, I think.

Mookie is a fabulous, big-personality cat, even in his diminished state. I'm trying to navigate what best to do to make him happy and calm now. And to get his weight up.

Thanks.
 
Re: Diabetic cat dropping weight alarmingly and weak in limb

I am sorry you both are going thru this. Sending many cyber hugs.

Perhaps you have ruled this out but please make sure your vet does a blood pressure check, and when you get the labs back please make sure you and the vet look at the potassium levels, that can cause muscle weakness.

On the diabetes front, it could be neuropathy, which is when they walk on their hocks..mostly back legs but has affected front legs in some kitties.

Between the blindness, and the circling you mentiond it is possible he has had a hypo episode. You did mention the blindness came on slowly however it is sometimes very hard to tell when a cat is blind as they can get along seemingly fine for a while.

Are you hometesting Mookies blood sugar? Most on this board do this, its not that hard, and can tell you if some of Mookies symptoms are related to high or low blood sugar.

And, not to be a downer, but we have a board member, Tuckers Mom (Jennifer) whose cat Tucker has many of those symptoms you describe and he has a brain tumor. I hope Mookies issue is something treatable of course.

As to the steroids, I would not give them until you have figured out what is going on, or ruled out a lot of things. That being said, steroids can definitely help with reducing inflammation and increasing appetite. It does not always increase BGs.

OH and if you do not do the steroids please ask your vet for an appetite stimulant if he is losing weight because he is not eating.. mirtazipine/remeron is one, and cyproheptadine is another used as appetite stimulant.

Crossing all paws for Mookie
 
Re: Diabetic cat dropping weight alarmingly and weak in limb

Hi,

Lisa is right, Jennifer (Tucker's Mom) is very well informed with some of the issues you are experiancing. She was one of the first people to welcome me to FDMD, and she probably doesn't know it, but it helped me so much to just have someone say welcome and offer support/advise. You can contact her by send a PM. click on members at the top and than click username begins with T (for tuckers mom). Try not to worry, your cat may not have the same cause as Tuckers, but she will definatly be able to support and offer advise regarding steroids and blindness. Tucker couldn't see and has recently got his sight back, with a course of steroids.
Don't hesitate to send me a message if you have questions or need to talk.
 
Re: Diabetic cat dropping weight alarmingly and weak in limb

Hi and welcome.

Thank you Cheryl for letting me know about sweet Mookie and his mom :)

Tucker has had many issues recently as mentioned.

What type of weak limbs does Mookie have? Rear legs only, front and back, are they bent like neuropathy and just not able to straighten up or do his paws slide out from under him to the side? When Tucker's legs get weak it's because his potassium is too low. He was diagnosed with Hypoaklemia in March of this year. He was losing weight every month since November 09, a pound or more per month. A little over a year ago he weighed a healthy 17 pounds, he's a large maine coon type kitty, currently he weighs only 12 pounds. Once we started the potassium, his weight loss finally stopped, but I have not been able to put the weight back on him.

Tucker also started Prednisolone in March because for a few months he was circling. He couldn't get up, sit down or walk from room to room without doing circles, always circling to the right.

This video will give you an idea of how he circled. ( the meowing is not him, it was Angel telling me to hurry up and feed them )

http://static.photobucket.com/player.sw ... I_1931.mp4

Tucker did lose his vision for a very short time. The Prednisolone he was taking is on back order and the vet gave us Prednisone which needs to be broken down into prendisolone, it's my belief that the change in steroid is what caused Tucker's most recent episode, his brain tumor grew and put pressure on his optic nerve, we did a steroid blast and were able to reduce the swelling and his vision quickly returned. Cats can also lose their site due to hypertension, high blood pressure. Has your cats blood pressure been checked?

Your vet is right to be concerned about steroid use with FDs, but the only real concern in my opinion is that their dose of insulin will change. Most time a cat would require a higher dose of insulin to keep the BGs in a good range, for Tucker, his dose actually went down, he was taking 1.5U BID of levemir and now takes only 1/2U of levemir. His BGs aren't great, but any more than the 1/2U and he will drop into the 40s and 30s. Tucker's quality of life greatly improved after starting steroids. He regained his energy, he stopped walking in circles, so many positive changes I couldn't name the all. The drawbacks, BGs aren't as stable as they were and his fur is thinner, although that could be age. Like Mookie, we don't know Tucker's actual age, it's estimated he was 13 when adopted, so he'd be about 18 now.

I do feed Fancy Feast four times per day, but supplement with A/D twice per day. If Tucker could handle dry I'd give him dry EVO to help gain weight, but he gets constipated with that.

Please be sure that your vet checked electrolytes (Potassium) and also let us know how the bloodwork results come in. Your vet can research on VIN about FDs and steroids. I would highly recommend you learn to hometest if you're not doing that as the need for insulin may increase with steroids. What insulin are you using presently?

Regarding dimensia that you mentioned, both Tucker and another senior kitty I adopted Henry(GA) <-- gone ahead or guardian angel; they both became disoriented when their brain tumors swelled, both felt better after steroids. Henry(GA) was not FD and never developed it even though he was on steroids for over a year. Both would walk around disoriented, get stuck in corners, walk over other kitties, once the steroid took effect and shrunk the tumor, they both were fine.
 
Re: Diabetic cat dropping weight alarmingly and weak in limb

I just wanted to say that you and Mookie will be in my thoughts and prayers for a good diagnosis. I hope your vet can get this sorted for you both.
 
Re: Diabetic cat dropping weight alarmingly and weak in limb

Have you had his thyroid levels checked? Can cause excessive drinking and eating and weight loss.
 
Re: Diabetic cat dropping weight alarmingly and weak in limb

Thank you Jennifer, and all for the input, and kind thoughts. Mookie demonstrates weak back legs consistent with neuropathy, which he had before he was diagnosed as diabetic, but which got better once he was on insulin. He is on ProZinc insulin now, which was a change from what he was on before. I wonder if this new insulin works less well for him? (I will look back over records to see what he used before and when we changed.) I'm encouraged about reports of steroids for FDs and your results. He also circles always (I think) to the right, (clockwise,) much like the video you showed of Tucker. I'm talking to the vet tomorrow regarding test results, and so will also ask about potassium levels, and any thyroid issues. I'll let you all know what we decide and how he does.
 
Re: Diabetic cat dropping weight alarmingly and weak in limb

Vet says Mookie's fructosamine is good. Potassium also shows fine in blood. Kidney function, (and blood pressure, btw,) good. But he's anemic, which is worrying. We agreed it was time to try the steroids, so we'll start him on predisilone tomorrow. I'll keep an eye on his sugar levels. Vet doesn't want to give potassium yet, so as not to stress the heart. We'll see how he responds to the steroids, then go from there. I discussed with him what I had learned on these boards, and he was very receptive. (He never sneers at what I learn on the internet, and, in fact took a copy of the Fancy Feast list of non-wheat gluten flavors that I got from this site 3.5 years ago, when Mookie was first diagnosed.) Thanks again for the help. I'll let you know how Mookie responds.
 
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