diabetic neuropathy

Status
Not open for further replies.
melba tee

melba tee

Member Since 2014
I am new to the forum and joined because Melly has diabetic neuropathy. Although I have over 300 facebook friends with cats (some of them diabetic), no one seems to have experience with neuropathy. I have been reading what I can find here and am encouraged.

Melly turned 16 on Friday. He crashed in early March. He could barely stand. After a barrage of tests (cardiac ultrasound, abdominal ultrasound and seemingly endless blood tests, he is currently taking 1 unit of insulin twice a day, amlodipine for blood pressure and a potassium supplement twice a day.

Recent tests indicate blood pressure, sugar and potassium are under control and I do see improvement in the neuropathy (or maybe I am in denial). I mentioned METHYLCOBALAMIN to my vet. He wants to do a blood test first before dosing him. That was one week ago. I thought I would wait a couple of weeks because every trip to the vet is so stressful for him.
 
Hello to you and Melly, and welcome to FDMB. :smile:

Diabetic neuropathy is pretty common in diabetic cats, and quite a few folks here have found methyl B12 (methylcobalamin) helpful in aiding the healing process. There is a methyl B12 supplement called Zobaline that is made especially for kitties (and I think it's also possible to get methyl B12 capsules online, though you do need to check the ingredients to make sure they're 'kitty friendly'.)

Getting the kitty into a better blood glucose range also helps enormously.

My diabetic cat had bad neuropathy at diagnosis, but recovered completely.

You may well have observed an improvement in Melly's neuropathy because leg weakness can also be caused (or exacerbated) by potassium deficiency. So it's quite possible that the potassium supplements have helped.

May I ask what insulin you're using?
And what are you feeding Melly at the moment?

And regarding blood glucose testing, most of us test our cats at home. If you're willing to have a go at learning that we'd be glad to help you. It probably sounds a bit scary but is actually a simple and quick process (though, like anything new, will probably take a few goes to get the hang of it). Most of us use glucose meters made for humans. Testing involves pricking the outer edge of the kitty's ear to get a little blood droplet, putting that droplet onto a test strip in a glucose meter, waiting for the meter to count down and give a result, and praising kitty for a job well done! This should not hurt the kitty because there are very few nerve endings in the outer edge of the ear, and in fact, many cats come to look forward to the process, especially if rewarded with a nice low carb treat! cat_pet_icon

Please ask any and all questions you want to. We're here to help.

Eliz
 
Thank you for your quick reply.

The insulin is glargine.

Melly is almost back to his normal eating. He eats Medi-cal Senior kibble and canned. He loves the Medi-cal star shaped treats. And once a week he splits a can of fancy feast with his housemate and nemesis Ollie. Melly is very picky about his food. I add lots of water with his canned food or he won't eat it. And he likes the bowls side by side. He is totally spoiled.

He had a fructosomine (?) test last week and the results were positive. I have tried the glucose testing at home a couple of times. (I have my own kit.) But I just can't get any blood. And he will not co-operate. Now that I am getting good with the insulin shots, maybe I could try again. I don't know how often he should be tested.
 
Methylcobalamin is a form of Vitamin B-12. It is water soluble and any excess vitamin is excreted through the kidneys. It is very, very difficult to overdose on B vitamins of any type due to their water-soluble nature, which makes them very, very safe to give.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top