? Pretty sure Jellybean has diabetic neuropathy

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Carriecae

Carriecae

Member Since 2024
I've been reading up as much as I can on some of the articles on here, and one is sticking close to home about diabetic neuropathy. Jellybean's back legs are weak, and he's walking on his hocs. I've mentioned this to the vet twice, but only last time did she seem to want to see him. I'll see her on Monday, but meanwhile I've read about Zobaline on here. Has anyone else tried it? Do you crush it in their food? I'd just like to have some info for when I meet with the vet on Monday. I'm assuming she knows exactly what it means when I asked her about the leg problem, but am kind of upset she didn't offer zobaline to start instead of waiting a week. Or maybe she has another treatment idea.
Carrie
 
@Carriecae
Hi Carrie
I used to give Tyler
https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-vitamin-b-12-methylcobalamin-5000-mcg-60-capsules-5
the Vitacost brand another member told me about
Vitamin B-12 Methylcobalamin -- 5000 mcg - 100 Capsules

Same as Zobaline , but the Zobaline is so expensive as you know
This is the same thing
The only difference is the Zobaline has 200 mcgs of folic acid
So I bought the folic acid at the supermarket and crush it up and added it to the Vitacost brand
If you can't find the 200 mcg get the 400 mcg and cut it in half and crush it up and add it, some members didn't even add the folic acid and the neuropathy improved
The Vitacost brand is a capsule so just open it and pour the powder on the wet food
Has no taste, no need to crush it up, I still give it to Tyler every now and then and he has never tasted it in his food , I always add water to his food and just stir up the methyl B-12 good
I switched to the vitacost brand because the zobaline was too expensive,
Even though the vitacost brand is 5000 mcgs and the zobaline is 3000 mcgs
What they don't need they will pee out because it's water soluble.

The Zobaline is expensive for 60 pills, 30.00 some other places want 33.00
I used to use the Zobaline when I joined, then a member told me about the Vitacost brand .

It took about 2 months for Tyler to get back to walking normal, jumping on to the couch, running around
But every few weeks I did see a slight improvement
Some members didn't even add the folic acid to the vitacost brand and it still helped and the neuropathy was gone

I know you just started to give insulin if I'm correct.
If you can get JellyBeans BG numbers regulated that will also help
You need to set up our spreadsheet so you can track Jellybeans BG numbers to see how the insulin is working.
If you need help setting it up we have a member who will set it up for you. Her name is Bhooma and she will contact you if you need help. Let me know and I can tag her for you
Meantime I will give you the link to set up our spreadsheet ,it also explains how to use it. It is very easy :cat:
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-create-a-spreadsheet.241706/

Just remember with Vetsulin
An important note on when to feed your cat: Because Caninsulin/Vetsulin has an early onset, you want to have fed your cat 20 – 30 minutes before you give a shot. The order for this process is (1)test , (2) feed (3) wait 20 – 30 minutes (4) shoot.







 
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Diane Tyler's Mom said:
The Zobaline is expensive for 60 pills, 30.00 some other places want 33.00
I used to use the Zobaline when I joined, then a member told me about the Vitacost brand .

It took about 2 months for Tyler to get back to walking normal, jumping on to the couch, running around
But every few weeks I did see a slight improvementimprovement

I know you just started to give insulin if I'm correct.
If you can get JellyBeans BG numbers regulated that will also help
You need to set up our spreadsheet so you can track Jellybeans BG numbers to see how the insulin is working.
If you need help setting it up we have a member who will set it up for you. Her name is Bhooma and she will contact you if you need help. Let me know and I can tag her for you
Meantime I will give you the link to set up our spreadsheet ,it also explains how to use it. It is very easy :cat:
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-create-a-spreadsheet.241706/
Click to expand...

thank you for the info! yes, we've just started with insulin...and the ear prick thing...we're trying! i know it's hugely important but jellybean isn't reading the forums! =) so our ear prick sessions are taking on more of a WWF aspect. =) will watch more videos this weekend to see if i can find a way to make it easier on him (and me!)

What do you do if they are a picky eater? He rarely eats an entire bowl of food, but will drill down through the middle of it, then consider it done. I'll go back with a spoon and stir it up and sometimes he'll eat more, sometimes not. although he does like some of the broth packages, maybe I can just put it in the broth and not put the meat in with it? trying to think outside the box!

carrie
 
All the wet food is high protein low carb as are the broths. And currently DM dry food as well. I was trying to switch to all wet high protein to see if that would help, but the vet said to just stay where he is for now with the food while starting the insulin.
 
Yes the DM dry is most likely high carb but your vet is correct ,until you start tracking his BG to see how he reacts to the Vetsulin and getting some data on him cutting out the dry food completely could drop his BG numbers by 100 points .
After you start gathering enough data you can then start slowly cutting out the dry food.
I saw on your intro post a member suggested lantus or prozinc if the vetsulin wasn't working out.
Tyler was on lantus and I loved it.
He has been in remission for 3 years and 3 months now knick on wood.
He is food controlled

If the dry you are feeding is
The Purina Pro Plan DM Dry it's 18% carbs,
 
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I used to put the Zobaline crushed in a small amount of the food at the start of the meal so I knew Sheba would eat it. When that’s gone you can feed the rest of the meal. I found Zobaline very good and helped with the neuropathy but you also need to get those BGs back into more normal numbers for it to get better.
Vets know very little about how to treat neuropathy and most have not heard of methyl B12 and certainly don’t stock it.
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Yes the DM dry is most likely high carb but your vet is correct ,until you start tracking his BG to see how he reacts to the Vetsulin and getting some data on him cutting out the dry food completely could drop his BG numbers by 100 points .
After you start gathering enough data you can then start slowly cutting out the dry food.
I saw on your intro post a member suggested lantus or prozinc if the vetsulin wasn't working out.
Tyler was on lantus and I loved it.
He has been in remission for 3 years and 3 months now knick on wood.
He is food controlled
Click to expand...

that is spectacular!! excellent on you guys! I was going to mention lantus on my Monday appointment....from what I understand she has to prescribe it. yes, i'll get better at the bloodwork stuff, and then jellybean will get better as well. and thanks so much for the link to vitacost..i've been so scared at the way he's walking. I check on him all day and sometimes night to make sure he's still alive, and was positive the vet was going to give me horrific news on Monday. Now I can breathe a little easier, so thank you.
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
I used to put the Zobaline crushed in a small amount of the food at the start of the meal so I knew Sheba would eat it. When that’s gone you can feed the rest of the meal. I found Zobaline very good and helped with the neuropathy but you also need to get those BGs back into more normal numbers for it to get better.
Vets know very little about how to treat neuropathy and most have not heard of methyl B12 and certainly don’t stock it.
Click to expand...

well then i'll be taking in the printed off article so she does know! =) granted we are very much a farming community here, so they do a lot of the large farm animals, but this is specifically a small animal vet. and that's a good idea....he'll think i'm cheating him with just a small amount, but it'll be worth it to see him walk normal again.
 
If you switch to lantus in the future I can tell you where to purchase it for a good price and you will need different syringes to use for lantus. Many members use generic lantus
 
Carriecae said:
can i buy it by myself? without a prescription?
Click to expand...
You will need a script from your vet plus you are better off buying the 5 pens instead of vials . The pens will last about a year.
We use the pens just like a vial. Just stick the syringes in the rubber stopper in the pen and draw out the insulin

We can talk about that later if you ever switch
Do you have a hypo kit set up in case you need to bring her BG up
Med and High Carb food



Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Beef Feast in Gravy 20% High Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Chicken Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Turkey Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken and Beef in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Good idea to mark the cans with magic marker how many carbs

Or any on the food chart. Doesn't have to be Fancy Feast just an example about the med and high carb foods



https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-

10% and under is low carb
11% -15 is medium carbs.

16- 24 is high carb.

It's actually the gravy that has the med and high carbs in it if he won't eat the food
 
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Diane Tyler's Mom said:
You will need a script from your vet plus you are better off buying the 5 pens instead of vials . The pens will last about a year.
We use the pens just like a vial. Just stick the syringes in the rubber stopper in the pen and draw out the insulin

We can talk about that later if you ever switch
Do you have a hypo kit set up in case you need to bring her BG up
Med and High Carb food



Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Beef Feast in Gravy 20% High Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Chicken Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Turkey Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken and Beef in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Good idea to mark the cans with magic marker how many carbs

Or any on the food chart. Doesn't have to be Fancy Feast just an example about the med and high carb foods



https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-

10% and under is low carb
11% -15 is medium carbs.

16- 24 is high carb.

It's actually the gravy that has the med and high carbs in it if he won't eat the food
Click to expand...

yes, i have a bunch of the fancy feast gravies and karo syrup. and a bunch of temptation treats we don't eat anymore. =) good idea to write it on the top with sharpie though, i'll work on that this weekend. thanks so much!
 
@Carriecae How is the testing going? Is Jellybean still wanting to wrestle you? Just remember with practice, things will improve. Massaging the ears really helps too!

Hope all is well with you and jellybean!
 
did order from vitacost, it was buy one get one half price so got two. will print off the info from the article this weekend to show the vet.
Mazi's Mom said:
@Carriecae How is the testing going? Is Jellybean still wanting to wrestle you? Just remember with practice, things will improve. Massaging the ears really helps too!

Hope all is well with you and jellybean!
Click to expand...

testing is a struggle. wow. now so is giving the shot. he sees me coming, with the needle by my leg and he just stares..as soon as i reach for him he starts shaking his head and bobbing and weaving. there's a mark on his ear where i poked him the other day, is that normal? am i doing it wrong? mostly feeling like i'm failing here, but going to try harder this weekend. spend some extra time with him.
 
An alternative to poking your cat with a lancet is, They do have something called a Freestyle Libre that is a human meter. Its a sensor the size of a slightly bigger than quarter with a short wire on the bottom that goes under the skin. The sensor can be used off label on cats and dogs to monitor blood sugars. When the sensor is implanted (usually on the back where your cat can't reach) all you have to do is use your phone to scan the sensor and it gives you your animals glucose. The sensor monitors the glucose continuely for 24 hrs a day for 2 weeks or till your cat pulls it out if before the 14 days.

However the sensor only lasts for 2 weeks and that is if your kitty doesn't bite or scratch it off..

You download an app on your phone and the app will show you your cats glucose, send an alarm to your phone if numbers start falling too low or increase to high. The app also creates a daily glucose curve graph, tells you your cats average glucose and keeps a log book for you.

The cons: it has to be replaced every 2 weeks. You need a prescription from you vet. I payed $45 for one sensor, I believe you can get 2 for $80. You can learn to place it yourself by following youtube videos or you can pay your vet to place it. Since it just requires a vet tech to place it I payed $27.

Right now Mazi has the Libre Sensor placed because my vet recommended it because my vet wants to do a glucose curve on Mazi. Mazi is tolerating it very well and to protect the sensor because he did try biting it a few times I have him wearing a sleeveless onsie. I cut the onsie so it looks more like a muscle shirt and it allows him to use the bathroom. He now leaves the sensor alone and goes on about his day like nothing is even on him.

A few people on this forum use the Libre sensor. Like I stated I'm only using it because my vet wanted to do a glucose curve test on MaziMazi takes his testing and injections well, so I'm lucky in that aspect, but it didn't start out that way. We are about 2 months into Mazis diagnosis, so please have hope with practice things will get better.

However, if things don't get better, and affording the sensor every two weeks isn't a problem, its something you can think about for the future.

Also, if it is something you would be interested in, always have a back up hand held meter with strips and lancets because you never know when your kitty will pull the sensor out or if the sensor goes bad before the 2 week mark. Also, if you get a weird number off the Libre you can always check it against your human hand held meter.

I'm not saying run out a grab the Libre, but what I am saying is worst case scenario and if you can afford it, it is an option.

After the 2 weeks is up with Mazis Libre sensor, im personally going to go back to the hand held meter, but it is something I would consider doing if I had to go on vacation and have a family member or friend look after Mazi.
 
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Mazi's Mom said:
An alternative to poking your cat with a lancet is, They do have something called a Freestyle Libre that is a human meter. Its a sensor the size of a slightly bigger than quarter with a short wire on the bottom that goes under the skin. The sensor can be used off label on cats and dogs to monitor blood sugars. When the sensor is implanted (usually on the back where your cat can't reach) all you have to do is use your phone to scan the sensor and it gives you your animals glucose. The sensor monitors the glucose continuely for 24 hrs a day for 2 weeks or till your cat pulls it out if before the 14 days..
Click to expand...

I did see the video where they attached one to a cat. your cat sounds adorable in his get up...lol....i can't imagine jellybean would let me get away with that. he's pretty fussy and used to his own way. we played on the bed today and i stroked his ears and scruff and that went better than it has been. when i touch his scruff he sticks his head out and then doesn't have scruff to grab anymore. tricky. tonight we're trying whole-hearted again, i have vaseline to try on his ears. I was going to try to use the strip with a tweezers to bring it to his ear, then insert it in the machine, as bringing the machine near his head area caused panic. debated on also trying it in bed, as he lies on my lap while i read at night. now he's also panicking when i bring the needle near, even though i try to hide it behind my leg. and getting him to eat when *I* want him to? went out and bought some high protein broths as he'll almost always eat those. today he's not interested in eating anything but dry. =( trying to keep the positive vibes going for tonight! i can do this!
 
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