Weak back legs a sign of diabetes??

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Kathleen and Fred

Kathleen and Fred

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Recently I took Lucy, Fred's housemate, in to the Vet because she has an upper respiratory infection. She was treated with (1) a dexamethasone SP 4mg/ml shot and 0.48 Convenia injectable then sent home with 2 weeks of doxycycline that I have to administer twice a day followed by 5ml of water. Her respiratory system seems to be improving, but I'm now noticing that she's not standing or walking on her back legs. She's actually crouching, similar to the way cats walk when stalking a bird. The front legs seems OK.

A friend of mine, the wife of a veterinary surgeon, said she heard he husband say that this was a sign of diabetes. I just couldn't believe it!! Two in one household! I tested Lucy this afternoon and she was 102. Her blood work last October was normal and I don't know what the BG numbers were then, so I'm assuming this is a good range. (I'll have that checked.)

But, what about this leg thing? Should I be worried?

thanks for your help,

Kathleen & Fred
 
weak back legs can be diabetic neuropathy, often seen in uncontrolled diabetics but it doesn't sound like that's your problem with this kitty. does she have any other classic symptoms of diabetes?

keep in mind though, and sorta OT here, the steroid can send a cat into diabetes so her BG would be something i'd keep an eye on if she gets more steroid.

other things that come to mind when reading about weak back legs are electrolyte imbalances possibly? any chance those have been checked lately? or i wonder if any of the meds she has gotten could cause electrolyte imbalance?

the shot of convenia raises a red flag too for me. it's not getting a good rap to be honest but i can't tell you what it's doing to kitties other than i believe some have died. Dr. Lisa has posted several things about it here, one just in the last few days i believe. maybe search that out and see what problems the convenia is causing in kitties. oh here, i found it. i'm gonna read thru it now too so i know viewtopic.php?f=28&t=37829
 
Thanks so much for the reminder about Convenia. I had heard it once before, but didn't think to ask about the name of the shot before it was given. WHAT"S WRONG WITH THESE VETS????? I remember telling them then that Convenia may be bad, especially for diabetics.

What is the other drug you don't use and why?

I'm wondering if I should contact the Internist I used last year when they mis-diagnosed Hemobart in Fred? Maybe she could sort out the problems Lucy is having. It would be very much more expensive, but I may be able to get to the bottom of the respiratory problems and now the leg issues? Is that a good idea or not??

Thanks again,

Kathleen & Fred (& Lucy)
 
There was a recent post by a newbie on here that had a kitty walking on his hocks and it was helped by steroids - so it could possibly be something like arthritis, a pinched nerve in the spine, etc. Have you taken recent x-rays of her spine/rear hips?
 
there can be a number of possible causes including but not limited to a clot, low potassium, diabetes, arthritis, etc. so I would suggest further diagnostics.

and yes, covenia appears to have some issues, although according to my vet it is supposed to be good for respiratory issues.

Good luck!

Jen
 
I'm going to have her checked out by my internist next week, if possible. The legs are tender to my touch, so it could be an injury of some sort. It's just strange that it came on just after receiving these shots and taking antibiotics. There may be no correlation, but I always worry when meds are in the mix.

At 12 years of age, I guess I can begin to expect some of these problems, but I'm not ready to see Lucy declining just yet. Let me know if you hear/see anything that might be helpful in the future.

Thanks!

Kathleen & Fred & Lucy
 
My cat is a recently diagnosed diabetic. two weeks ago I saw him stumble and then he started to have symptoms of what I thought was neuropathy. I called my vet and we decided I would watch him overnight and call Saturday. Well Saturday not only was he walking on his hind legs he was in incredible pain. I couldn't even touch him. I took him in and it turns out he had a MAJOR bladder obstruction. It came on very quickly and the vet said his bladder was the size of an orange. they put a catheter in and drained it and he was fine. Not more pain. If the sensitivity you described turns to pain I would have him checked quickly.
 
I've been watching the leg thing, since it's the weekend. The "weakness" seems to come and go. I've been able to touch the legs without too much discomfort for Lucy. It's just so strange. Now I'm wondering if she's hurt herself in a jump or a fall.

As for the steroid, I have no answer. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about veterinary medicine to be able to ask questions or object to treatment. We pay these guys to have the CORRECT answers. It's just SOOoooo frustrating!!

Thanks,
Kathleen & Fred & Lucy
 
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