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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / May 2007Back Legs Giving Out
My friend's 7 year old cat has diabetes. In the past two weeks, he has been having on and off again diarhhea and his back legs give out on him. She brought him to the vet on Monday in fear that it was his diabetes acting up and was told that his blood and feces were fine and that it may be neurological. She is waiting for them to run more tests. Other than these symptoms, he is fine. Normal appetite, not lethargic, goes to the bathroom normally (besides the occassional diarhhea). While we wait for more test results (she is always trying to get a urine sample from him), does anyone have any idea what this could be? > My friend's 7 year old cat has diabetes. In the past two weeks, he has > been [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > results (she is always trying to get a urine sample from him), does anyone > have any idea what this could be? Has he been tested for kidney function (testing both blood and urine)? MaryL >My friend's 7 year old cat has diabetes. In the past two weeks, he has been >having on and off again diarhhea and his back legs give out on him. She [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >results (she is always trying to get a urine sample from him), does anyone >have any idea what this could be? This is diabetic neuropathy. The wiki of the Feline Diabetes website has an explanation here: http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/Neuropathy I highly recommend this site to your friend. The people who post on the forum are very knowledgable and it's a great support group: http://felinediabetes.com/ ~ narnia ~ Thank you both for your responses. Mary - When she called the vet this morning (she takes her kitty to the Humane Society) she was just told that the blood and stool sample showed that his diabetes has not flared up and they were waiting for the results of other tests (what those are, I don't know). I will have her call tomorrow and ask if they are running kidney tests. Narnia - Thank you for the websites! I will give them to her tomorrow. The neuopathy does sound like what she was explaining to me but would that have showed up when they tested him to see if his diabetes had flared up (they said that he was fine in that department) or is there a seperate test for that? Would that also cause the diarhhea he is experiencing? Thanks again guys! >>My friend's 7 year old cat has diabetes. In the past two weeks, he has been >>having on and off again diarhhea and his back legs give out on him. She [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > >~ narnia ~ > Thank you both for your responses. > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > said that he was fine in that department) or is there a seperate test for > that? ---------- In humans, the way one tests for neuropathy is with EMG (electromyography) and nerve conduction studies which generally involve a series of electrodes and inserting a small needle in various locations and measuring the rate at which a nerve impulse moves from one location to another along a given nerve. I have never heard of such an exam being performed on a cat (which is not to say that it isn't done, just that I've never heard of it). But neuropathy cannot be detected from a blood or urine test. I don't know about cats, but humans can experience diabetic neuropathy even without technically having diabetes, just glucose intolerance (which is a precursor to diabetes). Additionally, diabetic neuropathy can develop in humans even if the diabetes is kept under control, although the greater the control, the lower the likelihood of developing neuropathy. In humans, when the diabetes is under control, the diabetic neuropathy can sometimes be stabilized but improvement is generally minimal. Another possibility (I haven't looked at the website) is that the kitty is experiencing muscle weakness from loss of potassium due to frequent urination. A potassium/vitamin B supplement may improve the latter situation. Best regards, ---Cindy S. > My friend's 7 year old cat has diabetes. In the past two weeks, he has been > having on and off again diarhhea and his back legs give out on him. She [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > results (she is always trying to get a urine sample from him), does anyone > have any idea what this could be? Jesus! Back legs giving out and other than that plus the digestive issues and diabetes and everything is fine you say?!?! "The house burned down last week, other than that everything is fine at home." Yes Joe, other than his back legs giving out and the diarhhea, everything else is fine. I see you can read which is good. >> My friend's 7 year old cat has diabetes. In the past two weeks, he has been >> having on and off again diarhhea and his back legs give out on him. She [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >"The house burned down last week, other than that everything is fine at >home." > Yes Joe, other than his back legs giving out and the diarhhea, everything > else is fine. I see you can read which is good. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >> "The house burned down last week, other than that everything is fine at >> home." The whole point is... there needs to be more of a sense of urgency over this issue because back legs giving out is a serious condition. Trading insults doesn't help the cat. First of all Joe, as far as trading insults, you need to take your own advice. Second of all, my friend brought her cat to the vet on Monday, as soon as the symptoms started and they are presently running tests. I would say she acted quickly and with "urgency", what else do you want? I came on here to get some advice while we wait for the remainder of the test results. Now please, if you have no advice to offer in this matter, please keep your thoughts to yourself. Thank you. >> Yes Joe, other than his back legs giving out and the diarhhea, everything >> else is fine. I see you can read which is good. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >Trading insults doesn't help the cat. > First of all Joe, as far as trading insults, you need to take your own advice. > Second of all, my friend brought her cat to the vet on Monday, as soon as the [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >> >> Trading insults doesn't help the cat. This is about the cat, not about the personalities in this group. One week is long enough for the vet to diddle about. One week? She brought the cat to the vet on Monday which is only 3 days ago. The vet called her last night and left her a message (which is only 2 days) and she was not able to get through to the vet today. Hopefully she will be able to get through tonight and be able to get the results and start treatment ASAP. You need to understand that this is the Humane Society in New York City and the demand that they are under is huge. You don't just call and get to talk to the vet in most cases right away, they call you. The message that the vet left last night was that the blood test did in fact show "positive" for a flare up of the diabetes and that she would go more into it when they talk. This is bizarre being that she was originally told it was negative by the nurse. Please send purrs for my friend and her cat. She lost a cat to diabetes three years ago and adopted this one 2 years ago when he was 5 and knew that he had diabetes. He had spent his whole life in the shelter because no one wanted to deal with the illness and he deserves a long and healthy life. Thanks again everyone (even you Joe for seeming to care about the cat in your own way) >> First of all Joe, as far as trading insults, you need to take your own advice. >> Second of all, my friend brought her cat to the vet on Monday, as soon as the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >One week is long enough for the vet to diddle about. > Please send purrs for my friend and her cat. Wrong group. Wrong group for what? >> Please send purrs for my friend and her cat. > >Wrong group. > Wrong group for what? Purrs. A few of us may offer prayers for your friend and her cat. And I am sure a few will offer purrs but thank you for your prayers. >> Wrong group for what? > >Purrs. > >A few of us may offer prayers for your friend and her cat. > And I am sure a few will offer purrs but thank you for your prayers. >>Purrs. >> >>A few of us may offer prayers for your friend and her cat. Prayers and Purrs from the pack being sent gladly > And I am sure a few will offer purrs but thank you for your prayers. > >>> Wrong group for what? >> Purrs. >> >> A few of us may offer prayers for your friend and her cat. Of course we wish the best and purrs for the feline. :-) >> Wrong group for what? > > Purrs. > > A few of us may offer prayers for your friend and her cat. ---------- ??? People on this group offer purrs on a regular basis. Best regards, ---Cindy S. >>> Wrong group for what? >> [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Best regards, > ---Cindy S. Wrong group. Try rec.pets.cats.anecdolts. >>>> Wrong group for what? >>> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Try rec.pets.cats.anecdolts. ---------- I'm not sure what's going on here (maybe I inadvertently got into the middle of someone else's dispute), but I often post (to this group) statements like "Purrs for your kitty's recovery" and I've seen others do the same. I don't read any other cat groups, and I certainly didn't invent the expression. It seems like a rather benign expression, and I don't understand what's the big deal to say that people on this group frequently use this expression (which they do). I've never seen anyone offer "prayers" on this group. Best regards, ---Cindy S. >>>> Wrong group for what? >>> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Try rec.pets.cats.anecdolts. We can do it also here cybercat. You all did it when I thought I was going to lose spirit when he had that bad infection. Which now we think was due to the pet food recall before it became public knowledge Most of us are cat lovers and proud of it. I will gladly off purrs if someone needs them \. You know you want to Cyber I can see you smiling from here ;-) Thank you everyone! My friend finally got through to the vet this morning, and it is the diabetes that is affecting his legs. She was told that he will need insulin shots everyday for the next three weeks and he should be fine! She has an appointment to bring him in tomorrow to learn how to give the shots and pick up the medication. Thanks again everyone! >>>>> Wrong group for what? >>>> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >someone needs them \. You know you want to Cyber I can see you smiling from >here ;-) > Thank you everyone! My friend finally got through to the vet this > morning, [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] >>from >>here ;-) I do not understand how any vet could possibly tell someone that a cat "will need insulin shots everyday for the next three weeks and he should be fine!" That simply is not true. I speak from personal experience as a diabetic and also from long discussions with a friend who is an expert in working with diabetic cats. Insulin for three weeks will not bring the cat's glucose level down for a long-term solution. Your friend needs to work on an appropriate diet for her cat (*no dry food,* only *low-carb canned*), and she will need to monitor his glucose levels by taking readings at home (which is a *very* easy thing to do). If your friend feeds her cat correctly and monitors his glucose at home and keeps his numbers as close to the normal range as possible using the proper type of insulin (Lantus or PZI are the first and best choices), it is highly likely he will go into remission at some point. In order to keep him in remission, she will have to continue with the change in diet and will need to constantly monitor his glucose levels. Also, it is unlikely that the problem of weak back legs will be resolved in three weeks. Most diabetic neuropathy takes up to three months to respond, and that is only provided that the cat gets regulated and his glucose levels are brought back into the normal range. This is a long-term process, not a "three week quickie." However, the good news is that cats respond very well to this regimen and can live completely normal lives. I have some other information available but do not have time to look it up right now. If you will e-mail me privately I will be glad to locate it and send it to you later. Your friend should also join the message board at felinediabetes.com. MaryL Mary, thank you so much for offering more information, unfortunately I do not know enough about this site to find your personal email. If someone here can tell me how to do that, I will definitely email you. As far as a controlled diet, she has been following one since she got him. He is on special wet food from purina (I don't recall the name, but it is initials s/something I think), no dry food, and she has to feed him, I believe, but could be wrong, a quarter of a can every 12 hours, which she follows to a tee. She even pays a girl in her building to feed him everyday for his night feeding being that she is not home from work at exactly the 12 hour mark. I also was surprised that the vet said only three weeks for the shots. Maybe she misunderstood and it will be for 3 months? Maybe it is not insulin but something else? I will find out more on Monday when I see her being that she is bringing him to the vet again tomorrow morning. >> Thank you everyone! My friend finally got through to the vet this >> morning, [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > >MaryL > Mary, thank you so much for offering more information, unfortunately I do > not > know enough about this site to find your personal email. If someone here > can > tell me how to do that, I will definitely email you. You can reach me at this e-mail address: stancole1@yahoo.com. MaryL > Mary, thank you so much for offering more information, unfortunately I do > not [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > she > is bringing him to the vet again tomorrow morning. ---------- My cat's diabetes went into remission after being treated with Lantus (glargine) insulin for less than two weeks. That was nearly a year ago. He has since been maintained on a combination of Purina OM (overweight management) dry food and canned cat food. Our vet originally wanted him to eat Purina OM canned cat food as well, but he refused it, so we have had him on a variety of different canned cat foods (currently we alternate Wellness with Fancy Feast but in the past he has been on Pet Promise and Friskies special diet and supermarket brand special diet). The vet told us that the main thing with regard to the canned food was to choose one that was low in carbohydrate. Our cat has not required any insulin at all since the two weeks following his original diagnosis. We test his blood glucose monthly and it is always less than 100. At the time of diagnosis, his blood glucose was nearly 600. Best regards, ---Cindy S. Mary, thank you so much for offering more information, unfortunately I do not know enough about this site to find your personal email. If someone here can tell me how to do that, I will definitely email you. As far as a controlled diet, she has been following one since she got him. He is on special wet food from purina (I don't recall the name, but it is initials s/something I think), no dry food, and she has to feed him, I believe, but could be wrong, a quarter of a can every 12 hours, which she follows to a tee. She even pays a girl in her building to feed him everyday for his night feeding being that she is not home from work at exactly the 12 hour mark. I also was surprised that the vet said only three weeks for the shots. Maybe she misunderstood and it will be for 3 months? Maybe it is not insulin but something else? I will find out more on Monday when I see her being that she is bringing him to the vet again tomorrow morning. >> Thank you everyone! My friend finally got through to the vet this >> morning, [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > >MaryL > Thank you everyone! My friend finally got through to the vet this morning, > and it is the diabetes that is affecting his legs. She was told that he will [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >> someone needs them \. You know you want to Cyber I can see you smiling from >> here ;-) Good to hear. :-) > My friend's 7 year old cat has diabetes. In the past two weeks, he has > been [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > results (she is always trying to get a urine sample from him), does anyone > have any idea what this could be? Hello, We once had a diabetic cat. He also did fine except that his legs became progressively weaker. Eventually, he waddled sort of like a duck on the hind legs, but his front legs were fine. When he could not get in the litter box, we put those pads they use on hospital beds next to the box and he used them. He accepted the insulin injections without any problems. After he got to the point where we took him in to have him euthanized, I got a computer and Internet access. I wish I could have had access to help when he was still alive. I learned that the weakness in the hind legs can be caused by a potassium deficiency. You should suggest to your friend that she ask the vet about potassium supplementation. She can also research this online. Best wishes to your friend and her cat. Annie |
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