my cat is walking funny...

Hi everyone,

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that my cat was limping. This evolved into more severe limping, and I took her to the vet for a check. The vet put her on steroids, said to watch her and check back in a week (suspected arthritis). I have been watching her very closely, and I finally figured out what she's doing that not right: She is not walking on her "tip toes" (on all 4 paws) like cats normally do. Her front paws are flattened out a little, and she's using more of her back foot when she walks too. Difficult to describe in words!

I am going to the vet again on Wed, and any information I can "arm" myself with upfront from this group would be much appreciated!

Thank you!

Is it possible that any of her claws are growing into her paws? Have a good look at each claw.

Is she declawed?

Is this more her back legs? - sort of like she's walking with her back leg more "flat" on the ground as opposed to walking more on the tip of the toes?

I think I know what you're describing; sounds like kitty is walking on her "hocks"...........sort of like in this picture:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/weak-back-rear-legs.htm

Various health conditions can cause this (also referred to as hindleg weakness).......diabetes, kidney disease..........and because you mentioned that vet suspects she has arthritis, I'm guessing she's a senior kitty.......so it's essential the bloodwork be done to test for diabetes and kidney disease. If your vet didn't do this initially, that's a shame. Steroids are pretty potent and not just something you put a cat onto unless you've ruled out the actual "cause" of the symptom........plus in the case that a cat is older and more at risk for developing diabetes, steroids themselves can cause it!

Does your kitty have any other symptoms?

-drinking more water
-peeing more often
-decreased appetite
-less energy than is usual for her
-sleeping more than usual
-fur appears more scruffy
-weight loss

Why didn't I start here first? Thanks for replying so quickly!

She (Bela) is 12 1/2 years old. She is not declawed, and I have checked all of her paws, claws, and they seem to be working okay.

It IS a shame that no blood work was done initially. She is going in again on Wed. a.m., and I will insist that they do blood work if they don't suggest it.

She is drinking more (I assume from the steroids), eating less, more lethargic, although she has a sister and will scrap with her as energetically as ever. No weight loss that I can tell.

I initially noticed the walking issue in her front legs, but now it's all fours. The front paws seem to be worse than the back paws. She's not totally on her "hocks," but she's close!

Based on your message I rescheduled my appointment for this afternoon (writing from The States)! Thank you!

I'm really glad you came here, and also that you're able to get her back into the Vet today. Make sure when you request bloodwork, please request that a full senior panel be done, which includes glucose, electrolytes (low potassium can cause weakness), kidney function.....and thyroid level. Hyperthyroidism is also common in senior cats and it can cause weakness, too. You'll likely have to ask for the thyroid level to be done, it's not generally included (at least not here in Canada)........so be sure to ask!

you can probably expect that kitty's blood sugar level will be elevate somewhat, just due to the stress of having bloodwork done PLUS being on steroids.......but I'd imagine the level would be quite high if she's diabetic. Vet should also collect a urine sample and run a urinalysis (request this)....this can show a lot of good stuff, too...........kidney function, whether she's spilling sugar into her urine, etc.

Let us know how it goes! And even if it does turn out to be diabetes or kidney disease or hyperthyroidism, there's treatments for these so don't lose hope! I have a diabetic kitty who's been on insulin for 5.5 yrs, a shot twice a day........he's doing wonderfully.......and he's also borderline kidney disease (as is my oldest cat, who's 16).

TO add..........if it's diabetes that's causing this weakness, unlike in humans, once the diabetes is under control and with the supplementation of Vit B12 (methylcobalomin), the neuropathy is totally reversible!! When my cat was first diagnosed, until I could get him regulated, he had a lot of weakness......and I started him on the methyl and within a week he was back to normal. That link I gave you explains more about this.

Great, thanks again for the information! I will give you a full report!

Thanks again, "food lady," for the great advice. Bela was a good patient. Based on her symptoms (the walking issue), there are a number of possibilities. It could be diabetes, cushings (sp?), cancer, possibly a thyroid issue (her sister was diagnosed with hyperT about a year ago). Blood was drawn and I will have results tomorrow. The vet was not going to test her urine, but I asked, and he grabbed a sample. And am I glad I asked! On an initial test, her sugar levels were very high. So, good info for the vet to have when he gets the blood work back (and saves a vet visit as well).

Thanks to your advise, I feel I got a little more out of this visit. Will keep you posted on further developments!

Hi Jem,

I'll be looking forward to an update! I'm guessing if the preliminary testing showed high glucose in the urine, kitty probably is diabetic but guess we'll see. If so, there's great resources online for learning about feline diabetes (feline diabetes message board).........and here's a better link on feline diabetic neuropathy re: the use of methycobalamin for it, and the links on the left side of this page (methyl. resources) shows where you can order it. the story of Jasper the cat is amazing! You can't just use the usual Vit B12 you'd find in stores, that's cyancobalamin ...it's a different form of B12.......it would be useless........the methyl is better absorbed, it's the only one that works and it's amazing how quickly!

http://www.laurieulrich.com/jasper/

Sounds like it could be diabetes to me but coco was falling over in 2001 and her sugar level was 329.
The vet was sure she had Diabetes but she did not.
You say she is drinking alot of water.
That could be alot of things
Steroids can cause diabetes also.
Let us know how her tests are.

Well, just spoke to the vet. Bela's blood sugar is 399. Kidney levels are a little high, but other "readings" (I don't do medical speak very well) are normal.

I don't want to jump to insulin right away. I am going to start with a diet change, wait a couple of weeks to get these 'roids out of her system and have another test.

Do any of you have any suggestions? I am pretty ignorant about Diabetes and would love some advise! Thank you.

Or, as mews2much suggested, maybe this is not diabetes after all?

Hi Jem,

While steroids would raise a cat's blood sugar, by how much? 399 is pretty high, I'm not sure if steroids would raise it this high. I guess one has to consider that the "walking on hocks" symptom presented prior to the steroids, and something was causing that.

When does kitty complete the steroid treatment? What steroid medication and what was the dose? Did Vet have you wean the dose down gradually? (as opposed to stopping it abruptly, which is dangerous)

As to how long it will take for the steroids to leave her system will really depend what kind she was taking and when she completed them.

Can you provide a little more info? (as per questions above) I have some suggestions (for trying to determine if the elevated blood sugar is just due to the steroids or if it's really diabetes) but will wait until you can provide more info.

Thanks for asking, food lady!

Bela had definitely been limping prior to the steroids, but I did not observe the "walking on hocks" symptoms until after the steroids. She began taking the steroids (one pill a day) last Thursday for three days in a row, then I skipped Sunday and gave her a pill on Monday. The vet told me yesterday to stop the steroids, so I have no plans to give her any more.

I will get you the specific drug name soon (I am at work and will check the bottle when I get home). I believe the dosage was a 5 mg pill.

You are helping more than you know! to you!

Coco's blood sugar was 329 before the steriods.
She had alot of bad levels and was very anemic at the time and almost died.
It turned out to be Fia.
It sound like your cat has Diabetes.
Sounds like it was pred nisone your cat was on.
Now i wonder if tahts why my Coco has high bp.
Can you post what the other readings are.
I would like to know what her bun and crea are?
Here is the link to the site.
http://the-natural-beat.com/petalive...-uses-effects.
http://www.wedgewoodpharmacy.com/mon...prednisone.asp

I'm betting if it was a 5mg pill, that it was Predisone that you were giving. Based on what you wrote, Bela received 4 doses. That's not an awful lot. Prednisone isn't a long-acting steroid.

Steroids can cause 'steroid induced diabetes' - which can either be temporary or permanent. Sometimes in an older cat, even low doses can be enough to trigger diabetes.

A blood sugar of 399 is significant, seeing how the normal range is generally about 75-150. Of course the stress of being at the Vet and having bloodwork can elevate the sugar level in any cat (even a non-diabetic one)......add to that the steroid....but would these factors be enough to raise it to 399? I'm not sure.

What did the Vet suggest you do?

If it were me, I'd be inclined to return to the Vet this coming Monday and have just a glucose level done. Or, if you have access to a human diabetic glucose monitor (have any diabetic friends or relatives? ), you could learn how to test it yourself and check Bela's sugar level yourself a few times over the next several days to see where it's at.

You could also post on the Feline Diabetes Message Board:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/phorum5/list.php?8

A great site! This is where I learned so much, when my kitty Taco was diagnosed w/ Diabetes almost 6 yrs ago.

There's a page there, with all kinds of links on "home testing" - including step by step videos, etc:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/phorum...59#msg-1142259

What do you normally feed Bela? Dry food is significantly higher in carbs than canned........and a diabetic cat doesn't have to be on 'prescription food'.....just a good quality low-carb food is fine.

Here is a great page, worth bookmarking........it's a compilation of most canned foods out there, from prescription to premium to cheap stuff.........showing the "carb content" of each, for comparison. At the top of the page, there's also a link to the same kind of page for most "dry" foods.......

http://www.geocities.com/jmpeerson/CanFoodNew.html

I agree that it might be good to wait a little before determining whether Bela is diabetic/needs insulin..........it's safer for a cat's blood sugar to run high than it is to run too low (if given insulin but doesn't really need it, or, if given too much insulin).

Hi,

The drug Bela is on: Triamcinolone (Vetalog) -- it says 0.5 mg on the label.

I will get the rest of Bela's stats when I stop by the vet tomorrow to pick up some high protein food. And regarding food... Bela would rather starve than eat canned food. I may stop by a local pet store and pick up some home made cat food to see if she will eat that.

I know a food adjustment is a long shot to get Bela back to better health, but I do want to try it first. And, I must admit I an not thrilled about the idea of administering insulin shots, but I thank you for assuring me that it won't be all that bad.

Again, thank you! I will post more when I know more.

You might also check out this website:

Your Diabetic Cat

It is run by Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins, who is a well known vet with a cat's only practice in California. She is the author of Your Cat: Simple Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life

Diabetes is a terrible disease for a cat, and really the best solution that I have read about seems to be removing dry food entirely from the diet. I know you said that Bela would rather starve than eat canned food, but giving her all of the carbs in dry food, especially if she is diabetic, could potentially kill her anyway. It may take a long time to switch her to canned food, but it is possible. There is a lot of evidence that I have read about that implies that kitties who are put on an exclusively wet food or homemade food diet actually may not need insulin to treat their diabetes, or not as much as other kitties.

I don't have a diabetic cat myself, but I like all the other info I have read from Dr. Hodgkins, and also Dr. Lisa Pierson at www.catinfo.org. She has a great section on Feline Diabetes also.

Whichever way you go, of course talk with your vet and whatever happens, good luck with your kitty. I hope she recovers and lives many, many more years with you, diabetes or no.

What do you all think about making food? I am more than willing to do that. I know there are certain ingredients I will need to buy, other than meat.

And, raw or cooked meat? Any thoughts!

Thanks!

I think making food could be a good option for you. It can actually cut down on the costs of "wet" foods if managed properly, and you know everything that is going into the food so you can control better how many carbs your kitty is getting.

I have seen what looked like good recipes in Dr. Hodgkin's book, which I linked in my last post, and in Foods Pets Die For by Ann M. Martin as well as Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats.

I found all of those books for affordable prices via Half.com and Amazon.com, but you may check at your local library, or see if your library might order them for you.

I unfortunately do not know of any websites with good recipes, but I haven't done as much online research of raw and/or homemade cooked foods. I think a lot of other members have. Maybe you should start a thread just asking for online links about homemade foods, raw or cooked?

Good luck!

A million thanks! I will start a new threat re: home made food... see what people say. And I will also try to locate the books you recommended.

Someone earlier had asked for some more stats -- these are the "abnormal" ones (and I have no idea what most of them are/mean:

Glucose: 399 (already shared that)
Cholesterol: 247
Urea U:47
Potassium: 2.8
Chloride: 108 (pretty close to normal)
Anion Gap: 27 (again, close)
Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin: 18.1
Mean Corpuscular Hgb Conc. 37.1
Red Cell Distribution width: 16.5
Lymphocyte Absolute: .86

And as for "bun and crea" readings -- not sure what those are?

thanks again!

I had a diabetic cat ...I dealt with his illness with the wonderful help I got from the ppl at http://www.felinediabetes.com they are an amazing and very informed bunch of ppl....My vet put my cat on insulin with one high BG reading.....and kept uping it til he was on way way way to much insulin..with the help of that message board I started treating my cat at home with a meter...I learned about curves and the proper dose ...and my cat was fine on a very little bit of insulin....the vets where actually surprised at how well he was doing...they were very good in helping me when they saw ..what I was doing..I would come in there curve's all printed out and so on....Pls check out that site.....trust me it saved my cats life more than once....

Nancy