Carpal Hyperextension and Dieting

Hello everyone, I've got a couple questions after my most recent visit to the vet today.

I took my girl Mattie, who's about 10, to the vet after nothing last night that her front feet looked funny. Instead of walking on her pads, she is bending at the wrist, very flat footed.

She's eating, drinking, using the litter, even jumping up and down from her favorite chair. She doesn't appear to be in any pain.

The vet thought it was diabetes because she was overweight and her blood sugar has been high but in normal limits the last few times she's gone in. Blood sugar was the same, all organ function tests came back clear, no bladder infection or crystals (which she has had).

The vet said nothing feels broken, she isn't in pain, and they don't know what's wrong. They're putting her on prednisone over the next 25 days. She'll have a recheck in a week and if no improvement, we'll have a specialist referral. I even asked if they wanted to splint it and they said no since nothing is broken.

Does anyone have any experience similar to this or with this condition? I went in today braced for a surgery recommendation i wasn't sure I could afford, but instead just got a "we don't know."

Also, they decided to put her on Hills Metabolic diet to help her lose weight. They said to feed her 1/2 cup a day. It seems like so little food. Does that seem right? I even double checked and they indeed meant 1/2 cup.

I would say that since they've checked out her wrists and can't find anything wrong, and she doesn't appear to be n pain, that's a good thing.  I wish I could tell you what it is, but I can't.  Hopefully it's  improve by itself

As to her weight loss, I, personally, never had any luck with prescription weight loss food.  I only got my pudgy guy to lose weight when I put him on an all wet diet where i could control the amount of calories that went into him, and made sure they were satisfying calories.  Maybe something in this article will help you http://www.thecatsite.com/a/a-scientific-take-on-cat-nutrition-by-dr-rachel-boltz.  If you Vet says 1/2 cup is the correct amount, then you need to go with his judgement.  It all hinges on the size and activity level of your cat,so we cannot tell you the portion, however, 1/2 cup seems plenty to me for an average cat.  It probably doesn't seem like much to you if you've been over feeding her.

After a week of steroids there is no change in the condition of her wrists. She is due for a recheck any day, and I guess we will probably be referred to someone. She hasn't had it easy - she's had teeth removed, she's had surgery to remove bladder crystals, and I'm still trying to help our new cat adjust to her. She is very skittish and submissive, and thus easily picked on.

She still doesn't seem to be in pain but I wish I knew what was wrong.

The half cup of food is actually working out no problem. Other than having to keep the other cats away from it, it seems to be a good amount for her. We were probably slightly overfeeding her, but I think she's over weight due to lack of exercise (she mostly sleeps, or hides) and because every time her pal Jacko decided to eat, she'd eat too, no matter what.

However, just last night, she started sneezing like crazy. I am wondering if it's the prednisone? We're already to the point of beginning the taper down, but she will start sneezing and sneeze 10 or 15 times and then rub her face with her paw (cleaning it perhaps or maybe her nose itches?).

I have a humidifier going. It's what I did when I brought home a shelter kitty with a URI. Is this something that happens with steroids?