Diabetic neuropathy causes painful or numb hind limb weakness in cats with poorly controlled diabetes, but responds well to improved glycemic control.
Cats with diabetic neuropathy experience weakness, altered gait, and likely neuropathic pain or abnormal sensation in their hind limbs. The plantigrade stance indicates significant nerve damage that affects mobility and normal behavior. Because the condition is directly caused by hyperglycemia, it is a preventable consequence of inadequate diabetic management. Achieving diabetic remission through appropriate insulin therapy, wet food diets, and weight management reverses neuropathy in most cats within weeks to months, demonstrating how good welfare outcomes require addressing underlying disease rather than just clinical signs.