Sick Kitty

[AChiOAlumna]

Hi everyone!

I know we have a lot of cat lovers here and I''m needing some advice right now....

We have a 5-year-old cat, Sasha, who has been slowly losing weight over the last year, but so slowly, we didn''t notice it until we got back from Europe in August. We took her to the vet and they ran some blood tests. Well we got the results back for Sasha''s blood tests....she''s diabetic and in a bad way...

The treatment (should we choose to accept this assignment) is 3 days in the hospital to stabilize her blood sugar and cholesterol followed by a lifetime of a special diet and insulin shots twice a day (did I tell you that I''m an intense needle-phobe BTW?)...

I''m beside myself at the moment. DH and I need to discuss tonight our (and her) options, which I''m not looking forward to doing...the shots have to be given the same time EVERY DAY and we''re not home at the same time every day!! Need to determine how realistic this is and if we can physically provide her the attention she''s going to need.

I can''t bear to think of the alternatives right now....Can anyone give me some advice and help as to their experiences with diabetic cats and the pros/cons of the treatment....

thanks in advance!! I''ve been a mess since I got back the results

 

[FireGoddess]

A coworker of mine has a diabetic cat and after the initial shock of the diagnosis and the same worries you have, the cat and owner are both doing splendidly. My coworker also has to feed her cat special food and do the twice daily insulin shots. Is it possible to give the shots every morning before you go to work and every night before you go to bed? That seems like the easiest times to coordinate a specific schedule. I don't think the shots are as bad as you think...it's difficult at first but I think you can just do a quick pop into the scruff and be done? I'm not sure about that (where the injection goes).

I do hope this works out for you and you find the strength to do her treatments. Cats with diabetes can live long, happy lives just like humans can. Good luck...best wishes with you.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

FG...thanks for your feedback. Being she''s only 5 and doesn''t appear to be suffering right now, I''m leaning towards the treatments, but my DH and I are going to have to take all considerations into account...we don''t want to make any rash decisions here...She''s my kitty and I love her too much NOT to take everything into account.

 

[AndyRosse]

I''m so sorry

. But like FG said, I have heard quite a number of success stories about cats living with diabetes. I have also read that some cats have severe problems managing the diabetes even with shots, etc., but almost always those cases resulted after living a long time with successful diabetes treatment.

I would talk with your DH and even the vet. Tell the vet your exact situation and concerns and see what she/he says. I would hope that in the end if you decide that you will not be able to provide her with the treatment she needs, that perhaps you could find a person who could. Or maybe someone could come over to help with treatments.

I''m sorry for your dilemma, but as long as you keep your kitty''s best interests in mind, I''m sure you will come up with a plan that will work!

 

[HOUMedGal]

Aww, sweetie, I''m so sorry!!!! I''m a cat lover myself, so I can imagine the painful dilemma you''re in. I just wanted to tell you GOOD LUCK with whatever you decide...hopefully you can work out a schedule that will work for her insulin, or find someone who can stop by when you can''t, or something like that. I''m sending happy wishes for a great solution your way!!!

 

[allycat0303]

AChiOAlumna,

I''m so sorry you are going through this. I have 3 cats at home, and my boyfriend has 2. I can''t imagine what I would do. As for the shots, I know that it would be scary the first few times, but it would get better with thim. If she were to get treatment would she be in any physical pain? I hope it works out for you and your kitty.

Hugs!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Everyone...thanks for the words and expressions of support...it means SO much!!

After many tears and a long conversation, we decided that we are going to start treatments for our little Sasha and take her to the hospital tomorrow. We''ll give her the shots (G-d help me!!), the food, and make the commitment...

If she was an old cat or already deteriorating, then we''d probably forego it, but she''s only 5 and an integral part of our "family."

Wish us luck!!!!

 

[Kerbear560]

Hi AChiOAlumna! I thought I''d chime in here (I''m a licensed veterinary technician who works at an all feline practice). Many kitties with diabetes do quite well with treatment! At 5 years old, Sasha is quite young, and with proper treatment she could live many more (happy) years!

If you decide to treat her diabetes, I don''t think it will be as bad as you fear. Insulin syringes have very small gauge (diameter) needles, and many times cats don''t even flinch when an injection is given (usually it''s more traumatizing to the owner than the kitty)! Insulin is administered subcutaneously, which is a fancy word for under the skin. Your vet will give you a lesson on how to properly give subcutaneous injections. Many owners are afraid of giving injections at first, but it''s easy once you get the hang of it, I promise.

Also, there is a lot to learn about diabetes (more than I could type in one post)! Here are a few websites that you might find helpful:

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine''s Feline Diabetes page: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/resources/brochure/diabetes.html

And from the Auburn University Small Animal Teaching Hospital Client Education Series: http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/sac/mededu/diabetes/home.html

And here is a Feline Diabetes site that is owned and administered by Rebecca Price MD, a *human* physician, that seems to have a lot of good information and a message board where you can talk to others dealing with this disease: http://www.felinediabetes.com/

I hope this helps!

 

[bettyboop]

Hi AChiOAlumna,
Good call. I''m the parent of a 14 yr old diabetic kitty who we''ve been giving twice daily insulin shots for about a year and half now. She''s doing just fine and after the initial shock wears off and you get used to giving the shots, it''ll just be part of your normal daily routine. We give our little one her shot in morning at about 7:30 and then again at 7:30 in the evening after work as she requires a 12 hour interval between shots. She also goes in for glucose curve tests and initially she may need to go once a week for a few weeks to judge how she''s doing with the amount of insulin prescribed. Of course with our little one she was regulated and then suddenly became unregulated so we had to go back to the vet quite often for her glucose curve. This is not uncommon with cats as they are harder to regulate than dogs and some cats are actually known to be come non-diabetic! Some owners actually do the curve and monitor their cat''s insulin levels on their own utilizing human diabetes readers to help monitor their cats better and to control costs.

Here''s some great website links to read up on feline diabetes:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/

http://sugarcat_simon.home.att.net/hometest.html

http://www.sugarcats.net/sites/jmpeerson/

Best of luck!

 

[Kerbear560]

Date: 9/13/2005 12:29:12 AM
Author: AChiOAlumna
Everyone...thanks for the words and expressions of support...it means SO much!!

After many tears and a long conversation, we decided that we are going to start treatments for our little Sasha and take her to the hospital tomorrow. We''ll give her the shots (G-d help me!!), the food, and make the commitment...

If she was an old cat or already deteriorating, then we''d probably forego it, but she''s only 5 and an integral part of our ''family.''

Wish us luck!!!!

I was typing my post as you posted this! I''m so glad you decided to start treatment!

 

[Lorelei]

Please try not to worry, a friend ''s cat was diagnosed with diabetes some time ago. She was devastated and terrified of doing the injections, nearly crying tears of fear. She needn''t have worried - to see her and the cat after a couple of months, her drawing the insulin as efficiently as any vet, the cat slinking away as he knew his shot was coming and her casually giving the injection was great to see! You will manage just fine, and her extra care will blend into your life without any trouble. When my friend was on vacation I used to care for her cat and do his shots and readings, no trouble at all. This cat had the usual symptoms of losing weight, drinking a lot - he preferred dirty puddles - he also had cataracts which receded a bit when he started treatment. He did well with treatment and had a long happy life. Good luck with Sasha, I think the treatment sounds a lot worse than it actually is , you will be amazed at how well you will manage.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 9/13/2005 1:56:57 AM
Author: Kerbear560

Date: 9/13/2005 12:29:12 AM
Author: AChiOAlumna
Everyone...thanks for the words and expressions of support...it means SO much!!

After many tears and a long conversation, we decided that we are going to start treatments for our little Sasha and take her to the hospital tomorrow. We''ll give her the shots (G-d help me!!), the food, and make the commitment...

If she was an old cat or already deteriorating, then we''d probably forego it, but she''s only 5 and an integral part of our ''family.''

Wish us luck!!!!

I was typing my post as you posted this! I''m so glad you decided to start treatment!

 

[Catmom]

Oh, I''m so sorry to hear about your poor sick kitty. I don''t have any advice as I''ve never had experience with a cat with diabetes. My Aunt did have a dog with it, though, and she gave the dog shots every day. If I remember correctly the dog lived a long and full life. I hope everything works out for the best for you and your cat. My thoughts are with you.

 

[moremoremore]

Geez, I''m so sorry to hear about this...But it sounds like you really gave it a lot of thought and are doing what''s best for you and kitty! She''ll be back to her young self in no time!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Thanks everyone for the support, the stories and the links!!! This is helping me realize that this is the right choice and the fact she''s starting to refuse all foods indicates to me that I''m glad we caught this in time enough to allow her to live a long life. I will carefully look into those links and will refuse to come home until I feel comfortable enough to administer those shots!! (Why oh why did I have to be a needlephobe?!

)

Any other advice would greatly be appreciated as this is a new road we going down...I''ve had animals before, but nothing that requires such attention!!

Thanks again!!

 

[Blue824]

Sorry about your kitty''s diagnosis, but it sounds like there are lots of options to give her a long and healthy life!! I am a needle-phobe and I can''t imagine having to do that....but I think it would be the first few times that are the hardest and then you''ll get more comfortable. Good luck with her treatment and I hope all goes well

 

[MissAva]

I am sorry to hear about Sahsa...let us know how things go.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Well...we dropped her off at the vet''s this morning...they did the paperwork and then wisked her away into the back room (what really happens back there anyway?) I could hear her crying as they took her back....Oh well...I know this is the best thing for her!!!

 

[HOUMedGal]

Poor baby''s gonna have a rough couple of days, isn''t she? But she''ll be all the better for it!!!!!

I''m so glad you decided to give her the treatment. I can''t say I''ve had any experience with diabetic animals, but I do know that giving the shots will get easier and easier, and pretty soon it will just be a normal part of your day, no thought or worry required.

Best of luck with your little furbaby, keep us posted!!!!

 

[Kerbear560]

Date: 9/13/2005 12:04:51 PM
Author: AChiOAlumna
Well...we dropped her off at the vet''s this morning...they did the paperwork and then wisked her away into the back room (what really happens back there anyway?) I could hear her crying as they took her back....Oh well...I know this is the best thing for her!!!

You''re right; it is the best thing for her (although, I know that it''s heartbreaking to hear her cry)!

As for what happens in the back, it''s only natural that you would wonder about this. You are trusting them to care for your baby. My suggestion to you is that you ask your veterinarian if he/she wouldn''t mind giving you a tour of the hospital. That way you can see where Sasha is staying. It is not uncommon for us to give tours at the practice where I work. We take clients through all areas of the hospital, explaining what goes on in each area. We also show them the ward where hospitalized kitties stay. We understand that people wonder what goes on in the back, and that they want to see where there pet will be staying. Demystifying the back area really helps to put our clients at ease.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Well...I called the vet yesterday afternoon....he told me that after one insulin shot, kitty''s sugar level dropped from 360 to 190! He also told me that she refused to eat the dry diabetic food, but did eat the wet diabetic food, so that was encouraging. He said her samples were still showing too high of a sugar and ketone level to allow her to go home (but we weren''t expecting her to come home until Friday anyway).

The vet also said she is doing fine personality wise...She''s such a shy cat and scared of strangers, but he reported she''s just sitting in her cage admiring her view!!

Kerbear...I''ve actually been in the back room before (we''ve gone to this vet for years!), but as a customer, you still have to wonder!!! If I get too anxious, I may call to ask if I can visit my kitty..

HOUMedGal...thanks for your words of support and encouragement!! It was hard last night for me as it was the 1st night without her...the strange part is my other cat isn''t curious at all to know what happened to his sister!!

 

[AmantdeChat]

Sorry to hear about your kitty ACOA. I''m sure she will be back to her old self in no time. It''s amazing how soon it will become second nature giving her her meds.

Her brother sounds like my cats. If one of them is gone to the vet, the other secretly rejoices and hopes it''s for good!

Such bad kitties!

Good luck and let us know how everything goes.

 

[fountainfairfax]

AChi-

sorry to chime in so late, I just wanted to say that while I''m sorry to hear about poor Sasha thank goodness there is a managable solution that will give her many years of high-quality life! I always use the quality of life as a measure of whether or not I''m being fair to my babies- when my Cricket had the brain tumor/lymphoma I knew that extreme measures wouldn''t give him the quality he deserved but that steriods would buy me some time to spoil him rotten w/o him suffering.

A quick shot 2x a day isn''t a bad trade off for a healthy kitty, over time you will find it much easier than you imagined. And if your vet didn''t suggest it already, how about buying one of those water-fountains for cats? Since cats usually love moving water, this helps sick-thirsty kitties get the water they need (the steriods made Crick extra thirst and he LOVED his!)

Good luck to you, DH and the lovely Sasha- remember that we''re all here if you need us!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 9/14/2005 11:00:22 AM
Author: fountainfairfax
AChi-
sorry to chime in so late, I just wanted to say that while I''m sorry to hear about poor Sasha thank goodness there is a managable solution that will give her many years of high-quality life! I always use the quality of life as a measure of whether or not I''m being fair to my babies- when my Cricket had the brain tumor/lymphoma I knew that extreme measures wouldn''t give him the quality he deserved but that steriods would buy me some time to spoil him rotten w/o him suffering.

A quick shot 2x a day isn''t a bad trade off for a healthy kitty, over time you will find it much easier than you imagined. And if your vet didn''t suggest it already, how about buying one of those water-fountains for cats? Since cats usually love moving water, this helps sick-thirsty kitties get the water they need (the steriods made Crick extra thirst and he LOVED his!)

Good luck to you, DH and the lovely Sasha- remember that we''re all here if you need us!

FFF...thanks so much for your words of encouragement and support....they mean more to me than anyone can imagine!

Ironically, we''ve been using one of those water fountains for our kitties for years!! They love it and my other cat (Smokey) loves to play in it!!! We got it originally when we went away overnight and I knew they''d have enough water for 2-3 days that way...


thanks again!!!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Hi all...yesterday, we got some great news!! Sasha is responding to the treatments and we were hoping to bring her home today. Unfortunately, as of today, Sasha has taken a turn for the worse...this morning I got a call from the vet telling me she stopped eating again, and was terribly dehydrated, so they had to start her on an IV drip. I went to visit her today...she''s so sad looking!!

Her hair was disheveled, her eyes were glassy, she wasn''t her perky little self by any means and she wouldn''t eat for the vet nor myself. I sat with her for about an hour and she rested her little body on my lap. The vet wanted to keep her on the IV for 24-hours to see if that would flush out her system...if not, and she doesn''t improve, we''re going to have some difficult choices to make in the next 24 hours...

 

[MissAva]

Oh AchiO I am so sorry to hear that...

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Thanks so much Matadora....

BTW, my avatar is a picture of her when we first got her as a kitten...what a cutie!!!

 

[FireGoddess]

Oh no! I hope this is some kind of freak temporary setback or reaction and that she gets better....I''m pulling for you guys...

 

[HOUMedGal]

Oh no!!! I certainly hope this is just her adjusting to the treatment....I''ve got my fingers crossed for you and I''m sending happy thoughts your way!!!! Good luck!!!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

HOUMedGal and FG...Thanks so much for your support!!! i just called the vet for an update (I left after 1:00 pm today...it''s 5:15 pm now) and there''s been no change...tonight will be very telling for her!!