RyanUSA
Member Since 2016
Posted a few months back. Over this time had done everything possible for Cougar, yet his sugar levels never became regulated. Literally took him to four or five vets for opinions, treatment plans, etc. A week before Christmas I noticed his hind limb neuropathy had become so severe that he was essentially paralyzed in ability to ambulate. On that day he also exhibited hiding behavior and vocalized when he would try to walk. I rushed him to the most technically advanced fully staffed 24/7 Er Vet Hospital in my region, about 30 minutes by car from our home. Very expensive, but now wracked with grief, I wish I would have taken him there in the first place, several months ago. I am sure the docs there would have placed him in their hospital and got my beloved Cougar, an awesome Manx Cat , better from the start. When arrived at the er hospital , they examined him, and seeing he was scared, they very humanely tranquillized him beforehand. They then did blood draw while he was sedated so he felt no discomfort or stress. Blood sugar was high. The also discovered what I and the 4 previous vets never did..he had dental probs below gum line...they said infection or pain from dental probs contributed to high sugar. I felt devastated that something like this was never discovered earlier. They offered a treatment plan that was very comprehensive. Would have involved IV sedation, IV insulin, possibly iv nutrition or feeding tube, other diagnostic testing, the works. He is diabetic neuropathy was so severe though, that they could not give me any type of guarantee or prognosis about whether Cougar would ever walk again. Due to this and his overall condition, and being ill from the mis diagnosis/treatment plans prescribed by the other vets, their opinion ( er vets) was and I was in agreement, that the most humane thing to do was to allow him to sleep and not experience any more pain or illness. I am grief stricken, as I had made a promise to Cougar that I would get him well, I would tell him he was going to get better. Even though I tried, I feel I let him down and was not able to keep my promise to him. The vets while he was still sedated, put him to sleep as I held him in my arms like a baby, his his body against mine as I held him, his neck and head resting on my left shoulder against my neck. I cried then and on many days still do about how things could have gone different and wonder if maybe I should have told the vets to start the best most advanced treatment to keep him alive. Then again, there was no way of knowing if he would have recovered. IMO I learned a few things...never feed dry food, feed the most / best nutritious food you can, if I ever become caretaker of a cat again, I will get the best pet health insurance possible, and establish the cat as a patient at the best vet center possible, a pvt vet hospital or at a university vet school...Those things , best food, insurance, advanced high tech fully staffed vet hospital are expensive , but in the long run the cost imo would be less expensive than what I recently went through trying to care for Cougar after he became ill... with better food, maybe he would have never had been ill. I was never told by any vet no dry kibble until after he was diagnosed...and also have learned of the importance of dental health for companion cats and dogs... was told by a vet when I had inquired about his teeth in past..'oh, no dentists in the wild , cats are not people'...I have also learned, the hard way, feline diabetes can be a brutal illness...I am filled with grief that I did not get Cougar to a very advanced treatment center from the start. Oh, was treating with lantus 2 x day. Had over past months completely changed his diet...no kibble, canned high protein low carb..fancy feast, weruva, tiki cats, wellness etc. Also, a few types of raw.. he loved darwins, and primal raw frozen and also freeze dried. He continued to have as favorites cooked or raw shrimp, flounder . Loved fresh boiled / steamed chicken. Was difficult at first getting him off of the dry, but once we did get him off of the dry, he literally would not touch it once we introduced the variety of canned wet food and raw foods that he liked and that were appropriate for diabetic feline. Again, I am upset in that we were in the end giving him best foods and insulin, yet bs levels did not improve. In his last months, he was being stuck with needles by his peoples, and was getting more ill...I feel like, here I was, sticking him with needles telling him it would make him better, and in the final bloodwork, sugar was 469. Apologize for the long post...just wanted or needed to vent I suppose, and wanted to notify of outcome. I am very thankful for this board, as the people and info posted helped me to learn how to give shots, and what signs to look for in caring for diabetic cat. Was difficult, as he was my buddy / baby boy for 15 years, and never was ill until recent, so I was unprepared, took his good health for granted. I gave him a great life for many years, and he was very loving in return. I feel so sad that his life ended as result of a tough disease. I wish I would have been able to talk to him more in the final days to tell him how much I loved him. The vets made it as painless as possible. He was so strong, that even after all the sedation, etc, in the final moments, I could feel him grasp me, he so much wanted to live and fight ...that is what causes me the sadness, second guessing the decision.
