do you really can see their point of view?
May have been a bad choice of words but I do see some of his points yes. Not all cat parents are willing to put in the time and effort that is suggested by the board. I had one friend that told me she had a diabetic cat that she had for 10 years and never tested ONCE! She thought I was nuts for doing what I do with Jones. So in cases like those as per his article :"
Hyperglycemia is always better than hypoglycemia. The latter can be fatal." So can I see his point of view on that one....yep. If a pet parent only wants to shoot and not test.
I
see the point of the B12 shots and treating other diseases (which would of helped
@Sean & Rufus out extremely)
Treat other diseases. The most commonly associated diseases are chronic pancreatitis (50 percent incidence in newly diagnosed diabetic cats) and periodontal disease. After the diagnosis of diabetes is made, I recommend a urine culture and feline PLI1 as minimum diagnostics after the MDB (CBC, chemistry profile with electrolytes, FeLV/FIV test, urinalysis).
I
see his point with the diet suggestion if not the dry food part.
Diet. A low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet is superior to others. Canned products have definite advantages, but most diabetics do well on dry products with this formulation. If the cat is reluctant to change its diet, gradually mixing in the new food is recommended.
I
don't agree with not doing a curve - that is same as shooting blind to me however him not requiring his patients to come and do one weekly (which we have all read stories here like that) was eye opening coming from a vet.
As for home testing:
he stated "The home-testing approach generally results in the owner’s making dosing decisions based solely on blood glucose readings. (See Principle No. 5.) I realize that it is not always intended, but it does happen. Principle 5 being Monitoring clinical signs is vital in achieving and maintaining regulation. With few exceptions, if the clinical signs and the blood-glucose level conflict, believe the clinical signs.
I don't see his point that the numbers need to be discarded but as stated here time and again "How is kitty doing otherwise? Is the 5p's in place?
Kitty is more than their numbers." So I can see some of his point of view on this.
And even though he didn't advocate for home testing he did finish his article with a discussion on home testing and if those numbers could be trusted.
Kathryn Sener, founder of the Diapetic Rescue care kit, says pet owners’ reluctance is temporary. Veterinarians who promote home testing typically train the owners to use a syringe, she says, and the Diapetic kit is used by some technicians to show customers how to help manage the disease. Owners learn to safely dispose of needles, test glucose through either urine or blood, and even give a honey stick to quickly raise low blood sugar.
Can veterinarians trust the readings of a non-professional?
The results are a “close number,” Sener says. “What they are is a good guideline of what (glucose levels) are at and how the customer’s pet is feeling.”
And from a business point of view this statement
"the former puts you at risk for the consequences of some potentially poor decisions, and the latter does not make economic sense." is valid. Whether any of us like that concept or not - they are running a business and there is legal liabilities as to running that business that they will try to limit. Every business does this...including healthcare for humans as you pointed out. A good customer is a repeat customer.
I don't think that one point above takes everything away from the article however.
do you really can see their point of view?
