11/1 Morgaine 3 90,+6 63,+8 83,PMPS 154

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skybar22

skybar22

Member Since 2010
yesterday

Good day!

Morgaine is in a usual bounce. Hoping this skinny dose will work for her.

I was doing some reading on line and came across several articles by vets who really do not know much about FD and food. I came to the conclusion that there is no excuse for this and that something is clearly wrong with a system that allows vets to provide medical care to our pets without the latest research and knowledge on treating a long known disease that effects a lot of felines. I am a little wired about this today as I realize how many of us have had to educate our vets or make changes in vets. I have fired so many vets due to lack of knowledge and/or poor quality of treatment. I know there are some excellent ones but why are so many so poorly informed? Just venting. Perhaps the corporate world of pet food companies has something to do with it all. Diabetes in humans has pretty clear guidelines in the medical profession so why not FD.

End of my soapbox!

So very grateful for FDMB.
 
Re: 11/1 Morgaine AMPS 157

I'm certainly not excusing the ignorance...but I tend to think it has something to do with the fact that
vets deal with an enormous range of illnesses in a broad spectrum of different animals.

We are so very thankful that our vet took the time to get educated...and is now beginning to specialize somewhat
in animal diabetes...

pretty nice amps there, guys...
and Binks tells me that Morgaine DID make it to the party...
and had a very good time :-D
 
Re: 11/1 Morgaine AMPS 157

Celi has a point. Most vets are generalists. Most human diabetes patients go to an endocrinologist for treatment. I think veterinary medicine is just coming out of the 19th century, when pets were just animals and some people would pay some money for vaccinations or emergency treatment, sometimes. Now most of us feel more like our feline or canine companions are family members and our expectations for their medical care is much greater. But there still aren’t all that many specialists in veterinary medicine. I think it’s changing, too slowly. Of course when it’s your own special companion who is ill there isn’t much emotional space to get philosophical about the trends in veterinary medicine.
 
Re: 11/1 Morgaine AMPS 157

I know I am being hard on the vets but I keep reading these stories from new members here about their lack of knowledge when it comes to diabetes. It is such a treatable disease. I guess I also know people who wouldn't do what we all do and make other choices so it works both ways. My friend's sister recently euthanized her kitty due to long term FD that was getting worse and she was not willing to change treatment. She was using Humilin N and feeding dry food. She didn't home test.

It's such a sore spot for me since I have the human form and have always kept up with the latest research and treatment. I believe vets need to keep current on common diseases, especially since so many cats go into remission when treated correctly. They certainly charge enough for their professional services. Sorry, just being super critical about this since there are so many vets who don't get it yet and I have had some bad experiences with home vets who wouldn't treat Morgaine. They didn't want to be bothered.
 
Re: 11/1 Morgaine AMPS 157

I certainly don't disagree with you, Rosalie.
and I'm going to add my suspicion that there would be more response if lawsuits were as big a fear to vets as they are
for physicians. :roll:
 
Re: 11/1 Morgaine AMPS 157

You all bring up good points. When Apollo started treatment I didn't even know Lantus existed. My old vet gave him Humulin N and acted like it was the ONLY option available. He didn't tell me anything about home testing or getting off the dry food. I don't think he was intentionally trying to misguide me, but he surely wasn't informed of the latest methods to treat diabetes. It wasn't until I was so fed up with the lack of results I did a google seach for "feline diabetes" and the #1 hit was this forum. I looked in the Humulin N forum and saw it was a ghost town. Someone wrote that Humulin N was no longer a preferred treatment option and better alternatives existed. The rest is history.

Linda you bring up an interesting idea. I wonder why we don't have "specialists" in veterinary medicine like we do in human medicine. Like the endocrinologist example you gave. I guess the demand just isn't great enough yet.
 
Re: 11/1 Morgaine AMPS 157

Time to clear that bounce, Morgaine.....maybe a few too many sweets at the party last night? I heard some of the kitties smuggled you out for a while without telling your mamabean!!!

You make some great points, Rosalie, as do Celi and Linda. However, with the growing number of people feeding high carb, dry food to their cats, even general practice vets need to learn at least the basics. I also
think there is no excuse. They are supposed to do no harm and when they send kitties home on a high dose, no hometesting recommended.....to me, that is harm. I hear you, sistah!!
 
Re: 11/1 Morgaine AMPS 157

I will also add that my new vet told me the majority of people are not willing to do what it takes to treat their pet's diabetes. He said most just opt to let them live out their lives untreated until it is time to euthanize. Sad but true. I can't comprehend that, but apparently the majority of people choose that option.

The biggest obstacle I see for most people is the added costs and time. I spent a good amount of money buying insulin, syringes, test strips, canned food, etc. My extended family really thought I was a bit crazy at the beginning, but I was going to do everything in my power to help Apollo if I could.

I wish we could add our pets under our family medical insurance. From what I can tell most of the pet insurances out there would not cover all of the diabetes treatment costs. Please correct me if I am wrong.
 
Re: 11/1 Morgaine AMPS 157

Yes Marje. Morgaine admitted to sneaking out last night while I believed her to be napping in the closet. She has, however, cleared that boune and was 90 at +3. What a gal!

John, I would certainly have a hard time affording all the supplies needed if I didn't have them hoarded in my closet. ;-)

But, from what I now understand, if people were educated about feeding cats a proper diet, the incidence of FD would go down considerably. Much like type 2 D in humans, proper diet and exercise would eliminate a large % of people being dx'd. It is really a no brainer to feed a cat a diet closer to what nature intended once we are educated. Look at the amazing results you have gotten with Apollo once you knew what to do. Now you get a break and perhaps for good, from all the hard work you put in to get him to this point.
 
Re: 11/1 Morgaine AMPS 157,+3 90

Rosalie I completely agree with you. I have no doubt that getting him off the dry food made a huge difference. I was always told it didn't matter whether you feed wet or dry, so I went with dry, since it was much more convenient. People told me they only gave wet for occasional treats (if ever). Now I know so much better. My other 2 cats are thankful to be converted to all wet food too. :smile:
 
Re: 11/1 Morgaine AMPS 157,+3 90

This is a good discussion. I, too, have friends who feed a can of wet food once a week, as a treat (their cats do not have FD, but I worry about them). I have tried to educate my friends about food (sent them the link to Dr. Lisa's discussion of food, among other things), and they know what I feed Rusty, but they persist in feeding the "convenient" kibble. I find this unfathomable because these people really love their kitties. (When I look in on their cats when they are away for a few days I feed them FF!!) (what a subversive thing to do!!! The cats are in heaven!)

The question of vets not knowing about FD is complex. My new vet, whom I like very much, prescribes Humulin N. now that PZI Vet and Vetsulin are no longer available. I think it's because most of her diabetic patients are dogs. She was unfamiliar with Lantus and Lev., so I gave her all the literature and I hope she will read it. She has no problem prescribing Lev. for Rusty.

Rosalie, I totally agree with you. We should not be the ones who have to educate our vets about the proper treatment of FD. They are the ones getting paid!

Ella
 
Re: 11/1 Morgaine AMPS 157,+3 90

I had a very bad experience with a home vat. We were his clients for 3 years with no real issues except I thought he wasted lots of time talking about how wonderful he was and he always charge me for the "long" visit, adding $50 to my bill for listening to him talk about himself. When Morgaine was dx'd with FD, he was out of town and I had to call another home vet who also overcharged but he got the dx right and got me started on the road to self educating since he didn't prescribe anything for her except retesting in a few months. Said she was borderline but she was peeing a lot and drinking, classic symptoms and her lab BG was close to 300 but home test showed 191. I had the tools and learned how to test from here. I consulted with Dr. Lisa on several occasions for more guidance after finding her website.

So when her vet returned from vacation I called him to discuss her situation and wanted him to follow her and get us started on treatment. A week passed with no return call. I called again and left another message. no response again. another week passed. By then Morgaine's BG was down to the 120's with a diet change. I called again and still no response so I wrote him a letter and politely told him how unprofessional it was not to respond to an established patient with a serious issue like FD. He wrote back, telling me he could no longer provide us his services as his practice had grown too busy. He sent me her records. I was dumbfounded and tried to report his behavior but there is, apparently, nothing unethical about how he treated us.
 
Re: 11/1 Morgaine AMPS 157,+3 90,+6 63

definitely unethical...
just not punishable.

We lucked out, because although Binks was initially treated by a substandard vet who "found" an old vial of vetsulin
after it had been taken off the market...
she referred us to her college roommate here when we relocated...
Mandy Moore-vet (actually, her first name IS mandy...and she looks exactly like Miss Moore)...
an absolute treasure.
Binks is nuts about her...and the Torties behave for her.
Annie even gave her "thank you" huggies... :shock:

she's been directing folks to check out the FDMB this year...
 
Re: 11/1 Morgaine AMPS 157,+3 90,+6 63

Interesting discussion today! I too have been on the soapbox for awhile! I think a big part of why you see little specialization in veterinary medicine is cost... with our current structure for health care reimbursement, there are financial incentives for people to go into specialty medicine. The same just isn't true for vet medicine... and I'm not sure there is really the demand. You also have to keep in mind the structure of veterinary funding and research. My masters thesis dabbled into medical topics and I often had to pick up library resources at the veterinary school library, which was just down the hall from the Hills Science Diet Auditorium and the Purina veterinary lab. Vet students take a single 2 hour class on pet nutrition, and it is often taught by a pet food manufacturing rep. Check out the schedules for all the major veterinary research conferences nationwide and you'll find the same.

It kills me too... a good friend is a loving pet owner who marvels over Willie's current good health, silky coat, etc., yet continues to feed dry food to younger cats who are just health problems waiting to happen. *sigh* But honestly, with as little regard as most people give their own diets these days, it is no wonder that their pets' nutrition is given so little concern. And vets are often doing their best with owners who don't want to be bothered with the inconvenience of dealing with on-going treatable diseases.

Lastly, Celi is right... one thing the melamine ordeal reminded us of... according to the law, a pet is a mere piece of property. There isn't as much at stake in getting things right or staying on top of the latest research of various pet ailments.

Ultimately, just like there are good and bad doctors, there are good and bad vets.
 
Re: 11/1 Morgaine AMPS 157,+3 90,+6 63

Being a patient, most of my life, I know the pitfalls of medicine and how important it is to "fire" doctors if they are not responsive to my needs as a patient. I learned that from my cousin who is a cardiologist. The principle he gave me was to not see a doc who doesn't listen to ME and to not see a doc who is burnt out and going through the motions. I apply this to vets as well. There are definitely good vets and i am still looking for one. Marje is helping me find someone since she is right here in Tucson and we have compared notes on a couple of vets we mutually have contacted or used. She is a gem. Meanwhile, what would any of us do without this community? What a proactive group with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Thanks for sharing and venting with me today.

Morgaine is having a wonderful day. I started her on cosequin last week. She had been running to the LB and peeing frequently on and off. I was concerned but she tested negative for bacteria and since her BG was great, I suspected bladder issues. I found a few spots of urine on the rug, where she had been napping. She used her box but only small amounts were urinated though there was no straining. she was not drinking alot. She seemed fine otherwise, not blocked but peeing smaller amounts more often. Yesterday and today her bladder seems to have settled down. I don't know if the cosequin is beginning to be effective and I am praying things continue to move in this direction. I really want her to be well, and happy.
 
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