Alfie

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Aw Jen, I am so sorry. I know you had such hope and then this. But at least it happened while he was already there at the vets so they can care for him! As you said, you're a long way from giving up hope...and we are here for you, sending good thoughts! :bighug::bighug:
 
Djamila said:
How much prozinc is she giving him?
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He's on 1.5u and bouncing around far less than when he was on more so it seems an ok dose for him. We won't know for sure until we can see him on it at home.

The vet doesn't want to increase it yet because he had a reading of 5 on Saturday night.

She's going to give it another couple of days then switch to Lantus, which is her preferred insulin, but she obviously doesn't want to change insulin at the minute unless we have to as it's another thing for his body to cope with.
 
So this gives you some time to read up on the stickies on the Lantus forum! Doesn't have to be all at once...it's a lot to take in, but it'll help you get ready to make the change over. :)
 
Rachel said:
So this gives you some time to read up on the stickies on the Lantus forum! Doesn't have to be all at once...it's a lot to take in, but it'll help you get ready to make the change over. :)
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Excellent positive spin, thank you :) And it'll at least distract me for a bit!

It's his birthday today, such a shame he's spending it getting prodded and poked some more! :(
 
Happy Birthday Alfie! I hope you get to go visit him and give him extra loves. Maybe he would appreciate a new soft blanket from you or a treat.
Lantus is dosed differently than Prozinc. If you need clarification on any of the Stickys just post in the Lantus forum for answers.
I hope Alfie has an excellent day today.
 
Dyana said:
Happy Birthday Alfie! I hope you get to go visit him and give him extra loves. Maybe he would appreciate a new soft blanket from you or a treat.
Lantus is dosed differently than Prozinc. If you need clarification on any of the Stickys just post in the Lantus forum for answers.
I hope Alfie has an excellent day today.
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I will pass on your Birthday wishes! We will be going to see him later. He was very lethargic when we went to see him last night but they brought him out of the cattery to see us for some reason which I think stressed him out. He had +++ ketones and high flat sugar last night (around 25). He did have a very noisy cat next to him all day in the cattery though I'm told, so I'm hoping it was just a combination of the stress from that and him being taken out when we visited. We won't be letting that happen again later!! I will ask if we're allowed to take him a bit of his favourite tuna treat :cat:
 
I'm sorry that Alfie is going through so much unpleasantness. My guess - and it's only a guess based on Teasel's reactions - is that Alfie would be less bouncy on Lantus or Levemir. It doesn't push BG down from the highs as efficiently as the in and out insulins but, once down, it can keep them down and flat better, especially in very bouncy cats. You might want to pick your vet's brain about that. There are people here on FDMB with high dose kitties who have to occasionally supplement with very tiny amounts of an R insulin to control the BG better.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
I'm sorry that Alfie is going through so much unpleasantness. My guess - and it's only a guess based on Teasel's reactions - is that Alfie would be less bouncy on Lantus or Levemir. It doesn't push BG down from the highs as efficiently as the in and out insulins but, once down, it can keep them down and flat better, especially in very bouncy cats. You might want to pick your vet's brain about that. There are people here on FDMB with high dose kitties who have to occasionally supplement with very tiny amounts of an R insulin to control the BG better.
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I'm pretty sure my vet gave Chloe a different kind of insulin when she was in the hospital, until she stablized. Have they moved his bed away from the yowler yet? Good wishes for Alfie.
 
Oh no! I read he was coming home.. then crushed.. :arghh:

Lots Of hugs from me and Tempest. :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Dearest dearest Alfie bear developed breathing problems and went down hill fast late this afternoon. He didn't make it. We are crushed.

Thank you all so, so much for all of your support these last few days and months. I would have not have made it this far without you all.
 
Oh Jen! I am so so sorry. You did absolutely everything you could and I would have done the same. You gave Alfie a wonderful life and it sounds like he just hit this hill he couldn't overcome. He's at peace now and you know he's no longer suffering. :bighug::bighug: I wish I could do more, but just know that Alfie had a wonderful life because of YOU.
 
((JEN)) :bighug::bighug::bighug:

I am so so sorry for your loss of Alfie. You did everything possible for your beloved furbaby. He is no longer on pain or fighting such a hard battle that was too much for his little body. Remember the happy memories and hold them close in your heart to give you peace and strength at this sad time.

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Oh no... I'm so so so very sorry. I'm totally shocked and so upset for you. :bighug::bighug: I'm so glad that you got to spend some time with him while he was there though I know that's no comfort right now. He knew you were watching over him and loved him. My heart is breaking for you. Many many hugs. :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Hi everyone

I just wanted to stop in and thank you all for your lovely messages. It's been a really hard couple of days but I wanted to let you all know what happened as you've been so kind and generous with your support these last couple of months, and the last week or so especially.

I got a call late Tuesday afternoon to say that he was having trouble breathing and that our brilliant vet was with him, taking care of him but it wasn't good. She called me back half an hour later to say that he was in an oxygen tent and they'd done a chest x-ray (which they'd been planning to do but were waiting for him to be more stable so he could be anaesthetised) that had shown bad things in his lungs that might have been a chest infection, or pneumonia or cancer. I had to make a decision about resuscitation and agreed with our vet that she shouldn't put him through too much. They put him on antibiotics but it was too late. We got a call an hour and a half later to say he hadn't made it. Our poor vet was as distraught as we were, she was clearly shocked by how suddenly things had happened.

It was such a huge shock. We're trying to piece our hearts back together. Everywhere I turn in the house is another reminder of where he's not and his things seem to be everywhere. I am so full of contradictory feelings; relieved he's not suffering anymore as he'd been so sad these last couple of months, so full of guilt that he spent his last few days in hospital being prodded and poked and that his last few hours must have been scary. Wishing I'd done more sooner, acted more quickly, pushed harder for more tests, but at the same time glad we didn't know, because if it was cancer we might have put him through more treatment for longer and still lost him. But mostly just so, so sad that his last couple of months were not great, that maybe I could have let him go sooner, I just always thought we could fix him and get our boy back.

I know no amount of shoulda, coulda, woulda's will help at this stage and that in time the happy memories will outweigh the sad ones. He came into our lives at just the point we needed him, not long before we lost hubby's dad, and was with us long enough for us to get back on our feet. I do know that, as sad as we are, we wouldn't have missed a single second of the too short 19 months we had our bear, and that when the time is right again, we've got a lot more love to give another kitty out there that needs us.

I've learned so, so much these last few weeks as part of this amazing community and once my heart has had time to heal a bit, I will continue to pop in from time to time to reassure the newbies and help if I can. In the meantime, all keep doing what you're doing. Just knowing you're all out there constantly helping other people makes the world a better place right now. :bighug:

Jen, Rich and Alfie Bear :cat:
 
:bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
I'm not good with words at times like this.
I'm just so sad for you, and feel your pain.
I hope you will pop in from time to time. For now, Big Hugs..
 
Jen
I've followed your story and feel terrible all that you went through and continue to go through. You took the absolute best care of Alfie!!
Time heals all. :bighug::bighug:
 
Thank you so much for filling us in, Jen. This must have been very hard for you write. I hope that over time you'll be able to focus more on the happy memories instead of the recent trauma. Please do drop in when you feel up to it.
:bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
I can't send enough hugs your way. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
I really do hope you come back, I know I disappeared for a while with life stuff and I likely will again whenlofe gets overwhelming (it's hard being such a delicate flower (Ill health)) but I really do want to be here and offer what comfort, support and help I can to people. I don't like the responsibility of dosing but I do feel it's good to spread a little 'glitter' (hope and encouragement) it helps people sooo much! Or at least I like to think it does. :rolleyes: And I'd love to see you around and know you are doing ok, x
 
Jen thank you so much for letting us know what happened. Trust me when I say I KNOW what that guilt feels like. Gypsy's last day was spent at the vet getting tested and poked and prodded all alone. And really, she had been going downhill for a month and been done for probably a few days. I realized over time, though, that while I would wish for her last day to have been peaceful and full of sunshine and treats and love, she HAD that with me for all the years I had her. And I was doing the right thing by taking her to the vet...there was literally no way to treat her at home or to really KNOW what was wrong. And she needed to go through the tests she had so I could learn that it was time to let her go and never question my decision later.

Alfie had a wonderful life with you. You did everything right and while it is sad that his last days were spent with the vet, you KNOW that vet cares for him and you got to see him and spend time with him...and he was able to receive treatment and medication to help him. I can tell you even with hindsight, if it had been my cat...I would have done the EXACT same things you did.

I hope you do come back when you are up to it. When Gypsy left, I took a month or so to heal, but then I came back...and it's been comforting to me to be here really. Please take time for yourselves and heal and know that we're here if you ever want to cry/vent/share memories. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
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