? begging for help/advice! parents ready to euthanize diabetic cat

I’m losing hope and don’t know what to do anymore. In May 2019, some time after coming home from college, I noticed that one of my cats, Sara, seemed very sick. She was lethargic, her eyes and nose were running, and just seems completely lifeless. My mother takes care of my cats while I’m away (I have year round housing on campus) and I told her that we needed to take Sara to the vet as soon as it opened. She stayed there for a few days and we found out that she had diabetes. Not only that but if she hadn’t come in for testing sooner, she could’ve died within the next week or two. But I was optimistic because we knew the problem and had something to work with.

The vet started her on vetsulin and said to give her 5 units twice a day. She was eating and drinking ravenously, and peeing all of the time, a few weeks passed by and the vet told my mom to increase to 7 units twice a day and that as long as she’s eating she’s good.

I remember I had gone back to school in June that same year because of work and came home to visit again in July. One night, I found Sara laying on the floor looking completely lifeless. My mother and I took her to the emergency vet and she relayed to me that this wasn’t the first time something like this has happened.

That night we found out Sara had pancreatitis, a uti, cataracts, and obviously the diabetes. We were also told that her heart and bladder were enlarged, she had a fever that they didn’t know what was causing it at the time. They managed to get her fever down but I was left shocked.

I didn’t understand how after seeing the vet two months ago, all of these things could have happened to her, or if these things were missed or looked over by the vet.

I was furious. I started looking on this website on how I could save my cat. There were days/nights I’d notice my mom would completely forget to give Sara her insulin or would give it to her over an hour or two later after she’d eaten. I’m sure that’s happened even more times when I haven’t been home. I looked into different vets, the best diabetic foods for Sara, home testing, everything and anything. My requests and pleading went unheard because my mom couldn’t understand listening to a forum over a vet we’ve gone to for over 20 years or more, and I had to go back to school.

It’s been a year now. My first pet, my cat, my best friend and family who I’ve had for 10+ years now, who I watched be born, never got better. She was slightly overweight when we found out she was diabetic, she is now virtually skin and bones, she might be almost 6 pounds max. Her coat is dull and her eyes are sunken and have lost their brightness. She still eats like she’s starving and drinks water as if she hasn’t in weeks. Urinates probably twice an hour. Her insulin dosage was put up to 10 units which I don’t understand. And I found out maybe 2-3 months ago that she now also has cancer.

I can’t help but feel like this all could have been avoided if I stayed home from college, if we had gone to a different vet, if my mother had listened to me. It doesn’t make sense to me that instead of getting better, she got worse.

Sara is constantly looking for food, jumping on tables for it, sitting in the kitchen incase something drops, crying for food every hour of the day, it could be 3am. She also urinates outside of and around her litter box multiple times a day.

I recently got her two new litter boxes, low entry with high corners, the cat attract litter, wee wee pads to place under the box, rocco and roxie stain and odor elimination and the natures miracle odor to stop the peeing outside the box but nothing is working. While my mom is at work she is confined to the bathroom which I know doesn’t help, because 1. She was originally in my mother’s room (it’s a large space) during the day but was peeing outside the box and my mom got sick of it and moved her to the bathroom, and 2. My other cat (younger male/neutered) has become kind of a bully, bites her and chases her, especially when Sara cries for food early in the morning or around feeding time. He’s a huge rag doll with a very unpredictable temper wise so they’re separated during the day. (I feel horrible even about this because I can tell he’s starting to become depressed)

Sara is not the same cat she was. Won’t even play or sleep in the bed anymore, she sleeps in the kitchen. She acts like a feral cat and behaves like she’s mentally unstable and my parents will yell at her for these things which she can’t control! She literally cant walk through the kitchen without being yelled at to get out!

I’m posting this because I’m going back to school soon and have completely lost all hope. My mother and father have talked about giving Sara up to a place that would treat her until she dies, the vet has asked about putting her to sleep because he’s surprised she’s lived this long and it’s being considered, but I’m not ready to give up on her. She has cancer, yes, but the diabetes is obviously still not under control.

My mom is saying that there’s no point in changing her diet or doing at home testing now that we know Sara has cancer which I think is crazy.

I finally got her to buy the fancy feast pate but is their any low carb dry food that can carry her through the day? Or is one can in the morning and one at night enough? My mom usually feeds them around 6-7am and then again at 7-8pm. That’s also when Sara would be getting her insulin.

I don’t know how long my cat has to live, but what I do know is that I want her to pass away happy and in the home she grew up in from a baby, most importantly, as the cat she used to be. Loving, shy, playful, strong and independent.

I know how long this is but I am beyond desperate. Any advice you could give me, I would really appreciate it. I’m desperate

 

She’s been getting a huge dose and Vetsulin is not the best insulin for cats. It’s also called caninsulin for canines. She’d be better on a long lasting insulin like prozync and Lantus but insulin needs consistency and testing so the main thing is that her caretaker your mom needs to be onboard with all of that. There’s a lot going on and I’m sorry. I’m not sure the best way to help you. She also needs to eat as much as possible. Diabetic cats can’t process the nutrients in food so they eat but still lose weight. FF pate is a good choice and I’d let her eat as much as she wants at this point. I assume her diabetes is unregulated since the symptoms are all still there. Home testing is key and making sure she has her shots at the right times. It sounds like she had a few hypo episodes and again, home testing is key but if your mom won’t commit to it and coming here so we can help her, I’m a bit at a loss of how to help you best. Would your mom agree to it?

 

It sounds like your parents have already given up. The fact that they werent diligent with Sara's diabetes speaks volumes. Sigh.
Shes in pretty rough straights. Is there any way you can take Sara to live with you? I suspect not. Diabetes is something that NEEDS to be monitored closely. I hate to say this but it seems rehoming would be the best for Sara. She NEEDS close attention to get her through this.
Lets see what others have to say. ok? I'm SO sorry you are in this position and sad Sara is too.

That 5 units of insulin is quite concerning and shes probably hypo'ed. Your Vet is probably very good with dogs but sounds tone deaf when it comes to cats.
Sending MANY prayers for you both.
jeanne

 

Your vet is completely uneducated on feline diabetes. I am so sorry you are going through this. The 2018 AAHA Guidelines on Diabetes says things wildly different than your vet is handling things. If showing this to your parents does not convince them to make changes then she needs rehomed, she will suffer otherwise.

Diabetic Cats In Need helps rehome kitties all the time. Do you have a location you can provide?

 

First, know that you have done nothing wrong. Sara was failed on many levels but not from you.

Sorry to point out the obvious but Sara is not safe in that house. Not only is she sick and feeling like crap, but she's being abused and neglected. So you have a couple of choices - try to find someone who can help, who will commit to caring for her, or have her euthanized. That she still wants to eat and is able to jump on a table are good things but she can't go on like that for much longer without proper care. Do you know what kind of cancer and if was an actual diagnosis or just a guess from the vet, whose competency is questionable if only due to the massive dose of insulin she was started on, and because she is doing so poorly? If it truly is cancer, then your decision would be a little easier, but I've heard 'might be cancer' before when the vet has no other answers.

If you post your general location there may be someone nearby who can help. Your story is both infuriating and heartbreaking, and I would take her in a hot minute.

 

I couldn’t agree more with every single word you said

 

same here

 

Echoing everyone else. That is a HUGE insulin dose, unless there's some other underlying condition. Vetsulin is working for us, but that's not usually the case for a lot of cats.

To be straightforward:
- you need to get Sara out of that house. Are there any other family members or friends she could stay with whole you're away? How much longer are you in school for? If not, rehoming is the kindest thing you can do for her
- assuming you go back to school in the fall, can you buckle down and try to get her under control? I would buy the meter, lancets, test strips, ketone test strips as well. It's maybe a $50 investment upfront if you get something like the ReliOn Prime. Once you get some data, the Vetsulin board can help with dosing. 10 units is likely WAY too much
- the polydipsia and polyuria will NOT resolve until the diabetes is under control. When their blood glucose goes over the renal threshold, thats when PU/PD happen. For everyone's sanity, it's probably best to keep her somewhere easy to clean up. The holy grail for carpet for me has been Nature's Miracle for Cats first, then clean thoroughly with water, then Earthworm Carpet Cleaner. But you also have to treat/replace the carpet pad and subfloor (using something like BIN or Kilz).

Getting the diabetes under control now is primarily to help her feel better...I still don't see her staying with your parents as a viable plan.

Edit: you also need a new vet. What worked for me was joining some neighborhood mom groups near me, and asking for recommendations for diabetic cats.

Long term you'll probably want to get her off Vetsulin, but I'm sure being in college money is tight, so we'll try to work with what you've got and think about switching later

 

Pee pads saved my life and my sanity. it’s also a very good point Deborah made about the cancer diagnosis. Is it based on a test or a guess?

 

Agree. 5 units of Vetsulin, up to 7, then FREAKING 10 is just...dumb and irresponsible and I question the competency of her vet. I have many more 4-letter words but I'm sure I can't use them here.

I come from a place where I do not euthanize animals unless (1) their quality of life is seriously diminished, and (2) I've done literally everything within my means to give them quality of life (whether that's medication, surgeries, attempting to re-home, etc). I think it's irresponsible of any vet to recommend euthanasia without presenting the owner with all options (home testing, diagnostic testing, palliative care,e tc). It's like a flippant "oh well too much going on"

I'm angry for OP. Very angry....and I'm normally a very chill person

 

There are very few conditions that would necessitate a 10 unit dose. it's called acromegaly and is caused by a pituitary gland tumor. (my cat DOES happen to have this.) You would have to have a special test done specifically for that. To be frank it's a miracle she's still alive. to start her off on a 5 unit dose should be grounds for a malpractice suit. You need to get her out of that house if you want any chance of saving her life. Clearly your parents aren't interested in educating themselves about her condition, and clearly your vet has NO FREAKING CLUE what he is doing. If you can't take her, please consider finding a foster or rescue that can remove her from this home. Where are you located? DCIN (Diabetic Cats in Need) are sometimes successful in finding placements for cats that need to be rehomed or foststered. You had a few offers here that said they would take him... DCIN can also often arrange transport.

 

its a she Sara

 

I know I’m not chill I have Latin blood and so let me just say I’ve been angry all day about this. This vet is clearly a dog vet. My friend has a diabetic Schnauzer and she got started on 5 units of Vetsulin and is now on 10. I hope he didn’t also tell them to only feed twice a day at shot times. This cat needs all the food it can eat since it’s not processing nutrients because of the unregulated diabetes and it’s eating but still losing weight

 

Mason,

you’ve gotten a few suggestions and I do hope you come back to tell us what you decide to do. If you’re in grad school I assume you have one more year to go. The ideal solution would be a foster home but one year is a long time. Rehoming may break your heart but not more than watching your companion suffering as she is right now.

we hope to hear from you again

 

Mason, we want you to know that it is probably not hopeless for Sara but she needs help soon. There is a point where there's no going back. Please let us help you and Sara.

When I took Timmy, he weighed barely 7 lbs., was severely dehydrated, had ketones and was missing most of his fur. He was so weak he would almost fall over when petted and could only walk a few steps, not in a straight line. He had gone untreated for awhile and had also been locked in a bathroom because of litter box accidents. His feet were grey from newsprint and there were bits of paper stuck to him. He was crabby because he felt so lousy. I stood him up to take this picture quickly before he toppled:



Timmy nine months later:

 

Hi Mason, sorry to hear the suffering of your cats. People here can help you. I want to say the even with the correct method of treating diabetes, poor execution can seriously undermine the effect and even make the cat worse. Here is my story, 3 month ago my cat was diagnosed to have diabetes and issue insulin. At that time my cat Monkey still had a normal appearance, and he was taken care by my parents according to the vet. One month later, Monkey lost a lot of his muscle, lost fur, has blood tumor, hide in the corner all the time. See the photos: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/two-month-recovery-of-monkey-and-penpen.230609/

It alarms me, then I find that my parents, do not even know the dosing time of insulin has to be 12 hours. The first day I observed my parents, they are like shoot at 11am, then shoot at 7pm, then shoot at 9am. This get me mad, when I confront them they said they "follow what the vet said" and deny that they make mistake. I know that vet and I think he can't be that idiotic to forget to mention the dosing time. I believed that the work ethics of them have serious problem that contribute to Monkey suffering.

Guess what proved me correct, he got better at DAY 2 OF MY CARE. His fur grew at DAY 3. He felt significantly better after a week. What I only change is shooting Monkey 12 HOURS REGULARLY according to his eating time! How could such a small change can get significantly result almost instantly? How on earth that the quality of care can be that bad?

2 months later, I think his quality of life may be in his best of his life and he is 14 years old.

No disrespect to your parents, but the fact is that lousy practice of care is very harmful to the cat. One MUST BE reasonably precise in caring diabetic cats.

Send blessing to your cat

 

Hi Morgan
I know you love your parents. I'm hoping they were doing their very best and think they feel they did. Its hard when you cant be there and I know you wanted to be there. Sometimes our parents get overwhelmed with details and in a busy life, that can make for poor judgement's. What we can do is simply something else. I'm thinking fostering Sara may be what you need. All I ask is you think about it.
I know it seems like we are all piling on but thats only because we care. We care about ALL the kitties and caregivers that come here because at one time we were IN your shoes. We care about Sara AND YOU!

I hope you are able to come back and maybe just maybe we can work this out to suit everyone. You love Sara that is evident. We just want to do right by BOTH of you.

Sending many positives and prayers,
jeanne

 

Maybe my tone is a bit rough, I am not saying this to blame anyone, I am suggesting that it may be worth to give you cat a try to be under good care.

 

Hi Mason, I hope you do come back here and update us. This is one of the best communities when it comes to compassion and support and nonjudgmental no-strings help!!!

If you are not able to take kitty with you while away at school, perhaps we can all help you find a foster.

I treated my cat with an insulin similar to what Sara is on, and my Alice lost so so much weight and went into shock before I found the help needed to change her insulin. Lantus/basaglar, Levemir, and ProZinc are all great options to explore.

Once she was on the correct insulin she bounced back so well!!! It was amazing and these boards and the insulin and the people here saved her life.

My best to you and Sara.

 

Hello Mason,

Have you found a solution yet? We can help you here. Lantus is the best option for her, we can help you if you also need help in buying insulin.

Thanks