Lana and Elliott (GA)
Member
This past Monday, I gave Elliott his morning feeding and his injection of Lantus, as usual. He ate a little bit of canned DM, and lapped up a bit of water from a bowl in which I had put some dry DM and water (he liked that). I went back to bed for a little bit more sleep before it was time to get up for work. I had just gotten back into bed when I heard a howl like I've never heard before. I got up and ran out to see what was going on. I found Elliott on the floor in the hallway, having a seizure.
His diabetes had been under control to the point that the vet was talking about taking him off insulin for a couple of weeks to see how he did. But I knew this had to be a hypoglycemic episode, so I rubbed Karo syrup on his gums and called the vet's emergency number. He told me to get a teaspoon of Karo into Elliott and to get some food into him, then bring him to the clinic when they opened at 8:00. I rubbed more Karo onto Elliott's gums and tongue and tried to get some food into him. The seizures ceased and I thought it was because the Karo worked. But he looked catatonic, just laying there staring and occasionally moving his legs a bit. I used a towel to transport him to my bed, so he'd be more comfortable and wouldn't hit his head if the seizures started again.
It turned out that the seizures had ceased because his blood sugar sank to 20 and his body didn't have the energy anymore. When the clinic started getting dextrose into him, his seizures began again.
By Wednesday, his blood sugar was acceptable. However, his lethargy had not improved and a lymphoma had been discovered in his stomach. The vet called me with various options, but had little hope for him.
I went to the clinic right after that phone call. At that point, Elliott was little more than a vegetable. He had always been such a loving, sweet, lively boy. But he had no response to being picked up and held. His once-loving eyes didn't seem to recognize me. He didn't even seem to realize that anyone was there. That was when I knew what would be right for him.
He died peacefully in my arms. He didn't even feel the prick of a needle, as he already had an IV in his leg and the vet injected the drug there. But that's not any consolation. I never had children, and my cats are my kids. I'm so devastated and grief-stricken, I can't even describe it.
Now I'm looking for answers. I originally thought Elliott became diabetic because he was chubby. Now I'm led to believe that the lymphoma may have exacerbated or even caused his diabetes. I'd always been vigilant about getting blood panels done on a regular basis so that if he had kidney disease or any of the usual "elderly cat" ailments, it would be caught early. This bloodwork was done last year as well as well as right after his hypoglycemic episode, and all was normal! But the lymphoma was not detected until he had been in the animal hospital for 2 days after the hypoglycemic attack. Should we do regular x-rays as well as bloodwork? This is so devastating, thinking I'd been so vigilant about his health only to find that something else happened that neither the vet or I had thought of checking.
Does anyone else have experience with lymphoma causing or exacerbating diabetes? It's too late for this info to help Elliott, but I need to know.
His diabetes had been under control to the point that the vet was talking about taking him off insulin for a couple of weeks to see how he did. But I knew this had to be a hypoglycemic episode, so I rubbed Karo syrup on his gums and called the vet's emergency number. He told me to get a teaspoon of Karo into Elliott and to get some food into him, then bring him to the clinic when they opened at 8:00. I rubbed more Karo onto Elliott's gums and tongue and tried to get some food into him. The seizures ceased and I thought it was because the Karo worked. But he looked catatonic, just laying there staring and occasionally moving his legs a bit. I used a towel to transport him to my bed, so he'd be more comfortable and wouldn't hit his head if the seizures started again.
It turned out that the seizures had ceased because his blood sugar sank to 20 and his body didn't have the energy anymore. When the clinic started getting dextrose into him, his seizures began again.
By Wednesday, his blood sugar was acceptable. However, his lethargy had not improved and a lymphoma had been discovered in his stomach. The vet called me with various options, but had little hope for him.
I went to the clinic right after that phone call. At that point, Elliott was little more than a vegetable. He had always been such a loving, sweet, lively boy. But he had no response to being picked up and held. His once-loving eyes didn't seem to recognize me. He didn't even seem to realize that anyone was there. That was when I knew what would be right for him.
He died peacefully in my arms. He didn't even feel the prick of a needle, as he already had an IV in his leg and the vet injected the drug there. But that's not any consolation. I never had children, and my cats are my kids. I'm so devastated and grief-stricken, I can't even describe it.
Now I'm looking for answers. I originally thought Elliott became diabetic because he was chubby. Now I'm led to believe that the lymphoma may have exacerbated or even caused his diabetes. I'd always been vigilant about getting blood panels done on a regular basis so that if he had kidney disease or any of the usual "elderly cat" ailments, it would be caught early. This bloodwork was done last year as well as well as right after his hypoglycemic episode, and all was normal! But the lymphoma was not detected until he had been in the animal hospital for 2 days after the hypoglycemic attack. Should we do regular x-rays as well as bloodwork? This is so devastating, thinking I'd been so vigilant about his health only to find that something else happened that neither the vet or I had thought of checking.
Does anyone else have experience with lymphoma causing or exacerbating diabetes? It's too late for this info to help Elliott, but I need to know.
