JL and Chip
Very Active Member
It's with a heavy heart that I'm making the decision to let Chip go ... to rejoin my other GAs, to leave his horrid disease-wracked body, and to be pain-free once again.
Chip is my first diabetic, and I must thank him for opening the door to this wonderful board and to the nuances, realities, and treatability of feline diabetes. He was my teacher and a pretty straightforward case study about the link between nutrition and diabetes.
Unfortunately over the last few years, he has developed multiple conditions which have stymied the experts at the university. In addition to FD, he has developed chronic pancreatitis, immune-mediated polyarthropathy, and a hidden disease (probably cancer or maybe even Lupus) which has caused mysterious symptoms such as broken ribs bilaterally. He has a skin condition which I've been fighting for over a year now, but for which the treatment is contraindicated with some of his other issues, and his skin is somewhat fragile (docs don't think it's Cushings but I'm still a bit suspicious). Overall it's been a daily, long-term battle for which the diabetes was the easiest condition to treat.
He's always had a hearty appetite, at one point, although well regulated, eating upwards of 25 oz. of food a day and still losing weight. However in the past few days his appetite has faltered. I know he's telling me it's time, but I've tried tweeking a few more things just to make sure there's nothing more I can do. And there's nothing more I can do.
I've put a call in to my vet tech friend to come by to help his along on his journey. Chip's insulin needs have dropped dramatically in recent days and today I can't seem to get his BG up (it's in the 30s and 40s) despite karo syrup and no insulin on board. And if my thermometer is correct, his body temp is ridiculously low (94.5 F), and he's been fighting severe dehydration for days despite receiving subQ fluids multiple times a day. His body is trying to die, but when I speak to him and call him "Chippy" as I've done for years, he perks up his ears and tries to turn to me. (that's a killer stab to the heart, I must admit)
So I'm off to take him outside to sit on the porch for awhile, catch some breeze, and wait for the return call. I hope he makes it that long because I'll kick myself 6 ways to Sunday if I've waited too long (ok, admittedly I have) and he dies on his own. His quality of life has been not-so-great in recent months but he's always wanted to eat and always seemed to want to keep fighting. Par for the course, I guess.
I'll post back later with an update. In the interim, good wishes for a peaceful passage are appreciated. He's so dehydrated that I'm concerned about finding/keeping a vein for the final shot.
Postive thoughts are also appreciated for "Dunker," his young girlfriend civvie. They are an odd couple, a 17-year-old gnarly opinionated old fart and a 4-year-old delicate beauty ... but for some reason when I took in this little feral kitten, she latched onto Chip and hasn't left his side since. I truly believe she has no clue that he's about to leave and I think the adjustment is going to be significant. The only time I can touch her is when she's with him -- she gains confidence from his presence. And she's never bonded with any of the other cats in the house. Sigh.
Thanks everyone...
Chip is my first diabetic, and I must thank him for opening the door to this wonderful board and to the nuances, realities, and treatability of feline diabetes. He was my teacher and a pretty straightforward case study about the link between nutrition and diabetes.
Unfortunately over the last few years, he has developed multiple conditions which have stymied the experts at the university. In addition to FD, he has developed chronic pancreatitis, immune-mediated polyarthropathy, and a hidden disease (probably cancer or maybe even Lupus) which has caused mysterious symptoms such as broken ribs bilaterally. He has a skin condition which I've been fighting for over a year now, but for which the treatment is contraindicated with some of his other issues, and his skin is somewhat fragile (docs don't think it's Cushings but I'm still a bit suspicious). Overall it's been a daily, long-term battle for which the diabetes was the easiest condition to treat.
He's always had a hearty appetite, at one point, although well regulated, eating upwards of 25 oz. of food a day and still losing weight. However in the past few days his appetite has faltered. I know he's telling me it's time, but I've tried tweeking a few more things just to make sure there's nothing more I can do. And there's nothing more I can do.
I've put a call in to my vet tech friend to come by to help his along on his journey. Chip's insulin needs have dropped dramatically in recent days and today I can't seem to get his BG up (it's in the 30s and 40s) despite karo syrup and no insulin on board. And if my thermometer is correct, his body temp is ridiculously low (94.5 F), and he's been fighting severe dehydration for days despite receiving subQ fluids multiple times a day. His body is trying to die, but when I speak to him and call him "Chippy" as I've done for years, he perks up his ears and tries to turn to me. (that's a killer stab to the heart, I must admit)
So I'm off to take him outside to sit on the porch for awhile, catch some breeze, and wait for the return call. I hope he makes it that long because I'll kick myself 6 ways to Sunday if I've waited too long (ok, admittedly I have) and he dies on his own. His quality of life has been not-so-great in recent months but he's always wanted to eat and always seemed to want to keep fighting. Par for the course, I guess.
I'll post back later with an update. In the interim, good wishes for a peaceful passage are appreciated. He's so dehydrated that I'm concerned about finding/keeping a vein for the final shot.
Postive thoughts are also appreciated for "Dunker," his young girlfriend civvie. They are an odd couple, a 17-year-old gnarly opinionated old fart and a 4-year-old delicate beauty ... but for some reason when I took in this little feral kitten, she latched onto Chip and hasn't left his side since. I truly believe she has no clue that he's about to leave and I think the adjustment is going to be significant. The only time I can touch her is when she's with him -- she gains confidence from his presence. And she's never bonded with any of the other cats in the house. Sigh.
Thanks everyone...
