Sorry to hear about the vet suicides. That is very sad and I would never wish that on anyone!!!
My previous cat-only vet where I used to live was incredibly, amazingly super specialized in cat conditions of all kinds - I swear, he would describe a symptom, run back to get his old text book and flip to a page, point exactly at what I was trying to describe (feline asthma) and would go into such amazing detail on the condition. Explaining complex radiographs so it made sense to me, educating me w/ current evidence-based practices, describe all the treatment options, the pros/cons, short term/long term, etc. He was an EXCEPTIONAL cat vet who surgically removed Tyler's large struvite crystals with such precision and competency that even the new vet looked amazed when they saw the tiny little surgical scar (my awesome vet at the time sent me images of the crystals and how large they were in comparison to a fingerpoint for scale). They never pushed products on me, had no issues writing scripts, and yet it was $10 cheaper for the canned rx food at this vet than the cheapest online food store.
I guess I expected the same level of expertise when I went to the current cat-only vet. They literally did not know what to tell me when I told them about Tyler's asthma, prescription diet for crystals, and what to do about his diabetes given those circumstances. The good thing is that they were friendly, were willing to admit that they didn't know enough to offer the right course of action, so referred me and my cat to an internist. However, it did leave a bad taste in my mouth when the cat-only vet tried to sell me the AlphaTrak Meter and that it would be a little more expensive than the internet but the strips would be guaranteed fresh (which I later found out from the internist that it shouldn't be an issue so long as it was from a reputable website). I don't think it comes across in a cat's best interest when a vet tries to sell products. So even when I would ask her for scripts, the receptionist/front office person gave me a hard time about ordering external to the office and would make a big deal that she would have to ask the vet if it was allowed...
With that said, the internist was mostly great in that they were all for internet research (almost expected it which was great). They also knew that my cat had to get off the oral steroids and was very understanding w/ the added overwhelming thought of having to put Tyler on a mask/inhaler. But he was stumped as to why I needed to see him (he kept saying that he normally sees comorbid cats when they are far along into diabetes treatment that continue to struggle w/ being properly regulated). He was awesome in that he stressed that I needed to get a glucometer right away and do hometesting (as he said it was expensive to do in the office, unnecessary when you could do a full curve at home, etc). He also encouraged utilizing the internet/Canadian pharmacies to make cheaper purchases and kept saying he doesn't sell products (refreshing compared to what I experienced w/ the GP). The part that was very perplexing though, was that I knew I needed to get Tyler on insulin ASAP and if anything I needed a script. But in his discharge instructions, he wrote that Tyler should get "2-4 units of insulin every 12 hours" based on weight. It also showed Tyler at "0.0 lbs." OKAY - huge mix up. So I insisted that I see the vet again while I was still in his office and pointed out the discrepancies but he still gave me the same range on dosage........
If I went w/ the 4 units of insulin every 12 hours, the chances of tyler going into hypo would have been very likely as he was already going into hypo #s w/ 2 units every 12 hrs. While one GP cat-only vet thought Tyler was too tough to determine how much insulin he would need (delaying treatment as a result)..despite the fact that they are the ones who gave back the blood work results w/ his BG over 500....the other board certified internist thought Tyler was too easy for him to look at yet gave a dosing range, w/ the high end being dangerously too much insulin. So I feel very strongly that when it comes to feline diabetes, the two vets I went to: 1.) delayed treatment due to lack of knowledge and 2.) gave dangerous dosing recommendations. I work in the hospital setting and attend patient safety huddles every single morning. If this were a human patient, both instances would have been identified as safety issues w/ a non-punitive course of action so it can be prevented in the future. My expectation about going to a feline only vet or a board certified internist with a cat that had over 500 BG was that they would get a safe dose of insulin...from at least 1 of the 2 vets.
If it weren't for the dedicated, patient, kind and understanding advisors here at FDMB, Tyler would not be heading into remission.
