Hello all,
Almost two years ago my cat Butcher was diagnosed with diabetes and it was you good people who talked me down from the ceiling and walked me through the ins and outs of caring for a diabetic kitty. I am so grateful that Butchie responded very well to a quick regimen of insulin and a switch to wet cat food. I am cautiously hopeful he'll stay in remission. His sugars have been good ever since.
It was a horrible, isolating, and scary period of time for me. I live alone, and the thought of taking care of him myself just seemed.... bigger than what I could handle. And that feeling was awful and foreign for such a fiercely (read: bull-headed) independent gal like myself. I learned from you all that I could indeed care for him and remain sane ( :smile: ) - all on my own. I mean this truly- it is the kind folks on this board that got me through that horrible period of time. I truly think if I hadn't found this site, well, I just don't even know how I would have gotten through it. My cats are my children. I can't thank you all enough for your kindness and support.
When Butchie went into remission - was it the Falls you all called it?- and was officially maintaining on the wet food diet alone, I posted as such and all you dear people cheered and hurrah'ed and I thanked you all, expressed my enormous relief, and promptly ran away! I haven't been on the boards since, until today. I've kept you all in my mind and think of you all and your kindness often, and pray for your sugar babies' health, and chastise myself for running away like an ingrate! :sad: I think, though, that I had to run away because I was so traumatized by the whole thing that I was all too eager to close that door and try to forget it happened.
I brought my kitties to the vet this week, and as I was leaving I noticed a flyer for a lecture on Kitty Diabetes. I asked my vet about it, and he said that they have been realizing that the dry kibble they've been recommending all these years is not at all what kitties need, and in fact has been contributing to feline diabetes. !!! He said the clinic is now adjusting their approach on how to prevent and manage diabetes, in light of these realizations. I was thrilled! I told him about my sharing this info with his colleague 2 years ago and her resistance to it (which was great), and that I was so, so glad to hear that they were considering this new way of diabetes management/prevention. I signed up for the lecture, if only to add an enthusiastic voice of support for getting kitties OFF the carb-filled kibble and getting them eating more protein. I'm so grateful for this opportunity. I've been bending the ears of every cat owner I know since Butchie's diagnosis, and without fail, they've been shocked to hear what I learned from my experience. I will continue to preach the gospel!
Thank you. A million times thank you. I will continue to pray for your sugar babies.
I apologize for the length!
Tara
Almost two years ago my cat Butcher was diagnosed with diabetes and it was you good people who talked me down from the ceiling and walked me through the ins and outs of caring for a diabetic kitty. I am so grateful that Butchie responded very well to a quick regimen of insulin and a switch to wet cat food. I am cautiously hopeful he'll stay in remission. His sugars have been good ever since.
It was a horrible, isolating, and scary period of time for me. I live alone, and the thought of taking care of him myself just seemed.... bigger than what I could handle. And that feeling was awful and foreign for such a fiercely (read: bull-headed) independent gal like myself. I learned from you all that I could indeed care for him and remain sane ( :smile: ) - all on my own. I mean this truly- it is the kind folks on this board that got me through that horrible period of time. I truly think if I hadn't found this site, well, I just don't even know how I would have gotten through it. My cats are my children. I can't thank you all enough for your kindness and support.
When Butchie went into remission - was it the Falls you all called it?- and was officially maintaining on the wet food diet alone, I posted as such and all you dear people cheered and hurrah'ed and I thanked you all, expressed my enormous relief, and promptly ran away! I haven't been on the boards since, until today. I've kept you all in my mind and think of you all and your kindness often, and pray for your sugar babies' health, and chastise myself for running away like an ingrate! :sad: I think, though, that I had to run away because I was so traumatized by the whole thing that I was all too eager to close that door and try to forget it happened.
I brought my kitties to the vet this week, and as I was leaving I noticed a flyer for a lecture on Kitty Diabetes. I asked my vet about it, and he said that they have been realizing that the dry kibble they've been recommending all these years is not at all what kitties need, and in fact has been contributing to feline diabetes. !!! He said the clinic is now adjusting their approach on how to prevent and manage diabetes, in light of these realizations. I was thrilled! I told him about my sharing this info with his colleague 2 years ago and her resistance to it (which was great), and that I was so, so glad to hear that they were considering this new way of diabetes management/prevention. I signed up for the lecture, if only to add an enthusiastic voice of support for getting kitties OFF the carb-filled kibble and getting them eating more protein. I'm so grateful for this opportunity. I've been bending the ears of every cat owner I know since Butchie's diagnosis, and without fail, they've been shocked to hear what I learned from my experience. I will continue to preach the gospel!
Thank you. A million times thank you. I will continue to pray for your sugar babies.
I apologize for the length!
Tara
) and several people with newly-diagnosed kitties seemed interested. The vet also mentioned at-home BG testing, but "not the first week of diagnosis"- I was able to share my story, however, of testing my sugar cat *every time* I shot from day one (a recommendation I read here), and it saved him from being dosed when his BG was already too low. I said I cannot emphasize enough that a person should always test pre-shot if at all possible, even in the first week, b/c I was at Day 6 of administering insulin when my sugar cat's BG dropped low, low, low, and had I not tested, I probably would have killed him. (He's been in remission since- 2 yrs! I am so grateful). I mentioned there are food lists, tips and tricks (rice sock, vaseline on ear) and most importantly, great support and understanding here.