SammyM
Member Since 2014
I cannot express enough how much this Board and its members have helped me and my little boy, Elvis, get through the worst ordeal certainly of his little life. I wish I could recall each and every one of you by name, but I have to give a HUGE thank you to dirtybirdsoaps (Samantha) for her extreme generosity in sending me some food samples to try. If it wasn't for that sample of Young Again Zero Carbs, I might still be frantic about what to feed him as he just wasn't eating canned food. That was a big help toward his healing process. Thanks again, Sam!
Elvis has been insulin free since April 20, initially due to the change to YA, but as soon as I finally got the vet to look at his teeth [which I long suspected was the initial culprit to his discomfort and elevated numbers; that, and the fact that he freaks out terribly when he's taken away from his home and has been on the hi-carb Hill's Prescription C/D for over 10 years], and the Covenia antibiotic was administered, is when the real drop in #s on a sustained and consistent basis occurred. He has been between 81 and 129 for over a week since the antibiotic shot based on a vet's meter (between 51 and 81 on my ReliOn Prime); this morning 107 (67). He is eating beautifully....free feeding on the Young Again Zero Carbs and their treats on occasion. He's playing again chasing the laser light, watching the birds, ducks and squirrels outside the back door, opening up the drawers under my waterbed and pulling all the clothing out, lying on top of me and touching my face with his paw (do die for!), and grunting when he runs again (all signs he's baaacckkkk); he wasn't doing any of this just two weeks ago.
Samantha is so right.....we must be very proactive in our cat's medical issues, not reactive to just what the vet says. That's why this Board is so invaluable. You KNOW your animal! Don't be afraid to ask your vet questions or provide information about your cat's behavior, no matter how benign or stupid you might think they are. Had I gone along with the vet's initial protocol and not demanded an exam of his mouth, Elvis might very well be either dead or still in the awful shape he was in. Don't misunderstand what I'm saying, he may very well BE hyper prone to diabetes, which is why I will continue to monitor his BGs from time to time, but I remain fairly sure that the vet's initial diagnosis, treatment, and protocol was too knee-jerk and aggressive based primarily on the fact that he never bothered to check his mouth or teeth on initial exam which I feel was a critical oversight on his part. That's why Elvis wasn't eating. That's why his numbers were sky high from the pain and infection and that he was in their offices which he hates. Transient diabetes, which most cats at some point have had or will have in their lifetimes I understand, wasn't even considered. The initial dosage of 3 units b.i.d., and then a week later (because the #s were high on the curve they did in THEIR office because according to them I shouldn't do it at home), were raised to 4!
Elvis NEVER responded favorably at any time during the two weeks they had him on such high doses....he was still lethargic, still not eating, still a very unhappy cat. It wasn't until I decided to do the BGs at home and dropped his dosage to 1.5 b.i.d. at first, did he show any signs of trying to fight back, but he still had the gum infection and wasn't eating properly. After the shot is when they really dropped and remained consistent. PLEASE UNDERSTAND, I do not mean to suggest that every cat that is diagnosed diabetic isn't; 9 out of 10 might be. But you might have that one cat who has another issue(s) that is driving the BG readings; make sure your vet has checked EVERYTHING, especially his mouth and teeth. Had mine done that first, a lot could have been avoided. And for goodness sake, DO NOT let them push that damn Hill's Prescription crap on you!
I brought Elvis in yesterday to do a follow up exam on his mouth to see if the inflammation and infection had gone down. I knew this would be my last visit to THIS vet, but not before I expressed how I felt about everything, and provided them with a 4-page timeline complete with BG readings, food, notes of my conversations with both doctors there, and the dosages and protocols throughout the last 52 days. I didn't speak with the primary vet who did Elvis' initial exam because I was too angry at him and felt it best to speak with the second vet and give him the report to discuss with the primary. He didn't have much to say and was pretty surprised, not only that I had taken such an active role in Elvis' care and treatment, but also when he saw that Elvis' mouth had never been checked on initial exam, and the chart in Elvis' file corroborated it. The fact that he gave me a dental kit and didn't charge me for this visit I think supported my concerns and allegations about the initial care and diagnosis Elvis received.
I wasn't the only one who left a lasting impression on the vet....Elvis pooped all over the place expressing his displeasure no doubt. All over the exam table, the scale, the floor, and the vet. Ahhh, justice!!!!! angry(2)_cat
Thank you one and all again. I plan to remain active here and hope some day I will be able to help someone else in some small way. God bless you all!
Donna
Elvis has been insulin free since April 20, initially due to the change to YA, but as soon as I finally got the vet to look at his teeth [which I long suspected was the initial culprit to his discomfort and elevated numbers; that, and the fact that he freaks out terribly when he's taken away from his home and has been on the hi-carb Hill's Prescription C/D for over 10 years], and the Covenia antibiotic was administered, is when the real drop in #s on a sustained and consistent basis occurred. He has been between 81 and 129 for over a week since the antibiotic shot based on a vet's meter (between 51 and 81 on my ReliOn Prime); this morning 107 (67). He is eating beautifully....free feeding on the Young Again Zero Carbs and their treats on occasion. He's playing again chasing the laser light, watching the birds, ducks and squirrels outside the back door, opening up the drawers under my waterbed and pulling all the clothing out, lying on top of me and touching my face with his paw (do die for!), and grunting when he runs again (all signs he's baaacckkkk); he wasn't doing any of this just two weeks ago.
Samantha is so right.....we must be very proactive in our cat's medical issues, not reactive to just what the vet says. That's why this Board is so invaluable. You KNOW your animal! Don't be afraid to ask your vet questions or provide information about your cat's behavior, no matter how benign or stupid you might think they are. Had I gone along with the vet's initial protocol and not demanded an exam of his mouth, Elvis might very well be either dead or still in the awful shape he was in. Don't misunderstand what I'm saying, he may very well BE hyper prone to diabetes, which is why I will continue to monitor his BGs from time to time, but I remain fairly sure that the vet's initial diagnosis, treatment, and protocol was too knee-jerk and aggressive based primarily on the fact that he never bothered to check his mouth or teeth on initial exam which I feel was a critical oversight on his part. That's why Elvis wasn't eating. That's why his numbers were sky high from the pain and infection and that he was in their offices which he hates. Transient diabetes, which most cats at some point have had or will have in their lifetimes I understand, wasn't even considered. The initial dosage of 3 units b.i.d., and then a week later (because the #s were high on the curve they did in THEIR office because according to them I shouldn't do it at home), were raised to 4!
Elvis NEVER responded favorably at any time during the two weeks they had him on such high doses....he was still lethargic, still not eating, still a very unhappy cat. It wasn't until I decided to do the BGs at home and dropped his dosage to 1.5 b.i.d. at first, did he show any signs of trying to fight back, but he still had the gum infection and wasn't eating properly. After the shot is when they really dropped and remained consistent. PLEASE UNDERSTAND, I do not mean to suggest that every cat that is diagnosed diabetic isn't; 9 out of 10 might be. But you might have that one cat who has another issue(s) that is driving the BG readings; make sure your vet has checked EVERYTHING, especially his mouth and teeth. Had mine done that first, a lot could have been avoided. And for goodness sake, DO NOT let them push that damn Hill's Prescription crap on you!
I brought Elvis in yesterday to do a follow up exam on his mouth to see if the inflammation and infection had gone down. I knew this would be my last visit to THIS vet, but not before I expressed how I felt about everything, and provided them with a 4-page timeline complete with BG readings, food, notes of my conversations with both doctors there, and the dosages and protocols throughout the last 52 days. I didn't speak with the primary vet who did Elvis' initial exam because I was too angry at him and felt it best to speak with the second vet and give him the report to discuss with the primary. He didn't have much to say and was pretty surprised, not only that I had taken such an active role in Elvis' care and treatment, but also when he saw that Elvis' mouth had never been checked on initial exam, and the chart in Elvis' file corroborated it. The fact that he gave me a dental kit and didn't charge me for this visit I think supported my concerns and allegations about the initial care and diagnosis Elvis received.
I wasn't the only one who left a lasting impression on the vet....Elvis pooped all over the place expressing his displeasure no doubt. All over the exam table, the scale, the floor, and the vet. Ahhh, justice!!!!! angry(2)_cat
Thank you one and all again. I plan to remain active here and hope some day I will be able to help someone else in some small way. God bless you all!
Donna
