Hello again! I wanted to write a quick post to let everyone know that Caesar had a bit of a breakthrough which started on Tuesday (Oct 11th). It had certainly been a long time since we had last heard/seen/felt a solid purr coming from our normally extraordinarily happy kitty . . . and then it finally happened. My husband, after an enormous amount of soft petting while getting down to Cz’s level on the floor, got the little motor running on Tuesday night. Just a little. It wasn’t the heavy rumbling that we are used to, but it was certainly a purr. Caesar just laid on the floor, allowing my husband to stroke his fur, but occasionally chirped out warning meows. Almost as if he were saying “We aren’t quite to that level, yet – please back off a little.” My husband texted me the news (as he was the first one home that evening) and I was so very excited to go home and experience the purring for myself.
By the time I got home, Caesar had already had enough for the evening. He wandered into our office to lie under the desk (we had closed off his favorite closet that he had recently taken to hiding in) and did not come to greet me when I got home. I found him and got down to his level, attempted to pet him and talk to him but it only elicited major warning swishes of his tail. I felt terrible. It had been days and days since he was last happy to see me and I was getting discouraged. I became a bit depressed that maybe I had permanently broken Caesar’s trust in me; that maybe he would never feel truly safe around me so long as I was sticking him with syringes. My husband remained positive and encouraged me to keep at it, Caesar would eventually remember that he loves us.
My husband arrived home Wednesday evening to find the Cz very lethargic, very listless. He began to suspect mild hypoglycemia. It is difficult to tell at this point as the amount of urinating Caesar does had decreased so much that we barely see traces of it (or feces for that matter) in the litterbox. The amount has decreased to the point where our Glucotest Chips are basically useless. It is definitely time for a Blood Glucose Meter. I am looking at purchasing the Bayer Contour Blood Glucose Meter (currently on sale for $14.99) along with the 50 ct Test Strips (currently not on sale for $66.99) on Friday, payday, October 14th. We need to definitely monitor his blood sugar the best that we can from home. In the meantime, the vet assures me that the Insulin unit prescription (2 units/2 times a day) is the right dose for Mr. Kitty. And, based on the inter-webs, this seems like a very small dose comparatively . . . so we shall see . . .
Now for the payoff to this blogpost! I woke up this morning and guess who got up to greet me? Caesar did! He was social with me and walked to the bedroom door, asking to be let in. So, how could I not? I picked him up and brought him into the bedroom to greet my slumbering husband. Caesar plopped down on my husband and was purring like crazy. He chilled out with us and encouraged us to pet him and he was especially eager to rub his face/mouth on our fingers. He was the happiest that we have seen him since before his diagnosis. I was almost too afraid to break his trust, again, when giving him his morning insulin. When 7am rolled around I found Cz under the desk in the office. He looked up at me and the syringe. It broke my heart. He purred for a few seconds and got up to take a few steps. I thought for sure he was going to make this difficult. But he didn’t; he faced me and laid down, waiting for the shot. I administered it and he didn’t even flinch or move. I apologized to him, pet him a bit and left for the kitchen to pack up the used syringe. And . . . Caesar followed me! I couldn’t believe it! He followed me – he hasn’t done that since (I know I am sounding like a broken record here) before his diagnosis.
Readers, I am hoping for a happy kitty tonight. Maybe I am expecting too much. I just keep reading online that people experience their feline friends becoming happier, more at ease with insulin. I have even read that they feel so good on insulin that they begin to play and chase, again. It just hasn’t happened to Caesar . . . yet. I am honestly keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully, once we get that meter we will be able to see where he is at internally. And hopefully, we wont be back to square one with losing Cz’s trust in us all over again.
Hang tight, reader, I will keep you posted.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The first 2 weeks with our diabetic kitty
Hello! Welcome!
Seeing as this is entry #1, I will go ahead and make the formal introductions.
My name is Jennifer and I am married to my fantastic husband, John. Completing our family are 2 cats, Camel & Caesar, and 1 crazy hamster, Ginger.
I am going to assume that if your search engine pointed you to this blog, you are seeking information or stories or tips regarding Feline Diabetes. We are, by all means, amateurs. We do not claim to know anything regarding professional veterinary medicine and all of the opinions and stories published here are just that: opinions and stories. We are not experts, and in fact, we are likely doing some stuff incorrectly. So please, consult your vet before trying anything new and please only follow your vets specific directions. You see, our little Caesar was only just diagnosed with having Diabetes Mellitus less than 2 weeks ago. On October 1st 2011, to be exact. Trust me, we are so incredibly new to this that heeding our posts as sound medical advice will likely only bring further pain and suffering to your furry friend. Let’s avoid that.
Instead, we wish to document our ongoing stories of Caesar and how he is dealing with diabetes along with how we are attempting to manage it.
Our story begins on Saturday, October 1st 2011 at 8 o’clock in the morning. My husband and I awoke to sounds of labored breathing from Caesar, our orange pride and joy. He had been noticeably coming down with a cold for a few days and it was only getting worse. So, I dialed up our vet’s office asking if we could be seen that day. Thankfully, we got a last-minute appointment and were there by 845am. We met with our vet who noticed that Caesar was walking on his hind “hocks”. My husband and I explained that we were worried that he might have arthritis (he is 11yrs old after all), but our vet being the smart man that he is, asked us a few more questions. Was Caesar drinking a lot of water? Was he urinating a lot more? The answers were yes.
The vet ordered an Ear-Prick blood test for Caesar and within just a few minutes we saw that his Blood Sugar Level was at 341. It was explained to us that our little man should typically be at about 150, but the stress and sickness would easily double that number to 300. His 341 count was still high. The good Doctor explained to us that it was vitally important that Caesar’s urine be tested for a Ketone count, to be sure that he wasn’t experiencing Ketoacidosis. The techs took our big orange fluffmonster into the back where they extracted some urine. Whew! Our first piece of good news for the day! No Ketones in his urine (which was pulled straight from the bladder).
The Doctor came in to share his results and had a very nice, but serious heart to heart with my husband and I. Caesar most definitely has diabetes and it was time for us to make some decisions. His diabetes was going to be a huge commitment; did we want to take it? That wasn’t even a question for us; we are going to do whatever it takes to keep our Caesar happy and healthy.
We had more good news: we would be able to take Caesar home that night. But he had to be back at 7am the following Monday for the start of his insulin therapy. We opted to give Caesar a long-lasting antibiotic shot at the very end of the visit, finally addressing that the poor kitty had a terrible cold. By this time, Caesar had had enough. After the shot was administered, he pawed at the cat carrier door. We opened the carrier and he walked straight in and sat down. He was done for the day and he had let us know. That’s the kind of man he is.
Monday morning, we took him back to the vet for the day to start his insulin therapy. During the day his initial glucose curve was tested and he had a Fructosamine test. He was also tested for a bladder infection, which I understand is common in kitties with diabetes. We were told he had no traces of infection and that his Fructosamine test showed that his number was at 425. Our vet was very happy about this as he told us most “newly” diabetic cats test between 600-700. From what I understand, a non-diabetic cat should be no higher than 365, however. Our vet also established an insulin dosage for Caesar – 2 units of Lantus, 2 times a day.
Monday night we picked up Caesar from the vet’s office and, armed with insulin, syringes, Purina Glucotest Chips, and some super high protein dry food, we were off and running.
Goal: with diet, exercise and insulin management, we can hope for remission. Caesar’s not terribly diabetic and he is only 11 years old. Prognosis = encouraging.
Monday night Caesar was SO mad. He was incredibly stressed out. Understandable. We had also botched at-home insulin shot #1 and only successfully administered 1 unit. He was stressed, yes, but otherwise Caesar looked good. He even got off of his hocks and was on his rear tippy-toes for the evening.
Tuesday morning, we administered the correctly prescribed 2 units at 700am and my husband raced home at 430pm to see if Caesar had any trace of hypoglycemia. (We over-read the internet and developed so many nightmare scenarios during the work day.) Caesar was very lethargic and disinterested. He sought solitude and was not excited to see my husband or myself that evening. This is drastically different than his every-day demeanor. I called and spoke with our vet and the vet suggested that we take him down to 1 unit 2 times a day until Caesar’s body got used to it. By Friday night, he wanted us back up to 2 units 2 times a day because he was certain the C’s glucose was still too high. He urged us to use the Glucotest Chips and we would see. And see we did. Those chips clearly indicated that the glucose level in his urine was absolutely too high. On the brochure’s color scale (yellow, being too low, and brown, being too high) Caesar was turning the chips unmistakably brown. Moreover, Caesar’s attitude did not improve. All week long he looked like he felt miserable. He did not want to be pet or paid any attention to, he was very withdrawn and his appetite was clearly down. We would stroke him and he would slink away from our hands. We would pick him up (an act he typically adores) and he would cry to be let down.
Friday night, we upped his dose back to the original recommended amount – 2 units – and we were excited because Caesar looked like he felt better almost immediately afterward. He wanted to sit on our laps and be in our company. His Glucotest Chips turned the most desirable color (pink) and all seemed right in the world. On Saturday morning, this loving behavior continued and his Glucose Chips were still turning pink. Great news right? Wrong. The very next day, Caesar’s attitude drastically turned and again, he was actively withdrawn and his appetite dropped again. C would not be stroked, he would not purr, he instead just found a spot in one of our spare closets where he could just lay down and stare at the wall. His Glucose Chips would be a good indicator of what was going on, right? Wrong. His chips (on a color scale of Yellow-Orange-Pink-Red-Brown) turned . . . black and white. Completely black and white. Where are those colors on the chart?! They aren’t there! What the heck is going on, right?
I called the vet on Monday morning. The guy must be absolutely sick of hearing from us, but he has the patience of a saint. He let me know that, though he has never heard of the chips turning those colors, he was sure that Caesar was stressed. We had totally subjected him to 2 days worth of intense vet care, more than a full week of shots, we had put him on a super diet (daily free-feeding to 2 restricted meals a day), my husband and I were following his every move AND to top it off, we are moving so the entire house is in boxes. Long story short, we were stressing Caesar out. Big time. He is super stressed and . . . he probably doesn’t really like us very much right now. Our vet insisted, however, that this will change. Caesar will love us again and that when we manage his insulin and diet, he should end up feeling better than ever. Until then, yes, I have to restate this . . . our cat pretty much doesn’t like the sight of our faces.
That’s some hard-chewing food for thought. But, our vet was great and insisted that we go ahead and measure out a small portion of food for Caesar to feed on during the day. He hasn’t been eating much, true, but it also gives him some sense of normalcy. And we can work on weaning him off of that later. Our wonderful vet also reminded us that Caesar is a good case of potential remission. He reiterated that we all have high hopes for this kitty – and worst case scenario is that we will all grow into a routine. He also suggested that we purchase a Glucometer. Though the test strips are sort of working a little bit, they are also not working at the same time. We can’t accurately see where Caesar is at any given time. Though he knew that this was going to be difficult for us and for Caesar, the vet made a great point in saying that it stresses Caesar out maybe a little too much when we bring him into the office. And that kind of stress skews the data. I agreed. In order to get the best data, we have to make this step forward.
So, that is basically where we are at right now. Caesar still dislikes us and our company, he is not the happy, loving cat that he used to be (for now), he is withdrawn in general and is absolutely positively without a single doubt depressed.
I have to tell you, blog reading friend, I am not the type of person who is a pessimist or a realist. I am a total optimist. I don’t like leaving this first post on a sad, discouraging note. Instead, I will let you know that I have so much faith in Caesar. I have faith that this guy can’t stay mad at us forever. I have faith that he is a master of adaptation (this cat can disguise himself as a toilet seat cover) and he has a great personality. He is somewhere between a cat, a tank, a slow human being and a tank . . . with fur.
This cat is going to be ok. The ride may be really bumpy, curvy, and sometimes dark but we will get to where we need to go. And we’re going to get our cat back to where he needs to be: happy and healthy.
p.s. Jennifer's husband chiming in. I just want to add to my wife's fantastic post, if anyone chooses to read this blog, chances are that you're an animal lover and you have already made the decision to treat your kitty. Good for you. The thought that haunts me is how many people decide that a diabetic pet is too much of a burden and a sacrifice and would elect to euthanize that pet, or send it to a shelter, which it would certainly be euthanized. It's just unimaginable to me. People who make that kind of choice have no soul and should never have owned a pet in the first place. You are the world to your pets. You're all they know, and although their only choice is to trust you and look up to you, for the most part your pets do it willingly. I have learned from Caesar some valuable lessons in the last week. Take the time to be a better person by letting your pet show you the way.
Seeing as this is entry #1, I will go ahead and make the formal introductions.
My name is Jennifer and I am married to my fantastic husband, John. Completing our family are 2 cats, Camel & Caesar, and 1 crazy hamster, Ginger.
I am going to assume that if your search engine pointed you to this blog, you are seeking information or stories or tips regarding Feline Diabetes. We are, by all means, amateurs. We do not claim to know anything regarding professional veterinary medicine and all of the opinions and stories published here are just that: opinions and stories. We are not experts, and in fact, we are likely doing some stuff incorrectly. So please, consult your vet before trying anything new and please only follow your vets specific directions. You see, our little Caesar was only just diagnosed with having Diabetes Mellitus less than 2 weeks ago. On October 1st 2011, to be exact. Trust me, we are so incredibly new to this that heeding our posts as sound medical advice will likely only bring further pain and suffering to your furry friend. Let’s avoid that.
Instead, we wish to document our ongoing stories of Caesar and how he is dealing with diabetes along with how we are attempting to manage it.
Our story begins on Saturday, October 1st 2011 at 8 o’clock in the morning. My husband and I awoke to sounds of labored breathing from Caesar, our orange pride and joy. He had been noticeably coming down with a cold for a few days and it was only getting worse. So, I dialed up our vet’s office asking if we could be seen that day. Thankfully, we got a last-minute appointment and were there by 845am. We met with our vet who noticed that Caesar was walking on his hind “hocks”. My husband and I explained that we were worried that he might have arthritis (he is 11yrs old after all), but our vet being the smart man that he is, asked us a few more questions. Was Caesar drinking a lot of water? Was he urinating a lot more? The answers were yes.
The vet ordered an Ear-Prick blood test for Caesar and within just a few minutes we saw that his Blood Sugar Level was at 341. It was explained to us that our little man should typically be at about 150, but the stress and sickness would easily double that number to 300. His 341 count was still high. The good Doctor explained to us that it was vitally important that Caesar’s urine be tested for a Ketone count, to be sure that he wasn’t experiencing Ketoacidosis. The techs took our big orange fluffmonster into the back where they extracted some urine. Whew! Our first piece of good news for the day! No Ketones in his urine (which was pulled straight from the bladder).
The Doctor came in to share his results and had a very nice, but serious heart to heart with my husband and I. Caesar most definitely has diabetes and it was time for us to make some decisions. His diabetes was going to be a huge commitment; did we want to take it? That wasn’t even a question for us; we are going to do whatever it takes to keep our Caesar happy and healthy.
We had more good news: we would be able to take Caesar home that night. But he had to be back at 7am the following Monday for the start of his insulin therapy. We opted to give Caesar a long-lasting antibiotic shot at the very end of the visit, finally addressing that the poor kitty had a terrible cold. By this time, Caesar had had enough. After the shot was administered, he pawed at the cat carrier door. We opened the carrier and he walked straight in and sat down. He was done for the day and he had let us know. That’s the kind of man he is.
Monday morning, we took him back to the vet for the day to start his insulin therapy. During the day his initial glucose curve was tested and he had a Fructosamine test. He was also tested for a bladder infection, which I understand is common in kitties with diabetes. We were told he had no traces of infection and that his Fructosamine test showed that his number was at 425. Our vet was very happy about this as he told us most “newly” diabetic cats test between 600-700. From what I understand, a non-diabetic cat should be no higher than 365, however. Our vet also established an insulin dosage for Caesar – 2 units of Lantus, 2 times a day.
Monday night we picked up Caesar from the vet’s office and, armed with insulin, syringes, Purina Glucotest Chips, and some super high protein dry food, we were off and running.
Goal: with diet, exercise and insulin management, we can hope for remission. Caesar’s not terribly diabetic and he is only 11 years old. Prognosis = encouraging.
Monday night Caesar was SO mad. He was incredibly stressed out. Understandable. We had also botched at-home insulin shot #1 and only successfully administered 1 unit. He was stressed, yes, but otherwise Caesar looked good. He even got off of his hocks and was on his rear tippy-toes for the evening.
Tuesday morning, we administered the correctly prescribed 2 units at 700am and my husband raced home at 430pm to see if Caesar had any trace of hypoglycemia. (We over-read the internet and developed so many nightmare scenarios during the work day.) Caesar was very lethargic and disinterested. He sought solitude and was not excited to see my husband or myself that evening. This is drastically different than his every-day demeanor. I called and spoke with our vet and the vet suggested that we take him down to 1 unit 2 times a day until Caesar’s body got used to it. By Friday night, he wanted us back up to 2 units 2 times a day because he was certain the C’s glucose was still too high. He urged us to use the Glucotest Chips and we would see. And see we did. Those chips clearly indicated that the glucose level in his urine was absolutely too high. On the brochure’s color scale (yellow, being too low, and brown, being too high) Caesar was turning the chips unmistakably brown. Moreover, Caesar’s attitude did not improve. All week long he looked like he felt miserable. He did not want to be pet or paid any attention to, he was very withdrawn and his appetite was clearly down. We would stroke him and he would slink away from our hands. We would pick him up (an act he typically adores) and he would cry to be let down.
Friday night, we upped his dose back to the original recommended amount – 2 units – and we were excited because Caesar looked like he felt better almost immediately afterward. He wanted to sit on our laps and be in our company. His Glucotest Chips turned the most desirable color (pink) and all seemed right in the world. On Saturday morning, this loving behavior continued and his Glucose Chips were still turning pink. Great news right? Wrong. The very next day, Caesar’s attitude drastically turned and again, he was actively withdrawn and his appetite dropped again. C would not be stroked, he would not purr, he instead just found a spot in one of our spare closets where he could just lay down and stare at the wall. His Glucose Chips would be a good indicator of what was going on, right? Wrong. His chips (on a color scale of Yellow-Orange-Pink-Red-Brown) turned . . . black and white. Completely black and white. Where are those colors on the chart?! They aren’t there! What the heck is going on, right?
I called the vet on Monday morning. The guy must be absolutely sick of hearing from us, but he has the patience of a saint. He let me know that, though he has never heard of the chips turning those colors, he was sure that Caesar was stressed. We had totally subjected him to 2 days worth of intense vet care, more than a full week of shots, we had put him on a super diet (daily free-feeding to 2 restricted meals a day), my husband and I were following his every move AND to top it off, we are moving so the entire house is in boxes. Long story short, we were stressing Caesar out. Big time. He is super stressed and . . . he probably doesn’t really like us very much right now. Our vet insisted, however, that this will change. Caesar will love us again and that when we manage his insulin and diet, he should end up feeling better than ever. Until then, yes, I have to restate this . . . our cat pretty much doesn’t like the sight of our faces.
That’s some hard-chewing food for thought. But, our vet was great and insisted that we go ahead and measure out a small portion of food for Caesar to feed on during the day. He hasn’t been eating much, true, but it also gives him some sense of normalcy. And we can work on weaning him off of that later. Our wonderful vet also reminded us that Caesar is a good case of potential remission. He reiterated that we all have high hopes for this kitty – and worst case scenario is that we will all grow into a routine. He also suggested that we purchase a Glucometer. Though the test strips are sort of working a little bit, they are also not working at the same time. We can’t accurately see where Caesar is at any given time. Though he knew that this was going to be difficult for us and for Caesar, the vet made a great point in saying that it stresses Caesar out maybe a little too much when we bring him into the office. And that kind of stress skews the data. I agreed. In order to get the best data, we have to make this step forward.
So, that is basically where we are at right now. Caesar still dislikes us and our company, he is not the happy, loving cat that he used to be (for now), he is withdrawn in general and is absolutely positively without a single doubt depressed.
I have to tell you, blog reading friend, I am not the type of person who is a pessimist or a realist. I am a total optimist. I don’t like leaving this first post on a sad, discouraging note. Instead, I will let you know that I have so much faith in Caesar. I have faith that this guy can’t stay mad at us forever. I have faith that he is a master of adaptation (this cat can disguise himself as a toilet seat cover) and he has a great personality. He is somewhere between a cat, a tank, a slow human being and a tank . . . with fur.
This cat is going to be ok. The ride may be really bumpy, curvy, and sometimes dark but we will get to where we need to go. And we’re going to get our cat back to where he needs to be: happy and healthy.
p.s. Jennifer's husband chiming in. I just want to add to my wife's fantastic post, if anyone chooses to read this blog, chances are that you're an animal lover and you have already made the decision to treat your kitty. Good for you. The thought that haunts me is how many people decide that a diabetic pet is too much of a burden and a sacrifice and would elect to euthanize that pet, or send it to a shelter, which it would certainly be euthanized. It's just unimaginable to me. People who make that kind of choice have no soul and should never have owned a pet in the first place. You are the world to your pets. You're all they know, and although their only choice is to trust you and look up to you, for the most part your pets do it willingly. I have learned from Caesar some valuable lessons in the last week. Take the time to be a better person by letting your pet show you the way.
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