Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to leave a comment or email me concerning Mud. Once the elation over finding out that Mud wasn't at deaths door wore off, I realized that she was going to need a lot of care. Care that I didn't know how to give to her. But then you all told me about your experiences and about your kitties who are doing well with their various treatments and now I am feeling much better.

Thanks again! (This is one of the reasons I seriously love the internet!)

Comments

[Diane in Northern CA]

I had a beloved cat, named Ace, who had feline diabetes for the final 4 years of his life (he lived to be 15). Because our family had a dog with diabetes a few years earlier, I caught Ace's disease fairly early. Once you get the dosage of the insulin correct, it was my experience that the only "hassle" was the daily injections. What complicated his final years of life was a recurrent tumor on his eyelid. It was a fast growing tumor and required surgery to remove it whenever it grew too large. Following his last surgery he went into diabetic shock while recovering and to me it was the final sign that this was enough medical intervention. It was a number of months later that he was finally put to sleep - because of the tumor, not the diabetes.

I live in Northern California and had a very good veterinarian who also referred us to the UC Davis Veterinary Hospital. If you have a good teaching vet program near you, you may wish to also consult them. My cat had an oncology specialist, eye specialist, and a specialist for his diabetes. The vet school students were able to learn more about this growing disease and he got fabulous loving care during his hospital stay.

Please stay optimistic about Mud's prognosis. Fairly soon you will be an expert on giving injections. For my own animals, they clearly felt better after receiving the insulin since they usually began "bugging" us for their shots every morning.

[Michelle]

I'm a little slow on the uptake this time, but wanted to chime in with some reassurance as well. My in-laws have had their kitty for over 18 years, and she's had insulin shots for the past four or five. And truthfully, she seems absolutely ready for another four or five at least.