Diabetic Kitty
Yes, I found out today that my cat Quazo is diabetic. I knew she wasn’t feeling well because she hadn’t been acting like her normal self. She has been sleeping right next to the water bowl and drinking a ton of water over the last week or so and I only recently noticed that because we were always on the run to school or work and then with homework you just don’t pay as much attention as you think you do.
Initially I thought she was sleeping there to be next to me because she does that, she’ll curl up on the back of my chair and lay against my neck, or will sleep next to the keyboard so that I can reach over and scratch her head whenever she wants (which she usually lets me know by grabbing my hand and pulling it onto her head). I could tell that she just wasn’t herself and her coat started looking dull so I called the vet on Monday and made an appointment for today.
So, this morning I dragged out her crate and put it together figuring that I was going to have to chase her around the apartment and then wrestle her into the crate for her appointment. To my surprise, as soon as it was together she walked right into it, laid down and looked at me like “Well, let’s go”.
Once we were at the vet they confirmed what I secretly had feared, she has diabetes. The good thing is that with a change in diet and insulin she will be able to get back to her normal self in no time, also the Vet said that it is possible that after she has been on insulin for a while that her pancreas will start producing insulin on it’s own again.
She was really good at the vet too, they had to take blood and urine and she didn’t complain once. Now, she is resting on ‘her chair’ right next to me and hopefully with regular shots over the next week or so she’ll start coming back to her normal self.
So, now I am going to be giving her shots twice a day for as long as she needs it. The only bummer is the fact that her insulin costs $95 bucks for a bottle that may last about 2 months, but it’s what needs to be done so I’ll do it.
April 25th, 2008 at 06:02
Poor baby. Good to hear that there is a good treatment option. It would be wonderful if her pancreas started producing the insulin on its own again. Cats are remarkably adaptable.
Ouch on the money. That’s no fun at all.
I had a cat when I was a kid that became diabetic. Unfortunately he was an indoor/outdoor cat and quite the hunter. There was no way to control his diet. Keeping that particular Siamese inside all the time was not an option. So rather than make him miserable for the rest of his life (and us too with the spraying, clawing, and downright meanness that keeping him indoors would have caused), we made the decision to put him down. It was awful, but far better for him. I’m really glad you have better options. Simon is a big reason why I believe cats should be kept indoors always. Had we started that when he was a kitten, we would have had treatment options later in life. Thankfully, diabetes is very treatable when you can control their diets. Best of luck with all of it.
April 26th, 2008 at 09:26
I’m so sorry that Quazo has diabetes. She is going to feel so much better when her blood sugar is properly regulated again. I’ve known folks whose cats are diabetic and they are able to have a good quality of life. I wonder if you can find a less expensive source for the insulin. Maybe a place like petmeds dot com is worth a look.
Good luck with Quazo. Give her a chin scritch from me!
September 19th, 2008 at 21:30
Thank goodness for modern vet care, huh? I’m sure Quazo will perk up soon with all the right care. Our kitty, Redford, is 16 yrs and has chronic renal failure. A year ago he was so sick we thought we might lose him. But the vet taught us how to give him sub-q IVs of ringers lactate every night to flush his kidneys…today he is happy, doing “thunder paws” with his sister every night and his coat is a beautiful golden orange again. I hope the same full recovery for your Quazo.
September 20th, 2008 at 08:05
Yes, Quazo is back to her old self and is happy as can be again. And you’re right Rainingwolf – thank god for modern medicine.