One of my two cats has always been heavy. When I had to convert him to indoor-only when I adopted him from a friend (lots of roaming dogs around my house), the lack of exercise made him even heavier. He weighed 23 pounds at one point. I tried to control his weight by separating the food bowls and limiting his intake, with mixed success.
During a recent checkup, the vet told me he had diabetes. He didn’t respond to the long-term kind of insulin, so the only way to manage his diabetes is to inject him every twelve hours for the rest of his life.
And I just don’t know if I’m going to able to manage it: I work long hours, live alone and travel occasionally for work. I can leave him with the vet for planned absences, but my worst fear will be that I get stuck somewhere overnight and cause this insulin-dependent animal to die a slow agonizing death. (I have no experience with diabetes in cats, and assume that the vet is telling me the truth that this is the what will happen if he misses an injection).
But I don’t know how I could bring this myself to take this sweet, affectionate cat, in apparent good health, to the vet for the last time. It would be different if they couldn’t do anything for him.
This has hit me out of the blue, and I haven’t been this agonized over anything in years.
I hate to even suggest it but is there a chance you can re-home him. Is there a family member or a friend that could take him in that is in more of a lifestyle that can be available for his injections.
There are also special need shelters that can take him but they do have waiting lists.
I, too, am sorry. I second SomeUserName’s suggestion to re-home with someone who can care for him properly. Maybe a family member, so you can still see him? Or is there someone nearby you can trust to inject him if you can’t make it home?
My cat was diagnosed with diabetes years ago - while it’s not necessarily a death sentence, it can be a difficult road to travel.
Luckily, I worked close to home during that time period, so I was able to give her injections on a regular schedule, and to do blood glucose curves to regulate her dosages, etc. Getting Kitty regulated is the hardest part!
I would second, third, fourth the suggestions to re-home Kitty, possibly with someone nearby so that you may still visit.
BTW, my cat was diagnosed when she was 13. She’s 21 and still kickin’, though I think she may be coming near her end. Ripe old age.
Diabetic cats are notoriously difficult to regulate. They can be on a level of insulin for a while and suddenly it’s too much or not enough. They need a lot of monitoring when they are on insulin.
It is actually more dangerous for them to end up in a low blood sugar state than a high blood sugar state from missing one injection. Hypoglycemia is more immediately life threatening whereas hyperglycemia takes a little longer to make them sick. We always recommend that clients skip giving their pet an injection if their pet won’t eat or has vomited up his food because they are much more likely to end up in a hypoglycemic crisis which can kill them quickly. It’s unlikely that a cat is going to shoot up to diabetic coma or ketoacidosis range in 12 hours, not to say it isn’t possible, it pretty much depends on how well regulated the cat is to begin with.
I’m not saying your vet’s opinion is wrong, however if you are stressing a lot over what to do I’d recommend you see a veterinary specialist, if there’s not an endocrinologist nearby, try an internal medicine specialist. They will be more up to date on any new treatments options.
Some other things you can consider, before you choose euthanasia, is there anyone nearby you trust who could check on your kitty if you do end up away from home for longer than 12 hours? Or you could look into a pet-sitter that you could call on an as needed basis. Ask you vet if they have someone they would recommend who has experience with diabetic pets. A lot of vet techs and assistants work as pet sitters on the side and would be familiar with what to look for if there was a problem and could possibly even give the injection.
I had a diabetic cat, he got heavy later in life and developed diabetes around age 11. I gave him insulin for a year and fed him a special diet, sometimes I had to miss a shot because I worked a crazy schedule. I did have someone nearby who could check on him to make sure he was okay but they weren’t comfortable giving the shot. Sometimes I even took him to work with me. He never suffered any ill effects from missing the occasional shot but after a year he went into liver failure, possibly a complication of the diabetes. I tried to treat him for a little while but when it became obvious that he was suffering I let him go. He was the best cat I ever had and I do not regret giving him an extra year even though it was difficult for me. Yes, I do work with animals but it isn’t any easier when it’s your pet that’s sick.
I can’t tell you what’s best for you but if you check out all your options you will be less likely to have regrets about your decision later.
Thanks to all for your advice and sympathies. My cat (Henry) and I are doing better.
The first day he got insulin, the vet made a really dumb mistake. They had injected Henry around 4:30 PM. The vet wrote me a prescription for the insulin, and expressly assured me that I could get the it filled anywhere: “Walgreen, CVS, WalMart, you name it”. I found out different when two pharmacies had never heard of the stuff. The vet’s office had closed for the day, so I spent a tense night knowing that by the time they opened the next morning, Henry’s injection would be a few hours overdue. Around 9:00 the next morning Henry got his insulin, and the office assistant informed me that the doctor “didn’t know” that the insulin was only available at a special, distant pharmacy. I told her I was happy that the doctor now knows otherwise. I may change vets.
I have to travel in a few weeks, so I’ll have no choice but to leave Henry at the vet for his injections. After I get back, I’m going to loosen up some restrictions on him: I’ll let him out in the yard, which he really loved. I will get in touch with the guy I adopted him from to let him know the sad news. I’m not going to ask if he’s interested in adopting him, but it would certainly be great if he volunteers. I’m also going to contact a lady I know who got me my other cat (she catches strays and finds them homes), to see if she has any other suggestions.
Henry is seven years old. He’s black and white, with an assymmetric black half-mustache ala Groucho. His eyes are exceptionally wide open, sort of like the characters on the Simpsons. He has an unusual white-on-black pattern on his back that looks like an angel, or with a little more imagination, the Shroud of Turin (I should send pics to the National Enquirer). If you walk up to him and hold your hand about a foot over his head, he will stand up on two legs and head-butt your hand.
Aw, Henry sounds like a great cat. You have gotten some good advice here. My 2 cents would be to not do anything too drastic until you have gotten used to all this. It may work out better than you think.
FUS, Ms Tree, my little diabetic kitty is doing well so there is hope. We have been absent minded at our house and it seems to not have been catastrophic. Good luck with Henry. And we here in Coffeehouse are sending warm thoughts your way.
Ask around to your cat-owning friends and neighbors to see if anyone can be a back-up for you - I know we have done it for friends with diabetic cats. You might be surprised; there might be folks around that are willing to help!