Greetings

Hello all.

I'm new to the forum so I suppose I should introduce myself and explain how I came to get here.

Imagine my surprise one afternoon when I spotted a scrappy cat chowing down on my cats' food? (I have two cats - both indoor/outdoor, and I leave kibble out for them to munch on throughout the day). I shouted, and the cat took off. Then I felt terrible for yelling at the poor thing and went to investigate. He didn't go far - just under the shed. I called out, and low and behold, he came right out and wound his body around my leg.

My first thought was that he was starving. I don't know when the last time he had a decent meal, but I could wrap my entire hand around his spine. In fact, his bones were so pronounced I could have had an anatomy lesson with him.

So of course I fed him. And continued to do so for the next week while I attempted to track down his owners. He wasn't feral. He had to have human contact somewhere along the road. But, alas, I could not find any reports on a missing tuxedo cat. So, I did the next step and took him to the vet - where I incidentally work at as a vet assistant. He was scanned for a chip but no luck. He was such a nice cat, and I figured if I had gone this far he was going to be mine anyway. Turns out, she was a neutered he (I'd been calling him Whiskers at that point, for his white whiskers. I know - shame on me for not being unique). And everyone there loved him. He stretched out on the exam table, head held high, eyes half-closed in contentment, with a rumbling purr that everyone could hear. One of the techs remarked that he looked like Scar sitting like that. So, thus, is name came to be Scar (also incidentally, he has a scar on his nose. Very light, but it's there).

He was estimated to be 12 years old and weighed in at only 9 pounds (he should be somewhere between 15-20 is my guess) and had an abscess under his chin (which explained the drooling and fat lip he had going on). He tested negative for FIV, so I went ahead and got his Rabies, DRCC (distemper), and leukemia vaccines. Then, we took blood work and sent it out to the lab.

I already knew what was coming. I'd seen the symptoms. He drank water like no cat I'd ever seen (my own barley touch their water bowls, and when they do, they prefer disgusting puddles outside) and the frequent urination. I know, because I have a diabetic dog (been diabetic since 2013. He's 16 and still going strong).

Scar was diabetic. I'd never thought I would have both a diabetic dog and a cat. At the same time! And let me tell you, it's very different. First, the cost. Eno (the dog - who I also found as a stray in 2007) gets Novilin N. I spent about forty or so every few months on him. He isn't on any special diet because he's always done well. Scar's Prozinc was $132, plus the syringes totaled $158 (because even vet assistances don't get discounts on medicine). No big deal, since the stuff should last me at least two months, give or take.

Yesterday, I took him to work with me for his curve as well as his booster vaccines. We're upping it to 3 BID, but his numbers were fairly promising. 300 something in the morning, then I think it went higher as the day went along. I'm aware I can test at home - I do it with my dog. And I did try once. Scar didn't mind the prick on his ear, but he hated me trying to squeeze any blood out. He doesn't bleed well, even the vet techs had a hard time while doing his curve. Maybe bad blood flow there? I know ears are the best place with felines. Maybe I'm just unlucky.

At any rate, I just wanted to introduce myself here. It's been a real changer for me. I had to invest in a litter box (my current cats always went outside to do their business) since I knew he wouldn't be able to hold it if he had to go. I also had to learn how to give shots to a cat - it's quite different from a dog. Eno uses U-100 syringes with the small, baby needles. U-40 syringes are half an inch, which I really don't understand. Do you need that much needle to inject insulin? I mean, seriously. At any rate, I've adopted the "microchip" method, as I call it. Tenting the skin and injecting under the tent. With the dog, his needle is small enough that I can pull a bit of flesh, stick, and done. I hated the longer needles, but I'm getting used to it. And yes, I'm also aware you can convert U-40 to U-100, but that means using up more insulin and I'm trying to make the bottle last.

It makes me wonder what happened to poor old Scar. Was he diabetic all along and dumped because his owners couldn't afford it? If he was lost, they certainly made no effort to find him (I even searched lost cats from 3+ years ago). He doesn't bother the other cats and he isn't frightened of dogs. He knew enough that when it was cold, he wanted to come in. I'm sure he must have been someone's pet at one point.

Oh, the stories he could tell!

Scar when he peeked out from under the shed.


His body condition when I found him - or I guess, he found me.​

 

Welcome! I am glad Scar found you. If you heat the ear up before pricking, it will bleed much better.

 

It will get easier! The ear also "learns" to bleed. Really. With some cats, one ear bleeds better than the other. It also helps to put something firm behind the ear when you prick it. I used a half sheet of folded up paper towel, which I used to put pressure on the ear after the test.

 

My cat was recently diagnosed as well (about one week ago) and this is actually my first time posting or responding. I just wanted to say that after one week of pricking, he bleeds so easily now. The other posters are right. The ear does "learn' to bleed. I was in tears the first few days because I had to prick so many times and he wouldn't bleed. He would cry like a little baby each time and it broke my heart. In fact, today is one of the first days since diagnosis that I haven't cried. Granted, it's still only 4pm local time so I guess there's still plenty of time, but we are having a good day so far!

 

Welcome

 

Nice to have a vet's assistant here. Does that mean you're a tech? Same human emotions but less panic. You're a good person for doing what you did knowing ahead of time what you were getting into.

 

Sorry for the super long hiatus, but no, I'm not a tech. Though I pick up a lot of information from them, I must say. I'm actually studying to become a vet :3. It certainty helps that I have a diabetic dog as well, mind you!
Thank you for the compliment. I might have been hesitant at first, but he's turned into a great cat (besides some bullying between him and another cat. We're working on that)

 

Welcome back.