Hi Everyone, I have to update Yoshi's spreadsheet. He saw blue last night -- nothing too exciting. No greens still. This isn't the reason for my post. I reached out to my vet and told her how much insulin I was giving Yoshi, and I asked her thoughts on Levimir until I see another vet that was out till January. She just sent me this: Jennifer, I am uncomfortable that you are giving Yoshi such a high dose of insulin. You are self prescribing at this point without my input which is certainly your choice but I m not in support of your current insulin dosing. I agree that going for a second opinion for Yoshi is an excellent idea, as I have been saying for months now. I am formally resigning as Yoshi's veterinarian at this point. I am not unwilling to work with you and Yoshi, however, I cannot manage his case appropriately when you fail to take my recommendations and decide on your own how to dose his insulin without my input. I know you care so much about him and you want to manage him as you see fit. I respect your decision. However, you have cut me out of the loop and are leaving my hands tied in managing his case so it's best that I step aside and let a specialist take over which I wanted you to do months ago anyway. Once you decide where you're going for his second opinion, which I suggest you do asap, please let us know so we can forward all of his records. I wish you and Yoshi all the best and hope the solution for his apparent insulin resistance can be found and treated. I am in tears at work. I planned on getting diabetes treated elsewhere, but I wanted to keep her as a "general" vet as she is open late and on weekends. I am so mad.
I am soooo sorry your Vet did that to you. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise though. Keep your head up! Try and have a good day. Yoshi...give mom lots of love today!
She made me feel like I was doing something so god awful to my cat. Sorry to post, I’m just venting and I’m at work and needed to get it out.
May a better vet come out of this. Does the vet have a recommendation for another vet? Lots of people here from Chicago so I am sure you can find a good recommendation. My vet tried to resign after Neko tested positive for acromegaly. I rejected her resignation. We did fine and learned together for four more years, including managing Neko’s kidney disease. I accepted her resignation when Neko added heart disease and small cell lymphoma to the list. I got a great internal medicine vet as a result. And remained friendly to the local vet, who I’ve known for over 30 years. And yeah for blue! More please Yoshi.
I'm so sorry. I hope you can find a good vet. Don't let it get your down because she doesn't understand. You're doing your best for Yoshi.
I am so sorry you are dealing with this! But as they say, when one door closes.... Here's hoping it's a MUCH better door that opens for you and Yoshi!!
I do have a recommendation from @Carol & Murphy to go back to my old practice and her vet. I saw them when Yoshi was first diagnosed (the first time) and they supported home testing etc. the facility had a fire and that is why I switched. I realized they were back in business and we are headed there on the 21st
Jennifer - this is a 'sign' - please see it as a positive one! Your vet is clearly un-educated about feline diabetes if she has seen how high his numbers are and that the amount of insulin you're giving him has just now started to indicate that he requires a higher dosage. I'm sorry if you're upset - but as I've said to many other members - your vet is mistaken about this one. You may have had thoughts about how to continue the relationship with your vet for 'other things' but your vet is clearly not interested in that kind of relationship and while you are unwilling to risk Yoshi's health to endure what may be a fateful course of action with your vet - I've seen it too many times when the vet is unaware of the potential risks of not treating a cat with such high numbers - which can end in far worse repercussions - you don't even want to hear about those examples! It's beyond upsetting to hear how poor advice from a vet - who simply does not know - caused a beloved cat to die....I want to encourage you to continue on your course of action - find another vet who will be more knowledgeable about FD and work with them. This vet has done you a favor - please see it as such - and move on. When Yoshi's numbers and his health improve significantly - thanks solely to your efforts - perhaps you can send her a note and tell her how well he's doing - or as I've done, say nothing to the vet who was so uninformed. Best to you - have a pleasant evening and know that you have many many supporters here on the forum - where the knowledge and expertise abound!
I hope new vet works with you. Maybe talk to him/her about testing for high dose conditions. I lost a cat to a vets bungle in treating pancreatitis which I knew nothing at that time. They didn't even apologize for their failure to alert another vet in the practice of her horrible labs and by another 10 days it was to late. This could be a better match for you and Yoshi.
I think I said something like “I would rather stay with you, we’ll learn together”. Neko was her first, but not last acro. Besides being my long time vet, I had also worked with her when I worked at the shelter, she donated some services to them. She originally wanted me to go to a local internal medicine vet for a “diagnosis and treatment plan”. At that point, we had the bloodwork results showing acromegaly and IAA, so I knew the diagnosis. And through FDMB I had reached out to Colorado State University to arrange SRT, so had the treatment plan. So I told her I didn’t need to go to the local IM, because I had booked with world leading IM vet researchers in acro treatment. I was also her first client to home test and I shared a lot of data with her. She wasn’t afraid to learn. Neko’s file was thick.
I used Cat Hospital of Chicago. They are now VCA Cat Hospital of Chicago. Same practice and same vets. I used Dr. Czerwonky and I think Dr. Thompson may have seen my guys -- she was very new at the time. I think they are the best feline practice in the Chicagoland area. I've been gone for 5+ years but friends who are crazy cat people still love this practice group. The vet that primarily treated Gabby died unexpectedly. She was wonderful! She initially was clueless about TR, I gave her the Roomp & Rand paper and the next time I came in she had educated the entire practice on Tight Regulation. No one there gave me a minute of a hard time about managing Gabby's diabetes on my own. Well, that's not entirely true but I pointed out that unless the vet wanted to give me their personal cell phone number so I could call if I had a question, the needed to leave me alone!
...that is the oddest thing I have ever seen, honestly. I worked over ten years in veterinary medicine and I have never seen a Vet make a situation more about them than about a pet's wellbeing. I'm sorry you were in that situation and I am sure she is a lovely person, but she let her feelings get the best of her there.
That was about her own stuff and was dripping in insecurity.... I'm sorry. Don't carry her baggage around for her- you have enough going on. You are doing the best you can - and asking questions is part of the process. A good vet will know that part of practicing medicine is dealing with people and being able to collaborate. hang in there
It’s odd beyond measure. Your analysis is spot on. I responded to her and she ended up saying she’d be happy to help w other ailments but that she can’t manage his diabetes they way I need her to. No kidding. I wasn’t asking her to. I’m managing his diabetes and because I do, he just played laser for a half hour, ate and is chilling like, “mom, never mind that mean lady. I never liked her anyway”
I am just floored and so very sorry . My vet disagreed with me yesterday but still respected my decision and didnt resign. I pray and know you will find a better vet that will be a perfect match for you and Yoshi. Sounds like a power thing to me and you don't need that IMO. Hang in there .
Total power thing. So gross. She started in corporate America, totally different industry... for some reason she became a vet and is a bull in a china shop.
I hate to say this, but your vet may be crossing ethical boundaries resigning without providing a referral to someone else. See #2-5. https://www.avma.org/policies/principles-veterinary-medical-ethics-avma I am by no means an expert on vet ethics but the letter sounds like abandonment of the client.
She did refer me back to my old vet and or a specialist at our ER vet. I removed the names when I removed her name. I didn’t know about these principles-thank you!
Just wanted to post encouragement I also had a vet who "fired" me too. It was a private practice and I had been seeing his wife who was wonderful but only worked 2 days a week. I saw the husband and I think both Gizmo and myself intimidated him. Lol. Gizmo had many ailment (FD, pancreatitis, ckd, anemia, unknown cause of blood in urine), and was a PITA at the vets. I continued to see the wife and used them for prescription but also took him to an IM who was much more knowledgeable and understood that I wasn't trying to cure him, but to just give him the best quality of life for what he had left. I truly hope you find someone that will work with you to care for your sweet Yoshi . Never stop fighting
