4/9/18 Olive AMPS 316; +3=280; PMPS 404; +3=327 RANT

Yesterday

Yesterday she had her lowest yet. Today's dosecrease was .25 instead of the .5. I don't want her to get to low, so I thought it best to start with the smaller increases now. Hope my reasoning is the correct way to go.

For anyone not home testing. THIS is why we preach it. On another forum was a parent questioning the strange walking of her diabetic cat. Cat was getting high dose of insulin. Also being feed dry food. NOT home testing. She was going to stop the dry food. No one mentioned to taper it or wait until they were testing. They were all mentioning what to do for the neuropathy. I pm her not to do it the way she planned. I encouraged her to join here. Of course wanted to talk with vet first. I stressed how dangerous insulin is. Insulin is powerful hormone that can kill and has killed. Gave the speal "would you give your child insulin without knowing the glucose". Told her my story with Smokey when I cut the dry cold turkey. Starting now, her cat would be much better before they go on vacation 6 wks from then). Told her to join here over and over. I checked in a few times with her, she was basically listening to vet and would start testing after vacation. So last night I see her cat has crossed the bridge. Her cat had a major seizure. They went to ER and glucose was 0. Started drip couldn't stop the seizure. Couldn't get the glucose up. Fearing severe neurological damage, they let the cat go. Of course she blames herself. When will vets learn they are not God? When will they learn to put some trust in us parents? When will they learn, insulin does kill if not administered properly? When will parents realize vets don't know everything? When will parents realize you don't need permission for everything? So your vet doesn't recommend home testing. So how will they know what you do at home unless they live with you. Home testing is not detrimental to cats health. It should be mandatory. When will needless deaths be prevented? WHEN WHEN WHEN?????

 

That is just awful. I wish vets would learn. Sending prayers for the family.

 

That is an awful consequence for that family. Hope Olive's new dose does as you want it to do.

 

This is so very upsetting especially when you'd been trying hard to steer the CG to this forum.

 

It seems to be the standard, the vets don't really encourage home testing. Apparently in vet school they don't spend much time on diabetes at all. I wish they would educate them more on the importance of home testing! Aurora could have died but I feel I was lead by an angel that day to go and buy the test strips, and supplies and test at home and that day she just happened to be low - if I would have shot over 2 units of insulin, she would have gone severely hypo over night and I never would have known.
I try to steer people here as well since I'm a member on some other general cat sites.

 

That is heartbreaking.

To answer one of your questions, when will parents realize the vets don't know everything? The CG you are speaking of probably just learned that very important lesson the hard way. It's tragic. I learned the lesson myself when my human daughter went through an ordeal as a baby. I think many of us are conditioned to blindly trust doctors and that they know what's best. Sometimes you only lose that faith and open your eyes when something unfortunate happens.

This isn't to knock doctors or vets either. They have a very difficult and unforgiving job, and I don't think any of them are in it to hurt people or animals and I believe, in almost all cases, they are doing what they think is best based on their knowledge and experience.

The most valuable lesson I learned with my unfortunate experience is that I am equally, if not more so, culpable as the doctors/vets when it comes to the health and safety of myself, my children, and my animals. Of course I don't have all of the education, training and experience as my healthcare providers, but I am perfectly capable of asking questions and saying I need to think about that, let me get back to you, and making informed decisions with my doctor/vet.

We have a responsibility to be active and informed participants in our healthcare and well being and to be our own advocate or the advocate of those that depend on us. Doctors can't know everything (as hard as they try) and sometimes we have the critical bit of information that makes all the difference between a good outcome and a bad one, yet we are quick to point the finger at healthcare providers when something goes awry. If something doesn't seem right, question it, not only is it your right to do so, it's your responsiblity. Healthcare needs to be a partnership and if your doctor or vet won't listen to you, that should not be your doctor or your vet (easier said than done with doctors, as our healthcare is a mess and some people don't have the choice to shop around, but that's a different rant).

Rest easy, sweet kitty.

 

How horrible! ugh.

Olive, work the increase little girl!

 

I hope I didn't mess up our progress by not increasing by .5. I'm hoping to ease her into the greens now. I'm second guessing myself. Maybe I should have waited for her to hit a green first.

 

How terribly sad; that kitty lost her life needlessly.
My vet did not agree with my home testing either although he did want me to do curves periodically. And then one of his cats became diabetic. He was shooting without testing and got home one day to find her in a coma. She spent 3 days in the coma but did come out of it and is ok. And he told me that he now understands why I test.

 

I hope he now recommends home testing to all his clients with diabetic cats!!

 

I get it, I really do. I was one who listened to my vet. I wasn't a social media person at all. Didn't know about the group's. I shot blind for a year. No curve was ever done on Smokey. When Smokey reached 5 units vet (not my current vet) said there was nothing else they could do. He was at max dose and could not go higher (what did I know). So DH says to me, just like people to much carbs probably because of the dry food. So that night no more dry food. Vet said it couldn't hurt, it would be a good experiment to see what happens. Not home testing. Rest is history, now we know what happens. It's how we got to fdmb and in all probability saved his life that night.

So I get it. But sometimes I just want to shake the CG into reality or say bring or give the cat to me. I'm no expert by any means but kitty would be safe and possibly not suffer from seizures.

 

I hope so too. I've even told him to give the other customer my name and I'd be happy to show them how to test etc. And of course one of the first things I'd do is to send them to this forum!