My 9 yr old, "The Dood" diagnosed last night. Newbie here.

Good morning all. Thankful beyond belief that I've found this website and all of you! I have 2 cats. Little Kitty, who I "inherited" several years ago from my son when he couldn't keep her in his apt. She's a tabby of unknown age. The other, Doody, is my black cat who is just a few months over 9 yrs old. He's been special to me since day one. He was born just a few days before I lost my husband to Lymphoma. We both listened to him, and the rest of the litter, being born, on speaker phone while in my husband's hospital room. This cat is soooo special to me!
Anyway, I'd been noticing that he wasn't as frisky as usual, and when I got home from work yesterday, he was trying to meow and nothing was coming out but a squeek! I rushed him to our Vet, and he was diagnosed with diabetes and has a kidney infection. My Vet asked me to decide what I wanted to do. No need to decide! I'm going to do what I need to do for my dear Dood! He stayed at the Vet's last night for IV fluids and his first insulin shot. I cried a few gallons of tears, slept very little, and got to my office at the usual 5:30 A.M! Thank-you caffeine!
I'm to stop in after work to find out more info. I'm determined to get him home and get on the path to doing whatever I need to do for him. Last night, thoughts of the expenses had me reeling, not to mention the fact that I travel often, and wouldn't always be home to monitor things. However, after reading your posts here, and realizing there are competent sitters (and boarding at the Vet office), I CAN DO THIS! No more tears!

 

Welcome Deborah. Yes, this is a good place to be. Lots of information and experienced, caring, knowledgeable people. Look around the forums, there are yellow tagged info and stickies at the top of the forums that contain valuable information. I also believe you can do this.

 

Welcome Deborah. If the tears need to come then let them. Then you dig deep down and pull yourself up, stand tall and jump in full force. I believe you can do this.

It is a possibility the kidney infection caused the glucose to be higher than normal. Should that be the case once infection is cleared up, glucose may go back to normal.

Please consider learning to home test despite what vet may say. After all he/she wanted you to make a choice. A human meter will be just fine to use.

 

Welcome! It's overwhelming and pretty devastating in the beginning, but it is not a death sentence, and treatment will become your new normal before you know it.

 

Welcome!!

 

Wow! Thanks to all of you for the kind posts! The Vet just phoned to say Dood had a very good night and did great. He even ate the food they gave him. I'll be heading to the store, after work, for Fancy Feast and Friskies Pate! No more dry! What a whirlwind 24 hours. Here, I was thinking he was just constipated or some other easy fix. I've had cats my entire life, but none with any health issues until now. My Vet is amazing, and I told him I'm online, reading and educating myself on here. He loved that! I pick up Doody later this evening, and will be taught what I need to do. Wish me luck....but I'm a warrior when it comes to taking care of loved ones. So this is just a slight turn in the road of life. Onward!

 

You got this! It is overwhelming at first, but it will all become routine! In fact, this whole process can create an even tighter bond between you and Dood! Good luck!

 

Thanks! You know, that "tighter bond" thought crossed my mind last night while in the throes of "what am I going to do!" I've always had a cat, and each is precious in their own way, but Dood is different. He just follows me everywhere I go in the house, and is just a pleasure to have. He was so tiny when I got him, that I could hold him in the palm of my hand. Before him, I'd always adopted the grown cats that I felt no one else would take, in order to save them. My grown children swear he thinks I'm his momma! LOL.

 

Can you post pics of Dood? Would love to meet him.

 

Golly! I figured out how to take a photo, from my Facebook page, put it on my work pc screen, adjust it's size and post it here after only getting about 4 hrs sleep last night! All while doing my work-type stuff here. I'm amazed!

 

I was able to get his picture as my avatar. He's a sweetheart, for sure. Truly, most trusting cat I've ever had. I won't be surprised if he leaps into my arms when I get him tonight, from the Vet.

 

Beautiful.

 

Aw, thanks! So is your furbaby!

 

It you have time today, before you go cat food shopping, consider getting a blood glucose meter for home testing. Dood is going to be on a wet, low carb diet, and that can lower BG. You will want to know if that is happening to keep Doody safe. There is information in the Healthlinks/FAQs forum stickies, below this forum, as well as in other info and stickies. It you would like to throw some questions out about this, and get input from other members, start a new thread in the Main Forum. More eyes on it, and experienced recommendations.

 

Thanks again! Finding this site was a God-send for me this morning. My anxiety level has gone down so much.

 

Welcome!

 

I definitely cried... Pretty much the first 12 hours after my cat was diagnosed. But here I am two years later and she's doing great. We are here for you and will help you every step of the way.

 

Good morning all! Thought I'd give an update. After a $943 Vet bill, I have Doody home. Goodbye hopes of a new refrigerator this summer. :-(
They had everything ready and bagged up for me, and I was too exhausted to challenge it, so here's the deal right now:
He has a week's worth of the Physician MD wet food. I take him in for a glucose check in a week, so I plan to tell them "no more of this $2 per can stuff! Fancy Feast it will be!"
They gave me a box of 100 syringes, and a bottle of Lantus insulin, which I'm supposed to give him 1 unit of every 12 hours. They said the bottle may last me for 3-4 months. I hope it does! $$$$$$$
He's also taking 1/2 tablet of Baytril every 12 hours for the UTI he has.
He's looking and acting great! Although he pee'd in his carrier on the ride home from the Vet. Always fun to work 12 hours, and get to clean pee from your sick cat on the front porch when you get home. Oh well....the things we do for love.
He ate a lot of the Science diet last night. That was good. However, this morning, I needed to give him his insulin and could NOT get him to eat. You see, I get up at 4 a.m. to get ready for work. I leave the house at 5. Doody's routine is to wake up with me, allow me to pet him for 5 minutes, and then give me a look that says, "I pity you, poor human, but scurry off to work now so you can keep a roof over our heads and food in my dish!" He never gets off the bed in the morning. So, no matter how I tried (and I did everything but stand on my head), I could NOT get him to eat this morning. I still gave him the 1 unit of insulin.
So....did I kill my cat?
I had to leave for work. I couldn't wait any longer to try to get him to eat. I'm worried, but am hoping the low dosage won't hurt him, without food.

 

Lol no you didn't kill your cat. Lantus doesn't kick in for a few hours. The insulin should last that long, yes. When it's time for more supplies, Adwdiabetes.com has good prices for syringes or try Walmart. Many order lantus from Marks Marine pharmacy in Canada for half the price you get it in the US. You could get a years supply for about $170.

You will want to get a home testing meter so you can make sure she's high enough to shoot though.

 

Ah! Relief! Thanks soooo much Janet! The poor guy was looking at me like I was insane this morning....following him around with a bowl of food, saying things like, "Yummy Yum Yum, and Nom, Nom, Din, Din!" If there'd have been a hidden camera in my house this week, I'd hit the top of the TV ratings for a comedy reality series.
I'm hoping, after all of this, I have someone following me around this evening with a martini or two saying, "Yummy Yum Yum!"
I love my Vet. I truly do. And, he and his father, who are both in the practice are also friends of mine socially. But.....at next week's check up, I am telling them I'm going to feed Fancy Feast and do my own checks. I'm definitely not made of $! I'll take Doody in every now and then for them to make sure he's doing fine. Thanks for all the info on supplies. I knew I was paying out the "%#!@" for everything, but didn't want to rock the boat when I saw they had it all bagged and ready for me.

 

I'd watch your reality show. Thanks for the morning chuckle. Is it possible you could leave his food out? That way he can munch when he wants to.

 

Welcome! You've been given good advice already. Learning to test Dood's blood glucose at home will save you a lot of money and anxiety. This is the best place ever for all the help and support you need.

 

In the morning, at least, when I have to leave for work, it looks like I'll have to leave the food out. Hopefully, my other cat, Little Kitty (who's name is soooo wrong for her! She's shaped like a beer barrel!) will leave him a scrap of the uber expensive stuff! She's always hogged food and poor Doody stands back and waits for her, before he eats. Ironic that he's the one with Diabetes. In the evenings, I can put out 2 plates for them and monitor, but that darn thing called WORK will interfere on weekday mornings.

 

At some point you might consider buying one of those electronic feeders that opens only for the kitty wearing a special collar.

 

You are in a great place! Welcome