gizmo Turkish van & Erin
New Member
I wish I could attach pictures, but I don’t know how and I’m not really sure if this is the right place to put this. I am a little confused on how this site works so far My name is Erin. I am 35. I live in Western Massachusetts with my cats name is gizmo. He was diagnosed a diabetic six years ago. He’s a Turkish van cat (Nicknamed the swimming cat breed )he’s 15 years old He was rescued as a kitten He was Later found out to be stolen and then left in A box inside A large dumpster At the airport, he had two broken back legs and required surgery a lot of love and rehab. He was my first cat I did not find him a friend of mine did the same week I had been diagnosed with not one but two devastating illnesses at the time I was told I had breast cancer. I was Young and well into college and a career I loved working with animals and children as a therapeutic horseback riding instructor ,and at the same time I got the cancer diagnosisI had been diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy I lost all function on the left side of my body. I was devastated and Now on from work to begin treatment for myself, I was having a pity party, And at the time did not want To live life anymore, the rug had been pulled out from underneath my feet and then I got the phone call from my friend asking me if I could rehab this little kitten she found because she was working full-time And unable to give him all the feedings medication physical therapy he was going to need at first I said no The CIDP Had left me unable, To walk. Get dressed or bathe myself. And I was supposed to be starting chemotherapy I thought how could I take care of this kitten if I can’t take care of myself she didn’t take no for an answer and I’m glad she didn’t. He saved me in every way I was stubborn. He made me fight to get stronger so that I could feed him and help him learn to walk again we have went through so much together and then in 2019, he was diagnosed with diabetes after being rushed to the hospital due to DKA he pulled through and has been on two units of insulin twice a day ever since I have tried desperately to check his sugars. I read endless hours of literature and acquired many injuries attempting and finally that I decided Trying to check his sugar daily, was doing more harm than good. It was ruining our bond Causing him extreme stress and refusing to eat he was a dry food addict and we did overcome that the first year he ate the wet DM until he refused that we’ve tried many different brands as I’m sure others have. He usually doesn’t stick to one Longer than six months before I have to rotate mainly he has eaten Friskies fancy feast purina pro plan Sheba tiki cat wernuva he hates pate. It has to be chunky or shredded. Very rarely. Does he like anything in a seafood category and would definitely prefer I give him anything with cheese on it, but he’s always been quite interesting. We have to guard our coffee cups. He has always had an interest in coffee and would love nothing more than to steal your cheeseburger. About 2 1/2 years ago, he went to the hospital when he lost his appetite and they thought he may have had a bout of pancreatitis. He pulled through it fine and went back to business as usual and then Almost a year ago he had dental surgery for a bad tooth. His had some issues with medications. They think he may have had a seizure from bupornex and had some complications with one of the anesthesia they used but he recovered very quickly and went back to normal up until a little over three weeks. Now he had a toenail that was growing into the bottom of his foot pad so he went into the vet to have those trimmed. He has to be sedated when he goes to the vet, he gets very fractious He was Given an antibiotic shot to be on the safe side and came home. He had some trouble coming out of the anesthesia and his appetite wasn’t good and it hasn’t been since and has only gotten worse. We’ve been into the vet four times we’ve done bloodwork poop samples, and I’ve tried about 20 different types of food and toppers and human food with on and off success he seems to be waxing and waning we have tried putting a freestyle libre on him that did not work out. He does not like to wear collars. He doesn’t allow you to touch anything lower than his shoulder blades he never has. I’ve always thought it had something to do with the injuries as a kitten and he developed neuropathy with the diabetes. It’s tough to say how well controlled he is. He’s always drank excessively and peed excessively, but his kidneys liver. Everything looks great on lab work every time they’ve checked his sugar in office. It’s been high, but they associate that To his distress When having to go to the vet, we did B12 cerenia And fluids twice in the office, he will not let me give him any medication‘s orally we tried pro viable he does not want it. The vet has been talking about Euthanasia and does not feel he could withstand being sedated again for ultrasounds He vomited a handful of times and he’s definitely salivating. He hasn’t been drinking on his own in the last five days. They gave him fluids yesterday, but for the most part, I have been able to get him to eat half of the amount he usually does but previously he was eating Friskies chunky gravy much higher carb than what he’s eating at the moment which is tiki cat chicken and broth. When we got home from the vet yesterday, she gave me fluids to attempt to give him at home and he received Another B12 and nausea medication shot. He came home hungry For dinner but buy breakfast it was a fight just to get enough in him to give him half a dose of insulin, his fuitosimine test Showed He has been running low sugars For the last couple weeks but his sugar in office was in the 300s so she did not suggest changing the dose. He is normally believe it or not a very loving kitty. I have a golden retriever service dog and they are best friends and he acts more dog like then my dog does He usually follows me everywhere, and rides the stair chair with me to the second floor for bedtime, but has not wanted to do that in two weeks. I have been sleeping on the couch in the living room with him and I have been just hoping if I keep getting food and insulin in him, he will come around but the vet thinks that this doesn’t look like he is going to come out of it and he may have some sort of underlying cancer or G.I. complication I am financially limited and I’m finding that I hate myself right now for not having the physical ability to get regular blood readings or fight him to get oral medication in and I feel like I’m failing him and I’m terrified to lose him, but I’m also terrified that he might be suffering and I just don’t know how to let goHe has been sick many times before, but his personality is different this time around I know they can’t live forever, but I don’t know how to say goodbye I don’t know what I am asking for in this post. Advice on how to save him for support and strength to make the hardest decision of my life. He has been my best friend, he saved my life in so many ways which is why it was very easy to make the decision to treat the diabetes but I wished I could’ve been better for him every time I am a hospitalized he stops eating, he gets depressed and doesn’t like the change and I’m so grateful to the vets for stepping in and helping him I receive a Immunoglobulin and chemotherapy at home through my port I’m immune compromised last year. I went into septic shock And fell into a coma and I was in the ICU for a month His veterinary office stepped in, and helped him when I couldn’t, They have been great to us, I don’t think they’re wrong. He wouldn’t make it through all those awful tests And more sedation especially the ones that require fasting. Or another surgery,…And I definitely wouldn’t want him to go through chemotherapy i’m so heartbroken and terrified to make the wrong decision because none of them feel right
