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canaaMy cat Misto, who I've had since I was fifteen (that's 14 years - almost half my life to this point) was diagnosed with diabetes this past summer. At the time, he spent most of his days near-catatonic. We kept him in a room with an easy-to-clean floor because he couldn't make it to the catbox. Since then, with insulin and a special home-made diet, he's been almost an entirely different cat. He's had energy, been happy, purred, climbed on laps, cuddled in bed at night. He mothered the new kitten we brought home, and resumed his habit of grooming all the other cats that had been interrupted when his health nosedived.
Unfortunately, that is over now. Last night, Misto had some sort of attack - we aren't certain if it was prompted by low blood sugar, high blood sugar, a brain tumor, or a stroke; the end result is that he's blind, unable to eat or drink on his own, and regularly having seizures. I sat with him for seven and a half hours through the night, uncertain if he was even going to survive, until mom got up to relieve me and take him to the vet once they opened.
The vet thinks it's most likely a brain tumour. Insulin seems to make him worse; we're on vet orders to reduce him from six units a day to one a day. But it's not all from the insulin, and if he can't eat except via us putting liquefied food down his throat with a syringe, and can't have insulin, despite still having high blood sugar from his diabetes...
We're going to see if there's any improvement by Monday, and take him to our usual vet. If he hasn't improved, we're going to have to have him put to sleep.
Tonight, he's in the big dog crate, and I am regularly getting liquids into him. His seizures have reduced, but he still has them on occasion, so I can't even hold him - when he has one, he bites whoever is holding him, uncontrollably. Thankfully, he seems to be able to avoid biting his own tongue.
He seems to be in less pain than last night, and we have a few doses of Valium from the vet to give him if he seems especially bad.
Losing pets is always horrible, but this kind of thing is the worst. I feel useless, and helpless, and it hurts so much.
Unfortunately, that is over now. Last night, Misto had some sort of attack - we aren't certain if it was prompted by low blood sugar, high blood sugar, a brain tumor, or a stroke; the end result is that he's blind, unable to eat or drink on his own, and regularly having seizures. I sat with him for seven and a half hours through the night, uncertain if he was even going to survive, until mom got up to relieve me and take him to the vet once they opened.
The vet thinks it's most likely a brain tumour. Insulin seems to make him worse; we're on vet orders to reduce him from six units a day to one a day. But it's not all from the insulin, and if he can't eat except via us putting liquefied food down his throat with a syringe, and can't have insulin, despite still having high blood sugar from his diabetes...
We're going to see if there's any improvement by Monday, and take him to our usual vet. If he hasn't improved, we're going to have to have him put to sleep.
Tonight, he's in the big dog crate, and I am regularly getting liquids into him. His seizures have reduced, but he still has them on occasion, so I can't even hold him - when he has one, he bites whoever is holding him, uncontrollably. Thankfully, he seems to be able to avoid biting his own tongue.
He seems to be in less pain than last night, and we have a few doses of Valium from the vet to give him if he seems especially bad.
Losing pets is always horrible, but this kind of thing is the worst. I feel useless, and helpless, and it hurts so much.
