Thursday, May 31, 2012

Max in a Million


We interrupt our regularly scheduled sewing to share the latest veterinary crisis in the household.  It's tubby tabby #2, otherwise known as Max, Maxwell Peapod, Moo, Meow Cow, Cowkitten, Max-in-a-million and the Portly Gentleman.

When I got home from NY, Max wasn't his usual slow-moving self (he's 14, and he likes a quiet life); he was downright lethargic.  When he didn't do his usual tapdance for pizza the next night, I got worried and took him to the vet Friday.  Since it was a holiday weekend, his blood tests didn't come back until Tuesday.  Nothing like pins and needles . . . and not the sewing kind.  It was a long weekend.

Turns out my big boy is diabetic.  Vet says it's pretty unusual at his age, but he's pretty healthy otherwise and we're going to try to manage this so it has as little impact on Max's life as possible.  Today he went back to the vet to provide a urine sample (which he failed/refused and/or didn't have any of to offer last week) and once that's back tomorrow we'll work out his treatment plan.

Can you believe they have glucose meters for cats?  I didn't either.  What I could do: prick his ear every morning and test his blood to determine his exact dose of insulin, which then gets injected into the scruff of his neck where there's lots of loose skin.  Or I could just use the baseline dose that the vet will determine and inject him while he's chowing down on his new high protein, no-grain wet cat food.  Not quite as accurate, but a lot easier and less painful on both of us in the early morning.

I had a diabetic cat years ago.  It didn't end well.  But Max is a very different personality, and I think this will be okay.  I've chosen the less intensive treatment because he's 14, and whatever time he has left (and it could be years), I'd prefer it not to be filled with the stress of his illness; he can tolerate a needle stick while eating in the morning.

Here's hoping they don't find anything else unpleasant in his test results tomorrow.

8 comments:

Maryissewfast said...

Sorry to hear that Karen, but they have come a long way in managing diabetes in animals. My MIL border collie lived for years with the disease and daily insuling and my BIL's cat is still going strong and is as ornery as ever. Here's hoping that Max will do the same.

gMarie said...

Oh Max-in-a-Million - be a good boy and don't be mad at momma when she does the little pinch. It will make you feel better. g

Lorinda said...

I hope Max-in-a-Million does well with his meds, he has a good Mommy caretaker.

Just this weekend my son asked me how Archie was. When Archie took over the blog I had read Archie's post aloud.

Elaray said...

Karen, please tell me: How do you get a urine sample from a cat?

annie said...

This has been a very bad season for pets. Glad yours can be helped. He certainly looks healthy and well-loved. Keep us posted.

Rosie said...

So sorry about Max's health issue and glad you can manage it. Keep us posted and here's to hoping everything else is fine.

Barbara said...

I've had two diabetic cats and neither one, as you put it, ended well. Glad you have the previous experience to help you and Max deal with this. Here's hoping you two have many more years together. He's a lovely gentleman.

melissa said...

Oh, poor Max! The things we do for furry love, eh?