rough day...

[Flying Crane]

My cat, Beowulf, was just diagnosed with Diabetes. He is about 4 1/2 years old, and has had asthma for almost all his life. We have had him treated with steroid injections to keep the athsma under control, but one possible side effect of these injections is that it can lead to diabetes. Well, today we got confirmation that he in fact has developed diabetes. We will be discussing this more with the doctor, how to treat him, with insulin injections. It sounds like it is possible to control the two diseases, and he may continue to live a long and healthy life. It's a bummer, tho, and we're feeling pretty down today. He is an exceptionally sweet and affectionate cat.

Just wanted to vent a bit, I guess.

 

[Carol]

All the best to you and Beowulf, Michael :asian:

 

[SFC JeffJ]

Sorry to hear that about your cat. I hope everything works out ok. Keep us posted.

Jeff

 

[shesulsa]

Awwwww ... poor kitty ....

You all are in my thoughts today, Crane.

 

[matt.m]

My friend this is certainly very sad news. Please, keep your spirits up though. It may help your cat. Animals are quite intuitive as to the mood of their owners and respond accordingly.

At least that is how my dog is. I am sorry again to hear of your bum day.

Matt

 

[kimballmaster]

I'm sorry about your little friend. At very least he has you to love him. I hope for miracles a lot and sometimes I even ask my true master "God" for help. Sometimes it works but it always makes me feel less powerless.
Kimball

 

[Kacey]

That's really rough... on the other hand, it's good for your cat that you care so much and are willing to help manage his illnesses; I know people who would not provide care at that level for a pet. Best wishes to Beowulf and his people.

 

[Jade Tigress]

Well that really sucks. *big hugs* I'm sorry for your poor kitty. Fortunately with the advances in veterinary medicine her chances for a long, happy life should be high. Keep posted on her progress.

 

[Shodan]

I, too, am sorry to hear about your little cat. I have had cats around my whole life and know how close you can become to them. Give your cat lots of TLC and attention- that helps keep up the health too. I hope everything turns out okay.

 

[Kensai]

That sucks mate. I love cats, I admire them. It can be successfully managed though, just takes more work. Like Jeff said, let us know how he's doing. Good luck mate.

Kensai

 

[Xue Sheng]

Sorry to hear about Beowulf.

If it is any consolation I worked with a guy that gave his cat insulin injections for the 7 years I knew him.

However the his cat did not have as cool a name.

 

[Drac]

My friend this is certainly very sad news. Please, keep your spirits up though. It may help your cat. Animals are quite intuitive as to the mood of their owners and respond accordingly

Matt is correct..We have 6 cats and believe me they know if there is something wrong..They read us..Praying for the best for you both...

 

[Brother John]

Sorry to hear that man. Pets mean a lot to many people. I lost my favorite dog several years ago, WarLock, and I still miss him.
Pets, like the people in your life that are close...
Appreciate them and Love them with all you've got...EVERY day.

Best wishes for you guys...

Your Brother
John

 

[terryl965]

Flying crane sorry to hear about your pet is anything like ours they are family and not just a pet. I can certainly understand your concerns but my mother cat live almost 11 getting shots.
Terry

 

[Ceicei]

Sorry this had to happen. The two diseases are managable. You might want to look into pet insurance if you haven't already.

- Ceicei

 

[donna]

Sorry to hear about your cat. By the way I love the name you gave him

 

[HKphooey]

Sorry to hear about your cat.

 

[Flying Crane]

Thank you everyone for all your well wishes, it reminds me of why I am part of this community, with all the good-hearted and caring people here.

I will pick up the insulin today from the vet and get started with his injections tonight, twice a day for the rest of his life. There is a very slim chance that his pancreas could begin functioning again and produce insulin on his own, but that is not really to be hoped for. In addition, we have to continue to control his asthma. He will no longer get the steroid injections. INstead, we are administering an inhalant once or twice a day. It doesn't work as well as the injections, but the risks of side effects are much much less. It also has the inconvenience of having to be done every day, where the injections were done every couple of months or so. I do regret that we didn't switch to the inhalant sooner. Perhaps we could have avoided the diabetes issue if we had done so, but we did what seemed right at the time and I guess that's all you can ever do. You can't go back and second-guess every decision that you make. You just have to make the best choice that you can and then be willing to accept the results.

In a way I am looking forward to getting started with his treatment. He has been mopy for a while, low energy and stuff. Maybe once we get his system regulated again, his old personality will start to re-emerge.

I was never a cat person. I grew up with dogs, and didn't have a lot of interest in cats. But my wife had cats when she was young, so when we moved into an apartment that allows them, we got two of them. I was surprised at how quickly I fell in love with them. In fact, in the early days we discovered that I have a mild allergy to the cats. I can break out in a rash if my exposure to cat dander is too great. At the time, we were not sure if we could keep them, but I had already fallen in love with them and the thought of giving them up just about broke my heart. Luckily, we discovered that if we make an effort to keep the apartment clean, sweep and mop and vacuum regularly, I seem to have no problems whatsoever. The occasional sponge bath for the cats, using simple distilled water, also helps neutralize the dander. I have not had any outbreaks in a couple of years, and most of my outbreaks, after the first one, were quite mild.

Anyway, I guess having them has taught me a lot about unconditional love. They accept us for who we are, and all I can do is the same in return. They drive me nuts, keep me awake at night, scratch up the furniture, but I guess I just love 'em, and I'm dedicated to taking care of them in the best way that I can, come hell or high water.

Thanks also to those who like his name. I always loved the Beowulf poem, and thought there were some great names for pets in that story. Yes, our other cat, even though she is a female, is named Grendel. I don't think she has been sick a day in her life.