my cat has so many health problems and won't accept treatment

[Gingersnap]

I just got back from the vet with my cat Barney. He spent the weekend there, was diagnosed with diabetes. Anyway, I had to wait about an hour in the waiting room to pick him up because apparently he wouldn't let anyone there remove him from his cage for a final blood test, and got so upset he peed on himself in his box. So they didn't do the blood test or wash him and on the way home he shit in the box. Anyway, he seems okay now, adjusting to be home, but I am supposed to bring him in every AM this week for blood tests and I can't imagine he'll let one happen next time.

The cat is impossible about taking pills, being brushed etc. He has had cancer twice and a multitude of other health problems, including irritable bowel syndrome, for which we were supposed to give him pills but he wouldn't take them. I know how to give a cat pills, but between the hubby and me we could barely get them in his mouth. He would fake us out about swallowing and spit them out behind a chair.

Anyway, I'm feeling super frustrated and hopeless about him getting his health back and guilty for not wanting to do these daily doctor appointments.

[Mari333]

1. This is very hard to go thru

Im so sorry.//I have a cat in the hospital with leukemia right now and even after a blood transfusion hes not faring well..
When the Vet said the only thing I can do is take him to Mi State University, I said no.
She understood...shes hoping, as he recuperates, he makes it. Its 50/50 if he does.
I can do no more. If it becomes too much for you and the cat, there reaches a point where quality of life takes priority for both you and your animal.
I may have to make a decision soon, as Im sure you do, one way or the other. I know how hard this is, and dont feel guilty.

[alcuno]

8. Mari, I'm sorry to hear about your cat.

I hope things work out for you.

[jokerman93]

12. From A Cat Lover Too

It sounds like poor Barney is pretty depressed right now. He's been sick so much and now this.

My boy-cat Jack came home from the hospital just yesterday after a little surgery (injuries from fighting). I can just imagine what you might be going through, and I second the wise advice from Mari333 *nods*.

Hang in there. I say, enjoy what time you have with Barney now. Let him know how important he is to you.

Who knows? It might help him perk up!

(jack's fine by the way.)

Good Vibrations to Ya,
Jokerman

[Dookus]

2. sorry to hear it...

I had a cat with diabetes. Just lost her two weeks ago this week. It can be really tough. Luckily, Polly was really good about getting her injections. I had another cat, though, that if he'd needed daily shots, I would've had him put down, because there's no WAY he would've endured it.

Here's a great site for dealing with feline diabetes:

www.felinediabetes.com

There, you can learn how to do your OWN blood testing on your kitty without having to take him to the vet. I wish you the best. How old is Barney, btw? That will bear a lot on how aggressively you wish to treat him.

[Gingersnap]

5. thanks, will look at the site

my husband is an MD and we were just discussing that it would be less traumatic for Barney if he took his blood at home and we took the sample to the vet, rather than make him go in the cage again.

He's 12 and aside from his stubborness about healthcare, is the best cat we've ever had. A great big (big, that diabetes is from a weight problem, I'm sure) bluepoint siamese.

[WWW]

23. hey really sorry

I too have a siamese and she also has health problems. When she had bronchitus a while back she would not take her pills. I found that taking her for a walk and then lying down on the ground with her and giving her a pill wrapped in turkey mid way thru her walk was always a success. It seemed that if I got her out of the house she was less inclined to not take her medicine... I did the same thing with my kids, if i had to give them medication, I would give it to them in the cereal aisle at the local grocrey story, they weren't expecting it and took it because they didn't want to cause a scene. I too worry about Izzy's weight. She and our slowly dying dog go for a walk every day for about an hour.I also worry about how much I love her and what it will do to me when I lose her. Siamese are just such wonderful cats. Again so sorry. I would also vote for having the blood sample taken at home...

[DuctapeFatwa]

3. Substitute petting for brushing for a while

If there is a pet counselor where you live, preferably one that makes house calls, try talking to her/him, you and Barney together, and also separately.

You will just have to go into intensive caregiver mode for a while, his best chance for making it is to be as loved as possible, in connection with the less pleasant medical treatments.

[alcuno]

4. Hi Gingersnap. I have had a diabetic cat for 4 years.

But Magee doesn't seem to have the health problems that Barney has. When he was first diagnosed, I was freaked out. I found a great website but I must warn you, the people there are obsessive about feline diabetes. It's
http://felinediabetes.com

I hope things go well for you and Barney. If you have any questions, let me know.

[patdem]

6. I have a cat...(all indoor of course)...fixed who is about 18

her daughter who is about 17...got taken to the vets once...besides being fixed...because as a kitten she seemed alergic to the flea bath I gave her...that was the only time either was at the vet as a sick animal. I may be just lucky...but none of my cats have EVER seemed sick!

I have two others...a male...not fixed ( who never goes out )..and anther female, fixed who loves the porch.....I feel very bad about the boy ...I need to have him fixed

[Gingersnap]

10. you have good luck

my other cat, Mona is 10 and the only time I've had to take her in (aside from shots) was when she got an eye infection. But Barney's a whole different story.

[AnnabelLee]

7. I'm sorry Barney is sick

I know how hard it is to watch an animal get so upset about going to the vet that you wonder if the cure isn't worse than what ails him. I don't know what you can do, short of sedating him, to make it more bearable for him. I would talk to the vet & tell him/her that you are worried about the effect the repeated visits & blood tests are having on Barney. Maybe the vet can figure out a way to reduce the number of tests that are needed.

On the pill thing--I always use what is called a pill-pusher, to shoot the pills right at the back of the cat's throat, so they have no choice but to swallow them. It might work for you, if you haven't already tried one.

Good luck, & best wishes to Barney.:hug:

[grasswire]

9. how old is he?

If he's an old cat, maybe it's time to think about giving some respect to his autonomy as a living creature and make him comfortable and let him go gently.

I made that decision recently regarding my 17-year-old cat Chester, who has hyperthroidism and its associated troubles. He fought the attempt to inject fluids, he fights pilling, and he fights my attempts to give him nutrition with an eyedropper. He has gone from 20 pounds to 7 pounds.

I decided to make him comfortable and let him go in his own way, my dear old pal. I wash him and provide him with a broad variety of things to eat as he can, and give him Pepcid for his upset stomach and a nutritional supplement for calories.

I feel a lot better about this. I didn't want our remaining time to be mostly about fighting over pills and treatment. He isn't suffering. When that time comes, I'll have a vet send him on the rainbow bridge.

The other alternative for you might be finding a vet who makes house calls or has a technician who can do house calls.

[Gingersnap]

11. Barney's 12

and aside from the obesity (over 20 lbs) and peeing and drinking all the time, the only symptoms of his diabetes were that he seemed super lazy and fatigued all the time. So I don't think he's suffering right now. I guess the decision will have to be whether or not we treat this, aside from diet changes.

I feel so bad. Our other cat eats the same food, lives the same lazy cat life and is not overweight and has no health problems, so it isn't that we have given them an unhealthy lifestyle.

[FlemingsGhost]

13. Agreed.

I know it's not what a devoted pet caregiver wants to hear, but...

[AlGore-08.com]

14. If the cat take pills - - is there a compounding pharamacy in your area?

Sorry, I don't know much about feline diabetes. My 17 year old cat, Boudicca, has had hyperthyroidism for over a year and was just diagnosed two weeks ago with kidney disease. She's not going to be with us much longer - - a few months, year if I'm lucky.

When she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, my vet sent me to a compounding pharmacist who mixed her medicine with tripple fish flavored oil. Boudicca thought that her medicine was the greatest treat ever. It was great not to have to fight the cat to medicate her.

Right now her medicine is a prescription diet and subcutaneous fluids. I'm pretty surprised at how easily she accepts me giving her fluids, she even purrs when I do it. But she's always let me do just about anything to her - - she's the best cat I ever had. I'm really going to miss her when she's gone.

Good luck with your cat - - it's tough, I know.

[grasswire]

15. good point...

...and some meds can be compounded to be given transdermally by rubbing inside the ear skin.

[Paragon]

16. My vet makes house calls

In fact, that's all she does - little business she created for herself. Getting my hellcat to and from a vet's office is stressful for both of us. We both took some joy in tossing the "kitty karrier" in the dumpster.

[Lady President]

17. Another diabetic cat mommy

I also have a diabetic cat and understand how tough this process can be. Have you talked to the vet about giving your cat injections instead of pills? I know a lot of people are uncomfortable with the idea at first, but I found the injections much less tramatic on both of us. (Btw, you give the shots in the scruff of the neck where the skin is very thick and they never even flinch.)

Did your vet discuss Barney's food? I special order a high protein/low carb. dry cat food for my cat. Since he started eating it I've progessively needed to give him less insulin which is easier on his system. Did they give you the little testers to check the sugar level in his urine. It is not as exact as a blood test, but it could save a few vet visits. Plus, it's good to check his urine because he's at a greater risk of urinary tract infections.

My other cat is awful about pills. You might want to try crushing up the pill (assuming it isn't time released,) mixing it with Catlax, and smearing it on his paw. This works pretty well for me. I've also be able to give her some liquid medicine.

Good luck and just do the best you can. :hug:

[Gingersnap]

18. my vet didn't tell me anything

he said we need to figure out how to regulate him (by daily vet visits) before changing diet or anything. I'm afraid I won't even be able to get him in his kitty carrier tomorrow (he HATES it). I looked at some of the diabetic cat sites and now the seriousness of all this is sinking in. I feel hopeless and worry that I'll never be able to learn to do all the home stuff myself (and hubby is never home).

[grasswire]

19. hmm

Would it be possible for someone to swaddle Barney in a towel and hold him for the ride to the vet?

Getting a mad cat OUT of a carrier can be a real trick, too. It would seem so much kinder to find a way to have someone make home visits. It might be even worth changing vets. The cat's feeling crappy, the stress of going out makes him feel worse.

[Lady President]

22. Is there another vet in the area?

I hate to tell you to switch vets because I am certainly not an animal expert, but someone who knows a lot about diabetes will make things easier on you.

I can't understand why they would want to regulate before changing foods because you'll just have to 're-regulate' him after the switch.

The other thing is that daily vet visits might not be very telling. If he starts to realize he's going to the vet at the same time everyday, he'll go into fight or flight mode which effects the tests. Also, the vet should want to do a glucous curve where they test the blood every 2 hours to see how he's processing the medicine. You don't want a fast insulin rise that tapers off too quickly. He'd have to stay at the vet for the whole day, but it's more accurate. With my cat we did a day long curve once a month for three months, but this eliminated daily visits. Now it's every 3-6 months depending how he's feeling.

The best advice I have is to use common sense. Once he's on his medication you can tell if things aren't right. If he seems tired, his fur look dulls, or he's still drinking way too much, go back to the vet. I brought paper and took notes at the vet. They thought I was crazy, but this was scary to me at first and I wanted to be sure I knew what to do. Also, I live alone and I've learned to handle it and you will too! :)

[dkf]

20. Don't worry. It's not so bad.

In the beginning I was freaking out too. My poor Lucy cat had lost 3 pounds and was drinking water and peeing like crazy. In the beginning the shots were difficult as heck and every morning we had to drag her out from under the bed.

7 months later and she's absolutely great! I still can't give her pills, but amazingly, shots are easier to give.

Two times a day, my mom or dad hugs her and I pinch by her neck (the same place that cats carry their kittens) give her the shot and it is no big deal.

One hint, pinch kinda hard. I think that helps to disguise the needle prick. Another hint, get the thinnest gauge needle you can find. I'm using the short ones.

In the end, my Lucy and I are closer than we ever were before her diabetes. Ironic, huh?

BTW, Lucy also had IBS which was being caused by the cat food we were feeding her. I switched her to this organic food which really helps. Nowadays when I buy her food, I stay away from stuff that has byproducts. It's unbelievable what goop they try to feed to our pets nowadays.

[Don_G]

21. I Don't Know What To Tell You

All I can do is to suggest---if it comes to that---holding your cat in your arms while the Vet puts him away.

He's always been a family friend and deserves nothing less than the love, trust and respect that he's given you for years. I don't think "Cat" but I can't concieve of a better way to go than in the arms of someone I love.

Sorry I can't help any further....

[progressiverealist]

24. wow, sorry about this.

Sick kittys are hard. We've been through things like this recently. Here's hoping for the best. But don't feel guilty. You're obviously a loving owner. That is clear.

:hug: