Nothing happens by accident

    

I must get a bit existential to tell this story.  I had a couple of patients and clients today  that made me take a look at the concept of nothing happens by accident, allow me to explain:

AlphaTRAK 2 system

My first appointment today was to euthanize one of my diabetic patients, Cleo.  She was unable to walk due to diabetic neuropathy (loss of sensation and motor control of limbs) and severe arthritis. Cleo's owners had gone the extra distance with her treatment, including giving her fluids and insulin at home.  They checked her blood sugar on a regular basis to regulate her diabetes using the AlphaTRAK 2 Blood Glucose monitoring system she had purchased ( Alphatrak by Bayer is a glucometer calibrated specifically for cats and dogs).  Cleo's "mom" donated her AlphaTRAK 2  for another owner not able to afford the price.  Checking blood sugars at home are integral to regulating a cat's diabetes.  Before AlphaTRAK 2, cats would have to make the trip into the clinic to have their blood sugar checked on a regular basis.  When cats are stressed they have an elevation of their blood sugar, some cats can have blood sugar in excess of 200 when stressed.  Normal blood sugar for a cat is 70-140.  Results in the clinic were not reflective of what was going on at home which made regulating diabetes challenging.  Cleo's sugar was well regulated by her owner because they used the AlphaTRAK 2.  It is sad for the staff and I to say good bye to a patient we have spent so much time with.  I know how hard it was for Cleo's family to say good bye.  

Several hours later I had Domino, another diabetic patient, in my exam room.  Because his owner had lost her job earlier this year she was unable to afford to treat his diabetes.  His sustained high blood sugar was causing diabetic neuropathy.  He was having a very difficult time walking.  When I realize how the generous gift from Cleo's mom would improve Domino's life I could not hold back my emotions and I started to cry.  There wasn't a dry eye in the exam room once I had composed myself enough to tell Domino's mom Cleo's story.  She will now have the ability to regulate Domino's diabetes from home and improve his diabetic neuropathy and quality of life.

Knowing that Domino will lead a better life has helped Cleo's mom cope with the loss of her beloved pet. 

I just love this story, especially at this time of year.  I think another angel got its wings...

=^..^=

Dr. Sheila Smullen, DVM

For more information about AlphaTRAK 2, diagnosing or regulating diabetes in your feline friend, please call Capricorn Clinic for Cats (815) 838-4646.

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Parasite Purr-man

My apologies to Cat Chat followers. Writing blogs is more challenging than I thought it would be. I will make an effort to blog more often. Thank you for your understanding. So here we go again:

Our beloved "Louis" was originally called "Bug boy" because he was infested with many internal and external parasites. Mr. Louis Burgo was our exterminator, it felt right to name this cat after him. Mr. Burgo was delighted, thankfully. Mr. Burgo passed away several years ago and our "Louis" is a living tribute to his memory.

"Louis" was extremely thin and his coat was dry and matted. His sweet disposition was the only thing we saw though. We treated him for fleas, tapeworms, ascarids (roundworms), coccidia, and hookworms.. He also tested positive for heart worm and the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).

Let's address the FIV first. Many people think FIV is a death sentence. In fact, there are a number of shelters that still euthanize FIV positive cats. FIV, unlike feline leukemia virus (FeLV), is not transmitted by casual contact. FIV is transmitted through sexual contact and deep penetrating bite wounds, the kind of wounds suffered in cat fights between un-neutered tomcats. Both FIV and FeLV are diagnosed most frequently in un-neutered males. This is one of the main reasons for neutering cats, it decreases the fighting thus decreasing the transmission of disease and pestilence. "Louis" has, in fact, help to raise several kittens that have never tested positive for FIV. "Louis" has been affectionately nicknamed Uncle Louie. FIV can lower a cat's immunity making them more susceptible to different infections. It can also predispose cats to several different cancers. There are supplements and medications to help keep the virus in check and promote a healthy immune system. Uncle Louie is the picture of health today and a testament to the care he's received at Capricorn Clinic for Cats.

Parasites are not reserved for outdoor cats only. Heart worm is transmitted by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have a nasty habit of coming in homes uninvited, Bringing with them all the diseases like heart worm and West Niles virus with them. More information at http://www.knowheartworms.org/ and www.petsandparasites.org/cat-owners/heartworms.html

Louie is now heart worm negative. It again took medication and time to treat. Not all cats are as lucky as Louie. We have had several patients that died suddenly from heart worm. Most of these patients were indoor only cats. Heart worm prevention is just as important for house cat as it is for cats that go outside.

Another external parasite mistakenly thought to be exclusively an outside cat problem is the flea. Fleas can hop a ride on your shoes, socks, and pant legs while you're doing yard work or even walking to get your mail. If you live in an apartment complex fleas are not deterred by locked doors and can come into your apartment uninvited. Alternatively, they may already be a house guest from the previous tenant. Fleas carry the intermediate life cycle for tapeworms. Cats ingest fleas when they groom themselves and get tapeworms from the ingested fleas. Cats get two parasites for the price of one...OK, not funny, just gross.

There are many products to prevent or control parasites for cats. We use and recommend Advantage multi for several reasons. It kills adult fleas, prevents heart worm disease. It also treats and controls ear mite, hookworms, and roundworm infestations. This is applied to the skin on the back of the head and neck area once each month. I would rather treat a cat topically than have to do battle with carnivore teeth for oral treatments.

What can we learn form "Louis"?

-FIV is not transmitted by casual contact and can be treated to give a "positive" cats a long and

happy life.

-Parasite prevention is for indoor cats too. (heart worm and fleas)

-Neutering cats decreases the spread of disease

From the great beyond...

Greetings from Niobe...

I passed from your world 4 years ago. I lived at Capricorn Clinic for Cats for a very short time. Though my time there was short my name is spoken often. I was left at the clinic by my humans because I was diabetic. My friends Betty and Adriana begged Dr. Smullen to treat my disease even though I had nothing nice to say to any of them. I was on insulin treatment for only 3 weeks. My pancreas decided to start working again and I never needed insulin again.

Once I felt better I was allowed to roam the clinic. One of my favorite activities was hiding behind a corner, waiting for a human to pass.I would chase them down with powerful smacks to the backs of their legs. I occasionally tried to bite them, however, without any teeth I found that tactic rather ineffective. I was given a theme song and heard it at least once each day. I really liked it. The humans said it was from the wicked witch of the Wizard of Oz. What is a witch anyway?

I didn't understand the frustration of the staff just because I urinated where ever I wanted. I know they wanted me to use those plastic boxes with the sand. I did use the sand to cover my poop, but it felt right to use the corner of the laundry room, under the desk and sofa in the waiting room, and behind the furnace to urinate. It did not take long before the staff caught me using alternate areas for my urine. I had to sit in a cage for a couple of days. When I urinated in the little plastic box in the cage they finally let me out. Dr. Smullen found I had an infection and she started me on antibiotics. I felt better and did use the sand for a while. A few months later it felt right to go back to my old bathroom stops. In fact I found a few more places because every time I urinated I would feel pain. After a short time I was dripping bloody urine every where I walked. Dr. Smullen sedated me and took some special x-rays (actually, still not sure what those are). There was a cancerous mass growing at the entrance of my bladder. It was inoperable and incurable. I was given medication to make me as comfortable as possible. There were other cats that came into the clinic with their humans with similar problems. The staff and Dr. Smullen would find different problems with these cats. Some of them were given medications while others were given a special food. You'll have to call and talk to the staff to learn more, I was too busy planning my next attack to get all the details.

I must admit I really did enjoy living at the clinic. My antics became a source of laughter and when my name is mentioned I still hear the chuckles.

The first Cat Chat

The Capricorn Clinic for Cats has several well educated cats that feel they have something to say and teach humans. Their insights will be blogged weekly. Different issues relating to health, behavior, and sometimes spiritual matters will be discussed. Let the fun begin...