Wake up! Coffee time!

Up past bedtime (again) last night.  Dragged my sorry self into work, late again.  Stopped at Starbucks on the way in.  Not sure how many times the young woman behind the counter asked me what I wanted until I realized I was next in line - and I ordered my usual Venti iced sugar-free vanilla soy latte (try saying that five times fast).  Stumbled up and paid for my beverage.  Fought my way back out through the crowd and started toward our offices - then turned around and went back to get my drink.

Doh!

Mandatory spay neuter

This would be fantastic!  Ironically, I heard of the proposed legislation from some people complaining about it.  So many people just don’t get it!  There are over 20,000 companion animals put to death a YEAR in Chicago for lack of homes.  More than 8,000 of these are young, healthy, dogs and cats that behave perfectly even when dumped in a shelter and poked and prodded.

The complainers were saying it doesn’t exclude purebreds.  No it doesn’t.  Do you really think purebreds don’t show up at shelters?  Do a quick search on petfinder.com - they most definitely do.  The proposed legislation DOES exclude registered breeders.  So, the only “issue” would be for those backyard breeders - which I personally would LOVE to force to cease and desist!  Can you say “puppy mills”?  Well, don’t for one second think they aren’t “kitten mills” as well.

Voice your support!

http://pawschicago.org/animalwelfare/petordinance.htm

Feline hyperthyroidism

I’ve been opining on feline hyperthyroidism a LOT in the past 18 months or so.  It all started with Latifah.  Something seemed amiss with her back in January/February 2007, as although her diabetes was well controlled, even went into sporadic remissions, she had a ravenous hunger and her fur/coat wasn’t as smooth and glossy as I’d expect in a cat on an all-wet diet.  Bloodwork looked pretty good, but I had this nagging feeling - and she just “felt” hyperthyroid, I’d tell the veterinarians.  They’d usually dismiss the idea, saying her T4 values (in her bloodwork) were well within the reference range.

In a conversation with Dr. Hogkins, I noted my misgivings and I got quite the education.  T4 values in an older cat (over age ten) should not *just* be in the reference range, but in the lower half to third of the reference range and decreasing over time.  Other ailments, such as CRF (kidney disease), IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), etc. deflate T4 values as well as age. 

Latifah’s T4 in January 2007 was 2.2, well within the lab’s range of 1 to 4, but it was up from 1.2 in January of 2006.  I decided to get her in to a nearby specialty center for a technitium (or scintrigraphic) scan, which enables the imaging veterinarian to see the thyroid glands and any potential tumor causing hyperthyroidism.

I’ll admit, I was fully prepared to be told she was not hyperthyroid and I was off my rocker - but the day of the scan came and I got the call there was significant hyperthyroidism.  I opted have her treated via radioactive iodine therapy immediately - and she stayed there five days until the radioactivity reached levels deemed “safe” by the government.

It was only about a month later, in February of 2007, that Omaha had routine bloodwork which showed his T4 value of 3.7.  Again, within the lab’s range of 1 to 4, but up significantly from his last test and near the top of the range.  We had him scanned, and he was hyperthyroid as well, which we treated with radioactive iodine.  The only symptom I can recall was some excessive thirst - I rarely see  most of my cats drink water, due to their all-wet diet, but I recall seeing Omaha at the water dish several times. 

A year later, March 2008, and I noticed Afer’s T4 was up in her bloodwork.  It was only 2.6, within range of 0.5 to 5.8, but up from 1.8 the prior September, and 1.0 the year before that.  Afer’s about 20 years old, and has CRF (renal or kidney insufficiency) and a history of IBD (currently controlled by diet).  These three factors should result in decreased T4 levels.  Again, we got a scan and again it showed significant hyperthyroidism.  After a consult with a nephrologist (kidney specialist) we got her radioactive iodine treatment in July of 2008.  Her kidney values per bloodwork did worsen a bit post-treatment (as expected) but she looks great overall.  (Hyperthyroidism can “mask” some kidney insufficiency.)

The story doesn’t quite end there - Ralphie also had T4 values increased in his last bloodwork and I had him scanned.  This time the scan showed only slight hyperthyroidism and we opted to wait and retest in four to six months.  I could have opted for a trial of methimazole (Tapazole), the oral or transdermal medication, but with Ralph’s history of anemia and IBD I was not willing to chance the side effects.

The reason I have such a ‘bug in my bonnet’ about hyperthyroidism isn’t just my personal experiences (which so far all had very happy endings).  I’ve met some caregivers whose cats show EVERY symptoms of hyperthyroidism, but when I ask if they’ve considered whether their cat may be hyperthyroid they declare that their veterinarian “ruled it out”.  When I inquire further, I find out “the T4 values were in range”.  T4 VALUES WITHIN REFERENCE RANGE DOES NOT RULE OUT HYPERTHYROIDISM!  Cats with untreated hyperthyroidism can suffer hypertension (high blood pressure, which can lead to blindess or stroke) or heart failure.  A hyperthyroid cat’s system is in overdrive, causing pressure to all the organs.  In one case, the caregiver opted to drive the cat five hours to another imaging center that would do the scan (after a nearby vet school refused to do the scan as T4 values were in range, and suggested she put the cat to sleep) and the cat had significant hyperthryoidism and was treated and is now fine.  Another case had a sadder ending where the caregiver consulted specialist after specialist looking for one to help her cat - it was *finally* diagnosed with hyperthyroidism despite it’s bloodwork values - but too late, and the cat lost its life.

I know I’ll be watching my cats’ T4 values like a HAWK.

More information on hyperthyroidism available at Feline Outreach:

http://www.felineoutreach.org/EducationDetail.asp?cat=HyperT

Tornado!

We had a ton of storms yesterday.  Lots of rain, thunder, and lightening.  For once, I got lucky and I actually landed up commuting when it wasn’t horrible out and got home pretty dry.  I was nearly done with evening ”cat chores” when the radio announced there were three of four tornadoes sited.  One was destined to reach a neighborhood very close to mine in ten minutes. 

What to do?  Of course it wasn’t my neighborhood, but it was close enough that did I really want to take that risk?  Not like I could manage to get eight cats downstairs quickly.  So, I sprang into action (and if you knew me, you’d know just how ludicrous the idea of me “springing” into anything is.)

I finished giving Afer her sub-q fluids, then dished out their food.  Why would I choose to feed my cats at this moment?  Easy - so they’d stay put, in the kitchen, and I didn’t have to chase them all over the house.

I grabbed one (Rumpelmintz) and carried her downstairs.  Food fell from her mouth as we rushed down.  Fortunately, I have one foster room vacant, so in she went.

Next went Omaha, my brave little man.

Back upstairs and grabbed another (Ralphie).  Ralph’s more of a challenge as he’s terrified of being picked up - something we’ve been working on.  I got as far as the stairway before he started to panic - was able to put him on the ground and adjust to scruffing him and get him down and in the room.

Repeated with Studley, Kitty.com, Louie, Afer, and finally Jellybean.  I grabbed food dishes as well when I could. 

So, now I’ve got eight cats (and me) all cloistered in our little room. 

Omaha patrolled the perimeter of the room.

Kitty.com hid in the litter box.

Jellybean screamed and growled and hid under the cat tree.  I grabbed a carrier from elsewhere in the basement and was able to get her inside so at least she wasn’t stressing about other cats checking her out.

Afer climbed the cat tree and hung out and checked things out and, once Jellybean was situated in the carrier, took a nap under the cat tree.

Rumpelmintz was grumpy.

Louie bounced around in the windowsill, etc.

Studley and Ralph ate all the food.

We sat down there 45 minutes, then repeated the whole process in reverse.  This time, I could use the carrier to move Jellybean and Ralphie.  I think sixteen trips up and down the stairs qualifies as “step aerobics”.

I stayed up late, praying the rain would stop and my basement would not flood - and I did get lucky and the basement is still dry.  No repeat of the Great Floods of 2007 - yet.

Feline diabetes beliefs

I’ve worked with nine diabetic cats now - one of my own that was diagnosed after I adopted her (and responsible for teaching me so much), four adopted diabetics, and four fosters.  Five were able to be “diet-controlled” (no requirement for insulin), the other four need/needed small doses of insulin along with an appropriate diet.  (Two or three of those four had temporary bouts of remission.)  As many caregivers ask my thoughts on feline diabetes, I thought I’d summarize my “personal beliefs” as they presently stand regarding effective treatment.  I am always studying and learning new things when it comes to diabetes mellitus, so I expect as I learn more I’ll fine-tune my beliefs further.

*  Low carbohydrate WET diets are ideal.  Studies show 60% to 80% of diabetic cats may stop needing insulin once switched to a low-carbohydrate WET diet.  (As far as I know, there are no studies showing low-carbohydrate diets to be as effective, and anectdotal evidence shows them to be much LESS effective.)  Prescription diets aren’t necessary, just find a canned or raw diet with little-to-no grains, vegetables, or fruit.  Readily available canned foods like Fancy Feast gourmet feast, 9-Lives ground dinners, Friskies, Evo 95% meat, etc. generally work fine.  Avoid the foods in gravy if possible, they generally contain starches or syrups.

*  Longer-acting insulins (such as PZI, Lantus/Glargine, or Levemir) are best. These insulins have longer durations and later NADIRs (peaks) than shorter-acting insulins (such as Humulin N or Vetsulin/Caninsulin). By the way - PZI-Vet by Idexx is no longer in production, however compounded beef/pork PZI is still available from sources such as BCP and VPA. BCP will send your veterinarian a free sample vial of PZI upon request.

*  Home-testing blood sugar levels enables best management of diabetes.  There’s a reason human diabetics are urged to home test!  Human monitors are fine and may be purchased at any drugstore.  The special veterinary meters are more expensive, and their test strips are more pricey and harder to obtain.  I’ve personally tested the special vet meter against my own “human” meter and the differences were insignificant.  Meters aren’t designed to be 100% accurate and that’s OKAY!  People still use them, with good reason.  They tell you if blood sugar levels are high or low, and enable you to see trends.

*  Obesity does not cause diabetes.  However, both obesity and diabetes are risks of a high-carbohydrate, particularly a high-carbohydrate DRY (kibble) diet.

*  Lower fat diets are not always necessary for pancreatitis.  While some caregivers of cats with pancreatitis feel their cats are more comfortable on a lower-fat diet, there’s no scientific evidence that shows cats with pancreatitis benefit from less fat in their diet (unlike humans or dogs).  Personally, the cats I’ve worked with that have had pancreatitis may have had reactions to grains, vegetables, or fruit, but not fat.  If lowering fat intake, by necessity protein or carbohydrates must increase.  I personally feel *no* cat, especially a cat with pancreatic conditions, benefits from increaesed carbohydrate intake.

* Many, if not most, diabetic cats have pancreatitis.  Pancreatitis is very difficult to diagnose.  While recent advances have led to blood tests that assist in diagnosis, the “gold standard” remains an invasive biopsy or necroscopy.  Best estimates are that 60% or more of diabetic cats have concurrent pancreatitis.  It’s unknown whether pancreatitis led to diabetes, diabetes leads to pancreatitis, or if they just both occur concurrently due to the same (but unknown) cause - like obesity and diabetes often both occur as they may both be caused by high-carbohydrate diets.

*  Glucose given at low blood glucose levels can be counterproductive, and could even be dangerous.  None of my cats have exhibited clinical symptoms at lower-than-normal blood glucose readings (and I’ve caught them so low the meter can’t read it, under 20).  However, at low blood sugar levels I generally give them a low-carbohydrate raw or canned snack.

*  Dry (kibble) foods increase risks of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia (”hypo” or insulin shock).  Not only does dry food (even “low-carbohydrate” dry food) immediately raise blood sugar levels due to its high carbohydrate content and high glycemic index, but carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels quickly, then wear off quickly - putting the body on a roller coaster ride of high to low blood glucose levels.  (Think of how you feel after a carbohydrate-ridden snack or meal.)  Also, should the cat refuse to eat or vomit, blood sugar levels can plummet and/or be drastically lower than typical - and you can’t “take back” any insulin you’ve injected.   

*  Tight regulation, or as close as you can manage, is best.  High blood glucose levels can shorter-term cause diabetic ketoacidosis, which is life-threatening.  Longer-term it can cause damage to the kidneys, heart, and other organs.

For more information, visit Feline Outreach - Diabetes Education.

References:

Feline Diabetes Mellitus - Antech News, Dec 2003

Evaluation of long-term home monitoring of blood glucose concentrations in cats with diabetes mellitus: 26 cases (1999–2002)

Capillary blood collection valuable tool in at-home diabetes management

Understanding feline diabetes mellitus Drs. Rand and Marshall

Canine and Feline Diabetes Mellitus: Nature or Nurture? Dr Rand et al

Update on Feline Diabetes Mellitus by Claudia E. Reusch, DECVIM-CA, Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine, University of Zuerich, Zuerich. World Small Animal Veterinary Congress (WSAVA) 2006.

Feline Diabetes Mellitus by David Church. WSAVA 2006

Hypoglycemic Brain Injury: Potentiation From Respiratory Depression and Injury Aggravation From Hyperglycemic Treatment Overshoots

Feline Pancreatitis by Jorg Steiner (WSAVA 2001)

Feline Pancreatitis: Underdiagnosed and Overlooked Margie Scherk, DVM, DABVP (WSAVA 2003)

Update on the Diagnosis and Management of Feline Pancreatic Disease by Stanley L. Marks, BVSc, PhD, DACVIM, DACVN (Waltham Feline Medicine Symposium, 2003)

Veggie Fest

My friend, her niece, and I attended Veggie Fest this weekend.  I had a great time!

A man was handing out suntan lotion samples at the gate, which was perfect for pale people like me that forgot to apply protection before venturing outdoors.  We started by visiting some of the informational booths, and collected information and free samples.  Then we ventured to the food booths.  My friend and I had some rice curry while her niece had a slice of spinach pizza.  It was all delicious.  We overheard one man asking (grumpily) “What, is it all vegetarian food?”  Yes.  It’s VEGGIE fest.  A booth selling racks of ribs or turkey legs would NOT go over well, dude.  I’m a pickier eater than most - honestly, I can’t relish the idea of eating even the “fake meat” - if it looks like meat and tastes like meat - well, I get the “warm spits” as my friend calls it, and I’ll pass in favor of something else.

We attended a seminar entitled “Rah Rah Raw!” and the presenters answered questions about raw diets and prepared green smoothies (which we were allowed to sample, and it was not bad!)  They also gave us samples of a “better than peanut sauce”, a raw marinara sauce, and a zucchini humus.  They were all good, but the “peanut” sauce was AWESOME.  I even did the most impolite thing I can remember doing when eating - and stuck my finger in the little peanut sauce cup (once my dipping veggies were gone) and swept up the remaining tablespoon of sauce and licked it off my finger.  I know, gross.  I looked over at my friend, she looked at me - and she proceeded to do the same thing.  Ha!

After the seminar, we visited the food booths again.  We each got a slice of eggless cake.  My friend and I split some yogurt curry and naan while her niece got a “coconut water”.  She kept offering me some, and I kept declining.  After several offers, I told her I was “afraid of coconut”.  She inquired further, and I informed her that coconut is a natural laxative.  I wasn’t interested in checking out the Porto-Potties.  Our curry came with a packet of “mouth freshener”, and after my friend was brave enough to try it, we all did.  It tasted to me like a mouth of little soap shavings.  Can’t say I enjoyed it, and I even disliked it after I looked over to see her niece with her mouth open and full of saliva and “mouth freshener” - but it did seem to eliminate any bad breath!

We explored more informational booths, and I was sucked into one where they determined I needed a spinal exam IMMEDIATELY.  The chiropractor present (who was VERY nice on the eyes) determined one of my shoulders was higher than the other, and my chin jutted too far out in front.  They convinced me to make an appointment IMMEDIATELY to go in to the office.  I am not good under pressure, and I caved and spent $20 and make an appointment.  I guess I could always cancel it (and presumably be out $20). 

We checked out a few more booths with homemade soap, etc, and headed back to my friend’s home.  It was a fun day.

This morning, inspired by Veggie Fest, I decided to make a fruit smoothie (as I’ve done many times) but add some spinach for the extra nutrients.  It actually didn’t taste bad - but I had a horrible spinach-y aftertaste all morning, so I doubt I’ll do it again.

Feline arthritis

A few cat caregivers have posed questions regarding their cats’ arthritis recently on some online forums. My Omaha has severe arthritis. We started acupuncture in 2004 and the results were amazing! At the time we started, he was having trouble standing up. After about three weekly sessions, he was RUNNING. We continued with the treatments for some time, but honestly it was a struggle as Omaha is NOT generally able to be handled by anyone but me. (He has to be sedated for most anything, including blood draws or x-rays. During acupuncture he’d scream and thrash, pee and poop everywhere, and once when I wasn’t sufficiently careful I was bitten very badly. We generally have to muzzle him.) We tried to keep up with maintenance treatments, but the last one we got had little to no effect, so I knew I’d either have to take him more often or give up - and I’m sorry to say I just can’t bring myself to commit to more frequent treatments. To locate a veterinary acupuncturist, I suggest consulting the AHVMA website. Keep your search broad in order to get the best results. (An acupuncturist could be listed in one discipline/area, but not another.)

http://holisticvetlist.com/

Omaha’s arthritis has worsened dramatically this year, to the point he once again was having trouble standing up. (In fact, I came home one night to find him lying in a pool of his own urine.) He’s doing MUCH better now, though, and walking well and able to stand up on his own. His current regime is:

* Adequan - 0.3 cc’s injected weekly (at home - for obvious reasons). My vet has me injecting it into the muscle (IM) - but I know others use Adequan and give it as a sub-q injection.

* Glucosamine/chondroitin: orally daily - I just use the human Now Foods brand - cheaper than Cosequin* Gabapentin (Neurontin) - We’re now up to 2.5 mL (50 mg) twice daily. That’s the standard starting dose, but we started lower as my vet has no experience with the drug. It’s very new for use in cats - supposedly blocks the pain recepters. Only noted side effect has been drowsiness, which I have not seen in Omaha. Ours is compounded into a chicken-flavored liquid.

* Metacam (meloxicam) - We’re giving the 2 pound line of the 0.5 mg/mL suspension every other day. I think that’s 0.2 cc’s. (It comes with a special syringe that fits on the tip of the bottle and just notes “pounds”.) I know there may be risks with Metacam, but despite Omaha’s age of 18, his bloodwork looks great.

More info:

WSAVA 2007 on joint disease

Adequan

International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management - references to gabapentin

International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management - more references to gabapentin

Analgesic drugs for arthritis

Winn funds study on gabapentin in 2007

AAFP pain management guidelines

Pain control

Feline lower urinary tract disease

I’ve had no fewer than THREE conversations with individuals in the past week regarding their cats and urinary tract disorders (in these cases, urinary tract inflammation and/or stones). In each case, the individual was feeding a dry food.

The most effective means of avoiding urinary tract disorders is to feed an all-wet diet. One coworker resisted all of my pushing until his cat landed up blocked and hospitalized, and one surgery and $2,500 later he switched to canned.

Quotes from articles, journals, and studies…

To date, of all treatments evaluated, the only one that has been associated with a statistically significant difference in recurrence of clinical signs in cats with FIC is feeding moist food (> 60% moisture). During a 1-year study of cats with FIC, clinical signs recurred less often in cats fed moist food (11%) compared with cats fed the dry formulation (39%) of the same food.

Source: Management of Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease

So far, the only treatment for FIC that has shown a statistically significant improvement in clinical cases is feeding a moist food

Source: FLUTD

Dietary change is the only form of therapy that has consistently been shown to be of real benefit in cases of iFLUTD. Based on our current knowledge, this forms the most important part of long-term management. Several studies have now confirmed the results of an earlier investigation that showed cats fed a wet (tinned) diet had a much lower rate of recurrent signs of idiopathic cystitis than those fed a dry diet. The urine concentration produced in response to feeding the wet diet was much lower than that of the cats fed the dry diet, and it is thought that producing more dilute urine (and presumably thus also encouraging more frequent urination) are major mechanisms of the observed benefit. Feeding a wet (tinned/sachet) diet rather than a dry diet is thus always recommended for iFLUTD

Source: WSAVA 2006

An important influence on the development of urinary crystals and stones is the consumption of water; it is even more important than the magnesium level. As more water is consumed, the urine is less concentrated, and crystals are less likely to form. Also, since there is more urine, the cat will urinate more frequently, and the urine will be present in the bladder for a shorter period of time. This also decreases the chance of crystal and stone formation.

According to the FDA, the claim, “low ash,” is not allowed on cat food labels. The current scientific consensus is that ash per se is not related to the incidence of FLUTD. There are no valid reasons to reference ash on the product label (other than in the guaranteed analysis) except in regard to this outdated theory. Thus, “low ash” or similar claims, even without reference to FLUTD, are inherently false and misleading, which render the product misbranded and subject to regulatory action.

Source: PetEducation.com

For more information on FLUTD, visit:

Feline Outreach - FLUTD

Foster blues

If in doubt as to which category to place a post, put it in all of them - surely one of them is close enough.

I’ve been fostering cats for several rescue organizations/shelters since 2005.  It’s interesting the different responses you get when people find out you foster.  Some think it sounds like great fun, especially those people that love kittens and all their kitten-y antics.  Others think it’d be “too hard to let them go” and they’d “want to keep them all”.  Some just think you’re a crazy nutcase or too soft-hearted.

What do I think?  I think fostering is hard.  For me, it gets harder the longer I do it.  I started out fostering mother cats with litters of kittens.  They’re not really a lot of “work” - you feed them, and keep their litterboxes and rooms clean, and basically keep them from taking up needed space at the shelter.  I do find them rather exhausting.  I know the majority of potential adopters prefer kittens, but I certainly don’t.  Kittens eat a LOT - way more (at least per pound) than adults.  They are also into and on top of EVERYTHING.  They climb your legs, scratching the heck out of you.  They knock over and rip apart and destroy everything in their room - dragging bedding through dirty litter boxes and spilling water dishes into food bowl and (especially if fed dry fod) having diarrhea all over the place.  Not fun - at least not my idea of fun.

I also do worry about them.  I don’t want to keep them, not at all, but I wonder what will happen when/if they are adopted.  Most kittens are adopted, and pretty quickly if they’re socialized, but there’s certainly no shortage of cats or kittens and there’s always the chance they won’t find a home at all.  (More than 20,000 companion animals are put to death a year in Chicago simply for lack of homes - and around 8,000 of those are “perfect”, with no behavior or medical issues whatsoever.)  I worry that even if they are adopted, that their adopters will tire of them after a year or two, when they’re not young and kitten-y.  I worry their adopters will feed/care for them inappropriately and they won’t have the quality of life I’d hope for them.  I *know* many adopters will feed them only commercial dry (kibble) food and someday they’ll become diabetic or obese,  or they’ll suffer from kidney disease or gastro-intestinal problems like IBD.  I *know* for the kittens I’ve fostered, they have diarrhea on dry food, but not on canned.  Their little bodies will probably adjust - for at least a while - but that brings me no comfort.

Most of my fosters are “special needs”.  Since I’ve experience with diabetes and IBD, I’m often on the very short contact list for rescue organizations looking for a foster home for one of these cats.  I originally loved the idea of helping these cats.  I obviously can’t adopt them all, and I thought this was a fantastic way to help some more cats.  Most diabetic cats and cats with IBD can be stabilized through diet change alone.  Certainly, I could make them more “adoptable” if the adopter had only to continue their “special” diet.

So, I’ve fostered five cats with diabetes and three cats with IBD (in addition to the cats I’ve adopted).  Someone once said I must feel fantastic, having helped all those cats.  Truthfully?  I don’t.  I’m honestly beginning to wonder if there’s any point to it.

Of the five diabetics I’ve fostered, I got two off insulin permanently, and two more off insulin temporarily, but for whatever reason (pancreatitis?) they went back on insulin.  Of the two I got off insulin permanently - both died in a shelter,  still unadopted.  Apparently no one wanted to take on a cat that needed the “special care” of a canned food-only diet.  They died for reasons unrelated to the diabetes.  Of the two I got off temporarily - one I adopted personally, and the other has been sitting in my basement almost six months, waiting for another foster home or adopted home.  I’m fostering him at present, but have given the rescue organization a deadline of September 16 and they have no prospects currently for another foster or adopted home for this sweet little guy.  No one wants to take on a cat that requires a quick little blood sugar test and insulin - something I can do in less than five minutes, twice a day.  The fifth diabetic cat had an adopted home lined up when I started fostering her - and she went there two weeks after I took her in.  She’s my one “success story” and she also passed away for reasons unrelated to her diabetes seven months after she was adopted.

Looking at the three with IBD - one also had diabetes, and was the one I adopted.  Her IBD was controlled solely by diet.  The other two I also was able to manage on diet alone, weaning them off all medication.  One went to another foster home, and is still waiting for an adopter.  The other was adopted - and abandoned a year later, and put back into foster care, and I started all over getting him managed on diet again.

So, seven “special needs” fosters in total - with one success story (if you consider living in a loving home for seven months a success - I do, perhaps my standards are too low but being in a loving home at all, ever, is more than most of these cats can hope for).  It doesn’t exactly inspire me, and at this point I’m planning a break from fostering.  Will I feel guilty every time I’m approached with another sad story, knowing that if I say “no” it’s entirely likely the cat will be euthanized?  I sure will.  I do now, when I’m asked and I’m not able or not willing to take on one more at the time.  There’s the old saying “you can’t save them all” and unfortunately, it’s all too true.

The additional straw on this camel’s back is how many people will either assume you’ll foster or adopt one more, or help you feel like the world’s biggest female-dog-in-heat because you either won’t foster or adopt the cat, or will put limits on how long.  “You’ll only foster the cat for seven months, knowing it might be put to sleep if you don’t foster it longer?  Wow, you are mean!”

So, I’ve got an adorable little guy in my basement, and I’ll go home tonight and test his blood sugar and feed him and pet him.  He’ll be cute as anything and run around the room and rub against my legs, meowing in excitement at my visit.  My eyes will fill up with tears and I’ll hope and pray that someone will step up and take care of him, knowing his chances aren’t good.  Yeah, I feel “fantastic”, warm and fuzzy all over.  NOT.

Gotta Have Faith

I gotta have faith… or do I?

Faith in veterinarians, that is.  Something foremost in my mind again, because of a couple of comments/emails lately.  One from a woman inquiring about raw diet and feline hyperthyroidism who said something to the effect of “I feel like I learn everything from an [internet forum] and you guys, and then have to turn around and teach my vet!”

I’ve sometimes felt the same.   For years, I just blindly followed the vet’s advice.  They went to school for years to learn just how to care for my cat, right?  Well, that was pretty naive of me.  First of all, we all know professionals in every industry imaginable that just aren’t that good at what they do.  Ergo, there must be veterinarians who aren’t the best as well - and how do we, the lay people, know whether our vet is the best or the worst or just somewhere in the middle?  If we’re not proactive and do some of our own research, we’re relying entirely on their “bedside manner”.

Secondly, vets generally get a four-year Bachelor’s degree in biology, then attend four years of veterinary school.  Do we really think they can learn absolutely everything about every animal species in four years?  Really?  As I often say, I’m sure I have less than 5% of the knowledge of most vets - I know next-to-nothing about any animals other than cats.  (Cows are the ones that say “moo”, right?)  I know little about feline parasites and next-to-nothing about surgeries and probably can’t name more than one or two bones in their little furry bodies and struggle with most terms, and have to think (hard) to remember which end is proximal versus distal.

However, I’ve spent hundreds of hours researching a very few things.  So, I know a LOT about that less than 5% of knowledge I’ve got.  I know a LOT about feline diabetes, feline pancreatitis, kidney disease, gastro-intestinal disorders (particularly IBD), hyperthyroidism, and of course - nutrition.  Your average vet takes an introductory animal nutrition course, which focuses on feed animals (cows, swine, chickens, etc.) and has maybe ONE chapter on companion animals (dogs, cats, etc).  If you’re really lucky, your vet’s school may have offered an elective course on companion animal nutrition, and he or she opted to take it, and though it was funded by a pet food company, the content was pretty good.

Anyway, I’m off on my cat food tangent again.  My point was that while I hope we give vets credit where credit is due, they took a lot of courses and have practiced and generally deserve respect.  They don’t deserve blind faith.  If your vet’s advice makes no sense to you, it’s not a disservice to them and certainly not a disservice to your cat(s) to do your own research.  It’s even okay to seek a second opinion.  While you can’t rely on everything you read (on the internet or elsewhere), I think the vast majority of us should be capable of reading some information, considering the source (are they selling something?  is it in a peer-reviewed journal?  is it written by someone with references/citations to back them up?), and do some critical thinking.  I have similar issues, by the way, with anyone that answers a question I pose with a statement without any references to back them up.  I’m sorry, you may be Albert Einstein, but I’d like to see you point to a study or scientific document that backs up your statement.  If not it better be something I can observe with my own eyes, because otherwise, I’m so sorry but I’m not going to just decide it’s factual because Jonny or Joan Blogger said so.

Another thing?  If someone makes a statement or paraphrases a study to back up their beliefs - do yourself (and your cats) a favor and read the actual study.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen “experts” declare that you must do “x” and refer to a study - and they are either quoting a piece of the study totally out of context, or even misquoting it entirely.    I know it’s more work to do some research then to just take information spoon-fed, but it’s worth it.

Of course, none of this applies to what I write - just do as the Lintee Bean says.  I’m always right.  *wink*

So, as for my own veterinarian(s) - for general practice, I generally ask for one of two veterinarians at the clinic.  I’ve worked with those two and am comfortable with them.  For one, they generally know better than to even bring up food for my cats.  They know I make most of my cats’ food and I’ve put a ton of thought and research into it, and my cats’ health has improved dramatically on their diet.  So, they do not recommend any of the prescription stuff in a bag or even mention it to me.  They also understand that any time I’m given a goodie bag, I’ll open it right there in the exam room and will pull out and return anything that doesn’t meet my standards (and once that meant having an empty bag, which I returned as well as I’ve no need for an empty plastic bag).

The vet I see most often also admits he doesn’t know everything.  I don’t expect him to know everything, and he doesn’t pretend to know everything, and I think that makes for a better relationship.  I’m sure he’s annoyed when he starts talking about some medication and my eyes start rolling around in their sockets (I really need to learn to control my eyeballs) before he’s finished.  However, he acknowledges I’ve done research and have my strong opinions and he’ll listen to my concerns/objections and we’ll find an appropriate plan for my cats together.

So, do I have faith in my vets?  Yes, to some extent - but it’s not blind faith.  What I do believe is that we’ll work together we’ll do the best we can for my cats - and it’s a two-way street.  It requires effort on my part as well as my vets.