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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / July 2006Day One of THE SHOTS
I went to have the shots for Rumble today. I was supposed to do it yesterday but Rumble actually fought me he bite me, scratched me, hissed at me and ran away and hid from me. Totally against his nature I tried to catch him for over an hour but when I started getting mad. I walked away and called the vet and told them I would be in today. Later on the day it was like what I did something. Yeah buddy you did something alright got your self locked in the cat room; which is like locking a female teenager in a mall at night with free reign of the stores, in all night so no problems today. Today no problems taking his medicine and wrapping him in a towel and putting him in a carrier. A little yowling till I got him in the car and was able to open the carrier back up and wrap him in the towel so he could hide. Got to the vet with no problems. Rumble was an angel was able to get him out of the carrier with no problem stayed on the table with no problem with 3 strangers in there that I have never seen before new people at the vet. The vet showed me how to do the shots. Let me tell you something I have seen some horrors in my life stuff that would make the average person go gray in minutes stuff that would cause people to have a heart attacks. All the rescuers out there no what I am talking about and have experienced something in their own terms. I felt like I violated him doing this. I felt sick to my stomach weak in the knees. I felt like I was in a walking nightmare. All I could think is why this is happening and why do I have hurt him every day. Rumble sat there did not fidget but one time when a new vet tech caused a problem. They taught me how to do this real easy to do real quick. I got to practice a couple of time before we gave him the insulin. I had one major problem the vet had to walk out and the vet tech was watching me do a practice. He kept telling me no you are doing it wrong do it this way no do it this way and kept trying to pull the needle out of my hand. I kept trying to do it that way and after he put his hands on Rumble to hold Rumble straight. I tried one more time ( I never was able to stick rumble with him in the room he stooped me every time and made me nervous) He grabbed the needle and said I said this way. I looked at him and finally said MY HAND DOES NOT CURL THAT WAY CAN'T YOU GET THAT THRU YOUR THICK HEAD. I am an old man ever heard of arthritis now get my vet back in here and get out of my sight. My vet heard me and walked in and I apologized for the out burst and told him what happened. The other tech who was in there confirmed what I told him and he said he would deal with him. He stood there and let me do the insulin shot he said you did it right just make sure you keep your finger away from the plunger. Rumble only fidgeted when I raised my voice all he did was curl closer to me for safety. He was such a good fur nut. I felt like such a bad daddy. DW just stood there and looked at the guy like you better back off and afterwards gave me that look. So she must be mad but she can deal with it Rumble gets 1 unit twice a day till next week when I bring him back for a blood test. Home testing and the rest comes when we get him regulated and I learn everything I can. He needs to stay on one brand of cat food to keep he sugar level even. Sorry buddy no more snuffing for a different brand. Told DW no more of the BS about the feeding with them like she like to do and give them whatever they want well not for Rumble. I will not have him going into a sugar shock and loose him. She agreed we will see how long it last Well all I can say is I feel like I walked out of a disaster zone. I feel dazed a little confused I feel like I have done something wrong. I keep asking WHY WHY. I know he is going to be ok but all these thought are going thru my head that I am going to lose him, something is going to happen. DW tells me everything will be alright I know it in my heart now if I can get the rest of me to believe it Rumble is a different cat he is back to his old self and ate like a horse when he came home and made sure he got his loving. He is making sure we pay for his inconvenient travel of today > I went to have the shots for Rumble today. > [quoted text clipped - 67 lines] > when he came home and made sure he got his loving. He is making sure we > pay for his inconvenient travel of today What a nightmare! I'm sure you will soon learn how to do it though, Matthew. There are people on this group who have diabetic cats that will help you through with some tips, I'm sure. It's one of the things I don't like to think about - that either of mine become diabetic. Neither of them are very handleable (sp?) Kitty because she is a grumpy girl full of spikes and teeth and Boyfie because he's so timid. Good luck with Rumble's injections, you will be able to do it. Tweed You aren't doing anything bad. You are saving his life. If you think about it, the things involved in saving a life are not always pleasant or even appreciated by the recipient at the time. (If you are going to rescue someone who is drowning, you had better be a LOT stronger than they are) You are doing a right thing and a good thing. Isn't easy. Isn't pretty. But you know you are doing good. Now give yourself a pat on the back and a hug. Jo > I went to have the shots for Rumble today. > [quoted text clipped - 67 lines] > when he came home and made sure he got his loving. He is making sure we > pay for his inconvenient travel of today > Well all I can say is I feel like I walked out of a disaster zone. I feel > dazed a little confused I feel like I have done something wrong. I keep [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > when he came home and made sure he got his loving. He is making sure we pay > for his inconvenient travel of today It's normal to feel that way. We haven't had to do insulin injections, but before Nancy and I married her DD kitty was diagnosed with CRF and almost died. We had to learn to do sub-Q fluids, and it was kind of like you described. We felt like we had to be doing something awful to DD, it must be uncomfortable, but after doing it for a few weeks we realized that DD really DIDN'T care - it wasn't making her uncomfortable. The fact that it made her feel so much better so quickly made it all seem worthwhile. Giving her regular sub-Q fluids for a few weeks stabilized her, and we were then able to stop with the fluids. DD enjoyed a few more healthy, happy years before her CRF became bad again. Once you give yourself some time to adjust to the routine you'll get over those fears. > I went to have the shots for Rumble today. > [quoted text clipped - 66 lines] > when he came home and made sure he got his loving. He is making sure we pay > for his inconvenient travel of today What A DISTURBING EXPERIENCE. I am certain I would fall apart trying to do it. You are very brave. Best wishes for steady improvement. MLB >> I went to have the shots for Rumble today. >> [quoted text clipped - 71 lines] > What A DISTURBING EXPERIENCE. I am certain I would fall apart trying to > do it. You are very brave. Best wishes for steady improvement. MLB My hands shook like crazy the first few times, but then I went and got 31 guage short needles that feel like they melt through the skin. I didn't want to hometest too much but once I realized it doesn't bug her, well, now it's just routine. > I went to have the shots for Rumble today. > [quoted text clipped - 67 lines] > when he came home and made sure he got his loving. He is making sure we > pay for his inconvenient travel of today The worst is over now! It is always more frightening when you have to do injections for the first time, and soon it will be like "second nature." Watch Rumble, and you will probably see that he hardly reacts to the injection. So, congratulations on getting the process underway. Did the vet do a blood curve or talk about making arrangements for one? That is important as you establish the correct dosage and timing of insulin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_in_cats_and_dogs MaryL >> I went to have the shots for Rumble today. >> [quoted text clipped - 79 lines] > > MaryL I do curves on the weekend. No "vet stress" so the numbers are true and in the normal routine of the cat so you can figure out what is really going on. After this Wednesday we don't want to stress either of us out due to the holiday weekend and take the chance of him crashing and no help nearby >> I went to have the shots for Rumble today. >> [quoted text clipped - 79 lines] > > MaryL Matthew, You did good. You are saving his life -- you've done nothing wrong. I'm sorry you had to run into such a pig at the vet's office when you were probably already emotional. Think of the shots this way -- every time you give him a shot, you are making him feel good again. Every shot helps him. I really, honestly think the shots are much harder on humans. Cats don't worry and fret about it, we do. Keep up the good work. Take care, Rhonda > Well all I can say is I feel like I walked out of a disaster zone. I feel > dazed a little confused I feel like I have done something wrong. I keep [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > when he came home and made sure he got his loving. He is making sure we pay > for his inconvenient travel of today > You did good. You are saving his life -- you've done nothing wrong. I'm > sorry you had to run into such a pig at the vet's office when you were > probably already emotional. This is something you BOTH will get used to. It will become second nature in time. I cat sat for a cat who got a pill every day and pilling him was the easiest thing ever. Then I go home and try to give mine dewormer, and there is hissing, scraching, crying, screaming, vomiting, panting, etc.... But they only get dewormer once a year, Molpe gets pills every day of his life. When I was little I had my jaw rebuilt. Of course it hurt me at the time--I've got scars down the back of my throat and a hole in my tongue--but now, I'm very grateful that it was done because I can bite and chew food like normal people now. it's sort of like that. yes, it's not appreciated at the time but in the end the quality of life is so very worth it. --Fil >> You did good. You are saving his life -- you've done nothing wrong. I'm >> sorry you had to run into such a pig at the vet's office when you were [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > --Fil What a hard thing for a child to experience. I guess the saying that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger is true. Good wishes. MLB It's just overwhelming at first. I use the finest 31 guage needles. I'm not sure how you can regulate without hometesting? If you can't see the numbers, how can you tell if you need to adjust? I highly HIGHLY recommend you visit the board we recommended on www.felinediabetes.org. People will help you learn to hometest. There is really no reason to wait. I am just encouraging you because the hypo experience is not fun and can happen at any time if you don't know where the blood glucose numbers are. I shot what I considered a low amount at 191 and 3 hours later Pearl began going dangerously low and I had to feed her for an hour and a half before she began coming up. I checked because her preshot number was really fairly low. The vet tech sounds like a numbskull. I am using glargine (or Lantus) for insulin. It does not usually produce a steep drop. Some insulins produce a very steep drop. I hope that you reconsider. I know vets seem cautious (or often aggressively against) hometesting, but I cannot see why. I know you feel you are "hurting" him now, but Pearl barely notices and the thing that bugs her most about hometesting is that it requires holding the ear. Mostly, it doesn't phase her and if I test when she is lounging she purrs right through it. However, she is playing and acting like a CAT again for the first time in months. Purrs for you and Rumble. It really is scary at first. He gave me Vetsulin (porcine insulin zinc suspension) and we are using 28 gauge * 1/2 inch u-40 insulin syringe > It's just overwhelming at first. I use the finest 31 guage needles. I'm > not sure how you can regulate without hometesting? If you can't see the [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > like a CAT again for the first time in months. Purrs for you and Rumble. > It really is scary at first. > He gave me Vetsulin (porcine insulin zinc suspension) and we are > using 28 gauge * 1/2 inch u-40 insulin syringe [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >> CAT again for the first time in months. Purrs for you and Rumble. It >> really is scary at first. I only used those the first two days. Couldn't believe the difference using the 31 gauge short needle. My pharmacist just swapped for me. Good luck on the vetsulin! Hi Karen, I would agree with letting the vet regulate the cat at first. One of the things my vet was concerned about with home-testing is that people want to constantly tweak the dose. It takes about a week for a cat's body to adjust to a new dose of insulin. I think home-testing is great to do curves after the cat is regulated, and to do checks to make sure the blood sugar is not too low before a shot is given. Rhonda > It's just overwhelming at first. I use the finest 31 guage needles. I'm > not sure how you can regulate without hometesting? If you can't see the > numbers, how can you tell if you need to adjust? I highly HIGHLY > recommend you visit the board we recommended on www.felinediabetes.org. Until I am comfortable with all of this MY vet will do any testing. Rumble is not bad to take to the vet as long as he has his towel to hide under he is fine. Just gave him his second shot a little bit ago a lot simpler than this morning he did not even flinch. For a little bit of money for the vet to do this I have no problem with doing it. I am more than financially secure and a few dollars to ensure his comfort and correct doing of the test Not a problem > Hi Karen, > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >> numbers, how can you tell if you need to adjust? I highly HIGHLY >> recommend you visit the board we recommended on www.felinediabetes.org. > Until I am comfortable with all of this MY vet will do any testing. > Rumble is not bad to take to the vet as long as he has his towel to hide [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > doing it. I am more than financially secure and a few dollars to ensure > his comfort and correct doing of the test Not a problem I understand your reluctance to do home testing until you feel more comfortable with the process. In fact, most people are hesitant for awhile. At the same time, you should move toward this process as soon as possible (under your vet's guidance at first, if you prefer). Home testing has *nothing* to do with saving money. The problem is that you cannot possibly be at your vet's office around the clock, and you can't know what Rumble's actual readings are (and therefore the amount of insulin that is appropriate) unless you begin testing on a regular basis. Many vets have vet techs that could come to your home the first few times and watch you as you go through the procedure (but do *not* accept the idiot tech you described!!!). Don't let this advice create more stress -- it will soon become so routine that the whole process, from testing through injection, will take only a few minutes. MaryL > Hi Karen, > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >> numbers, how can you tell if you need to adjust? I highly HIGHLY >> recommend you visit the board we recommended on www.felinediabetes.org. I agree to not tweaking but I honestly don't see how you can get an honest curve at the vets unless your cat is extremely calm there. I've just seen a lot of vets sending home cats on 4u or more of insulin 2BID who go into rebound like mad. But that is just my opinion. It's not like a cat gets regulated in days. It *can* happen but usually it is weeks or months. Pearl is now. Took us about 6 weeks. > It's just overwhelming at first. I use the finest 31 guage needles. I'm > not sure how you can regulate without hometesting? If you can't see the [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > CAT again for the first time in months. Purrs for you and Rumble. It > really is scary at first. Karen: You sound really confident with the whole thing now Karen. Do you know my daughter is a critcal care RN and she *will not* give her cats shots? She can't stand to. Isn't that weird? I'm sure if the situation turned like yours, where she *had* to, she'd do it though. For Matthew: Hang in there. I know this hurts you more than Rumble. He knows you're trying to help him. Sherry > Karen: You sound really confident with the whole thing now Karen. Do > you know my daughter is a critcal care RN and she *will not* give her > cats shots? She can't stand to. Isn't that weird? I'm sure if the > situation turned like yours, where she *had* to, she'd do it though. I know, it's funny, as I mentioned before, I give myself at least five shots a day, and also take blood tests from my fingertips, but I can't watch when the lab nurse puts in the needle for a blood test from my arm. I just can't stand watching that needle go in.  SignatureMarina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/ Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki > I know, it's funny, as I mentioned before, I give myself at least five > shots a day, and also take blood tests from my fingertips, but I can't > watch when the lab nurse puts in the needle for a blood test from my > arm. I just can't stand watching that needle go in. Same here. I don't have to get shots as I am not diabetic. But some years back, my doctor was concerned about my blood sugar. So I got to test my blood sugar at home by pricking my finger. That I had no problem with. But when I went in for regular blood test, I just couldn't watch the needle going into my arm. I used to work with animals ages ago. One thing I just couldn't do was to put a needle in an animal. My boss had to do it for me. I just hope Rusty will not become diabetic or need sub-Q fluid for his kidneys. Winnie > -- > Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. > Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/ > Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ > and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki Winnie, I'm a fainter and have nearly passed out watching a vet clean out a wound. I never ever thought I could give an animal a shot. What I found out is that if you know it is going to save their lives, you grit your teeth and work past it. I think you could do it too if you were in that circumstance. Rhonda > I used to work with animals ages ago. One thing I just couldn't do was > to put a needle in [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Winnie > I went to have the shots for Rumble today. You will soon get the hang of it, Matthew. Just recently, I talked to my mother about how she had to give me and my sister insulin with these syringes with huge needles back in the '60s and '70s. She said she felt horrible for having to give us those shots, but you know what? I don't remember ever being afraid of them. I don't remember ever having been hurt by them. The only thing I was afraid of as a kid was having my blood drawn from my arm (still don't like that). But nowadays, of course, I give myself my five shots of insulin a day, plus check my blood glucose several times a day. It's just routine, I hardly even think about it as I do it. I'm sure it's much worse for you than it is for Rumble. Many purrs that you get him stabilized soon. SignatureMarina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/ Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki >> I went to have the shots for Rumble today. > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > think about it as I do it. I'm sure it's much worse for you than it is > for Rumble. Many purrs that you get him stabilized soon. Wow, I didn't know your sister was diabetic too! Does it run in your family then? Everyone was so shocked about my friends little girl Madeline because no one else in either family has diabetes. They really think it somehow came from low grade infections. > Wow, I didn't know your sister was diabetic too! Does it run in your > family then? Everyone was so shocked about my friends little girl > Madeline because no one else in either family has diabetes. They really > think it somehow came from low grade infections. No one else, neither of my parents or any of our grandparents had it. One of my cousins developed type I diabetes as an adult, over 30, which is quite rare. My sister was 4, I was 5 when we developed it. My eldest sister and my brother have no trace of it. Medical research finds our family very interesting. ;o) We've participated in many studies. SignatureMarina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/ Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki >> Wow, I didn't know your sister was diabetic too! Does it run in your >> family then? Everyone was so shocked about my friends little girl [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > sister and my brother have no trace of it. Medical research finds our > family very interesting. ;o) We've participated in many studies. That IS interesting! >> Wow, I didn't know your sister was diabetic too! Does it run in your >> family then? Everyone was so shocked about my friends little girl [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > sister and my brother have no trace of it. Medical research finds our > family very interesting. ;o) We've participated in many studies. Isn't it believed that some type I diabetes is caused by a virus? That you inherit a susceptibility to the virus causing that kind of damage. But if you don't get the virus, you don't develop diabetes. My ex son-in-law developed Type I in his late thirties. It was really rough as the doctors just aren't geared for that. They told him he had type II and treated him as having type II for a very long time. Given that he was very thin to start with, all the weight control advice really messed him up. Jo > Isn't it believed that some type I diabetes is caused by a virus? That you > inherit a susceptibility to the virus causing that kind of damage. But if > you don't get the virus, you don't develop diabetes. Yes, I think that's the current thinking. Mum does remember us both having the flu just before we were diagnosed. And they've traced the gene for predisposition to diabetes to a certain area in Finland (there are more type I diabetics in Finland than anywhere else in the world) where my Dad came from. > My ex son-in-law developed Type I in his late thirties. It was really rough > as the doctors just aren't geared for that. They told him he had type II > and treated him as having type II for a very long time. Given that he was > very thin to start with, all the weight control advice really messed him up. Oh, that really sounds bad. So glad they figured it out eventually. SignatureMarina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/ Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki >> Isn't it believed that some type I diabetes is caused by a virus? That >> you inherit a susceptibility to the virus causing that kind of damage. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > are more type I diabetics in Finland than anywhere else in the world) > where my Dad came from. I know that is what they think happened to my friends little girl. I know it's hard, Matthew, but if the needles are sharp and you do it right, you aren't hurting him. I understand the feeling. I've had two cats I had to give infusions to, and I didn't think I could do it. I just reminded myself that I was doing it for their good, and it worked. The hardest thing is to jab the needle in quickly instead of doing it slowly, but it does hurt if you do it slowly. I did have a slight advantage in convincing myself of that, because I had to give myself hay fever shots for a while, and I tried it both ways. Quick is definitely better. Anyway, you are doing your best for him, and I think he realizes that. The fact that he ate and wanted lots of loving shows that he knows you love him. Joy > I went to have the shots for Rumble today. > [quoted text clipped - 66 lines] > when he came home and made sure he got his loving. He is making sure we pay > for his inconvenient travel of today > I went to have the shots for Rumble today. > [quoted text clipped - 66 lines] >when he came home and made sure he got his loving. He is making sure we pay >for his inconvenient travel of today {{{{{Matthew}}}}}}} I know it has to be a terrible ordeal for you (not to mention Rumble), but you are doing the right thing, and it sounds like you are doing great since Rumble is back to his old self. Just keep it up; we have faith in you! Ginger-lyn Home Pages: http://www.moonsummer.com http://www.angelfire.com/folk/glsummer (homepage & cats) http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~summer/index.htm (genealogy) http://www.movieanimals.bravehost.com/ (The Violence Against Animals in Movies Website) You're saving his life and restoring his health; please don't feel like you're violating Rumble! He'll get used to it too; my Fritzie did, and the insulin gave him years that the experts said he shouldn't have had; his blood sugar was once so high it was off the meter and the vet couldn't accurately measure it. You'll do fine with the injections too. Believe me it does get easier. Soon you'll be able to get it done in the blink of an eye, and Rumble will feel better than ever. It takes a few tries to get it, but you're on the right track. Best of luck and purrs aplenty! Blessed be, Baha > I went to have the shots for Rumble today. > [quoted text clipped - 66 lines] >when he came home and made sure he got his loving. He is making sure we pay >for his inconvenient travel of today > I went to have the shots for Rumble today. Please don't feel like a bad cat dad. Of course giving shots makes you nervous, but it will keep Rumble alive and also give him a good quality of life. I honestly think he will barely notice them after a few days. As I said, pretty much everyone in the neighborhood had a chance to catsit Patty, my high school bf's cat, and she didn't even notice. We were just told to stick the needle in while she chowed down on fresh food. Purrs that Rumble is as accepting as Patty was about it. Patty lived to an old cat age with her diabetes and, as I recall, several other conditions as well. Honestly, I don't think having diabetes affected her much at all. Patty ate both dry and wet; you have an advantage in that you know about the carb connection for cats. That being said, human diabetics don't eat the same thing day in and day out; I think it will be okay, once you get Rumble's blood sugar under control, to give him very occasional treats. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca > I went to have the shots for Rumble today. <snip> > Well all I can say is I feel like I walked out of a disaster zone. I feel > dazed a little confused I feel like I have done something wrong. I keep [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > when he came home and made sure he got his loving. He is making sure we pay > for his inconvenient travel of today Everything is going to be fine, Matthew. You'll learn how to give the shots in no time at all. I'm so glad to hear Rumble is back to his old self! Best wishes and purrs, Polonca and Soncek |
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