Sallie's Brave Battle

Sallie is my 15 yr old cat that I brought home from the Humane Society in 2008.  I had seen her picture and read about her in a newspaper article under the "pets needing homes" section. Her owner had died and she cowered in her cage, too timid to venture out. She had been languishing in a cage at the humane society for almost a year. Now Sallie was a robust 17+ lb. and was rather cramped in her quarters. I put my hand inside to pet her and she immediately kissed it and did so the several subsequent times I reached out to reassure her.  We could not imagine her living out her life at the facility after being a companion to someone in their final days. The Humane Society does a wonderful job with these animals, but was no substitute for a forever residence. My husband and I also brought home two felines from animal control who were exhausting their multiple lives. After Sallie tired from spending her initial days here, under the bed, during which I made numerous forays to feed her, pet her, cajole her, etc., she began to enjoy her new life.  In 2009 she was diagnosed with feline diabetes. Now as I mentioned, Sallie was a big girl when she joined our household, a tuxedo with rather short legs that carried her quickly to the food bowls.  She was and is absolutely adorable.  The problem with her diabetes was that it seemed inconsistent.  I didn't realize how much so, until one evening when I returned from taking pictures for one of my real estate clients. I heard one long meow when I came in through my back door.  I found her immobile.  I immediately suspected foul play and admonished our solid black male, Voo Doo.  He was one of the animal control recruits, days away from an imminent journey to the big litter pan in the sky.  He can be rambunctious and liked to ambush the older cats.  I scooped Sallie up, bed and all and my husband and I headed for the emergency all night clinic.  She nearly died on the ride there.  Her body was totally rigid and she jerked her head up twice, gasping for air.  After a harrowing interlude in the waiting room, we learned that she had experienced a hypoglycemic attack- which unchecked is lethal and can lead to death in just hours.  I had been giving Sallie 5 units of insulin twice a day, which the vet had precscibed after reviewing her  glucose test results at that time.  I also had her on special dietetic food.  This see -saw of wildy vacillating lucose test readings continued for 2 years with intervals of full blood work ups.  Eventually she was diagnosed with pancraeitis which explained the rather frequent bouts of vomiting.  That however went away as her condition worsened.  Last fall she had an ultra sound which showed that she has one operational kidney.  The specialist told me that her survival would depend on several things, the main being daily in home glucose testing to determine whether or not she required an insulin injection or not.  It would also enable me to know how much insulin  to inject each time. This is done morning and night @ 12 hour intervals. She also needs daily sub-q fluids administered under the skin, to help hydrate her.  Several weeks after buying the glucose monitor and test strips, I conjured up the nerve to do it.  I saw the rapid wasting away of an animal so full of love it made my heart hurt.  She and I adapted more easily than I anticipated. But then suddenly she could barely walk.  I had been logging onto a web site called www. feline diabetes.com, from England.  The web master is brilliant, and is a doctor for people, not cats.  It is an amazingly informative and accurate site.  The members explore every facet of the illness and also diseases related to and resulting from the diabetes.  Members offer one another support and exchange ideas and experiences. A common thread of great love for their feline companions quickens their efforts to provide them with some quality of life.

I found out that failing kidneys in some cases result in neurapathy, a weakening of the hind quarters.  Methyl B-12 was suggested as having almost miraculous results in some instances when administered to cats suffering from this condition.

You usually have to get it in a health food store. I found it here locally at Ada's.  Within 48 hours of her first dosage, her walking ability improved.  She was so depressed and lethargic before that.  Walking had been just too much trouble.  Now I watch as her little bony behind makes the rounds, mobile again.  She gets three 100 micromiligrams a day, equal to 3 milligrams.  The suggested dosage is 3-5 miligrams a day.  I crush it along with potassium (which is depleted in conditions like hers) and about 1/8 of a 500 miligram vitamin c tablet. I add that to water and administer the rejuvenating cocktail with a syringe.

There you have it.  Today is my birthday and to still have this little angel with me is the best present I could wish for.  Sallie somehow managed to acquire an extra life and we are the better for it. 



Rejuvinating vitamin Methyl B-12