Conference misery::feline_v1

    
    I haven't heard about this surgery, but would be very careful.  This is
    probably considered "experimental".  Don't forget that any potential human
    surgery or treatment is first tried on animals.  Research physicians
    have been trying to find a cure for diabetes for a long time, and
    besides the medication now have an implantable insulin pump.  
    
    My male Siamese is diabetic, and has been for 5 years.  He'll be
    19 this summer.  His treatment consists of 2 insulin shots a day as
    well as a twice-weekly infusion of Ringer's solution for his
    newly-developing nephritis.  He gets fed twice a day, and there is dry 
    food down at all times.  My female hasn't suffered from eating just twice 
    a day, and he hasn't suffered from having dry food down all day.
    
    If your only concern is that your other two cats eat twice a day, could 
    you find a place for the free-food where Loki cannot get at it?  Of course,
    it probably won't hurt the other two to only eat twice a day and they
    will get used to it.  
    
    I sometimes think we humans feel worse than the cats - and of course
    that's what they want because they train us so well!
    
    Regards,
    

    Andrea,
    
    I don't have any advise or experience w/ this, but I do wish the best
    for you & Loki.
    
    Bonnie

         Well, we got the consent form from our vet and from the looks of
    it this surgery seems to be entirely experimental.  The form gives not
    only all of the bad things that could happen (like *low* blood suger,
    which is even worse) but in the list of possible benefits it says
    something like "this surgery could enable the animal to produce insulin
    on its own .... there is no data to support this".  This sounds to me
    like a *real* experiment, and I will not allow Loki to be used for
    this.  When our regular Tufts veterinarian comes back from sabbatical,
    we will ask her, but unless she can give us some real evidence, this is
    entirely out of the question.
    
         Joan, I was worried because the diet that Loki is on is R/d (a
    reducing diet) and while that is okay for him as he's still a little
    hefty (13 pounds), it's not so good for the 13-year-old 12 pounder or,
    especially, the almost-1-year-old 9 pound kitten whom we don't want to
    lose weight.  We've been working with the twice a day regimen plus
    putting the other two in a room for an extra feeding, but I feel so bad
    looking at Loki's sad eyes and the "why can't I have that too?"
    expression.
    
         Right now Loki is on 2-3 units per day, in the morning, plus the
    two feedings.  We were told not to have any food around except for
    those two feedings; I wonder if there are maybe various "versions" of
    diabetes (I always thought diabetics were supposed to eat small meals
    all the time, to keep the suger level semi-constant)???  
    
         Anyway, thank you for telling me about your 19-year-old.  Loki's
    only 10, so that means he should be able to still have a long life even
    with this problem!
    
         Thanks for the kitty hugs, Bonnie!  They are appreciated!
    
    		      			- Andrea

    i try to give Sweetie extra cuddles instead of food to offset the why
    is he eating and not me blues.  It's partly successful.
    

         I think Loki likes the extra attention.  He's being much more
    lovable these days 8-) .
    
         I don't want to say this too loud, but it is possible that Loki's
    diabetes has "cured" itself, and that it will be controllable by diet. 
    He went in for blood glucose tests both Wednesday and Thursday and both
    times the levels were 150-175.  We've switched him to Prescription W/d
    (anybody know what the W stands for???) so that it won't reduce him any
    more.  He's still eating two meals a day, but urine tests so far have
    been *negative* for sugar!!  I'm so happy!
    
         I've read of this happening but never really believed it.  The vet
    thinks that his being overweight (he was 14�-15, now is 12�-13) and
    eating everything under the sun ;-) probably caused it; he can't eat
    like he used to!!  She said that if it got to the point of 1 unit a
    day, to just forget it; it wouldn't be worth it.
    
         So we're trying over the week with no insulin and just food and
    keeping our fingers crossed!!
    
    					- Andrea

    I'm keeping my fingers crossed too, Andrea!
    
    & the kids are keeping their paws crossed as well!
    
    Bonnie, Tabitha & Callie

    I am pretty sure that W/D is a low cal food.
    
    Jo

      
    W/D is a lo cal food, so to speak.  It is high in fiber (about 12/% ) 
    and low in fat.  Most cats do drop weight while on it, but alas, the
    Bales manages to gain...