by Sharon Luka
I was shocked when I learned, on October 15, 2002, that my 14-year-old long-haired
calico cat had been stricken with type 2, adult onset diabetes. Strange, you
say? Actually, it is quite common among the feline population. I also have a
friend whose dog has been blinded by diabetes.
Being totally blind, how was I going to care for my diabetic cat? As you can imagine, I wondered how I would help Callie manage her situation. I couldn't believe it. First of all, neither she nor I sustain obesity. Callie had been stricken with a respiratory illness, then, bang, she became a cat with diabetes.
Dr. Tom Cure, my veterinarian, many friends, and Jeff Denton, a Salina, Kansas pharmacist, worked with me to build Callie's health regimen. She was quickly placed on insulin injections, having first presented herself in the Veterinary hospital with a blood sugar of over 600.
I wondered how I would load syringes and administer injections, but I knew there were tools to enable a blind person to safely and accurately draw up and administer insulin. These I would use to take care of Callie.
After recovering from my own questions of "how I had erred as a pet owner to cause this diabetes," reality struck. I needed to act. I bought a 1/2cc Count-a-Dose, taught myself to load syringes, and I now give Callie her medication (she is quite cooperative, and even purrs during shots). The local Regional Health Center Diabetes Educator taught me to use an automatic injection device to inject Callie's insulin, as I found I often bent needles, trying to smoothly and quickly insert the needles between my cat's shoulder blades.
You may wonder how I discovered her diabetes. As many pet owners, and dog guide users know, one must be vigilant in observing animals' behavior. A few days after she bounced back from respiratory illness, I found loads of sticky urine in Callie's litter box. The dumpster was suddenly being loaded! Callie quickly lost four to five pounds of her 13-pound being, and she lay in the hall between the restroom and water bowl. (For feline diabetes observation, Scoop Away litter is best. Odor and stickiness abound when sugars are high.)
It took at least two weeks for me to feel confident drawing up Callie's shots. I'll never forget the first night I tried. With nervous tremor, I loaded to three clicks on the Count-a-Dose. Callie started her diabetes journey on three units of Humulin UltraLente twice daily.
It is now July, and Calllie is down to four units of insulin daily, and is strong and healthy. I want to thank my friends in the Salina community and the National Federation of the Blind for their notes of encouragement on my new adventure with Callie.
I also want to thank my veterinarian, Dr. Tom Cure, who gave many telephone consultations and words of advice. Dr. Cure told me of a gentleman who sought his council. Another vet had advised the man to euthanise his dog because of diabetes; Dr. Cure taught him proper care for his canine friend. It can be done!
It is all in our priorties. Dr. Cure observed that one can spend $100 on rock concert tickets, so certainly one can choose to spend $100 on pet care. He also stated, "caring for a helpless pet is a virtue."
It is with gratitude that I offer help to others who are struggling for independence, confidence, and accuracy in helping animals control their diabetes. I recall with interest that Dr. Cure admonished me: Now I can teach my blind clients to measure their insulin. Remember, we are constantly changing what it means to be blind.
I am interested in locating other blind persons who manage the diabetes of their canine or feline friends. My e-mail address is [email protected].