Ali is at the Vet

[Lerah021399]

My sweet girl was dropped off this morning. I have been concerned for her for a few days now because she has been really drinking a lot of water. That means that her diabetis is "out of control" as the Dr. put it. I just spoke w/ the doctor and she wants to do another fructosamine (spelling?) test on her and check her for a urinary tract infection. The doctor also wants to switch her insulin since it doesn't seem that Ali has been able to get really regulated on the type that she is on. We have changed the dosage several times on the type that she is on and have never gotten her regulated. I just want my baby to feel good. She is such a trooper and has been doing okay as far as her temperment is concerned, but I can tell that she isn't feeling 100%. I'll keep you all updated on how she is doing. The doctor is supposed to call me later today and let me know how the tests come out.

[HayleyRosie]

Ali is in my thoughts and prayers. I hope she feels better really soon.

[kimlovescats]

Prayers for Ali!!! I know how the diabetes control thing is ... newly diagnosed myself! :rolleyes: Hang in there sweet girl!!! :)

[catland]

I'm sorry to hear that Ali isn't feeling well. Good luck at the white coats little Aly, I hope they can make you feel better.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Oh no! Positive thoughts and prayers going out for Ali. Hope the doc gets her all squared away with her meds so she feels better soon! :)

[Lerah021399]

I just got off of the phone with the doctor at the vet. Ali is doing okay, but has yet to give them a urine sample (even after they gave her fluids). The doctor was very surprised by the results she got from the blood tests though. Ali's sugar levels were very low. I'll try to explain why that is an important thing w/o confusing you...Ali got a shot this morning of 1 unit of insulin around 7AM. They took her blood for a test about 9AM to test her sugar levels and they were around 150. For a cat that has diabetes the level should be around 300 or above. Also, the "peek" affect of the insulin shouldn't be until six hours later, so the doctor is now thinking that Ali doesn't have diabetes anymore (this is not unusual for cats...they kind of grow out of it). She thinks that the reason Ali hasn't been feeling her best is because her sugar levels have been too low so her body tries to compensate and then throws her sugar levels up really high, so she's kinda been on a roller coaster with her sugar levels. Poor baby! Everything right now hinges on her giving them a urine sample so that they can see if she is spilling any sugar in her urine...if she spills sugar she still has diabetes, if she doesn't spill any sugar then she doesn't have it. I hope I haven't totally confused everyone. The doctor used very confusing terms that mean absolutely nothing to me, but I think I got the jist of what she was saying.

So here's hoping that Ali gives them a urine sample real soon. If she doesn't give them a sample by 6PM I have to go pick her up and bring home a kit for her to use which requires her to be locked in a room by herself.

I'm also not looking forward to seeing this vet bill. They've had to pull blood from her several times and do different tests. OY!! She is very worth it though!!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Oh my! I guess I never knew cats could "outgrow" their diabetes. That's a good thing though! Hopefully this is the case and she's a completely healthy kitty again, you just didn't know it.

Come on Ali, pee for the nice vet, ok? :)

[jenluckenbach]

Oh, what a blessing if Ali's diabetes would be "cured"! (Yes, cats are the only being that can be "cured" of their diabetes)
Keep us updated. :)

[Lerah021399]

Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom
Oh my! I guess I never knew cats could "outgrow" their diabetes. That's a good thing though! Hopefully this is the case and she's a completely healthy kitty again, you just didn't know it.

Come on Ali, pee for the nice vet, ok? :)

I don't know if it's necessarily an "outgrowing" of diabetes, but they did say that it's not unusual for a cat to have it then in a few months not have it.

Ali also doesn't/didn't have a severe case. She was always "borderline", so that may also have something to do with it.

[slick]

AWWW, poor Ali.....I sure hope you get some positive results back. Nosie kisses to Ali and hugs to you. Try not to worry too much, although that's easier said than done.

[Lerah021399]

I forgot to mention that if Ali doesn't have any sugar in her urine they want to do a bacteria test on her urine (they wait 3 days to see if any bacteria grows on the sample or something like that :rolleyes: ). If bacteria grows then she has an infection somewhere (kidneys for example) which means more tests for her.

[catlover4ever]

Well, you let Ali know that my furkids and I are sending lot of positive thoughts and prayers her way.

Please keep us posted. --- Meg

[RedHedd]

C'mon Ali, please make pee-pee! :)

[krazyaboutkatz]

I sure hope that they'll be able to get a urine sample soon and that it doesn't contain any sugar. I also didn't know that cats could outgrow diabetes. Prayers and positive thoughts are on the way. Please keep us updated.

[Julie Grove]

Best wishes to Ali. It would be great news is she were to be rid of her diabetes. I won't bother saying don't worry because you absolutely will and the next couple of days will seem like an eternity! Please let us know the outcome asap.

[Killearn Kitties]

Prayers and positive thoughts going out for Ali. I hope everything turns out OK.

[Cataholic]

See, PT is educational! I learned that cats can become cured of their diabetes. Here's hoping that is the case with Ali. I hope all is well with her pee pee :)

[Barbara]

I hope that Ali first gives the vet her sample and then that everything is ok.!

All the best for her:)

[Lerah021399]

We picked up Ali from the vet yesterday on the way home from work. She still hadn't given the vet a urine sample. She held her pee from the time she was dropped off in the morning until the time that we picked her up! They said that they weren't surprised by that though because a cat can hold it for a long time.
Anyhow, they gave me a kit to use to get a sample from home. So we gathered Ali up and started for the house (only 2 minutes away, literally). Well, Ali couldn't hold it anymore, she peed in her carrier on the way home and I just happened to be holding her. Now it wouldn't have really been a big deal, but the carrier is not one of those hard plastic carriers, it's one of the those that looks like a duffle bag. So, needless to say, I got soaked w/ pee :eek: The good news from that is that I was able to get a little sample from the bottom of the carrier and it was enough for the vet to do their tests. After I took the sample back to the vet, they said that they wanted me to start Ali on some antibotics incase she has any type of infection, so I paid for her visit ($200.00 not as bad as I thought it was going to be) and left w/ the antibotics. They called me an hour later and said that there was only a trace of glucose in her urine, so until the fructosimine test came in we should cut her insulin back to 1/2 a unit. The doctor thinks that the trace amount of glucose was from Ali being stressed. And they started the bacterial test on the urine. The doctor said that she really doesn't think that Ali has diabetes anymore...YEAH!!

I got a call today from the doctor about the fructosimine test and it was at 340 (should be under 300). She also said that there was something growing on the bacterial test. She asked me how Ali's intake of water was today and I told her that it hasn't been as much which she thought was good. She told me to keep Ali at the 1/2 unit of insulin for now. She wants to wait until the bacterial test is complete and then go from there. She still doesn't think that Ali has diabetes anymore, but there is something else going on that is causing her sugar levels to be inconsistent. So, it' s a waiting game. She told me to call them on Wednesday and depending on the outcome of the bacterial test I may have to try to get another sample of urine from Ali.

So, we wait. I'll continue to keep you all posted on how she is doing.

[slick]

Don't you just hate the waiting game?? So glad to hear that Ali might not have diabetes anymore. Thanks for keeping us updated. Prayers continue for little Ali.

[CatDad]

I agree with Slick, I hate the waiting game.

I hope that they find out what is wrong with Ali soon. I happy to hear that the doctor thinks that she no longer has diabetes. I had no idea that a cat could get better from that.

Prayers on the way for Ali.:)

[Barbara]

Poor Ali girl. It must have been very urgent.
I think there are some good news also in the results. Hope the antibiotics clear it all up.

One little story: when we got Tigris at 12 weeks he came in the morning. During daytime we showed him the litterbox more than once but little Tigris had decided not to pee. Only after about ten hours he really had too and produced quite an ocean for such a little boy. But he did it in the box and never has done it elsewhere in all these years.:)

[Julie Grove]

I shall keep everything crossed for Ali. The waiting game is just so dreadful!!

[Lerah021399]

Ali seems to be doing okay, still a bit concerned for her though. I noticed this morning that she is still drinking a lot of water (her bowl downstairs was empty and she was begging for me to turn the faucet on in the tub). I got a call from the vet yesterday saying that it will cost another $98.00 for them to send the bacterial test for analysis. So, we wait for the results to come back. The doctor said that I would probably hear from her tomorrow.

[HayleyRosie]

Ali is in my thoughts and prayers. Please give her some scritchies for me.

[kimlovescats]

I'm so sorry that you and Ali are having to go through this... waiting is definitely one of the roughest parts! It sounds like the vet is on the right track to finding out what is making Ali feel bad. Try to hang in there, and thank you for taking the time to keep us updated.... we DO care!!!!;)

[Lerah021399]

Just wanted to let you all know that I still have not heard anything about the results of the bacterial test. The doctor said 3 days and the receptionist said 7-10, so I don't know exactly how much longer it will be. I just told them that I would wait to hear from them.

Ali in the mean time is doing okay. She's not lethargic or anything, so that's good, but her water intake is still a lot. She's on her antibotic and being such a good girl about taking it (it's in pill form and she's not even trying to get away when I give it to her). Although, she will run away if she sees or hears me open the bottle.

So we are still waiting. Oh, how I hate the waiting game...I'm trying so hard to be patient!

[Denyce]

Ok I am a little confused about your vet. My vet always takes a sterile sample. ESPECIALLY if she is looking for any bacteria. A sterile sample has to be taken with a needle. Urine collected through normal urination will ALWAYS have bacteria so that would be rather useless. If the cat is at the vets for several hours without access to a litter box it certainly seems as if they should have been able to get a sterile sample.

Denyce

[Lerah021399]

Originally posted by Denyce
Ok I am a little confused about your vet. My vet always takes a sterile sample. ESPECIALLY if she is looking for any bacteria. A sterile sample has to be taken with a needle. Urine collected through normal urination will ALWAYS have bacteria so that would be rather useless. If the cat is at the vets for several hours without access to a litter box it certainly seems as if they should have been able to get a sterile sample.

Denyce

They tried everything they could. They pushed fluids into her, they were pushing on her bladder and they offered to extract the urine w/ the needle, but I opted for them not to do that. Ali had already been at the vet all day and I didn't want for her to be in anymore stress or in anymore pain (she had been stuck w/ needles all day). Yes, the urine that was collected may have had some bacteria in it, but that is why it was sent for analysis. They will determine from the sample if Ali has any type of infection or if it was a bacteria that was collected w/ the sample. I completely have faith in the doctors there. I wouldn't be taking my precious kitties there if I didn't.

[Lerah021399]

I finally heard from vet to see what in the world was going on. Ali had Ecoli in her urine. I asked the vet how in the world she had that in her urine since ecoli is usually found in stool and she told me that it's highly possible that it came from her stool being left in the litter box too long or that her poo somehow got too close to her private part (to put it nicely;) ) So, it's a good thing that the doctor sent her home on antibotics. It should clear up w/ no problem

As far as her sugar levels, the vet wants us to get another sample of urine from her in a non-stressed environment (at home) so that they can test it for sugar.

So hopefully once we get this sample to the vet we can get some answers as to if she actually has diabetes still. Of course I will keep you all updated.

[Julie Grove]

Great news! Still keeping everything crossed !!

[Hoozdat]

I'm so happy to see the support here! Your kitty is in my thoughts.

[Kirsten]

Sorry, I've missed this entire thread! I'm sorry that Ali wasn't feeling well, and I hope with all these test results your vet will find a way to make her feel better soon!

Best wishes to her,
Kirsten

[Steffi N]

I am sorry to have missed this thread too. I too hope that the test results will tell your vet how to make Ali feel better. Gentle pets for you, Ali.