Does anyone remember RRF? We had to rush her to the hospital last winter after she attacked herself and ripped off her tail. He tail was amputated so only a small portion remained and her overactive reproductive system was removed. As of this past Saturday, RRF has been diagnosed with diabetes. The level of committment needed to keep her glucose levels regulated seems a little extreme. Insulin would need to be administered twice daily; each being 12 hours apart. She will need to spend the first few days of treatment in the hospital so Dr. Cheek can begin the insulin shots. Normally, this would require RRF to remain at the hospital for a week, but Dr. Cheek can work with us and only keep her for 2 days since money is an issue. Money is a BIG issue! The insulin and needles are not that expensive when averaged over a 4 month period which is how long the materials should last with each refill. RRF would then need to stay at the hospital for a day every 2 weeks until she is regulated. During that day visit, her glucose would be tested every few hours. Dr. Cheek explained that this is unsual in a cat as young as RRF since diabetes usually does not occur until middle age. Steve and I found RRF last summer in the woods and while I'm not an animal expert, I don't believe she was anymore than several weeks old during that time. We will need to tell Dr. Cheek of our decision; whether to treat RRF. If left untreated, RRF will continue to get progressively worse and become so sick, that any type of treatment would be too costly. It's been a tough decision. I know some of you are thinking "it's just a cat" and yes, from an outsider's viewpoint, RRF is "just a cat". But to us, "she's part of the family" even if I think we have too many animals. I am torn as I believe Steve is although he keeps telling me that a bullet will only cost 25 cents. Not funny, Steve! My practical side says that we cannot afford to keep RRF healthy. We are paying medical bills relating to Mason's delivery that the insurance did not cover and we will be paying on them for awhile. On top of that, we do not know of Mason's potential condition of kidney reflux and how severe it is for his age. My emotional side says that we cannot euthanize RRF unless we have at least tried to give her a chance at a healthy life.
How far do you go? At what point is the effort not practical anymore? How much will you sacrafice for an animal? Do you listen to reason or your heart? What if this was your pet?
As you may or may not know, our oldest Ace has cancer. He is 12 and probably only has one or 2 more years life expectancy but he is part of the family so we have done what we can to this point. And yes, unfortunately we do have to watch the $'s. Your insulin process sounds very normal, except we at least can do pills. GOOD LUCK with your decision. And either way, just questioning it shows your love for RFF.
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