I haven't updated Sweep's thread for a while, but a lot has passed since I last posted.
Sweep has been a difficult diabetic to regulate, and at one stage - when I was up to 16 units of insulin a day, it was feared that he might even be insulin resistant.
Despite being on a strict diet, he has put on a kilo in weight since May. This has triggered arthritis in his back knees - his gait is still not normal from the laiminectomy he had almost 2 years ago. I have been told this rate of increase might possibly be down to a condition called acromegaly (a tumour on the pituitary gland which causes an excess of growth hormone). The RCVS are currently doing research into this condition, and have said they will perform a brain scan for free - once their CT scan is working!
About three weeks ago, one evening at 10 o'clock, Sweep had a hypoglycaemic attack (his sugar levels had dropped to a dangerous level due to an insulin overdose). Unfortunately, the vet was already dealing with an emergency 20 miles away, and it wasn't until gone midnight, that he received the treatment he urgently required and by this time he had lapsed into a coma.
(I did administer honey to his gums, but this didn't have much effect). Miraculously, I did get a call at 2.00 am to say he had come round and was demanding cuddles! But he had to have several bags of intravenous glucose, and was hospitalised for 4 days. He is now on half the dose (but I do set the alarm for 4.00am each morning to check him during his peak period).
I felt very angry afterwards, because I wondered if this could have been avoided - I had seen a vet a few days prior to this because I was concerned something was wrong (his usual vet was on hols), and she told me to up his insulin without testing his blood sugar levels... Needless to say, I did make my views known after this episode; I think lessons have been learnt and I am now in the possession of a glucometer so that I can do my own tests and proper glucose curves at home.
Then, Today - just when you think things can't get much worse for Sweep, my CP co-ordinator rings (first contact I've had for 3 months) to inform us that regrettably, having just received his latest vets bill which now brings the total spent on him to... wait for it... over £5,000
the branch can simply no longer afford to keep him. Patrick took the call - just as well as I would probably have got rather emotional
and said fine, no problem, we love him and we'll keep him and pay for him ourselves (big gulp). Adoption papers are in the post. Did I do the right thing he asked?
I'm still in a state of shock, I can appreciate the branch's predicament entirely, but all the millions CP HQ has, and they can't help out in special circumstances?
It makes me sick.
