| Tributes - Topaz C. |
First Entry: July 27, 2011
Topaz was born wild on a farm outside Anadarko, Oklahoma on August 15, 1994. He was adopted by me, DC from KC.
September 30, 1994, right after he had been weaned. I was in that part of the country for a funeral and Topaz and his brother,
were found wandering around the yard. Little did I know that I would fall in love with these two cats so quickly and that they would
become an integral part of my life. I took Topaz and his little brother back to KC when I left Oklahoma. I had always been a “dog”
person, so these kitties, whom I adopted together, have been my only experience with cats. And now I am truly a convert to all
cats!! My cats have flourished for nearly 17 years under my protective and loving care. They are indoor only cats, my
companions, the loves of my life, my children. Now that the cats have reached their senior years I am overly concerned about the
state of their health.
For Topaz, it started in October, 2004, after he turned 10 years old. He was diagnosed with diabetes and put on 1 ½ cc of insulin
twice a day and a diet that was high protein and very low carbs. I did my research and found that Fancy Feast Classic was okay
for diabetic cats. The vet also recommended supplementing with dry M/D weight management food. For Topaz to take his insulin
I have to tempt him with treats in the morning and in the evening. In the morning he gets ¼ jar of Beechnut baby food so that while
he is eating this I can stick him with his insulin. In the evening he gets a tiny amount of roasted chicken, which has to be the thigh
meat, and then I can stick him with his insulin injection. If he doesn’t get his treats, he will just run away and hide and I have a
horrible time trying to find him.
Topaz’s blood sugar levels have been well controlled and there was even a time when he went into remission for 9 months and
did not require insulin. He has always been a very good eater if you give him something he likes and he liked the Fancy Feast
classic for nearly 7 years. He is used to grazing all day and he would rather eat, sleep and get love than play or even move
around a lot. Yes, I know he may be a lazy cat, but he is sure is a beautiful and affectionate one.
Everything was going well until February, 2011. Kidney tests showed he was having renal problems, due to the diabetes and to
his senior years. So in February of this year I started taking him to the vet’s office every Monday and Friday to get IV fluids to help
maintain his kidneys. He gets 200 cc on each visit. It's traumatic for him to be put into the carrier and transported in a car, he
hates it. I cannot pick him up, I have to have a towel around his bottom because if not he will pee all over me. Once Topaz gets to
the vet’s he is so scared that he must be catatonic, because he just lays there and lets them do anything they want. The vet
suggested that I add potassium granules and a probiotic sprinkled into the Beechnut baby food in the morning. With renal failure
also come low potassium levels. I researched that the potassium granules did not contain any carbs and therefore I was willing to
add that and the probiotic to his morning baby food.
In the middle of March, Topaz started to have loose stools and was throwing up 1 to 2 times a day. I contributed this to his eating
too much or that the dry food was not agreeing with him. The vet thought Topaz may have an intestinal infection, so he gave him
an antibiotic injection in which the medicine works for 14 days. Within three to four days his stools were back to normal and he
seemed to be feeling better. However he still continued to throw up almost daily.
Topaz is being monitored by the vet on a weekly basis when he goes in for IV fluids, his weight and glucose levels are always
checked. At the end of April, almost 4 weeks since his “tummy” problems and throwing up had started, he had lost about 8
ounces. He weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces, having been a cat that always weighed around 10 pounds. I know he was not eating
his Fancy Feast Classic because he was always trying to sneak his brother’s food which is Whiskas. I noticed the lack of his
interest in his food and I was hesitant in giving him the Whiskas because the last ingredient is dried yams. This means Whiskas
is a little higher in carbs and not as high in protein which may put his blood sugar into a tail spin. But in discussing this with my
vet, it was determined that Topaz needed to eat something to control his diabetes and also prevent him from losing any more
weight. So I relented and started giving him the Whiskas, but he was still throwing up.
The vet suggested that something other than the food, renal problems or old age was at hand. So on May 2, 2011 a complete
blood work, a fructosamine test and an ultrasound of his entire intestinal tract was ordered. On May 9th the test results were back
and he was diagnosed with severe IBD. My vet said that this disease can be spasmodic, it can calm down for awhile and out of
the blue flare up again. His ultrasound showed thickening of the intestines but no thickening within the lymph nodes. This ruled out
intestinal lymphoma which my other cat has had for almost a year. The ultrasound determined that Topaz did in fact have IBD.
His blood work showed that everything was within normal range, that his kidneys were stable with the aid of the IV fluids and that
his blood sugar levels are well maintained in the normal range.
So now with this IBD diagnosis comes the treatment plan:
1. Anti inflammatory drugs (Depo-Medrol) injections weekly, then bi-weekly or budesonide capsules daily
2. Appetite stimulant (cyproheptadine) tablets daily.
3. B-12 shots weekly, then bi-weekly
4. Switch to hypoallergenic canned food like venison, duck, rabbit
This is not good for either one of us because Topaz is a cat that cannot be pilled, won’t take crushed pills in his food, will not eat
pill pockets, will not allow the vet tech who comes to the house to touch him, and will not eat venison, duck, or rabbit. We tried
many years ago and it won’t work, he will starve first! I had to make a decision so I decided to go with the new food and to have
the vet give Topaz the Depo-Medrol shot and the B-12 shot every Friday when I bring him in for IV fluids.
Topaz will not eat the venison, duck, rabbit or anything else that I tried that was either marked grain free or hypoallergenic. So I
finally let him return to eating the Whiskas. However, I took away the dry M/D weight management food, which he doesn’t seem
to miss. So for the remainder of May, about 3 ½ weeks, the vet and I tried this routine. But when his glucose was tested at the
end of May, his blood sugar was over 600 and this was the highest it had ever been in his life. The vet had said that he may not
be a good candidate for the Depo-Medrol because it could throw his blood sugar totally out of control, and that is exactly what it
did. Now it will take 6 weeks to get his blood sugar under control by increasing his insulin up to 2 cc twice a day. He no longer
can have injections of the Depo-Medrol. This means I have to deal with him being pilled daily with the budesonide. This also
means that the vet tech that comes to the house is also going to charge me more because she now has Topaz to administer to
besides my other cat and his medication.
At the end of May, the vet called in a prescription for 1 mg capsules of budesonide to be given daily. Along with this, Topaz
needs to take ½ tablet of cypro daily to stimulate his appetite. Well this is not going to sit well with Topaz at all, I have a dilemma
on my hands. I finally decide to have Topaz undergo the trauma of having the vet tech give him these meds. Though Topaz will
not like this, he will have to learn that this makes him feel better.
So for the month of June, the vet tech pills Topaz and at times he does throw up the pills. I continue to take him to the vets on
Mondays and Friday for IV fluids and for his B-12 shot. He gets weighed every Friday and for the month of June maintained his
weight at 9 pounds, 2 ounces. During this month I noticed that he is very lethargic and will hide under the table all day long after
he has been pilled. I mention this to the vet and he suggests that I give the budesonide every other day. He also suggested that
Topaz gets his B-12 shots on every other week.
With this information in hand, I decide to try yet another approach at home. I am going to let the vet tech give Topaz his fluids
every Monday and Friday so that he may not be so stressed out about being in the carrier and being transported in the car twice
a week. I found a way in which I can create a safe and secure holding area for the vet tech to give him his fluids. So during the
month of July, everything is now being done at home.
For the month of July, 2011 his routine is:
1. Fluids every Monday and Friday at home.
2. 2 cc's of insulin twice daily, which I administer. In the morning he gets ¼ jar Beechnut baby food that has a capsule of probiotic
sprinkled and mixed into it. He won’t take the granulated potassium anymore.
3. The vet tech gives Topaz ½ tablet of Cypro daily and every other day a 1 mg capsule of budesonide.
4. Every other Friday vet tech gives a B-12 shot.
I noticed that Topaz is a little more relaxed and happy because now he lies with me and his brother, constantly wants to eat and
he no longer hides all day. He has only thrown up about 3 or 4 times this entire month. He may throw up his pills from time to time,
but I think I am learning now not to get too upset or anxious over this.
On August 3, 2011 it will be three months since Topaz was diagnosed with IBD. He will be going to the vet for a complete
physical and evaluation at that time. It will have been 4 ½ weeks since he saw the vet last. He needs to get weighed and needs
his glucose checked. I am praying that what is being done is really helping his condition and that myself and both my cats can
coast for quite awhile. All this has been extremely stressful and frustrating for me and for Topaz. My cats and I love routine, so I
am hopeful that the routine established in July will become the “norm” for a considerable amount of time.
Update: August 9, 2011
Topaz got his 3 month check up on August 4th for his IBD condition. Test results came back on August 8th. IBD is under control
with administration of 1 mg budesonide every other day. His weight has been maintained at 9 pounds, 2 ounces. Everything
checked out okay except that his glucose level was too low after 5 hours, 79. This means I have to reduce his insulin to 1 ½ cc
twice a day from the 2cc twice a day that he was increased to, due to being on Depo-Medrol the first 4 weeks of his illness. Also
his BUN levels are slightly above the normal range at 59 and the vet wants me to start to give him fluids every other day instead
of twice a week. His potassium levels were low also because he had refused to take granulated potassium but he's back on it
now. Topaz will be checked again in two weeks to determine his kidney function and glucose levels with the change of regime.
Update: November 14, 2011
It's not good news with Topaz. 1 ½ weeks ago he was diagnosed with Pancreatitis. So the new routine is to put him on
prednisone and watch his blood sugar. He had been on budesonide for nearly 4 months and the drug seemed to be making him
ill. He was not the same kitty. I tried every other day with the budesonide but on the days he was not on the drug and was acting
normal, he would throw up. So for the past month he was on it constant. Now last Thursday with this new diagnosis of
Pancreatitis, we stopped the budesonide and put him on prednisone and watched his sugar levels closely. He was only on the
prednisone three days when he had a stroke. I could not tell what it was, he appeared to either be in high or low blood sugar so I
immediately ran him to the vet. The vet has told me there is a 50/50 chance he may pull through. But with everything that is wrong
with him given his age of 17 years and 3 months, renal failure, diabetes, IBD, pancreatitis and now the stroke, I probably will have
to put him down. However, I have a wonderful vet and Saturday he took Topaz home with him to monitor him completely. His
blood pressure was terribly high and his heart was galloping. Later, Saturday night the blood pressure was coming down, his
heart rate was returning to normal but his blood sugar was still too high. Sunday, my vet reported that Topaz was alert, but very
wobbly and that he had eaten a little on his own. He had given him a cerenia injection for nausea and other drugs in the
monitoring stage. My vet called again last night and said that Topaz was not eating and that he had to force feed him and then
increase his insulin to 3 cc. He did not think Topaz would expire last night so this morning he brought Topaz back to the clinic to
get hospital monitoring and then my vet went home sick. He left instructions with the vet at the clinic and also with his vet techs.
Update: November 21, 2011
Topaz had another spike this past Saturday night. This was the third spike in 8 days. Yet Saturday was the first day he ate on his
own. Sunday my vet picked him up and took him home with him to monitor. Dr. Rowe called and said that his blood pressure is
back to normal with the addition of another medicine added to the current blood pressure meds he is taking. His breathing is
normal and his heart rate is normal. However he is so very, very weak. Dr. Rowe said that he is concerned that although Topaz is
not an emergency, he is critical and that he is like on life support. Without all the medical intervention (force feeding, pills down
his throat, needle pricks and IV fluids) he is concerned that Topaz will have a hard time responding to eating on his own. And
without him doing this, it will be downhill.
I fully believe that Topaz on Saturday night gave me the sign that he had tried to pass away on his own but it was just too difficult.
So at 2:00 p.m. today, November 21, 2011, I am to call Dr Rowe back and he will let me know what time it would be best to put
Topaz down. I have given Topaz permission to go on his own and I am wishing I would not have to do this. I don't want him to be
in pain or suffer through all this medical treatment which would inevitably end up with the same results. He has lived a full 17
years and 3 months and has been a magnificent blessing sent to me.
Update: November 22, 2011
In May, 2004 Topaz was diagnosed with diabetes and for 7 years he took his insulin like a pro, with no mind. His sugar levels
were pretty stable. It was only late May, 2011 this year that he was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and slight renal
failure. So he was put on subcutaneous fluids every other day and meds to control the IBD. He did pretty well on this regime.
Then on November 3, 2011 it was suspected that he may have pancreatitis. This was confirmed on November 8, 2011. He was
put on prednisone November 9th, 2011 and his insulin adjusted to compensate for being on this drug. Then on Saturday,
November 12, 2011 early in the morning, Topaz had a stroke. He was monitored carefully by his wonderful vet, meds were
added and adjusted and he was coming along with the assistance of the vet clinic and the loving care I could give him. However
on Wednesday, he had another slight spike, came through that, but sometime early Sunday morning, maybe about 2:00 a.m. on
November 20, 2011, he had another spike and this was not good. He was telling me, his Mom, that he was ready. That he had
enough and could not get totally well on his own. He would need medical and veterinary assistance constantly and the stress, the
pills, the force feeding was just too much. His little body could not handle any more, 7 days was enough already. He gave it all he
could to make it on his own, but he was tired now. He was letting me know. It was truly only the last 7 days of his life that he
indeed was extremely ill. So at 3:35 pm I let Topaz go. I did what was best for him, the hardest thing I've ever done.
Topaz was born wild on a farm outside Anadarko, Oklahoma on August 15, 1994. He was adopted by me, DC from KC.
September 30, 1994, right after he had been weaned. I was in that part of the country for a funeral and Topaz and his brother,
were found wandering around the yard. Little did I know that I would fall in love with these two cats so quickly and that they would
become an integral part of my life. I took Topaz and his little brother back to KC when I left Oklahoma. I had always been a “dog”
person, so these kitties, whom I adopted together, have been my only experience with cats. And now I am truly a convert to all
cats!! My cats have flourished for nearly 17 years under my protective and loving care. They are indoor only cats, my
companions, the loves of my life, my children. Now that the cats have reached their senior years I am overly concerned about the
state of their health.
For Topaz, it started in October, 2004, after he turned 10 years old. He was diagnosed with diabetes and put on 1 ½ cc of insulin
twice a day and a diet that was high protein and very low carbs. I did my research and found that Fancy Feast Classic was okay
for diabetic cats. The vet also recommended supplementing with dry M/D weight management food. For Topaz to take his insulin
I have to tempt him with treats in the morning and in the evening. In the morning he gets ¼ jar of Beechnut baby food so that while
he is eating this I can stick him with his insulin. In the evening he gets a tiny amount of roasted chicken, which has to be the thigh
meat, and then I can stick him with his insulin injection. If he doesn’t get his treats, he will just run away and hide and I have a
horrible time trying to find him.
Topaz’s blood sugar levels have been well controlled and there was even a time when he went into remission for 9 months and
did not require insulin. He has always been a very good eater if you give him something he likes and he liked the Fancy Feast
classic for nearly 7 years. He is used to grazing all day and he would rather eat, sleep and get love than play or even move
around a lot. Yes, I know he may be a lazy cat, but he is sure is a beautiful and affectionate one.
Everything was going well until February, 2011. Kidney tests showed he was having renal problems, due to the diabetes and to
his senior years. So in February of this year I started taking him to the vet’s office every Monday and Friday to get IV fluids to help
maintain his kidneys. He gets 200 cc on each visit. It's traumatic for him to be put into the carrier and transported in a car, he
hates it. I cannot pick him up, I have to have a towel around his bottom because if not he will pee all over me. Once Topaz gets to
the vet’s he is so scared that he must be catatonic, because he just lays there and lets them do anything they want. The vet
suggested that I add potassium granules and a probiotic sprinkled into the Beechnut baby food in the morning. With renal failure
also come low potassium levels. I researched that the potassium granules did not contain any carbs and therefore I was willing to
add that and the probiotic to his morning baby food.
In the middle of March, Topaz started to have loose stools and was throwing up 1 to 2 times a day. I contributed this to his eating
too much or that the dry food was not agreeing with him. The vet thought Topaz may have an intestinal infection, so he gave him
an antibiotic injection in which the medicine works for 14 days. Within three to four days his stools were back to normal and he
seemed to be feeling better. However he still continued to throw up almost daily.
Topaz is being monitored by the vet on a weekly basis when he goes in for IV fluids, his weight and glucose levels are always
checked. At the end of April, almost 4 weeks since his “tummy” problems and throwing up had started, he had lost about 8
ounces. He weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces, having been a cat that always weighed around 10 pounds. I know he was not eating
his Fancy Feast Classic because he was always trying to sneak his brother’s food which is Whiskas. I noticed the lack of his
interest in his food and I was hesitant in giving him the Whiskas because the last ingredient is dried yams. This means Whiskas
is a little higher in carbs and not as high in protein which may put his blood sugar into a tail spin. But in discussing this with my
vet, it was determined that Topaz needed to eat something to control his diabetes and also prevent him from losing any more
weight. So I relented and started giving him the Whiskas, but he was still throwing up.
The vet suggested that something other than the food, renal problems or old age was at hand. So on May 2, 2011 a complete
blood work, a fructosamine test and an ultrasound of his entire intestinal tract was ordered. On May 9th the test results were back
and he was diagnosed with severe IBD. My vet said that this disease can be spasmodic, it can calm down for awhile and out of
the blue flare up again. His ultrasound showed thickening of the intestines but no thickening within the lymph nodes. This ruled out
intestinal lymphoma which my other cat has had for almost a year. The ultrasound determined that Topaz did in fact have IBD.
His blood work showed that everything was within normal range, that his kidneys were stable with the aid of the IV fluids and that
his blood sugar levels are well maintained in the normal range.
So now with this IBD diagnosis comes the treatment plan:
1. Anti inflammatory drugs (Depo-Medrol) injections weekly, then bi-weekly or budesonide capsules daily
2. Appetite stimulant (cyproheptadine) tablets daily.
3. B-12 shots weekly, then bi-weekly
4. Switch to hypoallergenic canned food like venison, duck, rabbit
This is not good for either one of us because Topaz is a cat that cannot be pilled, won’t take crushed pills in his food, will not eat
pill pockets, will not allow the vet tech who comes to the house to touch him, and will not eat venison, duck, or rabbit. We tried
many years ago and it won’t work, he will starve first! I had to make a decision so I decided to go with the new food and to have
the vet give Topaz the Depo-Medrol shot and the B-12 shot every Friday when I bring him in for IV fluids.
Topaz will not eat the venison, duck, rabbit or anything else that I tried that was either marked grain free or hypoallergenic. So I
finally let him return to eating the Whiskas. However, I took away the dry M/D weight management food, which he doesn’t seem
to miss. So for the remainder of May, about 3 ½ weeks, the vet and I tried this routine. But when his glucose was tested at the
end of May, his blood sugar was over 600 and this was the highest it had ever been in his life. The vet had said that he may not
be a good candidate for the Depo-Medrol because it could throw his blood sugar totally out of control, and that is exactly what it
did. Now it will take 6 weeks to get his blood sugar under control by increasing his insulin up to 2 cc twice a day. He no longer
can have injections of the Depo-Medrol. This means I have to deal with him being pilled daily with the budesonide. This also
means that the vet tech that comes to the house is also going to charge me more because she now has Topaz to administer to
besides my other cat and his medication.
At the end of May, the vet called in a prescription for 1 mg capsules of budesonide to be given daily. Along with this, Topaz
needs to take ½ tablet of cypro daily to stimulate his appetite. Well this is not going to sit well with Topaz at all, I have a dilemma
on my hands. I finally decide to have Topaz undergo the trauma of having the vet tech give him these meds. Though Topaz will
not like this, he will have to learn that this makes him feel better.
So for the month of June, the vet tech pills Topaz and at times he does throw up the pills. I continue to take him to the vets on
Mondays and Friday for IV fluids and for his B-12 shot. He gets weighed every Friday and for the month of June maintained his
weight at 9 pounds, 2 ounces. During this month I noticed that he is very lethargic and will hide under the table all day long after
he has been pilled. I mention this to the vet and he suggests that I give the budesonide every other day. He also suggested that
Topaz gets his B-12 shots on every other week.
With this information in hand, I decide to try yet another approach at home. I am going to let the vet tech give Topaz his fluids
every Monday and Friday so that he may not be so stressed out about being in the carrier and being transported in the car twice
a week. I found a way in which I can create a safe and secure holding area for the vet tech to give him his fluids. So during the
month of July, everything is now being done at home.
For the month of July, 2011 his routine is:
1. Fluids every Monday and Friday at home.
2. 2 cc's of insulin twice daily, which I administer. In the morning he gets ¼ jar Beechnut baby food that has a capsule of probiotic
sprinkled and mixed into it. He won’t take the granulated potassium anymore.
3. The vet tech gives Topaz ½ tablet of Cypro daily and every other day a 1 mg capsule of budesonide.
4. Every other Friday vet tech gives a B-12 shot.
I noticed that Topaz is a little more relaxed and happy because now he lies with me and his brother, constantly wants to eat and
he no longer hides all day. He has only thrown up about 3 or 4 times this entire month. He may throw up his pills from time to time,
but I think I am learning now not to get too upset or anxious over this.
On August 3, 2011 it will be three months since Topaz was diagnosed with IBD. He will be going to the vet for a complete
physical and evaluation at that time. It will have been 4 ½ weeks since he saw the vet last. He needs to get weighed and needs
his glucose checked. I am praying that what is being done is really helping his condition and that myself and both my cats can
coast for quite awhile. All this has been extremely stressful and frustrating for me and for Topaz. My cats and I love routine, so I
am hopeful that the routine established in July will become the “norm” for a considerable amount of time.
Update: August 9, 2011
Topaz got his 3 month check up on August 4th for his IBD condition. Test results came back on August 8th. IBD is under control
with administration of 1 mg budesonide every other day. His weight has been maintained at 9 pounds, 2 ounces. Everything
checked out okay except that his glucose level was too low after 5 hours, 79. This means I have to reduce his insulin to 1 ½ cc
twice a day from the 2cc twice a day that he was increased to, due to being on Depo-Medrol the first 4 weeks of his illness. Also
his BUN levels are slightly above the normal range at 59 and the vet wants me to start to give him fluids every other day instead
of twice a week. His potassium levels were low also because he had refused to take granulated potassium but he's back on it
now. Topaz will be checked again in two weeks to determine his kidney function and glucose levels with the change of regime.
Update: November 14, 2011
It's not good news with Topaz. 1 ½ weeks ago he was diagnosed with Pancreatitis. So the new routine is to put him on
prednisone and watch his blood sugar. He had been on budesonide for nearly 4 months and the drug seemed to be making him
ill. He was not the same kitty. I tried every other day with the budesonide but on the days he was not on the drug and was acting
normal, he would throw up. So for the past month he was on it constant. Now last Thursday with this new diagnosis of
Pancreatitis, we stopped the budesonide and put him on prednisone and watched his sugar levels closely. He was only on the
prednisone three days when he had a stroke. I could not tell what it was, he appeared to either be in high or low blood sugar so I
immediately ran him to the vet. The vet has told me there is a 50/50 chance he may pull through. But with everything that is wrong
with him given his age of 17 years and 3 months, renal failure, diabetes, IBD, pancreatitis and now the stroke, I probably will have
to put him down. However, I have a wonderful vet and Saturday he took Topaz home with him to monitor him completely. His
blood pressure was terribly high and his heart was galloping. Later, Saturday night the blood pressure was coming down, his
heart rate was returning to normal but his blood sugar was still too high. Sunday, my vet reported that Topaz was alert, but very
wobbly and that he had eaten a little on his own. He had given him a cerenia injection for nausea and other drugs in the
monitoring stage. My vet called again last night and said that Topaz was not eating and that he had to force feed him and then
increase his insulin to 3 cc. He did not think Topaz would expire last night so this morning he brought Topaz back to the clinic to
get hospital monitoring and then my vet went home sick. He left instructions with the vet at the clinic and also with his vet techs.
Update: November 21, 2011
Topaz had another spike this past Saturday night. This was the third spike in 8 days. Yet Saturday was the first day he ate on his
own. Sunday my vet picked him up and took him home with him to monitor. Dr. Rowe called and said that his blood pressure is
back to normal with the addition of another medicine added to the current blood pressure meds he is taking. His breathing is
normal and his heart rate is normal. However he is so very, very weak. Dr. Rowe said that he is concerned that although Topaz is
not an emergency, he is critical and that he is like on life support. Without all the medical intervention (force feeding, pills down
his throat, needle pricks and IV fluids) he is concerned that Topaz will have a hard time responding to eating on his own. And
without him doing this, it will be downhill.
I fully believe that Topaz on Saturday night gave me the sign that he had tried to pass away on his own but it was just too difficult.
So at 2:00 p.m. today, November 21, 2011, I am to call Dr Rowe back and he will let me know what time it would be best to put
Topaz down. I have given Topaz permission to go on his own and I am wishing I would not have to do this. I don't want him to be
in pain or suffer through all this medical treatment which would inevitably end up with the same results. He has lived a full 17
years and 3 months and has been a magnificent blessing sent to me.
Update: November 22, 2011
In May, 2004 Topaz was diagnosed with diabetes and for 7 years he took his insulin like a pro, with no mind. His sugar levels
were pretty stable. It was only late May, 2011 this year that he was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and slight renal
failure. So he was put on subcutaneous fluids every other day and meds to control the IBD. He did pretty well on this regime.
Then on November 3, 2011 it was suspected that he may have pancreatitis. This was confirmed on November 8, 2011. He was
put on prednisone November 9th, 2011 and his insulin adjusted to compensate for being on this drug. Then on Saturday,
November 12, 2011 early in the morning, Topaz had a stroke. He was monitored carefully by his wonderful vet, meds were
added and adjusted and he was coming along with the assistance of the vet clinic and the loving care I could give him. However
on Wednesday, he had another slight spike, came through that, but sometime early Sunday morning, maybe about 2:00 a.m. on
November 20, 2011, he had another spike and this was not good. He was telling me, his Mom, that he was ready. That he had
enough and could not get totally well on his own. He would need medical and veterinary assistance constantly and the stress, the
pills, the force feeding was just too much. His little body could not handle any more, 7 days was enough already. He gave it all he
could to make it on his own, but he was tired now. He was letting me know. It was truly only the last 7 days of his life that he
indeed was extremely ill. So at 3:35 pm I let Topaz go. I did what was best for him, the hardest thing I've ever done.
| Topaz C. - Kansas City, Missouri Male, feral mixed: short hair Abyssinian, Siamese and unidentified breed August 15, 1994 - November 21, 2011 Diagnosed with diabetes in October 2004 Diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in February 2011. Diagnosed with IBD on May 2, 2011 Diagnosed with pancreatitis early November, 2011 |
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