HSTC Supporters Pave Way for Advancements in Medical Treatment

Event Date: 16 Apr 2019

Written by Taylor Gilmour

Meow and Odie came to our shelter from two separate owners for owner-requested euthanasia, due to each cats’ medical needs. Meow’s owner self-diagnosed the 4-year-old with arthritis, and 9-year-old, Odie, had been diagnosed with diabetes by a local veterinarian. As weak and sick as these cats were when they were brought in to our shelter, our animal care team knew they could help. So, rather than accept this death sentence, we convinced the owners to surrender their cats to us instead.

Our vet and her team got to work treating the two felines and noticed quickly that Meow was having trouble walking. While his owner attributed the issue to arthritis, we discovered that it was actually because of his incredibly flat feet, which is commonly associated with feline diabetes. After running a blood spot check to test sugar levels, we confirmed that Meow was indeed diabetic. With the proper care and resources, the HSTC has been able to regulate Meow on diet alone, meaning he does not need any insulin to maintain his health!

Odie’s diabetes was so unregulated when he came to us that he could hardly move – to weak from system failure – and his fur was matted and covered in fleas. As soon as our cat technicians gave him wet food, though, he had no issues eating, and we were quickly able to get him stronger in a matter of days. Today, Odie is a healthy weight and he has renewed his strength and energy. His diabetes is properly regulated with the right dosage of insulin.

While they will continue to have diabetes, both Meow and Odie now exhibit positive health statuses, and our animal care team is confident that they will continue to live long, healthy lives. One of our cat technicians, Reagan Johnson, attributes much of our success in this case to the continued support in funding of our medical clinic, noting that:

“We have been able to put more animals with medical needs up for adoption in this past year than in any other year at this shelter.”