December is a very festive time of year. Many of us are
decorating, baking, and preparing to entertain family and friends. Here at
Atlantic Animal Hospital we are not only celebrating the “Howlidays,” but we
are also celebrating our Companion Animal of the Month for December, Baby Girl
Danko.
Baby Girl adopted her human parents, Joe and Helen, in 2005 from the ARNI Foundation. She had been found with a canine companion inside an abandoned apartment. She was rescued and placed for adoption. She had been sitting in the back of her cage, waiting for the perfect family to come along. Then, the Dankos walked in. Helen says that when she held Baby Girl in her lap, she knew that she was just the right cat for them.
Since that first cuddle in Helen's lap, Baby
Girl rarely finds herself too far from her family. She is a loving and attentive
cat who enjoys the company of her humans so much that she will feign interest in
the television to be with them. When Helen is working at the computer, Baby Girl
will happily double as a lap-warmer. The first toy she received was a gray
plush rhinoceros which is still her all-time favorite to snuggle with in her own
private bedroom. She will follow Joe out into the garden to soak up a little
sun and socialize, but she doesn't stay out there too long-- she is far too busy
for sunbathing!
In February of 2005, Joe and Helen noticed that Baby Girl was drinking more water than she had been before. She was urinating more frequently and her urine had a very strong odor. They brought her in to see Dr. Sukhija who examined her, performed blood tests, and submitted a full urinalysis. The results revealed that Baby Girl had diabetes mellitus. Her pancreas wasn't producing enough insulin to process the glucose in her body. The cells of the body use glucose as fuel, but they need insulin to absorb it. Without that insulin, the glucose remained in her bloodstream instead of being delivered to the cells which fooled her body into thinking that it was starving. That excess glucose ended up overwhelming her kidneys and being excreted in her urine. The sugar drew water with it into the urine, which increased urine production. This in turn led to her drinking much more water than usual, and thus increased urination.
Her blood sugar would now need to be regulated
by insulin injections. In order to determine how much insulin to give, Dr.
Sukhija ordered a Blood Glucose Curve. The blood glucose curve is glucose readings
every 2-4 hours spread out over the course of a
day. It shows the fluctuations of blood glucose at different points throughout
the day. Once insulin was initiated and the glucose tests showed good management
after a few weeks, Dr. Sukhija checked Baby's Fructosamine level. This
test showed the average glucose level for about the last two weeks. Periodic
testing provides a good picture of what her glucose is doing overall so that accurate insulin dosage
changes can be prescribed. Good regulation of diabetes is achieved by a balance
of diet, exercise, and insulin. In addition to receiving insulin twice a day,
Baby Girl eats Hill's m/d diet- a low-carbohydrate, high-protein food that promotes a healthy weight and glucose
regulation. Alternatively, some patients do better with high fiber, low
protein diets such as Hill's w/d.
Baby Girl comes to stay here at Atlantic Animal Hospital whenever the Dankos go out of town. While here, it is very important that she be fed and be given insulin on a strict schedule. Her visits also give us ample opportunity to dote on her. Helen describes her as the most lovable and kissable cat, and we would have to agree. She will carry on a conversation with us while inviting us to pet her. When obliged, she proceeds to drool and “make biscuits” by kneading on her blanket or our arms, whichever happens to be most readily available, and, being the gracious little lady that she is, she doesn't begrudge us for administering her insulin.
Baby Girl's lovable disposition is her mother's favorite trait and Helen calls her an exceptional cat. She is gentle and attentive, loves to sit in Helen's lap, and gives kisses often. Joe laughs and jokes that when friends and family visit, they come by only to see Baby Girl and not Helen and him. Of course he's kidding, but would anyone really be surprised if it were true? She certainly has quite the fan club here at Atlantic Animal Hospital!
--Written by Jennifer Liggett (Client Advocate)
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