Just four days after coming home from a two-week long hospital stay, we had to take little diabetic Sammy back to the vet clinic this morning. Our internal medicine specialist in Helena, Dr. Britt Culver, last week had found Sammy responding very well (finally) to cat insulin, of all things.
Sammy seemed fine Friday and Saturday but he "crashed" (as we call it) on Sunday morning, his diabetes going out of control again. We talked with Britt at home and we got Sammy through it, but this morning Sammy was still not his normal self. So Alayne bundled him into the truck and drove him to the clinic in Helena. I took this photo a few minutes before they hit the road.
Britt and his wife Brenda, our primary care vet, will now conduct an expanded 24-hour glucose curve, requiring blood draws and monitoring glucose levels every two hours around the clock. They are taking Sammy home to continue the curve test overnight. To avoid having to prick him every two hours for the blood, they will also insert a catheter in his vein so they can draw the blood they need that way.
They're hoping that the 24-hour curve will give them more data and a better explanation of why Sammy is chronically unstable. (The previous curves were on a 12-hour basis.) We're keeping our fingers crossed. This little guy has spent almost as much time in the hospital as he has at the ranch.
(Click on photo for larger image.)
Sammy, I am sending you hugs and lots of "good health" wishes so that you can return to the ranch and enjoy your life there.
Posted by: Nina | June 14, 2006 at 10:51 PM
Hope he is doing ok. He has been thru alot.
Posted by: Linda Lee Balkin | June 14, 2006 at 01:51 PM
Get well soon Sammy! We want to see you running around the ranch and feeling good!
Posted by: julie | June 13, 2006 at 08:55 PM
Poor Sammy, I think he's going to become the vet's pet by the time this is all over. He just keeps working his way back there. We certainly hope this will be the "fix-it" trip & all will be well with Sammy soon. Get well, Sammy, we're sending you get well hugs,
ginger & Tobias
Posted by: ginger & Tobias (the greythound) | June 13, 2006 at 05:26 PM
Thinking of you and sending out good thoughts via the Cosmos. My best to Sammy.
Posted by: Miranda | June 13, 2006 at 04:57 PM
What an ordeal you and Sammy are going through! I was so happy to know he was back at the ranch...now he's back on the road to the Culver's! I hope they're able to find the proper dosage for Sammy so he can finally come home for longer than a few days.
Good luck!
Posted by: Leilani | June 13, 2006 at 09:56 AM
Prayers for this cute little guy and thanks to the Culvers for their dedication.
Posted by: Roz | June 13, 2006 at 08:29 AM