Yeah, me niether. I still love them, but they haven't received as much as attention as they used to prior to me having a human baby.
My poor Gizmo, my first born, is in bad health. He has been for years. Really since we got Lily. I brushed it off as he's got doggy depression cause he can't compete with Lily. She's got 10 times more energy as him, is stronger than him. He doesn't have a chance when it comes to playing fetch. She'll beat him every time. Then he started getting fat. I didn't notice it right away, people would comment about his weight at the dog park. I would just say, "He's not fat, he just needs a haircut!" Then one day (after a grooming, I believe), I was like, "Damn, he is fat." The Groomers even call him "Tubby". :( So I fed him less, and the weight control food. I stopped feeding him human food. But along with the weight gain he was also very lethargic. He could BARELY even get around the block once. It was sad. I also noticed things like his once fluffy and soft fur was wirey and thin. He had dandruff, then he started getting these big scabs all over.
Then earlier this year he started having bladder problems. I noticed one day that he was peeing blood. Off to the vet we went. They took x-rays. He didn't have any kidney stones so that was good. They told me it was probably a UTI, gave us some antibiotics and after I emptied my savings, sent us on our way. I asked them about the other problems he was having (the weight issue, coat, scabs, etc), they shaved off the scabs and also gave me a spray. Told me they were probably wounds from scratching. I'm like, listen lady. He can't even reach his neck to scratch. I told them I thought he had a thyroid problem or something. To their defense I was supposed to come back the next day to take a urine and blood sample, but I didn't go back because, well, I couldn't afford to.
I didn't see any more blood in his urine, so thought that it was just a UTI after all. Then a few weeks later, he started peeing blood again. Then he starting losing control over his bladder completely. Having accident after accident in the house. I couldn't even get mad at him because I knew he wasn't doing it on purpose. Then I noticed that the pee was really sticky. Imagine making kool-aid and pouring it on the floor. Super sticky. My friend recommended me her vet who takes payments, so I took him in. They ran blood tests and as I thought, he was diagnosed with diabetes.
I started him on insulin that night. He really seemed to be getting better. He's losing weight, had more energy, was running, playing, and jumping. Then just within the last week, he went blind. They told me this would happen due to the cataracts. He's also started peeing again, and it's just so sad. He's bumping into walls, and can't find his way around. Can you imagine just going blind over night? I'm trying to help him with using my voice, and even putting my hand out and letting him smell and follow me. He's not doing well though. It makes me so sad. His overall health is deterierating again. We're going back to the vet in a few days. He's going to stay all day for glucose tests. I'm also going to have them run full blood work. He had some kind on infection going on the first time, but they weren't sure what. Possibly Valley Fever.
I've come to the conclusion that I don't think we have much more time with him. He's only six {human} years old people! So I'm going to spoil him and snuggle him as much as possible. Keep him in your thoughts that he gets better with this whole moving around blind thing. :(
Cataracts suck.
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