Q&A: How to Minimize the Costs of Special-Needs Pets

I recently received a question from a friend of Diabetic Cats in Need. It read in part:

I am finding it hard to keep up with all my animals and having done my taxes, discovered I am spending 20% of my income on vet bills.

I have special needs cats here, and am trying to logically determine what to do so that I can regain my life.

Do I adore them and give them everything possible? Yes. I have over-extended and realize I can’t take on the world as I did in my 30s, 40s...

This was my response, which the person making the inquiry found helpful and suggested I blog. I am a bit concerned that some will find parts of my response cold hearted:

I don't know how many pets (especially special-needs pets) you have, but if they are taking 20% of your income, it must be quite a few.

If I were in your situation, I would impose on myself a moratorium on adopting any new pets, even if a "position" opens up because of a death. I would let attrition happen until I got down to a manageable number.

I also would consider pet insurance. Insurance won't cover pre-existing conditions, but it will cover unrelated new conditions. For example, I had two diabetic cats and both died of abdominal cancers. If I had gotten insurance on them after they contracted diabetes, the insurance wouldn't have covered the diabetes or likely even something like pancreatitis (related), but it would have covered the thousands of dollars I spent on the cancer DXs and medications in the last few months of their lives. The younger a pet is, the less expensive the premiums will be. I cannot recommend a particular pet insurance company because I have no personal experience with them. You might even want to call the shelters/rescues that you adopted from to see whether they have a low-cost insurance option for adopted pets. Usually, that's only available for newly adopted pets, but maybe you will find some that will "fudge" the paperwork.

I also would consider ways to minimize the cost of annual wellness exams. If I had a large number of cats needing wellness exams, I would try to get them on the same schedule and find a mobile vet or even my own vet to come to the house for exams and labwork. Some mobile vets even have X-Ray equipment or can do dentals in their vans. I know someone who has >20 adopted and foster cats who does home-based annual exams and labwork with her local vet; the vet basically dedicates the whole day to the home visit. The vet charges office prices for the labwork, but only for two office visit charges despite the large number of cats.

Another way to minimize costs is to consider not having periodic vaccines on the pets that have had a number of routine boosters in the past. After their initial shots and two years of boosters, I had titer tests done on all my current cats for protection from the viruses covered by the FVRCP shot. They all tested as protected so they will no longer get that vaccine. Rabies is a different matter because most states require all companion animals to have current rabies vaccines. But my vet at the time (recently retired) agreed that after >thirteen years of rabies shots, and with two cats having diabetes, to waive the vaccines for medical reasons. His waiver would have meant that if my indoor-only cats had bitten someone, my state's law would have allowed an at-home quarantine rather than them being destroyed or quarantined in a state-approved facility. (That and few people who come into my house ever see the cats.) I am hoping that my current vet (she bought my former vet's practice) will allow me to have my current cats' rabies titers measured (which is not inexpensive itself) and if they titer as protected (which they will), allow them a medical exception from future rabies vaccines. For me it's not a finance thing; I just don't like them having vaccines, even non-adjuvanted ones. It's long, but this is a very good video about vaccines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Xd5ghnlJ4.

I also would do my best not to buy prescription food (too expensive and not good quality) and to look for lower-cost ways to buy medications and other care supplies. Target and other pharmacies often have generic drug programs. The last time I had to buy Prozac (an anti-anxiety med) for my Casey who compulsively licks himself bald on his butt and tail, the vet wrote a script for a dosage where I could quarter the tablets and I bought 90 of the tablets from Target for $10. That means I got a year's worth of that med for $10. I also buy Lactated Ringers Solution, administration lines, and needles online in bulk, making the per/bag cost (even with shipping) cheaper than buying from the vet. If people need flea meds, I advise that they buy from a reputable source on EBay and get the large dog size that can be doled out in smaller doses for cats.

I would establish for myself written guidelines on how far I am willing to go to diagnose and treat a pet with a potentially terminal disease. I wouldn't necessarily set monetary guidelines for myself, but I would set treatment guidelines. For example, I won't have a fine needle aspiration for intestinal lymphoma because (according to the multiple vets I have spoken to about that), the ~$500 test with pathology is rarely conclusive. I won't do MRIs. I will do CT scans but only after initial X-Rays show there is something possibly suspicious. I won't put a pet with CT scan-confirmed abdominal or thoracic organ cancers through surgery or chemo. Instead they go on hospice care and I promise them that if they get to the point of pain, I will not be giving them pain meds. I have only been through it with DCIN, but I would never overly extend the life of a pet with congestive heart failure or a saddle thrombus. The first such event would be the last such event for the pet because those are terminal conditions and bring a massive amount of pain.

I also try my best to do at-home euthanasia (even though more expensive) to make the pet as comfortable as possible. In the past I have always let the vets take the bodies to send for cremation, but now that I know where the local pet crematoriums are, I would likely take the pet myself and cut that cost in half, and not pay for the fancy box that I never use anyway. I get ceramic kitty cookie jars that I repaint to look like the cat(s) I lost in which to keep their ashes. ~Venita

I welcome others to comment on this post with ways to minimize the costs of special-needs pets.

See the comments below from:

• She Dances with Cats about being a permanent foster for a shelter/rescue and about pet insurance. 

Happy Holidays, with Tears

It is 3am on a Sunday morning and I am opening my mail for the week. The last three pieces I opened collectively have me in tears.

The first was from a woman on the west coast who is severely disabled and loves her diabetic cat deeply, and DCIN pays for her cat’s insulin and sends her test strips. This woman is deeply religious (but doesn’t proselytize) and despite her low-income situation, she tithes to her church and charities. Every couple months she sends DCIN a small check with a card that updates me on their status. I smile with the very personal messages I receive, but I always feel badly about her sending a check when I know she needs the funds for herself. However, those checks serve her mission in life so I cash them.

The second was from a woman in the desert Southwest who also is severely disabled, basically housebound. DCIN also helps her beloved diabetic cat with insulin and test strips, although her disability makes testing difficult. She sends DCIN a $5 check every month for the help. In the note with the check she told me she no longer has Internet access so I will have to call her this week, which always is a pleasant conversation for me. She is a lovely woman who doesn’t dwell on the challenges life has brought her. I made a personal donation to her cat’s account so that she won’t have to write those checks for a couple of years.

Then, finally, I opened a letter with a $500 annual donation from a woman in the Eastern south. That opened the floodgates and the tears started flowing. I knew a check was coming, but her generosity is overwhelming, especially with my emotions on my sleeve from the two letters I had just opened.

In this holiday season, I sincerely thank those who foster and adopt diabetic cats, those who hold their diabetic cats dear with joy and love even though doing so presents challenges, sometimes enormous challenges, and those who donate to help others they don’t know continue to hold their beloved diabetic cats dear.

~Venita

Simon Becomes Shiraz

~by Cindy, Shiraz's Certain Human

It really doesn’t matter what happened up until that point.

Maybe he lived in a barn, where he had to fend for himself...

Maybe he was somebody’s neglected or – even worse – abused pet...

Maybe he was thrown away as a kitten, but managed to survive...

MAYbe, he was a feline warrior, back from saving the world only to find nobody cared...

MAYBE, he was an ancient deity, returned to an earthly body...

MAYBE, HE WAS AN INTERGALACTIC TIME TRAVELLER, WHO HAD COME TO...but none of that matters.

We Don't Know You

~by Venita, DCIN's founder and director

We don't know you. No we don't.

You have written to us on Facebook or through email, asking that DCIN give you money or supplies to care for your diabetic cat.

We would like to help keep Fluffy healthy, but we don't know you. We try to find out about you and Fluffy. We search Facebook and Google to learn about you. We look to see whether you and Fluffy are on an Internet forum for diabetic cats. We ask you questions. We evaluate your answers--both content and tone.

My heart aches, but maybe that's okay

All my life I've always known that I wanted to work with animals.  I used to tell everyone that I was going to be a vet some day, but life is what is and things don't always work out how you plan.  So here I am in rescue and sometimes I think it's good that I'm not a vet, what would I do each time I had to help someone's beloved furry cross to the other side.  I feel so helpless now if I'm at the clinic and someone comes out with a leash and collar in hand and red swollen eyes.

You'd think rescue would be easier.  Through DCIN I get to help people keep their beloved kitty when they thought because of finances they had no choice but to let them go.  I also get to help bring a new love into someone's life.  If I'm lucky I get follow up emails and photos and hear wonderful stories about how well things are going.

Compassion seems to be in short supply

By Jennifer Jasensky: Director of Case Management, Diabetic Cats in Need

I love my work with DCIN but what people don't know is we are very short staffed and on balance we get about one new case a week. Some weeks it can be three, other weeks none but it averages to about four per month. Recently, those numbers are increasing and it's almost ten new clients a month at times. Add these cases to the already existing number of clients, the fundraising, the transport coordination, and the fact that we are all volunteers and have jobs and family outside of DCIN, you might be able to imagine just how overwhelmed we can be at times. Did I mention we are short staffed too?

CH kitty Lilly Grace "walking" up to her
bed because of someone else's 
compassion to build her that ramp

To address this issue we had to make some changes.  Most significantly, we had to modify how we promote cats in need of rehoming. Instead of taking the information and posting it ourselves with questions and applications coming to a case manager, we now request that people post their own kitties and from there we'll share the story. The adoption is theirs to work out.  This helps DCIN because case managers can concentrate on our extensive number of financial assistance cases and not field questions on adoptable kitties.

Friendships online and offline ...

Taking time to enjoy the day

I'm not new to the internet, but in 2006 I was new to internet forums and all that would follow.  I joined the FDMB because I had two diabetic cats and I needed help learning how to test their sugars.  What I got was a lot more.  The FDMB like so many other forums is filled with passionate people who care deeply for diabetic cats and their caretakers.  That passion can lead to joy and heartache, celebrations and arguments, but through it all bonds are formed.

For me it led me to DCIN but also brought me some of my closest friends.  Some I've met in person and some I've never seen but have talked to so often and opened up so much to them that even without seeing their face I can see their love and their kindness.

Moving from Treatment to Burnout

Feline diabetes is scary when you're new to the dance. Very scary. That fear can lead to some awful decisions.

When can we play?

Fluffy has been your beloved kitty for eight years, you may have adorable stories about how you found each other and how cute she is when she's stalking her favorite shoe lace. She may even be the only set of ears for you to tell your inner most secrets to and the only set of eyes that look upon with you with only love. But once she starts getting sick and the diagnosis comes in all of that disappears and you are left with a lump in your throat and butterflies in your stomach.

You listen to the vet explain insulin and blood sugar and hear about all these changes but you can't comprehend it right now, your brain just stopped when you heard shots twice a day and new food. You may go into that fight or flight feeling you sometimes get. You choose to fight and move quickly to the internet, your friends, family, and even coworkers. You're surprised at how many people tell you to put Fluffy down. She's a cat, she doesn't want shots every day, she's replaceable, there will always be another. Wow, did your trusted companions just tell you to put Fluffy down?

Vet Bashing—Not Really Productive

By Venita Wood, Diabetic Cats in Need's Founder and Director

In the online world of feline diabetes care, DCIN Case Managers often, way too often, see experienced caregivers on Facebook and forums bashing a newly diagnosed diabetic cat’s veterinarian for the recommended/prescribed protocol. For example, the cat’s vet:

• Prescribed an inappropriate insulin.
• Wants the cat to come to the office once a week for a month or so for a dose-adjusting blood glucose (BG) curve.
• Did not explain to the caregiver that he could test the cat’s blood glucose levels at home.
• Recommends an inappropriate diet, usually a prescription diabetic diet, and sometime a prescription dry food.

I understand those criticisms. But I also have learned from being a DCIN Team Member and observing interactions on various Internet sites that those kinds of comments, especially when delivered with the gusto that some use to deliver them (“Your vet is an idiot”) don’t necessarily improve the situation for a diabetic cat or its caregiver.

Having an extra sweet kitty changes things... often for the better

After the recent loss of my little man, Fred, I started thinking back to the diabetic kitty who changed my life forever, his name was Tucker. I think it's simple to see the impact he had on me brought me to DCIN and gave me the desire to help more diabetic kitties. Then I got to thinking, I wonder how has Feline Diabetes changed others so I asked that question on DCIN's Facebook page and here, in part, are some of the replies.

Brittany:  I too have a diabetic cat, RJ, who just turned 11 last month. He became DKA 2 summers ago (when he was first diagnosed) and I was told by an after-hours emergency Veterinarian that "I should strongly consider euthanasia because diabetes is a huge commitment"... I refused to accept that answer, and brought him into his regular vet the next morning. The vet sent me home with a bag of fluids in hopes that he would start to feel better and eat again so I could start insulin. Low and behold he started eating, and I began insulin and home testing. It was a challenge at first, but now it's routine for us both and he's doing great 2 years later! He also became DKA again last summer... but pulled through again! Feline diabetes has opened my eyes to a world of cats who are written off just because they develop a treatable condition. I would like to adopt another diabetic one day when I have more space. However in the mean time I would love to take my knowledge and pass it along to others who may be on the fence about having a special needs pet.

The Story of Clide, a very special kitty

I started this post because a dear friend named Rena lost an amazing kitty named Clide on the anniversary of the loss of my own sweet boy Tucker.  I have read and re-read the story of Clide so many times and each time I come away feeling that much more motivated to continue helping specially-abled kitties and their owners and feel that another person's Clide will find them and change them forever too.

I came to DCIN full time because of Tucker; I found my way because a senior kitty who others passed by turned out to be best part of my life.  This story is about another senior kitty, equally as special, who found his way to his person and helped her find her own path.

Below is the Story of Clide, written by his furrever mom who will always miss him and will honor him as she continues the work with Clide by her side, sending her a guiding paw and still talking to her from a distance.

Clide's Story

The Little Vial That Could

This is the story of "the little vial that could," and more.

Not long ago a kitty Mom lost her best friend Peanut. Peanut had been diabetic for nine years and besides his grief-stricken Mom, he left behind a recently opened vial of insulin and some other diabetic supplies. Mom, who lives nearby, arranged to leave those items for me at our common vet. (Small world isn't it?)

When I drove to my vet's office to get those supplies, Big Head Todd and his Mom came along, to have my vet see Big Head. His breathing wasn't quite right. The closer we got, the more strenuous Big Head's breathing became. By the time we got there, Big Head Todd was hyperventilating, and after a bit of quick care, the vet techs pushed us out the door to the nearby emergency hospital ten minutes up the road.

The Twelve Months of DCIN - 2012

This has been a tremendous year for DCIN with so many lows and highs, it's hard to put it all into words. Most importantly, though, let me express how thankful we are for your support and friendship. Here is an abbreviated look back at this past year, month by month.

On first day of... oops, I mean in the first month of 2012, DCIN was proud to become an affiliate in the Amazon.com Associates Program which allows for donations to be sent to DCIN when people shop at Amazon through a link on our website. There were some low points in January, though. Sadly, the husband of a dear DCIN friend became ill and later passed, a loss we all still feel. While we were pleased to be able to take in some foster kitties (some of whom are still in foster care), one unfortunately was dealing with a different kind of ailment. Sam, a beloved foster, passed away. Another adopted DCIN kitty was diagnosed with a cancer called Vaccine Associated Sarcoma (VAS) and though he is still with his family, it is unknown if after the VAS was removed, if it will come back.

During the second month of 2012, things were a little calmer. Chewy found his way to DCIN from a shelter in NC and was eventually adopted into a loving home months later, although he didn't have to go too far to find it, his foster mom fell in love. Even more kitties joined our rehoming program and financial assistance program. We also embarked on preparations to launch DCIN as a stand-alone 501(3)c.

The next few months saw more rehoming and assistance for diabetic cats. We also began some new fundraising ventures, now known as Naffles.

Sadly, though, a DCIN member lost a close friend, Rita. A beautiful memorial page was set up in Rita's honor.

Another very poignant loss was dealt the DCIN community. Our beloved spokescat Ennis left for Rainbow Bridge this past March. He was well known and loved by all of us in DCIN and will always be at the heart of organization. While no cat could fill Ennis' paws, we have proudly anointed a new spokescat. The torch has been passed from Ennis to Mikey. Mikey takes his new responsibilities very seriously and has done a wonderful job in his new capacity.

In June, DCIN truly began feeling the pressure of the recession and was forced to review some policies in order to ensure we could continue to help the many cats that rely on us. After much discussion, we implemented some changes to meet the demands of the financial assistance program and still help others who needed homes. Fortunately, these measures, along with your support, have helped us get back on track.

Over the next few months we had one rogue foster mom return a diabetic cat to the shelter that she told us was going to put him down in the first place. There was already a home and heart waiting for him through DCIN but all we can do is hope that he found a home and is being lovingly cared for. In September another dear kitty had passed, one who profoundly helped DCIN, there is no way to express how much he changed the program but to honor him we started the Kirby Kit program in his honor.

We also found a new old friend named Mark who owns ProJunk Removal in CT and Hairs Hugos Barber Shop. A dear friend to me personally who, when he learned about the diabetic kitties we helped, he did not hesitate to contribute not once, but twice, a large amount of supplies that we are constantly in need of.

A rough estimate of the number of kitties helped in just this one year is about 150 and this does not include many financial assistance kitties that were already in the program before 2012. You read 150 but what you don't see is what's behind that 150. The emails, the calls to clients, vets, other rescue contacts, the research, the sleepless nights, the others who we use as sounding boards and who help us continually grow. The hours spent by our transport team to find routes, drivers, flights and then monitor all of these things and sometimes change everything when weather becomes a factor.

While we have been able to help so many, there have been losses; we lost Charlie, Tigger, Joe, Kip and Simba who were all on our adoptable list. In rescue there are always going to be losses, but knowing that doesn't make it easier to cope with.  As always, it is the love and compassion of our DCIN friends and family that make the work easier and help me to cope with those losses.  I feel continually blessed to be able to help diabetic cats and their people and I know that while I can't help everyone, the ones that I can help, a difference is made and someone's world is a little easier.  But it is not me who is helping those cats and those people, it is you, our DCIN friends and supporters who give us the ability to do this and I hope that in 2013 you continue to support our work and you get to know us and if you ever feel like you'd like to get to know us better, please don't hesitate to reach out to us and simply ask.  We love to hear from our DCIN family and welcome your thoughts, comments and ideas.

Do unto others...

We've all heard the expression - do unto others as you would have done unto you.

Both in rescue and in my day-to-day work life, I try to live by that phrase, as I'm sure many of us aspire to, but sometimes there are those that we come across who don't necessarily share that philosophy.

At my office, one coworker is happily awaiting the birth of his first child, a daughter. He came in today with an adorable jogging outfit he had bought after a client meeting, excitedly showing it off. Meanwhile, another coworker who has been caring for his ailing father is now facing the imminent end, his father's death only days, possibly hours away. One filled with excitement for the future, one preparing to mourn his past.

An interview with a former shelter diabetic kitty

This has been one of the strangest months for DCIN.  We have been inundated with shelter 911 diabetic kitties.  We call the emergency cases 911 kitties.  The ones that need out immediately or risk the possibility of euthanasia.

From DCIN's home page, missing from this is a beautiful grey kitty that will be added from RI.

I decided to have a talk with a very special former shelter kitty, his name is Sweet Potato and here's a transcript of our interview.

The Joy of Se.... no not that... Senior kitty adoptions!

I've been an advocate of adopting senior kitties for a long time. I learned that joy from my sister and from my soul mate kitty Tucker. My little man was about 13 when I adopted him.  After Tucker, we were lucky enough to adopt 16-year-old Henry, and later 13-year-old Mr. Darcy, and so many more.

Of course it's not all glitz and glamour. There's the ever-present knowledge that I don't have a long time with these sweet kitties, but one thing I do have is the chance to give happiness. No matter how brief, these loving souls can revel in the love and security of a home, not disappear behind some cold cage somewhere alone and frightened.

Mikey says...

A very special letter from DCIN's FUNraising Spokescat Mikey.

Six months ago I was traveling in a car away from the one person I ever knew and called "Mom" and my future with her that included traveling back and forth between apartments in her car. We had many good times and some not so good times as you would expect in the nine years you are with someone. When my diabetes fell upon me, my future seemed to be bleak with time running short. I pretty much accepted this was it for me until a kind stranger came upon a posting on Facebook about a cat in need of an immediate loving home. The response was quick and before I knew it I was put into a temporary foster home. The transition was scary at first and not just for me but for my new foster family also. This new family which included fifteen other furry family members from all paws of life. I wasn't thrilled with the new digs but I gave it a chance to grow on my fur.

Threats from the Outside--One Reason to Keep Vaccinations Current

Special thank you to Beth Pasek for writing this guest post. It's an important topic that sadly we are learning about because of sweet Atlas, her beautiful kitty. ~Jennifer Jasensky

Beth Pasek
Owner The Finicky Feline and Fido, LLC
Cat Rescue Foster Home Volunteer

Oh...a while back I was starting to write a Cat On My Sleeve post about being in rescue and was going to use the story of an owner-surrendered Siamese cat. I started that story and never got to finish it. As the days passed since that cat was euthanized, life took an odd twist for this cat foster person. You see, that little Siamese cat was surrendered for boarding at a local clinic. As he was to be boarded, he needed to be vaccinated. The owner’s health failed to improve and the Siamese cat was surrendered to the shelter. Shortly after that, he got sick while being sheltered and then went to be treated at a leading clinic in our area where he stayed for 2 weeks of hospitalization. After several weeks of treatment for a bloody nose, sneezing, and not eating, they thought him well enough to go to foster care to finish his recovery. Unfortunately within a few days he died of unknown causes.

This Week Sucked

A very heartfelt post from Director and Founder of DCIN, Venita Wood.  I share with you, our DCIN friends, fans and supporters and hope that she knows how deeply and truly we do care about DCIN but more importantly about her.  ~Jennifer J.


It is 7:30 am and I have been working on DCIN since 4am. I haven't made a dent in today's "to do" list. DCIN's accounting is only updated through mid-December. I have 940 emails in my inbox, 296 of them are unread.

I have a burr under my saddle from a DCIN client who emailed me that I was not showing enough concern for her cat's health condition. I agree that I likely wasn't, but I received that email the day I made an appointment with my vet to come to the house to euthanize Ennis. So I never responded to it.

I spent the past weekend holding and helping Ennis physically move from Point A to Point B. Ennis could not walk without falling. Most of the time, Point A was the seat of my recliner, where I was holding and petting him. Sometimes Point B was the litter box. Sometimes, Point B was my bed where Ennis was accustomed to having his food. Going up to and down off the bed, Ennis had steps at the end--steps that I built from a footstool and two different heights of Rubbermaid containers. I put child rails on the sides of the bed so that Ennis could not jump down from the sides. The past couple weeks, when Ennis had tried to jump from the sides of the bed he would "thump" to the floor and look at me as though I had betrayed him.

On Monday, I held Ennis gently on my lap while his vet caringly sent him to the Rainbow Bridge. I had a padded box ready for his body, and Dr. R took Ennis away in that.

On Wednesday when I returned to DCIN work, there were two cats with emergent medical conditions that I took on as cases. They both died--Kale from plural effusion and Puma from DKA. There was another communication from the burr-under-the-saddle client. DCIN friends Ann, Gayle, and Steve lost Gustav, Shadoe, and Rorschach. This week has been a major train wreck for me.

There have been times that I have asked myself and asked others whether I should shut DCIN down. DCIN has awesome case managers and significant support from its friends. But this week I received criticism from someone saying that DCIN is not appropriately managing its mission and wasting its precious resources in various ways (with details given). When critical commentary comes from those who help DCIN with projects or money, I respond with reasoning or corrective action. But when it comes from a person who stands at the border and casts stones, I wonder why her ego and the ego of her friends who stand behind her and shout "YES!" are so threatened by DCIN's work.

It has been a suck-ass week. My life would have been so much better off if I hadn't experienced the past seven days. I would gladly give them back to the universe as a mulligan. Just strike the third week of March, 2012, off my life calendar.

~Venita, the sometimes reluctant Founder and Director of DCIN.

In sickness and in health???

Fluffy

There should be a clause on all adoption contracts, as well as for those animals purchased through stores or from breeders. It should be similar to a marriage clause. Do you promise to love and cherish ... even in sickness? Many adoption contracts I've seen ask how much would you be willing to spend if your pet got sick. The best answer - "whatever it takes."

But a sick cat is more than just a price tag. Maybe the question should be "would you be willing to treat your pet if they get sick even if that means administering medication daily and devoting more time to ensure your pet's well being?" I wonder if there would be so many surrendered diabetic kitties if people knew in advance that yes, some cats do get sick and not the type of sick where you can drop Fluffy off at the vet and pick him up when he's all better. Here's a lollipop, a bandage and a bill for my time.