Our Cat Has His Own Service Dog!

[microchick]

We have a geriatric, half Siamese black cat named Johnny cash who is almost 20 now and diabetic.

Cash's diabetes has been in remission for the past three years using a high protein specialized food called Young Again Zero Mature. Unfortunately, a month ago, he came out of remission and we had to start him back on insulin.

So far so good until earlier last week when we noticed that Cash was acting a bit 'off'. Before, when he bottomed out his blood sugar, he got 'confused' mainly due to the fact that we think hypoglycemia affects his vision. We noticed last week that he had gotten behind an electrical cord on a lamp and couldn't 'find his way around it'. What we had noticed was about 30 minutes before that, our 6 year old Jack Russell cross terrier, Spot, was following him around and not leaving him along. She usually ignores Cash so seeing her following him and occasionally touching him with her nose was strange.

I stood and watched her watching him trying to find his way around this cord (imagine the cord hanging down and touching his forehead and the cat not being able to figure out how to get around the cord) when it suddenly dawned on me what I was seeing.

1) Cash was hypoglycemic and
2) Spot was sensing or smelling the change in his blood chemistry.

Sure enough, we checked Cash's blood sugar and it was 39. We treated him with a half a spoon of honey on his tongue and he responded immediately.

Spot also lost interest in him.

We were pretty impressed that Spot had on her own, become this kitties' diabetic service dog.

Yep, we are going to pay attention to her paying attention to him in the future!

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

We have a geriatric, half Siamese black cat named Johnny cash who is almost 20 now and diabetic.

Cash's diabetes has been in remission for the past three years using a high protein specialized food called Young Again Zero Mature. Unfortunately, a month ago, he came out of remission and we had to start him back on insulin.

So far so good until earlier last week when we noticed that Cash was acting a bit 'off'. Before, when he bottomed out his blood sugar, he got 'confused' mainly due to the fact that we think hypoglycemia affects his vision. We noticed last week that he had gotten behind an electrical cord on a lamp and couldn't 'find his way around it'. What we had noticed was about 30 minutes before that, our 6 year old Jack Russell cross terrier, Spot, was following him around and not leaving him along. She usually ignores Cash so seeing her following him and occasionally touching him with her nose was strange.

I stood and watched her watching him trying to find his way around this cord (imagine the cord hanging down and touching his forehead and the cat not being able to figure out how to get around the cord) when it suddenly dawned on me what I was seeing.

1) Cash was hypoglycemic and
2) Spot was sensing or smelling the change in his blood chemistry.

Sure enough, we checked Cash's blood sugar and it was 39. We treated him with a half a spoon of honey on his tongue and he responded immediately.

Spot also lost interest in him.

We were pretty impressed that Spot had on her own, become this kitties' diabetic service dog.

Yep, we are going to pay attention to her paying attention to him in the future!

I had a cat who had seizures & my dog would alert me before the seizure began. Far superior to us humans!

 

[microchick]

Yes, it's pretty impressive and sure made believers in us.

We are wondering if she was smelling 'ketones' as his blood sugar dropped.

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

I don't know what their "sense" is. My cat had a brain tumor. Ketones do have a scent though.

 

[microchick]

My goodness, that's terrible! Poor kitty. It makes you wonder what your dog is sensing prior to a seizure.

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

I had no idea. I had to put her down a few years ago, but she lived a good life and is now a lime tree.

 

[21hens-incharge]

We have a geriatric, half Siamese black cat named Johnny cash who is almost 20 now and diabetic.

Cash's diabetes has been in remission for the past three years using a high protein specialized food called Young Again Zero Mature. Unfortunately, a month ago, he came out of remission and we had to start him back on insulin.

So far so good until earlier last week when we noticed that Cash was acting a bit 'off'. Before, when he bottomed out his blood sugar, he got 'confused' mainly due to the fact that we think hypoglycemia affects his vision. We noticed last week that he had gotten behind an electrical cord on a lamp and couldn't 'find his way around it'. What we had noticed was about 30 minutes before that, our 6 year old Jack Russell cross terrier, Spot, was following him around and not leaving him along. She usually ignores Cash so seeing her following him and occasionally touching him with her nose was strange.

I stood and watched her watching him trying to find his way around this cord (imagine the cord hanging down and touching his forehead and the cat not being able to figure out how to get around the cord) when it suddenly dawned on me what I was seeing.

1) Cash was hypoglycemic and
2) Spot was sensing or smelling the change in his blood chemistry.

Sure enough, we checked Cash's blood sugar and it was 39. We treated him with a half a spoon of honey on his tongue and he responded immediately.

Spot also lost interest in him.

We were pretty impressed that Spot had on her own, become this kitties' diabetic service dog.

Yep, we are going to pay attention to her paying attention to him in the future!

Dogs are pretty darn amazing.

My 2 year old female dog picks up on my blood sugars being both to high and to low.

Recently she has been checking on our old dog often. We know his time is near and apparently so does she.

 

[microchick]

So she lives on...so cool!

Here is a picture of Johnny Cash with Jimmy on the left.

 

[N F C]

Amazing story @microchick.

 

[microchick]

Thanks @N F C It's the first time she has ever done this with him. Even DH had commented "what's she doing following him around?" and then had ordered her to leave it! She walked away but went back to following him. It was if she couldn't leave him alone.