Letters to the editor for Thursday, March 24, 2016

Remember to screen pets for diabetes

No one can truly prepare themselves for the worst; I honestly believe that. For more than five months, even with the help of insulin twice a day, I watched my cat slowly wither away from the effects of diabetes.

I tried so hard to get a handle on it, but it was too late and it wasn’t caught in time. The nurses and doctors at Doc’s Veterinary Hospital, in my opinion, did a fantastic job trying to help him. But even their hands became tied when there were no other options left.

And he was always such a playful cat, too. A real little buddy. His face was the last thing I would see before going to sleep, and it was right there the moment I woke up in the morning. Does this sound like a pet you may have?

It’s a pathetic, heartbreaking ordeal to witness and I plead to everyone to bring their pets to a clinic the moment they notice their pets drinking massive amounts of water all the time, or losing a considerable amount of weight and have become thin and downtrodden — even if pets are overweight, please have them checked out immediately. It’s a simple blood test and well worth it in the long run.

Really, it’s nothing to laugh about because diabetes in animals is no joke. They, too, suffer from the effects just as humans do; maybe even worse. The only real difference is, humans can tell you where it hurts. Our four-legged little friends can’t.

Donald Paetz

Carson City