Coping With Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

Today is May 17, 2007. In the end of March, I took my dear Headly to a new vet for his annual shots and physical. I was concerned about our dog because his legs bothered him - it was nothing -just the damp weather. My cat, though, did have a problem. He was diagnosed with dibetes. He also had an ear infection (from ear mites?). The doctor gave me instructions on how to administer the meds for him and home I went. Every five days brought me back to the vet to try to get the insulin amount right for Headly. I wasn’t really happy with the vet as the dosage wasn’t getting right for him and she seemed always so busy and rushed.” Then this past Wed., just when I was ready to change vets the receptionist told me a new vet was coming in to help out. She said I would really like her; she seemed to know exactly what the animals needed. I said, O.K., I’ll be there with Headly in the morning. So “Head Man” (the name my husband gave him when he landed on our door step at 3 yrs old) and I went to meet the new vet. She listened as I told her about Headly’s problem getting his insulin levels more even as they were all over the place. She looked at his chart, looked at his ears as I told her he was treated for ear mites and the infection came back. Then she asked me if she could do a FIV test on him. I told her he had all the senior tests done already but not the FIV test and yes, of course. I knew Headly was an outdoor cat because we couldn’t keep him in. We had him fixed and he stayed in the neighborhood. He always came home when called but he had a fit and scratched at the doors and wood work if we tried to keep him it. The test came back positive and my world crashed in on me….Headly is 9 years old and I feel responsible for his FIV now. He should have stayed indoors. The vet told me that probably was impossible as he was an outdoor cat for 3 years when he found us.
This vet told me that we’ll work to get Headly’s insulin close to what he can live with. She will tell me when the time comes to say goodbye to him. I hope the time will be a long while from this moment.