Dear Dr. Abbie: Our cat just went to the vet for a yearly check-up. His blood work showed a high blood glucose level. The vet wants to do more testing to see if he has diabetes. He seems fine. Does he need more testing? – Studebaker’s Mom
Dear Studebaker’s Mom: When I was an army veterinarian, one of my duty sites was Arlington Cemetery. I oversaw veterinary care for the Caisson horses, and service members’ pets. My favorite patient had a similar finding on his blood work.
On the day of this patient’s exam, I went out to the parking lot to get something from my car and saw some sergeants from the Caisson platoon talking with a few guys I hadn’t seen before. Since their duty site was a horse barn, many sergeants brought their unofficial canine mascots to work. When I looked over again, I saw a black and white cat cheek marking the jowls of Basset puppy, while his butt was sniffed by a Great Pyrenees.
“Isn’t that Socks?” I said.
“Yes, Ma’am. He likes dogs,” said a sergeant.
“Do you really think that President Clinton’s cat should be loose in the parking lot?”
“Uh, no Ma’am. We’ll get him right in.”
The clinic was closed for Sock’s exam, and afterwards we all posed for pictures. He was a fun loving, big Tuxedo. He’d stride around the waiting room, jump up on the reception counter, and when stroked along the back, his tail shot straight up, but with a soft question mark tip, like a tentacle. As if he thought we were all there just to admire and pet him.
When Socks’ blood work came back with elevated blood glucose, my mind began to race. What if the President’s cat has diabetes? Cats can get high blood sugar from stress (one of adrenalin’s functions is to raise blood sugar for fight or flight). Socks appeared to be enjoying his double dog greeting, but either his adrenals were readying him for action or he had early diabetes. To sort it out I’d need to get Sock’s blood in a low stress setting. I need to make a house call… to the White House!
On the day of Socks’ recheck, the vet tech and I dressed in our freshly pressed uniforms, Secret clearances in hand. We were escorted though a maze of carpeted hallways in the White House basement. Every time a door opened, or someone came around the corner, we jumped – sure we were about to be face-to-face with the President of the United States. We waited for Socks in the same room the President had his medical exams. The light was soft, everything was mauve. We were surrounded by medical equipment. (The President does not ‘have a seat’ in various waiting rooms before his ECG, X-ray or ultrasound.) The only exam table was an electric vinyl recliner.
Socks was not as happy to see us as we were to see him. We got the blood sample before Socks’ adrenals had time to react, but his claws left a lasting impression in the vinyl. We stared at each other, looking for the non-existent paper to pull down. After agonizing, we finally admitted our faux pas. The White House person casually said, “Oh, it’s ok. We’re about to redecorate.”
Socks was fine, just a little excited by the dogs. Studebaker probably will be, too. But diabetes is a dread disease. It needs to be caught early, so definitely get the blood rechecked. If your vet makes a house call, use the dryer as an exam table, not the leather couch. – Dr. Abbie
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