Noelnadesan's Blog

One day, my veterinary clinic opened later than usual. I unlocked the door but forgot to deactivate the alarm, so it went off. After hurrying to turn it off, I returned to the entrance, feeling tense, and encountered the Zen family. I took a deep breath and welcomed them in; Mr and Mrs Sen entered, cuddling their spoiled dog, ‘Mummy.’

“Good morning! As you requested, we haven’t provided Mummy with any food or water since yesterday!” Mr Sen said.

 After asking them to sit, I stepped out and came back in my white coat. Mr Zen had reached out the previous day, expressing concern that Mummy was drinking excessive amounts of water and urinating more frequently at home, which is quite unusual.

I suspected that Mummy had diabetes and asked them to bring the dog to the clinic for a medical test. I also instructed them to fast the dog the night before the appointment.

Mr and Mrs Zen, a childless couple who migrated from Australia years ago, kept their poodle as their most cherished pet. When brought to the clinic, the dog was always carried in rather than walking in on its own. During Mummy’s vaccinations, the Sens would look distressed, as if they too were receiving the shots. It seemed to me that they regarded Mummy not just as a pet, but as their beloved child.

My nurse Belinda hadn’t arrived when I began examining Mummy. I can only draw Mummy’s blood if someone helps me, I told the Zens.

The Zens were quite anxious and inquired if it was possible to examine the dog without drawing blood. I explained that it was necessary because the sugar level could only be measured through a blood test. Mummy was unable and unwilling to leave the Zens’ warm embrace; she kept her front legs on Mrs Zen’s neck and looked at me with scared eyes, as if I was a strange creature. To calm her, I called her name and gently petted her head. After a few minutes of gentle care and with my Nurse arriving, she responded to my voice with a nod and started licking my hands. I then held her left leg, shaved the area, drew a drop of blood from a prominent vein, and placed it into a glucometer.

When I pricked Mummy’s back leg to draw blood, the Sens ignored me then, but now they watched with wide eyes and laughed. “In two minutes, we will know Mummy’s blood sugar level,” I said. As I expected, Mummy’s blood sugar was high, and I informed them that the dog was suffering from diabetes. They inquired what the treatment would involve.

Dog diabetes differs from human diabetes. In humans, the insulin-producing pancreas gradually weakens, and medication helps improve its function. In dogs, diabetes occurs only after the pancreatic glands completely stop functioning.

Insulin injections are the most effective treatment for diabetic dogs. Usually, insulin is given once daily, but it may need to be administered twice a day based on the dog’s blood sugar levels. It can take a few days to stabilise the sugar levels initially. Therefore, I advised that Mummy should stay at the clinic for treatment and require special food to support her recovery. I also mentioned that if they agreed to these steps, I would begin the treatment immediately.

The couple discussed in Chinese. To provide them privacy, I stepped outside the consulting room. During this moment, I started reflecting on my own experience with diabetes.

I’ve seen diabetes affect not only cats and dogs but also my own family. My mother was diagnosed with diabetes at 40 and struggled with it for 15 years until her death, enduring a lot of hardship. I started giving her insulin, and after I left home, my younger brother took over her injections.

Due to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, her adult children escaped the country and spread worldwide, while her diabetes persisted. The insulin injections left dark marks on her light skin.

She endured my father’s taunts and banter, likely because of the patience she cultivated from multiple injections. The time my mother lived with diabetes was quite amusing, as all her visitors acted like doctors. In the name of Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha, she consumed herbal drinks made from leaves, stems, roots, and flowers. She drank several litres of bitter gourd juice.

Despite following a polytheistic practice of fasting and worshipping numerous Gods, including Hindu deities, she could not cure diabetes. Once, she fasted for forty days straight, took a shower, and went to worship, but her efforts were unsuccessful because the water level in the artesian well-kept dropping into the rocky ground.

Several individuals, claiming to be sorcerers, witch-doctors, and hex removers, visited her. One Malayali-Indian witch doctor told her that a close relative had buried a cursed metal plate on her property to cause harm. Despite all these self-proclaimed healers’ efforts, it was insulin that ultimately sustained her life.

While working as a veterinarian in Australia, I noticed that dogs and cats with diabetes often had owners who asked about their family details before treatment. Caring for diabetic animals demands considerable time and dedication, which can be challenging for busy individuals.

If insulin injection into a diabetic animal is delayed, it will faint. In contrast, a delay in feeding makes the animal quiet and tired.

In this context, I also realised a truth: women are primarily responsible for caring for diabetic animals. They have an innate talent for caregiving, ingrained in their DNA. I know a woman who has cared for a diabetic animal for five years, which is comparable to thirty-five years of human life. Dogs also require significant patience for frequent injections.

Sometimes, diabetic dogs are euthanised to pass on to the next world. Although this is a sad event, it can sometimes be unavoidable.

After finishing my inner journey, I returned to my room. Mr Zen said, “We have decided to treat Mummy with Chinese medical methods.”

“Well and good; I have studied acupuncture, a Chinese oriental medical system,” I said. I clarified that this was a trial and might not yield any significant benefits for Mummy. I wished Mummy a smooth recovery as they said their goodbyes.

A few days later, they called to inform us that Mummy had been euthanised by another veterinarian.

Previously, insulin was obtained from beef and pork sources. Today, a more acceptable method for religious groups involves inserting insulin genes into bacteria, making it suitable for Hindus and Muslims.