Toby
There’s a lot to say about Toby, but the first thing you’ll notice are his gorgeous emerald-green eyes, which, set on his backdrop of smooth all-grey fur makes him really stand out from the crowd at Tabby’s Place.As a result of his owner passing away, Toby, who is about 12 years old, and his siblings, Tails and TJ, were left homeless.Luckily, Tabby’s Place had openings for them. Toby was initially a very quiet, shy cat who kept to himself in the suite.For a few days, some staff members noted that Toby seemd a little quieter than usual.When he turned down a plate of wet food, they became worried enough to do some quick bloodwork on him.The test results showed that Toby’s liver values were way out of whack and he was now diabetic.Toby had become very sick, very quickly.
Toby was rushed to the emergency vet.By the next day they had determined that he had severe pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) and hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), caused by a nasty infection.Toby spent two weeks at the emergency hospital, where they began feeding him through a stomach tube in a desperate attempt to save his life.
Just when things were looking their grimmest, Toby began a miraculous turnaround.He was able to return to Tabby’s Place, though we had to feed him three times a day through his stomach tube for another month.He slowly regained his appetite and started eating well on his own.
Toby is a fighter: today he’s doing very well, has put on weight and is eating normally.Toby arrived here very timid, but despite (or perhaps because of) all he’s been through in the past few months, he’s now playful and enjoys being around people. He is a laid back cat who makes his way slowly around the lobby with an almost fiercely intent look on his face. This fierce stare quickly dissolves once you pet him and realize that this intensity hides a ball of mush.Although Toby’s pancreatitis and hepatitis have been effectively treated, he will be prone to recurrences as his life goes on; untreated, pancreatitis can become very severe, so Toby will require monitoring. His previously elevated glucose levels indicate that he runs a risk of developing diabetes, so these levels are closely monitored as well. It is unlikely he will develop another E. coli infection.