Clones, Cat Nappers, and Cadavers

My muse, Wren.

There is not another human being on the planet that loves their pets more than I do, (OK, there might be a few of you out there, but you understand me)..add to that that I don't have any children other than my four cats, two dogs, and pet potbellied pig, and my pet-fanaticism is over the normal socially acceptable limit. (Yes, I do have a "crazy cat lady" coffee cup that I use proudly). I identify with the labels, I embrace the snickering, and there is nothing anyone can say or do to shame me into hiding it!

Oriole. In charge.

If I had to pick sides I would say that for as long as my feet are planted on this earth and my lungs draw breath I will have a cat beside me. They were my first pet and they will be my last.

Playing with Wren.

Because of my devotion to my kitties I read the latest press release from the University Of Georgia's Veterinary School about their second kidney transplant with great interest and contemplation.The University of Georgia continues to forge a path into the relatively new field of companion animal organ transplants. They  are now incorporating the use of stem cells to help the recipients body from rejecting the new kidney. This surgery was different from previous feline kidney transplants because it incorporated the pioneering approach of using harvested stem cells to help the recipient,  Arthur, the most recent kidney transplant patient, is a four year old Siamese cat who was dying of kidney failure. He had been diagnosed at age 3 and his only chance for long term survival was to find a donor and receive a new kidney via transplant. Stem cells were used because his body had not responded well to the more traditional anti-rejection medications used to help a donor accept a new organ. Arthur had been turned down for the surgery at two other teaching hospitals because of this. Without the use of stem cells Arthur would not have been a candidate for the surgery and he would have died from his kidney disease.

There are a few areas of Arthur's story that I find incredibly compelling and warranting further discussion.

First is the concept of organ transplant for pets. Next to cloning there isn't anything left that proves our affinity for our pets. Extending their lives with human equivalent medical and surgical options is a testament to our desire and ability to keep our pets with us for as long as possible.

The question has shifted from the impossible to obtain the service to the ethical of who is eligible?

This is how I watch tv every night;
Sharing the couch with a relaxed Magpie.

How close do our human medical and surgical options mirror our pets options? The line gets blurry and seems that the options are only now limited by our wallets.

Of comfort to my moral conscious is the fact that all kidney transplant donors are shelter cats. Those cats need to meet certain criteria to be donor eligible, but they must also be adopted into the family whose cat is receiving the kidney and remain a lifelong pet. The prince and the pauper are expected to be on equal footing after they share a kidney of the same origin.

Is every cat kidney transplant worthy? Yes, of course in my eyes. Every cat is capable of eliciting and demonstrating as much affection, improving the quality of their owners and families lives, and for that there is no dollar amount to prove a pet's worth and value.

Do I think that the majority of the public scoffs at the idea that I share my home with 4 cats who are given access to as much of my home as every other human inhabitant is? Yes.

Do I think that many people  lack the ability to understand why I am so crazy about my cats? Yes.

And, do I think that I would transplant an organ from one cat that I do not know, but would inevitably love as much as my others, to one of my resident kids? Well, yes, perhaps I would. I see my pets as my kids and it is my job and my responsibility to care for, protect, and provide what they need to live a happy healthy life.

Jitterbug, in a rare frozen pose state.

Here is where I hear my internal voice quibbling.

Where is my line?

Where is that point where I say this is too much? Having had a dog who underwent radiation therapy for a tumor that extended his life 6 months at considerable cost, I believe I would do that again. And for all of the difficulty Savannah's last year was, I would happily do that again. My dear old kitties had wonderful lives, even though saying goodbye was so terribly hard. For me, maybe there is truth in the knowing what the sadness for without that I would not know what the joy is. And for all of the many many pets whose lives I have been a part of, each pet and each story, whether they be long and thriving, or short and tragic there is always another chapter and often a sense of being a small part of a greater force in a mysterious universe.

Let me try to explain this.

Let's start with an easier topic to debate; Cloning. I have written about this before.

At some point there needs to be a long thought out discussion on not what is possible, but what is ethical.

Life isn't about cheating and stealing a way to live forever. Life is about learning to live and enjoy this time that you have. Don't wait until you are dying to realize that life was a precious gift. You get one shot, you know the old saying "life isn't a dress rehearsal," and the advice about doing the things on your bucket list now..well, there's truth in those words of wisdom.

Veterinarians know all to well that life is not fair. We watch puppies die of treatable and even avoidable disease and illness, (often because of just pure neglect and  poorly educated parents). We see 2 year olds die of cancer. Cats die from fleas, lack of resources, or just because they serve no perceived purpose to their owner. Many vets are asked, and required to euthanize routinely.

Cloning doesn't get you your pet back. It gets you a close representation of them. Your loss still needs to be addressed like everyone else's. Losing a pet that you love is really, really hard. But the memories are yours forever, and the difference that you made in taking care of them changes the world in which you live in, forever. Getting through grief is possible, and loving another pet is also possible. They will bring new joy to your life if you can open your heart and let them.

For as hard as it was to lose my dear cat DC and my Savannah, and all of the rest of them, I have a new set of rescues who are happily living a life of pampering and bliss in our home. I miss my departed pets, as I miss my departed friends. But I wouldn't ask to go back and re-incarnate them into the shell of what they used to be. What I miss is the spirit and the soul of who they were, that never can be replicated, duplicated, or re-born. That is the gift of life.

Life isn't fair, but it does go on.

My days at the clinic always include cat naps.

Find Arthur's Story Here.

Find more information on the University of Georgia's transplant program here.

For more information on stem cell use, research, and future use in medicine please see, Huffington Post here.

Or, See Pet Health Gazette and Jana Rade's blog here.

Previous blogs relating to this one;
Charlie Arrives
Pete The Vet, Blog On Cloning.
Savannah's Saga
How Many Sides Does Your Equation Have?

If you have a question about anything pet related you can ask a whole community of pet loving and dedicated professionals on Pawbly.com. Pawbly is free to use and open to everyone who loves pets.

You can also find me at the clinic, Jarrettsville Vet, or on Twitter @FreePetAdvice. 

The Treatment Juxtaposition. Why Your Pet Has Options You Don't

I am an eternal student. It is the price you pay when you are obsessed with what you do, and you can’t get enough of it.

I am constantly in search of the newest ideas, innovations, and treatments. Because of this I read each veterinary medical journal with baited, anxious breathe, and the hopes that tomorrows cases will benefit from today’s readings. I read, highlight, tear out, and save each journal article that I think can be a source for future patient care. I have boxes full of binders that overflow with “needed vital information.” It has begun to resemble a veterinary student driven to the brink of OCD. I admit it, I understand it, and still I am powerless to stop it. To prove my point on how vitally important these articles are I thought I would share my latest tear out.

Today’s article is from a favorite veterinary journal, “DVM Newsmagazine” November 2011. “AMC stem cell study to investigate intra-arterial injection for kidney disease,” written by Daniel R. Verdon. The article is particularly interesting to me on many levels. First, I lost another beloved kitty yesterday to kidney disease. She was the third in a row to have lost the battle against chronic renal disease. Of all of the old cat diseases I think kidneys wear the crown.  I remind my clients that cats and dogs have basically the same biology, so if humans get it, cats and dogs get it; cancer, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, etc. We all will die of some kind of disease and for many 2 and 4 legged beings it will likely be from one of these. But where the biology’s may parallel the treatment options diverge greatly. Much of this is based on cost, but where it may be available to humans the science exists for pets but society still largely views pets as disposable/replaceable so the options are limited.

Here is where it gets really intriguing and interesting. For humans if your kidneys are failing you start dialysis, and go on a waiting list for a transplant. Today transplants have become a common part of every large hospitals menu. If one of your parts isn’t working correctly, or you don’t like them anymore, and you are a human being, you can get it exchanged.  Transplants have been researched, tried and successfully done in pets also. The big dilemma is that unlike with human beings, a donor pet isn’t able to give consent to have their parts harvested. And in veterinary medicine we don’t have an organized transplant team. Instead if you need a new kidney for your cat another healthy cat is slain for their beans. It is a thought I can’t bear to think about. I know how much I love my cats but I can’t say that my kitties are more important than someone else’s. Even if that kitty wasn’t fortunate enough to have been dealt a lucky hand in life and landed in the loving arms of someone who understands and respects them. It is a hard lot to be born a feline. So kidney transplants are available to pets. The starting cost is about $40,000 and a conscious that will burden you. Dialysis is available, but unfortunately it is not an option in many parts of the country. That leaves you with a definitive death sentence when your kidneys start to crap out.

Then I read the article in DVM magazine. AMC (Animal Medical Center) in NYC is a forward thinking modern great American veterinary hospital that leads in almost every field of veterinary medicine. It is the premier think tank hospital that isn’t affiliated with a teaching hospital. If you live in or around NYC and you want, and can afford the pinnacle of veterinary medicine, than you and your pet go to AMC. The article describes a new novel study underway at AMC that will place stem cells via intra-arterial injection into the diseased and failing kidneys. The hope is that these stem cells will recreate a healthy environment in an environment that is dying. It is a hot topic in all fields of medicine. Stem cells represent the sort of magical but taboo medical treatment option. It is the point where religion meets pushing the edge of science. We appear to be too afraid to do it in human medicine but not veterinary medicine. Can you imagine the can of worms this will open? Can you imagine what will happen if we learn that we can stop, or even reverse disease? Can it be possible that we will be able to cure our pets but die ourselves of the same disease because our pets have treatment options that we humans don’t have?

The incredible juxtaposition to be a creature without any opinion on whether or not you were worthy of being treated has now turned into being able to take a sip from the fountain of youth.

Truth be told I won’t think of killing one cat to be able to transplant a kidney into one of my kitties, but sign me, (oops, I mean them), up for stem cells.

To read the entire article see page 20 of the November 2011 DVM magazine.