Hi Everyone, I'm Amstel (yeah... yeah, named after the Beer ...)

I'm 10 yrs old and as you can see I have spots so that makes me a zebra .... 
Oh wait, zebras have stripes don't they .... well then I must be a Dalmatian !!  Cool !

Last May (2004) I was diagnosed with diabetes.  It was pretty rough start ... 
Dad went out one night with some friends and when he came home he found me on 
the floor unable to move .... boy did he freak out ... I was kind of freakin' out too 
but it certainly wasn't noticeable.  Dad rushed me to the local vet clinic and tests 
were started right away.  The vets thought I had a mass pinching on my spine so
they opened me up to take a look .... ouch !  Well, thankfully there was nothing there 
but they did find that my kidneys were enlarged.  After some more tests and some
inconclusive results, Dad requested a referral to Angell Animal Medical Center
in Boston, MA.  Angell has 24/7 coverage and an ICU unit and care/treatment 
options which the local vet couldn't provide.  I was admitted on May 24th and 
promptly put into ICU.  Angell found my glucose levels off of the charts but initially
could not determine why my back legs wouldn't work.  After many more tests and 
several biopsies (all normal/OK) and several more days in ICU/CCU it was determined
that I definitely had diabetes, but nothing else could be diagnosed.  It was over a week
before I got to go home.  I still could not walk on my hind legs .... Dad had to 'sling'
walk me for several weeks ... it was quite a challenge but Dad,( I call him "lucky")
had a secret weapon to help with my care .... in fact 2 secret weapons !!! Cathy 
(dad's girlfriend) and Jill ( Cathy's daughter) !!!  Cathy is an RN and Jill had recently
graduated from college as a Veterinary technician !!!  Boy ... my dad got the pick
of the litter there (especially for me!)_
Well,  after a few weeks I got my legs back under me .... Whew !! What a relief !! 
After several months of trial and error with diet and different amounts/types of insulin
I finally got regulated. 
I'm really doing well these days, except I have developed cataracts.  I have difficulty
seeing but I still get around pretty well ..... Dad's seriously considering surgery for me
.... say's he is tired of me stepping on the cats .... I think it's fun !!! 

I've included some pictures of my Mom ( Bailey ... yeah, named after 
Bailey's Irish Cream .... seeing a pattern ?) and 1 of our 2 cats (Buckwheat), 
the other cat is 'Punkin' (a short haired tuxedo cat, he's camera shy). 

I was 1 from a litter of 12 !!  9 boys and 3 girls .... and I was sooooo cute that Dad decided
to keep me ...... some of my litter went to live with firemen, a policeman, a school principle, 
some of dad's friends, a former governor of Massachusetts (where I live). My brother 
"Steinway" moved to Minnesota and he went on to win some championship ribbons there! 
 

Here's me and Mom ...... I'm laying down ..... I like doing that!

Me again !!!  Damn I'm cute aren't I? 

Hey, how do you like my "I'm a diabetic" tag .... it's really a key fob, Dad got
it at the local drugstore ..... now anyone and everyone can see I' M SPECIAL !!!!

 Read More Stories about Other Diabetic Pets