Cindy in the NH Woods Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 (edited) ***update*** Again, I thank everyone for telling me their stories. I so understand what you have been or are going through, and appreciate the compassion and advice shown to me here. Thank you! We took Jenny in this morning. The vet noticed some black ulcers developing in her mouth due to the uremic poisoning from her kidneys failing. We decided it would be best for the cat to put her down. I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty awful feeling, but now I am relieved and feel at peace with the decision. My sweet daughter, Jenny's favorite person, went with me and petted the kitty while we waited, and then held her in her arms while we waited for the sedative to take effect. I am so proud of her for doing that. I know it made a difference for the cat. If I'm not mistaken, I believe C.S. Lewis (Oxford don, and author of The Chronicles of Narnia and more) believed that animals went to heaven. Whether this is true or not, I know in my heart that God is good and I imagine my little kitty girl playing in the grass. Take care all! Love, Cindy I think we really need to euthanize one of our cats, but I feel like an utter heel about it. Here is the situation: Jenny, one of a pair of siblings we adopted from a shelter, is about four years old. She is in kidney failure, has some immune system issues (positive for feline aids with a quick test, negative on two Western blots), and most likely has stomatitis, a condition her brother also had, but was cured by having all of his teeth extracted. Cha ching. The vet proscribed antibiotics, which seemed to help her for awhile, but now she is hardly eating and her mouth is getting goey and pus~filled. I am sure she is in a lot of pain. She continues to drink like crazy, and pee outside the litter box. I will call the vet's office tomorrow and bring Jenny back in. We have already recently spent about $400.00 on her for her annual exam, shots, lab tests, etc. I don't want the kitty to suffer, but assuming she could tolerate the surgery, I know that having the procedures done and hospital stay will probably cost about $1800.00. Gulp. That is what it cost to care for her brother Oliver, who is now getting more huge by the day, and generally bullying the other cats. :glare: My plan is to get the cat pain relief and antibiotics, but I can't justify the surgery. My fear is that I will get her meds and she is going to die as I welcome visiting guests, host Thanksgiving, and try to prep. Maybe the vet will give her blessing about euthanizing the cat tomorrow. But so far I haven't gotten that. Help? Thank you. Edited November 13, 2012 by Cindy in the NH Woods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 I would ask the Vet "If it were your cat, what would you do?" There are always expensive procedures, but that doesn't mean it is always the right answer. Good luck in whatever happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 :grouphug: You might ask about quality of life. If surgery is done, what is lifespan prognosis? We had a cat with a heart problem. He only lived 4 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 I just went through this w/ my black Lab. Money was an issue. My Lab was close to 13 so not young like yours. However, once they're gone, they're gone. No second chances. I would have been better off if I'd gone further with him in terms of getting meds -- which would have given him about a month more. Now that it's over I wish I had given him and me that month. Take care -- this is really hard (if you had any doubts), Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 I would ask the Vet "If it were your cat, what would you do?" There are always expensive procedures, but that doesn't mean it is always the right answer. Good luck in whatever happens. :iagree: I had to make the very tough decision to euthanize our younger cat. I know how tough it is. In our case, we got her at 4 weeks from a drug house where they blew meth in her face. We bottle-fed and weened her but she was always terribly mean. As in attacking anyone but my dh and I. She seemed to tolerate my oldest okay. Then, we finally figured out why dh was so sick. He was severely allergic to cats. His entire body was covered in cracked, bleeding skin, so bad that the allergist took pictures. So, we had to do something about our cats. We were able to rehome one. My parents actually took her. But, Maggie? No one could take her. She was 7 when we put her down. It was 100% the correct decision, regardless of how hard it was to do. A few years ago, we had to make a similar decision with our bunny. Unbeknownest to us, she was inbred and had teeth that grew as tusks. We had to take her in every 6 weeks and have her put under to get her teeth trimmed.... at $80 a pop. We were unemployed. And she was a dwarf. She was having a harder and harder time coming out of the anesthesia. And she was obviously suffering. She was only 18 months when we made the decision to put her down. I hated the decision both time. I still do. I don't think anyone can tell you what the right decision is for you. I can say that I don't regret our decision, both times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in the NH Woods Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 (edited) Thanks so much for the replies! I think at this point, I am having more difficulty with the cat's pain than with putting her down. Also, I think my guilt stems from the fact that if it were my "favorite" cat, I don't think I could do it. And the dog.... I would probably donate a kidney to her if it would help. (And the dog really is useful to us as a portable security system, which was our intention when we got her. Initially.) Is it unethical to think this way??? <blush> Edited November 12, 2012 by Cindy in the NH Woods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 I'm sorry it's so hard. I'd put her down. But I've never had to do that, so I only say "I would," not that I'd be able to. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 FIV is a non curable disease and highly contagious as well so those factors with her current quality of life is a huge cost concern as even if you did spend more money on her she might not be able to recover at all. Def. speak with the vet on quality of life for her at this point because it might be the best track for her at this time to ease her with. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in the NH Woods Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 FIV is a non curable disease and highly contagious as well so those factors with her current quality of life is a huge cost concern as even if you did spend more money on her she might not be able to recover at all. Def. speak with the vet on quality of life for her at this point because it might be the best track for her at this time to ease her with. :grouphug: Hi! Jenny's "in house" FIV test was positive, but two Western blot tests were negative. Just to make things simple, right? Kitty and her brother definitely have got something up with their immune system though. Jenny also has "pillow foot" which is immune related. Thanks for the input! I need it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 If it were me? I'd put her down. She's miserable. :iagree: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in the NH Woods Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 Thanks all. :001_wub: You have helped me so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 (edited) We talked to the vet about what he would do if it were his pet and why. It was very helpful. He didn't tell us what to do but did tell us what he thought about her quality of life with kidney failure. We still took her home with IV's and meds but soon decided to bring her in and say goodbye. It wasn't easy but by the time we did it I knew it was the right thing for her. Edited November 13, 2012 by sbgrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 I thought I should.... months before I was willing. I finally took her in and they thought.... a few hundred more and possibly I'd have her some more years. My husband had to take the then dying cat on the weekend to the emergency vet to have her put down. Seriously... I should have saved heartache/pain (hers) and added sadness and had it done months before... I was out over $1000 for the year... I felt guilty cuz I had brought a new kitty from the humane society that may or may not have made my cat sick... I felt like I killed her with my new cat... :( Put her down... it's sad, but then you move on and you're glad they're not in pain :( So sorry :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Is it unethical to think this way??? <blush> I don't think so. Instead, I think it would be unethical to spend exorbitant amounts of money to extend/save the life of a pet--and I don't think that has to be the same number across the board for each of your animals. Each person/family might be the best judge of exactly what that amount is. I do not know if I personally believe $1800 is "exorbitant," but I would have a very difficult time justifying that sort of expense at this time in my life for any of our pets. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassoonaroo Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 I don't think so. Instead, I think it would be unethical to spend exorbitant amounts of money to extend/save the life of a pet--and I don't think that has to be the same number across the board for each of your animals. Each person/family might be the best judge of exactly what that amount is. I do not know if I personally believe $1800 is "exorbitant," but I would have a very difficult time justifying that sort of expense at this time in my life for any of our pets. :grouphug: Each family has their financial threshhold. About a month ago, we lost a seven month old rat to heart failure. We could've pursued keeping her alive a little longer (rats should last 2.5 - 3 years) with a cocktail of carefully balanced heart meds and lots of vet visits that include lab draws, but that would be really tough both financially and timewise. So, we kept her comfortable and when she started to struggle, we made an appointment to put her down, which was really hard since she was so young. She died on the way to the vet. I remind myself that when it comes to animals, it's about quality not quantity. The animals are not keeping track of time. They don't think, "Oh, Spot only lived 4 years but his breed should live to 15 or more; what a shame!" They don't think, "I'm sick and dying but I'm only 2 years old." They don't seem to fear dying. We people get upset because we know we'll be saying goodbye, but the dying pet's animal buddies seem to just think, "Fluffy isn't well, so we'll groom her and sleep next to her and keep her company." When an animal is suffering and can't get better with a reasonable amount of care, it's time to say goodbye because the animal is done living, but not yet finished dying. Helping the animal finish dying quickly is indeed a gift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Also, I think my guilt stems from the fact that if it were my "favorite" cat, I don't think I could do it. :grouphug: At one time we had 3 cats and ended up having to put down our favorite of those 3. He was fairly young--about 5yo--and had developed kidney disease. It progressed quickly and by the time we noticed he might be sick it was already too late. We were watching him deteriorate before our eyes. He was back at the vet for more bloodwork and observation. As soon as the vet had the lab results he recommended putting the cat down. It was hard--even though everything was done over the phone and even though we knew that decision was inevitable. The vet staff was wonderful, though. I couldn't bring myself to go in to pay our bill and collect our carrier for a week. They never called to remind me to come in; just let me have my time to grieve. And they made sure to save his collar for me. I'm tearing up just from the memory, and that was 15 years ago. :crying: More of these for you. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Kidney failure is totally miserable. That was when we put our Siamese cat down, though he was 16 and losing weight rapidly and the vets and I thought he had some type of cancer we hadn't found. We had spent money on him to try to figure out why he was losing weight and also on his diet. Money had nothing to do with our decision, I had just made the decision that when he didn't want to even drink water often- he was so weak, he was ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 My mom's cat is in liver failure right now. She couldn't bring herself to put him down on Friday so she chose to give him fluids so she could have the weekend with him. I hope she doesn't wait too long to put him down. He's miserable. The vet said the fluids would help for a few days but she wouldn't wait much longer than that. My mom was given the choice to hospitalize the cat and run tests and whatnot but the vet said it was going to be very expensive and she couldn't guarantee any of it would help. My mom asked her straight up how she would handle this if it were the vet's cat. The vet said she would put him down. It's certainly not an easy thing, but sometimes it's the best option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in the NH Woods Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 I am re~reading each one of your posts tonight before I take the kitty to the vets tomorrow morning. Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and thoughts with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datgh Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I think you have had some excellent advice. Just wanted to add some :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyz Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 If it were me, I would not do the surgery. I would get the pain meds and the antibiotics. There are a few days yet before Thanksgiving. I would administer the meds and see how she is next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I'm sorry, Cindy :( We've had to make some decisions about 2 of our cats. One has kidney failure. The next time he takes a downturn (stops eating for more than a couple days) we're going to have to put him down. There's no point in boosting him back up at the vet's again when he's going to die from this condition. We've had him on fluids and medication for a year (at $70+/month) and right now he's still doing okay, though his last numbers reflected that his kidney function has decreased yet again. Our other cat has hyperthyroidism and he's gotten terribly thin in the last year. Last year he had a bunch of teeth removed, and then was diagnosed with that. We've been treating him with meds and he eats like crazy, but just can't keep the weight on. Depending on what the vet says at his next appointment, we may have to put him down. There is a surgery for hyperthyroidism, but it's expensive, and there is a risk that the cat could go the other way and end up with hypothyroidism and need medication for THAT. We just can't justify such an expensive surgery on a 14 year old cat. He's been pooping all over the house too. I've caught him at it. It's a lousy situation to be in. You take these animals in to love and protect and they become part of your family. At some point you have to say enough is enough. I have no advice -- just empathy. It's not an easy decision to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 :grouphug: I'm so sorry. We went through this 2 years ago with our dog. She was 14 and had congestive heart disease. She had developed a terrible hacking cough. The vet could have given us meds that would have extended her life for 3-6 months, which is a good time period, but he said she would always be in pain and when her time came it would likely be long and very painful. As much as *I* wanted her to live longer, it was kinder to her to let her go. It was so hard and horrible and I cried for weeks. I still get weepy when I think of her (like right now), because she was with us for so long (we got her at 8 weeks) and she was part of our family. In the end though, it was unfair to let her suffer so I could have more time with her. Knowing that the end could come at any day was something I don't think I could have dealt with. She went peacefully, laying in my arms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I am sorry. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockey Mom Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 :grouphug: I am sorry for your loss. It's never easy to say goodbye to our furry friends. Our labrador goes to the vet later this week, and unfortunately, we will be having the same discussion with our vet. I dread it terribly. She was the first Christmas present Dh gave to me...she's 13 years old, with a list of health issues. I had the groomer come out and give her the 'royal treatment' today. She loves that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphus Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 You know, I've worked in animal rescue for a long time, and just by having 4 years of a loving, safe home with vet care and food, your cat is so lucky already! She's had a good life, and she is in pain. Finances do play a part of it, and that is to be expected- but the amount of money you spend still won't cure her or remove the pain. She's had a great life, and you can help her not suffer in death. Don't feel guilty! :grouphug: it's so hard, but these pets need us to be their voice and make the tough choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: I'm so sorry about your cat, Cindy, but I know you did the right thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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