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Ditto on the breathing issue. That may be indicative of a congestive heart failure, especially if there is some indication of liquid in his lung. This truly could be the result of a hyperthyroid condition.
But you are at a catch-22 point here. If it is hyperthyroid, that can be treated. If there is a resulting heart condition from the hyperthyroid, you can treat that. However, steroids will aggravate a heart condition and should not be used. So the IBD will likely raise it's ugly head.
My 18 year old was in the hospital just a couple weeks ago with chronic heart failure. He has a history of chronic kidney disease and was treated for hyperthyroid. We thought we were taking him to the vet to let him go. They drew blood, tossed him in an oxygen tent, and ran an ultrasound. He was diagnosed with an enlarged heart and HCM. He is doing fine now and is on Lasix and an ACE inhibitor.
You just never know. In our case, our techs and vets saw a spark in our boy and weren't ready to give up (and it's not about the money, as we have many other cats at home that can line the pockets!).
Have a good heart to heart with your vet. Double-check the breathing/fluids issue. If his heart is good, I would test/treat for hyperthyroid. If his heart is not strong, then ask about the prognosis with the combination of heart and IBD. I know this doesn't answer your question. But if your vet is truly a compassionate animal persion - ask point blank, "what would you do if this were your cat?" Many times, it is a very different answer than they would give as a professional.
This is always such a hard decision. I know for myself when I've been ill, I found difficulty breathing worse to deal with than pain. If he no longer enjoys the things he loved to do, that made life worthwhile for him, like being brushed, then that time may be here. I would talk things over with the vet, but if you can't realistically improve his quality of life then the kindest thing to do may be to help him avoid deteriorating more. I'm so sorry for what you're going through.
Thanks, Greg. No, the vet only suspects he has hyperthyroidism (dilated pupils and galloping heart). We didn't want him to be tested and put on meds (he already takes steroids for inflammatory bowel disease)---would necessitate frequent trips to the vet and he is 19 years old and has always hated going to the vet. Wasn't trying to extend his life. Don't want to prematurely end it. But his behavior has drastically changed from a week ago. He has lost interest in being brushed (his greatest pleasure in life).
I feel like he could live a few more days/maybe weeks without pain---but am not sure if the distress of being weak and having some trouble breathing could be considered a type of suffering. It's just that he is still alert, so I still see some of him left in a failing body....
The thing is that hyperthyroidism is fairly easy to treat with simple pills. You can even get the medication made into a gel that you rub on the inside of the ear. I would absolutely explore this route, as it can make a HUGE and fast difference in quality of life.
If you do, however, opt not to, I would say that struggling to breath IS painful. It isn't an overt pain, but it makes you feel panicky and stressed, and that's probably why he sees so tired. So if you are opting not to try treatment, it would be kinder to euthanize him.
Thanks so much, everyone, for your thoughtful and sensitive replies. We decided to euthanize Tang at 2 PM today. Almost chickened out several times because he was still alert. I always thought that when we had to do it, he would be almost comatose. But his breathing was labored. he hadn't eaten much (1/8 cup of food in more than 24 hours). Wasn't peeing or pooping. And we always vowed that when his quality of life was diminished (defined for Tang as not wanting to be brushed or to eat---his two favorite activities), then we would end his life.
The vet acknowledged his labored breathing and said that it was abdominal breathing. She thinks it was probably congestive heart failure. She did say that it's probably better to bring in them before they are horizontal and horribly suffering. We stayed in the room with him while the sedative injection they gave him made him relax. The second step was the prophyol sedative done IV, then the third step would be the euthanasia. We oped to not stay with him during the second step because the technician said that it was very likely that this would cause him to struggle for air and possibly even result in his taking his last breath, so we said our goodbyes. We feel it was the right time to do this if he was so compromised that just a sedative could cause him to stop breathing.
Trying to focus on the fact that most people don't have a cat for over 18 years, so trying to feel fortunate in that regard.
And crazy as it may sound, we will start looking for another cat. Won't grab at the first one. It will have to be the right one. Preferably not another orange and white one like Tang. Not trying to replace him, but there is still room in our heart and home for a cat. We don't feel it's disloyal to Tang---we feel it would be a tribute to him since he taught us how to love a cat (twenty years ago, before he came into our life, we didn't even know that we could love a cat--always we thought we were dog people and didn't understand cats).
Thanks for your support and your excellent replies. Not surprising that cat lovers would be sensitive, intelligent, deep types who truly get how special a feline-human relationship can be.
jazzcat, you bravely did a very kind thing for your elderly friend. I am sorry for your loss, but, happy Tang had such a long, loved life with you and your family. He was a very lucky guy.
Best wishes on finding a new companion for the family.
19 years is indeed a long full life for a cat. But it's still very sad when you get to the end. It was for the best given his condition, but it doesn't make it any easier. My sympathies.
Jazzcat22 - my heart is with you. I cried at my desk reading you post. You did the kind thing to let him go.
You will certainly honor Tang by sharing your love with a new kitty. Tang will guide you to your next furry child.
I hear peace in your post. The weight that you feel lifting off of you is Tang's spirit running free.
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