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My sweet 17 year old Himmie was peacefully put to sleep an hour ago. I cried, my husband held it in and our vet cried. He was diagnosed a year or 2 ago with renal failure.
He had refused food 4 days ago, drinking very little and was behaving not himself. I tried to syringe feed him, entice him with different brands including his fav tuna, heating it, giving him cooked ground meat and chicken (he ate very little of this) and even tried GNC nourishcat milk for older cats because of the rave reviews received. He was extra clingy, walked past a guest in the home (he usually hides) and ignored the dogs which he never did. Last night, after my last attempt to syringe feed, I knew he hated it and it wasn't working. I placed him on my lap and petted him. Instead of jumping off like he used to, he laid there and purred very softly (his purrs are usually very loud). He had episodes of lack of appetite but he always tried and bounced back. This time, I knew in my heart, he was dying.
So this morning, it was confirmed by the vet. The yellowish eyes and lips. The blood work. His liver, not his kidneys, are gone. An option was given about making him comfortable with fluids. Either way, the vet said the inevitable was coming in less a week. Right now, the toxins in his body is sky high and he is a painless daze, which explains his odd behavior. Under his recommendation, and having this already planned out in my head, I opted euthanasia. I hugged him one last time. He was purring during the entire vet visit which he never does. He was given plenty of treats, which he still takes.
My advice for those who struggles with crf and senior kitties: feed him what he wants to eat. Aiko did not like the prescription diet early on so he was fed whatever he did eat: Authority, Fancy Feast, Merrick, etc. His kidneys did well on these foods so don't let anyone tell you that the prescription diet is the ONLY food for crf cats. To his end, his kidneys were still at early stage. It was old age that killed his liver. Canned is preferred but your cat must eat.
That's another thing: if your cat is old, stop fussing over the small stuff. In his last few months, Aiko missed his litterbox several times. Clean it up, figure out if you help him and move on. Don't punish your cat. Don't get mad at him.
They go downhill very quickly. Aiko was checked out 6 months ago, no signs of anything wrong with his liver. Enjoy your cat. Enjoy every day, week and month that you can get.
Lastly, I understand the emotional roller coaster ride that you have to be in when caring for an ill older cat. It's easy to give up and hand him over to someone else who may take him to the end. It's easy to not know and battle with the feeding problems, the vomiting, the peeing, the dehydration, etc. These come in waves and you have to make sacrifices for his comfort. You must trust your vet when he tells you it's time to stop or if there is still hope. You have to trust your cat, first and foremost. It is true that the cat will tell you, enough is enough. Aiko was trying to tell me this in spite of my best efforts to syringe feed him.
RIP Aiko - you were there for my college days, through 2 boyfriends and for every milestone in my life. If I could sell a piece of me to keep you in my life forever, and healthy, I would. The vet said this was the best time to let you go. I could not be selfish to hold onto you knowing you will suffer a moment in agony.
I'm so sorry for your loss of your beloved boy. Hopefully your vet explained to you why the liver failed, it was from not eating.
I don't mean that to sound like you did anything wrong, of course you didn't. You did all you could for him and kept him happy until he just couldn't keep on going any more. When a cat stops eating, the liver fails. It's called fatty liver disease, or feline hepatic lipidosis.
He had a lovely happy long life with you, but when he'd had enough, he stopped eating. It's obvious you did all you could for him. He'd had enough, that's all.
As for those "kidney diets". I'm glad your boy wouldn't eat it. They are garbage foods and do a cat no good at all. CKD cats do not need "reduced protein", reducing the protein simply causes muscle wasting and hastens the end. They need high quality protein in normal amounts, and reduced phosphorous.
However, as you said, keeping them eating is the most important part. Canned food, especially, for the hydration, but any food is better than none, when it comes down to it.
OMG I have tears in my eyes after reading your post! I'm very sorry for your loss. You obviously loved him very much and did all you could for him.
Most of us here know the rollercoaster of caring for an ill or dying cat. My biggest worry was "when will I know?" If you love your cat, you WILL know when he has given up. I sure did when it was time.
I am so sorry for your loss. Your post made me cry. It is very clear how much you loved him.
You gave him a good life and hopefully, you will be able to take comfort in that.
I'm so very sorry Aiko had to leave you, but you did the right thing for him. 17 is a good run, and I'm sure he had a happy life with you.
I know what you're feeling now, and my heart goes out to you.
Run free at the Bridge sweet boy.
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