Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My cat is 20 and much loved memeber of the family. Ive had him since I was 2yrs old.. Recently, he started to drink alot and has lost alot of weight. The vet said that his kidneys have shrank and that he had arthritis. I dont want to put him down. Hes not off his food yet, although he does drink a hell of a lot and spends most of his day lead by his water bowl. I just dont know what to do, i love him alot and I want him to survive. What is the kindest thing to do? Was it just old age that caused the problems? I just dont know enough... I dont want him to suffer, I dont know how much pain he is in.. He isnt bein sick (yet) and no diahrea... Its so tough..
i don't know what to tell you, but my 17 year old cat is going through exactly the same thing - drinking tons of water and losing weight. i'm afraid he's going to have to be put down soon
does his balance seem a little off? my cat is much less steady on his feet than he used to be, and sometimes seems to have trouble retracting his claws, so that he will get them snagged in the bedspread or carpeting when moving around.
yer his balance is off.. lol yer george is forever skagging my clothes! Hes been doing that for a number of years.. but more noticably in the last 3yrs. I want to give him treatment.. but im scared that A) he will hate the treatment and it will stress him out further and he may just die and B) i might find it really does make a difference but i cant afford it..
any ideas how much it costs?
Last edited by wild_spirited_elz; 06-15-2009 at 12:21 PM..
You can learn to give subcutaneous fluids yourself, at home, for about $12-25 per bag. I give my 8 y/o cat fluids 2x/week. But she is only 8. Your cat has lived a long and happy life with you and many cats don't live much longer. It's like asking an 89 y/o to make it to 90 for you. Prayers with you.....
I know your fear and sadness all too well. BUT, I also know that renal failure in cats is often very treatable. We had success giving our kitty, Mew, 5 more years after her initial diagnosis at age 17! And once we started her treatment, her kidney values actually improved over time!
Treatment can get costly, mostly because you'll have to take him to the vet 4 times a year to have tests updated. But supplies can be purchased in bulk over the internet, so that helps a lot. I made a post here, with a link to some online resources, and a picture of the space we set up to administer Mew's medication. She was a great cat, and once she realized that whenever we gave her her treatment she felt better, she was very cooperative with being put through it. Notice from the picture that we kept a brush in the area, because she loved being brushed and it helped keep her calm.
Also, Mew started having trouble with her balance and jumping, though the vet said she didn't actually have arthritis. We started giving her a glucosamine supplement, mixed in with the other meds and ground into the powder mixture, and within a week she was jumping like she was a 10 year old! I have a link to the specific brand we used on my home computer, so I'll have to post that info later this evening.
At some point, the quality of life, must be looked at clearly. I feel we owe that much to our fur family! So often, we tend to be selfish and want to hold on to them longer than we should. You have a very difficult decision to make.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
