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.
There is a huge and vast difference between using conventional medicine to control pain and alleviate suffering in a terminally ill animal and giving them a rabies vaccine or flea drops. To compare one to the other is folly.
True but there are also some WONDERFUL Homeopathic Pain remedies. I gave my cat Arsenicum after going to www.drlockie.com researching the remedies for the type of pain I thought he was experiencing, calling my Naturopath to see if I was right, and 15 minutes after just one dose of Arsenicum Album he perked up, stopped hesitating during circling before lying down. It also didn't knock him out the way I'm sure the conventional pain killers would have done. So as long as natural medicine seems to help, that's what he'll be getting.
I HIGHLY recommend the Dr Lockie site for anyone who wants to learn/use homeopathy for themselves or their cats. I also have several books on it but the website really helps you narrow down of all the remedies which would work best for you in your particular situation. Unlike conventional medicine where a drug is used for a particular sysmptom and does not take into account other problems the patient might have, Homeopathy does take into account those other issues. The remedy that is usually the best is the one that comes up the most with each problem that the patient may have. The dose you'd give your cat would be what is recommended for infants or if not, children..
Well. According to the vet who he saw today, the cold nasty rainy weather can bumb cats out who are of similar age and health history. She actually congratulated me on his losing weight (one pound). So he is now 12 lbs. I used to feed him 2/3 of a cup of wet home prepared food and now he only gets a total of 6 tablespoons or 3/8 cup over the course of a day (3 meals usually).
One last thing I may as well mentioned that disturbed me was that when the vet came in to the examining room she started out saying that she was told the reason for my vist was for him to get a Rabies Vaccine. I IMMEDIATELY corrected her and told her ABSOLUTELY NOT and that I was CONVINCED the last Rabies Vaccine CAUSED the Hyperesthesia and NO WAY was I going to further jeopardize his health with more of that nasty vaccine. I never expected this attitude from someone who is supposedly a "holistic" vet. You'd think they would care about the health of the cat first rather than making as much money as possible off the patient. When she saw she'd get nowhere with the Vaccination issue she launched into a suggestion of a monthly acupuncture session for a mere $125 each! YIKES! Can you imagine? I don't even spend anywhere close to that on myself --if you don't count health insurance. Then she volunteered that she only took home a certain amount of money each month (as if I was supposed to spend a ton of money there to help HER ). I suggested she start her own practice. When she saw I wasn't going to cave in and sign up for expensive feel good sessions (with no guarantee of any improvement in his health) she abruptly ended the session and walked out the door). Is that odd or what? I've never been to a vet that tried to push services on customers like this one does.
I also read late last night in The Cat Owner's Veterinary Handbook that cats who are constipated can act lethargic look bloated and pick at their food (which described him to a tee -- while I was getting all worried about advanced Kidney disease and worsening Hyperesthesia). Sure enough I remembered that I haven't found a lot in the stool department in his litter lately. So I opened a can of Tuna packed in oil and took out a teaspoon ful and covered it with oil and left it for him. When I came downstairs this AM he had eaten most of the tuna and oil and he had a smallish bowel movement last night in his litter. So that was encouraging.
Sorry for making mountains out of molehills with this thread. I think his health isn't as grave as I'd thought. Thanks for all of your support in any event!
my cat just passed at 14,He was everything to me and its a great loss for me.He was eating drinking, playing and just started to get thin,I took him to the vet and she said his organs were small and i should do blood work , over 1000.00 dollars worth, i just didnt have the money at the time and he ended up dying a month later, i feel guilty and so depressed i was saving and was getting ready to take him in.IM SO SAD I CRY AND DONT THINK I CAN FORGIVE MYSELF
Status:
" Charleston South Carolina"
(set 1 day ago)
Location: home...finally, home .
8,814 posts, read 21,271,680 times
Reputation: 20102
I am so sorry to hear this and please do not blame yourself. I have a friend whose cat had over $6,000 worth of chemotherapy and the poor cat died anyway. I am not sure that these treatments always do the job for our little friends. No treatment would have enlarged his organs , I don't think.
__________________ ******************
People may not recall what you said to them, but they will always remember how you made them feel .
My cat Willy is 15 and still acts frisky at times, but he doesn't eat nearly as much as he used to. If I put the least bit too much food outfor him, it doesn't stay down. He had a near-twin brother who lived here too until he died in January. I think he misses him. Anyway, my point is that cats are all different...his brother seemed healthier than Willy until his kidneys shut down; five days later he was gone. I took him to the vet and had to have him euthanized.
Willy has a cararact that I can see, and that eye is a little messy every so often, but he can still see pretty well. Just love them while you can (hope that's not too sappy).
I didn't read all of this thread but I don't think that hydrating geriatric cats has been mentioned. If you have a cat that is 15 years-old or more, that cat is almost certainly in some form of renal failure.
Under our vet's supervision I have hydrated (sub-q fluids) 4 of our geriatric cats. It almost appears to be a wonder drug. A cat that is lethargic and has no appetite, is now lively and eating. Yes, he's still and old cat and he will sleep a lot, but that's a cat.
An older cat has trouble maintaining proper hydraton and that leads to dehydration which leads to loss of appetite/thirst and that leads to dehydration and that leads to ....
This is not appropriate for every cat as there may be conditions (such as heart issues) that would conflict with hydration. You should only do this with the advice of your vet.
Rhonda lived to 19 years and all but the last month were good years which I am positive were extended by the hydration. Her issues in the last month had nothing to do with hydration issues. In her case we began the daily hydration when she was 16, I think. Over the years the amount of fluids went up from 100ml once daily to 200 twice daily.
Rhonda was always the perfect little lady and never objected or struggled. On occasion my stick wasn't as good as it should be and she'd give me the silent meow. I miss that little girl.
I have been lucky that every cat I've hydrated has been cooperative. I suppose part of that is related to being an older cat.
Anyway, talk to your vet first if you think your cat might benefit from hydration.
my cat just passed at 14,He was everything to me and its a great loss for me.He was eating drinking, playing and just started to get thin,I took him to the vet and she said his organs were small and i should do blood work , over 1000.00 dollars worth, i just didnt have the money at the time and he ended up dying a month later, i feel guilty and so depressed i was saving and was getting ready to take him in.IM SO SAD I CRY AND DONT THINK I CAN FORGIVE MYSELF
I understand how you feel but you shouldn't blame yourself. As Nancy stated I too have seen ppl spend $$$ and have their pet pass away shortly after the treatment. There is no guarantee that the treatment would have work.
Your cat knows you did everything you could do, think about all the good years you had together.
If you want to post a tribute to your boy, you can do that in the Rainbow Bridge forum. He will be there playing.
Cats can live a very long time if fed properly. I've heard of cats living into late 20s early 30's. I think the vet lifespans are off because most cat food is garbage and most cats that are kept as pets get over vaccinated to the point they can die in their declining years from cancer. Distemper vaccine acvcording to LittleBigCat has been proven to do this thats why they give them in the leg.
Think of it this way If you ate nothing but Mc donalds/white castle from babyhood and yept hyaving baby shjots your whole adult life you'd probably die in your 50s from heart issues stroke/cancer too.
Cats living into their late 20s/early 30s are very unusual, similar to people who live to 110. The greatest food in the world won't guarantee either. Of course lifespan can be shortened with really bad food, but the quality of life is more affected by eating well, not the length of it, which is largely determined by genetic ininheritance and the luck of the draw with diseases.
I'm googling because I think my boy Titon may be on his way out. My boyfriend thinks I'm insane as I'm always so worried. Both Galaxy (female) and Titon (male) are 14. Galaxy has no teeth and is going strong. Titon is eating, is bubbly, but never leaves the house - he always did - he was always so adventurous and how his personality is changing. I'm crying reading your stories and just thinking that I'll lose them. They've been such a part of my life - I just can't imagine days without them. I'm the lucky one to have had them for so long. I want them to be around when I'm 80 - imagine! I'm 36, I know, I know. Galaxy has not had many teeth for years - always a bulimic kitty. She has one tooth left, but you wouldn't know it. Eats little, but is consistent in her personality, getting sick and eating habits. Thank you for sharing.
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.
