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i get that.. my cat messy to etc, she is ebing very affecionate as well.. like you i dont know what shes trying to tell me.. the vet gave her pills for a possible infection in her stomach, well 2 days later she was staggering falling over. so i stopped giving her the pills.. im trying everything to help her, i am not raedy to give up on her.. but i hate to see her suffer.. she is trying to use the litter, eating alot drinking alot.. cleaning her self.. i have to bathe her as i feel her heart beat faster as i do.. the vet said bloodwork ok lungs ok heart rate up white blood cell count down a bit.. she would support whatever choice i made, but was leaning towards putting her down.. i took her home.. im trying very hard to find something that works. no drug just natural. i really dont think it is her time to go.. i like you wish i had a sign of what to do...
My cat made a mess of the kitchen floor every time she ate, tracked cat litter and sometimes food into the bed, vomited sometimes many, many times a day (and other times not at all), wiped her butt on the floor or the bed when her poo got stuck and that's the only way she knew to get it off/out, every few weeks would get vomiting and diarrhea together for some unexplained reason, got hair all over the place, flung cat litter outside the box and sometimes missed the box, wouldn't let me eat without trying to put her face in my food, had to be given medicine twice a day, and was sometimes just a pain in the butt. Some days it felt like my entire day was spent taking care of and cleaning up after the cat.
I would gladly do it all again if I could just have her back.
I have a 9 year old cat with IBD. I could have written your post. It has been a year for me and it is at the point where I think I have to put Daisy down. I was wondering if you had any regrets about putting your cat down? Do you feel it was too soon?
I appreciate your reply. Thank you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderlustgyrl
Hi Everyone -
I have a 15yo cat who has had IBD for close to a year now. Her main sympton is chronic and persistent (liquid consistency) diarrhea. Originally I took her in for a battery of tests and blood work, which all came back normal except that the vet determined her lower intesting was swollen and that she most likely was suffering from IBD. At that time I tried switching her food to healthier brands, and while she would get better for a few days, she eventually became completely intolerent. While I was comfortable with the thought of steroids, I did agree to trying a trial steroid that only lasted for a few days in the system, to see how her reaction was. I didn't help, so I didn't pursue more steroid use.
Since then I have tried every quality store bought food under the sun (all meat types as well). I've settled with Evo, but at this point it doesn't matter what I feed her, her symptoms are constantly present. I tried to make raw food as well. I fed it to her for about a week and it did no good.
A few weeks ago I thought she might pass away. She grew very thin, listless and wobbly on her feet. She had almost stopped eating completely. My boyfriend decided to take action and began feeding her all sorts of treats (the kind cat food that aggravate her the most) which she happily gobbled down. Yes she went to the bathroom A LOT, but she did put on a few pounds.
Fast forward to today. Last night within a half hour she vomited and had a liquid diarhhea episode (these typically occur 5 times per day) which got all over her paws so I had to wash them in the sink (happens a lot). She's always drinking a TON of water, always hungry since everything goes right through her.
I'm tired. She's tired. I really don't have the will to continue on like this, as my quality of home life has dropped dramatically in having to spend so much time cleaning and caring for her. I love her so much but I've made an appoitment to have her put to sleep on Friday. I guess I just want to know that it's ok to "give up", that other people have done this, and that I'm not missing out on some miracle cure they may have recently come up with.
I have a 15 yr old cat with IBD. He was a rescue and exhibited symptoms shortly after I got him. He is the sweetest little boy and so I deal with his issues. A steroid shot every 3 or 4 months has pretty much kept the bowel issues in check but recently he was throwing up frequently so recently the vet suggested we give him a small steroid by mouth every day. Apparently this is still tied to the IBD even though the bowels have been in check. We started out with twice a day and now we're on once a day and soon we will reduce the amount.
In addition, since he had lost some weight the vet gave me B12 to inject weekly. It has given him more pep and he has stopped losing weight.
I read the post from the lady who was looking to put her cat down and I guess my question is - Is it better to euthanize your cat or give him medication? We treat humans for disease to increase the quality of life so why wouldn't we do it for our best friends?
One thing to consider when an animal or human is having vomiting and liquid stool is that there may be an obstruction in the bowels. The body has to remove it's wastes, and if not through a normal BM, then vomiting will occur. The liquid stool is because (in the case of obstruction) only the liquid can get by an obstruction. Did your vet do any radiographic tests (x-ray/catscan etc) to determine?
We as humans must consider the animal's quality of life. Does the cat still want to be petted, loved, eating, drinking, etc... (increased drinking is compensation for increased fluid loss w/diarrhea) I used to think purring was a good sign of a cat's contentment but have learned that it is also a way to cope with discomfort/pain/stress.
It's tough to have elderly pets, as there are no "nursing homes to send them for someone else to deal w/the issues of incontinence of the bowel and or bladder. We have numerous cats of varying ages, and try to adapt to their needs. All the furniture they like to spend time on is covered w/washable covers, towels, sheets, etc... While this may seem like overkill it does save us from frustration over a piece of furniture becoming stained and smelly. (Cat poo is foul!!)
Often owners won't euthanize their pet as it will make them too sad and they don't want to feel like they are playing God. However, we are playing God by keeping them alive despite their body's failings. If nature was allowed to take her course the pet would probably pass away sooner than later. We don't like feeling sad so do try to keep the pet alive longer than is good for their quality of life. That is the key, do they enjoy the life they are now living? When we adopt a pet into our homes, we are responsible to care for it in health and sickness. If you feel your cat is suffering, make a care decision based on the animals need and not your own.
Emma is a 19 year old Bengal.She has been plagued by recurrent diarrhea. She been to the vet. "old age". Gonna keep her around as long as possible. HOW DOES ONE GET THE SPOTS OUT OF THE CARPET?
I feel exactly what you're going through. I HATE, absolutely HATE, when as soon as there's sign of illness in an elderly pet, people give up and have them immediately euthanized because they feel it's inconvenient for them. I LOVE and COMMEND you for actually putting an effort into caring for your elderly kitty. I could tell how much you loved her by the way you spoke about her. The decision to euthanize my cat is not an easy one, as my family and I have owned her for over a decade, I've literally grown up with this cat, and it's breaking my heart to have to say goodbye. I do not want her to suffer, and my decision to euthanize her has NOTHING to do with how hard it is for me, but how hard it is for her. Cats cannot outwardly show that they are in pain, and it's killing me not knowing. I see her struggle to even move and she probably doesn't even know why she's sick or that she is sick period. I sympathize with you and I am telling you that it is okay to let go. It sounds like it is the best decision for her well-being and for yours. You've loved and taken care of her well. Honor her life and memories, remember the good and the bad, and base the decision on what's best for her. We never want them to suffer and I personally think you've done MORE than enough than others would have. I can't judge because I'm not in your shoes. I thank you for not giving up right away on her, and she's lucky to have an owner like you. God bless you and I hope you continue to consider being a great pet parent
i get that.. my cat messy to etc, she is ebing very affecionate as well.. like you i dont know what shes trying to tell me.. the vet gave her pills for a possible infection in her stomach, well 2 days later she was staggering falling over. so i stopped giving her the pills.. im trying everything to help her, i am not raedy to give up on her.. but i hate to see her suffer.. she is trying to use the litter, eating alot drinking alot.. cleaning her self.. i have to bathe her as i feel her heart beat faster as i do.. the vet said bloodwork ok lungs ok heart rate up white blood cell count down a bit.. she would support whatever choice i made, but was leaning towards putting her down.. i took her home.. im trying very hard to find something that works. no drug just natural. i really dont think it is her time to go.. i like you wish i had a sign of what to do...
I understand how hard that must be for you, but please please please consider how the cat feels. I'm not ready to let go of my cat either, and I can tell she doesn't want to go, but her body is starting to shut down. Don't let her suffer. I'm sure you've tried everything within your power to help her. I personally feel that euthanization should always be a last resort, but it shouldn't be the LAST LAST resort. Try everything you can, but if you can feel it in your heart that you know she has to go soon, don't force her to stay in discomfort and pain any longer than she has to. Animals can't speak for themselves so we have to do our best to make their lives as comfortable and happy as we can for as long as we can.
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Too late to continue convo?
want to keep Emma longer
