...to think this is vile behaviour from a vet?

[ReluctantRenegade]

Hi all,

I'm very upset as I type this and desperately need some advice. The situation is my cat's 17 and has a few chronic health conditions including kidney (stage 2 at last blood analysis a few months ago) and heart disease. He had two seizures about a week ago which I think were caused by the hot weather as he was struggling to keep cool despite our best efforts. He has had one seizure before several months ago so three in total.

I took him to the vets today and they recommended having him put down because of the combination of these various illnesses which I can understand as on paper it looks bad but they don't live with him so aren't getting the full picture. I know they're professionals but they don't see him eating, sleeping and enjoying getting affection from his owners who've loved and cared for him for 17 years so they're just looking at him as a list of symptoms rather than as a living entity.

Anyway, I said to the vet putting him to sleep has been something that's on my mind but he has improved in some ways now he is taking diuretics for the heart disease. Obviously the seizures were nasty to witness and probably awful for him and he was quite disoriented following this but this is improving now and he hasn't had further seizures since the weather has cooled down.

What disgusted me however and made me feel utterly powerless and on my own with regards to his care is she said they could put him down then and there at the appointment even though he was just booked in for a check-up so naturally I refused as it seemed too abrupt and I don't think he is suffering to the extent he needs to be put down immediately. Of course there is an element of suffering with any chronic health condition but people suffer with multiple ailments and aren't sent to their deaths, their conditions are managed.

What really has upset me though other than their haste to end his life is the vet would only give me enough diuretic medication for him for the next week as she said she thinks he needs to be put down within the next week. Is this even allowed? She thinks he is suffering but is going to make him suffer more by not authorising medication to keep him comfortable for his time left in the world, whether that be weeks or months? AIBU or is this highly unethical of her to refuse to re-prescribe medication for him?

Lastly, this vets is subsidised so I think there's an element of it being cheaper for them to have him die than treating him there and have heard other owners disagree with this practice's 'recommendation' to put their pets to sleep. I pay what I can afford but it's cheaper than a standard vets so I think this is probably relevant to their eagerness to put animals down.

in reality, owners often have a very limited understanding of the implications of how their pets illness will be making their pet feel, or the progression of it, and people hang onto to the ‘he’s still going for walks’ or ‘she’s still eating’ when in many cases the quality of life is long gone

The problem I have always found is no one told my cats their quality of life had gone.

My very first cat I was told should be pts at 14.
He lived to 23 and spent the intervening years running around and playing. Climbing trees and pouncing on our other cat and generally having a great time.

I doubt very much that a cat with advanced kidney disease will be running around and happily playing. Euthanising a termnally ill animal is unlikely to be too soon, and even if it was, then the cat knows nothing about it. Euthanising too late has much worse implications for the animals welfare.

Actually he did have kidney disease and I had to take him for I think steroid injections every few days, then every week, two weeks, 3, 4, 6, 8 weeks till he was up to 6 months apart.
Eventually he got the all clear.

@Oliversmumsarmy

Actually he did have kidney disease and I had to take him for I think steroid injections every few days, then every week, two weeks, 3, 4, 6, 8 weeks till he was up to 6 months apart. Eventually he got the all clear.

So no seizures, heart disease and other chronic conditions then? Chronic kidney disease can be managed but not cured, it may be that your cat had a temporary condition rather than ckd, but in a 17 year old cat I think it is cruel to continue with the issues the cat has.

Cat’s don’t get the ‘all clear’ from chronic kidney disease. There is no cure.

Cat’s don’t get the ‘all clear’ from chronic kidney disease. There is no cure

That’s what the vet said. He was very surprised as well but he was the one who did all the tests

Then the vet diagnosed your cat wrong.

Well he kept on diagnosing him wrong for 5 years.

He obviously did as there is no cure for chronic kidney disease in cats. It can be managed for a limited amount of time, it cannot be reversed.

I trust my vet to always advise me what is best for my animal. They are the ones with the qualifications and experience. Yes your cat may be playing and seem happy, but cats are extremely stoic beasts and tend to betray how their health really is.

I have always, always gone with the mantra of ‘better an hour too soon, than a moment too late.’ Your cat might just rapidly deteriorate at some point, and suffer unnecessarily. The kindest and most selfless thing we ever have to do for our pets, is give them a dignified and peaceful end where we can. I would listen to your vet.

One of our cats was diagnosed with kidney failure. She was sent home and we were given saline injections for her to make her comfortable as she neared the end. Few days later she rallied round and carried on for about 3 more years. However, she didn't have any other conditions. The vet was surprised, but apparently things can change if there is some remaining kidney function.

My dear old vicious bloody minded feline, had chronic kidney disease. It was managed with steroid injections for 2-3 years, but then even that gallant old lady could no longer fight the inevitable. And it was a kindness to give her a gentle goodnight.

My cat fought chronic kidney disease for just under a year with steroid injections, special diet and fluid treatments. I’m not saying cats can’t live with comfortably with this disease for some time with appropriate medication, I am saying they cannot be cured or given the all clear however.

my grandfather and ex Dh were both vets and neither would want to PTS a healthy animal, ex used to get quite upset. Maybe go to another vets for a second opinion if you can though.

I wonder whether vet was quite factual as they didn't want you to become upset if they had been more gentle. I've done this at work and felt bad, but I thought it better for my client than if she became upset and I couldn't comfort her because of social distancing.