...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.

Better a week too soon than a day too late imo

This is what I was told on here when I was worried I’d had my car put to sleep too soon due to ill health. Honestly in hindsight I totally agree with it now.
It’s hard to accepted a much loved pet needs to go but think about this over the next week, 17 is a good age and if the vet says it’s time then it probably is

OP
hard as this may seem for you, your cat has had a long and I’m sure loved and happy life.
But you realistically need to see. that the health issues combined not make for any decent quality of life.
No vet wantonly suggests euthanising.
I work with animals and we tend to think better a day early than a day late, this time is to make the right choice for your cat however heard it may be, I couldn’t watch my pet suffer and have seizures.
I think you know in your head it’s time to say goodbye, we need to put how our heart feels aside and do what’s best.

You poor thing. With kindness, I do agree with the others. Sometimes you have to hear something that really, really don't want to. Vets, in my experience are some of the most sensitive and empathetic people there are.

Take the week with your cat. But do consider that they're telling you a hard truth.

Agree with PPs and will add: the reason for only prescribing limited medication is because the vet considers your pet at high risk of deteriorating in the next week or so, and needs to re-examine him soon to be able to advise you furthet. She would not be acting in the best interests of your cat if she sent you off with a month of medication whilst not expecting him to remain stable during that time.

OP I’m sorry but the vet has done nothing wrong , they’ve given you advice and you’ve chosen not to take it . I also see no problem with her only giving out a weeks worth of medication at a time and I’m sure if you were paying full price you would also see the sense in her not getting you to pay for a months worth when it’s very likely that your poor cat may not last that long .

A close friend of mine is a very, very experienced small animal vet, so I know that vets DO NOT recommend euthanasia lightly.
You know one vet and, based on your knowledge of them, make such a sweeping pronouncement on the whole profession?

Well, I know one who cocked up, but I don't think they are all like him.

Sorry to say, it sounds like it's more about you not wanting to let go than thinking about the welfare of your cat.

So sorry to hear this but your vet sounds right, as difficult as it is, it's the final act of love you can give them
She has limited the medication to give you time to come to terms with it

What a sad and difficult situation. With my pets I always think 'a week too early is better than a day too late'. It's heartbreaking. I nearly had to have my dog PTS lady week. Luckily she's pulled through so I understand your distress. I wish you all the best

I've had two pets PTS during appointments made as check-ups. One because he (a dog) had spine cancer - which made sense in hindsight - and the other, 9 months later, because he (a cat) had brain cancer. Which still doesn't make sense. Yet I'm not qualified to say that the vet's diagnosis was wrong, and I know how brilliant they are in comparison to our last vets. I have to trust them.

Our cat was 14 years old when he died a few weeks ago - and the vet was astonished, and said how great an age that was. I literally didn't have the heart to say that our other cats passed at 18 and 21 (the dog was 14, too).

I know how angry and in shock you must be, but... the whole ethos of a vet is not to prolong an animal's suffering unnecessarily. And yes; they know better than you do about your cat - who may well be hiding their pain from you, their beloved owner. This is what our dog and cat are thought to have done... until they couldn't anymore. The first sign of it being terminal, you need a vet to tell you. Because, believe me, you won't recognise it yourself.

because I know how tough this journey is.

They wouldn’t recommend putting him to sleep unless they really thought it was the best thing for him. I’m so sorry because I truly know how hard it is to face the death of a beloved pet, but the vet really will have your cat’s best interests at heart.

I expect they’ve only given you a limited run of medicine because they don’t want you to keep medicating him and keeping him away from the vet if his condition declines. You can always have another vet appointment and get more medicine in a week if he’s showing signs of managing on the medication.

I would really try to think about whether keeping him alive is for his benefit or yours. It’s a terrible decision to make, and I’m so sorry you have to do it. But I would be inclined to listen to your vet and really think about your cat’s quality of life.

I hope you’re ok and I’m so sorry you’re going through this

It's hard but it may be time to let your cat go.

But try getting another vet's opinion if you don't trust this one.

Your vet is right, you are wrong I’m afraid.

I took my elderly girl in for a check up last year with my 6 week old baby in tow. Vet recommended PTS there and then which was a huge shock especially as I was a sleep deprived hormonal wreck but they were right.
Always better a day too early than a day too late. Let him go with the end of Summer.

@category12

It's hard but it may be time to let your cat go.

But try getting another vet's opinion if you don't trust this one.

I agree with the above comments.

@ReluctantRenegade

I'm sorry you're upset
Your cat is towards the end of his natural lifespan, he has multiple health problems. You don't mention his clinical condition but I'm assuming he's not in good body condition, perhaps picky eating? You also don't mention diseases such as dental disease and arthritis but these are almost inevitable at your cat's age and a source of chronic pain. So your cat likely has 3-4 life limiting illnesses and chronic pain. His seizures are much more likely to be caused by a buildup of toxins and kidney deterioration than heat. And it is very likely he's nearing the end of his life.

What activities does he still for that he enjoys? Does he play, explore, climb, jump and interact? Or does he sleep most of the time?

As a vet one of the most difficult conversations to have is one with an owner in denial about their pet's clinical deterioration. As professionals we have a duty of care to safeguard your pets welfare and prevent suffering, even if that upsets you.

- 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.
This is a horrible comment. Do you think your vets salary is influenced by the advice they give? In which case you're very much mistaken. If your vet was interested in profit she'd be dragging out treatment for as long as possible, and avoiding difficult conversations. There's no vet in the world that wants to have to 'convince' an owner in denial that euthanasia is the best course of action. It's a horrible conversation to have, and I can guarantee she's not doing it for fun.

She's prescribed you a weeks worth of meds because she has a duty of care to check your cat is not suffering. If you're right and in a week he's recovered and is doing well she'll prescribe more, but please do use this time to think objectively about his quality of life, not about your love for him or your fear of loss. These are real and difficult things to deal with but should not be used to delay a euthanasia decision if it is indicated.

I appreciate you're upset but you've made the decision to post on MN calling a vet who has had to have a difficult conversation with you in an effort to safeguard the welfare of your cat 'vile' and slandering her as using money to influence her decision making. And that is not ok.

You're upset and so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt rather than point you to references on suicide rates in vets, lack of owner finances as a significant cause of moral stress in the profession and the fact that you're criticising a charity which you're clearly happy to use when it suits you.

I hope your cat does ok, and is at peace whatever the outcome.

YABU. You need to take your emotions out of this and put your cat first; he’s suffering and by not putting him down now you are prolonging that.

Vile behaviour? No not at all. You’re being emotional and s/he’s being professionally honest.

I'm so sorry that your cat isn't very well and the vet had upset you but I think the vet is being logical. I understand your cat maybe having good days but from your post it's clear your cat is suffering.

OP I'm genuinely so sorry, as we've had to have our two beautiful 17 year old boys go in the past two months. I know how painful it is.

But please don't think the vet isn't advising what is safe and humane for your boy.

Our first died peacefully in my arms at the vet. He had very similar conditions to yours. He had had an iffy couple of weeks, and had a sudden dive overnight. Our second boy had a stroke when I was away for the weekend. I had to say goodbye to him over the phone.

It was by far easier to say goodbye and give him the peace of a gentle goodbye. I was so relieved he wasn't suffering any more. Don't underestimate how painful it is to be watching and wondering if it's time. A professional has told you what they think.

I also had to have my dog PTS in what was just meant to be a regular appointment. She had been showing some signs of pain in her jaw; I thought she maybe had a broken tooth or an abscess.

The vet gave her an anaesthetic and an x-ray, then called when our dog was still under anaesthetic and said she had such aggressive bone cancer that her jaw was riddled with holes and about to fall apart. They recommending not even waking her from the anaesthetic because her pain was likely enormous, and they couldn’t do anything to help her.

It was utterly, utterly devastating. We hadn’t even said goodbye because we thought she was going in for nothing more dramatic than a tooth pull. A few days before she had started showing pain in her jaw she had appeared to be in perfect health. We were shocked and traumatised by it, and it’s still makes me feel very sad to think about it nearly 10 years on.

But it was the right thing to do, because any other course would have been for our benefit, not hers. Part of having pets is making loving decisions in their interests even when it hurts

People on here are being very kind, OP. I think you should take that kindness and extend it to the vet, who is very obviously trying to act in the best interests of your very very elderly and unwell cat: calling the vet 'vile', saying their behaviour is 'disgusting', and illogically suggesting they are profiteering isn't on. But of course you know that.

Animals don't understand why they're in pain, whether it will ever end. They just suffer. I understand your feelings but wouldn't understand why you would allow your beloved pet to suffer.

Honestly, she's probably given you the week's worth of meds so you can come to terms with the reality of your beloved cat's situation.

We had our lovely dog euthanised last May. We waited just a weekend too long from his point of view. He became incontinent and lost the use if his back legs. We bought him one of those doggy trollies and he was delighted for about half a day, but it very quickly became clear that he really wasn't okay. The vet had first suggested he was pts a few weeks earlier, and I was hurt and indignant at the idea. In hindsight, the vet knew better than me.

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. It's heartbreaking.

It's always sad to have to make the decision but listen to your vet. You aren't giving up on your cat to let him go peacefully. You're giving a calm dignified ending where you will be with him and he'll go being loved to his last breath and before he's in so much agony he can't hide it anymore. Much love

I'm sorry, it's awful but I agree with the vet. You cat sounds like it's in a lot of pain and isn't very well.
I've never known a vet want to pts too early but I have known owners keep their pets alive too long and cause unnecessary suffering.