Please please help me decide what to do about my ill cat!

[peggotty]

I have another thread here about my cat.
He's still not eating - the reason I got to bring him home was to see if he would eat. If cats don't eat for a few days they can develop a potentially fatal liver condition. He's miserable, not wanting to be touched, not purring and sleeping all the time behind the sofa. Fuck, I hate this, I don't know what to do. The vet is ringing me in a while to talk through options. If I knew he would improve if we managed to get food into him I would consider syringing sloppy food into his mouth. But this feels like it would stress him out and I'm starting to 'mess' with him when I said I wouldn't. But if eating would perk him up and allow him to gain some strength then maybe it would be worth it?

Forgive me, peggotty, but it sounds to me as if he's given up. You're going to have to talk this one through with the vet - but I will say that my own sad experience is that it's better to make hard decisions a day or two too soon rather than a day or two too late.

I feel for you because I've been where you are. You just think 'If only he would/I could.....'

Thank you for answering cozie, I think you might be right. DH is still saying things like, 'he seems relatively fine, he just need to eat, I can't understand why he won't just eat' but it's not as simple as that. And even if he does there still the issue of the enlarged spleen. I can't stand this

Discuss it with the vet and see if they can give you a positive plan of campaign for the old lad. Much will depend on that, I think.

I would second letting the Vet see him again, he may well just need syringe feeding like to say to gain some energy but let the vet have a look at him again.

Is he not looking hungry with any foods? Fish chicken etc? Very sad when they get older or are unwell. x

I've tried all his favourite foods and he's refusing everything. He had a tiny drink of water this morning but that was all.

Is the vet to phone shortly?

Yes, she's ringing back soon hopefully, she's consulting at the moment. This sounds awful, but the vet is really really young and although she sounds knowledgeable enough I'm worried about her maybe having a lack of experience. That sounds awful doesn't it?

PS - sorry if I forgot. Is the vet planning any further tests at all to determine what is really going on? (You said they thought there was likely something more.)

Oh I don't know, peggotty. Vets pretty well all look young to me now.

She'll give you a breathing space (or you take one yourself) to think about things after talking to you. See if you can get likely options for treatment out of her.

He's been scanned, he has an enlarged spleen, and there's the possibility he's had some kind of internal bleed. Blood results revealed he's hyperthyroid, but other bloods were normal, red/white blood cells etc. His Urea was high. She was talking about laparoscopy (sp) or surgery to look in more detail but he's 16 years old and I really don't want to go down the surgery route.

I can appreciate your position on that.

Discuss things with her when she phones and see if you can establish exactly what she thinks, what she would plan to do if she had a free hand and what the clear benefits might be.

Then tell her you need to think about it - and take some time to mull over would be my recommendation.

When it is time, you know. Every one told me that when I had a poorly cat and I didn't believe them but they were right.

It is also definitely better to do it a day too soon than too late and your cat suffer.

With my cat there wasn't a bog dramatic moment. I just knew. Still miss her and cry.

You have to do what is best for the cat not you.

Good luck.

big, not bog.

He's been given an appetite stimulant as a last resort. I think that tomorrow afternoon he will be pts though. If the drug was going to work it will have done by then. I gave it to him around 3pm today. He seemed to rally a bit and even came and sat on my knee for a cuddle and a brush and was purring. I'll be eternally grateful that he did that as he's been avoiding me (a very affectionate cat normally) and not purring. I think the drug has made him a bit restless and he's gone back into himself a bit again.

I'm going to arrange a house visit for pts for tomorrow afternoon - I know this drug isn't going to work and I can't put him through any more

I think you have made the right decision, cats who are ready to go just sleep, stop purring and eating. Last year I tried to keep one of my cats going, she was just two years old so I wanted to do everything possible even though two out of three vets that saw her said we should consider PTS. In hindsight I should have taken their advice, but it's so hard to make that decision when it's your own pet, even though you know it's the kindest thing. Will be thinking of you x

Sorry to read this, I will be thinking of you too x

So sorry - such a difficult time for you. You are right to not want to put the cat through anymore, hes pretty old.

Has the vet given diazepam intravenously? It could work and im surprised they hven't tried this if not eating is the only concern. It is amazing to watch, you have a cat with a drip and you slowly inject diazepam, you then have sleepy cat that seems to just have to eat - you have the bowl ready for them to eat. Sometimes this is enough to stimulate the appetite again. If this were my cat and he was otherwise "healthy" and happy, id want to give this a go. I certainly wouldn't be entertaining surgery at this stage.

Very sorry, peggotty.

I am so sorry Peggotty - what a horrible decision you've had to make, but I think you've made the right call for your boy's sake. Have lovely final cuddles with him and be kind to yourself