WWYD?

[curlyLJ]

Posting for my DM.

Her cat is 16 yrs old and has had previous thyroid issues which my DM payed out around £700+ for an operation which was supposed to fix the problem.

A year or so later and the problem has returned (cat constantly wanting food, losing weight, looking unkempt) and sure enough, removing 1 thyroid gland didn't do the trick as it's still way too overactive. Without treatment he will suffer/have heart problems.

Options now are medication (around £40per month for foreseeable future), another operation with similar cost, or pts.

My DM is s pensioner and has already forked out a lot of money on her cat. She doesn't really want to pay out £500 per year on medication or more for an operation that may still not work. Vet said he may also already have kidney issues. Thyroid issue isn't curable, just manageable.
Does putting to sleep seem cruel when he could have another year or 2 on medication?

WWYD in the same position?

With massive reluctance and probably many tears, I would pts. Quality of life is important, and another op for an elderly cat would be stressful.

The operation cures it. I've had lots of cats have thyroid operations and they have all been completely well afterwards. I can't imagine why the vet thinks the operation may not work. Do you have any more info on that aspect?

He's had one operation already as I said before. It didn't work. They took 1 thyroid away but not the other. Now she would have to pay £700+ for the other one to be removed.

She can't really afford to pay that amount out again. Is it fair on the cat?

It’s a big operation. We had a cat many years ago who and the op. It didn’t go well and she had to be put to sleep shortly afterwards. We all wish we hadn’t put her through it.

Your mum has done everything she can. The cat is a good age. It might be kinder to let her go.

I'm not sure I'd put a 16yo cat through surgery. If the medication cost is an issue the vet could give your mum a prescription (for a fee) and order online? There are supplements/foods to help kidney disease. It may give the cat longer bit it does slow depend on how well the cat can tolerate it all.

*also not slow

I've had 2 cats with this who needed daily medication. The operation wasn't recommended for them. It's very easy to manage with medication. Is there any possibility of financial assistance for you DM?

Vidalta (the medication) is a bit cheaper online but it's not just that - you have to have regular blood tests to find the right dose and to check other organ function, and blood tests are costly.

Unfortunately this is exactly why everyone should have pet insurance to not have to make these decisions based on affordability...

Quality of life is important however and without treatment he will keep losing weight and become more unwell. So then PTS is the kindest option.

It's just frustrating for her that vet initially implied that the op would be a total cure for him. Then informed her afterwards that they didn't remove both glands

£400-500 a year on meds is a lot of money, that's without monthly blood tests at £70 a pop etc.
The poor little cat has been through a lot already too

I'm with the very reluctant PTS side. The cat is a good age, and having to go through another operation at that age is pretty risky to start with. Then you have the monthly visits for blood tests, having to give the cat pills for potentially 2 conditions, special diets and meanwhile the poor cat doesn't understand why they are being put through this. All for the sake of maybe another couple of years.

My 2 cats who had hyperthyroidism, didn't have monthly blood tests. They had their daily meds only, annual checks ups, along with visits for any other issues, and both lived to age 20.

I've heard before that sometimes the operation isn't successful and personally I wouldn't put a 16 year old cat through that.

My girl had hyperthyroidism the last two years of her life. One thing that might save your DM a little money is the fact that once the levels are under control, she can get a prescription from the vet (I had to pay my vet £12) but it meant I could buy offline at a considerably reduced rate. If your DM isn't into technology, you could obviously do it for her.

My girl had a good 18 month of quality life, but unfortunately started getting a little senile, on top of which she became deaf and was virtually blind, we still managed an extra six months though.