what would you do re his health problems?

[TheCatThatDanced]

After 2 months of cat being diagnosed with encephalitis which caused him to get epilepsy and for the past 2 months he has been on anti epilepsy drugs and steriods. The steriod has recently been reduced from 10mg to 5mg about 2 weeks ago.

He wasn't eating the other day, well only soft food or drinking. Now it turns out he has diabetes. Not sure which type yet.

The cost is very expensive even though we have pet insurance but it's also about diabetic insulin and his other drugs.

he's only just turned 5 years old and was perfectly healthy before.

Always fighting and had lots of 'wounds' which got infected and needed antibiotics over a 2 year period but nothing serious apart from that at all.

Currently at the emergency vets on a drip and being monitored and we will wait to see how he is in 2 days and then think about putting him to sleep. He has a lovely nature and the DC and all of us are so fond of him. Half Siamese and half normal black cat.

what would you do honestly?

Not knowing your cat but I wouldn't PTS just yet.
I would ask about the steroids as I don't think diabetic cats can be on steroids as I recall from our old girl. Something to do with pancreatic damage but hers was damaged from pancreatitis.
Insulin can be bought online for about a third of the cost-your vet will charge you for the prescription. The needles don't need a prescription. You can do glucose curves at home (maybe not think about this yet). I bought a glucometer for £20. It is a big responsibility but we managed it alomg with IBD and medication.
I don't know about the epilepsy but if it's under control and he has a decent quality of life well again I wouldn't PTS.
Obviously if he isn't going to improve from his current state I would PTS.

Vinorosso74

Thanks for this. I honestly don't know much about his diabetes yet.

He's been monitored for the past 2 months by the Supervet neurologist who is now in touch with our vet, and the supervet neurologist has also been in touch with us before by phone re his epilepsy.

Honestly he is a shadow of his former self. has lost weight, obviously due to diabetes (?) and wasn't purring or anything.

Looks a shadow of his former self, very limp and only turned 5 at the start of April. He really doesn't look like recovering at all. Was always a nervous cat (and fighting a lot) and when the vet a year ago suggested prozac or something for his 'moods' (fighting) we said no as we didn't want to do that to him.

He is the sweetest cat around and just seems totally lifeless and not himself at all. I think it will take a miracle for him to survive. He's on too much medication as it is now.

I think the neurological stuff would worry me a lot more than the diabetes. Is he on the drip relating to the diabetes off the epilepsy?
I think it's best to have an honest chat with the vet and see what they say.

Just an update Vinorosso74 - sadly with the help of the emergency vet (he was really good with his final outcome for the cat) and our usual vet we made the very sad decision to have him put to sleep on Friday afternoon.

The reducing of steriods (for epilepsy) would have resulted in more chances of having more severe epileptic fits and possible brain damage for him and I think this would have been quite soon. He was on insulin but not improving much at both vets, eating a bit with our encouragement, but not 'poohing' and getting confused when we saw him on Friday, he thought he was coming home but then realised he wasn't (after 15 minutes of waiting) and got upset with us and hissed at me... :-( He let me carry him into the vet for his final procedure and fell asleep.

we think he caught an infection due to being on lots of antibiotics for cat fight bites that got infected in past 2-3 years and this resulted in the encephalitis. It could have happened before/after his epilepsy diagnosis.

beyond sad. He is now buried in our garden with our other cats but as he had just turned 5, sad to say it is the most upset we have all been. Kids in particular crying a lot. :-( :-(

Sorry to read this. It sounds like it was the right decision if he wasn't going to get better. Is sad when you lose them especially so young

I'm sorry about your loss.

So sorry. It's awful when they are so young. But it sounds like it was absolutely the right thing to do.

Thanks everyone for your messages of sympathy - didn't expect this!

He was such a character, would wait for me, DH and DC to go to bed and ferry us upstairs and 2-3 weeks ago was under a cupboard that pulls out with just enough room for him to get under, catching mice in my kitchen! In fact he was on the case last year from about November - sniffing round the hall, living room etc for mice and we couldn't see any so thought he was going mad! And he was such a lovely cat - very personable, talked to you, was Siamese and just a sweet sweet character, totally different to my other 2 cats before him. almost dog like...

and it is sad that he's gone so young but yes was right thing to do.

I still can't help thinking what could I have done to prevent infections etc because then he wouldn't have got the encephalitis. Ah well.