Our 15 year old cat had thyroid surgery last week and is back to her old self again. It cost $300.00 but she has so many good years left we couldn't put her down.
We have a cat that is almost 22 years old and he is skin and bones, and he doesn't groom himself anymore. But our 100lb lab licks him. It's like he knows he needs to be groomed. He doesn't do that with the other cats. Last year we took Virgil (the cat) to the vet and had over $500.00 of diagnostics completed and nothing showed up. He eats good and still gets up with me every morning and hangs out with me while I get dressed. He can't wait to eat, but he looks pitiful. I know if I take him to the vet again there will be another $500 of diagnostics and for what purpose I'm not sure. So I just put off doing anything for now, at least until he seems to be in pain or unhappy. But he is painfully thin and that bothers me.
But to the OP it is a good thing you are taking your cat to the vet. You need to at least know what is going on. As others have said it could be something very simple. At least you will have information to make decisions you need to make. But a 15 year old cat is not all that old.
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals. Ghandi
Our 15 year old cat had thyroid surgery last week and is back to her old self again. It cost $300.00 but she has so many good years left we couldn't put her down.
We have a cat that is almost 22 years old and he is skin and bones, and he doesn't groom himself anymore. But our 100lb lab licks him. It's like he knows he needs to be groomed. He doesn't do that with the other cats. Last year we took Virgil (the cat) to the vet and had over $500.00 of diagnostics completed and nothing showed up. He eats good and still gets up with me every morning and hangs out with me while I get dressed. He can't wait to eat, but he looks pitiful. I know if I take him to the vet again there will be another $500 of diagnostics and for what purpose I'm not sure. So I just put off doing anything for now, at least until he seems to be in pain or unhappy. But he is painfully thin and that bothers me.
But to the OP it is a good thing you are taking your cat to the vet. You need to at least know what is going on. As others have said it could be something very simple. At least you will have information to make decisions you need to make. But a 15 year old cat is not all that old.
sounds like our little suki, who was 20 when she died in january. she had stopped grooming herself for years - we had to give her monthly baths!, but outside of thyroid meds, she was as healthy as could be right up until a few days before she died. our pug igby used to clean her ears for her tho, it was so cute!
and exactly!
making informed decisions is always best.
a few years ago, one of our cats was losing weight, not eating, etc, and we could tell something wasn't right, so we took her to the vet, can't remember what she was dignosed with but it wasn't good, the vet said we could take her home, and care for her, but she'd be in suffering, as there was nothing that could be done for her, so we choose the hard decision, and let the vet put her down there and then, it was a tough descion. one that still breaks my heart when i think about it, but it was for the best, don't know if that helps you any, but just wanted to let you know, it tought, not easy, but you gotta think of the poor cat, its given you 15 great years, let it go, before it gets too far.
love and peace to you.
This is good advice.
To the OP, we had a similar issue with our cat Stella. She had many of the same symptoms that you have described. It turns out she suffered from hyperthyroidism.
Symptoms of hyperthyroidism
Each cat responds to his or her hyperthyroidism a little differently, causing observed abnormalities to vary from cat to cat. Among the most common owner observations are the following:
* Weight loss
* Increase in appetite
* Patchy hair loss or failure to groom (some cats have been observed to pull their hair out)
* Increase in water intake
* Increase in urine output
* Increase in activity level (some cats are persistently restless or nervous)
Some hyperthyroid cats have a change in behavior and when this happens, they tend to become irritable, mean, or easily upset. Vomiting and diarrhea are a little less common. Some hyperthyroid cats have unusually bulky stools and others have unusually large amounts of stool. Relatively uncommon but well-documented problems caused by hyperthyroidism include panting (open mouth breathing), difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, muscle weakness, listlessness, and seeking cool places.
Because of her age, she was eighteen, we discussed quality of life for her and for us. She had been sick on and off for the last few years. The option to treat not only the hyperthyroidism, but also the underlying issue that caused it, didn't seem realistic when she would only have possibly a couple years left in her. The day that we actually decided that we would have her euthanised was hard for us. Ironically, she seemed to have sensed it because she was her normal, affectionate old-self all that day. At 10:15 that same night, she walked into the living-room, looked at me, meowed once and then went onto cardiac arrest. She died within minutes and in my arms. It will be three years on April 15th and not a day goes by when I don't think about her.
Best of luck with your decision. I know it's not one made lightly. Hugs to you and your baby.
Ok, this seriously brought tears to my eyes. Now I just want to go home and see my Saffie cat.
Now I know the title of this thread has you thinking that I'm a cold, heartless bastard. Hold on a minute, this is untrue. My 15-year-old cat has had nasty diarrhea for a few weeks now. He's lost a lot of weight and has been pissing and pooping everywhere except his litter box. All of this and yet he still has a voracious appetite.
If there is some kind of treatment I can give him that will allow him to live comfortably in his waning years, I would definitely be open to it. However, if the only option is expensive visits to the vet (I am literally broke), then do I just make that tough decision to have him put down?
It's sad and it sucks. He's been my furry companion for 15 years now ... he was there when I lost my virginity and he's comforted me during bad acid trips ... he's moved with me through four different towns and he's seen numerous women come and go. He's been my counsel, my partner in crime and my friend.
Why do we do this to ourselves? Purchase animals when we know damn well that it is going to end horribly one day?
Take your cat to the vet and at least find out if there's hope or not before pondering putting him down. Might want to try to give a bland diet (boiled chicken and rice?).
Cincinnati '03 Flooded venue!
Bridge School '06 Night 1 & 2
Venice '07 pummeled by the sleet!
Nijmegen '07
Werchter '07
April Fools ~ LA1
I had two cats growing up.
One got to be 19, the other 17. Both were amazing and great friends. When it came "time", I was away at college and my folks dealt with it. Hearing the news was tough enough!!!
My one cat had a tooth knocked out when she was young (one of her front incisors). So her tongue would often hang out to the side of her mouth. Was really funny and super cute and she had complete control over it!
Anyways, my mom told me this story...(and thank god I wasn't there)
When it came time for them to bring her to the vet to be put down (she was no longer able to walk or stand on her own) and during their last minutes together and after their last hug, she looked up at her with her big green eyes and once their eyes made contact, she stuck out her tongue one last time. It was all she had left in her.
To this day the story still makes me tear up. I wasn't even there and I can picture it in my head so vividly!
Enjoy your last moments with your friend and do what's in their best interest...not yours!
So i'm taking the kid to the vet today. thanks everyone ... even the guy who called me heartless.
let us know how your kitty is doing!
*fingers crossed* for good news....and yes...please take good care of him/her....love em up and make sure the litter box is nice and clean!
just checking in, how is everything, good news i hope.
Glasgow cathouse-1992-2-23, San diego sports arena-1995-11-06 & 07, Glasgow secc-2000-06-03, Tampa st petes times forum-2003-04-13, London O2 arena-2009-08-18, Belfast odyssey arena-2010-06-23.Leeds 2014 - 07-08
I can't even tell you the incredible timing of this post. On Friday, April 2nd, I had to have my 15 yr old cat euthanized.
At the end of January, I had a stroke. A friend of mine took care of my cat while I was in the hospital. Mid-February I was released and my cat started vomiting and having diarrhea. Took her to the vet and they said her white blood count was really high so they gave me an antibiotic to administer for 2 weeks. They suggested she might have been stressed due to my being gone for a few weeks. Beginning of March, the antibiotic was finished and she started vomiting and having diarrhea again. Took her back to the vet. The white blood cell count was still elevated but her red blood cell count was low. The vet said the reasoning for this and her symptoms might be intestinal bowel disease (IBD) or possibly intestinal lymphoma. The only way to be sure would be to do a biopsy which would run about $800. We could try giving her another round of antibiotics and add in a steroid for a few more weeks and see what her counts were at the end of that as an alternative. I couldn't afford the $800 without borrowing from friends and said - lets do the 2 weeks of antibiotics and steroids first and then see if we need to try something more invasive. Well... after the 2 weeks of medicine she started having diarrhea and vomiting again. Took her to the vet and they said her red blood cell count was dangerously low and she was dehydrated. They were concerned about giving her fluids because it would thin out her blood even more and could cause her to crash. The vet had basically said - she's dying and we can't do anything - and sent us home. My sister is a vet, an internist, so I spoke to her about what to do. My sister was appalled at this and provided several ideas of things the vet could prescribe that would at least allow my cat some comfort even if she wouldn't pull through.
My cat fell pretty fast Thursday night (Apr 1) and I didn't think she would make it through the night. I held her in my lap and stayed awake all night to be with her... the darn cat continued to live. In kind of a rally, she started lifting her head and looking at me, purred as a I pet her, etc. I took her back to the vet that afternoon to ask that they perform a blood test again and found her kidneys had shut down and she was close to passing. I asked them to go ahead and euthanize her. It was absolutely terrible. I spent the last several days wondering if it was my fault... or the vets fault... 15 just seemed too young to pass and it seemed so sudden...
Someone mentioned that it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. I had that phrase in my head Friday evening after being awake for 36 hours - and said - that's bullshit. Why pick up a pet that will steal your heart and then die in 15-20 years or less. Then I realized... it was worth it. Every day I had her from 4 weeks on.. she was worth it. My biggest confidant, cuddler, and friend. I miss her terribly.
For the OP, knowing that you did everything you could within your means will allow you to be OK. Live with no regrets. My kids may not get to go on a vacation this year because of it but at least I can tell them I did what I could for our cat to be comfortable.
Sorry for the long post here. I'm still grieving. Listened to Sad and Long Road.
I can't even tell you the incredible timing of this post. On Friday, April 2nd, I had to have my 15 yr old cat euthanized.
Timely for me too :(
Our oldish cat - over 15 years and who went blind in the last year–had to be put down Saturday morning. He woke us up with this horrible crying sound at 3:30 am and we thought he was going then. Stretched out and something obviously wrong. He settled down and started crying again a couple hours later. As soon as we could we took him to an emergency vet. He had some kind of neurological problem like a stroke/blood clot and could not even stand up so we had to have him put down. It was sad but like others have said, you remember the good times and he really had a pretty good life. It was really hard to tell my son when he came up later in the day asking about his cat!
So I'll just lie down and wait for the dream Where I'm not ugly and you're lookin' at me
Odd that the O.P. hasn't checked back in with an update. Perhaps he continued to do nothing, satisfied that 'weeks of diarrhoea' meant 'dying of old age.'
Odd that the O.P. hasn't checked back in with an update. Perhaps he continued to do nothing, satisfied that 'weeks of diarrhoea' meant 'dying of old age.'
Not that the O.P. owes you and explanation or an update, but they did reply to this thread once. What were you expecting? An itemised account of what the vet reported to the O.P.? Your arrogant and patronising attitude (not just in this thread) is really quite unbecoming
"What the CANUCK happened?!? - Esquimalt Barber Shop
Not that the O.P. owes you and explanation or an update, but they did reply to this thread once. What were you expecting? An itemised account of what the vet reported to the O.P.? Your arrogant and patronising attitude (not just in this thread) is really quite unbecoming
He doesn't owe me anything. He owes that cat.
To me, taking care of the sick is common sense. It's kind. It's right. I'm sorry if you find it 'unbecoming' of me to type such an obvious truth.
oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
Comments
We have a cat that is almost 22 years old and he is skin and bones, and he doesn't groom himself anymore. But our 100lb lab licks him. It's like he knows he needs to be groomed. He doesn't do that with the other cats. Last year we took Virgil (the cat) to the vet and had over $500.00 of diagnostics completed and nothing showed up. He eats good and still gets up with me every morning and hangs out with me while I get dressed. He can't wait to eat, but he looks pitiful. I know if I take him to the vet again there will be another $500 of diagnostics and for what purpose I'm not sure. So I just put off doing anything for now, at least until he seems to be in pain or unhappy. But he is painfully thin and that bothers me.
But to the OP it is a good thing you are taking your cat to the vet. You need to at least know what is going on. As others have said it could be something very simple. At least you will have information to make decisions you need to make. But a 15 year old cat is not all that old.
sounds like our little suki, who was 20 when she died in january. she had stopped grooming herself for years - we had to give her monthly baths!, but outside of thyroid meds, she was as healthy as could be right up until a few days before she died. our pug igby used to clean her ears for her tho, it was so cute!
and exactly!
making informed decisions is always best.
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
Ok, this seriously brought tears to my eyes. Now I just want to go home and see my Saffie cat.
Take your cat to the vet and at least find out if there's hope or not before pondering putting him down. Might want to try to give a bland diet (boiled chicken and rice?).
Bridge School '06 Night 1 & 2
Venice '07 pummeled by the sleet!
Nijmegen '07
Werchter '07
April Fools ~ LA1
One got to be 19, the other 17. Both were amazing and great friends. When it came "time", I was away at college and my folks dealt with it. Hearing the news was tough enough!!!
My one cat had a tooth knocked out when she was young (one of her front incisors). So her tongue would often hang out to the side of her mouth. Was really funny and super cute and she had complete control over it!
Anyways, my mom told me this story...(and thank god I wasn't there)
When it came time for them to bring her to the vet to be put down (she was no longer able to walk or stand on her own) and during their last minutes together and after their last hug, she looked up at her with her big green eyes and once their eyes made contact, she stuck out her tongue one last time. It was all she had left in her.
To this day the story still makes me tear up. I wasn't even there and I can picture it in my head so vividly!
Enjoy your last moments with your friend and do what's in their best interest...not yours!
just checking in, how is everything, good news i hope.
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
At the end of January, I had a stroke. A friend of mine took care of my cat while I was in the hospital. Mid-February I was released and my cat started vomiting and having diarrhea. Took her to the vet and they said her white blood count was really high so they gave me an antibiotic to administer for 2 weeks. They suggested she might have been stressed due to my being gone for a few weeks. Beginning of March, the antibiotic was finished and she started vomiting and having diarrhea again. Took her back to the vet. The white blood cell count was still elevated but her red blood cell count was low. The vet said the reasoning for this and her symptoms might be intestinal bowel disease (IBD) or possibly intestinal lymphoma. The only way to be sure would be to do a biopsy which would run about $800. We could try giving her another round of antibiotics and add in a steroid for a few more weeks and see what her counts were at the end of that as an alternative. I couldn't afford the $800 without borrowing from friends and said - lets do the 2 weeks of antibiotics and steroids first and then see if we need to try something more invasive. Well... after the 2 weeks of medicine she started having diarrhea and vomiting again. Took her to the vet and they said her red blood cell count was dangerously low and she was dehydrated. They were concerned about giving her fluids because it would thin out her blood even more and could cause her to crash. The vet had basically said - she's dying and we can't do anything - and sent us home. My sister is a vet, an internist, so I spoke to her about what to do. My sister was appalled at this and provided several ideas of things the vet could prescribe that would at least allow my cat some comfort even if she wouldn't pull through.
My cat fell pretty fast Thursday night (Apr 1) and I didn't think she would make it through the night. I held her in my lap and stayed awake all night to be with her... the darn cat continued to live. In kind of a rally, she started lifting her head and looking at me, purred as a I pet her, etc. I took her back to the vet that afternoon to ask that they perform a blood test again and found her kidneys had shut down and she was close to passing. I asked them to go ahead and euthanize her. It was absolutely terrible. I spent the last several days wondering if it was my fault... or the vets fault... 15 just seemed too young to pass and it seemed so sudden...
Someone mentioned that it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. I had that phrase in my head Friday evening after being awake for 36 hours - and said - that's bullshit. Why pick up a pet that will steal your heart and then die in 15-20 years or less. Then I realized... it was worth it. Every day I had her from 4 weeks on.. she was worth it. My biggest confidant, cuddler, and friend. I miss her terribly.
For the OP, knowing that you did everything you could within your means will allow you to be OK. Live with no regrets. My kids may not get to go on a vacation this year because of it but at least I can tell them I did what I could for our cat to be comfortable.
Sorry for the long post here. I'm still grieving. Listened to Sad and Long Road.
long red - how is YOUR kitty?
let us know!
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
there is nothing I could type that could take away from the suckiness of losing a friend.
get a kitten and start all over again....that's what cat lovers do
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
Timely for me too :(
Our oldish cat - over 15 years and who went blind in the last year–had to be put down Saturday morning. He woke us up with this horrible crying sound at 3:30 am and we thought he was going then. Stretched out and something obviously wrong. He settled down and started crying again a couple hours later. As soon as we could we took him to an emergency vet. He had some kind of neurological problem like a stroke/blood clot and could not even stand up so we had to have him put down. It was sad but like others have said, you remember the good times and he really had a pretty good life. It was really hard to tell my son when he came up later in the day asking about his cat!
Where I'm not ugly and you're lookin' at me
Not that the O.P. owes you and explanation or an update, but they did reply to this thread once. What were you expecting? An itemised account of what the vet reported to the O.P.? Your arrogant and patronising attitude (not just in this thread) is really quite unbecoming
He doesn't owe me anything. He owes that cat.
To me, taking care of the sick is common sense. It's kind. It's right. I'm sorry if you find it 'unbecoming' of me to type such an obvious truth.