Search Results

Thank you for your message, Sunny578. For any others who are like-minded or may be researching this subject in the future and happen upon this thread, there are some good online articles exploring "natural death versus euthanasia." Bright Haven is a good start. (Others basically posting...

To update the few of you (relative to other threads on this site) who were kind enough to respond to my post, I'm sorry to tell you my kitty passed away last night. R.I.P. sweet boy.

Late to the thread, but whenever I've had a pet pass at home or taken his body home after euthanizing, I've held sort of a "wake" for him where I place him back in his bed and just sit with him overnight. Decomposition isn't something that presents a hazard the second one dies (after all, not...

Just to update in case anyone references this thread... The doxycycline worked like a charm. He went on to develop (we think) brain cancer, probably just from the nasal tumor growing/spreading, but he never had sinus issues again after starting the doxycycline.

Just now finding this, so sorry if not timely... I had a healthy, robust, full-of-life two-year-old cat die under anesthesia, so I certainly understand the shock of sudden loss and all the questions it leaves you with. In my case, the vet ordered a necropsy, so that answered mine, thank...

I spoke too soon; his food (from yesterday) came up again (today). When I tried to feed him this morning, before he threw up, he wasn't having it. Guess that's the end of that... He's a tough little nugget! Had to be, or he never would have survived his first year in the shelter.

Nope; HE'S HERE! I don't know how he's still alive. Feeding went better yesterday (I really don't want him to die of starvation on my watch), so I've decided to keep that up until his fluids run out, which should be Tuesday. Other than feedings, he sleeps the whole time (even through his...

My feeling is that by the time kitties get to be 14 or more, something is always going wrong; they're coming to the end of their natural lifespans. We can spend every minute of every day and every last penny we earn (and even go deeply into debt) trying to test, measure, monitor, screen...

Yes, he's still with me. <3 I tried to syringe feed him again last night, and it didn't go well although he tried to eat (he almost seemed to choke on it). I administer the fluids, and it's almost instantly absorbed; maybe I'm not even giving him enough, and he IS dehydrating despite it...

Having read this loooong thread (you're lucky to have gotten so much feedback -- I've hardly gotten any), I'll chime in to say palliative care is definitely the way to go with a 14-year-old cat. I see so many people bankrupt and exhaust themselves and torment their senior pets with vet visits...

Thank you for your replies. He honestly has not seemed to be in distress at any point. The only time he acted upset was when he couldn't walk properly where he wanted to go and kept falling over, but I found ways to help him, and he was good again. Then he started a repetitious chewing...

What I mean is that most sincerely believe vet euthanasia (sooner rather than later) is absolutely the right thing to do and so don't feel they've "murdered" their pet, but rather done them a huge favor, especially if the vet leads them to think that. I can't say I have.

It's also used for VSED (the voluntary cessation of eating and drinking); these usually aren't debilitated bed-bound elderly patients, but I've read it's to ease the pain and/or discomfort of dehydration... But I also don't want to overload his circulation should his organs begin to fail, so I...

If it's what they do in people hospice and it's not painful, why do they always ply them with morphine?

So that's one vote FOR fluids and one AGAINST. Instinctively, I feel better giving him the fluids, as dehydrating must be terrible. Can anyone else chime in with their knowledge or experience on this question? I have told him it's okay to go and be with his buddy who passed on a couple of...

There is no "hospice vet" around here. I live in Podunk. It's either euthanasia or a natural death. The latter DOES seem to happen to other people -- but not to me, apparently! My baby - who is a Velcro kitty - must not want to leave me any more than I want to lose him.

Thank you. That's the kind of practical advice I need (I'm gathering this thread isn't too popular because there's some judgement there, and perhaps rightfully so; I might have messed up). I was still supplying fluids because that's the one thing I CAN still do for him (I can't make him keep...

That was my question, or one of them; I feel he's so close to death now that euthanasia may not even work properly -- or be worth it, if he's basically asleep. It may be the brain tumor or the lack of nutrition. I'm not sure (I'm keeping him hydrated). What best to do? I'm honestly kind of...

My vet never mentioned the "bevel up vs. bevel down" thing, either, but it does seem to help, so thank you! I did switch to 20 gauge needles. It takes about five minutes for the infusion, but my boy is a good, calm kitty, so it's no problem to take a few extra minutes versus hurting him with...

As I've posted before, I'm attempting to let my nearly 17-year-old kitty with a suspected brain tumor (presumed secondary to nasal/sinus) transition at home. To accommodate his needs in the face of growing neurologic deficits, I began helping him walk by using a sling or just holding him up...