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- Oct 17, 2012
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Hi everyone,
I moved with my beloved Otto (10) to the city, after living in the mountains for his whole life. We were down here for less than two months when a neighbor cat (a very mean cat) jumped into the yard, bit Otto and caused a wound that abscessed...got it treated, but Otto didn't seem the same, after.
He started eating differently, he started sleeping outside (and hiding in the bushes, rather than coming inside), and he looked in pain, at times. This is after he'd been on pain meds for the abscess and had been given a shot of antibiotics that would last 10 days.
(To be honest, for the past year I haven't been convinced that he's been totally healthy, but a couple of different vets couldn't pinpoint it, though he does have asthma (controlled by prednisone) and some low-level kidney disease (due to the pred and maybe some other things). )
About a week after the attack, he wasn't eating much and I brought him to a new vet (we're new to the city) who was very recommended. The vet examined him, was surprised he was alive (given his dehydration), sent him home with some foods to get him eating, and said, this doesn't look promising. After another day of Otto still not eating much, and hiding much of the time, and looking in pain, the bloodwork came back and everything was awful. Kidneys, liver, etc. The vet said we could try blood transfusion and it would be costly and probably wouldn't give him much more life, and kindly suggested...well, you know...and the next day I agreed.
Of course, that day he spent most of his day in the closet, but a friend came over before we went to the vet, and Otto came out of the closet, meowing 'hello'!, like nothing was wrong. But then he hunkered down again in pain. So, we went.
It all happened so quickly. I feel guilt that I didn't take him elsewhere. I also know that I'd rather my cat weren't alive, than suffering, and it was terrible to see him in pain. Could the antibiotic been causing him nausea? But the bloodwork was so awful.
I just...I feel guilt, and worry that I acted too fast. But I don't have thousands of dollars to spend, nor do i want to prolong an animal's life for my own benefit, if he's suffering. I just...Ugh. We want to provide safety and happiness to our dear furred friends, but eventually we cannot.
Obviously I don't want to be told I should have done something differently, as I don't think I can live with that. Do things sometimes go downhill, healthwise, so quickly? Can an attack, and added stress of a new living situation, sometimes make health deteriorate quickly? Ugh. I'm not sure exactly what I'm asking. But thought I'd post here, in hopes of receiving...resassurance? Maybe. Thanks, everyone.
I moved with my beloved Otto (10) to the city, after living in the mountains for his whole life. We were down here for less than two months when a neighbor cat (a very mean cat) jumped into the yard, bit Otto and caused a wound that abscessed...got it treated, but Otto didn't seem the same, after.
He started eating differently, he started sleeping outside (and hiding in the bushes, rather than coming inside), and he looked in pain, at times. This is after he'd been on pain meds for the abscess and had been given a shot of antibiotics that would last 10 days.
(To be honest, for the past year I haven't been convinced that he's been totally healthy, but a couple of different vets couldn't pinpoint it, though he does have asthma (controlled by prednisone) and some low-level kidney disease (due to the pred and maybe some other things). )
About a week after the attack, he wasn't eating much and I brought him to a new vet (we're new to the city) who was very recommended. The vet examined him, was surprised he was alive (given his dehydration), sent him home with some foods to get him eating, and said, this doesn't look promising. After another day of Otto still not eating much, and hiding much of the time, and looking in pain, the bloodwork came back and everything was awful. Kidneys, liver, etc. The vet said we could try blood transfusion and it would be costly and probably wouldn't give him much more life, and kindly suggested...well, you know...and the next day I agreed.
Of course, that day he spent most of his day in the closet, but a friend came over before we went to the vet, and Otto came out of the closet, meowing 'hello'!, like nothing was wrong. But then he hunkered down again in pain. So, we went.
It all happened so quickly. I feel guilt that I didn't take him elsewhere. I also know that I'd rather my cat weren't alive, than suffering, and it was terrible to see him in pain. Could the antibiotic been causing him nausea? But the bloodwork was so awful.
I just...I feel guilt, and worry that I acted too fast. But I don't have thousands of dollars to spend, nor do i want to prolong an animal's life for my own benefit, if he's suffering. I just...Ugh. We want to provide safety and happiness to our dear furred friends, but eventually we cannot.
Obviously I don't want to be told I should have done something differently, as I don't think I can live with that. Do things sometimes go downhill, healthwise, so quickly? Can an attack, and added stress of a new living situation, sometimes make health deteriorate quickly? Ugh. I'm not sure exactly what I'm asking. But thought I'd post here, in hopes of receiving...resassurance? Maybe. Thanks, everyone.
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