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Also, look up Dr Karen Becker on youtube or the internet. She is the best holistic vet in the country. She has many videos on many topics. She really knows what she's talking about.
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May Have To Put Down My Sweet Cat....
- Thread starter rkmerley
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- #22
I have thank you and BLESS it's at my local library!
I'll be going in the morning!!- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #23
Got it, will do everything that you said! I didn't get any sleep last night, I think today I might get a little... I hope there are good vets open on Sunday, I'm not waiting!
That works out because my Callie LOVES kitten food. Will probably buy more plus a ton of wet food while I'm at it! And now the moment you all have been waiting for, my baby right now -
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I'm so sorry you are going through this.
Please take her to another vet to get a second/third opinion. If there is any doubt in your mind you really need to exhaust all options before you take that final step.
Of course you don't want her to suffer. But if she is still eating and enjoying being with you she isn't suffering unbearably. Wait a few more days until you are absolutely sure that this is the kindest thing to do.
She looks alert and bright eyed in that picture above. I really hope you can find another vet who is willing to work with you.
Please take her to another vet to get a second/third opinion. If there is any doubt in your mind you really need to exhaust all options before you take that final step.
Of course you don't want her to suffer. But if she is still eating and enjoying being with you she isn't suffering unbearably. Wait a few more days until you are absolutely sure that this is the kindest thing to do.
She looks alert and bright eyed in that picture above. I really hope you can find another vet who is willing to work with you.
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- #25
Thank you, I will definitely do this now. I guess I didn't want to acknowledge the doubt until you all made me realize. I hope to be a smart cat mother in the future and I hope you all can bare with my naivety now!
I will now. I was just scared because the vet told me she will probably collapse this week alone. I'll make sure to keep a good eye on her however. There is always someone with her in the house so I shouldn't fear.
Honestly after coming home I've looked her over and over but I cannot see the 'very bad jaundice' nor the 'very bad yellowing' in my light. There's so many questions left unanswered... my mind is boggled.
I don’t have the expertise to give advice about this but wanted to offer support. Please keep us posted we are rooting for you and your baby. 
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I agree with the other posters. PLEASE do get a second , third , even fourth opinion.
You need more answers before making that final decision. Remember , there is no going back. Also , definitely complete blood work must be done. I truly hope you get some answers soon , and that your precious kitty can be treated. All the best to you and your baby. I will be thinking of you both and praying for your sweet kitty!
You need more answers before making that final decision. Remember , there is no going back. Also , definitely complete blood work must be done. I truly hope you get some answers soon , and that your precious kitty can be treated. All the best to you and your baby. I will be thinking of you both and praying for your sweet kitty!
I'm praying for you all,no matter which way it goes. You can never prepare your heart for something like this, and losing a member of your family is the worst. I hope Monday a vet can give you some hope, if not, we are here for you, please keep in contact, it helps to have friends who understand......
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I'm very sorry. Stories like that are always sad. I saw my kitty die just yesterday. She was doing OK all the time. In retrospect one might say that there could have been signs but they were so subtle and could only be seen in hindsight and I dont even think they were really clear.
So it can happen unexpectedly when you think you have another 5 or 8 years together and then Boom, the next thing you know is death.
In your case and from a layman's perspective I would say it sounds pretty much like there is nothing that can help. Remember it's not about you, it's about not to let the pet's suffer.
You could seek another doctor's opinion but you would probably have to pay for a complete examination and laboratory work again. If you have enough money and you want to do that, go for it.
It's hard to let a beloved pet go. Harder yet is it to live knowing that you let him or her suffer out of selfish reasons and believe me when I say, that sticks with you.
One more thing: That recommendation I read somewhere above about a "holistic" book: Don't!
There is a reason things like that are called "alternative medicine": They don't work. If they worked, somebody would do studies, patent them and make money with them. The fact that nobody has done it tells you that it doesn't work. Do do your cat a favor and stick with real doctors.
It's hard, but sooner or later it hit's all of us. I would give a lot to have another year with my kitty, but not at the expense of her suffering during that time.
So it can happen unexpectedly when you think you have another 5 or 8 years together and then Boom, the next thing you know is death.
In your case and from a layman's perspective I would say it sounds pretty much like there is nothing that can help. Remember it's not about you, it's about not to let the pet's suffer.
You could seek another doctor's opinion but you would probably have to pay for a complete examination and laboratory work again. If you have enough money and you want to do that, go for it.
It's hard to let a beloved pet go. Harder yet is it to live knowing that you let him or her suffer out of selfish reasons and believe me when I say, that sticks with you.
One more thing: That recommendation I read somewhere above about a "holistic" book: Don't!
There is a reason things like that are called "alternative medicine": They don't work. If they worked, somebody would do studies, patent them and make money with them. The fact that nobody has done it tells you that it doesn't work. Do do your cat a favor and stick with real doctors.
It's hard, but sooner or later it hit's all of us. I would give a lot to have another year with my kitty, but not at the expense of her suffering during that time.
Yes, yes yes, don't give up hope, "as long as there's life there's HOPE!!!!!", syringe feed her food and water, try to get her in to that holistic vet too, years ago Serenity had a brain tumor and I thought "that's it, she's finished" only to have her live a GOOD 1.5 years thanks to prednisone and a product called "Transfer Factors Plus" which is a natural immune boosting supplement. And I emailed her to talk about the horrible episode we just went through with Sugar and told her the tumor she had removed was cancer and she recommended CBD oil and Life Gold if needed, we are holding off on that but there are MANY GOOD natural supplements that might still work, it is surely worth a try! Everyday we give our cats GNC multivitamins and fish oil in their food and they are doing very well, and she doesn't look like she is at the end of the line in that picture to me!!!! Cats are very resilient, and vets CAN BE WRONG, one of them on the phone when Sugar was hospitalized told me "she is stable but I don't know if she'll come back from this" and I told her "you don't know that, they have to slowly wean her off the sedation and assess her neurological state" and when the best doctor they have there took her case over the next day she SAVED HER and she is sitting on the floor right behind me washing as we speak, doing just fine thank you, so if you can get her to that holistic vet or a GOOD animal hospital I would certainly give it a try, she is worth it and you deserve to have her too!!!
When Sugar had that terrible allergic reaction to the anesthesia and almost died I came on here and the love and support was tremendous, I could feel it through the computer and it is like we willed her to live and get better; now the same thing is happening for you, like Di & Bob says "if love could save her she'd live forever", so please feed syringe feed her GENTLY and water and give it a try, I know it is a horrible position to be in but maybe it is NOT her time to leave yet, give it all you've got and get her well!!!!
When Sugar had that terrible allergic reaction to the anesthesia and almost died I came on here and the love and support was tremendous, I could feel it through the computer and it is like we willed her to live and get better; now the same thing is happening for you, like Di & Bob says "if love could save her she'd live forever", so please feed syringe feed her GENTLY and water and give it a try, I know it is a horrible position to be in but maybe it is NOT her time to leave yet, give it all you've got and get her well!!!!
OP, you have given a senior shelter cat the best outcome, because she now has a home and is loved. Her last days are with her family. I also agree with everyone else that she needs to immediately go to a different practice for a REAL evaluation. She's eating, she's drinking and doing all of her basic bodily functions (just not where you want it to happen). It pisses me off to no end that these vets looked her over and decided that putting her down was in her best interests, without doing any bloodwork. Maybe there's nothing to be done, but knowing more about her specific disease can lead to treatments to make her more comfortable.
Get a new vet asap and I agree that finding a vein is very difficult with a dehydrated, diseased cat, but they can keep her and hydrate her to the point where her veins will pop out again.
I will say small, frequent meals are easier on the liver than giving her big meals.
Holistic medicine has a place in veterinary care but liver disease is not a one-size-fits-all disease, so you need to know why her liver is declining and what her system can tolerate before dosing her with OTC herbs and stuff.
Get a new vet asap and I agree that finding a vein is very difficult with a dehydrated, diseased cat, but they can keep her and hydrate her to the point where her veins will pop out again.
I will say small, frequent meals are easier on the liver than giving her big meals.
Holistic medicine has a place in veterinary care but liver disease is not a one-size-fits-all disease, so you need to know why her liver is declining and what her system can tolerate before dosing her with OTC herbs and stuff.
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I just read the last couple of posts and feel I need to comment. I respect everyone's opinion and know they're given in love and in hopes of helping. The suggestions I made - Dr Kidd and Dr Becker we're at one time both traditional vets. Meaning they trained, we're certified and practiced as all traditional vets do. But after years of experience they realized they weren't helping as much as they could. So they looked for other or "alternative" healing modalities. Call it "holistic" or "natural" or whatever you like but they took the path that many human doctors are taking today. They looked to nature and the innate ability of our body to heal on it's own. If these vets hadn't achieved any positive results they would have dropped the idea, like a sack of cement, and continued treating the way they we're trained. But they not only got positive results, they've changed the whole dynamics of how they approach animal health. My own vet, who's considered traditional and been in practice for 30 years, took classes and became certified in accupuncture because of the great results he obtained with arthritis patients. Please take everything you hear with a grain of salt. But also don't ignore other options that have worked for many pet parents. They're worth it aren't they?
What a sweetheart!!! And, yes, you were right, we were waiting
THANK YOU for the photo, she's lovely!!
I agree with
Norachan
I also think, based on the look in your baby's eyes, that you have a little bit of time.You're getting a LOT of love from us
and a lot of feedback . It's probably somewhat overwhelming in itself.You are a smart person and I know you will find your way.
playerdark
Artscats
I see you are passionate about holistic medicine, but it is not advisable to self-diagnose and self-treat critical feline diseases. We cannot tell other Cat Site members to eschew veterinary care in favor of self-research, even if the source of information are renowned vets Dr. Randy Kidd or Dr. Karen Becker.I am all for Dr. Becker examining this cat as a veterinary patient in her practice. But layman self-diagnoses based on what she writes is not medical care because medicine is more than reading books and websites.
We cannot tell other Cat Site members to circumvent veterinary medicine.
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I agree and I hope everyone reading this thread doesn't think I'm suggesting they self diagnose. What I'm trying to get across is what others have said - get a another opinion - but not from the same type(trained) veterinarian. Because the other opinion will probably be similar to the first ones. I suggest she find a holistic or what's called an "integrative" vet. One who's open to trying other options that have been proven to work, as Dr Kidd and Dr Becker have shown many times. Both these Drs strongly suggest that you don't use their books and videos to self diagnose and treat but to take the ideas in them and present them to your vet and see if they're open to it. My personal experience has been that all vets love animals, otherwise they wouldn't have devoted themselves to this type of career. But what our doctors learned 30, 20 or 10 years ago can be very limited. Whether in animal health or human health, new knowledge and new modalities are springing up every day. And it would be sad if we weren't aware of them or didn't try them when we are trying to save the life of someone so precious to us.
I am all for Dr. Becker examining this cat as a veterinary patient in her practice. But layman self-diagnoses based on what she writes is not medical care because medicine is more than reading books and websites.
We cannot tell other Cat Site members to circumvent veterinary medicine.
Oh, by the way, if she's at all consistent about where she's doing her business outside the box, puppy pee pads/training pads might help with cleanup in those areas.
The Litterbox: What Every Cat Owner Needs To Know
Combat Cat Urine
Also, there are litters called Cat Attract that might help bring her back inside the box.
I know you said you just bought a large litterbox. Along with different litter, try moving that to a different location. You could also try a different style, and multiple, box(es) - maybe one with lower sides or one that has a section of it that's lower, so the cat only has to step in rather than step over...there are dog litter pans, plant growing trays (those black ones), even under bed storage bins where you could simply cut an entry if she's not liking having to step over the side to get in--these don't contain the litter all that well but a mat underneath should work.
The Litterbox: What Every Cat Owner Needs To Know
Combat Cat Urine
Also, there are litters called Cat Attract that might help bring her back inside the box.
I know you said you just bought a large litterbox. Along with different litter, try moving that to a different location. You could also try a different style, and multiple, box(es) - maybe one with lower sides or one that has a section of it that's lower, so the cat only has to step in rather than step over...there are dog litter pans, plant growing trays (those black ones), even under bed storage bins where you could simply cut an entry if she's not liking having to step over the side to get in--these don't contain the litter all that well but a mat underneath should work.
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So sorry to hear that. So worried that’s were I’m headed. That’s want they told me; my Emmitt has pancreatitis and his liver was shutting down. He is currently jaundice. He was hospitalized for theee days. They told me it was reversible but the key is he has to eat. He I have been syringe feeding him for three days now. Prayers for you.
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Hi there. I know exactly how you feel. In February of 2017 my husband and I adopted a 10 year old former stray and he became the light of our lives. He had so many health problems, and we eventually found that at the root of them all was stage 3 kidney disease. We fought it as best we could and for some time bettered it, but once it had gone too far, his decline was slow, steady, and devastating. It is the most heartbreaking thing I have ever gone through, to see his system shut down and the life go out of his eyes.
I mean for this to comfort you, though... this process took almost 9 months. He was not the energetic, hungry, playful sweetie that your baby sounds like when he was sick, so I echo the other commenters here that I would keep trying if you can. When she is ready to go, you’ll know, but she still sounds pretty full of life to me! She may have liver disease, but depending on the severity and the right vet and treatment, these kinds of things can be kept at bay. Regardless of what happens, know that you are an angel for caring for her and giving her a family. Good luck and to you. xx
I am so sorry. I know your pain. I put my boy down 3 months ago and it still hurts. It was a very difficult decision. Without the cat being in obvious and awful suffering, it is hard to be "sure" of what/when to do. That was my situation. He didn't seem 100% miserable, but his quality of life was declining and I read a quote somewhere that said "it is better to let them go a week to early, than a day too late". I had multiple consults before making my decision. I found a vet and asked her to be completely honest with me and tell me what she thought was best. One vet was fine continuing treating my cat, but when I went to a family friend who is a vet and told her I needed her to be honest with me, she said that my boy wasn't going to get better and the treatments are uncomfortable.
I stayed with Herman as he went through the procedure. I couldn't look, but I held his paw. It still hurts and sometimes, I wonder if I definitely did it at the right time, but even if we could've waited longer, I know he is in no pain at all right now.
I am kind of venting myself and going through my grieving process myself. If you have questions, let me know. It is a very difficult event to confront.
I stayed with Herman as he went through the procedure. I couldn't look, but I held his paw. It still hurts and sometimes, I wonder if I definitely did it at the right time, but even if we could've waited longer, I know he is in no pain at all right now.
I am kind of venting myself and going through my grieving process myself. If you have questions, let me know. It is a very difficult event to confront.
You’ve gotten a lot of advice on Callie (who is adorable, by the way). I think if she’s eating by herself, it’s not yet time. I agree with other posters that now that she’s gotten some fluids, she should have blood work done to assess where you are and to guide you in the future if necessary. Cats tend not to drink enough on their own and subcutaneous fluids (which you can easily give at home) can make a big difference in their well-being.
You know better than anyone else when it’s time to let her go. Listen to her. We are here to support you in whatever you decide.
You know better than anyone else when it’s time to let her go. Listen to her. We are here to support you in whatever you decide.
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