- Joined
- Jun 20, 2016
- Messages
- 62
- Purraise
- 30
I know about Fatty Liver Disease as I've had cats go thru it before. This time, it just seems different, but maybe I'm not remembering it well (it was a long time ago).
So, this is my parents' cat, but I'm staying here, and am trying to help them. I seem to have taken over (been given) the job of feeding her, as they don't know what to do. Her name is Dusty, she was a stray they've had since a kitten. We guess her age to be ~15. She became overweight early, but she also had undiagnosed diabetes for ~7 years (a bad vet, who never checked). She has some trauma issues and was very ornery, but her mood changed a LOT when she started getting insulin (~8 years ago).
Current issue/s: ~3 months ago, the (new) vet said she had a bad tooth, but didn't think she'd survive surgery/aenesthetic. The vet also felt a lump in her abdomen. The decision was to not do anything for either, because of her age, the diabetes, and she has fairly bad arthritis. (btw, I really don't care for this vet, either.)
So, basically, a canine tooth rotted out of head. And she ate less and less and less. I was already thinking 'Fatty Liver Disease' when the tooth finally fell out. The root on it was rotted. I thought she was very near the end when that happened, but she seemed to sleep better later, and I told/asked my parents to call the vet the following morning (a Friday) and ask if she should take some antibiotics. Apparently, they called but didn't get the message there was a 'scrip waiting for them at the office until they couldn't get there before they closed. I knew none of this, and assumed the vet had said "no" (also based on other things this vet has done and not done). Then...I guess my parents forgot (they're in their 80s).
The day after losing her tooth, Dusty was much brighter. She ate! Not a great deal, but she'd basically been eating nothing.
But that didn't last, and the next day, she began to go downhill again. During all this, Dusty would get very excited when she thought someone was getting food for her. She always looked at what was put down (until the few days of "she's almost done" that occurred twice). Often, she didn't eat right away, but would eat later (weird thing I possibly don't remember from past Fatty Liver issue--#1). She pretty much continued to eat her hard food (weird thing #2). Most new foods got eaten--at some point, if left out (not weird).
Anyway, she continued to decline AGAIN, and always begged me for food. It felt like she was trying to tell me something, and I just wasn't getting it. I kept thinking "antibiotics," but didn't know how to get any, and don't know of any "alternatives". I knew she was in pain from her tooth, the infection, the arthritis, and just being so damn hungry. I tried to give her a tiny bit of Gabapentin, but most times she seemed to know it was mixed in. A couple times she got a little bit, but it didn't seem to help much (I was scared to give too much). Also, Mom always does the insulin, and she tried to adjust it as weight decreased, but eventually I found out that sometimes Dusty wasn't getting any (she would get it twice a day, normally, but sometimes she only got it once). We'd been told that Dusty HAD to eat when she got the Insulin, so when she wasn't eating much, we didn't know what to do.
I finally decided that: Dusty had multiple issues--her tooth was sore, she had a raging infection, and she ALSO had Fatty Liver disease. The tooth was out, the vet had said she didn't need antibiotics (I thought), and she was feeling better, but still needed help to eat again. Mom agreed to help me force-feed her for 2-3 days. I thought that would be long enough to know if it would help or not. She agreed and I fed her twice that night (not much--from a syringe w/out markings). The thing I noticed is that I would squirt some at the back of her mouth, and then have to wait while she struggled to get it down. So I added "trouble swallowing" to the list of issues. My mom fed her a few times the next day (we have reversed wake/sleep schedules), and then told me she wasn't going to do it any more. Dusty fought her too much, and she had too much trouble getting it down. I agreed.
More days pass, and I finally chatted with a vet through Chewy. That vet said Dusty likely had a terrible infection, and when her tooth fell out, a lot of that infection rushed into her mouth, and her throat also became infected (and swollen and sore, hence the swallowing difficulties). She recommended taking her in the next day so Dusty could get a big dose of antibiotics, get some IV fluid, and they could check her insulin and help get that back where it should be. I seriously thought Dusty might not make it through the night, and the online vet suggested I take her to a 24-hour place. I offered to take her that night but my parents said no, and it was also then that I learned of the 'missed' antibiotics.
Now I thought that, one way or another, Dusty's suffering would end the next day. But...I underestimate the creativity of the negative forces of the universe. My parents called their vet the next day, and she said she didn't have time to see Dusty that day, unless they wanted her 'put down.' But she did say there'd be an antibiotic waiting at the office, if they chose that. They DID pick it up, and started the antibiotics that afternoon. 10 days after she should have had them (or much longer if she should have had them when the rotted/rotting tooth was first noticed).
Again, Dusty was much better for a day and a half. More energy; started eating again. No longer having trouble drinking (which had seemed to have started). But...now she's declining again.
My question/s: Do I give up? I didn't before (and suggested the force-feeding, then antibiotics again) because Dusty hadn't (not until that last day when I thought she might not make it thru the night). I don't know that she's given up again now, but...she's damn worn out. My parents were pretty much ready to 'end her suffering' when I brought up the antibiotics again. I "pushed" that option (even though I questioned myself because I don't want to prolong her suffering either), but I thought Dusty would get fluids, a big initial dose of antibiotics, and her insulin checked/balanced, which might have made her feel so much better, and helped her fight through it all. But that didn't happen. Thoughts?
SORRY this is so long!!
So, this is my parents' cat, but I'm staying here, and am trying to help them. I seem to have taken over (been given) the job of feeding her, as they don't know what to do. Her name is Dusty, she was a stray they've had since a kitten. We guess her age to be ~15. She became overweight early, but she also had undiagnosed diabetes for ~7 years (a bad vet, who never checked). She has some trauma issues and was very ornery, but her mood changed a LOT when she started getting insulin (~8 years ago).
Current issue/s: ~3 months ago, the (new) vet said she had a bad tooth, but didn't think she'd survive surgery/aenesthetic. The vet also felt a lump in her abdomen. The decision was to not do anything for either, because of her age, the diabetes, and she has fairly bad arthritis. (btw, I really don't care for this vet, either.)
So, basically, a canine tooth rotted out of head. And she ate less and less and less. I was already thinking 'Fatty Liver Disease' when the tooth finally fell out. The root on it was rotted. I thought she was very near the end when that happened, but she seemed to sleep better later, and I told/asked my parents to call the vet the following morning (a Friday) and ask if she should take some antibiotics. Apparently, they called but didn't get the message there was a 'scrip waiting for them at the office until they couldn't get there before they closed. I knew none of this, and assumed the vet had said "no" (also based on other things this vet has done and not done). Then...I guess my parents forgot (they're in their 80s).
The day after losing her tooth, Dusty was much brighter. She ate! Not a great deal, but she'd basically been eating nothing.
But that didn't last, and the next day, she began to go downhill again. During all this, Dusty would get very excited when she thought someone was getting food for her. She always looked at what was put down (until the few days of "she's almost done" that occurred twice). Often, she didn't eat right away, but would eat later (weird thing I possibly don't remember from past Fatty Liver issue--#1). She pretty much continued to eat her hard food (weird thing #2). Most new foods got eaten--at some point, if left out (not weird).
Anyway, she continued to decline AGAIN, and always begged me for food. It felt like she was trying to tell me something, and I just wasn't getting it. I kept thinking "antibiotics," but didn't know how to get any, and don't know of any "alternatives". I knew she was in pain from her tooth, the infection, the arthritis, and just being so damn hungry. I tried to give her a tiny bit of Gabapentin, but most times she seemed to know it was mixed in. A couple times she got a little bit, but it didn't seem to help much (I was scared to give too much). Also, Mom always does the insulin, and she tried to adjust it as weight decreased, but eventually I found out that sometimes Dusty wasn't getting any (she would get it twice a day, normally, but sometimes she only got it once). We'd been told that Dusty HAD to eat when she got the Insulin, so when she wasn't eating much, we didn't know what to do.
I finally decided that: Dusty had multiple issues--her tooth was sore, she had a raging infection, and she ALSO had Fatty Liver disease. The tooth was out, the vet had said she didn't need antibiotics (I thought), and she was feeling better, but still needed help to eat again. Mom agreed to help me force-feed her for 2-3 days. I thought that would be long enough to know if it would help or not. She agreed and I fed her twice that night (not much--from a syringe w/out markings). The thing I noticed is that I would squirt some at the back of her mouth, and then have to wait while she struggled to get it down. So I added "trouble swallowing" to the list of issues. My mom fed her a few times the next day (we have reversed wake/sleep schedules), and then told me she wasn't going to do it any more. Dusty fought her too much, and she had too much trouble getting it down. I agreed.
More days pass, and I finally chatted with a vet through Chewy. That vet said Dusty likely had a terrible infection, and when her tooth fell out, a lot of that infection rushed into her mouth, and her throat also became infected (and swollen and sore, hence the swallowing difficulties). She recommended taking her in the next day so Dusty could get a big dose of antibiotics, get some IV fluid, and they could check her insulin and help get that back where it should be. I seriously thought Dusty might not make it through the night, and the online vet suggested I take her to a 24-hour place. I offered to take her that night but my parents said no, and it was also then that I learned of the 'missed' antibiotics.
Now I thought that, one way or another, Dusty's suffering would end the next day. But...I underestimate the creativity of the negative forces of the universe. My parents called their vet the next day, and she said she didn't have time to see Dusty that day, unless they wanted her 'put down.' But she did say there'd be an antibiotic waiting at the office, if they chose that. They DID pick it up, and started the antibiotics that afternoon. 10 days after she should have had them (or much longer if she should have had them when the rotted/rotting tooth was first noticed).
Again, Dusty was much better for a day and a half. More energy; started eating again. No longer having trouble drinking (which had seemed to have started). But...now she's declining again.
My question/s: Do I give up? I didn't before (and suggested the force-feeding, then antibiotics again) because Dusty hadn't (not until that last day when I thought she might not make it thru the night). I don't know that she's given up again now, but...she's damn worn out. My parents were pretty much ready to 'end her suffering' when I brought up the antibiotics again. I "pushed" that option (even though I questioned myself because I don't want to prolong her suffering either), but I thought Dusty would get fluids, a big initial dose of antibiotics, and her insulin checked/balanced, which might have made her feel so much better, and helped her fight through it all. But that didn't happen. Thoughts?
SORRY this is so long!!
