Hi everyone - this is my first time posting, so any kindness is appreciated.
I'm struggling with my elderly cat, Charlie. He has a plurality of health issues that cause him to have good days/weeks and bad days/weeks. He had another "episode" on saturday night that caused me to bring him to the emergency vet, and I thought that he would need to be put to sleep that night. I decided to wait a few days so I could see if he got any better, and he did....again. But the experience is making me doubt my judgement. How do you determine when "it's time"? I don't want to cause him suffering, but he also (most of the time) is still purring and wants to be near me. He still looks out the window, bathes himself, and uses the litter box (for the most part).
Some background:
I rescued Charlie 2 years ago, with no medical history and unknown age. He is part Siamese. I found out recently (I discovered he had a microchip that had been previously registered in Jan. '04), that he is at LEAST 14-15 years old. He has never been healthy since I have known him.
Charlie has IBD that is difficult to control. Constant bouts of puddle poop have resulted in him receiving a prescription diet, a very high dose of steroids (yes, I understand that can cause its own issues), a daily B12 vitamin, a probiotic, and most recently an antibiotic. He takes between 6-8 pills daily now.
A few months ago he had a stroke, but for the most part recovered. However he continues to lose feeling in his back legs (no, not diabetic). I have to lift and lower him from places or he falls (can't get him to use pet stairs). He wobbles around while he walks and falls down sometimes.
Sometimes he gets very sick. I can't get him to drink or eat and he wants to hide. He drags his feet behind him. It's very stressful because I worry he won't get better unless i get fluids in him - I do try to squirt water in him mouth.
He struggles to keep on weight, even though he eats a lot. He throws up every (yes every) time he eats, but he "cleans up," so he still gets the food in him by the end of it.
My regular vet believes that he either has a neurological condition, or has developed cancer that continues to progress, on top of the IBD. The emergency vet believes that these episodes of being very sick are because he is having additional strokes (this pattern does make sense to me). I feel horrible, because I don't want to proceed with the $1200 tests to confirm strokes, and then whatever additional medication that he would need. I love him so incredibly much, but he is also very old and still very sick in other ways.
The emergency vet also heard a heart murmur (so he could now have heart disease), and he was also anemic. His walking is significantly worse still since his "episode" a few days ago, but he is back to eating and drinking.
Any advice would be appreciated. Or anyone who went through something similar and understands.
I'm struggling with my elderly cat, Charlie. He has a plurality of health issues that cause him to have good days/weeks and bad days/weeks. He had another "episode" on saturday night that caused me to bring him to the emergency vet, and I thought that he would need to be put to sleep that night. I decided to wait a few days so I could see if he got any better, and he did....again. But the experience is making me doubt my judgement. How do you determine when "it's time"? I don't want to cause him suffering, but he also (most of the time) is still purring and wants to be near me. He still looks out the window, bathes himself, and uses the litter box (for the most part).
Some background:
I rescued Charlie 2 years ago, with no medical history and unknown age. He is part Siamese. I found out recently (I discovered he had a microchip that had been previously registered in Jan. '04), that he is at LEAST 14-15 years old. He has never been healthy since I have known him.
Charlie has IBD that is difficult to control. Constant bouts of puddle poop have resulted in him receiving a prescription diet, a very high dose of steroids (yes, I understand that can cause its own issues), a daily B12 vitamin, a probiotic, and most recently an antibiotic. He takes between 6-8 pills daily now.
A few months ago he had a stroke, but for the most part recovered. However he continues to lose feeling in his back legs (no, not diabetic). I have to lift and lower him from places or he falls (can't get him to use pet stairs). He wobbles around while he walks and falls down sometimes.
Sometimes he gets very sick. I can't get him to drink or eat and he wants to hide. He drags his feet behind him. It's very stressful because I worry he won't get better unless i get fluids in him - I do try to squirt water in him mouth.
He struggles to keep on weight, even though he eats a lot. He throws up every (yes every) time he eats, but he "cleans up," so he still gets the food in him by the end of it.
My regular vet believes that he either has a neurological condition, or has developed cancer that continues to progress, on top of the IBD. The emergency vet believes that these episodes of being very sick are because he is having additional strokes (this pattern does make sense to me). I feel horrible, because I don't want to proceed with the $1200 tests to confirm strokes, and then whatever additional medication that he would need. I love him so incredibly much, but he is also very old and still very sick in other ways.
The emergency vet also heard a heart murmur (so he could now have heart disease), and he was also anemic. His walking is significantly worse still since his "episode" a few days ago, but he is back to eating and drinking.
Any advice would be appreciated. Or anyone who went through something similar and understands.