Community Chat

[Madisson]

I took my two 16 year old cats in for rabies vaccines and checkups the other day. The bloodwork showed fairly advanced kidney disease in one of them. I love my furbabies so much. The vet recommended I start fluid therapy for her (where you inject fluid under their skin around the scruff). I was a nurse, so I don't have a problem with this. However, she also has extremely bad osteoarthritis and limps when she walks. She is in pain all the time. She just lies around and loves to cuddle. If she didn't have the arthritis, I would do fluid therapy in a minute. DH said he would support whatever decision I make.

I am thinking about not doing the fluid therapy and just letting her pass naturally, or taking her into the vet when she becomes too sick from the kidney disease. The vet said she might have 6-10 months without treatment.

What the vet said is putting a guilt trip on me. Do you think I am making the right decision? Thanks for your input.

[garmer]

I'd either treat her, or have her put down. I would want her to feel as well as possible as long as she was alive. Not treating her seems wrong to me. Dying naturally, if suffering is involved, isn't so great. Thank heavens we can put down pets. Sometimes, I wish we could do the same for humans. That's my opinion.

[garmer]

Your other cat may not be around long after the sick one passes. They have been together a long time. Animals don't deal with loss very well. Sorry for your poor kitty.

[LilacTree]

On 5/31/2014 garmer said:

I'd either treat her, or have her put down. I would want her to feel as well as possible as long as she was alive. Not treating her seems wrong to me. Dying naturally, if suffering is involved, isn't so great. Thank heavens we can put down pets. Sometimes, I wish we could do the same for humans. That's my opinion.

I agree, especially with the underlined part.

[------]

Follow your vet's advice.

ETA Is there harm in trying the therapy? If your cat doesn't like it then decide from there what to do.

[Chalcedony]

Madisson, I just had my beloved cat put to sleep on Thursday due to advanced kidney disease so I understand your situation all too well. I had been treating her with a special kidney diet for the past two years, which slowed progression of her disease but couldn't prevent the eventuality of her decline. We did some fluid injections, but she hated it and I didn't want to put her through additional trauma. In the past few weeks, it became clear that her quality of life was no longer there and I didn't want her to suffer further. It was extremely difficult to let her go, but I feel it was the right time. I guess what I'm saying is that only you will know when is the right time to say goodbye, but please factor that she is already in pain into your decision, as the kidney disease will only make her feel sick on top of her arthritis pain. I wish you all the best with your decision. For me, it was the most difficult thing I have ever done.

[gazelle77]

at that age... I would let them have the best months of their lives.. let it go.... and then decide when they let you know... when it is time to go. My 19 year old cat died at home in her bed. She died from kidney failure also. She slept the last three days of her life .. and I was there with her when she died at home.

If your cats were young, than I would certainly do the therapy if you could afford it. But, with a cat so senior, I think this is something that is not going to get better and you are just prolonging the inevitable. I wish you strength in whatever decision you make.

[Elstongunn]

To me, it is all about quality of life for my pets.

How long would this fluid therapy last? How much comfort would it give your cat?

No one knows a pet better than its family/care taker. If a cat no longer grooms itself, can no longer control its bathroom habits, is in pain with no relief, then it is time to do the most loving thing a caretaker can do and relieve it from its misery. To me it makes no sense to eek out a few more weeks or months of life when all that life consists of is more pain and continual degradation of comfort.

[just bee]

I would want to know my pet wasn't in pain. When I make that decision to euthanize a pet I always hold that pet during the process.

Our vet has a more private exit in the back of the building so a grieving owner can leave and not have to walk through the front office. I imagine this considers the other clients' feelings, too.

It's a good idea.

[Madisson]

On 5/31/2014 Chalcedony said: Madisson, I just had my beloved cat put to sleep on Thursday due to advanced kidney disease so I understand your situation all too well. I had been treating her with a special kidney diet for the past two years, which slowed progression of her disease but couldn't prevent the eventuality of her decline. We did some fluid injections, but she hated it and I didn't want to put her through additional trauma. In the past few weeks, it became clear that her quality of life was no longer there and I didn't want her to suffer further. It was extremely difficult to let her go, but I feel it was the right time. I guess what I'm saying is that only you will know when is the right time to say goodbye, but please factor that she is already in pain into your decision, as the kidney disease will only make her feel sick on top of her arthritis pain. I wish you all the best with your decision. For me, it was the most difficult thing I have ever done.

Chalcedony, I am so very sorry for your kitty's loss. I know it must have been a very difficult decision. I hope the sweet memories will see you through this.

At this time, my cat is not sick from the kidney disease. She is eating fine. The vet said she would eventually get to the point where she is disinterested in food. That is the point where I would put her down. I don't want her to suffer from the kidney disease, but because of her arthritis, her quality of life is already bad. It is such a hard decision.

Doing the fluid therapy daily could buy her one to three more years, but I don't want her to suffer from her arthritis for three more years. Also, I'm not sure she would tolerate fluid therapy daily. I have her on a special food for kidney problems.