My cat is vomitting approx. 2-8 times a day, everyday.I cant bring myself to think of euthanasia but i should.

Question

My cat is an approx. 7 years old male.We got him as a rescue cat only 2 years ago and we noticed in the first few days that he was being sick but we thought it was just stress of moving but took him to vets just incase and they said that without an op they wouldnt know what is up with him but as an educated guess its Feline Irritable bowel Syndrome and we started him on steroid jabs but they didnt do anything for him.We spent a fortune on special diets and he was still sick.we dont know what to do, we cant afford surgery to see exactly what is up with him and he is suffering. He has recently gone from being sick once or not at all a day to 2-8 times a day and i recently noticed parts of the vomit was red like blood (it may be his food as the biscuits are red).Its distressing for us, for him and our other 2 cats.Should we consider putting him to sleep? I would feel so guilty though because we put my dog down and i regret making that decision for her and i dont want to be without my cat

Answer 1

You should have the doctor put you down for being such a cruel bitc4

Answer 2

It sounds as if your cat is very sick. I'm against killing too, but the conundrum we face is the inevitability of it. If the creature will die anyway, possibly in great pain, can it be right to prolong the suffering of someone that we love? On the other hand, is it right to take the life of something that may still have some enjoyment in life? You can argue both sides against the central problem.

Like you say, you are suffering too being around your sick pet. On the one hand, you don't want to put him to sleep simply to relieve your own suffering... but can he really be happy now? If all he has left for him is misery, then putting him to sleep might be the most merciful option. If, however, he may pull through and recover his health a bit, you may be glad that you didn't take that step.

I almost want to urge you to try to save up enough for the surgery, but so often these projects end with the vet advising the cat be put to sleep on the operating table. Still, if there's even a small hope it's worth it, then you can make your conscience easy again, because you'd know you'd done what you could.

Answer 3

You've known for 2 years that your cat may need surgery and didn't start planning for it? As a vet assistant, I saw a lot of people who let their pets suffer because they "can't afford" treatment or are too selfish to euthanize. The way I see it you have a few options: 1. Get a loan from a bank/friend/family to pay for surgery. Shop around to other vets for price quotes. 2. Get a second opinion!!!! I can't tell you how many pets came in to my clinic whose regular vet told the owner there was nothing wrong or nothing could be done. 3. Realize your cat IS SUFFERING and do the right thing. If you feel like he's suffering, he probably is. I know it's a difficult decision...but it really is the humane thing to do if the cat is suffering. 4. Surrender the cat to the humane society. They may be able to find him a home that can afford his medical care.

Answer 4

Ok - something is getting worse inside your cat and it really does not seem to be anything remotely associated with diet or bowels but appears more clinical than that. I would definitely see another vet and at the very least a blood test needs to be done - this will cost you around £100 (English). One cat we had had intestine problems and this caused him to vomit several times a day and needed special food that could be digested easily. Have you noticed the cat being better on wet food broken down? Have you tried different foods?
Good luck with your cat and I hope you get the help you need rather than put him down.

Answer 5

If your cat does have IBS you can try different foods that will not aggravate the bowels. There are also medications to help with IBS.I have IBS and no one would ever think of putting me down. It is uncomfortable and you do throw up sometimes, but it can be easily treated. If the symptoms persist and your cat is losing weight, take her to the vet again. Ask for an x-ray and an ultra sound to rule out any kind of obstruction. Don't give up on her too easily. sometimes you have to fight with Dr.'s to get the right kinds of tests done. I do it all the time. Surgery isn't always the only way of diagnosing the problem. If one vet won't do anything but suggest surgery, go to another one. Good luck to you and your cat.

Answer 6

I understand your dilemma. First of all, I would seek the opinion of another vet. Your cat should not be suffering like this - but it doesn't mean that he needs to be put down. When you take him to the different vet - at another practise - try to take a sample of the vomit with you. Also, what are his stools like? If they are unusual, then take a sample of that, too. Unpleasant I know - but that is probably the best way for your vet to make a diagnosis.
It worries me that this started as soon as you brought the cat home. Have you asked the rescue centre if there were any problems before?
Does your cat wander? I would be considering poisoning - not deliberate, just stuff that someone left around - could even be in your own home.
Most important, though - TAKE YOUR CAT TO THE VETS!

Answer 7

I'm sorry to hear this. Its the worst part of being a pet owner, but you cannot call yourself an animal lover and at the same time watch an animal drag itself through a half life in a miserable state.
Try one more trip to the vet and ask for a second opinion if you can offord the bills.
But if theres no hope then you must deal with the cats ilness. You can't put your own feelings first here.
Vets can't do that, neither can childrens doctors. Even if they hurt the patient re-setting a broken bone, they have to go through with it and deal with it. They have to deal with how they feel afterwards.
Every animal reaches the end of its life. The best you can do for them is to let them live and die with dignity.
Get someone else to go with you, and hand him over to the nurses. Don't go in yourself.

Answer 8

You should consider a raw meat diet for him. This isn't just putting any old meat down. It takes some commitment on your part and a lot of investigation. The Yahoo group Holisticat has many members who are raw feeders and you can get a lot of support from them.

When you have a suffering kitty euthanasia is always an option to relieve his pain and yours. I would not give up on him yet. I have a 22 yr old who has many problems and she has had a raw meat diet ever since I rescued her seven years ago. She has never thrown up in the seven years I have had her, nor have any other of my cats. Well, once when I prepared beef. Only one cat would eat it and he threw it up 15 minutes later.

I have never had to deal with the IBD issue and I have heard in groups of raw feeders that it can be "cured" almost overnight with the raw meat.

I would start with a couple of jars of baby food that are pure meat, my cats particularly like their raw turkey. Then get some ground turkey from an organic market (no hormones or antibiotics) and NO packaged ground meat. After a few jars of the baby food, see if he will take to the ground turkey. Neither of these "diets" should be continued for more than 10 days. You will know by then if his stomach is settling down a little and it will give you time to join Holisticat and present his problems there and get "recipes" or whatever for adding the necessary supplements to have a healthy diet for your cat.

I sense you truly want to "save" this kitty and end his suffering. You can start with the baby food TODAY and see if it helps.

All raw feeders know that vets are horrified by raw feeding (not the homeopathic vet to whom I take the old lady) so just take my suggestions. You are not going to "kill" your cat this way and in a few days.

You write well and clearly so you might get some of the books I am putting below for reference.

Answer 9

Have you taken him to the vet again? If not, do so, they may be able to help again.

I know you love him dearly, but you must be considering putting him to sleep or else you wouldn't put this on here. You are the only person who can make that decision, not strangers on the internet. But you should make the decision under professional guidance. What about discussing the operation you mentioned with the vet? Expensive I know, but it could be worth it.

I am sorry to hear about your predicament, and hope you find a good solution.

Love to you and your cats x

Answer 10

You poor thing. Thats not a nice place to be in seeing your pet suffer like that. I'm no expert but (and I'm not trivializing your dilemma) but the vet gave us a thick tube of this sticky molasses stuff to give our cats for like hairballs but its also used for digestive problems. Its called Katalax. (Don' laugh--it doesn't give them the runs!) but maybe just coating the poor little things digestive tract might help. It could be an ulcer thats been made worse by the vomiting. I'd try anything that coats the stomach and intestines. I'm guessing you've tried the wet food as opposed to dry food.. Just grasping at straws here but although a long shot ...it might help. Best of luck to both of you.

Answer 11

If the special diets that you have been getting have been coming from the vet's office, try something else. The vet gets paid to sell them. There are plenty of foods out there that do not have dyes and a bunch of additives in them.

My 15 year old cat got rejuvenated when I switched him to Natural Balance Venison & Green Pea formula. He used to vomit ALL of the time. If he has lost a meal in the last year, I haven't seen it.