Ever had to put a pet down?

Question

I have a cat of 11 years - senior - yes, exceptionally old - no. His health hasn't been good for few months now and we've been going to the vet fairly often in the last 2 to 3 months. His symptoms were major weight loss (from 16lbs to 10lbs), peeing inappropriately and vomitting. The blood samples and ultrasound revealed some sort of liver failure (it is undersized but they don't know much more than that) and hyper-thyroidism. I've been giving him various medications which he resists or throws up. Giving him meds is stressing but so is the idea of putting him down. I worry about what this environment (physical & emotional) is doing for my 3 year old and my pregnancy. Should I put him down? Should I be there if I do or let my husband instead?

FYI we recently took him off the meds when we thought we would be putting him down. He did well for about 3 days but now is back to vomitting once or twice a day.

Answer 1

yes i have had a few years ago because he was sick it felt like i was killing him he was a chow chow i now really regret it but i know that he is in a better place.

Answer 2

Damn. I'm sorry. First of all, if you do put him down I would recommend being there for the procedure. He will feel better, and you will be glad, later, that you were there for him-I've made both choices, it's better to be there. For one, you see for yourself just how peaceful, painless, and quick the procedure is. For another, you get to say goodbye. It's important to have that closure, there's less denial and the grief is less protracted.
As for whether you should put him down or not, unless treating him is endangering your pregnancy you should probably postpone any decisions until after your pregnancy and a few weeks after the birth, to let things settle down. Also, your 3 year old might link the cat's death to the coming baby, and draw who knows what sort of conclusion. As a rule, I would try to keep major life changes to a minimum for yourself and both your children (in and out of utero) right now. If the meds make the symptoms manageable, I'd put him back on the meds and simply consider the peeing an annoyance. If he tends to pick certain areas over others get those training pads used for puppies and lay them down-better than newspaper, they're absorbent, like diaper area rugs. See if your husband will give him the meds. Are the meds pills? If you can get it in a liquid the vet can give you a syringe (no needle attached) and you can just shoot it down his throat. Mostly you should just try not to obsess about it. If the cat is not miserable, I'd adopt a watchful waiting stance. Because you will reproach yourself later if you didn't do all you felt you reasonably could. Regret is always present, but you have doubts, valid ones from what I can see. It can go either way right now, but the only place you can be is the present. And the present involves caring for yourself and your children and your husband-and your cat-and enjoying life in the midst of all the crap life throws at you. Sometimes, the best thing to do is nothing. Make no decisions. You don't have to know what you're doing, much less what you're going to do in the future. Treat yourself, treat your cat, protect your floor. If the situation changes, reassess. Good luck.

Answer 3

Yes, I think one of the things we owe our pets is that when possible, we shouldn't let them suffer when they die. I've had to put down two cats over the years that were terminally ill (one had kidney failure, the other had cancer.) It was sad but not bad. I took the cat to the vet, I put the cat in my lap, I petted the cat and talked to it, I told it the story of its life. Then the vet puts a little IV in the cat's arm -- just a little one, it doesn't look like it hurts -- and does the injection; it doesn't seem to hurt at all, it's just like the light goes out, if I were suffering I would prefer to go that way too with someone I cared about next to me. I cried, I was sad, I missed the cat, but I didn't feel guilty for doing that -- I had done my best to comfort it, and be with it, and let it go the best way it could, without any more suffering.

This sounds so morbid, but there was a poem in The New Yorker in the last year or so about missing your cat that died. I am not kidding. It points out the cat is not afraid of death, it has no thought of death at all when it's alive, much less when it's dead. The poem addresses the much-missed cat as a "whiskered night-friend." You maybe should try and find it -- it will make you cry, but in a way like you know what you're crying for and it's the appropriate thing.

Answer 4

Treatment for hyperthyroidism can be tough. The meds can make them sick, it's hard to give, etc. Have you every considered radioactive iodine treatment (I131)? This is where you cat will go to a specialist, be evaluated for treatment, and given a small injection of radioactive iodine. The I131 will kill the thryoid tissue that is making your cat overproduce thyroid hormone. Many will stay for about a week after treatment (due to being radioactive) and many do great afterwards. My coworker (another veterinary technician) had the procedure done on her cat and says it is well worth it.

If the thyroid meds aren't causing all the other issues and there are multiple issues going on, then it may be that you are looking at the end of the road. Only you know if your cat is happy. When quality of life becomes diminished, it is hard to keep puting them through it.

When the time comes that the decision is right, think about what you need to do to prepare. Think about body care. Do you want to bury your pet at home, have him cremeated, have ashes returned? Do you want to honor him with a clay paw, a hair trimming, a special photograph? Other things you can do are to create stones for in the garden to remember them by.

When you do decide the time has come, schedule a time to do it with the whole family present. Talk to them about what is happening, what will happen, etc. Be present during the euthanasia. I can't remember the exact statistic, but a large number of people feel less guilty about euthanizing a pet when they are present for it. Spend time with your pet afterwords, say your good-byes.

It's not easy to decide when to end a life, especially when you share so much of it with them, but know that you do so in order to give them peace and honor their life.

Answer 5

I know how hard it is to lose something like a pet that you love so much but think if it were you who was vomitting like that and you were showing signs of liver failure. Would you want to go on if you could not say anything or didn't know why you were feeling like this and so on. The best thing you can do for your "friend" is to put them to sleep. If you think you can't handle watching it then have your husband do it. I know for me I would have to be there to say good bye. Good luck with your decision and think about it from your cat's point of view

Answer 6

My heart goes out to you. I too, know how heartwrenching it is to lose a beloved pet. I just put down my baby a week ago. His name was Stinky. He somehow came down with feline leukemia, with complications of cancer in his chest. The vet said he was probably born with the disease. He was fine, then about 3 weeks ago, stopped eating, and was lethargic. I took him in and did some xrays and tests, and then my world fell apart. I am devasted to say the least. He was only 4 yrs old. I cry all the time. I miss him so much. But if your kitty is that sick, the kindest thing for him would be to put him to sleep. No one should let their animals suffer needlessly. I know it's hard, but God will take care of our babies in heaven. You or your daughter do not need the stress, and especially with you being pregnant. Do the right thing for him and every one involved and let him go. You are in my prayers, and may God bless you, your new baby, and your family.

Answer 7

There is nothing pleasant about having to face the prospect of putting a beloved pet down. It is obvious that you love and care for your cat very much by all the care and thoughtful attention you have given to him.
However, you now have to ask yourself if what you are doing is really in his best interests or your wants. As awful as it sounds (and, yes, I have had to face that same kind of decision) it may be time to put him out of his increasing pain and discomfort. Ask at your vet's office about loss and grief counselling. Yes, many places offer it. Just because you're dealing with a cat does not make the loss any easier. Pet owners such as yourselves see their pets as family members, not decorations!
You're being very courageous and I wish you the best of luck. Talk with your vet and then get back to looking after yourself, your family and your unborn baby!

Answer 8

I've had to put 2 of my pets down so far - both times it was heartbreaking but not doing it would have been selfish on my part, as thier quality of life had diminished so much.
It sounds, in your case, like your kitty is suffering - allowing "nature to take it's course" would be cruel and selfish.
It is up to you whether you are there when they do it or not. It is extremely fast and most animals are gone before the vet has pulled out the needle.
My heart goes out to you as I know how hard it is.

Answer 9

Yes, I have had to put 3 down. Two dogs and one cat...not at the same time, though.

If your cat is terminally ill, I would say to let him go. He deserves to be without pain. Sometimes we have to make decisions that are not always easy.

If you want to be there in the room, that's okay. If you prefer not to, that's okay, too. It just depends on how you feel. It is a very emotional thing and everybody handles death differently.

I chose to be in the room with all of mine and don't regret it at all. It was very peaceful. My vet gave a tranquilizer first, to help relax the animal. (although, I think I could have used it!) I held them in my arms as they passed. There was no noise, struggling or gasping.

Answer 10

Yes, I've had pets put to sleep before... but mostly my parents were very cheap and just let them die from illness. If it seems like he is suffering a lot, it might be better to just get that part over with. I'm sorry; I know it's a hard thing to do. 11 years is a long time though! I'm sure he has been very happy living with you all this time.

Answer 11

I have had to put pets down and it was always sad but I never felt like I was doing something wrong. My question was: Am I keeping them alive for me, or for them? When my answer was for me and the animals were in pain and miserable then I knew it was time. I always stayed with mine because it was important to me but that is strictly up to you. There are a few really good books out to help explain death of a pet to children. Check with your elementary school librarian. I'm sorry- I know how hard this decision is for anyone. Good Luck.