Do you think I'm doing the right thing?

Question

I have a very sick cat that is at the vets office and has an IV and a catheter. My vet said that she has the late stages of hepatic lipidosis. It is a condition of the liver. If they are able to get her to start eatting(she went missing for a little while and was home for a week and wasn't eatting) I really have no idea how long she has gone with out eatting. The treatment just to get her to the position where she MAY start eatting will run my family ove $500. I am about to give birth to our second child in a few weeks. I know that the treatment that I will have to do if she starts eatting I will not be abel to keep up with. (I know that I will have a hard time keeping up with a 2year old and a newborn, and to add tube feeding a cat to the mix I really don't know if it is something that I can handle) My cat is my first child but I also have to think about the type of life that she has now. Precious is over 10 years old. I beleave that I am gonna have to put her down. Would you?

Answer 1

WoW...i answered yer other question re: yer little girl and explined about my cats i had to put to sleep a little, well the latest one of a couple of months ago sounds VERY SIMILAR to your cats situation. he was a cat who jumped out of a car when the owners were moving and he ended up here and staying about a year ago, so we werent TIGHT bonded ya know but he was cool i really liked him. he was very independent and would take off for like two days at atime and go do his cat thing but when he came home the last time, it was like he was starved, REALLY FAST it happened, anyway, we thought he was poisened as has been the case round here in the past. well when i finaly got enough money to take him to the vet, they wanted to run all kinds of tests and x-rays and so on and it started at like $245.00 min. and would of course go up from there depending on what was wrong with him AND they gave me NO prognosis, no hunches or their opinions of the situation, absolutley NOTHING. the whole situation SUCKED and still SUX in my mind so i had to opt for the $101.00 office visit/putting him to sleep, but at home when he was sick it was horrible for him, he wanted to eat and tried and i tried to spoon feed him and so on for days and days this went on. they wouldn'thelp at the pet hospital here cause it was 100 for the exam when you go in, so they turned me away at 4am with him. i guess what im saying is i do understand your predicament and pain. Money should NOT be the reason for any living things life or death but the reality is it is. anyway, i think, no i KNOW you are doing what is right for your situation. you have done what you can do and continute to. i have two other cats and one is my Wife i think, lol, well she thinks she is anyway...hehe and i just dont know what i would do.

your soul should be clean on this i am sure. your a good person and it shows simply by your postings here...YOU CARE!!!

good luck and oddly, thanks for posting, now i have something i can look up about my cats situation, 'hepatic lipidosis'. wow.

pEaCe wILL

Answer 2

I would understand if you decide to put her down. She's suffering right now, and she's 10YO. Although there are treatment options that might get her to eat again, chances are, the cat is just still suffering from the illness. On top of that, most of the treatments the vet offers are not 100% cure rate, not even close, and pricey.

Personal Experience:
My boyfriend's mother had a cat once. He was very mellow, and just all in all, a GREAT cat. Because he was a stray, we never really knew his age, but we knew he was at least 7 years old. Suddenly he stopped eating and soon, he got very frail. We took him to the vet, and I think the treatment was going to be over $1000. We could tell by the look on TC's face that he was just suffering. TC was force feed his last days, but he vomits it all out. Late one night, we took him to the emergency hospital and put him down. He died in my BF's mother's arms, purring the whole time in the car and as he drifted off to sleep for the last time. He knew he was loved.

There was also Anakin. He was about 7 months old when we found his skin unhealthily yellow. After a few tests, the vet determined that he had hepatic lipidosis. The vet told us about a treatment that has a 50/50 chance of working, and because he was still so young, we did it. No change. One morning a week later, he started shaking, attempted to jump on the kitchen counter, didn't make it, and fell. He started foaming at the mouth and passed away.

:(

Answer 3

As a registered veterinary technician working in an internal medicine specialty clinic, I am very familiar with hepatic lipidosis and tube feeding.
I will not attempt to give you advice as to whether or not to euthanize your kitty. It is a very, very hard decision to have to make, and it is your decision as an individual.
I respect the fact that you are looking ahead and trying to decide if not only can you afford the treatment, but also if you can handle the tube feedings. I can give you more information about that, at least the way our clinic does things. You will have to set aside 20 to 30 minutes, three times a day, to sit with the cat for her feedings, because anything that goes down the tube must be given very slowly so as not to cause vomiting. You will have to do this for many weeks, usually a few months, until the cat is eating well on its own and no longer getting fed through the tube. Some cats take even longer; you could be looking at six months. Some cats never start eating on their own.
Cost is certainly a factor too...the placement of the tube in our clinic is done endoscopically, other clinics, I'm sure, place the tube surgically. Either way, not only will you pay for hospitalization, surgery, etc. but also for the canned food you'll need, follow-up visits, and eventually the removal of the tube.
On the other hand, the majority of the cats with this disease do very well and recover completely. But it is a great deal of work and expense. There is one possible option...would you be able to sign her over to the clinic? It is possible that someone would be willing to take over her medical care. That way she would not have to be euthanized, but you would no longer own her. That, too, is a very hard decision.
I would be very honest and open with your veterinarian and see if there are any options like that for you and Precious. There are a few rescue groups in our area who have funds for this sort of thing, perhaps there are some in your area. Some do require the owner to relinquish ownership of the animal, however.
Very best of luck to you and I hope everything works out well. Congratulations in advance on the new baby.

Answer 4

It's always a tough one when a beloved animal gets sick. However, we humans have to try and be unselfish and think of the animal only, not how we feel. If the cat is going to suffer, then I think you've got to be brave and end the suffering. If, however, she is going to have a good quality of life, free of pain, albeit having to take medication, then I think you owe it to her to help make the rest of her natural life comfortable, be patient and loving. I know that treatment is expensive, but we owe it to our animals to look after them and be responsible for them. 10 years is not really that old in a cat's life. You say you do not think you will be able to keep up with the feeding. All I can say is love is a powerful thing and you will probably be stronger than you think. But overall, if the cat is suffering, then you have no choice. I wish you and the cat well.

Answer 5

I am so sorry to hear about your precious. Only you know what you can handle finacally and physically.. I would like to tell you about my daughter's cat. His name is Karth and he weighed 20 pounds before he got sick. When Karth got sick he stopped eating and went down to 5 pounds. He had big sores on his face. That poor cat looked so terrible. I myself was sick and in the hospital so I wasn't working and money was very tight. My daughter and her boyfriend took Karth to the Vet. My husband gave a signed check to pay the vet bill, not knowing what the cost would be, but didn't think it would be over $100.00. As it turned out Karth had something wrong with his liver. I am not sure what the problem was, because I was so sick myself and in the hospital. The vet told my daughter the best thing to do would be to put Karth to sleep. Especially since the medication is very costly and it might not help. I am sure that Karth is happy that is was my Daughter who took him to the vet that day and not me or my husband, because we most likely would have made the decision to put him to sleep. The vet also told my daughter that he might need a liver transplant someday, which at that time he said would cost $3000.00. My daughter told the vet to try and save him. The vet gave him several medications, and sent Karth home. The total bill for that one day was $750.00. My husband just about had a heart attack, but our daughter was crying and said she just couldn't have him put to sleep. It was touch and go with Karth, but I am happy to say that today 3 years later Karth who is now 4 years old is a very healthy cat and he weighs about 17 pounds and has showed no signs of any illness returning. Karth is a great cat and I know he knows that Sarah saved his life that day. He loves her so much and wants to do everything to please her. If he does do something he is not suppose to, she only has to tell him "no" once and in a calm voice and he stops. Now I know that my daughters situation and yours are different, but I still wanted to tell you the story to see if it could be of any help to you. I do wish you the very best of luck with your precious, and congratulations on the birth of you second child. Also I just want to say that 10 years old is not that old. Cats can live for 20 or more years. One other comment I would to address before I end this is to say that you said that your cat is your first born. Well wouldn't you do anything for your children? Just because we don't give birth to our animals and they are not human beings, they are living breathing creatures and after all we are considered animals, too. I do wish you the very best. God Bless you and your family in these sad and happy times of your life. I hope everything turns out for the .best. Sincerely, Janice B

Answer 6

These kinds of decisions comes to all of us pet owners and I have found them easier to make as I get older. You are in a naturally more emotional and vulnerable position with a baby coming - Congratulations and good luck, so this is added pressure you don't need. Your cat has had a good life, but the good parts are over - have her put down. It is the right thing to do for her and your family - don't feel bad, but don't hesitate. I have seen too many people who can't accept when their pets life is really over and it breaks my heart to see a too long life inflicted on those that are so loved.

Answer 7

Hi, Everyone can suggest their own opinion but in reality it is what you think and want to do because you are the one who will have to live with the decision whether it is to care for your sick cat or put her to sleep. Think about your finances long term especially if she is already sick she will most likely end up with more problems, also think about how she will feel being tube fed and having liver problems: will she be in pain? possibly get depression etc.(animals do get depressed) and think about the time you have to care for her in addition to your children will she get the care she needs to be comfortable. And last of all think about putting her to sleep and how that makes you feel in regards to her health and not suffering and not about the time you have to care for her this way you are less likely to feel guilty. Give yourself time to think about what is best and discuss it with close loved ones and get their opinion as well. Support from family helps. Most importantly you love your cat and want to do what is best for her and in the end you will.

Answer 8

I would try and find someone else who can take over her care if I cannot afford that. I really would, since she may have some quality of life with the treatment and that's not fair to deny her that chance.

Answer 9

That's an impossible question for me. You are in a tough place. Any decision you make will be right and wrong at the same time. I can only offer you sympathy for your cat and joy for your child. It will work out for you.

Answer 10

I realize it is a hard decision, but I think it would be best for all if you did have her put to sleep. I hate to see animals suffer. If all you are going to be able to do is prolong her life by how long? Months? Weeks? ... then, I would say it is the best thing. I am so sorry.