Sould we put cat to sleep?

meathgal2010

Our Cat has been sick for the past two weeks. took him to the vet and at first thought it was a chest infection so he prescribed antibiotics.

2 days later cat was worse ....limp, not eating or drinking ,urinating on itself. So we took him back to the vets. The vet took him in as his breathing was too fast and he thought he had a parasite in his blood that was affecting how he creates red blood cells that carries the oxygen. He is very anemic and this may be caused my leukemia.

The vet kept him in for two days and put him on a drip to try and hydrate him. He imrroved slightly, started eating and drinking again however still very frail.

On Christmas day we took him home and he seemed much better and was eating ham from my hands like he always did. He was booked in to go back for a check up wednesday ( today) and given steroids.

He deterioted again over the few days, stopped eating and drinking.So my partner and I said our goodbyes yesterday as the vet had warned that if he didnt improve he would have to be put to sleep. We put him into his bed at about 10pm last night and I went and watched tv for a while. I walked past the downstairs bathroom where his bed was and could hear meowing. Opened the door, out he walks and starts eating and drinking.

Woke up this morning and again he would eat and drink. Took him to the vet for his scheduled check up but although his breathing is still very fast it is steady, has no high temp or signs of heart murmurs or organ failure yet he is still very anemic and weak.

The vet said seeing as he was eating and drinking last night and this morning he would give him another 24 hours but if no real improvement then we may need to make a decision as his quality of life is what is important ( agree completely).

Since we got home he has drank 0.90 litres of water and eating the gravy out of 4 pouches plus lots of ham and a little bit of tuna.

I really dont know what to do ...... Am I just prolonging the inevitable or if we do decide to put him to sleep tommorow I cant help that feel he is showing signs of iprovement by eating but it is very veyr slow and he may neven fully recover as he has lost a lot of weight.

What would you do??

Shazanne

I certainly don't think that you should make a decision as fast as tomorrow. What I would do is give him a few days and monitor how he is. Then I would take him to another vet for a second opinion - one that specialises in small domestic animals (which maybe your own vet does too)
Basically I think you are putting too much pressure on youself at the moment to make such a decision. Keep a close eye on him and you'll know youself what's best.
Will be thinking of you at this difficult time:)

meathgal2010

Thanks Shazanne. I think what is making it even hearder is that we fully expected him to be put to sleep today as he was getting worse and worse and then all of a sudden he picks up and starts drinking and eating. Its like he knew we were upset and was trying harder for us to get better

the poor chap finds it hard to walk most of the time but the vet has assured me he is not in pain he is just very weak. I guess he is a little fighter and deserves a little longer

Shazanne

Bless him - he sounds like a lovely little guy. What's his name and how old is he?
Sometimes, and I hate to say this to you, animals (and humans too) can show signs of recovery/improvement just before they go faster into decline, so just be prepared for this. At least if you decide to give him a few more days and you see how things are with him you will know that you gave him the best chance possible. X

meathgal2010

His name is Garfield ( he is red and white striped) and he is two. It was a stray we took in a year ago. He is a great character. Just went to check on him there, have kept him in the hallway today as he likes to sleep at the bottom of the stairs. I couldnt find him! thought id left the kitchen door open but he wasnt in there. He had walked up the stairs and jumped onto our bed and was fast asleep on my OH pillow ( he wont be impressed of the smell!)

He could barely walk this time yesterday. he is now eating a few mouthfuls of a pouch.

I have heard of that so im trying not to get hopes hopes up.Even if he is eating and drinking but still cant create those red blood cells than I think il have no other option. At least I know he survived alot longer than if we hadnt taken him in a year ago.

portgirl123

i agree with above poster. i would wait and see. if he continues to improve great. if he gets bad again i would go and get him pts. i think tomorrow to decide is, as said, maybe to quick if there has been a improvement. i think your best bet is to wait and see.

portgirl123

jesus he is only 2! i thought he was a older cat. with him been so young i would deffo go and get a 2nd opinion. he is only a baby. what does your vet says is wrong with him. god at that AGE i would be making and decisions without fionding out whats wrong

sligopark

definately wait and see - had days where I could have been described the same as your cat - thankfully I was allowed bed rest and hydration. Is this the first time your cat has been sick?

meathgal2010

we are guessing he is 2 as he was the size of a 6 month kitten when he arrived at the house and the first vet visit when we took him in confirmed he was young due to bone and teeth not being mature.

The vet said he is anemic due to luekmeia or a parasite in his blood. He couldnt do test xmas eve as no labs were open to test the samples due to it being xmas. The vet told me today that he didnt think he would make it to the visit today as he was so poorly christmas day.

meathgal2010

yes he has never so much as had a sniffle. The only times we have had to bring him to the vets is an abcess on his tail and to get nuetuered

anniehoo

Meathgal what blood tests has your vet run?They obviously have done a CBC (complete blood count) to diagnose an anaemia. Have they done a biochemistry profile to check his liver,kidney,electrolyte status? Because hes so young have they considered FeLV or FIP for example?

Id be torn too if it was me. What is their explanation for weakening of the back legs?Is it an anaemia (no energy) thing or a neurological related symptom?Sorry for all the questions but if theyre mentioning a "blood parasite" have they done any tests to diagnose it?

Cats will eat and drink even up to the end, so i think you need something more definite from your vet before you make that final decision.

dvet

anniehoo wrote: »

Meathgal what blood tests has your vet run?They obviously have done a CBC (complete blood count) to diagnose an anaemia. Have they done a biochemistry profile to check his liver,kidney,electrolyte status? Because hes so young have they considered FeLV or FIP for example?

Id be torn too if it was me. What is their explanation for weakening of the back legs?Is it an anaemia (no energy) thing or a neurological related symptom?Sorry for all the questions but if theyre mentioning a "blood parasite" have they done any tests to diagnose it?

Cats will eat and drink even up to the end, so i think you need something more definite from your vet before you make that final decision.

The FeLV would be the Leukemia that the vet mentioned (Feline Leukemia Virus). The blood parasite the vet mentioned is most likely to be Haemabartonella Felis (which causes Feline Infectious Anaemia). This is unfortunately fairly common - so what your vet is saying would be a pretty accurate guess I'd say. This can be very serious, even in young cats, especially if they have it in conjunction with FeLV/FIV, which makes it worse.

But at least your cat showed some signs of improvement today OP. I think tomorrow and maybe the next day will tell you a lot, so don't give up just yet. Best of luck.

Meeoow

Poor kitty, hope he gets better.
Do you not get his yearly vaccinations?
One of those is to prevent leukemia as far as i know.

dvet

Meeoow wrote: »

Poor kitty, hope he gets better.
Do you not get his yearly vaccinations?
One of those is to prevent leukemia as far as i know.

Actually the regular 'core' vaccines for cats do not cover for FeLV. They cover for cat flu and something called feline panleukopenia virus. You can request to get your cat vaccinated for FeLV, but most of the time you need to do a special blood test first to make sure they haven't already picked it up (as this makes the vaccine less effective). Many cats acquire resistance after 16 weeks of age anyway, although outdoor cats are always more at risk of developing an infection.

anniehoo

dvet wrote: »

The FeLV would be the Leukemia that the vet mentioned (Feline Leukemia Virus). The blood parasite the vet mentioned is most likely to be Haemabartonella Felis (which causes Feline Infectious Anaemia).

Thats what i was thinking but are the 2 linked?

Meeoow

Wow, must check that out, my fella is due his soon.
I am nearly sure he gets done for leukemia, cat HIV, and flu, but i will check it out.
He hates getting in the car, cause he knows he is going to the vet.

dvet

anniehoo wrote: »

Thats what i was thinking but are the 2 linked?

They are separate infections, but what can happen is the stress/immunosuppression caused by FeLV can make the FIA worse, if they pick the 2 of them up at the same time. If FIA happens on its own it's usually not so serious, so the fact that the OP's cat is so sick is probably why the vet suspects FeLV as well. (although FIV, stress, and a few other illnesses can also make FIA worse).

(Just read back over the post and there's a lot of FeLV/FIA/FIV type words! Hope that's not too confusing!!)

anniehoo

dvet wrote: »

They are separate infections, but what can happen is the stress/immunosuppression caused by FeLV can make the FIA worse, if they pick the 2 of them up at the same time. If FIA happens on its own it's usually not so serious, so the fact that the OP's cat is so sick is probably why the vet suspects FeLV as well. (although FIV, stress, and a few other illnesses can also make FIA worse).

(Just read back over the post and there's a lot of FeLV/FIA/FIV type words! Hope that's not too confusing!!)

Thanks. Yeh i always get them all confused. Cheers for explaining.

meathgal2010

the vet has done no tests yet as there is no where open to test the samples ( thats what i was told). He is going by an examination of his gums . they are pure white due to lack of blood cells

anniehoo

dvet, theres SNAP tests available for all of those tests,which obviously her vet doesnt have. You can see H.felis under the mic though but not FIV or FIP. Is it that clear cut to make a diagnosis and therefore a prognosis with just a CBC and differential and nothing else?

mnstlj

you should try cappamore vet ,my dog was on the verge of death the other day and is now sitting here with me all full of life,anna is a miracle worker

dvet

anniehoo wrote: »

dvet, theres SNAP tests available for all of those tests,which obviously her vet doesnt have. You can see H.felis under the mic though but not FIV or FIP. Is it that clear cut to make a diagnosis and therefore a prognosis with just a CBC and differential and nothing else?

While it would be good to have concrete test results available, it is reasonable to make a presumptive diagnosis in a case like this; the cat's signalment, histroy and physical exam (all of which you can assess without lab tests) would rule out most of the other common causes of anaemia, e.g. bleeding/trauma/chronic disease.

In any case, luckily the treatment for a case like this would be reasonably similar no matter what the cause, (apart from if it was a trauma case, but the vet would have known if this was likely) e.g. the OP's cat is probably being given 'broad spec' treatment involving antibiotics, fluids, and other supportive care.

(in other words, no matter what the cause, the treatment is similar anyway)

meathgal2010

DVet thankyou for your advice. Would it be possible for Garfield to start creating blood cells on his own in the near future or will he need constant treatment for a long time ?

dvet

meathgal2010 wrote: »

DVet thankyou for your advice. Would it be possible for Garfield to start creating blood cells on his own in the near future or will he need constant treatment for a long time ?

Hi meathgal
Basically it's a very variable thing. It depends on how long the parsite (H felis) remains in the blood, if this is what the problem is; some of the meds your vet is giving/has given would be aimed at killing off the parasite infection if possible. And it also depends massively on whether Garfield has any other underlying medical conditions, like the ones mentioned above. So this is why it's a bit of a 'wait and see'; it really varies from cat to cat. Which I know is not a very comforting answer! - But if he's still eating, drinking and able to walk tomorrow then I suggest you take it one day at a time before you make any big decisions. It sounds like you and your vet are doing all you can for him at the moment. Let us know how things turn out!

meathgal2010

Thanks DVet ! I will see how he is tommorow and if he is still eating and drinking I will leave it another few days. I just hate to see him like this and feel that maybe he is better off being pts as he has no quality of life at the mo and wouldnt be fair to him to keep it going with very little improvement.

Thanks for all the other comments. I will let you know how it goes tommorow!

meathgal2010

Garfie was pts this morning.

After a lot of research myself and the oh realised he would never recover and would not live a life a happy and fulfilled life. He would have had to be kept in a samll room where his movements are limited and it wouldnt be fair on him.

Have lots of great memories of him and feel better now he is at peace.

morgana

It is always so sad when you have to make this decision. I am sure you did the right thing by Garfield. Run free little one.
The good memories will stay with you always . You gave him a good year when he would have had none otherwise.
My thoughts are with you.

Shazanne

I am so very sorry to hear that. It has really upset me and brought back memories of losing my own precious cat.
My thoughts are with you at this time and in the days and weeks ahead.
If you are up to it, look up the Pet Loss site on www.petloss.com - it brought me great comfort.

portgirl123

R.I.P garfield. at least you had a great life for the last yr with your mammy and dadddy

dvet

I'm sorry to hear that OP. It's a very hard choice to make, but sometimes it's the kindest thing to do. RIP garfield.

Rochester

You did the right thing and Garfield had a great life with you that he wouldn't have had if you hadn't taken him in.

Hope the happy memories will chase away your sadness at this time.