Posted on 11/25/2010 8:54:14 AM PST by NoGrayZone
For the last couple of months, I thought my elder kitty was just going senile. She turned 19 this summer and has the usual "old cat" look....frail back and hind legs, loss of muscle and weight and just looks "old". She also started tinkling and pooping outside her liter box and seemed obsessed with her water bowl (hovering over it for hours).
She has hip dysplasia and "old cat back", which cortisone shots took care of 2-3 years ago, then they stopped working. I found Syn-Flex for pets online and she made a miraculous recovery.
The vets did all kinds of tests, etc last time I bought her in and nothing came back. I started seeing weird symptoms for the past month, but just assumed she was getting senile.
I looked up her symptoms and found CRF, which is common at her age. There is no cure, it only gets worse. I do not want to bring her to the vets. Last time she was there (my original vet is now elder and seemed to have lost some of his mind, perhaps senility is creeping in. I heard that in the vets office). I don't like the other vets there, nor trust them from my last experience.
There is also no cure for it.....just things to do to ease any symptoms to make them more comfortable.
I found, online, Tinkle Tonic, which seems to ease a lot of symptoms for this disease.
I was just wondering if any FReepers had to or are dealing with this and perhaps can give me some helpful advice.
I've had to put a few of my furry friends to sleep over the years, and it's not fun to even contemplate it.
I know that it's not always easy to switch them to a kind of food they're not used to, even if it's much better for them. And when you adopt a cat from rescue, it's usually been fed dry food exclusively.
Okay, I just came back from the vets and she is not diabetic. It’s either hypothyroid or kidney disease. I’ll get the blood results tomorrow by 1pm.
The one thing that shocked me.....she’s only 3.9 pounds! She was always a chunkie small built cat. My old vet was always at me to put her on a diet and told me to stop free feeding her.
Thank goodness I didn’t listen. Well, I did once and somehow she knew what was breakable, i.e. anything glass and proceeded to knock them all off of every surface and break them.
I heeded and gave her back her crunchies. I will now start to give all 3 more mushy food and not keep them on an exclusive crunchie diet.
I found some natural grain free can food, so I started giving her the kitten formula. Hopefully I can put some weight on her.
I just want to thank all of you for your prayers and well wishes and also your sad stories of your beloved furry ones.
It’s always a great comfort to know you’re not alone. Thank you.
I’ll be yapping again tomorrow when I find out the blood results.
God Bless you guys (((hug))).
On these, my cats' coats have gotten softer and shinier. One of them will gobble up any soft food I put down, the other two not so much. I also get cans of salmon from the 99 Cents Store (other discount stores may have them too), and feed them that every week or so. The salmon oil is great for them.
At some point I hope to switch mine over to a raw diet... I won't have time until maybe in 2011. They still puke up stuff here and there, and that's also worse on a dry diet.
Thanks for the update, and please keep us posted. I've got my fingers crossed for you!
DO NOT GIVE HER "HIGH PROTEIN" ANYTHING!!!
NO KITTEN FOOD EITHER! SHE NEEDS AS LITTLE PROTEIN AS POSSIBLE, HIGH PROTEIN WILL CAUSE HER KIDNEYS TO FAIL QUICKLY AND YOU WILL LOSE HER!!
The grain free stuff is okay but stick with the stuff that's 10% protein or less. Best OTC canned is Science Diet Mature Adult Active Longevity Gourmet Turkey Entree, 6.5% protein, equivalent to the Rx renal diets from the vet.
More later, I haven't slept all night...
Best wishes for you and your cat and thanks for sharing your difficulties on this thread. My two cats are 14 and have had a high quality of life so far so I don’t have any specific advice on what to do, but my general advice is to focus on the good times and get over the bad ones as quickly as possible (I like your quick cleanup ideas).
I hope I didn’t miss anybody. I just wanted to update those who have responded so kindly to my thread about our furry loved ones.
Kitty died Thursday morning. I took her to the vet that Wednesday after I posted this thread. She wasn’t diabetic, she had a urinary and kidney infection. She was to be on antibiotics for 2 weeks.
After a few days, she seemed to perk up and I thought yay, she’ll pull through. The weekend before she died, I knew she was going. She started to wobble.
I went into work Monday and told the girls Kitty was going, it was a matter of days. Went into work Tuesday and took 1/2 a day, because I knew it was Tuesday or Wednesday (her 2 week follow up, after the antibiotics was on Wednesday).
Went I got home on Tuesday I canceled the vet appt. I knew it was time. I was able to spend the last almost 2 last days with her, kissing her, crying into her fur, knowing this was it.
Tuesday night was the last night she arose. She laid there dying. I was with her from Tuesday afternoon until her death Thursday morning (no, I couldn’t even shower. Anytime I left her she mewed, something she never did before). Wednesday night, about 8:30, I begged God to take her so I wouldn’t have to do it.
I begged for just one more hour though. I laid there on the couch with her and cried my eyes out, thinking I had just 1 more hour. 9:30 passed and she was still breathing. I stayed up until 11 or so.
I awoke the next morning and she was still breathing, but it was different.
She died about 9:30-9:40 Thursday morning. I was there for her last breath and was devastated. I called my friend because I didn’t know what to do. She said to call your vet, if I couldn’t, she would call for me. I said I would.
The vet’s office (whom I will now be using for my other 2) said I could bring her in for the Dr. to check and confirm. They were so sweet and understanding. I said I wanted her cremated and they explained I could leave her and they would take care of it.
I said I wanted to bring her to the crematorium myself. I took my shower, called the vet’s office and said I was on my way. When i walked in, they took me immediately to the exam room and the Dr. came right in. She confirmed my Kitty was gone.
They were so sweet. I broke down, again, apologized to them and they said “no, please, we’re so sorry for your loss”. The Dr. then took Kitty’s head in her hands and rubbed her head.
I took her to the crematorium and they too were so loving and kind.
I’m picking her ashes up on Tuesday. I have not been myself since and now it seems this pain will never go away. The man who performs the cremation said I will have closure once I get her home (he wouldn’t let me leave until I had my self control back. I was devastated.)
I just wanted to update you guys who were so kind and loving in my time of despair. I’ll never forget it.
One thing I realized this morning.....I asked God to take her, but to give me 1 last hour. If He had given me what I had asked for, it would have been around 9:30 Wednesday night. At the same time I was begging Him to take her, I was begging Him for more time.
Thursday morning, just after 9:30, He took her back. He knew I needed more time, but yet He knew I didn’t want her to suffer anymore, as I’m sure he didn’t either, nor wanted me to suffer anymore.
That’s my update. I am still devastated by her loss. Feels like a large chunk of my heart has been ripped out and will never be replaced.
I thank the Good Lord for seeing what I needed, not wanted, as He took my Kitty back to His Kingdom.
Again, thank you ALL for your support and kindness. I have learned much and am now applying it to my other 2.
God Bless you all.
May G-d comfort you. I now from personal experience how greatly His comfort is at such times.
I know how bad you feel. It gets better, but you will still cry for a long time when you think about her.
I am so sorry. After awhile we took another youngster in.
It helped.
I am truly sorry for your loss. I know how much it hurts; I still grieve Emma cat everyday. Unpacking Christmas ornaments this year and brought out her little stocking. It made me cry all over again. My prayers are with you during this season of grief.
Thanks. =). I also thanked Him for the extra time He gave me with her. If she had died while I slept, I would have been guilt ridden.
He truly does love us, and also those He brings into our lives.
I’m so sorry. You did your utmost for her. I hope the memories of all the good times will stay with you.
Other than the kid we took in, my other two are old. Max is almost 18 and Monster is 15.
More pain to come.*sigh*
((((((((((((((NoGrayZone)))))))))))))))))))
Fly free sweet, sweet Kitty.
I am deeply sorry for your loss. It is only a month since my Krueger went to the Bridge. And I still catch myself sobbing over him ...
And my prayers are with you. I didn’t do Christmas this year. I just can’t. My sister said she would, so I’m going there.
Everything reminds me of her. Of course I have to torture myself and put her pic from August onto my screen display (she went so quickly).
Chasing Cars is our song. I stare at her pics and replay that song over and over and just cry. I have her blanket wrapped around me now, can’t wait until Tuesday when I can bring her home. =(.
Thanks. Those good memories bring me to tears. I just wish I could go back to last year and have a do over.
Impossible, but that’s grief for you.
They should last longer. I think I'm getting into the “anger” stage of grief, even though I break down at the thought of my Kitty.
I keep thinking what could I have done differently to have her longer. This thread helped me tremendously. My other 2 will benefit from what I have learned......should be a comfort, but for now, it isn't.
It’s been 11 years since my crazy best cat ever passed. You never stop missing them. We’re lucky to have them.
Condolences. Take comfort that such exceptional creatures love us, warts and all.
Thank you. That sobbing catches you at a moments notice. Seems everything reminds me of her, as I’m sure it does you.
The cremation’s name is Rainbow Bridge. Can’t wait to get her back.
Thank you. 11 years? Crapola, I’m in for a world of hurt. We are truly lucky to have them.
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