Should I consider Euthanasia?

mountainofdebt

This is exactly the dilemia my mum faced within the last couple of weeks - a 16 year old cat that obviously wasn't well.

However in my mum's case they didn't know what was wrong but my mum knew that when the time she would make that hard decision.

One morning mum got up and knew that the time had come and made an appointment with the vets and when the vet saw the cat, she agreed that mum had done everything she could possibly have done.

The whole process was carried out very caringly and mum appreciated that.

It is hard - mum has shed more than a couple of tears but she knows that she made the right decision.

And you will too.

Take care.

Minerva_2

Our 16 year old cat was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. We could have taken him home with us, knowing he was dying and that he would soon be in pain.

We decided on euthanasia there and then at the vets. He was already sedated for x-rays. It was very peaceful, he died in my arms, I was holding his furry little paw...he knew nothing at all about it, it was a lovely way for him to go.

You will instinctively know the right thing to do for your cat.

My thoughts are with you.

Minerva

Claude_2

My young vet had a rather more sanguine attitude after she had diagnosed my cat with diabetes (and possible kidney failure). I had two choices: have her put to sleep or hospitalisation followed by daily injections of insuline and a strict diet. She said we have pets to fit in with out lifestyle. She didn't mean anything nasty by this. I think she was trying to help me make a very difficult decision. But for me it was rather different: I'd always promised myself that when it came to it I wouldn't put either of my cats through unecessary suffering. I wasn't going to become "the woman with the needle" as my cat wouldn't have understood what I was doing to her.

Whatever you decide it won't be easy, but as long as you do it with your cat's best interest in mind, it will be fine.

Six months on, I miss my cat but I have a lot of respect for the vet who didn't try and push me into the route of lengthly -and possibly expensive- treatment (I am a cynic) and allowed me to make the right decision so that my cat's long and happy life ended peaceful and painlessly.

tiff

I am going through this at the moment, my dog Sam is 14, has cataracts, is deaf, has arthritis quite bad in his back legs, is almost incontinent, ie has lots of accidents. He was recently diagnosed with a heart murmur and on a scale of 1 to 6 his is a 5.

My husband is getting fed up with soiled carpets and during my sons 9th birthday my dog pooped and peed on the floor in company which my DH found embarrassing although they understood.

I just dont know how i will know when is the right time. I havent had a discussion with the vet about it and feel guilty sometimes because I find it hard to cope with all the cleaning up but dont want to let go either.

tigs78

So sorry to hear that your cat is not well, without seeing her and knowing what she is normally like it is so hard for others to advise on what to do. There was a similar post on here recently and someone posted this in relation to euthanasia 'better a day too soon than a minute too late', I wholeheartedly agree with this but can I please urge you to have a look at this website https://www.felinecrf.org

My cat was diagnosed with kidney failure 18 months ago at the age of 17, I was devastated and thought it was an immediate death sentence. She has daily tablets but these are hidden in treats so she is none the wiser. Unfortunately your little one may be in the later stages but please do have a read of that website, without it I probably would have had to made 'the' decision, instead I have realised there are other treatment options. If you think it is time to let her go then this link may help too http://www.felinecrf.org/saying_goodbye.htm

Whatever decision you come to, do what's right for her and if that means you having to be brave and say goodbye then take some comfort knowing that you have given her one last selfless gift, the ultimate act of kindness.

Take care.

purplepurple

A friend of mine was offered the option of the vet coming to her house to put her dog down. They did it in the garden, late afternoon as the sun was setting. She said it was the most beautiful way she could have dreamt of letting him go.
I think you'll know when the time is right tiff, it doesn't have to be at the vets you could do it quietly with the rest of the family there in a place Sam feels comfortable.

jo1967

My thoughts are with you. My cat is 18 & has decided that pooping on the kitchen floor (slate tiles thank god!) is better than going outside! The litter tray has been resurrected & he seems happy with that. Although thinner than he was he eats & drinks well & sleeps for England. His little life is happy, however I am aware at his great age he may not be around too much longer. He has been, & still is, a great character & large part of our lives. As soon as he appears to be in pain I know I could not bear it & I know the course I will choose. x

burbs_2

As some people have already said, if you think it is the cats time to go and you decide to take the option of having him put to sleep at the vets you will be there and holding the cat, rather than the possibility of getting up in the morning and finding out you have lost him.

I dont have pets or any of these dilemmas but if it was me in your situation I would like it to be painless and be there at the time.

sophistica

Oh My! I have cried buckets for the last three weeks with exactly your problem. There is a science to this kidney failure which you can research on the internet. Has the vet done blood tests? What are the creatinine levels? At 200+ the kidneys have 75% packed up but the higher the level, the less chance there is of a good outcome. Kidney failure (CRF) I believe is terminal. Your cat is likely to be on daily Fortekor and possibly appetite stimulants for the rest of her life. She will also (likely) need monthly blood tests and possibly blood pressure tests. The drinking and excessive urination are symptom of the disease and she may also need hospitalisation and fluid therapy. I have just been through the worst trauma that I have ever had...my Persian cat of 15 years and 7 months had hyperthroidism, followed by surgery, and a dental, then inflammed bowels, then acute renal failure, then hypertension, a bleed in the retina and then a seizure. On the day following the seizure, I rang my vet and said that I wanted euthanasia and he said that I needed to give my cat "a chance" and carry on with the treatment and his clinical diagnosis. The night before my cat was yowling at night, she wasn't purring, she was sniffing her urine, she had severe constipation and was skin and bone. Why didn't the vet suggest euthanasia or support that? Well, the fact that I had spent about #2,000 at his surgery and was set to spend at least that much again (per annum) could well have had an impact on it. My cat was utterly traumatised by all the surgery, treatments, hospitalisation and vet's visits. I can't say that I am glad that I had it done, or even that I did the right thing but...I think you need to consider what is right for you as well as the cat and whether you will feel guilty if you let her go on much longer if she is in pain...I don't think that the death of your cat is going to be any easier to bear if she dies now or in six months (I have just had to quit work as I am so devastated). So sorry that you are going through this. It is one of the worst things to bear.

Fleago

Tiff,

Your post really moved me. It is so hard to let go of a beloved pet, and the thought of it is, I have found, far worse than the reality. You imagine it will be an awful thing, but it is really so peaceful and you can hold your pet, speak tenderly to them and they gently slip away. The last thing they know is feeling secure in the arms of someone who loves them and the last thing they hear are words of love. With our cat I was so frightened I would break down and he would feel my distress, but it didn't happen that way. The strength came to me to be brave enough to let him be at peace; I felt it was the last thing I could do for him and my pain was a small price to pay for his years of loyalty and love. I held on for him and only broke down when the vet told me he had gone. You will find that you will be able to do that too.

I agree with purplepurple; if you find the thought of it being done at the surgery too traumatic, you could ask your vet if they would come to your home. We've made a decision that if any of our three dogs come to the point where we have to let them go, it will be at home. I've even, for my own peace of mind, discussed it with the vet already and they've agreed that they will do this for us.

It isn't easy, but please believe me that you will be able to let Sam go when the time comes.

Fleago