Moggy on his last legs - Visit the Vets vs. The Stress

Mrs.W_2

Our ancient moggy (19) is on his last legs; numerous old age problems the vet can do nothing for, but he's not showing any signs of being in pain. We very much doubt he'll see Christmas.

It now looks as if he's developed a thyroid problem. My OH is all for taking him to the vets, I'm not.

Moggy hates the vet with a passion. Just seeing the cat basket being cleaned, ready for a visit puts him in a panic. We need to close all the cat flaps beforehand. After we find where he's hiding, we need to wrap him in a towel to get him into the basket. He cries non-stop and stresses out throughout vets visits. Even peeing in the cat basket. After a vet visit he hides himself from us for a couple of days.

I don't think it's fair to put him through such a hugely stressful event at this stage. My view is we ought to let him live out his last few months in comfort. If something major happens, I'll certainly take him to the vet then, but don't see it as necessary now.

Am I being too soft?

geri1965_2

It depends if he is in discomfort now - maybe the vets can give him something to make his last few months easier.

I know what you mean though, we had the same problem with one of ours (and also our new one).

Tiddlywinks

Thyroid problems can make the puss feel really poorly but can sometimes be treated well with drugs - my old girl lived to be 22 and was on thyroid drugs (along with arthritis and diabetes meds) for the last 3 years of her life.

She also hated travelling so we used to get the vet to come to us. We only took her in when blood tests were required. I know it's more expensive but could you consider a home visit? Once you get to be a regular and they know you are coping, they might trust you to have phone consultations for re-jigging tablets etc.

I just think that if your old boy still looks like he enjoys life (eating, heat seeking, cuddles) then he deserves a chance to get the condition under control.

faerie~spangles

I opted not to stress my 22yo girl.

She passed away peacefully at home in her own bed.

Mrs.W_2

Thank you all for taking the time to reply.

I should add that moggy's thyroid problem was diagnosed by the OH. Mainly due to moggy starting to drink a little more water than usual and shedding a bit more hair. He's otherwise in level health, eating as usual, sleeping no more or less, hasn't lost any weight. Though he does require more grooming.

Moggy is a somali, and I understand 19 is a good age for that breed.

If the vet was to prescribe pills, god help us all! The last time I needed to give him a pill, the towel used to wrap him and my arms were torn to shreds. And he still managed to regurgitate the thing!

NewKittenHelp

Does your vet do house calls?

Tiddlywinks

Mrs.W wrote: »

I should add that moggy's thyroid problem was diagnosed by the OH. Mainly due to moggy starting to drink a little more water than usual and shedding a bit more hair. He's otherwise in level health, eating as usual, sleeping no more or less, hasn't lost any weight. Though he does require more grooming.

Moggy is a somali, and I understand 19 is a good age for that breed.

If the vet was to prescribe pills, god help us all! The last time I needed to give him a pill, the towel used to wrap him and my arms were torn to shreds. And he still managed to regurgitate the thing!

I think you owe it to your old boy to find out exactly what is going on... your OH can't really make that call unless he is qualified in animal physiology.

Thyroid conditions can make an animal really uncomfortable, as can kidney, cancer, heart etc (which can give similar symptoms). Do you really want him to be feeling poorly when he might have been able to get something to ease his condition?

Vets make home visits all the time (routine ones tend not to be as expensive as the emergency out of hours ones) - I think that's the way to go... at least then you'll know just what is wrong and what the choices may be.

Mrs.W_2

Hello, NewKitten. Our vet does not normally offer home visits. The practice is small; run by a lady and her OH. They are very understanding of moggy's wont to pee and claw his way through all examinations, so changing vets would probably cause upset for all concerned.

Thank you for that assurance, Tiddlywinks. I shall phone them tomorrow to ask if they might reconsider in moggy's case.

Add:Will keep you updated.

gettingready

moggy's thyroid problem was diagnosed by the OH

Is your OH a vet? I do not quite understand this line?

19.. what a great age for a cat, he must have a lovely life with you ....

All the best

Tiddlywinks

Mrs.W wrote: »

I shall phone them tomorrow to ask if they might reconsider in moggy's case.

When I moved areas and needed to find a new vet, one of the first questions I asked was whether they would be prepared to do home visits for smaller animals... basically, because I knew a time would come when I might need that service as a kindness to my cats... and I didn't want to build a relationship with a vet that couldn't then deal with an emergency.

Most vets had an agency service which they offered if they did not provide the service on their own.

Dunroamin

Having done it once, I would always have an animal put to sleep in his own home rather than taking him in to the surgery.