Dilemma

mrsstresshead

My old fella Spike ( approx 15 yrs male cat) has been ill for a long time. The last time we took him to the vet they said that he needed a blood test to determine if it was his thyroid ( highly likely). There are lots of reasons that we didn't take him back - If he had needed long term medication in pill form, he simply wouldn't take them and I didn't want to stress him out every day trying to get them down him, he's already a very nervous cat from being run over as a kitten. If it was possible to have injections, we couldn't afford it. Apart from a ravenous appetite followed by giant poos, he was ok in himself. He still is ok in himself in that he still runs round and has a mad half hour, still leaps onto our bed with the vigour of a kitten but his problem has got a lot worse and he looks so bedraggled. His coat is dehydrated, I thought at first that he had been under the car where it's so greasy looking, he rarely grooms himself, has one cold after another, runny nose, runny eyes and is so skinny. He is constantly hungry and thirsty and now has to use the litter tray overnight. I think it's time for cat heaven but just wish he didn't still run around, it can't be much fun for him, oh what to do I'm wondering if we could ask the RSPCA if they could take him to the vet for an antibiotic or some kind of stomach settler injection, just for short term ? It wouldn't surprise me if some of you would report me to the Rspca but we have only done what we think is best for him, he's been a good ol boy over the years.

calicocat

You need to take him back to your vets.......ASAP !!

Miss_Havisham

My beloved kitty is also 15 and I dread the inevitable. But I think you owe it to Spike to take him to the vet and be guided by him/her. Don't let it get to the point where you regret and blame yourself for not doing the "right thing". It's about Spike now, your feelings don't really come into it.

Bless you both, it's a horrible time for you but it's something that has to be done.

Miss H xxxx

Horseunderwater

Sounds lije Spike has exactly what my Guzzy has. We took her to our vet and first one we saw suggested termination, but she did the blood test and we went back next day and were told it was thyroid problem. She was given an injection cocktail that included antibiotics Vitamins and a rehydration formula subcutaneously cost was £32.96 and she has bounced back from a stinky bedraggled mess into her old self. She needs to go again to get another one to keep it up as she is starting to get bad again. She is 17 soon to be 18 and although she has slowed down since all this began, she has put weight back on - is eating and drinking and pooping/peeing as she should. Not always in her tray mind. But at least we did not have to take the awful decision just yet.

harrys_nan

Have you a Blue Cross near you or any animal charity that will help with treatment? You may qualify if your on any kind of benefits.
Some vets will let you pay so much each week/month please have a word with them, but please get him some help even if you have to have him pts.

Mrs_Z

From what you describe, Spike is suffering from hyperthyroidsm. This can be treated but he will need to be on medication for the rest of his life. You need to take him to the vets and they will take a bloodsample from him which will determine the level of hyperthyroidsm he has.Our cat got diagnosed when she was about 14, she has been on the pills for 3 years now and is doing very very well on them. Most of the time she eats them with a piece of prawn, tuna, soft cheese - and it's not a problem at all.Please do not let you cat suffer any more - take him to the vets!!!!

Iain_L

Medication isn't the only treatment for hyperthyroidism. One of the foster cats at our local CP branch has the condition, and his is treated by diet (as he couldn't take tablets either). The food costs more than normal food, but he eats less, so it sort of balances out costwise.

Might be worth a look once the vet confirms the condition, but it sounds like you definitely need to take him back.

Mrs_Z

OP, please read this article about leaving hyperthyroid cat untreated:http://www.askthecatdoctor.com/HyperthyroidismInCats.html

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Or I can post a picture of my cat, who was treated every step of the way - she first had it when she was seven and it only came back at 14. She was expected to be a pain with tablets, but took them fine right up until her final days - when I held her as she gently slipped away. Had she stabilised after medication, she would have had an operation to remove the remaining thyroid and, as had happened 7 years earlier when she had the first lobe removed, she could have potentially had another seven troublefree years.



It's a miserable existence to be slowly starved to death. Especially if it's totally unnecessary.

By not treating the cat, he has been basically suffering from nerves every step of the way, as the symptoms are like being upset and anxious. So not upsetting [strike]him[/strike] yourself for a couple of moments a day has caused him almost 24 hour upset. And if your allowing him to starve has caused him liver damage, you've probably also caused him unnecessary pain.




TBH, reporting you to the RSPCA for refusing to deal with an easily treatable condition wouldn't be my first reaction. You'd definitely be short of one neglected cat by now, for a start.

blueybug

Yup sounds like hyperthyroidsm to me, my Bella had that for the last two years of her life. It killed her in the end RIP little girl.

Please take her to the vets! you are killing your cat without you he wont make it much longer.

Cant you ask your vet for help? payment plan? thats what I did. Most WILL help. I paid off 18,000 on vet bills for my cat, worth every penny and would do it in a heart beat again

mrsstresshead

Horseunderwater wrote: »

Sounds lije Spike has exactly what my Guzzy has. We took her to our vet and first one we saw suggested termination, but she did the blood test and we went back next day and were told it was thyroid problem. She was given an injection cocktail that included antibiotics Vitamins and a rehydration formula subcutaneously cost was £32.96 and she has bounced back from a stinky bedraggled mess into her old self. She needs to go again to get another one to keep it up as she is starting to get bad again. She is 17 soon to be 18 and although she has slowed down since all this began, she has put weight back on - is eating and drinking and pooping/peeing as she should. Not always in her tray mind. But at least we did not have to take the awful decision just yet.

Thanks, that's exactly the answer I was hoping for
Thanks for the advice and comments. We have had 7 cats over 32 years and we have always just let them be, flea drops have been their only medication and neutering or legs in plaster, blades of grass removed, cat fights stitched up etc. They have all lived their life naturally and have been pts when they have been too poorly to carry on, all at a good age. Spike is actually older than 15, more like 19, I got confused I'm going to go and see another vet ( a lot cheaper than our one) while I'm out today and try and see if I can get that injection for him and see how it goes. We simply can't afford vet bills right now, I'm not on the right benefit to be able to get any help, plus my husband works, we just about make ends meet but the ends do seem to get longer every month ! We don't have a local blue cross. Spike hates going to the vet, hates going in the cat carrier, I just want to put him through as little worry as possible. I expect it goes back to when he was a young cat and got run over and broke his leg, and burnt his side possibly from the exhaust. I had to take him on the bus to the vet every other day for ages, along with his nervy disposition which also started back then. He's snuggled up asleep on a king size quilt folded up into one big puffy cushion and looking quite content right now In fact I just had to go and give him a little snuggle, he still paws at you like a kitten, he's been such a good cat over the years, which is more than I can say for the current predecessor Lucky who can be a complete pain in the bum, but we love him too, like we have loved all our puddys.

I'd be interested to know what cat food you used Iain L

We have just 2 cats now, I give them purina one wet food and Iams vitality senior atm. I also have various containers out in the garden to collect rain water as they don't like tap water

I will update