The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Cats => Topic started by: Pedwardine on June 30, 2012, 11:49:41 pm
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We had two elderly cats brought to us following the death of their owner. Maddy is 18 and Pixie 13. Pixie was very active for her age, very very affectionate, purred at the slightest touch, liked her food but didn't ever have the best of constitutions. She has no teeth and we were told she favoured biscuits but of course she couldn't chew them first before she swallowed them which meant she brought them back up later. We discovered through trial and error that tuna and salmon were rather popular and when mashed up a bit, stayed down. She was very small and slight when she came to us and very smelly which we narrowed down to an ear infection which needs regular attention. We thought that the ear problem may have led to an odd imbalance in her gait but we are fairly sure she has had a stroke (within the last month or so) which was likely the first of a number of smaller follow up strokes. She seemed to be picking up a little and showing herself to be a plucky wee thing. She now won't eat or drink, is extremely wobbly on her pins to the point of falling over often and carries her head at an odd angle. When we try to feed her she doesn't seem to know what to do with the food. We've put it in her mouth but it just falls out again. I wonder if cannot smell or taste so well since the strokes. We've even tried Complan but it distresses her popping any food in her mouth and I feel her little heart racing as we try. As soon as we stop, the purring starts. She seems to love her cuddles still as long as our arms are securely around her, though she hasn't the control of her head to nuzzle and rub us as she used to. She still knows us and meows and tries in her wibbly wobbly way to get to us for a cuddle which we are always ready to give. I believe she's still happy as she purrs for England but she's fading to all bone and I don't know whether to take her to the vet and have the deed done or just let her fade away, at home, likely in her sleep. I know she won't get better now and I feel it can't be long but I worry that she must be experiencing the inevitable pains of hunger and thirst. Has anyone else had a similar experience with their cat having a stroke? I've made the big decision with dogs before now but not with a cat. It shouldn't be any different but somehow it feels it. I'm not one for selfishly keeping an animal going for my sake, but I feel to refrain from the vet for her.
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I had a cat that stopped eating but I did take her to the vet and she went on a drip and lived until she actually got run over :(...It is a hard decision, in some ways I would let nature take its course but then you will feel guilty not taking her to a vet to get some sort of sedative......us humans can chose to have a no reassertion clause so why not cats!!!
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:bouquet:
No one can make the decision for you but I would take her to the vet.
Thinking of you whatever your decision
Dans
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If she cannot eat or drink she will not live. In my opinion you should talk to your vet for his advice on what can be done for her. It might be to have her put to sleep, but equally it might be to put her onto a drip till she is able to drink.
Good luck whatever you decide but do be positive and take a decision, you will feel better for it, rather than just let things happen. You will always wonder if there was something else you could have done if she dies.
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I agree, talk to your vet and see what they say. I know you wouldn't want her to suffer
:bouquet:
Sally
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Thanks. Kind and thoughtful words. I'll 'phone the vet tomorrow morning and at least ask for advice. Goodness you wish they could speak sometimes :(
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Our old cat lived to the age of about 18 but had several health issues in the last few years of his life. On a couple of occasions he stopped eating or drinking. He was quite fragile looking but as you say about your mog , he continued to purr and look for affection. We took him to the vets and he had become dehydrated and was put on a drip. We feared the worst because of his general poor condition. However, on both occasions the drip really helped and he returned home and was able to eat and drink again. He also preferred dry foods and we used to cook chicken portions for him. He also liked ham and canned salmon but not wet cat foods.
I know how difficult it is but it is not necessarily the case that it is the end for your puss. The vet maybe able to help. I hoped that our old boy would pass away at home but unfortunately he was at the vets when the decision had to be made and sadly most of my dogs and cats have been.
Hope the vet can help and at least you will feel more at ease knowing that you have done all that you can. When the time was getting near for my lad the vet could tell how upset I was and said that they would make the decision when the time came and that helped me.
:bouquet:
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Thanks ITH. That really helps. Pix just gives and accepts so much love. I don't want to give up on her. We've only had these two old gals since the New Year but it's like they've always been with us. They settled so well considering there were two other cats and six dogs in the equation. We love them very much.
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If the vet can help, with a drip, that makes her feel better and then she can eat and drink again that's a good outcome.
Another thing that can happen is that their kidneys give up. I lost a dog like this. She stopped eating and I took her to the vet who did some blood tests. When they came back and showed the damaged kidneys, he said that she would feel very sick, which is why she didn't want to eat or drink. And it couldn't be fixed, so I had to decide to have her put to sleep. It was a hard decision cos she seemed fine apart from not eating, but I had to listen to what he said.
I don't think it's ok personally to let an animal starve to death, I think it's kinder to make the decision, should that be what the prognosis is. But find out what the vet says, because it might not be the end yet. I hope not :-*
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If you decide to have her put to sleep, the vet may come to you. We've had that done a couple of times with cats that hated the vet. It was much less stressful for all involved. :bouquet:
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I hate that last trip to the vet...but at least if the vet came out there would be less stress, although I had a cat run over and called the vet but who was a good few miles away and he still wanted me to take the cat in, I WAS going to but at that time had no car so even worse, the cat passed quckly thankfuly but its a hard trip with a poorly animal of any sort!!!!!
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My personal thoughts would be to speak to the vet, go as far as drips and pain relief, but not to go down the route of medications/operations/etc.
She sounds like she's not given up. If she stops snuggling, then I'd be thinking the time had perhaps come.
All the best :bouquet:
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I know this is a bit weird but, I figured that Liquid Life Aid would do pretty much the same thing as a drip would at the vets so I've been popping regular small amounts into Pixie's mouth with a pippette over the weekend. I have a few wounds for my troubles but, and I say this tentatively, Pix decided to try just the tiniest bit of tuna this evening with quite a bit of enthusiasm. It wasn't much and she's had another dose of Life Aid just now (gouge on hand to show!) just to keep her strength up but it IS something isn't it? I have a little bit of hope.
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It is a bit of hope, still some fight left in her, and you!
best wishes
Gill
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Sounds like she's fighting to stay (and not drink LifeAid :D)
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That's good news.
If you decide to take her to the vet, it could be something as simple as an infection. She may only need antibiotics or similar. You just don't know. In my experience animals as they get older sometimes just need a few more trips to the vets. Sometimes it is bad news but sometimes something treatable.
:)
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Pedwardine, cats will purr even with terrible injuries, I think they do it to comfort themselves as though they remember their mother purring whilst feeding them.
When OH and I joined forces twenty years ago he brought with him two cats. They lived 'til a ripe old age but one I thought had become fussy about her food, though she still purred when on a lap. I tried all sorts of things to try to tempt her and she would go to her dish as though hungry, then after a taste would walk away.
I'm ashamed to say that I got cross with her until I noticed that her tongue was sticking out. On opening her mouth I discovered a huge tumour in her mouth. Poor little soul couldn't eat and must have been suffering dreadfully but never complained. This could be something you could check for?
I hope it's not something awful and that she dies in her sleep, warm and well fed. :fc: :bouquet:
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Thatnks ITH and Sylvia. Pix is doing a bit better. I know it was a stroke as one side of her face has 'dropped' as happens with stroke victims. I think the eating issue may have been to do with her struggling to figure out how to eat again with this new problem as it obviously affected her mouth too. Bits of food went in and promptly dropped out again. She seems to have sussed it and portions are increasing every day, not as much as I would like but we're going down the 'little and often' route and progress is being made slowly but surely. There is always the chance that another stroke my occur but :fc: for now. She isn't the cat she once was but she is trying so hard.
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Glad she is doing better!
Dans
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That's really good to hear :)
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I have only just picked up this thread. A very warming story. How is Pix doing now?
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Hi NM,
Pixie is AMAZING :o . She's still very wobbly but coping with her condition. She's eating a good amount of either sardines or tuna every day and is eager for the feed bowl to be put down for her which she wasn't before. She dribbles a bit of food back out again on the affected side but she's keeping the food down (Pixie use to often sick up her food even when in seemingly good health) Her ear isn't stinky with infection anymore either so we've beaten that but still keeping an eye (or nose!) on it. She's washing herself again which is WONDERFUL. She purrs SO much. She loves a cuddle and is rubbing us with her nose again. Mmmm kitty kisses :-* . I just hope and pray that another stroke doesn't happen as she's been so brave coping with the ones that have hit her so far. She's literally half the cat she was and she was already such a wee thing hence the name. I don't know that she'd survive another onslaught. :fc:
Thanks so much everyone for your advice, kind words and hope.
Amanda x
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Well done, Pixie and you for taking so much care of the old girl. :bouquet:
My old lad looked so skinny and ancient but carried on that way for years so hope that Pixie does too. :D
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Just a thought. Could Pixie have had an inner ear infection that upset her balance?
So glad she is eating well. That's always a great sign. :fc:
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NM, yes we believe this to be the case in conjunction with a series of strokes. She came to us pretty pongy which we shortly after discovered to be a severe ear infection, she had crusty discharge at the base of her ear and we were alarmed to find clotted blood coming out on a few occasions. We persevered with cleaner and drops and, although we still monitor it, it's much improved.
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Hi guys. Pix was put to sleep on Monday following another very debilitating stroke. We're missing her very much but glad she's not struggling anymore. When it got to the point when she didn't want cuddles anymore we knew it was time. Thanks for all your kind words.
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Sorry to hear about Pix but as she was struggling this was obviously the right decision for her. :bouquet:
Sally
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:bouquet: Lucky, lucky Pix to have had you for owners. She will live on in your hearts. :-*
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You obviously loved her so much and cared for her as best you could :bouquet:
Sorry
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RIP Pixie, she was loved to the end
Dans
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So sorry to hear the latest on Pixie but glad that she went peacefully and you know she had all the care and love a cat could have :-))) :cat:
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So sorry about Pixie. But you know you did your best to keep her going the best you could.
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:bouquet: sorry you lost her, she had a good life to the end :cat:
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So sorry to hear of your loss of Pixie. She obviously let you know it was her time. Well done to you for the amazing care you gave her in her final weeks. Lucky puss. :cat: :bouquet:
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OOOh RIP little Pixie, now in Pussy Heaven with all our babies now at peace. Its been months since we lost our Phoebe, but I miss her so much still. They leave such a large hole in our lives dont they? Big hugs from France. :hug:
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The last kind thing you could do for her :hug: :hug: :cat: