Should I put her down?? PLEASE HELP!

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kittiekitten

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Bobber (Bobbie) is 10 years old and I have had her about 10 months. When I got her she was in terrible shape, smelled like her body was failing. Vet thought she might have cancer but all levels were normal and all diseases were negative. She recovered quite well.

She got put in the vet last night. I was on vacation for 12 days and I had someone coming over and taking care of the cats. On Friday I noticed her toe nail was pointed in a weird direction and took her to the vet. Somehow, possibly one of my other cats, she had a puncture wound in her foot and it got infected so they drained it and put her on antibiotics.

Yesterday she was acting SO off. I was gone for part of the day, when I got home she wouldn't eat even treat treats or canned cat food, which are her favorites. She stayed away from me, almost hid, and she is usually a huge lover. She went on the carpet. She was swaying back and forth. Her breathing was off and I took her in.

Her liver numbers are high, she is dehydrated. They think the infection spread throughout her body. She is on antibiotics and a steroid (I believe they continued the steroid). They were able to feed her an ounce of food put she spit up a teaspoon. She is looking around and laying on her favorite blanket.

Does anyone have any idea what her chances are. The vet said she wasn't in good shape but hopefully since she was acting fine on Friday (she ate, was loving, and slept) we caught it in time. Has anyone had something like this happen? Please pray for her. She is a fighter!!
 

kittymonsters

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I haven't experienced this in a cat, but I have in myself. For me it was the medications that was making me sick, almost killed me. I did not have an allergic reaction, but rather a toxic reaction to the antibiotics they put me on. By day two I had a temperature of 104, was delirious, and my liver tests were 10-20 times above normal. It took six months for them to come back down to the normal range

So while it could be the infection, please make sure it is NOT the medication.

Sending lots of vibes for Bobber and Thank YOU for giving a forever home to a senior kitty
 

lmunsie

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Prayers for your baby!! Just be aware of her eating and make sure you get food into her even if you have to force feed her. If her liver is compromised and she isn't eating it could quickly turn into fatty liver syndrome which would make your problems much much more compicated.

Good luck. Keep us updated
 
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kittiekitten

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ty!!! her kidney levels were good and so was her blood sugar. she is still at the vets. she started acting off before i gave her her meds. she refused to eat but i thought she was just under the weather and then gave her the med. i am going to see her tomorrow and get every detail and number i can. she is an amazing cat.
 
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kittiekitten

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I am pretty sure the vet doesnt have an IV in her and that bothers me. granted i haven't asked why and haven't been able to talk to her but once today. i dont know if there isnt an IV bc they cant find a vain (I know she shouldnt find one the night i brought her into the vet). I am just worried they arent doing everything they can to make her better. I would think an IV would be the best thing to get liquids in her. She doesnt want to put a tube in her to feed her that way bc she thinks it would be too tramatic. i can agree with that. i cant wait to see her tomorrow! i really hope she is hanging on. im a wreck, what should the vet be doing???? ill update with all the info i can after i go to the vet tomorrow!!
 

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i'm sure the vets are doing all they can for her. it's such a worrying time when our babies are sick.

maybe write down any questions you have so you don't forget when you get there. lets face it, you'll be emotional because you are so worried so it may help.

take care, i'm sending lots of healing for bobber.
 

lmunsie

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if they aren't giving her an IV then they are probably giving her subQ fluids to get the fluids in (yes fluids alone can turn a sick cat around) however an IV is best to get fluids in and to get antibiotics and steroids in so I agree with you, I would want an IV. I mean if you are paying to have her overnight it's silly NOT to have her on an IV?? unless they are treating her overnight she might as well be at home.

If they aren't force feeding her (even with a syringe) I would be a bit worried. When Cello wouldn't eat after an incident that caused him to be in the ICU with a very sore throat I came by everyday for a couple days with ever soft smelly food I could think of, Baby food did the trick. I could get him to eat a couple tea spoons off my finger, or I would put it on his leg if he started licking his paw and he would eat a bunch like that. I recommend trying that, get a meat flavoured baby food, maybe she'll eat that.

Good luck!
 
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kittiekitten

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So I have a post down below about Bobber. I wanted to start a new post bc i need some opinions!! im desperate and just so confused!

The vet called this morning and i was suppose to go in after my class at 10, well they called me 15 minutes later and said i should come in before class (this was about 9). They didn't think she would make it til 11.

I just left her at the vet. She said she doesn't think Bobbie is in any pain. She started having some problems, like sezures (i have NO idea how to spell it) and she had 3 of them. During the last one I said we need to put her down, but once she came out of it she just didn't seem like she wanted to give up.

She has an IV got one this morning but she knocked it off during one of her fits. I MADE them take another thing of blood, I had to see the numbers before i put her down. her liver numbers are the same, but all her other numbers are starting to drop. as im writting this if i was anyone else id say put her down in a heartbeat, but the way she was acting, i couldnt do it.

She cried to get to me, could hardly move, but she wanted me. she wanted her nose scratched and i cleaned her eye goober out and she put her head down on me and we just laid there. the vet came back with the numbers, stating her blood sugar and all that stuff was lowering, but her liver numbers havent changed since last nite. i thought that was a glimmer of hope.

i didnt have that feeling that it was the right thing for me to do, was put her down. she hasnt had an episode for 2 hours. the iv they are putting back in her will have glucose in it to try and up her levels. i need some honest opinions. i really dont know what to do, she is a HUGE fighter and i cant give up if she isnt ready to give up!!!!!
 

emmylou

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I don't think any of us can really tell you what's best to do.

I would ask your vet for his/her opinion. Ask what your cat's chances of survival are, and whether she'd have any quality of life if she did survive. The vet will be honest with you.
 

lexapi

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I've always been of the opinion that your cat will let you know when it's time, but I know that's not really helpful. :x

*hugs* Good luck!!!
 

mews2much

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It hard to decide. I had to do that in Dec and Jan. I was told to do that with Coco when she was 9 and she is 16 now. With Stormy she didnt move at all and cried. The vet said she would not get better and I said can we wait overnight and she said yes. She also told me she may not make it until the Am. She did but she was Pts at around 1pm the next day. I am here for you if you need to talk.
 
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kittiekitten

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The vet said she isn't in much pain if any she is just really tired. if she was in pain and the vet said she was then it would already be over. i just see her in there fighting, when i got her she was almost dead and she pulled through and we had talked bout maybe putting her down then, but she wasnt in this bad of shape. and i held on and so did she and she did amazing. i just really want it to happen again. so bad do i want it to happen again.

they are calling me back at 3 and im going in. i just dont want to lose hope when she is still here. i mean she wanted me to scratch her facie, her facie itched and she was just i dont know.

the vet this morning said we should put her down then when we got the levels back she said the IV but i mean her other levels were dropping. her kidneys started to give out last night i guess. im just in denial. i want her to go on her own as long as she isnt in pain. for me to LET HER FIGHT as long as she can. i just feel like i owe it to her, then the other side of me thinks end her struggling.

i just have a slight glimmer of hope, im haning on with all my might. i just want a miracle sooooooo bad it isnt even funny. i wish they would let me hold her when we put her down. today is the 7th anniversary my son passed away so they wouldnt even let me leave the vet w/o someone there with me. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I WANT HER TO LIVE AND BE OK!!!! I LOVE HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it is just the look she had when she looked at me, made me feel that she didnt want me to give up on her!!!
 

graciecat

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I know it's a hard decision to make.
We had to make it for our sweet girl Lizzie almost a year ago.

I wasn't sure what to do, we would have spent any amount of money...even if we had to re-mortage our house...if it meant that Lizzie could be helped.

The Vet looked at me and said "This is the part of my job that sucks, when I have to tell someone that no matter how much money they're willing to spend that there's nothing that can be done and the most loving thing to do would be to put someone they love very much to sleep."

So I guess what I'm saying is, ask your Vet if it was their cat what they'd do.

ETA: I see we must have been posting at the same time.
IF you make the decision to have her put to sleep the Vet should allow you to hold her, they let me hold Lizzie.
I don't know how to word this to make is sound the way I want it to, so I'm just going to say it.
My Vet looked right at me and said, "If you keep her alive, you're not doing it for her you're doing it for you because you're not ready to let go."
Then he told me to think with my head and not with my heart.
But like I said talk to the Vet and ask them what they would do in your situation.
I'm sending lots of and Prayers your way to help you make your decision, no matter what it is.

Also I wanted to say how sorry I am for the loss of your Son.
 

mews2much

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I hope there is a Miracle. I was hoping that with Stormy so bad. She was Pts on what would have been my Grandmas Bday Dec 5th. Stormys Kidneys were gone when she was Pts. Sorry about your Son too. Our friend died on March 17th from Breast Cancer years ago then her son ended up hanging himself the next year.
 
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kittiekitten

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i called my regular vet. the only vet i could get her into was my in town vet, dont really like them. anyways my regular vet said, though she doesnt have the numbers and whatnot, to not put her down yet. she said the way things got so bad so quick and though her liver numbers are high, that her kidney levels could be off bc she is dehydrated and whatnot. her blood sugar being down i can see that happening since she isnt intaking anything..... like i said denial (aka hope) and praying for a miracle. i really cant put her down, since she isnt in pain, i got to let her continue to fight

with today being the anni of the passing of my son, i dont want to put her down today, since the vet said she isnt in pain. i want to wait and see how she does over night. i really hope if it is her time to go, she will go today/tonight. im bringing her stuff from home that has my smell so she knows im there and i cut a piece of my hair and left it with her too. i love her and deep down in my heart, i have to let her fight. until the vet can tell me without a doubt she is going to die, i cant put her down. i just cant. my heart and head are both telling me to wait and see. i really believe this is the right thing, since there isnt pain.

i am leaving right now to go and see her, if she is doing worse and whatnot then i may change my mind, but as of now if she is in the same state, im waiting. ty so much for your advice and please if you dont think im doing the right thing, forgive me. i just really have to let her fight. im going to ask the vet to talk to me in more detail about her numbers and stuff though.
 

laureen227

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& for you & Bobber...
& strength that you'll make the right decision for her, whatever that decision may be.
 

mews2much

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You are doing the right thing. If I had not given Coco a 2nd chance I would not have her now. They really did not think she would live and she did.
 
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kittiekitten

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i just got back from the vet! i have come to a decision. i am going to wait until tomorrow and see how she is doing. when i got there she was SOO much better, of course she just got done with the IV, but if she goes we had our little goodbye session, or hello i am a fighter and ill be ok (i can hope!).

i told her i wasnt going to give up and she gave me a love bite!!
she stood up on her own and tried to walk but 2 of her legs are bandaged up so it couldnt happen. she purred, was VERY responsive to things going on around her, especially me
AND she tried to eat. she wasn't able to though, she smelt it and i put it on her teeth, when she gave me love bites i think she got some of it in her mouth then, and some on my face lol.

Her blood levels are as follows. they only gave me her most recent ones.

type her numbers reference numbers
ALB 2.3 2.2-4.4
ALP 14 10-90
ALT 61 20-100
AMY 377 300-1100
TBIL .6 0.1-0.6
BUN 11 10-30
CA++ 6.9 8 - 11.8
PHOS 3.2 3.4 - 8.5
CRE .5 .3 - 2.1
GLU 30 70-150
NA+ 149 142 - 164
K+ 2.8 3.7 - 5.8
TP 6.6 5.4 - 8.2
GLOB 4.3 1.5 - 5.7
This test was taken this morning at 10:30 after she had an IV in her for a very short period of time. The IV was just straight fluids. My vet told me that it is no guarentee but with those numbers to not put her down yet (not the vet that she is at now).

In my heart I believe I am doing the right thing. If her levels do get a lot worse or if she becomes in pain, then that is the time I will make the decision, until then I am going to hold on to hope.
 
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