Tommy & Cecilia could both use all of the vibes and prayers you guys can spare right now (I could use a good bit of vibes too if you guys can spare some. I'm not handling this well and I'm just now up to posting about this). As of this week, both of my special needs kitties have taken a dramatic turn for the worse.
I am heartbroken and soo upset over it. I have an appointment with a new vetrinarian today at 2:30 for both of them.
I adopted both kitties back in June when a local cat shelter was facing the possibility of closing their shop doors due to lack of funding. (they have since recieved a sponsor that has alloted them enough money to keep the shop up and running.) Since I used to work as a vet tech and I am comfortable administering meds, caring for special needs animals etc, I decided to adopt one of the oldest cats there (Cecilia) and one of the most ill (Tommy). My intent from the start has been to give them a loving, comfortable home where they can live out their golden days, reguardless of how long or short they might be. From the get-go, I made a promise to both of them that I would never let them suffer though if I saw their health begin to decline.
As of this week, despite IV drips, calcatron, renal K gel, aluminum supplements,etc Tommy's severe CRF has dramatically begun to worsen.
He's only 9 years old. This week he has gone from being bright-eyed and bushy tailed to being lethargic, depressed, and not grooming himself...I increased his IV fluids to see if that may improve things, but non improvement has been made. He has gone from perfect litterbox ettiquite to having accidents (and they're increasing more each day). He has also began vomiting multiple times a day...even to the point that it's clear & foamy when there's no food involved. He has also stopped opening up all of the cabinents in my apartment and stopped trying to play with the puppy and go "fishing" in my fish tanks...goofy little things he's always done from day one that showed me he had spunk and energy. He has also begun hiding in very odd spots in my apartment, instead of playing on on the cat tree he loves or laying in one of his many cat beds.. almost like he's looking for a place to pass
. To top all of that off...he has begun having seizures this week as well. It started out with a few small ones and now they have become more frequent and more common. Yesterday I came home from running some errands to find Tommy laying in the floor seizing. I have no idea how long his sezure was going on before I came home. It absolutely broke my heart to see little Tommy like that.
Cecilia..well she's gone downhill this week as well. It's just too much having to deal with two of my babies going downhill in the same week.
I've always been able to handle/deal with my special needs animals and know when it's time to say goodbye, but until now, I've never had two decline soo rapidly in the same week.
Cecilia is well over 20 years old (I would easily put her in her mid-twenties). As of the last few weeks she has steadily declined in health as well. I had her groomed/bathed back in July as she can no longer groom herself. She weighed around 5lbs then. Now she optimistically weighs around 3lbs tops. She also has severe gingivostomatitis ....that can be treated only one way- a full dental extration. Several vets have already told me that based on her lab work, she would not fair well with anestesia and that kind of surgery at that age, so she has been recieving monthly steroid/antibiotic injections to help with the inflammation/pain a bit...but they don't seem to do much as she whines anytime you try to clean her up or get near her mouth. Her vision has also become much worse as well...she has cataracts on both eyes and this week has begun running into things (I have not moved any furniture/etc around to make it easier on her). To sum it up, my poor little girl looks like a walking skeleton...you can see and feel every bone in her little body, despite her eating like a pig and recieving nutritional supplements. Cecilia has begun to turn into a recluse the last two weeks...now she hides in her cat bed and rarely comes out to greet me like she used to. (Normally she would greet me and slap me with her little paw while she begged for food...despite her age, she has always been spunky and a little pig about food...but the last two weeks that's changed and she's steadily been loosing weight and declining.)
I think it's safe to say that I'm at my wits end right now
To top ALL of that off, I'm having heart surgery on Monday.(I had already made arrangements for my mom to care for my cats and administer medicine while I'm in the hospital and for my sister to keep my puppy in her home). I would be devistated if something happened to Tommy or Cecilia if they made it to next week and I was away. I also wouldn't want my mom to have to make the decision to take them to the vet and have to deal with that while I'm away. I honestly don't know what to do at this point, so I'm going to get another opinion from the vet today...maybe he has a new treatment option or maybe he'll tell me what the other vets have said as well. Eithor way, I'll feel more comfortable making a decision after today's vet visit and consultation. (It'll be the 3rd one, so if they're all in agreement, then I will do what's best for my kitties.) I am too upset and attached to make a clear decision on my own right now. I have already recieved two other opinions from different vets, all of them telling me that both cats need to be put down so they don't suffer anymore. Even some of my friends and family members that visit me often have noticed the decline in the health of both cats and have mentioned that if they were there pets, they would not let them continue to suffer and deteriorate. I know they're right, but I'm still having a hard time thinking about letting go of two at once if that's what today's visit to the vet determines is best.
Please send some vibes and prayers if you guys can spare them...this has been a very difficult week.
I adopted both kitties back in June when a local cat shelter was facing the possibility of closing their shop doors due to lack of funding. (they have since recieved a sponsor that has alloted them enough money to keep the shop up and running.) Since I used to work as a vet tech and I am comfortable administering meds, caring for special needs animals etc, I decided to adopt one of the oldest cats there (Cecilia) and one of the most ill (Tommy). My intent from the start has been to give them a loving, comfortable home where they can live out their golden days, reguardless of how long or short they might be. From the get-go, I made a promise to both of them that I would never let them suffer though if I saw their health begin to decline.
As of this week, despite IV drips, calcatron, renal K gel, aluminum supplements,etc Tommy's severe CRF has dramatically begun to worsen.
Cecilia..well she's gone downhill this week as well. It's just too much having to deal with two of my babies going downhill in the same week.
I think it's safe to say that I'm at my wits end right now
