I am new to this forum and this is my first post. I wasn’t sure whether it was more appropriate to post this here or in the “Crossing the Bridge” forum. I have a remarkable little female tuxedo cat in her retirement years (15 years old). During a routine exam 2 months ago, showed signs of a thyroid problem. Our vet said that according to her blood test, she was in fine shape otherwise. He started her on some medication to treat the thyroid but she soon started showing some signs of breathing problems.
She has also been eating much less and had dropped to 7 1/2 pounds. I sensed something more was wrong when she had no interest in the Thanksgiving turkey. On past Thanksgivings, she has always parked herself by the oven as soon as that great smell of roasting turkey became apparent and would meow her little head off until it was served and she got some.
Our vet has been terrific and has had me call him between office visits and keep him apprised of how she was doing. Finally, this morning she was due for another blood test and during the visit, the vet noticed that her breathing problems seemed more serious. To make a long story short, he took an x-ray of her abdomen which showed considerable fluid in her lungs, so much so that her heart wasn’t even visible on the film.
He did some more tests and also did some minor surgery to remove some of the fluid from her lungs. The bottom line is that he feels she has either congestive heart failure or abdominal tumors, with a slight possibility of a collapsed lymph channel (which would be less serious). We will have more information from her tests tomorrow morning but he made it clear that anything he could do at this point would be only temporary.
Our vet is very highly regarded and has been absolutely wonderful with her. He managed to buy her (and us) some more time, whether it is months, weeks or just days and I know he won’t let her suffer. I feel certain that many vets would have probably just euthanized her this morning so I am grateful to still have a little more time with her. I would love to have her through the holidays but will do what’s best for her.
Even though I have been well aware of her age, I have been shocked at how rapid her deterioration has been. Just 2 months ago, she seemed as good as new. I’ve just been mostly sitting around in tears today, trying to absorb the news and not being able to get much of anything done. I guess I have been spoiled because our previous cat lived for 21 years.
I do have one question which may seem strange but which I haven’t ever seen addressed anywhere else. Perhaps others here can help me with it. When her time finally comes, whether the vet euthanizes her or she dies a natural death at home, what options do I have in dealing with her body? We always buried our previous pets at a family farm in Pennsylvania but our relatives there have all passed, the farm has been sold and that’s no longer an option. We also live in an apartment so burying her here is not an option. Thanks in advance for any feedback.
She has also been eating much less and had dropped to 7 1/2 pounds. I sensed something more was wrong when she had no interest in the Thanksgiving turkey. On past Thanksgivings, she has always parked herself by the oven as soon as that great smell of roasting turkey became apparent and would meow her little head off until it was served and she got some.
Our vet has been terrific and has had me call him between office visits and keep him apprised of how she was doing. Finally, this morning she was due for another blood test and during the visit, the vet noticed that her breathing problems seemed more serious. To make a long story short, he took an x-ray of her abdomen which showed considerable fluid in her lungs, so much so that her heart wasn’t even visible on the film.
He did some more tests and also did some minor surgery to remove some of the fluid from her lungs. The bottom line is that he feels she has either congestive heart failure or abdominal tumors, with a slight possibility of a collapsed lymph channel (which would be less serious). We will have more information from her tests tomorrow morning but he made it clear that anything he could do at this point would be only temporary.
Our vet is very highly regarded and has been absolutely wonderful with her. He managed to buy her (and us) some more time, whether it is months, weeks or just days and I know he won’t let her suffer. I feel certain that many vets would have probably just euthanized her this morning so I am grateful to still have a little more time with her. I would love to have her through the holidays but will do what’s best for her.
Even though I have been well aware of her age, I have been shocked at how rapid her deterioration has been. Just 2 months ago, she seemed as good as new. I’ve just been mostly sitting around in tears today, trying to absorb the news and not being able to get much of anything done. I guess I have been spoiled because our previous cat lived for 21 years.
I do have one question which may seem strange but which I haven’t ever seen addressed anywhere else. Perhaps others here can help me with it. When her time finally comes, whether the vet euthanizes her or she dies a natural death at home, what options do I have in dealing with her body? We always buried our previous pets at a family farm in Pennsylvania but our relatives there have all passed, the farm has been sold and that’s no longer an option. We also live in an apartment so burying her here is not an option. Thanks in advance for any feedback.