Would you do it?

rafm · Mar 22, 2012

DH and I have been faced with a difficult decision that we are trying to work through. I'm wondering what you all would do.

Our 21 yo kitty, Bogey, has severe arthritis. He was on Adequin 1x/month, 1/4 baby aspirin every 3 day and Torbutrol nightly. The manufacturer of Torbutrol stopped producing it so we had to look at alternative treatments.

We increased the Adequin to 2x/month, increased aspirin to 1/2 tablet every 3days and Buprenephrine as needed. His pain has steadily increased the past few days...he's crying out, won't move off the bed, or his spot for that matter, vomiting (which really isn't too unusual) and diarrhea. When DH tried to pick him up today he tried to bite....he has never bitten.

In my research I have found Gabapentin has been used successfully in cats to manage chronic pain. However, it is not labeled for use in cats which means the side effects have not been fully studied nor are they listed with the medication. If the cat were to suffer a side effect, we wouldn't know what we were looking for.

Would you give your cat the medicine?

stephanietx · Mar 22, 2012

How is this going to affect his quality of life? Will it extend his life and make him more comfortable or not? What is the alternative? What are the possible side effects? What does your vet say?

ldg · Mar 22, 2012

As you're out of choices, really, and your vet recommends giving it a try, I'd try it. He's just not himself in this kind of pain, that is quite clear.

I think it's worth the risk if it improves his quality of life. :vibes:

rafm · Mar 22, 2012

stephanietx said:
How is this going to affect his quality of life? It could improve his pain management and get him back out into the rest of the house. He might get more comfort, he might not, we don't know for sure exactly. No feline specific studies other than anecdotal.

Will it extend his life and make him more comfortable or not? We just dont know, it might, it might not

What is the alternative? Put him to sleep to release him from pain

What are the possible side effects? We don't know. It's not labeled for use in cats but has been used in cats

What does your vet say? She is anxious because she doesn't normally use experimental treatments but understands he is very old and we are going to lose him sooner rather than later. The question and thought we keep coming back to is we are going to lose him if we do nothing, if we try the medicine and we lose him, at least we tried. But what if it does work and we get more time with him? We are all apprehensive.

nebula · Mar 22, 2012

Im not sure. 21 is really old for a cat-

I know that Smokie gets pain like that sometimes, and while he is only 8 - the Meloxicam seems to work wonders for him. I think, if I had the money & resources I would do whatever to get kitty feeling better. But at 21 years old, it seems like at best- a prolongation.

rafm · Mar 22, 2012

Nebula - I know we are just prolonging the inevitable. He is very old. But when we got him 3 years ago when his family was just throwing him away, I promised him I would never throw him away. I can't just give up if there's something that might work...I'd feel like we were just throwing him away again. He deserves our best. It is so hard.

stephanietx · Mar 22, 2012

It seems to me you've already made your mind up.

Like you've said, you know you're going to lose him sooner or later and if you at least try the meds, you can say you've tried. I have a feeling that if you don't at least try, it'll eat you up.

nebula · Mar 22, 2012

RAFM said:
Nebula - I know we are just prolonging the inevitable. He is very old. But when we got him 3 years ago when his family was just throwing him away, I promised him I would never throw him away. I can't just give up if there's something that might work...I'd feel like we were just throwing him away again. He deserves our best. It is so hard.

I know it's hard, and I didn't mean to come across as mean, negative, or suggesting in any way to throw him away. I know what you're saying, I guess with me- if you can afford it, then go for it, youre right- he does deserve the best try. I guess it comes down to quality of life, if it will give him a better quality then go for it.

Sorry for the way I came across.

rafm · Mar 22, 2012

Nebula - please don't apologize, I didn't take it negatively at all. I completely understand where you are coming from....I've been over and over it in my head all day. That's why I posted here...sometimes you are just too close to make a rational decision.

Stephanietx - we are heavily leaning towards doing it but want to hear others thoughts....I want it to work so bad that the rational thought sometimes needs to come from outside.

stephanietx · Mar 22, 2012

I know that when we were at the end of life with our Callie, we had to discuss whether to do fluids or not. We ended up doing fluids for a few days (she had chronic renal failure) , then I took a couple of days off to spend with her, then we put her to sleep. I know that if we hadn't at least given her a few days of fluids, I would've regretted it.

nebula · Mar 22, 2012

RAFM said:
Nebula - please don't apologize, I didn't take it negatively at all. I completely understand where you are coming from....I've been over and over it in my head all day. That's why I posted here...sometimes you are just too close to make a rational decision.
Stephanietx - we are heavily leaning towards doing it but want to hear others thoughts....I want it to work so bad that the rational thought sometimes needs to come from outside.

Sometimes it is hard to see rationally when you are so close to the situation, this is life. I know there have been (unrleated to cats) times in my life when I wanted somethign to work so bad, I convinced myself it was for the best. It happens, just do what you feel you need to do for your kitty.

ldg · Mar 23, 2012

IMO, since he is otherwise healthy, and when not in pain, sweet and happy, I think something must be tried. When we found out about Lazlo's cancer, I received a number of PMs from people saying they'd never put a kitty through the trauma of chemotherapy. Well, we decided to try and see how Lazlo handled it and responded. And now I have no "what ifs." Even if the miracle didn't happen for him, in our minds, at least we would have tried, and we'd still have had no "what ifs"

But Ritz posted in your other thread a brilliant idea that I think is VERY much worth pursuing ASAP - acupuncture. :nod: Our current Holistic D.V.M. is trained in chinese meds and acupuncture, and arthritis pain is one of the things on which acupuncture typically works VERY well. :nod:

Willowy · Mar 23, 2012

How about Tramadol? I know arthrtic dogs on Tramadol and it seems to work well (and it's an opiate so they feel gooo-ood

). Gabapentin is for nerve pain, I'm not sure how it would work for arthritis.

I would try anything reasonable, even if experimental. If it won't make him worse, it could make him better. . .worth a try.

rafm · Mar 26, 2012

Bogey suffered a major seizure this morning and we had to let him go. Thank you all for your support and ideas.

ldg · Mar 26, 2012

Oh honey NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bawling:

:sobbing: :heart2: :hugs:

I am so so sorry. :heart2: He was so very lucky to find his way to you to truly enjoy his golden years. :rub: Because of your calling to care for the older babies, you've seen more than your fair share of this heartwrench (because it's so much more than heartache!). But knowing that day is coming makes it hurt no less. Aw hun.... :hugs:

Bogey

Fly free, now that you're pain free again, Bogey. :rbheart:

catmom5 · Mar 26, 2012

I had originally shared our positive experiences using gabapentin for severe arthritis pain, but see that you have lost your boy this morning.

Godspeed, Bogey.

catmom5

catmom5 · Mar 26, 2012

I just read back and see that you had to let Bogey go on to the Rainbow Bridge. I'm sorry - but you gave him every chance for a really good life in his senior years.

For the others who talked about meloxicam (metacam) - after CJ had the toxic pet food and was in kidney failure, her vet at that time gave her metacam for pain and it blew out what was left of her kidney function. It was only because she spent a couple of weeks in ICU at the vet teaching hospital that she survived at all. So, please, be careful with metacam.

Again, I'm so sorry for your loss.

RIP Bogey

catmom5

jcat · Mar 26, 2012

Bogey has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, so this thread will now be closed: We lost Bogey this morning

Would you do it?

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