16 year old IBD cat - I think it may be time - serious turn for the worse

Never mind.

What type of medications and diet is he on?  I have a 10 year old cat that has had IBD flares since he was 18 months old and he is prone to constipation.  I think that is why it took 6 years of vet hopping to find a vet that started treating for IBD, the other vets didn't consider it because he didn't have diarrhea. His is controlled with a low dose of a steroid.  Of course there is also the possibility of something else going on.  I would give him the sub-q fluids and then take him in for complete blood work before making a decision.  I know he is 16 but I would have him checked over.  He may have something that can be fixed or controlled and he may have some more good time left.  Even if you end up having him euthanized you will know that you made sure that was the best thing to do.

I am so sorry to hear about your cat.  Is that him in the avatar photo?   That is a beautiful cat.

I have been through this myself last year  and it still is hard to think about the end.

Dehydration could make him feel pretty rotten.   nauseated and miserable.    Have you been giving him the  fluids regularly?   You might ask the vet about increasing the frequency or amount.  

( Are you really giving it IV?  = intravenous -- injecting into the vein.   Normally what is done at home is  subcutaneous  aka "Sub-Q "  -- under the skin.     However, if  you haven't been giving the fluids much and he  has become  super dehydrated,  it could be he has got so dehydrated he can't absorb them properly that way,  and  he might need to go to the vet and be put on IV fluids for a day ,  then continue with regular sub-q fluids at home.  

On the other hand,   if you have  already been giving him  like 150 ml a day   sub-q  and he is getting extremely dehydrated anyway......  then my thought is that it is probably a sign that his organs are shutting down and it is time to let him go.    but you should discuss that with his vet(s)  .  

Do you know how to check if he is dehydrated?   Take a pinch of skin on his back and pull up, and let go.  In a cat who is well hydrated it should snap back immediately . If it takes more than a second to go back down, the cat is dehydrated.   If it takes more than 3 seconds he needs to get to the vet ASAP. 

Have you ever tried giving him prednisilone?  that can be quite helpful for some IBD cats.  

There is another steroid called budesonide that specifically affects the GI tract. 

 Also if he is in pain,  you can treat that.  with a small amount of buprenorphine dripped slowly into the pocket of the cheek  to be absorbed by the lining of the mouth.  

Diet often plays a role.  WIth my IBD cat , some kinds of meat  and some grains like corn and wheat,  made his inflammation a lot worse ( bloody vomit and diarrhea) .   The vet recommended trying a grain free food with a type of meat he was not used to , such as venison, rabbit or duck.   I gave him the Natures Variety Instinct venison -- partly canned and partly their raw frozen. 

If this were my cat,   if I weren't already doing  all i could ,   I would probably try a few things like that to see if he could be more comfortable and get some enjoyment from life,  before I decided it is time .      "Pumping him full of fluids for another few months"   and giving medications is not  a bad thing IF it improves his quality of life. 

But it sounds like you have been dealing with this for a while and I don't know how you are currently treating his IBD.     so you need to decide if you have done everything you can for him and he is still feeling horrible most the time.....then it is time to let him go.

  Very sorry you are in this sad time. 

@ILUVCATS4EVER, what happened?  

Why did you change your first post to "Never mind." I was reading this last night from my phone, and now it's gone. Is everything okay?

ILUVCATS4EVER, 

 Please check in and let us know how your cat is and how you are.    I know this is an extremely difficult and painful period when it looks like a beloved cat is reaching the end and you have to make that big decision.   I really felt for you when I read your post that you deleted.     I hope I didn't say anything to upset you further.   I can't think what it would be,  but if I did,  it wasn't my intention at all.