prednisolon finally killed my cat made her body colapse

I apologize for horrible english, it’s my second language,but I hope you can understand the story.

My persian cat called Fergie was put down to sleep yesterday. I had her given to me on my birthday, and she looked very cute and was a very good cat. When she got little bit older we started to notice that she is licking her self like crazy,and eventually she developed bold spots on her belly and legs, we took her to the vet and even they did not know what is going on with her,they assumed it was alergy. So they recommended special food for her, but nothing seem to help. Finaly vet started to inject her with something im not sure what it was but as far as my dad told me it was prednisolon. It did indeed help her to stop constantly scratching her self till she bleeds,so her hair started to grow up back again, but the thing is every 1~2months she was getting again in condition when she needed injection to stop licking her self to blood. She lived like this for like 6~7 years with injections every 1~2months. Last month of her life was the worst she started to lose hair on her back and wounds started to appear. We waited untill wounds on back healed, and she was still licking her belly and arms till they became red and, one of her nipples swollen and turned a bit black, I knew that she wont last much longer,but we just could not see her licking herself to the bloody wounds, becouse all she did was lick hr self and bite, nothing even matter to her at the time, so we took her for last shot, and it was prednisolon that made her body colapse. On her elbow opened massive wound which as the vet told my dad when he brought her to him, it was deep to the bone, same thing happen with her chin and also on her stumick near nipple,and her mouth was full of wounds too, there was no other choice but put her to sleep. So basicly she lived all her life with injections every 1~2months, in order to stop her licking herself to death. But once she had injection she was perfectly normal cat, she did not lick no more,she was eating laying,always asking for attention, all family members loved her so much, and she had most amazing face I ever saw on a cat. The last view of my cat I remember is her sitting on a table with her jaw bleeding and elbow leaking blood,I did not even saw how bad her stumick was, but I knew that this might be the last time I see her, and it was, I went to work and after few hours my dad call me and told me they must put my cat to sleep, becouse all they could of done was make her live 1~2 weeks max and she would be in lots of pain. So I gave permision to stop her suffering and put her to sleep. It was hard for me to not cry at work,but I held myself strong. But as soon as I went to my front door I started to cry and once I got in I room I collapsed on my knews and cried like I never cried before,I finally realised I will never be able to hold her again. And what hurts me the most is that she was never bringing any problems to us,she was probably best attitude cat that u can ever have, she loved us and we loved her so much,but cruel fate gave her unknown allergy that made her suffer all her life, we knew these injections is killing her,but without them she could not live at all, she was constantly licking herself till she went bald. I blame myself for not even saying goodbye to her when I went to work, but I honnestly could not stand the view of blood leaking out of her chin and elbow,it was breaking my heart. So now I feel guilty for it, I just hope that she did knew how much I loved her, and I would give anything in the world just to hold her again and at least say goodbye… I still can’t stop suffering of her being gone, and memories about her makes me cry, I am 23 years old man but I cry like a little girl. I can't erase last image of her bleeding on table, it makes me cry every time i think about it.

I'm so sorry Robie.



She's in a better place now and she knows that you love her. Putting her to sleep was the kindest thing to do. You did all you could for her.

Just try to remember her as a happy, healthy cat. That is how she would want you to think of her, that is how she'll look when you see her again.

My heart aches for what you are going through, I know the pain can be so bad it takes your breathe away. You lost a beloved friend, a family member, you have to grieve, the hole in your heart is so very painful and will always leave a scar. You did your best, you gave that sweet baby a near normal life for a long time, and you loved her, which is all she ever wanted. I pray you will be blessed for the love and care you gave her.  Please try to remember the happy times, and how much you two meant to each other, don't dwell on the end, it brings nothing but heartache, which your baby would never want you to remember her with. We all feel guilt when our baby's leave us, there are always those should haves, could haves that can make us so sad. Cherish your memories of a happier time and remember she will always be alive in your heart as long as you live. Be gentle on yourself and take care, we do understand your pain. RIP beautiful Fergie, you were greatly loved!

I am so sorry for your loss, believe me when I tell you that most of us here have gone through this and can totally relate to how you are feeling at this point.

It is hard, I will not sugarcoat it. It has been 45 days since I lost my furry friend and I still cry every single day, so if you were really fond of your baby, you will surely go through some sort of personal hell.

The first 3 weeks will seem the worst, but infact, they are not. We are still in a strange mixture of denial, blame (it is natural for you to blame yourself, do not be alarmed) and shock, so somewhere deep in our mind we know our furry friends are dead, but the brain is still keeping them very much alive.

After this phase you will slowly stop thinking about her being gone and start crying again when you see her pictures or her blanket or a bowl. But this time the pain will be much more raw. Because you will finally start accepting and acknowledging that your friend is unfortunately never going to return. And that hurts the most.

It is like waking up from a long dream, suddenly everything you thought was real and persons that you thought were real is gone and you are thrown back to a time when your friend never existed and sometimes it feels like you are denying their existence and sometimes you will feel like you are forgetting them and will hate yourself for forgetting... but... words of comfort....

You had some special times with her, you loved her, your whole family loved her, she knew in her own way that she was loved, accepted, being taken care off... your friend would not cry, cats do not fear death, they do not fear leaving us, it us who need them more. She had a great life, and I know you will not remember every single day, but believe me, every day even a minute that you spent with her was precious. There are so many memories, so many moments that are stored in our concious and we are not aware of them, until something triggers the memories. Your friend would not want you to cry. But I guess we are not as brave as them.

Trust me, you did nothing wrong. There is never anything wrong that we who love our friends can do. We would never intentionally hurt them, we would never leave them in pain if we always had a choice, but sometimes there is not a lot that we can do, but to try and accept that things had to be the way they are. It just had to be that way, your little furry friend still loves you.

P.s. what helps a lot is writing everything that comes to your mind, just write in a pad, a notebook, in computer document, wherever. Also, drawing helps, even if you think you dont know how to draw, just let it all out, cry it out, draw her from her photos, write sentences across that drawing, what you would like to tell her, how you feel without her... or create a special memory corner with her favorite toys, her picture, a blanket, go buy a flower and plant it in her memory....

I wish you all the best ofcourse.

Fergie 

I'm very sorry for your loss. You did what you could for her and gave her many years that she otherwise may not have had. She surely knew you loved her. You can say good-bye to her over the coming weeks and months as you grieve for her, and in time you'll be able to accept that it was her time to leave you.

I'm so sorry.

I am very sorry for your loss. I know the pain of losing a precious kitty. They come into our lives and need us. We love them and care for their every need. They love us in return and then they must leave us. It may be one year, five years or even twenty years. However long or short they are here with us the time is never enough. The pain can be unbearable when they leave us.Also, we all feel some guilt over our kitty's loss.We all think "if only" we did or didn't do this. It is our pain that is making us think that way.
Take Care!
Try to remember your kitty with love and happy memories! !

This comment is coming from Norway. My cat Jethro is 18 years old. He has kidney failure and he’s on medication since September 2012. Every evening I administer 5 mg FORTEKOR. He’s on special diet. I tried Hills, Royal Canin, Purina and Eukanuba but he disliked them very much. He ate about 30 grams a day and gradually he started going down in weight. Then by chance I read about zooplus, mail order company specialising in marketing pet food. They have branches all over Europe except Norway. They do not accept orders from Norway. So friend of mine in England orders the food (Integra) to her home and then removes the address label, fixes my address and sends it over to me. Since June 2014 he’s on Integra vet food.

My cat Jethro is experiencing breathing problems. Also he’s become weak in his legs. Yesterday he could not get up from the litter box. I took him to the vet by train (an hour journey) and after examining him he gave prednisolone (2.5 mg per day) tablets for the weekend. I have a new appointment on Monday. Before I give any medicine I check on the web to find out other people have experienced by administering the drug.  

After returning home I checked the web on side effects of prednisolone and answers are quite confusing. Some are praising, some are sceptical and some are warning.

This morning he could not get up. I lifted him up and placed him in the litterbox but he could not stand. I put him on the bed, gently massaged his legs and body and he’s has gone to sleep. When he wakes up I’ll feed him. Then I searched the cat site and read about Robie’s loss.

Dear Robie, I’m also crying. It’s very difficult to bear the separation. You’re 23 and crying like a little girl. Do you know how old I’m? I’m more than 60 and my eyes are filled with tears as I am typing thinking about your Fergie. There is nothing wrong in crying. Wipe your eyes. Your affectionate, darling, dear Fergie has not left you. She’s in your heart. She will be always with you.

I am worried about my Jethro. After he came into my life I haven’t gone on “extended” vacation. At the most I went on vacation for four days. The first night he howled and howled during my absence. We both missed each other. His welfare, health and enjoyment always comes before my own.

You have mentioned that English is not your first language. Then I suggest start writing in your own language about Fergie. Write about her. It’s a good therapy. Wish my Jethro good health!

Dear Fergie, please tell your Robie that you’re fine and you’ll be in her heart. Love from Jethro in Norway.

How sad it is to part with our loved little friends.  They steal our hearts before we are even aware.  I am so sorry for your loss.  Crying is a good thing!  My baby has been gone since Jan.19 & I still cry for him almost every day.  If a few days go by I feel urgent need to be alone & cry.  Writing is a good idea.  I have not done it myself but do what feels right to you.  Instead, I sit in my den, turn the lights off & light a candle.  I have his ashes, picture, condolence cards & a few of his toys on the fireplace mantel.  I just talk to him & tell him how much I miss him, love him  & the things I am sorry I didn't do right.  He hears me I am sure. You think for awhile you are getting better & then a new memory pops up & the sorrow floods again.  This is the natural process of grieving & it is better to just go through it rather than be brave & hide it.  Fergie is in a better place with no discomfort or worries.  He knows he was loved & cared for his whole life with you & you helped him cross over.  They are just fine on the other side.  It is a shame those of us left behind have to go through so much pain but we could not have loved them less to avoid it.  One day you & I will be able to just enjoy our memories of them..

Take care & know we are here to listen.

 Condolences on losing your dear Fergie! She was a blessing to your family and your family was a blessing to her.  The shots that shortened her life also gave her relief from that awful condition.  When the time came, your family showed her true love by giving her a peaceful end even though the end of her pains was the beginning of yours. I pray for comfort and healing for you!

I am so sorry for your loss, Robie. You and your family were wonderful to Fergie and she would have suffered tremendously if you had not been in her life. Rejoice that you made her life as comfortable as it could possibly be. Dwell on the times between the shots when she was the sweet, affectionate, adorable cat you loved. Don't think about what you did or didn't do for her; there is a plan and a purpose to every living thing on earth - even if we can't see it ourselves.

I wish you peace and joyful memories of your beloved Fergie.

Best regards.

Oh, I meant to say, too, that you should never apologize for your English. It is very good and we all understood what you wrote - with both our minds and our hearts.

Best regards.

oh, I'm so so sorry.... you all loved her so much....and she knew that. I'm thankful she is at peace...but am also happy you had many years happy years with her and she did have times where the shots helped her...

I'm so sorry for your loss, my thoughts and prayers go out to you during this difficult time.

RIP Fergie

Robie I am so sorry for the loss of your beloved cat Fergie. You loved Fergie and cared for her the best you could and that's what love is all about. Putting a beloved pet down to me is the greatest act of love you can give to your pet as you have freed them of their suffering. It's very hard but it does get easier although it's never easy. I'm getting all teary eyed while I am writing this post.

I did a quick look at this  found at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prednisone and it seems Prednisone is used to help treat allergies. I'm not saying Fergie had allergies, you'll have to ask her vet, but it sounds like Prednisone was being used to help treat Fergie for her itching. One of the potential side effects of this drug is osteoporosis. Again, you may want to ask your vet about this being a possibility as I am not a medical professional.

I do know that when I receive cortisone shots for my allergies I do feel better and it helps relieve my itching and when I'm itching it drives me crazy. If you look at it from my human perspective, Fergie felt so much better after receiving her Prednisone. You provided her many years of dedicated and loving care and I'm sure Fergie knew how much you loved her.

Beautiful message you sent Fergie. My cat 17 is facing a hard end as well with Cancer. I will do what I can for her until I see happiness leave her life and pain overcome it. I just hope she passes in her sleep so I don't have to make that painful decision. The love you have for your cat is beautiful. I would love to have such a wonderful man as yourself as a close friend. People that can love animals as deeply as yourself are the best people on this earth. Unfortunately we must share the world with the people with such maddens they are hurting so many in Paris right now. My thoughts and prayers are with you. So nice to know there are wonderful people like yourselves loving animals in Norway. Best Wishes, Patty in the US

PLBR said:

Beautiful message you sent Fergie. My cat 17 is facing a hard end as well with Cancer. I will do what I can for her until I see happiness leave her life and pain overcome it. I just hope she passes in her sleep so I don't have to make that painful decision. The love you have for your cat is beautiful. I would love to have such a wonderful man as yourself as a close friend. People that can love animals as deeply as yourself are the best people on this earth. Unfortunately we must share the world with the people with such maddens they are hurting so many in Paris right now. My thoughts and prayers are with you. So nice to know there are wonderful people like yourselves loving animals in Norway. Best Wishes, Patty in the US

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I am so sorry your kitty is not well, Midi and I will send you healing thoughts and say a prayer for both of you