I'd like to ask for everyone's good thoughts for Bogart please!
Bogart, my 13 year old, has been health compromised since he caught a URI at 8 weeks old (he nearly died) which caused permanent respiratory problems within his sinuses. He has lived most of his life in what I'd compare to an allergic state with consistent sneezing and running nose. He has been on various medicines at least 3-4 times a year for his entire life. My vet at the time told me that I shouldn't expect him to live beyond 10 years because of the opportunistic infections that were going to come his way.
About 1-1/2 years ago, he was diagnosed with CRF. We've had him on and off sub-q fluids, even going as far as inserting a catheter in him to ease his trauma of the needle stick (he hated the catheter more than the needle stick so that was removed after 3 weeks). Thru this he has lost weight (from 11 pounds to 8 pounds). He's been off the sub-q's for the last couple of months - we stopped them because he was so incredibly stressed about the process and his blood/urine tests showed him to be stable. He has told us in his own way that he doesn't want these anymore.
He's been battling a recurrent round of sinus problems the last few months and has been at the vet a couple of times (he returns tomorrow). He can't smell very good, so he is eating less and starting to drop more weight. None of the medicine seems to be working on him anymore. We steam him when we are in the shower, have vaporizers going to keep his sinuses moist, give him special meals throughout the day to keep him eating and air purifiers to keep any allergens out of the air. We give him priority at feeding times to let him know he is still top cat in the house.
Behavioral wise he is still the loving boy that he has always been, although he keeps to himself (the box in the cat condo) more and more each day. I see signs of early depression in him and love him all the more to keep his spirits up.
Anyway, I feel in my heart that we are within a few months of making a decision for him. I need the strength to do the right thing for him - we're so attached to him that this decision is going to be very hard on Steve and I.
Please pass along good thoughts for my Bogart! And if you have any to spare, to Steve and I with the decision that we are going to have to make in the near future.
Bogart, my 13 year old, has been health compromised since he caught a URI at 8 weeks old (he nearly died) which caused permanent respiratory problems within his sinuses. He has lived most of his life in what I'd compare to an allergic state with consistent sneezing and running nose. He has been on various medicines at least 3-4 times a year for his entire life. My vet at the time told me that I shouldn't expect him to live beyond 10 years because of the opportunistic infections that were going to come his way.
About 1-1/2 years ago, he was diagnosed with CRF. We've had him on and off sub-q fluids, even going as far as inserting a catheter in him to ease his trauma of the needle stick (he hated the catheter more than the needle stick so that was removed after 3 weeks). Thru this he has lost weight (from 11 pounds to 8 pounds). He's been off the sub-q's for the last couple of months - we stopped them because he was so incredibly stressed about the process and his blood/urine tests showed him to be stable. He has told us in his own way that he doesn't want these anymore.
He's been battling a recurrent round of sinus problems the last few months and has been at the vet a couple of times (he returns tomorrow). He can't smell very good, so he is eating less and starting to drop more weight. None of the medicine seems to be working on him anymore. We steam him when we are in the shower, have vaporizers going to keep his sinuses moist, give him special meals throughout the day to keep him eating and air purifiers to keep any allergens out of the air. We give him priority at feeding times to let him know he is still top cat in the house.
Behavioral wise he is still the loving boy that he has always been, although he keeps to himself (the box in the cat condo) more and more each day. I see signs of early depression in him and love him all the more to keep his spirits up.
Anyway, I feel in my heart that we are within a few months of making a decision for him. I need the strength to do the right thing for him - we're so attached to him that this decision is going to be very hard on Steve and I.
Please pass along good thoughts for my Bogart! And if you have any to spare, to Steve and I with the decision that we are going to have to make in the near future.
