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- May 27, 2006
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Hi,
I have three wonderful kitties, 2, 10, and 21. My 21 year old seems to have been having one problem after another for last four months. Here is a brief history :
He is a neutered male, I watched him come into this world when I was 4 and have since been with him. When he was around 8 yrs, he got a real bad UTI and almost died. Had all sorts of tubes and IV's in him.
At 12 I went by my parents house to visit him (I had moved out a couple months prior) and found him in horrible living conditions, in fact he wasn't breathing. I did everything I could, he came back and from that moment on he's been living with me.
At 16 he had a tumor on his right ear. He would scratch it and fling blood all over. I took him to a few vets, one said he would cut off the ear and my cat would mostly likely die anyway because of the condition of organs, it was very risky putting him under. Acouple others just told me he would most likely die because he's considered at risk due to his age. Then I found a godsend who would not have to remove his ear, would monitor all his organs and assured me that he would be ok. The surgery went beautifully, but the vet made sure to tell me that he cannot go under again, that death would be pretty much guaranteed and his kidney's were going.
About eight months later, I was in the right place at the right time when I saw a pool of blood come out of his anus as he went to the bathroom. I rushed him to my vet, with the blood and they put him on antibiotics. Evidently, he munched on some sort of houseplant the triggered some nasty bacteria in the stomach. He said my cat would have died by the next day had I not acted so quickly.
For the last few years, he's been fine with the exception of some puking here and there the last couple years. About 4 months ago he started to munch the litter, i kept stopping him, but he'd get into it when i slept. I've sinced switched litters and he stopped. He has since lost a few pounds, I can feel all of his bones. He walks like an old drunk. He confined himself to the bathroom for a couple weeks, i had to bring him his food and water. He has constantly been in good spirits though, purring, talking to me and licking my hand. His kidney's are shot, consuming large amounts of water and peeing like a race horse.
Now he moved to the kitchen which is where he has been for the last month. He got an abcess on his left cheek 2 weeks back, within 2 day it swelled the left side of his face. Literally the first sign if it occurred overnight. His eating habits have been the same like everything else. My former vet is not in practice anymore, so I call around. Everyone wants to put him under, I explain he can't, it'll be a death bed. They agree, but yet they want to do other things too, like worry about a little cataract. I guess in the big city it's all about taking money. I got ahold of a friend who had some antibiotics for her kitty that had recently passed and gave the amoxicillan to my kitty. The abcess drained, face is normal now.
Now a new problem. His butt is leaking. He goes to the litter box, does his business, though he isn't pooping much. On his way back to the kitchen he squats and discharges the most foul smelling brown liquid on the carpet. I keep cleaning it up. The last two days, it's gotten all over the kitchen floor, his bed, it's just coming out on it's own without him squatting now. It's even when he's sleeping.
Now , I've read the threads on anal glands, etc. and I know everyone's first thing to say is "take him to the vet". I'll do anything in the world for this cat, I love him dearly, but even if this isn't something the have to put him under for, they keep coming up with a series of things they want to do which require him going under. With his history and age, one might even say to put him down. This is not a chance I am willing to take. By all means, if something was terribly wrong that was making him suffer, I would ease his pain, but I don't see the point in that if he is still enjoying life. He does not seem to be in any discomfort and is very loving. He's had many close calls and he is not ready to go. Can anyone please give me some advice on what I can do for him?? PLEASE!
In Dire Need Of Help
(ok, it wasn't that brief of a history, but he's 21)
I have three wonderful kitties, 2, 10, and 21. My 21 year old seems to have been having one problem after another for last four months. Here is a brief history :
He is a neutered male, I watched him come into this world when I was 4 and have since been with him. When he was around 8 yrs, he got a real bad UTI and almost died. Had all sorts of tubes and IV's in him.
At 12 I went by my parents house to visit him (I had moved out a couple months prior) and found him in horrible living conditions, in fact he wasn't breathing. I did everything I could, he came back and from that moment on he's been living with me.
At 16 he had a tumor on his right ear. He would scratch it and fling blood all over. I took him to a few vets, one said he would cut off the ear and my cat would mostly likely die anyway because of the condition of organs, it was very risky putting him under. Acouple others just told me he would most likely die because he's considered at risk due to his age. Then I found a godsend who would not have to remove his ear, would monitor all his organs and assured me that he would be ok. The surgery went beautifully, but the vet made sure to tell me that he cannot go under again, that death would be pretty much guaranteed and his kidney's were going.
About eight months later, I was in the right place at the right time when I saw a pool of blood come out of his anus as he went to the bathroom. I rushed him to my vet, with the blood and they put him on antibiotics. Evidently, he munched on some sort of houseplant the triggered some nasty bacteria in the stomach. He said my cat would have died by the next day had I not acted so quickly.
For the last few years, he's been fine with the exception of some puking here and there the last couple years. About 4 months ago he started to munch the litter, i kept stopping him, but he'd get into it when i slept. I've sinced switched litters and he stopped. He has since lost a few pounds, I can feel all of his bones. He walks like an old drunk. He confined himself to the bathroom for a couple weeks, i had to bring him his food and water. He has constantly been in good spirits though, purring, talking to me and licking my hand. His kidney's are shot, consuming large amounts of water and peeing like a race horse.
Now he moved to the kitchen which is where he has been for the last month. He got an abcess on his left cheek 2 weeks back, within 2 day it swelled the left side of his face. Literally the first sign if it occurred overnight. His eating habits have been the same like everything else. My former vet is not in practice anymore, so I call around. Everyone wants to put him under, I explain he can't, it'll be a death bed. They agree, but yet they want to do other things too, like worry about a little cataract. I guess in the big city it's all about taking money. I got ahold of a friend who had some antibiotics for her kitty that had recently passed and gave the amoxicillan to my kitty. The abcess drained, face is normal now.
Now a new problem. His butt is leaking. He goes to the litter box, does his business, though he isn't pooping much. On his way back to the kitchen he squats and discharges the most foul smelling brown liquid on the carpet. I keep cleaning it up. The last two days, it's gotten all over the kitchen floor, his bed, it's just coming out on it's own without him squatting now. It's even when he's sleeping.
Now , I've read the threads on anal glands, etc. and I know everyone's first thing to say is "take him to the vet". I'll do anything in the world for this cat, I love him dearly, but even if this isn't something the have to put him under for, they keep coming up with a series of things they want to do which require him going under. With his history and age, one might even say to put him down. This is not a chance I am willing to take. By all means, if something was terribly wrong that was making him suffer, I would ease his pain, but I don't see the point in that if he is still enjoying life. He does not seem to be in any discomfort and is very loving. He's had many close calls and he is not ready to go. Can anyone please give me some advice on what I can do for him?? PLEASE!
In Dire Need Of Help
(ok, it wasn't that brief of a history, but he's 21)
