Can't help asking....

[WhiteAilly]

Could the tube feeding to supplement the nutrients needed for a 19 year old cat with kidney disease stage 3 and a tumor on his jar who stopped eating prolong his life? Although I asked to choose whatever possible to keep him live a little longer, our vet recommended to euthanizing him because he was already 19, not having a quality of life anymore and suffering. So we did. Still have a massive regret for not persuading the vet to tube feeding him before letting him go. Was this vet right? Not to accuse her for her advice since I'm sure she meant well. But I just feel so sad and miss him so much. Maybe seeking an assurance for the decision we made...

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am so sorry for your loss. I am guessing the tumor on his jaw(?) was either cancerous and/or growing and was not operable - if so, that is likely why the vet recommended euthanasia. It could have been causing him pain as well, and might have been part of the reason for him not wanting to eat. If all of that is true, while the feeding tube could have possibly prolonged his life some, it might not have been comfortable for him to go through any more pain and suffering.

I do understand your feelings though, as I felt the same way with both of my cats who have passed - one at 12 yo and the other at 15. So, to me, 19 years is a wonderful long life for a cat, and you were lucky to have had him with you for all those years - as he was lucky to have had you.

There is a section on this site called Crossing the Bridge, and if/when you are ready, you can share your pics and memories of him - a loving and lasting tribute to his life that will be memorialized here forever.

 

[WhiteAilly]

I am so sorry for your loss. I am guessing the tumor on his jaw(?) was either cancerous and/or growing and was not operable - if so, that is likely why the vet recommended euthanasia. It could have been causing him pain as well, and might have been part of the reason for him not wanting to eat. If all of that is true, while the feeding tube could have possibly prolonged his life some, it might not have been comfortable for him to go through any more pain and suffering.

I do understand your feelings though, as I felt the same way with both of my cats who have passed - one at 12 yo and the other at 15. So, to me, 19 years is a wonderful long life for a cat, and you were lucky to have had him with you for all those years - as he was lucky to have had you.

There is a section on this site called Crossing the Bridge, and if/when you are ready, you can share your pics and memories of him - a loving and lasting tribute to his life that will be memorialized here forever.

Thank you very much for your kind message. I am glad that I found this site today. We still have his sister, also 19 years old, with us and we are hoping that she will have a few more years before joining her brother. Taking her to the major check up on Monday so we will not miss anything until it's too late. It happened so fast, still not real that he is not here. I really appreciate your thoughtful words.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Best wishes for his sister's check up! Hoping she is in good health!

 

[Jem]

I'm so sorry for your loss...it's never easy, no matter how old they are. I too have been where you are and no matter how much you do, or tried there will always be a sense of..."did we do enough?" and "did we make the right decision?". But I echo everything FeebysOwner said. I hope each passing day gets a little bit easier and that you find peace with this, because I think you have done right by him. And I'm sure he feels the same and knows how much he was, and still is, loved.

 

[WhiteAilly]

Thank you so much....

 

[fionasmom]

You have evidently been a wonderful cat owner to help these two to reach such an advanced age. Speaking from experience with a cat with mouth cancer....yes, a feeding tube would have extended life somewhat and yes, it would have been the wrong decision. You did the bravest thing you could for your cat which was to let him be released peacefully from his suffering.

 

[WhiteAilly]

Thank you very much. I learned so much in a week googling about cats’ health, I hope to be able to give his sister a few more years. Every time when I saw him drinking water out of his water bowl, I thought he was such a good boy for drinking water since we live in the dry Southern California, but apparently it was a sign of Kidney issues. When we first took him to the vet because he seemed under the weather, she even said he looked great for 19 year old, so we didn’t expect him to actually go so fast. He was diagnosed with the Kidney disease with the blood and urinary tests then his tumor was found at the 3rd visits. All happened in like 5 days. He loved taking shower and even being dried with a hair dryer. So does his sister. Many wonderful memories. Starting to feel a little better for being able to share how wonderful he was in the community of people who love cats. J

 

[FeebysOwner]

That is so humorous that he liked the shower and being dried with a blow dryer - as does his sister!!! Let us know his name and his sister's, just because it helps us to feel closer to them. So glad you joined us, but so sorry for the reason.

Please keep us posted about his sister's vet visit. If it helps you any, you can start a new thread just about her too!

 

[WhiteAilly]

Thank you for asking. His name is Jazzi and his sister's name is Angel. We found them at the local Animal shelter in early October 2001. They were about 6~8 week old at that time. Yes, it sounds like a great idea to open a new thread with a happy start on Monday after Angel gets her check up.

 

[WhiteAilly]

I am so sorry for your loss. I am guessing the tumor on his jaw(?) was either cancerous and/or growing and was not operable - if so, that is likely why the vet recommended euthanasia. It could have been causing him pain as well, and might have been part of the reason for him not wanting to eat. If all of that is true, while the feeding tube could have possibly prolonged his life some, it might not have been comfortable for him to go through any more pain and suffering.

I do understand your feelings though, as I felt the same way with both of my cats who have passed - one at 12 yo and the other at 15. So, to me, 19 years is a wonderful long life for a cat, and you were lucky to have had him with you for all those years - as he was lucky to have had you.

There is a section on this site called Crossing the Bridge, and if/when you are ready, you can share your pics and memories of him - a loving and lasting tribute to his life that will be memorialized here forever.

Oh, just realized.... yes "jaw".... on his left side...