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- Dec 22, 2013
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A few days ago, we put our Maggie down. She was nearly ten, an FIV+ rescue cat who lived almost all her life in good health. A few months ago, she started throwing up food. Once 11-12 pounds, she was down to 8. We went to one vet, then another, and just got medications to help with nausea. Finally, 5-6 weeks ago, we went to a third vet who suggested an ultrasound -- which showed a couple of tumors on Maggie's liver and pancreas. I didn't have it biopsied which I regret, but they said it was likely lymphoma or mast cell. The vet listed all the things that protocol would dictate: surgical exploration, chemo, steroids. It would be far too expensive for us, so we decided to just let her be and give her prednisolone if needed.
Maggie was OK for a while, but little by little she started eating less. A week ago, she stopped eating her regular food completely. She'd eat treats but that's it. And she was starting to be less sociable (she's normally very friendly.) One day, she actually hid under our bed, which she never does unless she was coming back from a stressful vet visit. It seemed to me that she was going downhill, so I made the appointment for Lap of Love to come to the house. The day before, just to help her feel better, I finally gave her some prednisolone, and of course it perked her up a bit. We went ahead with the appointment, and now she is gone.
My head tells me that she obviously had a serious disease, and she wasn't going to get better, and the prednisolone was only a temporary palliative. I've heard that a week too soon is better than a day too late. Maybe we could have continued with the prednosolone and gotten a little more time, but that would not have lasted. With humans, we're used to people being in hospital beds or nursing homes (at best), and eventually losing consciousness. And I've dealt with that in my family, more than once. This is a whole different level: choosing to put down a put who is still walking around, eating a bit, and meowing. It is devastating.
I think I did the right thing, but of course I feel horrible. Maggie got nearly 10 years of life as a FIV+ cat, and for that I am grateful. I guess it's normal to feel guilty. What if we had her tested sooner? But chemo, besides the money, would have been difficult. Maggie was notoriously difficult to bring to the vet, and good luck trying to give her medicine at home.
Maggie was a very pretty cat. Here is a picture of her in her "prime":
Maggie was OK for a while, but little by little she started eating less. A week ago, she stopped eating her regular food completely. She'd eat treats but that's it. And she was starting to be less sociable (she's normally very friendly.) One day, she actually hid under our bed, which she never does unless she was coming back from a stressful vet visit. It seemed to me that she was going downhill, so I made the appointment for Lap of Love to come to the house. The day before, just to help her feel better, I finally gave her some prednisolone, and of course it perked her up a bit. We went ahead with the appointment, and now she is gone.
My head tells me that she obviously had a serious disease, and she wasn't going to get better, and the prednisolone was only a temporary palliative. I've heard that a week too soon is better than a day too late. Maybe we could have continued with the prednosolone and gotten a little more time, but that would not have lasted. With humans, we're used to people being in hospital beds or nursing homes (at best), and eventually losing consciousness. And I've dealt with that in my family, more than once. This is a whole different level: choosing to put down a put who is still walking around, eating a bit, and meowing. It is devastating.
I think I did the right thing, but of course I feel horrible. Maggie got nearly 10 years of life as a FIV+ cat, and for that I am grateful. I guess it's normal to feel guilty. What if we had her tested sooner? But chemo, besides the money, would have been difficult. Maggie was notoriously difficult to bring to the vet, and good luck trying to give her medicine at home.
Maggie was a very pretty cat. Here is a picture of her in her "prime":