Basic Introduction...I don't know if this forum is the best for this, but I thought I would post it anyway. This is regarding euthanizing our cat. First, we have euthanized pets before, but this one is a bit different. The other pets we have let go had a very rapid decline with several life threatening medical problems, so the decision was fairly easy.
Background of our cat...We rescued the cat from a cat shelter about 5-6 years ago. We don't know exactly, but think he is around 14 y.o. now. When we got him, he had some skin conditions (feline acne and skin allergies), but nothing else was wrong at the time. About 1-2 years later, we found out that he was diabetic, so he was started on insulin and was put on a special diet. He has had other problems, like cysts/growths (that have been removed) and problems with digestion (most likely due to his diabetes). Because of his diabetes he drinks and pees a lot. In the last 6 or so months, he has become constipated regularly. We have to give him enemas regularly to help him with his bowel movements....needless to say, it has been a roller coaster ride.
Whats going on now...We took him into our vet's office this week, because he has been having more accidents and his eating/drinking cycles have been stranger than normal. He also appeared to be losing weight and had a stiff area near his stomach that could be felt when he was being petted. He has been having some wheezing when breathing as well. They gave him another enema, took x-rays and watched him for a day to see his behaviors. The vet originally thought he had a bowel obstruction or food obstruction and that was what was causing the mass in his stomach. We came in and looked at the x-rays and it showed that his stomach and intestines were fine, but all the other vital organs in the area (kidneys, liver, pancreas, spleen) could not be distinguished. Instead in those areas, a large mass was detected (the size of a grapefruit). The mass was so large that it actually had his stomach pushed over to one side of his chest cavity.
What Next...We talked with the vet and asked about his pain levels, because he does not appear to be expressing any overt discomfort. Of course you can tell his gait is different because of the mass, but he is not whining or meowing out of the ordinary. We asked for her opinion in regards to euthanasia, and she reported that she would leave it up to us, but said that she would be ready "anytime." She said that the tumor has to be causing him discomfort and that these frequest enemas and periods of constipation are a quality of life issue now.
Our views and dilemma...My wife and I have no problem with putting him to sleep if it is his time and he is uncomfortable. Our last cat had kidney and heart failure and we fostered him for a year. When it was his time, he had lost about 4-5 pounds in one week and the vet told us that the time for euthanasia was immediate. I think we are having a problem with this, because our vet is not saying that. She is saying that it is up to us to make that final call. Since this recent vet visit, the cat's appetite is great, his personality is still good and he still seems like "our old cat." I do not want him to suffer, but feel uneasy putting him to sleep if he still seems like our normal cat. I know if our vet would have told us the other day, that today was the day for it, we would be ready to do it. We are conflicted and have gone through so much with him that we feel like we are just giving up...but I don't want to be selffish either. Again, if I knew without a doubt that he was in pain, that would answer our question, but he seems so normal right now.
What does everyone think?
Here is Toby (he is the black & white tuxedo cat)...
Background of our cat...We rescued the cat from a cat shelter about 5-6 years ago. We don't know exactly, but think he is around 14 y.o. now. When we got him, he had some skin conditions (feline acne and skin allergies), but nothing else was wrong at the time. About 1-2 years later, we found out that he was diabetic, so he was started on insulin and was put on a special diet. He has had other problems, like cysts/growths (that have been removed) and problems with digestion (most likely due to his diabetes). Because of his diabetes he drinks and pees a lot. In the last 6 or so months, he has become constipated regularly. We have to give him enemas regularly to help him with his bowel movements....needless to say, it has been a roller coaster ride.
Whats going on now...We took him into our vet's office this week, because he has been having more accidents and his eating/drinking cycles have been stranger than normal. He also appeared to be losing weight and had a stiff area near his stomach that could be felt when he was being petted. He has been having some wheezing when breathing as well. They gave him another enema, took x-rays and watched him for a day to see his behaviors. The vet originally thought he had a bowel obstruction or food obstruction and that was what was causing the mass in his stomach. We came in and looked at the x-rays and it showed that his stomach and intestines were fine, but all the other vital organs in the area (kidneys, liver, pancreas, spleen) could not be distinguished. Instead in those areas, a large mass was detected (the size of a grapefruit). The mass was so large that it actually had his stomach pushed over to one side of his chest cavity.
What Next...We talked with the vet and asked about his pain levels, because he does not appear to be expressing any overt discomfort. Of course you can tell his gait is different because of the mass, but he is not whining or meowing out of the ordinary. We asked for her opinion in regards to euthanasia, and she reported that she would leave it up to us, but said that she would be ready "anytime." She said that the tumor has to be causing him discomfort and that these frequest enemas and periods of constipation are a quality of life issue now.
Our views and dilemma...My wife and I have no problem with putting him to sleep if it is his time and he is uncomfortable. Our last cat had kidney and heart failure and we fostered him for a year. When it was his time, he had lost about 4-5 pounds in one week and the vet told us that the time for euthanasia was immediate. I think we are having a problem with this, because our vet is not saying that. She is saying that it is up to us to make that final call. Since this recent vet visit, the cat's appetite is great, his personality is still good and he still seems like "our old cat." I do not want him to suffer, but feel uneasy putting him to sleep if he still seems like our normal cat. I know if our vet would have told us the other day, that today was the day for it, we would be ready to do it. We are conflicted and have gone through so much with him that we feel like we are just giving up...but I don't want to be selffish either. Again, if I knew without a doubt that he was in pain, that would answer our question, but he seems so normal right now.
What does everyone think?
Here is Toby (he is the black & white tuxedo cat)...