My oldest cat Dusty is just shy of 17 years old, I've had her since 1995. She's had severe osteoarthritis for several years, getting worse each year. We've had her on Cosaquin for several years and added an omega 3 supplement last year. Early this year we gave her several Metacam injections which only worked for a short while, then switched her over to Tramadol. Neither pain med is approved for use in cats. It's a big struggle to get a pill in her but we've been hobbling by for a few months now.
About a month or so ago Dusty was diagnosed with a fast heart rate and congestive heart failure and has been retaining fluids in her abdomen. We've had her on a low dose of Lasix since then. Until a couple weeks ago things had been doing halfway decent despite the prognosis, now she seems to sleep alot, drink alot of water and pees like a racehorse. She is still eating but only small amounts more frequently and she's gotten picky about what she wants to eat, so I've been letting her have treats, the adult cat food, pretty much what ever cat food she wants.
Last night was awful. She was just laying there staring off into space, her breathing seemed fast, and she wasn't much interested in being brushed. I gave her the lasix injection and sat with her quite a while. I talked with her about letting me know when it was 'time' and cried over her for about 2 hours. She was having a bad night and I honestly figured that today would be her last day with me. I tried to get a pain pill in her and she threw it up.
This morning she seemed perkier, more interested in things around her, but still doing some fast breathing. I locked the other cats up and let Dusty have run of the house before her vet appt. She seemed to appreciate it and didn't sleep all day like she had been. Although I noticed a new area she'd licked raw since I went to bed last night. She's been an obsessive groomer for years, we figure it's boredome, but this latest raw patch is huge compared to the rest.
The vet said she was retaining fluid in more than just her abdomen now, and had a very fast heart rate, 140. He said we were giving her a low dose of the Lasix and could increase it and go more often to get rid of the fluids so she could breath easier. I asked him point blank if it was cruel of me to keep her alive just because she was still eating and if it was any kind of quality of life for her. He said in a couple days we'll know if this will do anything for her and if not then it is her 'time', if it does there are other things we could try (although like many things with Dusty, they aren't actually approved for use in cats). I've decided to take her to the campground this weekend which she LOVES to go there, and schedule an appt. next Thursday to have her PTS.
I spent most of the day crying on and off. I don't want her suffering but she's got just enough faculties left that she seems better than she is. The vet said she looked 'decievingly good', meaning she's hiding alot from me. Three of my coworkers seemed to think it was her 'time' already and my mom and hubby said they would have had her PTS a few months ago.
I've never had to actually make that decision myself before. All 3 of my guinea pigs died suddenly on their own, and I've never had any other pet long enough to experience old age like this. In 1997 Dusty got sick for 2 weeks and didn't eat the whole time and we had an appt for her to be PTS but I always held out hope she'd recover, and she did. I just have to keep reminding myself, this time she won't recover, there is no miracle this time and it's very hard.
Here's a pix I took of her last night
And here's the one from this morning
You can see a difference in her eyes. BTW the redish stuff around her eye is where she has overflowing tears and it stains her fur badly. If I had wiped it up before taking the pix it would look alot better than that.
Anyways, any opinions or suggestions as to knowing 'for sure' when it's 'time' short of very bad suffering? I'm so indecisive on this, although the vet thinks she has at least a few more days if the lasix works.
Dusty in 1995 a day before she became my house kitty.
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