Lukas was discharged late morning yesterday and sent home with an anti-nausea med and an increased dosage of Amlodipine which controls high blood pressure. His high BP is due to the increasing and incurable chronic kidney disease which comes with a wealth of complications and only ends in kidney failure. There is NO Recovery here for him. Symptom management is largely down to me.
His appetite is reduced and he is becoming a picky eater, another side effect of this disease process. He is also tired and sleeping more, less active and although happy to see me and still affectionate, he prefers the solitary comfort of his favorite chair to sharing a bed with me, another very recent change.
I am struggling with when and how to say goodbye. During his
awake time, he is giving me lots of purrs. headbutts and slow blinks, all forms of extreme love and trust from a feline friend. His vet wants him to have bagged subcutaneous fluids twice weekly which I cannot do alone. That issue has yet to be resolved.
We are both tired. Thanks for your interest and expressions of care and support. All are appreciated.
10 comments:
Lukas and I take that med! I sympathize with your predicament over the care, having had a cat go through just this, my screen name kitty, Boud (Boudicca, small but fierce). You'll know when it's time.
Lukas knows, too. Enjoy your time for now.
I have been thinking about you and Lukas, e. You are absolutely facing the hard decision that almost all pet owners must face. I'm so sorry.
Oh, e! I have been through that with 2 cats and it is HARD! I tried the subQ bagged fluids at home and it was not worth the trauma to the cat or to me. And so many tempting treats were snubbed. Neither of my cats seemed to be in any pain or even discomfort, so that was a help. My vet did tell me that kidney failure in felines is rarely painful, even at the end. And because both cats seemed to enjoy head butts, etc up to the end, I chose to let them just gradually fade away at home. J.D. just wanted to curl up in a sunny spot for the last week or so. He was fine and then in his last moment, he let out a meow toward me and then his life just stopped with no visible pain. Similar with Max. I was glad to be with them at their very end and that they were where they were comfortable being. I am so sorry you and Lukas are going through this. Wishing you strength to help Lukas enjoy his remaining time.
I'm glad he's home. It is never easy to know when to stop treating chronic illness in a pet. If he's still enjoying your company and doesn't seem to be in pain, those are very good signs.
I am so very sorry. Heartfelt hugs and oceans of caring.
Those decisions are heartwrenching. I've seen different approaches to resolving them. At one end are people (including my vet's assistant) who reassured us that we would know when it was time. At the other end I have known folks to schedule a day and not wait. We kept one of our cats who was quite sick until he was clearly close to the end. When we look at photos now we wonder why we didn't see how ill he was. Yet, would I go back and change it if I could? I don't know. My current vet says if my cat with cancer stops eating, it will be time. She had a couple of bad days right at Christmas, and I almost took her in, but since then she has been fine, so that would have been premature. There is no perfect answer. Just rambling here and maybe something I've said will be helpful, at least I hope so. I'll be thinking of you both. Enjoy those head butts to the full.
Can you hire someone to help you a couple days a week with the tasks you cannot do alone? Could your vet recommend someone?
You already know this is the toughest part of loving our four-legged companions - knowing when to let them go. The only regrets I ever have afterwards are not letting them go sooner because I put my needs first. There comes a point when you know that they're not enjoying life any more and you're the only person who can understand that. As long as Lucas is showing you affection he still wants to be here. My heart goes out to both of you.
It's so hard to watch a pet decline and have to make a decision about putting them down. I'm sorry you're going through that.
Oh it must be hard for you and your buddy Lukas. We are thinking of you. Julie and poppyq Xxx
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