Ditto re Jim's experience - we waited for a cat who was in kidney failure, were trying to support her with sub-Q fluids, pepcid, etc, and she seemed to be doing OK but with a very low appetite until she just crashed. Dragged herself to the litter box and couldn't get back out. We were really sorry we had waited those extra few days. It's horrible having to take a beloved pet to be put to sleep, but it's worse watching them suffer. No fun either way. But that's the price we pay for those years of joy with them, I guess…
Thankfully, I saw the X-rays for my collie with Bladder cancer & knew it was the Right thing to do. Peanut woke us this last March 7th unable to move his back legs, incontinent, and we knew. Toby, was no longer here mentally, and we called it "Doggie Alzheimer's" when he even bit me (!) We knew. Conan's blood work showed him in the final stages of Kidney failure (We discovered Faxies' earlier)... Thankfully, I'm free of the doubts. that would be hell for us. I alway wondered if I'd had better money, or whatever, but no, It wouldn't have changed the final outcome. Hugs to you, Jim, & all us pet owners who have gone & eventually will go through this.
On Oct 2, 2013, at 8:03 AM, Jim Saklad <jimdoc@icloud.com> wrote:
In the human Critical Care Medicine community, this dilemma is referred to as "prolonging death" as opposed to "prolonging life". Very difficult choices to make.
17 years ago we mis-judged the timing on when to take one Old Friend for his last visit to the vet, and I seriously regret it whenever I think about him.
| Reply via web post | Reply to sender | Reply to group | Start a New Topic | Messages in this topic (12) |
