Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- does anyone have a vet they would recommend in the Alexandria area, who has been helpful in making this type of decision?

So sorry you're going through this, OP. I just went through something similar with my dog, who lost most use of her hind legs. Two recommendations:

(1) Dr. Donohue at Belle Haven in Alexandria helped us make the decision. First, we did do medication, so she didn't push euthanasia at all. A couple of months later, she again discussed the options we had (surgery, injections, etc.) and was very supportive of our decision to euthansia.

(2) While I didn't use them, Lap of Love will have a vet come to your house to assess your cat's qualify of life. They have Alexandria vets available during normal business hours almost every day of the week.

I second both these suggestions. Lap of Love can help you with an in-home consultation. And we loved Belle Haven. Our cat died unexpectedly, so we did not have to make this choice, but we loved our vets at Belle Haven and I would trust them to help guide this decision.

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- does anyone have a vet they would recommend in the Alexandria area, who has been helpful in making this type of decision?

So sorry you're going through this, OP. I just went through something similar with my dog, who lost most use of her hind legs. Two recommendations:

(1) Dr. Donohue at Belle Haven in Alexandria helped us make the decision. First, we did do medication, so she didn't push euthanasia at all. A couple of months later, she again discussed the options we had (surgery, injections, etc.) and was very supportive of our decision to euthansia.

(2) While I didn't use them, Lap of Love will have a vet come to your house to assess your cat's qualify of life. They have Alexandria vets available during normal business hours almost every day of the week.

OP here -- does anyone have a vet they would recommend in the Alexandria area, who has been helpful in making this type of decision?

OP responding to your latest post, I just want to say that sometimes we hang on too long and rationalize to ourselves that it's the right thing for our pet. I think it stems from the fact that ultimately, it's us that have to make the decision for them about when it's time to go, and that's a tremendous amount of pressure and yes, guilt. And I agree with the previous posters that there are vets that aim to treat treat treat, and although that's what they are there to do, at some point we have to say no, our pet has gone through enough. The vets mean well but sometimes it is a false hope, and sometimes it just makes us feel guilty when we know in our hearts that our pet isn't having the quality of life he deserves anymore.

I truly think it's time.

OP here. Thanks for all of the posts, we have a lot to think about. I'm hesitant to try an approach that requires daily medication because when we have had to give her medication in the past, it's been a nightmare. I'm just not sure that putting her through daily injections or pills would really make for an overall quality of life improvement for her.

I may have been exaggerating when I said she vomits all over the house, although I guess it is true on some days. It seems to be daily or nearly daily lately, where she will vomit either a hairball (normal, but not daily), or actual stomach contents. So it will be either 0, 1, 2, 3 times a day. Our vet once said that vomiting a couple of times a week is within the realm of normal, but more than that is not.

There is not always blood in the vomit and stools, but often. And definitely recently, there were a couple of times with pools of blood (previously there had occasionally been blood in the stool, but never a pool...and never in the vomit). So progression for the worse.

But then, yesterday she stole one of my hair ties, her favorite toy, to play with, so I wonder if maybe she is doing okay.

It's so hard to figure out.

I disagree with the posters who are telling you to try the steroids. What is the point? To try to control the bloody vomit and feces all over the house? To what end? The cat has had a long and excellent life; why continue to force pills or shots on it in order to squeeze out a few more months?

Vets, like doctors, are going to keep offering up treatments to patch over the inevitable. You have to keep your eye on the big picture: your elderly cat has cancer and perhaps other ailments and her quality of life is no longer good. It's a kindness to let her go.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I would also try the steroids. If it works, great. I would not be surprised if, as PPs said, it helped for a short period, like months maybe, and then the cat started to get sicker again. This is what happened with my cat (different illness). But when we did put the cat to sleep we knew we had done everything we could.

+1 How I would handle it as well. Then your conscience is clear when the inevitable time comes. Hang in there, OP.

I would do this as well. It did wonders for my friend's dog who acted like a puppy again.

Give it a shot. If kitty still feels horrible then you'll know what to do.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I would also try the steroids. If it works, great. I would not be surprised if, as PPs said, it helped for a short period, like months maybe, and then the cat started to get sicker again. This is what happened with my cat (different illness). But when we did put the cat to sleep we knew we had done everything we could.

+1 How I would handle it as well. Then your conscience is clear when the inevitable time comes. Hang in there, OP.

OP - If you have the funds for it, I would second the suggestion to call Lap of Love for a consultation. They can help you understand if now is the right time, or the best time.

Please don't feel guilty.