Help - 21 year old cat problem!

Question

today i took my cat tot eh vets - she is 21 years old - hasnt been to the vets in anout 5 years!

she got a vaccination

also a health check up

the vet said:

her heart beat was quite fast - althoughshe was stressed - it was still high....

she maybe has arthritis

her eye - she might have had a olsa - but it has healed over.....

- she might have some kidney trouble...

- her jaw sometimes drops open slowly

- drinks more than she used to

but she can go up stairs and walk fast - if she sees food:)

- the vet said - she might need treatment - otherwise it might be kind to put her down......

what should i do???????????????????

in 3 weeks she will have her 2nd part of the vaccination..............

Answer 1

It all sounds like maybes from the vet.

I wonder if you can afford her treatment - she is VERY old - but if she has a good quality of life, isn;t sick all the time, gets up & about under her own steam, isn't constantly puking, losing weight having the runs - then you should be on her side and let her live her life.

Answer 2

Ok i heard this the other day from my mom.

When we have wiser (old) people that are in pain we dont go get a shotgun and shoot them we try to help them so no dont put her down.

Plus you have spent alot of money for vacs and pills so you dont want to waste them.

just love your cat and make sure she gets her pain pills

ps

i had a cat that couldnt clean itself so i took wet wipes and wiped him down

Answer 3

If you think she is going through a lot of pain and suffering then putting her down might be the right thing to do, otherwise make sure she is comfortable and happy as she probably doesn't have much more than a couple of years left

Answer 4

DO NOT PUT HER DOWN..

She is just an old lady..

she deserves to live as much of her life as she can.

for the kidneys I would give her "bach remedies/ rescue remedies) in the water... or camomile tea.

if she is doing ok I wouldn't worry!

If anything TAKE HER TO ANOTHER VET  and get a 2nd opinon... This guy seems to just want to drum up business!

Answer 5

You are very lucky to have a cat live that long. My thought is this: If kitty is not in any pain, then there is no reason to put her down at all.  

Answer 6

First off No 21 year old cat needs vaccines.

If he says to put her down and vaccinate her too he/she is a lousy vet. Find a new one!!  If she is drinking more water she probably does have kidney issues. The vet should have run blood work.

I say if she is eating, drinking, seems pain free and happy there is no reason to put her to sleep yet. But at her age it is something you will need to start thinking about.  

Answer 7

Your cat may be elderly but she's nowhere near a record beater yet. I believe the oldest verified age a cat lived to was 32 so yours could go on for some time!

The worry about arthritis - I have arthritis and I would be the first to complain if someone spoke of having me put down!  There is a strange phenomenon exhibited by some cats in pain - they purr very very loudly.

If she doesn't wash much, she might appreciate a daily sponge over with a damp cloth - just as you would an old lady in a Nursing home.

Try her on Senior cat food - it contains less protein than the regular variety so gives her kidneys less work to do.

Let her enjoy her life and you enjoy it with her; you'll know when she has had enough.

Answer 8

First

don't get the 2nd part of the vaccination. A sick cat shoul never be vaccinated neither should an elder. Even for a young cat boosters are not ever necessary an these shots can cause problems. Shame on your vet

http://www.vaclib.org/legal/PetsDying.ht...

and another

http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Farm/...

Di the vet do a blood test? what waas the bun? You need to feed proper food an not the vets script garbage. Canned foods will be best especially if your cat is dehydrated. You do not want to feed a low protein diet.  Your cat has to eat so whatever it is that is first priority

  You may want to learn how to give sub-q's at home. (fluids) They aren't that hard once you get use to it and can do your cat alot of good.

  Pain killers. Your vet should have given you metacam. They are not life thhreataning.

If your cat is moving ok, purring occasionally and happy, keep going on

Best to you

Answer 9

The oldest Gorilla at the Woodland Park Zoo sleeps with her jaw dropped and tongue hanging out. She is just old. Unless she looks like shes having troubles and is distressed then let her be she will die in her own time.  

Answer 10

First of all- Don't panic.

Secondly, did the vet draw blood to do testing?  If she's drinking a lot more water, it may indicate kidney or thyroid issues, but these can both be managed by treatment.  Has she lost a lot of weight in a short period of time?

She may also have a little arthritis, but if she's still mobile- that's a good thing

Being 21 she may have some dental issues (not life threatening)..

But nothing you mention warrants "putting her down" at this point.  

Let the vet do his/her job and give you a full diagnosis.  In the meantime be sweet to your kitty and think positive thoughts.  My motto is "Don't worry unless you need to worry.. " and I don't think you need to go there just yet.  

Answer 11

ASK YOUR VET ABOUT REMAINING VACCINATIONS   IF he believed she was going into renal failure- (and shots do stress out the kidneys -) HE SHOULDN'T HAVE GIVEN HER THE FIRST.  there's plenty of on-line info about vaccinating and over vaccinating cats- check it out before you take her for her second shots- also- renal failure is common in older cats and there is a special diet for it.  It is not an immediate death sentence.  Fluid therapy is usually the standard for kidney failure- when its her time- she'll start howling and vomiting - its terrible-  they become disoriented, can't find their litter boxes they stop eating and drinking and their eyes become dilated from the toxins in their bodies 'cause of course the kidneys aren't doing their job.  Then if they are too dehydrated- their little veins can't take medication- not even to be put to sleep- it is a horrible death and one that stays with the owner for years to come-I  thought you might need some straight talk bout this issue- sorry if  I disturbed anyone

Answer 12

i dont mean to preach, but really you should have your pet at the vet every year for it's boosters and health check.If you had your cat going every year,then the vet would've notices these problems arrising and had been able to treat them sooner.As pets get older,they have more problems especially with kidneys,heart and arthritis so they really should be seen by the vet more often.I would go for the treatment and see how she reacts,it may help or make things worse.It just depends on how bad her ailments are.She can be put onto medication for her kidneys and arthritis.My 13 year old cat has mild arthritis and is on seraquin,they really help and he's running about like a cat half his age. If she's in a great deal of pain and very distressed, then it may be kinder to get her put to sleep.Hard to think about, i know but you would'nt want her suffering.

Answer 13

my nephews cat had same problems.he gave it i.v.'s for weeks,but in the end it was kind to put it to sleep,let the vet do it.the cat will be gratefull.

Answer 14

21 years old?!?!  Holy mother of Christ!

Answer 15

sounds  like she  has got some form of arthritis  to me.

she  has done very well for her age ,

my cat was 17years  &6months  before he died ,

natural causes .

Answer 16

If she's not in pain try to keep her going.

If you need medicine get it for her. If you can't afford it see if the PDSA will help pay for her medicines on its PETAID scheme.

My dog is almost sixteen years old, has a heart condition as well as arthritis in his hips and lower back. He takes a daily dose of tramadol, fortekor and rimadyl and still enjoys a good quality of life. He can walk quite fast and very much enjoys his food, biscuits and chews. I intend to try to give my canine pal as happy a life as possible for as long as possible?

Only if he were in pain would I ever consider euthansia.

Answer 17

Wow, that's old. As long as she seems happy, you should let her live out her last days/months/years in peace. If she seems depressed maybe the best and hardest thing would be for you to put her down. Would you want to be alive if your jaw dropped open for no reason and **** yourself?  

Answer 18

I don't think she should be put down...

As long as she seems to want to go on with life she should live.

Answer 19

At 21 she probably will have kidney problems, the fast heart beat is probably to do with thyroid problems and she is likely to have arthritis too. However, these are just all effects of old age in cats and there's not too much to be done.

With the pain killers you have to decide whether she is getting about OK or whether she is struggling to walk or obviously finding it difficult to move. Life is about quality - it is much better to relieve pain now if you think there is some and let her enjoy her life as much as possible, rather than not giving them, just to extend her life by a few weeks/months.

If she's not washing much, try and give her a gentle groom each day, otherwise her fur will get matted.

If she is having a happy life and eating well, then you don't need to have her put down just because she's old. Just let her live out her life in peace without too much interference.

Answer 20

The only time I would ever consider having one of my pets put to sleep, Is if I knew they were suffering in any way.

Other wise all the peeing, pooing sicking and whatever else came with age would not matter to me in the slightest.

Your cat is a Wonderful age,for that she has obviously been loved and looked after very much by you.

Be with her now,make sure she knows how very much you still love her,and when the time comes,you can say goodbye knowing you gave her the best life she could ever have hoped for.

Answer 21

This is a very old cat. And that's great. Not many cats live past 11 or so. Sounds like you take well care of your cat.

I would suggest not putting her down. Pick 3 things you know she likes/loves to do. When you start to see her slow down and no longer want to do these things often or at all then its time (unless a major health problem comes about before this).

Its the best way to see that your animal says its time to go. You know your pet best NOT the vet. So please let her tell you when, I hoped this helps. And good luck. Email if you need more help!

Answer 22

shes 21 , ofcourse she will have a few medical problems , i dont understand what the question is

Answer 23

I wouldn't put her down unless she's in pain. Most cats live up to 16 years, so I suppose you've been treating her well! In cat years she may be like, 275 years old, but if she drinks more often, she must have a kidney problem. The arthritis is just old age, every animal gets it from using their joints. You could put her on heart medication for her fast beating heart.

All in all she's lived far longer than normal, and she may just be slowing down a bit. :)

L.P.E.