Sybil - our kitty

[Medusa]

This is our Siamese mix cat, Sybil:
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x41/Medusa-Warthog/Cats%20and%20Dogs/Sybil.jpg
We have to take her to the vet Monday afternoon. There's a good chance that we may have to have her put down. She's 18 years old (which I hear is pretty darn old for a cat), she's got arthritis and can hardly walk around. She drinks tons of water then lets loose on the sofa all day long because she can't get up in time. A vet tech friend says it could just be a UTI but sounds more like kidney failure (he watched her drink from her water bowl for over 4 minutes straight). So we're going to take her to see if we can do anything for her or if she's just suffering. We'll had her since before our son was born. I know that if she's suffering we'll have to have her put down. Its hard but its the right thing to do.

[JenHarmon]

What a pretty cat...it's hard when they get old. Our oldest cat, Spot, is 14. Hubby had her before he and I got married. What did the vet say?

[Lorelei]

that's so sad - poor baby girl

[burmlover16]

awww. she's such a pretty girl!!!!!

[Medusa]

The vet messed up and sent off the wrong test after doing a whole bunch of other tests! So we have to take her back to tomorrow to have more blood drawn (yeah, she loves that) and pay out another $90. But she's gained back 2 pounds since that last visit so that's an improvement enough to go ahead and do it. After we get the results from that test then we'll have to decide what to do.

[JenHarmon]

Hope your kitty is ok. I know it sucks when they get old like that.

[Medusa]

Wow, this one is starting to sound like Soap Opera Vet. After doing the correct Thyroid test it took 2 more days to get an answer out of the clinic as to the results. Normal they said - nothing wrong with the Thyroid. So Hubby and I prepare ourselves and our son for the inevitable. We give him the fancy cat food she like and pepper it with about a dozen cat treats. My son gives her a can of tun. We figure if she's gotta go, let's let her have a ball and enjoy herself (as much fun as an 18 year old cat with arthitis can have). They our friend who also works at the vet becomes furious because he's pretty sure they gave me the results from the first test they did (the wrong one). Here are about to have our cat put down because of some stupidity. He calls the doctor who in turn calls a specialist from up north. Then waits another 4 days to call me claiming she talked to Jose but forgot to call me. Wow I feel like such an important patient - espeically for the $450 I have just spent in the past week at this vet office. What it comes down to is: She does have the Thyroid problem. But not severe enough to be worth the risk. What risk you ask (I did too). The medication for the Thyrold would attack her heart murmur - so that is out. Well, she can live for quite a while on the Renal RX kitty food that she likes anyway. We'll let her live her life out comforablly. But no - her arthritis is pretty bad. Bad enough for medication but not for the risk. Here we go again - what risk? Now the medication for the arthritis might destory what is left of her kidneys (which is why we have her on the fancy new RX cat foo). So basically (and it took a lot to get this answer out of her). They can't do anything. We can just keep her compfortable with her new RX cat food that she has to eat the rest of her life to keep her alive. And wait until the Artritis gets so bad she can't get around at all. So we'll just spoil her rotten, lavish her with attention and give her more treats than she's ever had in her entire life. And watch her and decide when the time comes. Sorry, I've ranted enough. She's pretty much the first cat I've really ever owned. Oh we had her boyfriend but he was always Hubby's cat. I'm off - Gonna go fill up her bowl with food and Whiskas treats (her favorites).

Thanks for listening to the rant.

[lorenmps]

What a mess.... that sucks. I don't think you should have had to pay the $90 for the
2nd test. Have you tried a product called "missing Link"? You can get it at most pet stores and they make a glucosamine and chondroitin formula for older animals with arthritis. It's a little expensive, but a little goes a long way so A bag will last a while. It goes in the food so it's easy to give. I use it for my old dog who at one point could barely walk and after a week she was running in the yard. Might wanna give it a try