The Pets Thread

[feral chile]

What is that feral? Will she lead a normal life on the meds??

It's an overactive thyroid. The symptoms are an elevated heart rate, weight loss, hyperactivity, excessive thirst and lots of others. If it's left untreated, it could cause heart/organ failure and sudden blindness, and because it speeds up the metabolism it would increase the likelihood of her having more fits, as the phenobarbitone she's taking to control them would be metabolised too quickly to be effective.

Hopefully, we've caught it in the early stages, so should be treatable before too much damage's been done.

Edited November 17, 2012 by feral chile

[Katster]

Glad you caught it early then

[Reptile]

Hi all!

I am new to efestivals and thought this was a good place to start. I need some stimulating converstaion. Sick of dimwits on facebook, so anyway... pets!

Moving away from sad stories of our furrly little loved ones, Notice how people look like their furry companions!? especially the canine companions. I think personalities reflect on pets too. more so with cats. (cat owners will understand)

[The Nal]

Hi all!

I am new to efestivals and thought this was a good place to start. I need some stimulating converstaion. Sick of dimwits on facebook, so anyway... pets!

Moving away from sad stories of our furrly little loved ones, Notice how people look like their furry companions!? especially the canine companions. I think personalities reflect on pets too. more so with cats. (cat owners will understand)

Hello.

I'll start off the look-a-likes so.

[Reptile]

haha nice one!

[The Nal]

Great picture of a leopard moonwalking, or doing a Jagger or something.

[The Nal]

Who wants to see a video of a trainer being killed by a Tiger in Mexico?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi94GWfQL2o

[The Nal]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CqZ21_rgz4

[Katster]

Guess what? It's a year (ish) since Cleo's amputation. She had her booster jabs yesterday and I am pleased to report that she is fighting fit with the only issue being a slight amount of plaque on one rear tooth. Go Cleo, she just keeps on trooping on! The equivalent of an 80 year old human, according to the vet. She's 15.

I am a happy Kat

[feral chile]

Guess what? It's a year (ish) since Cleo's amputation. She had her booster jabs yesterday and I am pleased to report that she is fighting fit with the only issue being a slight amount of plaque on one rear tooth. Go Cleo, she just keeps on trooping on! The equivalent of an 80 year old human, according to the vet. She's 15.

I am a happy Kat

That's brilliant

My old girl is still fighting on, she's catcalling me right now.

The vet has warned us that she's on borrowed time now though, she's 19, so about 100 in human years.

And not in the best of health, bless her. She's got her first under control with phenobarbitone, but she also has an untreated overactive thyroid.

If we give her the meds to treat it, it wipes out her immune system, so sh'll fall prey to an infection. If left untreated, it'll eventually put too much strain on her organs and lead to organ failure.

So we're closely monitoring her until she shows signs of weight loss or deterioration, then she's back on the meds and hope to avoid infection.

Edited August 20, 2013 by feral chile

[Katster]

Yeah I think at that age (and Cleo's) best to just keep them as happy as possible. The vet said we could knock Cleo out to remove the plaque but we all agreed that her operation days are over. Pretty sure when I am 80 if all is well apart from plaque on my teeth I will be considering myself very lucky!

[feral chile]

Yeah I think at that age (and Cleo's) best to just keep them as happy as possible. The vet said we could knock Cleo out to remove the plaque but we all agreed that her operation days are over. Pretty sure when I am 80 if all is well apart from plaque on my teeth I will be considering myself very lucky!

Exactly. there's a special low iodine diet that she could have, to control the hyperthyroidism, that would prolong her life, but for a start the vet thinks she's probably too fussy to eat it, and it's an exclusive diet - if she ate anything else at all, it would cancel the effect of the diet, because the thyroid needs iodine.

And she loves her little treats, that's pretty much all she's got left, she can't go out because she's too fragile.

And the main reason I'm keeping her off the meds, apart from the risk of infection, is the constant trips to the vet for regular blood tests, that totally stress her out.

We're just trying to find a compromise that'll keep her the most comfortable in the time she has left.

[WS_Jack_III]

We have just had a chick hatch. I'm dreading it growing and possibly being male.

[feral chile]

My cat, at 19, seems to have finally given up any attempts to communicate psychically or in catspeak with the stupid food machine (me).

Instead of yowling and staring expectantly, and ending up with food when she wants water, she's now decided to resort to dog level non verbal communication, so she's just yowled to get my attention, and when I gave her food, instead of going to eat it, lowered her head dejectedly to the empty dish that had earlier contained roast chicken leftovers from tonight's tea.

Since there's none left, and I haven't mastered her language to explain, she's now yowling in disappointment amid baleful and accusing glares.

[Katster]

Does she not always have access to water?? It's obvious anyway, she just wants more chicken, or the attention

[feral chile]

Does she not always have access to water?? It's obvious anyway, she just wants more chicken, or the attention

She does, sometimes I don't notice that the dog has drunk it all, though she can usually go down to steal the dog's water.

We've got a baby gate separating them, to give them both a bit of peace from each other, but they do seem to like annoying each other, by helping themselves to each other's food and water.

The cat has even been known to pee in the dog's water bowl (though that was our old dog, not this one).

[feral chile]

I have to make a very difficult decision regarding my cat. The vet says he suspects she's starting to suffer kidney failure because of her thyroid, and only has a matter of weeks before she loses her appetite and we have to let her go.

There are meds he can give her that could prolong her life for up to a year, but she'd need regular checks and blood tests, which might be worth the stress on her for the extension to her life expectancy.

Or, the additional stress might tip her over into acute renal failure, and her last days will be spent undergoing invasive tests for nothing.

I have till tomorrow to decide, as there's no time to lose, no way of predicting when her deterioration will happen, as any stress or illness will tip the balance.

[jump]

^Sorry to hear that Feral! I had to let my dog go a few days ago, just keep try to keep in mind what will be best for them in the long run.

[feral chile]

^Sorry to hear that Feral! I had to let my dog go a few days ago, just keep try to keep in mind what will be best for them in the long run.

Yes, I'm leaning towards leaving her as she is, she's not in any pain, and she's safe and secure. The alternative is regular trips to the vet, daily struggles getting tablets down her, intrusive tests etc., and even if her very frail body could stand the strain, I want her final days to be happy ones, free from stress, feeling safe and loved.

There's not much point prolonging her life just to subject her to what would feel like torture and cruelty, she won't understand.

Sorry about your dog jump, it's one of the hardest decisions we have to make, and it's difficult to see it from the animal's perspective and not our own. I remember my grandparents desperately hanging onto a beloved pet, way past the best interests of the animal, and they were in denial. I swore I'd make the right decision with my pets, but it sucks big time

Edited April 24, 2014 by feral chile

[Katster]

A good vet once said to me just because we can do something doesn't mean we should. He was talking about our very skittish and stressed Maine coon who had kidney failure. We kept her at home for as long as possible and kept her comfortable until she needed a little help coming to her end. I found it more bearable than weeks/months of treatment etc, but its a choice you know best to make. I hope you are ok x

[feral chile]

A good vet once said to me just because we can do something doesn't mean we should. He was talking about our very skittish and stressed Maine coon who had kidney failure. We kept her at home for as long as possible and kept her comfortable until she needed a little help coming to her end. I found it more bearable than weeks/months of treatment etc, but its a choice you know best to make. I hope you are ok x

Thanks Kat, this is the option that I feel is best for her.

[Katster]

I hope you are doing ok whatever decision you went with Feral Chile

[feral chile]

I hope you are doing ok whatever decision you went with Feral Chile

Thanks, she wasn't at all well on Sunday, she's still off her food, but a bit more lively. She's a very vocal cat and she went silent.

It's difficult at the moment, she's not eating properly but she's still trying, and still fighting, and has found her voice. I hope I'll know when it's time

Edited April 29, 2014 by feral chile

[Katster]

I'm sure you will. And if not you'll try your best

[Spindles]

One of my cats hasn't come home for a few days. She has disappeared for a day or two in the past, but never this long. Can't stop worrying