 |
| |
|
|
DRoseDARs
|
 |
"My god, it's full of peas..."
Jul 2002
time: 21:31
|
|
EDIT: She has since passed away. Scroll further down if you've any interest. Thank you all.
All this talk of court rulings on gay marriage, Bush's visit to the UK, Michael Jackson in trouble...all of it is just fading away into nothing for me right now.
This just happened in the last few days. I'm told by my stepdad that she's been feeling sick since Sunday. She's been sick before, but this is the worst we've seen her. I hadn't seen her around since a few hours ago. She was crouched on a perch when I went into the garage and I petted her gently. As I turned away to go back inside the house I heard the sound of something falling. Samantha had tried, in vain, to get up but was dizzy and lost her footing. She fell on her back between the perch and the water heater and was stuck for a few moments until I could free her. She tried walking away but only got a few steps before quiting, opting instead to sit on her hind legs, then collapsing on her side. She was having motor problems, displayed in the duck waddle of her hind legs. She tried again to walk, getting a little further this time, and stayed on her bum when she sat.
I've had her downstairs for the past few hours in the guestroom where I could keep an eye on her, though now she's in the computer room with me two feet away to my right. We watched some X-Files, then Adult Swim together, but she was more interested in her labored breathing. She tries to sleep now and again; her moving chest tells me she hasn't left.
The main problem is her ability to move...or near-lack thereof. Earlier she could walk somewhat AND support her own weight, but for the past few hours she can't do more than limply jerk around in whatever position she's in and meow in pained fustration at her failure to honestly move under her own power. She won't drink the water I offer her and she hasn't eaten much in the past few days.
I plan to stay up through the night (it's 2:20am here in Reno) until my stepdad wakes around 5ish. I hope to get some sleep myself then before my mom wakes. We'll probably take Samantha to the vet soon thereafter.
I feel so helpless to do anything substantial to ease her pain and fear. I've stayed mostly by her side and petted her, offered her water that she refuses to drink, even lifted her limp body when she tries to change position on her own.
Samantha has had us as a loving family since I was in the fifth grade (1992), making her about 11 or 12 years old (we don't know when she was born exactly). We took her to the vet when she first came to us as a stray when we saw her mangled hind leg. We give her a warm home, all the food she can stand, plenty of land for her to do kitty things on, and all the Human loving and caring she deserves.
Typing all this has helped me somewhat...
...but God I'm scared.
Last edited by DRoseDARs on 20-11-2003 at 06:14
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
DRoseDARs
|
|
"My god, it's full of peas..."
Jul 2002
time: 21:31
|
|
I managed to get 2 hours of sleep before my mom woke me saying Sam was "having convulsions." She was twitching, eyes fully dialated, and definitely not having a fun time of it. We took her to the vet's office nearby and they are running tests, sending samples to an outside lab, and have her on an IV. Strong possibility of diabetes.
As far as why "we waited this long" my stepdad is the one to ask. He sees her the most of any of us, so he should have noticed her weight-loss; most of the abdominal fat was burned off. Her increased intake of water over the past few weeks was also a symptom. That's the difficult thing about having a pet: they can't just tell you what's wrong or where they hurt. We didn't really notice any changes other than her increased thirst. Just in the past few days has she shown something was really wrong. This caught us completely by suprise. She's always been a very active cat doing cat things in their cat ways. This just happened so suddenly and went under our radar prior.
She'll be staying and the hospital through today and over-night for observation, though she may have to be transfered to another hospital since the vet is the only doctor at his practice (sending her somewhere where medics are present 24/7). We left after the vet put the second IV in and put her blood into a centrifuge.
If it is diabetes, I'd sooner have her euthanised than put her through the continuing trama of twice-daily insulin shots and the constant worry of something else going wrong. If it's less severe, then it may just be a matter of a diet change and giving her edible pills. If it's worse, euthanasia to end the needless suffering. I love her too much to extend her life in a vain attempt to keep her with me.
We should know more by late afternoon. The sample sent to the outside lab won't be finalized until tomorrow morning.
*Sigh...*
Che/TMM: Sorry 'bout your bunnies. 
Samantha came to us in February 1992, and the vet then thought she was a year old, so she's aproximately 11-12 years old.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Caligastia
|
|
Good luck with your kitty, I hope she gets well soon.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
MichaeltheGreat
|
|
Apolyton Grand Executioner
|
 |
mooning the house that Ruth built.
Oct 1999
time: 21:31
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by DRoseDARs
That's the difficult thing about having a pet: they can't just tell you what's wrong or where they hurt. We didn't really notice any changes other than her increased thirst. Just in the past few days has she shown something was really wrong. This caught us completely by suprise. She's always been a very active cat doing cat things in their cat ways. This just happened so suddenly and went under our radar prior.
|
It's by instinct - it's not that they can't tell you, it's just that it's hardwired for animals in the middle of the food chain to conceal any weakness as long as they can, lest some unwelcome interloper further up the food chain get a hint as to what to have for dinner.
quote:
She'll be staying and the hospital through today and over-night for observation, though she may have to be transfered to another hospital since the vet is the only doctor at his practice (sending her somewhere where medics are present 24/7). We left after the vet put the second IV in and put her blood into a centrifuge.
|
There's a possibility she may need a blood transfusion from another cat - one thing with cats when they get seriously sick is that they have limited marrow and a fragile system for replenishing red blood cells, so severe anemia is often a secondary complication of many acute feline illnesses and trauma.
quote:
If it is diabetes, I'd sooner have her euthanised than put her through the continuing trama of twice-daily insulin shots and the constant worry of something else going wrong. If it's less severe, then it may just be a matter of a diet change and giving her edible pills. If it's worse, euthanasia to end the needless suffering. I love her too much to extend her life in a vain attempt to keep her with me.
|
The shots aren't that big of a deal - down here in Mexico, most veterinary medicine administration is by injection, and we don't have the drug war fanaticism about syringes. The needle for IM insulin injections is finer than the standard needles I've used for sticking my cats (including many rescued strays that have been passed on for adoption) over the last few years. Humans do insulin injection all the time (several of my aunts and uncles have been insulin dependent diabetics and have done shots regularly), and cats have much tougher and less sensitive skin - by design, they go through brush, get clawed and chomped at, etc.
Once you learn to give the kitty injections, it's not that big a deal for either of you - and I've known a couple of people with diabetic cats that have had years of extended life with lots of love and good quality of life due to insulin injections. In many cases, you can also reduce or eliminate the insulin dependency and need for injections as you get the cat's weight back up and control the diet. It shouldn't be an automatic write-off, but really depends on each animal's circumstances. Unless something worse is wrong, I would at least consider attempting to restore her weight and manage her diabetes for a while, to see if/how she responds and improves, then decide.
quote:
Samantha came to us in February 1992, and the vet then thought she was a year old, so she's aproximately 11-12 years old. |
My oldest current one is 13 and healthy. I've met many cats who were 15-17 and in good health, and some diabetic cats who just kind of mellowly hung out and enjoyed life.
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
DRoseDARs
|
|
"My god, it's full of peas..."
Jul 2002
time: 21:31
|
|
Samantha "The Bearded Lady" Rose
1991(?)-November 19, 2003 12:30pm
R.I.P.
The vets and nurses did all the could for her in her last three hours of life, but it was in heroic vain. Her glucose levels were "ironically normal" quoth the vet. It seems her kidneys are what had failed. Her potassium, Blood Urine Nitrogen, and two other chemicals I forget were extremely high or off the chart. Although her kidneys had apparently been struggling to keep up for some time now, this "crash and burn" was indeed sudden, caused by something just recently. Infected wound, antifreeze, toxins released by bacteria...there's just no way to know for certain.
There simply wasn't anything the vet could do for her. Even if we'd brought her in Sunday (or rather Monday since many places are simply closed; only one local vet is open from 6pm-8am overnight) there really wasn't much hope of doing anything for her. While they could have fixed the abnormal chemical readings, they couldn't do anything about her kidneys at this point. She went peacefully (they gave her valium).
Right now my mom is fetching my stepdad so he can say goodbye. We're looking at the funeral options given to us by the vet: private cremation, mass cremation (4 or 5 animals in a group), mass decomposition (chemical cremation), burial at home, or burial in the Pet Cemetary down in Carson City. I like that option best; keeping remains nearby just creeps me out.
I think this is the only picture we have of her (and one of the very few of me). We just aren't much of a picture-taking family.
 Attachment: me and sam.jpg
This has been downloaded 94 time(s).
|
|
| |
All times are GMT. The time now is 05:31.
Apolyton Time is 00:31. |
top of page
|
| archivepost |
|
Forum Rules:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
|
HTML code is ON
vB code is ON
Smilies are ON
[IMG] code is ON
|
|
|
|
|
|
19-11-2003 15:20
Although I'm certain she's in pain, I think she's showing me she apreciates my all-night vigil watching over her.
|
