Emergency. 18 year old might have only a few hours, says the vet

[Riccardo]

Hi,

"My" 18 year old friend Alain stopped eating yesterday. He's very weak and discharging lots of mucus from his mouth due to a bucal infection which we have somehow managed for the last year or so. The vet today found Alan extremely dehydrated and told me to administer 20 Cc of rice water every 30 mins for 8 hours.

We are waiting for his urine results. We couldn't do blood work because the vet said he is too dehydrated and the veins cannot be reached without a surgical incision. They didn't place a drip for the same reason. He told me it might be only a question of hours unless we manage to hydrate him properly.

We are now at home and we just started with the syringes of rice water (for hydration and nutrition). He's hating the procedure and getting stressed and more tired. He's strong, smart fellow and in his long life has had close calles before, so I think it's a good idea to attempt what the vet said.

Any ideas? Similar experiences? Suggestions?

Best,

Riccardo

[Ruth B]

If you can rehydrate him, then he might have a chance. I've never heard of rice water being used, the normal one I know is water, sugar and a tiny bit of salt (I think its about 1 table spoon sugar and half a teaspoon of salt to a pint of water), alternatively boil a little chicken or fish up and feed him the water from that (don't add anything else, just the piece of chicken or fish and the water). The water will absorb the flavour of the chicken or fish and hopefully he might like it a little better.

In the end you have to decide how much you are willing to stress him out, at the moment it sounds like he is a fighter, so hopefully he will pull through it, in a way i would be more concerned if he wasn't fighting you doing it to him.

Good luck with him and I hope he makes it.

[Riccardo]

Ruth, thank your for your reply. I spoke to friend who's an MD and she also advised me to add a bit of sea salt, sugar and bicarbonate to the rice water to replenish the electrolytes. So far he's retaining the liquids and even drinking a bit of fresh water from his bowl when I hand it out to him. I'll keep hydrating him all night every two-hours and pray for a little miracle.

Thank you again for your time and advice.

Riccardo

[Ruth B]

Glad to hear he is still fighting.

[fjm]

I hope he is doing better this morning - his drinking voluntarily sounds like a good sign.

[Riccardo]

Thank you, yes. We managed to hydrate all night every two hours.

This morning he walked to one of his water bowls to drink on his own. He's now on antibiotics, let's hope he responds well.

He's amazingly strong willed and determinate. If it's "humanly" possible" he'll survive this crises. I'll continue feeding him a liquid diet every two hours.

[fjm]

Good news so far. Would it be worth adding a little pureed chicken or recovery food to the syringe? Best to consult your vet first, of course.

[Riccardo]

He's weak but fighting. He took a couple of slow, wobbly walks, to his litter box and to his favorite water bowl -after snubbing the one I placed next to him.

Hopefully he's responding well to antibiotics. I keep hydrating him every two hours. Now I am making fish soup which I could also process and put into a syringe. Only, I'm afraid he might vomit. I'm gonna consult with the vets and see what she and he think. I haven't slept for two days at this point.

[fjm]

One of the liquid foods may be your best bet if the vets agree. Hold on in there, Alan, and you too, Riccardo!

[Riccardo]

Thank you, this is really helping.

Just gave him some fish puree with a modified syringe (had to pierce a larger hole), together with the usual liquid solution. I am using small 5 Cc syringes and feeding him 20 Cc every two hours. I wish I had given the puree sooner. He didn't vomit and he's finally got some protein in him. He looks exhausted, poor thing. He fought every syringe and then managed to walk to his litter. Is lovely to watch him sleep like a baby now. Such a beautiful being.

Long night ahead.

[Ruth B]

It does sound like Alain isn't willing to give up yet, and neither are you. The fact that he is having the pureed food is really good news, and that he is willing to get to his litter box himself when he needs to. What you are saying makes me really hopefully he will pull through this, but he is a long way from being out of the woods yet.

Try and get some sleep yourself, even if it is only a few power naps with an alarm set for his feeding times.

[Riccardo]

Hi,

Today has been a good day. Alan looks good, sleeps peacefully. His fur is nice and smooth and his skin feels definitely healthier.
Hydration: aside from his oral solution (mentioned above), we started going to a new vet down the road for subcutaneous hydration. Twice a day for now. Food wise, I am feeding him about 10 Cc of puree every three to four hours. He's taking his antibiotic (amoxicillin), vitamins, engystol and echinacea. I have used homeopathy and vitamins on and off through the years, to help his immune system, since he tested positive for FIV about ten years ago.

He is not showing any interest in eating by himself.
He stopped grooming and there is no purring when we cuddle, something that he used to do a lot.

He is taking trips to his litter box, resting along the way. He walks with a strong limp, showing discomfort in his hind legs and/or joints.

Two vets (not the original vet) have seen his blood and urine tests results and say that his kidneys are compromised to a manageable extent. Stage three according to a chart I found on Tanya's page.

I now suspect that when we went to see the first vet (his long time vet) he was handled incorrectly and sustained an injury on his hind legs. The vet turned him over to a nurse and a few minutes later I heard him scream loudly. When they brought him back he was unable to walk. I can see shaven patches on both of his legs. During this first visit, they were unable to perform a blood test (only urine), because they said he was extremely dehydrated and could not get to his veins. The vet said he needed to be hospitalized and that it was a matter of hours before he passed away. A few more things were said and, sensing for various reasons, that they were not thinking in Alain's best interests, I decided to take him back home. Naturally, I also refused the idea of having to part with him then and there.

This was Wednesday 27th, four days ago. On Saturday, after three days of round the clock home hydration, the vet down the road was able to perform a blood test.

And here we are in this new journey Alain and I, not knowing what to expect (at least I don't).

Thank you again for your valuable support !

[fjm]

I'm glad he is doing well. There are never any guarantees, of course, but your care is giving him a fighting chance and he sounds much more comfortable.

[Ruth B]

Sometimes going with your gut instinct is the best thing to do, and it certainly sounds like it was for Alan.

We never know how long we will have with them, and knowing when to let go is a very hard decision to make, but it sounds like Alan was still willing to fight so you gave him a fighting chance. Hopefully your new vet will be willing to do the same. In the end not eating isn't as urgent as not drinking, and if you are giving him some pureed food then that should keep him going.

While I'm no expert it could be that with plenty of fluids and a chance to fight off any infection, his kidneys will improve a bit, only time and tests will tell.

I'm so pleased to hear he is doing as well as he sounds to be.

[Riccardo]

Hi,
A brief update. Alain went through six sessions of IV at the vet. We went in the morning and left at lunch time everyday. They gave us a little room where he could be comfy and I was even able to get work done as I kept him company and helped a bit.

I am still hoping that he might improve however, his quality of life has decreased dramatically. Feeding is still assisted, via syringe. He can no longer walk, although sometimes he surprises me and manages a few meters. I take him to his litter and back or I am keep him clean if accidents occur. I am also trying to keep him hydrated day and night. So, my sleep is sketchy. He, on the other hand, still manages to take super long siestas during which he looks tranquil and relaxed. Friends and family are diplomatically suggesting that perhaps it's time for him to go. And that I should help his transition via medical procedure.

We are soulmates, so this is a very difficult decision. I don't want to behave selfishly by clinging on to him as he is wasting away and having a horrible time but, I also don't want to give up on him or speed things up. After almost two decades of love and friendship I owe Alain a great deal and I still have bit of juice left to continue giving him care and love.

[Ruth B]

Thank you for the update, and I'm sorry it wasn't better news.

In the end it is one of the hardest decision a pet owner has to make, when to call it a day, and in the end it is a decision only you can make. Someone on here once said, it is better to be a day too early than a day too late, and i have to agree with them, a cat doesn't really understand they are dying the way we do. They live in the moment, they know they don't feel well, that they can't walk, or clean themselves, which might upset them at that moment, but they don't look to the future and how they might be tomorrow, only we humans do that. Sometimes it can help to keep a diary, to write down the good and the bad things each day, that way you can see just how much one is outweighing the other, and it might help you make an informed decision, and give you something to look back on when you are wondering if you did the right thing. In the end we know that we will take the pain onto ourselves when we make that final decision, but in doing so we will be preventing our beloved pets suffering any more themselves.
Whatever you decide, you have given him the best chance you could have to recover.

[fjm]

Such a hard decision to have to make. Do the vets give him any chance of recovering enough to lead a fuller life? If you could be certain he would sleep peacefully through his remaining time, and slip away quietly between one breath and the next, it would be so much easier to decide, but so often that is not the case. I think you already know that the time is fast approaching to let him go, gently and kindly. You have done everything you can to give him a chance of recovery, but it sounds as if that is just not going to be possible. I am so sorry.

[Mollycat]

Nearly two decades is a long long time, Alain has done so well to get to this good old age. He will tell you when he's had enough. If you have a vet who will respond well quickly 24/7 it helps. But you will know, don't ask me how, just have faith that he will tell you when it's time. He sounds like the sort who will rally as soon as you make that call though, many of them do, people do it too. If that happens, be prepared for it - I personally believe the rally is down to us and our mindset changing from anxious and desperate for a miracle, to acceptance. Wishing you love and courage for the days and weeks ahead.

[Riccardo]

Dear friends,

First, thank you so much for all the support during this difficult period.

Alain, made his transition on February 14th, at 2:30 am. Appropriately on Valentine's day, since he was the love of my life. He passed with dignity, love and strength, as I held his body tightly in my arms. It was a quick transition, a little jerk and he was gone in less than thirty seconds. He was born on November 7th 2002, he was a scorpio.

His last days were tough and I think he suffered emotionally from the loss of mobility, as he could not use his hind legs. Nevertheless, we had time together, we talked and cuddled a lot. For three weeks I never left his presence for more than two hours. I spent the nights on the couch next to him, constantly checking on him and keeping him company as he slept. The day before passing he started purring as he rested on my chest. I hadn't heard his lovely purring sounds since he had fallen ill.

Alain was blessed with a long and glorious life. When he was about four years old the person he was living with moved to another country taking Alain's brother with him. He was left behind and we met through some serendipitous events. Soon enough our paths merged.

He loved novelties and adventure and adapted to all circumstances. He lived in the city as a quasi-outdoor cat, I remember that he would escape everyday to hang out with furry friends in the cul-de-sac road where our place was. He then experienced life in the countryside, which he loved. Finally, he spent his last years as an indoor cat by the sea. We moved house at least six times in the fifteen years we were together. He was by my side during three long term relationships, a bankruptcy, a resurrection and much more. For six years we also lived with another beautiful lady cat, named Frida. He captivated everyone with his amazing personality. Most of all he gave me love, smiles, laughter and constant joy. He woke me up everyday -often too early- making sure that our days always began with a smile and a cuddle, and of course his breakfast. I could go on and on but I don't want to take too much of your time.

One more thing, I have realized that Alain was a cat-teacher who is now transcending to become a spirit guide. He was a master of tenacity, of patience, of audacity, he was relentless when necessary and always compassionate and loving. My task now is to honor his legacy and build the rest of my life as a tribute to his beautiful existence. It is not going to be easy to adapt to a life without him but with the blessing of such a spirit guide, everything is possible.

Lots of love

Riccardo

[Mollycat]

Riccardo, I am so sorry to read this news about Alain your special soulmate. I am sure cats or at least some cats are our angels come to us in living form for times in our life when they are needed, but they were always with us before we knew them and will always be with us after they have to leave us, when their time with us here is done.

If you want to, if it helps, when you're ready, the Rainbow Bridge section is all about sharing tributes and love as well as support through the tougher times of losing our wonderful companions, and there is no need to limit how much you want to share, people don't have to read or take part in a conversation if they don't want to.

Be gentle with yourself in the days and weeks to come, give yourself all the time and love you need.

[fjm]

A lovely tribute to a very special cat. I am glad it was so quick and so gentle at the end, and that you still feel the comfort of his presence.

Be kind to yourself, as Alain would be. The last weeks must have been exhausting, and grief hurts. We are always here if you need to talk.

[Ruth B]

I'm so sorry to read this, but after the updates, not really surprised. The love and care you gave Alain at the end was heartwarming. You started this thread on 28.01.2021, scared you only had hours left together, and you gave him more than two weeks by your side. He may be over the bridge now, but I'm sure his spirit will linger close to you, ready to help you when you need it.
As others say, take the time to grieve, you have lost a close family member and it will hurt. We are all more than willing to listen if you need it and we all understand what you are going through.
RIP Alain.

[ChonairJazz]

Hi Riccardo.

What a lovely tribute, and what a beautiful boy he was! You've been through so much together.

I am so so sorry for your loss. I had been reading his story over the last couple of weeks and it was so touching to see the love you both clearly had for each other. I am glad his passing was gentle, he knew he was loved and that you were there for him.

Sending peaceful vibes your way, and all the best to you.

Rest in peace, Alain.

[Doona]

Dear Riccardo and friends
Thank you very much for all your posts. I joined this forum today looking for support in providing palliative care for my 18 year old Delilah who is nearing the end of her life. Your experience with Alain was really helpful, and brought a lump to my throat.
You willingly risked your own health and wellbeing to care for Alain and who could do more than that?
I hope you can rest in kindness for yourself now.
Doona

[Riccardo]

Hi Doona, sorry about the late reply, I just saw your post.
Lots of love to you and Delilah, wherever she is right now.
Riccardo

[Ruth B]

Our old kitties are hard on us, we always want to do what is best, but sometimes aren't sure what that is. My golden oldie, Tiggy, is also about 18 years old and has been on palliative care for a few years, we decided at the time we wouldn't put her through a load of tests thinking she only had a few months left, but she rallied, then something else came up, and we decided the same, currently it seems to be her kidneys and bladder that are giving us the most recent scare, whether she will pull through again I have no idea, but while I can get some medication into her easily I will do so, but if not then so be it. The last thing I want to do is put her through a load of stress at her stage in life.
Lots of to Delilah (if she is the type that likes cuddles) and a hug to you Doona, I have no doubt you will look after her as well as anyone can no matter how much it may hurt you to know the state she is in, take heart in that she doesn't know except for how she is feeling at that moment.