When to stop meds

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Cma
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When to stop meds

Post by Cma »

I’m struggling with what to do. My cat is 17 years old and she never has been an easy one to give meds to, but I give her a liquid appetite stimulant and she runs and hides & is very suspect of me. It just bothers me that as she gets older, I hate that she is spending it hiding from me. I’m caught between trying to keep her healthy and just letting her enjoying her time being loved on. Has anyone else been in this spot?
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Ruth B
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Re: When to stop meds

Post by Ruth B »

I'm in a very similar spot myself with my golden oldie, Tiggy, also thought to be about 17, although with a rescue cat that i adopted when already an adult it is always hard to tell.

Four weeks ago Tiggy gave me a scare she obviously wasn't well, so off to the vets. Luckily it was probably only Cystitis, so antibiotic injection at the vets (and another a couple of weeks later when it recurred, however she now needs tablets twice a day, and powder that has to come out of a capsule on her food, along with a powder she was already on that is meant to help break down the mucus and let her breath easier. At first she would take the tablet in cheese, then she started to pick it out. I also tried several options for the capsule powder before I found one that worked. She is currently taking her tablet in a little Philadelphia cheese wrapped in a piece of smoked salmon, with the powder sprinkled on the smoke salmon and both rolled into a ball looking rather like sushi. The last couple of times she has actually managed to get the tablet out of the mix and I've ended up giving it her the hard way, although a tablet that has gone soft and squidgy with a bit of cream cheese attacked doesn't teem to go down too badly if i can get her mouth open. However it does start to raise the question you have, what to do when she gets that she won't take it in food at all. I don't want her scared of me, or stressed out. Before when she had the respiratory infection and was on antibiotic tablets, it became a real battle and in the end I had to give up, I know how important it is to finish a course of antibiotics, but she and I were starting to get so stressed out by it, and I realised that I couldn't do it anymore, if it couldn't be sorted out without me having to force tablets down her then it couldn't be sorted out, I could not put her through that day in day out. At that point we opted for palliative care, we would do what we could as long as she was happy and then call it a day.

I want to thank you for asking this now, it has reminded me what I went through with Tiggy when she had that respiratory infection and the decision I made. The sentiment is as true now as it was then, I will not go back to putting her and myself through that again. While I can get her to take the tablets with minimum fight I will, but I will also accept that her quality of life is more important than a few extra weeks or months. If the powder in the smoked salmon is enough to keep the problem at bay then I'm fine with that, if I can give her the tablet in some food then i am fine with that, but if it becomes a daily fight then it isn't fair to either of us.

I hope you can find something that will help yours that she will take with out a fight. I managed for a long time giving Tiggy the Bisolven powder in Lixk e Lix and then cat milk when she went of the Lick e Lix, smoked salmon might be expensive, but Asda sell the offcuts relatively cheap, and really the amount needed means it isn't as expensive as the tablets themselves. I keep trying and when needed try something else, until i run out of options, but returning to a time when i was chasing her around the house, or she would go into hiding morning and evening is not something I'm prepared to go back to.

Sorry for the long post, you reminded me of something i needed to remember
booktigger
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Re: When to stop meds

Post by booktigger »

Yes, sadly been in this position a lot of times, and I think that quality of life is better than quantity, so my decision has always been to stop and let them have less time, especially as I live on my own, so no good cop/bad cop situation. What would happen if she didn't have the appetite stimulant?

Just one thing Ruth - be careful if she starts being hit and miss with her Gabapentin, it can't be stopped suddenly or you risk a crisis.
Cma
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Re: When to stop meds

Post by Cma »

Thank you both for your replies. We have tried the pills in her food and reconstituted into liquid forms and she quickly becomes wise, or changes her taste and stops eating what she's been given. If we stop the appetite stimulant, she will continue to lose weight although we will be starting a transdermal for her thyroid so hopefully that will help her keep on some weight. She doesn't seem to mind her ears being rubbed so that will help.

She was my mom's cat and we took her in when my mom & step dad passed away 8 years ago. She has always been a nervous cat so I just want her to finish out time being happy and loved, not hiding, stressed and eating but I struggle with am I doing enough. You have given me some things to think about and support in making the choice that is best for her.
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Ruth B
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Re: When to stop meds

Post by Ruth B »

Thanks for the warning about the Gabapentin. Most of the time I can get Tiggy to accept it, the couple of times she managed to avoid it there was a soggy tablet mushed up inthe bowl so I managagd to get that into her not quite the hard way, in a bit of cream cheese smeared inside her mouth.

She is having a follow up tomorrow evening with the vet (and as Saturn and her are due their vaccinations we can both go into the surgery, the vets operate a one pet / one person system due to Covid and even with today's relaxation they are still going to do so). So that is something else I can ask her about.
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Re: When to stop meds

Post by booktigger »

There is a liquid version of Gabapentin, which is what Lucy is on as she got wise to the powder being hidden in lik-e-lix - it is expensive, so I ignore the use by date as I'd be throwing away £50 otherwise. My vet said they don't get full benefit unless they get 3 doses a day, but Lucy likes to save some breakfast till after her supper, some tea that gets put on her supper (as I put her meds on her tea), and supper for after breakfast, so if I tried to give her some on each meal, I'm not quite sure what would happen!
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Mollycat
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Re: When to stop meds

Post by Mollycat »

booktigger wrote: Mon Jul 19, 2021 5:34 pm quality of life is better than quantity, so my decision has always been to stop and let them have less time,
I think this says it all perfectly.

It's a very individual thing but for me, it helps me to think of a cat's natural lifespan, say 10-12 years without us, 12-15 with our care, and anything over that as a great gift. Or if numbers aren't your thing, then play, when was the last time they got the zoomies, or batted something off the table, or chased a butterfly. If medication keeps them breathing and a heart pumping inside the fur coat, fine, but does it keep the twinkle in their eyes and the bounce in their feet? Does it feed their spirit?

Oh yes I think if you have cats sooner or later this question will come up, and it never gets any easier to answer. But two years ago I was prepared to say goodnight to a 12 year old cat with the simple treatable hyperthyroidism, because there was no point even considering medication. Thankfully there are other options and she is by my side now, but I would not have even tried to give her a single dose of anything.

It's ok, it's not a betrayal or giving up in any way, it's giving her dignity and respect, selflessly putting her welfare above your deep wish that she could be here with you forever. I don't know, I wonder sometimes if the right time to stop is when we ask ourselves the question.
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