I lost my best friend yesterday

[papa cat]

I had to have my cat Billy PTS yesterday!
He had not been eating for a few days and was very lethargic, so I took him to the vet on Thursday last. The vet gave him some hydration fluids and an injection of something to stimulate his appetite, and they said bring him back in the morning and we will have in in our day hospital and run full tests and give iv fluids.
I took him back the next morning and then went home. I had scarcely got indoors when the phone rang, and it was the vet!
She said "We started the procedures and then took his temperature and we found maggots coming out of his anus. He has sufferd a fly strike!"
She explained what that was. Flies get into the anus and lay their eggs, which develop into maggots, and then they start eating away at the rectum.

He was being eaten alive !!

She said there was no treatment that could be given and he had to be euthanised to alleviate his suffering.
I said I would call her back.
I rang round other vets to get other opinions and they confirmed what my own vet had said.
I drove back to my own vet and agreed that they should proceed. They brought him from the day hospital in his carrier and I cuddled and stroked him and he was pleased to see me and was purring whilst they administered the injection and he passed away in my arms.

I brought him home and arranged for him to be taken away for cremation, and I will get his ashes back in a small wooden casket. It will go alongside the caskets from my other two cats that I have lost in recent years.

[Mollycat]

So sorry Papacat, poor Billy. I've heard of flystrike in horses but never heard of it really happening. Utterly devastating for you. So, so sorry for your loss.

[booktigger]

So sorry to hear this, I've dealt with this in rabbits, and if it's any consolation, this happened to one of my neighbours rabbits the day before she was going on holiday and the vet did suggest something, but warned there was a slim chance of survival, which required debriding some skin and we had to syringe antibiotics and rub cream on it twice a day, sadly after 3 days we found she'd died in her sleep, I always wish she'd been strong enough to accept there was such a slim chance of the rabbit surviving and to be let go peacefully, with someone who loved her, rather than having other people medicate her. RIP little one

[susand]

Papa cat I am very, very sorry to learn about Billy’s death, from your other post on general catchating. I never read the bereavement support posts because I find them too upsetting, so I didn’t know, which is why I didn’t leave a message before. Hugs from me xx