Great, now my cat is dying

[Mari333]

Just rushed him to the hospital. Anemia..I blame myself. He was always so stressed out, found him as a kitten, always stressed..I get a new puppy, and wham, the cat freaks out, gets sick....
Now he is getting a transfusion but the prognosis doesnt look good...this on top of the bulldog dying only a month ago...
what is this, the year of death in this house? send a little energy and light to a cat named Ash..if he doesnt make it, Ill let you know..I feel guilty, like I should have seen it coming.

[Fish Eye]

1. Sorry to hear this..

we are on an extented cat death watch in our home...very old cat..

[niyad]

17. our prayers for your old one, as well.

[Rashind]

2. Awww.. =(

That's terrible! I hate it when fuzzy things have to die. :evilfrown:

You shouldn't blame yourself, though. You rescued a wittle kitty cat, you couldn't have known that he wouldn't adjust to the new puppy.

[lcordero]

3. is it possible that it was attached to either of your boys?

[Mari333]

16. No he was not happy with a lot of noise

and when the workers came in the house he hated it...all the dust and sanding and mess...he hated it, went and hid all the time, wouldnt eat...he didnt like noise, which the boys were notorious at..
so I wonder if its more then fleas..maybe sanding and polyeurathane got into his already fragile system and it hurt his lungs..I dunno..the vet I took him to isnt my regular vet (this always happens on a Saturday!!)..and she looked at me like I was Madame Death...I should have kept a better eye on him...
Ash only trusted me, but he did come to us as a skinny malnourished fellow left in a ditch in the snow where my kids found him when he was little..
so he has never been in good shape..I hope the transfusion works for him....I really do.

[Darth_Kitten]

4. I'm so sorry....

positive energy being sent to you and Ash. :hug:
Don't blame yourself!!!!!

[rbnyc]

5. Poor Ash.

Please don't blame yourself. I'm so sorry your kitty is doing so poorly. A close friend went through something similar. She had a very nervous cat who became very upset and sick when she got a second cat. She felt guilty too, but she really did her best. I'm sure you've always treated Ash with love.

You're both in my thoughts.

[joeybee12]

6. Sorry to hear that

Poor kitty! Hope he comes out ok!

[blondeatlast]

7. Mari. I'm so sorry.

A prayer for sweet Ash.

:hug:

[mmm]

8. But if he dies I hope you rescue another

all cats are good cats, all cats deserve saving

[UrbScotty]

11. Exactly.

All cats and dogs are worth saving.

[Mari333]

12. thanks all I just rescued a wild little puppy

Hes a handful...the other 3 cats seem fine, I GUESS we have some fleassssssssssssss....dammit....I put frontline on all of them and had all my carpets taken out of the house and put new hardwood floors in...but the carpets upstairs are probly bad..
Gonna have to do something to take care of the flea problem if they are in the carpets upstairs..dunno what tho..
I still blame myself...we had workers in for a month working and spraying and etc and now Im afraid between the fleas and the workers and the stress of the new puppy and the death of the bulldog, poor Ash just couldnt take it..
I should have kept a closer eye on him....

[havocmom]

18. ((((Mari333)))) do not blame yourself

some souls just travel in fragile vessles. Do what you can but do not blame yourself. Some things are beyond you power to influence.

If sweet Ash goes to rainbow bridge, watch the other critters in your household closely. Sometimes they give clues that they notice a 'visitor' which you may not be able to preceive.

Ever see the book Goodbye, Friend? Recommend it highly to any kind person facing or greiving the loss of a furry companion.

Take care Mari333. Treat yourself as kindly as you treat the critters lucky enough to be part of your life.

Sending energy for strength.

[arikara]

39. That's such a beautiful thing to say, havocmom

My best wishes are with you and Ash, Mari333. I recently lost my very dear cat friend Spinner too. It was a difficult passing and we fought it until the end, perhaps carried it on a bit too long. There are lots of us here who know how you are feeling.

Just keep in mind that you can do no more than your best at the time and all the hindsight in the world will not help. Be gentle to yourself.

[niyad]

21. for the fleas-- get borax (in the laundry section of the

supermarket, put it on your carpets-- it needs to stay there two weeks, then vacuum up (this breaks the egg cycle of the fleas)
repeat if needed (I know people in florida who had to do this three times --total of six weeks, but it did get rid of the fleas)

also, there is a shop in St Pete Fl called "naturals for animals" that carries a product called "critter oil"-- that can be sprinkled into the borax, mixed and left overnight, then sprea on the carpets, and any cloth furniture around. their number is 727-327-2356 -- you can also use the critter oil to wash down other surfaces-- fleas really hate that stuff.

(sprinkling lavender flowers under the cushions of your fabric furniture once the fleas are gone helps, too.

good luck to you, and the prayers continue

[Mari333]

27. thats what Im going to do do do thanks!!!

I dont want to bug bomb the house ugh..bad for all the animals..so Im off to buy Borax tonight!!!

[htuttle]

9. Have hope

About 6 years ago, our male cat got a raging cryptococcus infection (bad fungus in his sinus cavity). He was fading into death, since he'd stopped eating. The veterinarian suggested we euthanize him, since there wasn't much of a treatment for it. The cat was already receiving twice daily doses of an anti-fungal drug (which, unfortunately, was also used to treat AIDS, so was very expensive).

I didn't want to do it, but 3 weeks later, he'd gotten very weak and couldn't even get up anymore, so we decided it was time.

The night before his date with eternity, I decided that, "what the heck", I'd get the little fella good and high for once (since I remembered that it helped restore appetite in chemo patients). I blew a good hit of smoke into his ear, and WOW! Within half an hour, he was up and starting to EAT! He'd gotten the munchies!

We skipped the appointment with Dr. Death, and continued with the 'herbal treatments' for a week or so. The treatments with the anti-fungal drug finally cleared the cryptococcus up completely, and he's still alive, and healthy, today (but he's blind in his right eye as a result of the fungus).

So remember: Medical Marijuana. It's not just for humans...
(if your cat's condition is getting worse due to not eating)

[Stupdworld]

10. Sorry

I had to put down my cat a few years back after he went into diabetic shock.. he was old and very frail. he was a good and true loyal cat. He watched over my mom like nobody's business while I was away at school.

The cool news is that 2 days after we put him down, a cat who looked just like him wandered into the neighborhood. The new one was only a kitten, and we took him in and well i think he is somewhat my old cat reincarnated.

[niyad]

13. hugs and prayers for both of you-- may Lady Bast hold the little one

in Her loving arms.

please let us know how ash is doing. and please don't feel guilty. cats are very sensitve beings, and some of them just do not handle change well.

[madmax]

14. So sorry Mari - I know how you feel

It's one wave after another. Hang in there girl and it's not your fault. It's always something.

[bleedingheart]

15. I feel bad for ya... how sad

I have had such bad pet experiences that I am loathe to get one for my kids...

[NewYorkerfromMass]

19. He doesn't have to die now

cuddle up and hold him close. Sounds like the recent stress has been taking its toll on him. If it's just anemia he can rebound. If he's young you can make a meat juice soup which will restore him over time. In the short term he should get some water injected (subcutaneous) into what fat there is in his hind quarters.
I know it's possible, I scraped a little guy out of death's door just this way. He's been going strong for 6 years since.

[Tinoire]

20. Sending so many good thoughts and energy your way

for you and Ash. I am so sorry...

Please don't feel guilty. There was no way you could have seen this coming! Take care of little Ash and of yourself

:big hug:

[Mari333]

22. Just got call from Vet....Critical but stable!!!

Blood transfusion seems to be working....keeping fingers crossed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[havocmom]

23. we're all sending our good wishes

Thanks for the update. The critter fans of DU sure seem to follow the travails of our furry companions.

[RebelOne]

25. I'm sending out good vibes and positive thoughts

for your kitty. Hope he improves soon. I know that our pets are like childen. I lost a Rottie in 1999, my dear Bear Bear, and I am still tramatized. I have another Rottie now, my Legend. She is 6 years old and I have had her since she was 2-1/2. Every time she even sneezes, I panic and call the vet.

[niyad]

28. mari, that is SOOOOOOO good to hear (((((for you and ash))))

with continued love and prayers and good thoughts.

we hope to hear that he is back home with you very soon.

there are some wonderful books on natural healing for animals that might be worth looking into, once he is home, to keep all your furry ones happy and healthy.

[alwynsw]

24. Yep, it's your fault

We all know that you have the ability to make a quick visual "cat" scan including blood count with a mere glance in the kitty's direction.

Sometimes things happen.

I'm sorry for you and Ash, but unless you're a veterinarian, how could you possibly be at fault for not discovering this before symptoms presented?

We do the best we can with what we've got. (My granddad. Not his originally, I'm sure, but re repeated it often enough it should have been.)

[Mari333]

26. hah and true

I told my son, who is 20, and just moved out, and is whining about my parenting now (I remember doing that when I was 20), hey...you do the best you can with what you know at the time.
I have to remember to keep telling myself that. You are right.

[peekaloo]

29. Best wishes for Ash

My sister has had to put down 3 in the past 2 months. She was in such denial about one of them that I ended up taking the poor thing to the vet. It had crawled up on the bed with me the night before and put his head on my shoulder almost like he was begging me to help....:cry:

Tough decisions but do not be so hard on yourself.......hope Ash pulls through!

[corarose]

30. My Cat is dying also

Sorry to hear about your cat how old is he?

I had Dog die one month, our bird died the next month and one of our cats died a week after our bird died. They all died from old age and it hurt me so bad that It felt like I had lost 3 kids.

[niyad]

31. hugs and prayers for you and your little one also-- I remember

that you had something in another thread about your baby-- had wondered how everything was going.

hang in there, and let us know.

[corarose]

33. Sammy is dying

We don't have the heart to put her to sleep and she weighs about 3 pounds.
She keeps scratching at her water bowl and the vet told us to enjoy her while we have her because she is dying.

[Cooley Hurd]

32. To lose a pet is sooo painful...

...lost my beloved poodle almost a year ago. I still miss her terribly.

Hoping you're kitty recovers!!!

[flama]

34. Ash has healing love

from me and my dog. Bruce loves cats and, though he's very old and infirm himself, hopes that Ash can get better.

My brother poisoned my cat, Watson. It took a long time to figure that out. Watson waited 'til after my birthday, though, to die in my lap and actually say "Bye." (He was a Maine Coon, famous for talking.)

May Ash have a chance to give you more love and tell you "I love you" and "Bye" when the time finally comes.

Excuse me. I've gotta cry now. Tears for cats gone and cats still hanging on.

[niyad]

36. and hugs to you and your bruce, too-- I am sorry for your

own loss, I know how tough this is (question-- is your brother still alive??)

for all who have lost their beloved companions -- lady of the beasts hold them close, and let their humans know comfort.

[cally]

35. I'm so sorry

and I don't think you are to blame for this, at all. You did the best you can. Sennding cyber ((((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))) your way.

[Rhiannon12866]

37. I lost both of my dogs in six months

despite all the expert veterinary care I could find. I understand exactly what you're going through. I'm told that the guilt is normal, but sometimes it really gets to me. Both of them were older when I adopted them, but that doesn't matter when you lose someone that you love. I will send my most positive thoughts to you and your kitty. I lost my perfect cat, Rhiannon, two years ago and still think of her, obviously, everyday. Best wishes, Mari333!:hug:

[WWW]

38. So sorry

My daughter always says that the last people in the world who should be animal owners are the ones who love animals so much...Ash hope you pull thru this...We are praying for you. You sound like a little spit-fire...

[grasswire]

40. two things my vet didn't tell me...

...and I learned on the internet.

Cats who are having trouble maintaining body weight because they keep throwing up or have little appetite can take Pepcid AC. An eight pound cat can take 1/4 tab of chewable Pepcid AC daily. A bigger cat can have half a tablet. It makes a huge difference.

The other help is a dietary supplement called Nutrical. It's very high calorie in paste form in a tube. Depending on how poorly the cat is feeding, a teaspoon or tablespoon worth per day will give an immense boost. Some cats lick it off your finger, others will lick it off their mouth if you smear it on the upper lip. You can get it at Petsmart or other similar store.

My poor old Chester is very frail tonight; the hyperthyroidism is relentless.

[Rhiannon12866]

41. My cat had an enlarged heart. Her vet was hoping it was hyperthyroidism

because that would have been easier to treat. However, this was not the case. He suggested I add a couple of drops of extract of hawthorn to her water everyday and that has made all the difference. She looked very good on her last examination. :shrug: