Guest guest Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Hi everyone. My heart is heavy. We have 5 cats. One of them is 17 years old and has FIV. We knew someday he'd start to get sick and we'd have to deal with age related health problems. The vet was here today and felt a lump near his kidneys and intestines. We'll get it x-rayed but chances are very good that it's cancer. And, considering he has FIV, there won't be much we can do about it. Basically we'll just have to let him live out his life as long as he's happy and has " good quality of life " . I hate this. If this were my grandfather, it'd be a whole different story. Money wouldn't even be an option. How can we spend 100's if not 1000's on a 17 year old cat? We have two children also. When it comes right down to it, we do value human life above animals, don't we? Would any of you spend the money for chemo, etc for this cat? He may well live 6 months to a year (no way of knowing of course) just fine without any treatment. I'm so sad. Please send opinions, advice, anything. Thanks! Peace, Lynne Libby63 " We are a rock revolving, around a golden sun, we are a billion children rolled into one. What will I think of me the day that I die? Saltwater wells in my eye... " SAVE A LIFE - GO VEGGIE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 Lynne, I'm so sorry to hear about your precious kitty. I don't think you should feel guilty at all for not pursuing aggressive treatment for him. He has had a long life, and it sounds like it is his time - as long as he is living with, as you put it " quality of life " , that's what's important. Enjoy your last months with him without feelings of remorse for not trying to " do more " . I work in a hospital, and personally I have seen many, many people kept alive through aggressive interventions when it would have been better to let them go in a more peaceful and dignified manner- all it did in the end was extend their suffering. So snuggle up to your kitty and think only good thoughts Karen - Lynne Stornello <libby63 Tuesday, March 11, 2003 5:05 PM Opinions needed PLEASE > Hi everyone. My heart is heavy. We have 5 cats. One of them is 17 years > old and has FIV. We knew someday he'd start to get sick and we'd have to > deal with age related health problems. The vet was here today and felt a > lump near his kidneys and intestines. We'll get it x-rayed but chances are > very good that it's cancer. And, considering he has FIV, there won't be > much we can do about it. Basically we'll just have to let him live out his > life as long as he's happy and has " good quality of life " . I hate this. If > this were my grandfather, it'd be a whole different story. Money wouldn't > even be an option. How can we spend 100's if not 1000's on a 17 year old > cat? We have two children also. > When it comes right down to it, we do value human life above animals, don't > we? Would any of you spend the money for chemo, etc for this cat? He may > well live 6 months to a year (no way of knowing of course) just fine without > any treatment. I'm so sad. Please send opinions, advice, anything. > Thanks! > > Peace, > Lynne > > Libby63 > > > " We are a rock revolving, around a golden sun, we are a billion children > rolled into one. What will I think of me the day that I die? Saltwater > wells in my eye... " > SAVE A LIFE - GO VEGGIE! > > > > For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to http://www.vrg.org/family. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 Lynne, I am so sorry! I understand how you feel, I have been through it myself. I will give you the abridged version: My 15 year old cat was FINALLY diagnosed with leukocell cancer (usually a dog cancer). I did everything I could, I spared no expense. I took her to specialists 45 miles away and never missed an appointment. I found a local vet willing to work with the specialists to get meds, etc. The chemo sent her into remission for 6 months, then the cancer came back more rigorous than before. She was not living a good quality of life, but I was selfish and could not let go. After intense medical treatments and thousands of dollars, she died on the operating table from heart failure. The vet kept her alive until I arrived then asked me what I wanted to do!!!! I was so angry, at myself and at the vet. I told them to let her go and they did. I still feel guilty for not letting her go earlier. Ironically, two years later, my 12 year old cat was diagnosed with a blood clot in her spinal cord, resulting in paralysis. The vet gave me the option of expensive medical treatment with a very minimal chance of working, or euthanasia. This time, because her quality of life would have been so poor immediately, and because of my previous experience, I chose euthanasia. I still feel guilty for not even giving her a chance. I wish I could have found a middle ground in both instances, and I have learned a great deal from each experience. Yes, I would handle each differently if given the chance. These decisions are so hard, especially for those of us who consider our animal companions to be family members. I hope that you are able to find a middle ground, for your peace of mind and for your kitty's best interest. ~Robin A. > " Lynne Stornello " <libby63 > > > Opinions needed PLEASE >Tue, 11 Mar 2003 16:05:26 -0600 > >Hi everyone. My heart is heavy. We have 5 cats. One of them is 17 years >old and has FIV. We knew someday he'd start to get sick and we'd have to >deal with age related health problems. The vet was here today and felt a >lump near his kidneys and intestines. We'll get it x-rayed but chances are >very good that it's cancer. And, considering he has FIV, there won't be >much we can do about it. Basically we'll just have to let him live out his >life as long as he's happy and has " good quality of life " . I hate this. >If >this were my grandfather, it'd be a whole different story. Money wouldn't >even be an option. How can we spend 100's if not 1000's on a 17 year old >cat? We have two children also. >When it comes right down to it, we do value human life above animals, don't >we? Would any of you spend the money for chemo, etc for this cat? He may >well live 6 months to a year (no way of knowing of course) just fine >without >any treatment. I'm so sad. Please send opinions, advice, anything. >Thanks! > >Peace, >Lynne > >Libby63 > > > " We are a rock revolving, around a golden sun, we are a billion children >rolled into one. What will I think of me the day that I die? Saltwater >wells in my eye... " >SAVE A LIFE - GO VEGGIE! > > _______________ Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 On Tue, 11 Mar 2003, Lynne Stornello wrote: > Hi everyone. My heart is heavy. We have 5 cats. One of them is 17 years > old and has FIV. We knew someday he'd start to get sick and we'd have to > deal with age related health problems. The vet was here today and felt a > lump near his kidneys and intestines. We'll get it x-rayed but chances are > very good that it's cancer. And, considering he has FIV, there won't be > much we can do about it. Basically we'll just have to let him live out his > life as long as he's happy and has " good quality of life " . I hate this. If > this were my grandfather, it'd be a whole different story. Money wouldn't > even be an option. How can we spend 100's if not 1000's on a 17 year old > cat? We have two children also. > When it comes right down to it, we do value human life above animals, don't > we? Would any of you spend the money for chemo, etc for this cat? He may > well live 6 months to a year (no way of knowing of course) just fine without > any treatment. I'm so sad. Please send opinions, advice, anything. > Thanks! Given your cat's age and his already fragile health, I don't think it's unreasonable or selfish to choose not to put him through chemo for the cancer. There comes a point where we have to accept that all life is mortal and death can't be forestalled forever. Chemo is miserable to live through and it's not worth doing if it's not going to provide him with a long enough span of healthy life to compensate. Given that he is 17 and already quite elderly and vulnerable from FIV, that's not very likely. I would recommend that you and your family enjoy the time you have left with him and try to make his life as comfortable and happy as possible. ---- Patricia Bullington-McGuire <patricia The brilliant Cerebron, attacking the problem analytically, discovered three distinct kinds of dragon: the mythical, the chimerical, and the purely hypothetical. They were all, one might say, nonexistent, but each nonexisted in an entirely different way ... -- Stanislaw Lem, " Cyberiad " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2003 Report Share Posted March 14, 2003 > " Lynne Stornello " <libby63 > Opinions needed PLEASE > > Hi everyone. My heart is heavy. We have 5 cats. One of them is 17 years > old and has FIV. We knew someday he'd start to get sick and we'd have to > deal with age related health problems. The vet was here today and felt a > lump near his kidneys and intestines. We'll get it x-rayed but chances are > very good that it's cancer. And, considering he has FIV, there won't be > much we can do about it. Basically we'll just have to let him live out his > life as long as he's happy and has " good quality of life " . I hate this. If > this were my grandfather, it'd be a whole different story. Money wouldn't > even be an option. How can we spend 100's if not 1000's on a 17 year old > cat? We have two children also. > When it comes right down to it, we do value human life above animals, don't > we? Would any of you spend the money for chemo, etc for this cat? He may > well live 6 months to a year (no way of knowing of course) just fine without > any treatment. I'm so sad. Please send opinions, advice, anything. > Thanks! Lynne, Your post was really provocative. I had to think awhile before responding. First, my sincere condolences for your kitty's situation. I had a cat with cancer and it was torture. [Note: I will use " pet " mostly because " companion animal " is too cumbersome for me right now.] When we consider treatment options and costs, for pets, it doesn't bear comaprision with how we would treat humans with the same conditions. for several reasons, one is that medical costs *never* represent sentimental value - no matter how much you love the pet or the human, the cost is the same. So it's not like saying " I am willing to spend X amount but not Y " means that you don't love your pet Y enough. (KWIM?) Another reason is that our human medical systems have ways to help with payments, which we generally don't have for pets (and what pet health insurance programs do exist are, IMO, ridiculous wastes of money, but not because I don't value my companion animals' lives). Would I spend the money for kitty chemo? Probably not, but again, not because I don't love my cats enough. But because they are not ablet o understand what they're going through. Chemo is *hard* and unpleasant and in my mind it's not worth putting an older kitty through the trauma of chemo just so that *you* have more time with him - because you'd be doing it more for yourself than for him. Right? After all, he doesn't know his Number Nine will soon be called. That's another difference between humans and pets. Humans generally know how much time they have left with, versus without, treatment. Humans understand the pain and discomfort and difficulties and trips to the hospitals and so one and so forth - animals don't. Is it worth putting them through it for reasons they can't grasp? And I'm not saying they don't love us and want to be with us, in their own animal ways. But putting them through suffering out of love will still be, to an extent, putting them through suffering. And that may confuse a pet. If your grandfather was 98 and had 6 mos to live, would you put his frail and aged body through chemo? Many dr.s wouldn't recommend it. Your cat may not yet be frail and aged, but he's old enough, and the chemo treatment will wreak havoc on him and in its own way, take time off his life, even if it buys him time for now. When my cat received her initial cancer diagnosis, she lived 4 more years on immune supporting herbs and prednisone. Perhaps there's a similar holistic approach you can use to extend and/or improve his life. This will be cheaper than chemo. If you don't have a holistic, alternative, or homeopathic vet in your area, I know of one (with training in traditional vet school) who does phone consultations. If you're interested, I can give you his #. It's $100 for up to one hour on the phone, plus the cost of long distance. (He's in FL.) You may get nothing out of the call except his advice to leave your kitty be, but you might get ideas of how to help him be more comfortable as the cancer takes over. And if I may frank, I suggest you steal yourself for having to recognize at what point you need to consider euthanasia. Because letting a cat live out his life comfortably in one thing - holding onto him when he's uncomfortable or in pain just because you don't want to make that decision is another. I hope these thoughts help you. Blessings. ~Doh --------- " There is *never* a good reason not to be as loving as you can possibly be. " ~Rob Brezny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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