ok what would you do

i'm having a hell of a time whiskers came home BUT i have to give him IV fluids once a day (it takes like 2 hours to get 200 cc in him) BUT I CANT DO IT i got more on me then in him and I tried twice he does not seem like the same kitty (well my son says he does) where ever i put him he stays (he does run outside potty and run back) the vet is closed (but will be open tommorrow) SO my question is he has kidney failure and cancer in the only kidney he has I paid $1,050.00 for him to stay at the hosiptal for 2 days and bring all that crap home doctor says could be 3 mos, 6 mos, to 1 year HALF OF ME WANTS TO PUT HIM DOWN but he other half says DO ALL YOU CAN it's so freaking hard i'm baling as i type this so please forgive mis spelled words and the back and foruth. My son says PLEASE DONT PUT HIM TO SLEEP i asked him how he would like to be whiskers he said he would not but he doesnt want to put him to sleep. vet said he was doing great well in my opion he is not he is not the same kitty and if i have to give him IV fluids how can that be great. OMG i dont know what to do what would you do???? btw he is 9 years old

 

I can't help you decide what to do - you are the only one who can do that.
But take a good long objective look at Whiskers and ask him...I know it sounds crazy but let him be your judge.
Does he act/look like he's ready to throw in the towel?
Let his actions be your judge.
If you are stressed when you are attempting to give him fluids he's probably reacting to you. You need to relax, take a deep breathe and you can do it YOU CAN DO IT.
A little story - one of the siamese rescue fosters I know had a personal cat who was in renal failure. She was afraid to give him fluids as she felt she was hurting him. She adored this cat. Her husband, although he also liked the cat, didn't have quite the same feelings as his wife. He easily gave the cat fluids and while give fluids the cat would be wrapped up on a towel sitting on PawPaw's lap throughout the ordeal - it did bond the 2 of them.
Frani's hubby had to go away one weekend and she had no choice but to do the fluids herself - she did it surprising herself. Although she'd had training in giving fluids through Siamese Rescue she feared doing this to her own cat.
How old is your son that insists Whiskers be kept? Do you think he could give the fluids?
I bet Whiskers is feeding off your stress and responding to that.
But again let Whiskers be your judge in what to do. But if you honestly feel you can't cope with this you probably shouldn't as it's not healthy for you or for Whiskers.
I'm not sure I could and I had a cat with CRF for 6 years - I opted to let the vet give her fluids but luckily she didn't require this treatment on a daily basis.
I fed Tami CD canned food and as long as that's all she ate she did pretty well.
My heart it with you...and I'm sure everyone here is sending cyber hugs to you.

 

http://www.ahrdvm.com/ask/askgen.htm#euthanize

http://vetmedicine.about.com/c/ht/00/08/How_Know_Time_Euthanize0966283392.htm

http://www.homevet.com/bonding/loss.html#euthanasia

http://www.mypet2vet.com/consumer/when_to_euthanize.htm

http://familyfun.go.com/parenting/learn/activities/expert/petvetpain/

I'm so sorry you have to deal with such a difficult decision. I hope these articles will help a bit.

 

Thanks Mary you are probley right he feels my stress one good thing about the vet i found here is they are open 7 days a week i thought till 7 but saturdays only till 3 so i will call first thing in the morning and take him in and have them do it. My son is 13 and he also tried and was also trying to hold the bag up for me so we could get it to drip. I even put it on a cloths hanger and hung it on the cupboard and put him in a crate on the counter but nothing works i think i just cant stab him he meows and i feel like i'm hurting him I dont know but i will take him in tommorrw and let them do it Maybe they can show me instead of just saying this is what you do. He still is just laying on the counter but he has eaten almost 2 cans of food today and has drank alot of water so i'm sure he will be fine till the am. Thanks for all the articals Vene made me cry but made sence.

When I had Nala she got parvo of course on a sunday so the ER vet sent me home with an IV but i had my nephew then to help me he actully did it for me her skin was to tuff i could not do it.

thanks again guys i'm a little calmer now but still heart broken and confussed. we will see what the next few days brings.

 

I'm so sorry you have to go through this, and make this difficult decision

 

I'm also very sorry that you are going through this. I'm sending positive thoughts your way. Whiskers is very lucky to have you!

It sounds like Mary gave you some great advice. If I were in this situation, I would probably try as hard as I could to get the IV to work, and see how Luna reacted to everything. After we all got used to the IV a bit, I'd probably decide where to go from there based on the quality of life that she was having.

I wonder if it would help to call the vet for some advice about the IV, and explain the problems you're having. They would probably be happy to give you a demo and some tips if you bring Whiskers back in. You gotta figure that if they can do it, so can you, and it's just a matter of learning the best way of approaching it. I think it's great that your son is helping you.

Good luck with everything, and keep us posted.

 

Rene, I feel for you and just went thru this with Midas who had kideny failure and I had ot make this decision a few weeks ago.

Midas was dagnosed with Kidney failure last October, he did fairly well , then about a month a half ago I took him in and vet said this was it, he either needed fluids every day or we should end it. Well Midas wasnt the type of cat to give fluids, total phsyco cat the even the vet had a hard time and said it was best not to proloing it. (I gave fluids with my previous cat and was a an angel and it still wasnt easy)and I always had a hard time giving enough, I felt, what am I doing keeping this cat alive for me.

so with Midas I took him home and and My husband and I said lets give him the best of his last days, since we couldnt do the fluid route, over the months he had lost an extreme amount of weight even though he was eating, he wasnt able to process the food, then a few weeks ago I said he is just bones he is not eating, in other circmstances
we would be charged with cruetly. Midas looked at me and said its time, please, I am at peace with my decision, but I so still cry and think sometimes what did I do

My husband even as an adult was a lot like your son, he didnt want to let go, Midas was his walways glued to him.

after it was over I brought him home to let my husband and the dogs say goodbye and have a nice burial

I woud look for books to help your son get thru with the invevetible decision that whatever you decide shorterm, the time will come,

here are some sites that may help


http://www.griefhealing.com/article18.htm

http://www.pagewise.com/child-cope-death-pet.htm

hugs to you and your family

honeybear