Struggling with decision...

I've been posting about TB and our battle with his liver disease. He is in the vet right now on IV fluids because he had a bad weekend, vomiting up to 4 times a day. I would have to syringe feed him right after he vomitted to make sure he got some food in him, then 3-4 hours later he would vomit up a little that hadn't gone through him yet. He was looking weaker, walking very slow, kind of wobly, and he was loosing weight. The vet weighed him in at 8 pounds 9 ounces, down about a pound from two weeks ago. His blood values still show elevated ALT (400), ALP (300), and dramatically elevated bilirubin (15). His HCT, I believe that is how they measure red cells...was at 24.8% but his white cell count was extremely high at 52! This is very concerning, the vet doesn't know if this is due to infection or ongoing inflammation, but he has been on antibiotics for a long time. I still don't know what all these figures really mean, but she is pushing an exploratory surgery to see what this expanding fluid structure is underneath his galbladder. She also wants to get biopsy's of liver, galbladder, and maybe others. I am scared to death to put TB through surgery at his age of 15 and weakend state. I need to tell her today if I want to proceed with the surgery or not. They will have to do a clot test and check other levels, but I am so concerned about the possibility of him dying during the procedure. I am also concerned about his recovery process...I don't know, what if I put out all this money for the surgery, he makes it, they find out what exactly he has, and treat it, OR, he dies during procedure, OR he never fully recovers and has even worse final days because of the surgery. I am stressed out beyond anything I have ever experienced, I love this cat as much as I love my mom or dad. What should I do?

in article , NateB323 at
wrote on 7/19/05 6:45AM:

I've been posting about TB and our battle with his liver disease. He is
in
the vet right now on IV fluids because he had a bad weekend, vomiting
up to 4
times a day. I would have to syringe feed him right after he
vomitted to make
sure he got some food in him, then 3-4 hours later he
would vomit up a little
that hadn't gone through him yet. He was
looking weaker, walking very slow,
kind of wobly, and he was loosing
weight. The vet weighed him in at 8 pounds
9 ounces, down about a
pound from two weeks ago. His blood values still show
elevated ALT
(400), ALP (300), and dramatically elevated bilirubin (15). His
HCT, I
believe that is how they measure red cells...was at 24.8% but his
white
cell count was extremely high at 52! This is very concerning, the
vet
doesn't know if this is due to infection or ongoing inflammation, but
he
has been on antibiotics for a long time. I still don't know what
all these
figures really mean, but she is pushing an exploratory
surgery to see what
this expanding fluid structure is underneath his
galbladder. She also wants
to get biopsy's of liver, galbladder, and
maybe others. I am scared to death
to put TB through surgery at his
age of 15 and weakend state. I need to tell
her today if I want to
proceed with the surgery or not. They will have to do
a clot test and
check other levels, but I am so concerned about the
possibility of him
dying during the procedure. I am also concerned about his
recovery
process...I don't know, what if I put out all this money for
the
surgery, he makes it, they find out what exactly he has, and treat it,
OR,
he dies during procedure, OR he never fully recovers and has even
worse final
days because of the surgery. I am stressed out beyond
anything I have ever
experienced, I love this cat as much as I love my
mom or dad. What should I
do?


--
NateB323


I'm so sorry the kitty is so sick. Only you know how your cat is taking all
the treatment. I know you love him deeply and you have to try and think from
the angle of what is best for him. And really only you can know that. My
thoughts are with you.

I would ask the vet what she would do if it were her cat. If the exploratory
surgery does not have a good probability of helping him, I would personally
not put him through it.
Gail
"NateB323" wrote in message
...

I've been posting about TB and our battle with his liver disease. He is
in the vet right now on IV fluids because he had a bad weekend, vomiting
up to 4 times a day. I would have to syringe feed him right after he
vomitted to make sure he got some food in him, then 3-4 hours later he
would vomit up a little that hadn't gone through him yet. He was
looking weaker, walking very slow, kind of wobly, and he was loosing
weight. The vet weighed him in at 8 pounds 9 ounces, down about a
pound from two weeks ago. His blood values still show elevated ALT
(400), ALP (300), and dramatically elevated bilirubin (15). His HCT, I
believe that is how they measure red cells...was at 24.8% but his white
cell count was extremely high at 52! This is very concerning, the vet
doesn't know if this is due to infection or ongoing inflammation, but
he has been on antibiotics for a long time. I still don't know what
all these figures really mean, but she is pushing an exploratory
surgery to see what this expanding fluid structure is underneath his
galbladder. She also wants to get biopsy's of liver, galbladder, and
maybe others. I am scared to death to put TB through surgery at his
age of 15 and weakend state. I need to tell her today if I want to
proceed with the surgery or not. They will have to do a clot test and
check other levels, but I am so concerned about the possibility of him
dying during the procedure. I am also concerned about his recovery
process...I don't know, what if I put out all this money for the
surgery, he makes it, they find out what exactly he has, and treat it,
OR, he dies during procedure, OR he never fully recovers and has even
worse final days because of the surgery. I am stressed out beyond
anything I have ever experienced, I love this cat as much as I love my
mom or dad. What should I do?


--
NateB323

"NateB323" wrote in message
...

I've been posting about TB and our battle with his liver disease. He is
in the vet right now on IV fluids because he had a bad weekend, vomiting
up to 4 times a day. I would have to syringe feed him right after he
vomitted to make sure he got some food in him, then 3-4 hours later he
would vomit up a little that hadn't gone through him yet. He was
looking weaker, walking very slow, kind of wobly, and he was loosing
weight. The vet weighed him in at 8 pounds 9 ounces, down about a
pound from two weeks ago. His blood values still show elevated ALT
(400), ALP (300), and dramatically elevated bilirubin (15). His HCT, I
believe that is how they measure red cells...was at 24.8% but his white
cell count was extremely high at 52! This is very concerning, the vet
doesn't know if this is due to infection or ongoing inflammation, but
he has been on antibiotics for a long time. I still don't know what
all these figures really mean, but she is pushing an exploratory
surgery to see what this expanding fluid structure is underneath his
galbladder. She also wants to get biopsy's of liver, galbladder, and
maybe others. I am scared to death to put TB through surgery at his
age of 15 and weakend state. I need to tell her today if I want to
proceed with the surgery or not. They will have to do a clot test and
check other levels, but I am so concerned about the possibility of him
dying during the procedure. I am also concerned about his recovery
process...I don't know, what if I put out all this money for the
surgery, he makes it, they find out what exactly he has, and treat it,
OR, he dies during procedure, OR he never fully recovers and has even
worse final days because of the surgery. I am stressed out beyond
anything I have ever experienced, I love this cat as much as I love my
mom or dad. What should I do?



God, Nate, what a horrible decision to have to make. I'm not sure
anyone can tell you what to do. I think if I were in your shoes I
would trust my instincts. No matter what, you have a tough time
ahead. I'm so sorry.

NateB323 wrote:
I've been posting about TB and our battle with his liver disease. He is
in the vet right now on IV fluids because he had a bad weekend, vomiting
up to 4 times a day. I would have to syringe feed him right after he
vomitted to make sure he got some food in him, then 3-4 hours later he
would vomit up a little that hadn't gone through him yet. He was
looking weaker, walking very slow, kind of wobly, and he was loosing
weight. The vet weighed him in at 8 pounds 9 ounces, down about a
pound from two weeks ago. His blood values still show elevated ALT
(400), ALP (300), and dramatically elevated bilirubin (15). His HCT, I
believe that is how they measure red cells...was at 24.8% but his white
cell count was extremely high at 52! This is very concerning, the vet
doesn't know if this is due to infection or ongoing inflammation, but
he has been on antibiotics for a long time. I still don't know what
all these figures really mean, but she is pushing an exploratory
surgery to see what this expanding fluid structure is underneath his
galbladder. She also wants to get biopsy's of liver, galbladder, and
maybe others. I am scared to death to put TB through surgery at his
age of 15 and weakend state. I need to tell her today if I want to
proceed with the surgery or not.

No way would I put a 15 year old cat that is that sick through surgery.
No way. In fact I am a little bit appalled that the vet would even
suggest it - seems like a money-seeker to me.

Some of the best advice I have ever received as a pet guardian came
from my own vet when my beloved dog Tosh was diagnosed with an
inoperable tumor: "Don't let her suffer." Those words will always ring
true to me, always.

Best luck on your decision. I know it is a tough one.

-L.

You must be having an awful time. Unfortunately you need to put the cat
first and not your own feelings.

15 is an excellent age for a cat to have reached.

If your cat comes through the treatment what sort of QUALITY of life do you
envisage afterwards? FULL recovery? Partial recovery with lots of
constraints? Less?

Perhaps considering this aspect alone might help you come to a decision.

Quality of life is what really counts.

chas

On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 11:45:07 +0000, NateB323 wrote:


I've been posting about TB and our battle with his liver disease. He is
in the vet right now on IV fluids because he had a bad weekend, vomiting
up to 4 times a day. I would have to syringe feed him right after he
vomitted to make sure he got some food in him, then 3-4 hours later he
would vomit up a little that hadn't gone through him yet. He was looking
weaker, walking very slow, kind of wobly, and he was loosing weight. The
vet weighed him in at 8 pounds 9 ounces, down about a pound from two weeks
ago. His blood values still show elevated ALT (400), ALP (300), and
dramatically elevated bilirubin (15). His HCT, I believe that is how they
measure red cells...was at 24.8% but his white cell count was extremely
high at 52! This is very concerning, the vet doesn't know if this is due
to infection or ongoing inflammation, but he has been on antibiotics for a
long time. I still don't know what all these figures really mean, but she
is pushing an exploratory surgery to see what this expanding fluid
structure is underneath his galbladder. She also wants to get biopsy's of
liver, galbladder, and maybe others. I am scared to death to put TB
through surgery at his age of 15 and weakend state. I need to tell her
today if I want to proceed with the surgery or not. They will have to do
a clot test and check other levels, but I am so concerned about the
possibility of him dying during the procedure. I am also concerned about
his recovery process...I don't know, what if I put out all this money for
the surgery, he makes it, they find out what exactly he has, and treat it,
OR, he dies during procedure, OR he never fully recovers and has even
worse final days because of the surgery. I am stressed out beyond
anything I have ever experienced, I love this cat as much as I love my mom
or dad. What should I do?



We are purring that whatever you do will bring you peace. I had this same
decision to make but chose nature's way.. You are going to feel terrible
whatever you do, so don't let your friend suffer anymore. Best wishes
for a peaceful end. MLB

"NateB323" wrote in message
...

I've been posting about TB and our battle with his liver disease. He is
in the vet right now on IV fluids because he had a bad weekend, vomiting
up to 4 times a day. I would have to syringe feed him right after he
vomitted to make sure he got some food in him, then 3-4 hours later he
would vomit up a little that hadn't gone through him yet. He was
looking weaker, walking very slow, kind of wobly, and he was loosing
weight. The vet weighed him in at 8 pounds 9 ounces, down about a
pound from two weeks ago. His blood values still show elevated ALT
(400), ALP (300), and dramatically elevated bilirubin (15). His HCT, I
believe that is how they measure red cells...was at 24.8% but his white
cell count was extremely high at 52! This is very concerning, the vet
doesn't know if this is due to infection or ongoing inflammation, but
he has been on antibiotics for a long time. I still don't know what
all these figures really mean, but she is pushing an exploratory
surgery to see what this expanding fluid structure is underneath his
galbladder. She also wants to get biopsy's of liver, galbladder, and
maybe others. I am scared to death to put TB through surgery at his
age of 15 and weakend state. I need to tell her today if I want to
proceed with the surgery or not. They will have to do a clot test and
check other levels, but I am so concerned about the possibility of him
dying during the procedure. I am also concerned about his recovery
process...I don't know, what if I put out all this money for the
surgery, he makes it, they find out what exactly he has, and treat it,
OR, he dies during procedure, OR he never fully recovers and has even
worse final days because of the surgery. I am stressed out beyond
anything I have ever experienced, I love this cat as much as I love my
mom or dad. What should I do?


--
NateB323

I can't help with this decision, but to counter what one idiot*
(cough*Lyn*cough) posted - my 15-year-old went through *THREE* surgeries
within three weeks and she did just fine.

*This particular idiot told another idiot that he was right to return his
cat to a kill shelter because of a chest cold. She also said that you
shouldn't adopt a handicapped cat and it is better to put them to sleep and
adopt a healthy cat.

The best advice I can give is listen to your vet, who knows your cat, and
don't heed bad advice from crazies on the internet.

Hugs,

CatNipped

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
"NateB323" wrote in message
...

I've been posting about TB and our battle with his liver disease. He is
in the vet right now on IV fluids because he had a bad weekend, vomiting
up to 4 times a day. I would have to syringe feed him right after he
vomitted to make sure he got some food in him, then 3-4 hours later he
would vomit up a little that hadn't gone through him yet. He was
looking weaker, walking very slow, kind of wobly, and he was loosing
weight. The vet weighed him in at 8 pounds 9 ounces, down about a
pound from two weeks ago. His blood values still show elevated ALT
(400), ALP (300), and dramatically elevated bilirubin (15). His HCT, I
believe that is how they measure red cells...was at 24.8% but his white
cell count was extremely high at 52! This is very concerning, the vet
doesn't know if this is due to infection or ongoing inflammation, but
he has been on antibiotics for a long time. I still don't know what
all these figures really mean, but she is pushing an exploratory
surgery to see what this expanding fluid structure is underneath his
galbladder. She also wants to get biopsy's of liver, galbladder, and
maybe others. I am scared to death to put TB through surgery at his
age of 15 and weakend state. I need to tell her today if I want to
proceed with the surgery or not. They will have to do a clot test and
check other levels, but I am so concerned about the possibility of him
dying during the procedure. I am also concerned about his recovery
process...I don't know, what if I put out all this money for the
surgery, he makes it, they find out what exactly he has, and treat it,
OR, he dies during procedure, OR he never fully recovers and has even
worse final days because of the surgery. I am stressed out beyond
anything I have ever experienced, I love this cat as much as I love my
mom or dad. What should I do?


--
NateB323

I can't help with this decision, but to counter what one idiot*
(cough*Lyn*cough) posted - my 15-year-old went through *THREE* surgeries
within three weeks and she did just fine.

*This particular idiot told another idiot that he was right to return his
cat to a kill shelter because of a chest cold. She also said that you
shouldn't adopt a handicapped cat and it is better to put them to sleep
and
adopt a healthy cat.


This is the source of my intense dislike of Lyn. Cats are just throwaways--
unless they are hers, of course.

"chas" wrote in message
...
You must be having an awful time. Unfortunately you need to put the cat
first and not your own feelings.

15 is an excellent age for a cat to have reached.

If your cat comes through the treatment what sort of QUALITY of life do
you envisage afterwards? FULL recovery? Partial recovery with lots of
constraints? Less?

Perhaps considering this aspect alone might help you come to a decision.

Quality of life is what really counts.

chas



Excellent advice. The main thing to consider is - is the surgery worth it
to the cat? No matter what you do, be prepared to second guess yourself. I
did this for about a year after I made the decision to put her to sleep. I
can finally look back and say with certainty that I did the right thing.
Do take care, I know this is a hard time.

-Kelly