If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#21
|
|||
|
|||
When do you "call it a day"?
Eddy wrote:
I would like to know various people's views on when one should "call it a day" when a beloved pet has a very serious illness. If increasing part of the medication to maximum level will give the animal good quality of life for a large part of the day though in the end the side-effects of that large increase in medication will cause additional complications, do you give the animal that extra good-quality time and wait until the additional complications set in? Do you say that it is good that increasing the medication has largely removed the animal's suffering but while the animal is now in this good window you should put him to sleep, rather than wait for the next down-turn? Or do you say that in spite of the increased medication the animal remains below par, below normal health, and should therefore be relieved of life without more ado? Or what? We are having a tough time here. One thing is certain. This fine young cat could have been put to sleep a month ago when it was found he had "very serious congestive heart failure" but since then, because of the medication, and increases in his medication, he has enjoyed some very happy days frolicking around in the sunshine, devouring good food, and luxuriating in front of the fire. Eddy. "Frolicking" is subjective. "Luxuriating" in front of the fire is what every cat loves, but a cat in chronic heart failure will have poor circulation and will feel cold, so heat-seeking behavior, more than the average cat does, is not a good sign. As long as he's eating and drinking, he's probably OK. When he stops eating and drinking, it's time. Please do not let your cat suffer and die at home, because it is a slow death. We bought our late beloved HCM cat about five more weeks with medication, and sadly, he spent his last week in the hospital under heat lamps with IV meds and nutrition, to no avail. I don't even want to tell you how much it cost. At least they didn't charge us for the euthanasia. |
#22
|
|||
|
|||
When do you "call it a day"?
|
#23
|
|||
|
|||
When do you "call it a day"?
cindys wrote:
And for the medications that are not human or are human but only in much larger doses, try 1-800-PETMEDS. I get my cats' Tumil-K (potassium supplement) from Pet Meds: 100 pills for $21 rather than 100 pills for $38 (at my vet). All orders over $39 are shipped for free. The furosemide 2.5 mg and enalapril (can't remember the dose off the top of my head) are about half the price the vet charges. I was paying my vet $8 for 100 gelcaps, which are clear, empty capsules (I combine the pills in one clear capsule so the cat is getting one pill rather than four). At the Capsuline website, the gelcaps were 1000 for $16. I am currently using size 2. IIRC, the shipping was free from Capsuline as well. Best regards, ---Cindy S. Thanks, Cindy, again. Please see my reply to rschweitzer above. Can I ask you how your vet reacts to knowing you are going elsewhere to buy meds. Maybe your vet practice is in a different situation/context from the one we have here, though I suppose we could always arrange to see our vet, sit down with her, and explain that we are not in a position to pay their prices and would she mind, even recommend, us buying elsewhere? Eddy. |
#24
|
|||
|
|||
When do you "call it a day"?
Hi Cindy.
Thanks. You clearly believe so strongly in this that I will wait till the coming month's meds run out and when returning to the vet to get the next month's will broach the Plavix possibility - ask what they think, do they supply, at what cost, etc. Thanks too for the pill-popper suggestion. Have considered it before but can see that it would be too stressful for us and for the cat - just getting into position alone. The tuna and the yoghourt work beautifully, despite the price. Eddy. |
#25
|
|||
|
|||
When do you "call it a day"?
On Apr 22, 6:10*am, Eddy
wrote: cindys wrote: And for the medications that are not human or are human but only in much larger doses, try 1-800-PETMEDS. I get my cats' Tumil-K (potassium supplement) from Pet Meds: 100 pills for $21 rather than 100 pills for $38 (at my vet). All orders over $39 are shipped for free. The furosemide 2.5 mg and enalapril (can't remember the dose off the top of my head) are about half the price the vet charges. I was paying my vet $8 for 100 gelcaps, which are clear, empty capsules (I combine the pills in one clear capsule so the cat is getting one pill rather than four). At the Capsuline website, the gelcaps were 1000 for $16. I am currently using size 2. IIRC, the shipping was free from Capsuline as well. Best regards, ---Cindy S. Thanks, Cindy, again. *Please see my reply to rschweitzer above. *Can I ask you how your vet reacts to knowing you are going elsewhere to buy meds. *Maybe your vet practice is in a different situation/context from the one we have here, though I suppose we could always arrange to see our vet, sit down with her, and explain that we are not in a position to pay their prices and would she mind, even recommend, us buying elsewhere? ---------- Well, I'm sure our vet would prefer that we get all the meds from her (the ones she carries anyway), but when we don't, she doesn't say much. I have never discussed it with her. I simply told the receptionist that we would be getting the medications from PETMEDS (where applicable). We are certainly not the only family who shops elsewhere (the receptionist told me it was quite common for clients to get meds elsewhere). A lot of people must be doing so, as 1-800- PETMEDS is a booming business. When you place an order with them, they phone the vet for you and request the prescription. Additionally, the vet doesn't dispense everything, and it is not unusual for her to write us prescriptions to be filled in a local drugstore. For sure, she doesn't dispense Plavix. My cat is on the following meds (I've indicated which ones I COULD be getting from her). The last three she simply doesn't carry, and we couldn't get them from her even if we wanted to: Tumil K (available from the vet). Enalapril (available from the vet). Furosemide (available from vet). Clear empty capsules (available from vet). Plavix (she wrote us a prescription to be filled elsewhere). At my request, the vet office faxed the prescription to the Canadian pharmacy. Diltiazem (she wrote us a prescription to be filled elsewhere). Lactulose (she wrote us a prescription to be filled elsewhere, but it is sold over-the-counter in Canada). (When we had a cat who required Lantus insulin, we had to get that from the drugstore as well). Our vet practice is a very wealthy practice with multiple offices. The veterinarians who work in each office are considered part owners. (FTR, it's not one of the national chains. It's a local business that simply grew over the years. The original vet retired and started selling parts of the practice to the vets who worked for him.) I don't feel bad about buying meds elsewhere because the practice is wealthy and because we currently have four cats, one of whom is currently elderly (i.e., lots of vet visits). We have had several elderly cats in the past few years (two of whom had CRF and one who now has the cardiomyopathy), so that's a lot of medical care. That's a lot of checkups, grooming, dental procedures, x-rays, etc. This other stuff more than makes up for the loss of profit on the meds. Best regards, ---Cindy S. |
#26
|
|||
|
|||
When do you "call it a day"?
On Apr 22, 6:25*am, Eddy
wrote: Hi Cindy. Thanks. *You clearly believe so strongly in this that I will wait till the coming month's meds run out and when returning to the vet to get the next month's will broach the Plavix possibility - ask what they think, do they supply, at what cost, etc. I promise you your vet doesn't supply it. But Cornell recommends it (as did my mother's cardiologist). Aspirin is not just as good at preventing clots. If your vet agrees you should try it (and why would she object?), you will not be able to get it from her. The Canadian pharmacy is going to be cheaper for you than anywhere in the USA. (Plavix/clopidogrel is not available at PETMEDS either). Again, it's because the generic is available in Canada but not in the USA, and you'll be paying for this with cash out of pocket. The only caveat is that you have described that your cat has required thoracocentesis multiple times. This has not been the case for my cat (after the initial crisis in December 2007). The Plavix will prevent clot formation but can't do anything to prevent the fluid buildup in your cat's chest. Best regards, ---Cindy S. Thanks too for the pill-popper suggestion. *Have considered it before but can see that it would be too stressful for us and for the cat - just getting into position alone. *The tuna and the yoghourt work beautifully, despite the price. Eddy. |
#27
|
|||
|
|||
When do you "call it a day"?
On Apr 22, 8:54*am, cindys wrote:
snip Tumil K (available from the vet). Enalapril (available from the vet). Furosemide (available from vet). Clear empty capsules (available from vet). Plavix (she wrote us a prescription to be filled elsewhere). At my request, the vet office faxed the prescription to the Canadian pharmacy. Diltiazem (she wrote us a prescription to be filled elsewhere). Lactulose (she wrote us a prescription to be filled elsewhere, but it is sold over-the-counter in Canada). ----------- I forgot to list the Pepcid (famotidine) which is available over-the- counter in any local drugstore. The vet does not carry it. Just be sure that you buy the regular stuff and not the "Pepcid Complete." The cat requires only a very small amount (2.5 to 5 mg daily). Some people will give their cats the Pepcid (famotidine) only every other day. Best regards, ---Cindy S. |
#28
|
|||
|
|||
When do you "call it a day"?
Thanks, "rschweitzer" for this. * Bought another month's supply of drugs yesterday for 30 US dollars, plus a further stack of tins of tuna and pots of natural yoghurt to embed his medication, as well as the normal tins of cat-food. *Pricey indeed, so I appreciate the suggestion about trying to get the drugs elsewhere. *The thing is we're in a very isolated rural spot here and the closest vet is a 20-minute drive away. The next vet after that is 30 minutes drive away. *So we couldn't really chop and change vets in the future, if we wanted to, which we don't. Our vet is genuinely concerned and very good. *Her practice is not a wealthy one. *People in this area don't have much dosh. *I think that if we were to ask her to let us continue to consult her but not to buy the drugs from her then she would not be too happy, and she might well then feel she should charge us for chats and emergency phone-calls etc., which at the moment she is not. *So I think we need to stick with our vet and buy the meds from her at her price. Eddy. Eddy, I understand your concerns, as I grew up in a rural community myself. FWIW, I don't see the harm in broaching the subject with your vet. A good vet will respect your wishes and reasonable requests, and asking for a script is certainly reasonable IMO. My own vet will happily write me a script--and does not charge for phone chats/callbacks/ questions/etc. It's simply a business practice; nothing personal against the vet. Rene |
#29
|
|||
|
|||
When do you "call it a day"?
cindys wrote:
Well, I'm sure our vet would prefer that we get all the meds from her (the ones she carries anyway), but when we don't, she doesn't say much. I have never discussed it with her. I simply told the receptionist that we would be getting the medications from PETMEDS (where applicable). We are certainly not the only family who shops elsewhere (the receptionist told me it was quite common for clients to get meds elsewhere). A lot of people must be doing so, as 1-800- PETMEDS is a booming business. When you place an order with them, they phone the vet for you and request the prescription. Additionally, the vet doesn't dispense everything, and it is not unusual for her to write us prescriptions to be filled in a local drugstore. For sure, she doesn't dispense Plavix. My cat is on the following meds (I've indicated which ones I COULD be getting from her). The last three she simply doesn't carry, and we couldn't get them from her even if we wanted to: Tumil K (available from the vet). Enalapril (available from the vet). Furosemide (available from vet). Clear empty capsules (available from vet). Plavix (she wrote us a prescription to be filled elsewhere). At my request, the vet office faxed the prescription to the Canadian pharmacy. Diltiazem (she wrote us a prescription to be filled elsewhere). Lactulose (she wrote us a prescription to be filled elsewhere, but it is sold over-the-counter in Canada). (When we had a cat who required Lantus insulin, we had to get that from the drugstore as well). Our vet practice is a very wealthy practice with multiple offices. The veterinarians who work in each office are considered part owners. (FTR, it's not one of the national chains. It's a local business that simply grew over the years. The original vet retired and started selling parts of the practice to the vets who worked for him.) I don't feel bad about buying meds elsewhere because the practice is wealthy and because we currently have four cats, one of whom is currently elderly (i.e., lots of vet visits). We have had several elderly cats in the past few years (two of whom had CRF and one who now has the cardiomyopathy), so that's a lot of medical care. That's a lot of checkups, grooming, dental procedures, x-rays, etc. This other stuff more than makes up for the loss of profit on the meds. Best regards, ---Cindy S. Hi, Cindy. I think you've put your finger on why we feel reluctant not to buy the meds from our vet: the practice is small, independent, and there are certainly no signs in the humble little building they have that they are raking it in. They also seemed worked off their feet, what with the pets being brought in and all the other problems with livestock - this area is all about sheep, cattle, and horses. So I guess this is why we feel we at least ought to buy our meds from them, in return for their good practice. But if they had all the trappings of wealth, like yours, I think we would feel happy about shopping online. Eddy. |
#30
|
|||
|
|||
When do you "call it a day"?
cindys wrote:
The only caveat is that you have described that your cat has required thoracocentesis multiple times. This has not been the case for my cat (after the initial crisis in December 2007). The Plavix will prevent clot formation but can't do anything to prevent the fluid buildup in your cat's chest. Best regards, ---Cindy S. Hi again, Cindy. It hasn't been necessary to mention it before, but possibly I should mention it to you now: we are in the UK so the whole business of getting meds through the post could be quite different here, not so easy. Trying to buy ANYTHING online from the States or Canada is problematical with regard to getting through Customs. I bought something from Australia a while back, and the postman wouldn't give it to me until I paid him a hefty Excise duty first! Eddy. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Is it politically correct to call a cat "pussy"??? | Gene Stonerly | Cat health & behaviour | 5 | January 8th 09 06:07 AM |
For women who desire the traditional 12-marker dials, the "Faceto," "Juro" and "Rilati" all add a little more functionality, without sacrificing the diamonds. | Linda Boucher | Cat health & behaviour | 0 | April 20th 08 10:52 PM |
"Juro" is a newer series that resembles the "Museum," but features asmaller face and more subtle diamond inlays. The men's "Esperanza" model isthe most complex luxury model with the three minute, second andtenth-of-a-sec | [email protected] | Cat health & behaviour | 0 | April 20th 08 10:03 AM |