Thanks for the input ...

.... on my post about our 14-year-old cat who is basically wasting away to
skin and bones before our eyes, even though he eats enormous amounts of
food, and is unable to control his defecation, and showed the enormously
high liver enzymes on the bloodwork and lymphoma is suspected..

I am going to call the internist Monday morning and at least discuss the
situation with him. I am inclined to have the ultrasound done, at least then
if it is lymphoma, we'll know without any shadow of a doubt that euthanizing
him will be the right course of action. Because as I said in my other post,
if it is lymphoma, then we will go ahead and have him put to sleep because
we're not going to subject him, at his age, having had 14 years of life and
love that he probably wouldn't have gotten if my wife's sister hadn't
rescued him from the side of the road, to treatment that from all I've been
able to gather will only buy him a few months at best.

I basically want to find out ... and if there are any vets out there, maybe
you can chime in ... how much I can sedate the cat for this 80-mile trip,
because again, it's hard for me to put into words just how badly this cat
travels, and it's not anything recent, it's something that's manifested
himself since he was a kitten. I'm not overstating or exaggerating this
situation. We've tried covering the carrier, we've tried positioning the
carrier where he can only see me or my wife, we've tried when traveling with
both cats to position the carriers where they can see each other and none of
that has worked. The only thing that works is sedation and at times it's
taking double Valium to calm him down enough to travel. Quite frankly, and
I'm not exaggerating this either, I fear that in his present debilitated
state, he may very well not live through this trip unless he is sedated.

The thing is, he'll apparently have to be sedated for the ultrasound as
well, and I need to make sure that he doesn't get so much sedation that it
puts him to sleep that way.

Anyway, thanks again for the input. This is a difficult situation. I don't
want this to sound heartless or cruel, because we love the cat and have been
praying that something miraculous will happen and he'll get better, but I've
found myself at times wishing that he'd just slip away peacefully while he's
asleep, take the decision out of our hands and put it in God's. But it's
most likely going to be our call and we are not going to let the cat suffer.
My wife is concerned that he is suffering, and while he doesn't appear
outwardly to be in any pain, a life of nothing but eating and defecating
can't be much fun. Plus I'm getting the sense ... and of course I don't know
for sure, I'd love to know what's going on inside his head but I don't speak
"feline," this is just a feeling I have based on knowing this cat and his
actions, etc., for 14 years ... from what he's doing when he defecates
outside the box, defecating specifically on things, and just from the way he
acts and looks at us, especially when I hold him, that he may be trying to
get the message across that he is miserable and it's time.

in article t, Gregory
Bailey at wrote on 1/9/05 12:35AM:

... on my post about our 14-year-old cat who is basically wasting away to
skin and bones before our eyes, even though he eats enormous amounts of
food, and is unable to control his defecation, and showed the enormously
high liver enzymes on the bloodwork and lymphoma is suspected..

I am going to call the internist Monday morning and at least discuss the
situation with him. I am inclined to have the ultrasound done, at least then
if it is lymphoma, we'll know without any shadow of a doubt that euthanizing
him will be the right course of action. Because as I said in my other post,
if it is lymphoma, then we will go ahead and have him put to sleep because
we're not going to subject him, at his age, having had 14 years of life and
love that he probably wouldn't have gotten if my wife's sister hadn't
rescued him from the side of the road, to treatment that from all I've been
able to gather will only buy him a few months at best.

I basically want to find out ... and if there are any vets out there, maybe
you can chime in ... how much I can sedate the cat for this 80-mile trip,
because again, it's hard for me to put into words just how badly this cat
travels, and it's not anything recent, it's something that's manifested
himself since he was a kitten. I'm not overstating or exaggerating this
situation. We've tried covering the carrier, we've tried positioning the
carrier where he can only see me or my wife, we've tried when traveling with
both cats to position the carriers where they can see each other and none of
that has worked. The only thing that works is sedation and at times it's
taking double Valium to calm him down enough to travel. Quite frankly, and
I'm not exaggerating this either, I fear that in his present debilitated
state, he may very well not live through this trip unless he is sedated.

The thing is, he'll apparently have to be sedated for the ultrasound as
well, and I need to make sure that he doesn't get so much sedation that it
puts him to sleep that way.

Anyway, thanks again for the input. This is a difficult situation. I don't
want this to sound heartless or cruel, because we love the cat and have been
praying that something miraculous will happen and he'll get better, but I've
found myself at times wishing that he'd just slip away peacefully while he's
asleep, take the decision out of our hands and put it in God's. But it's
most likely going to be our call and we are not going to let the cat suffer.
My wife is concerned that he is suffering, and while he doesn't appear
outwardly to be in any pain, a life of nothing but eating and defecating
can't be much fun. Plus I'm getting the sense ... and of course I don't know
for sure, I'd love to know what's going on inside his head but I don't speak
"feline," this is just a feeling I have based on knowing this cat and his
actions, etc., for 14 years ... from what he's doing when he defecates
outside the box, defecating specifically on things, and just from the way he
acts and looks at us, especially when I hold him, that he may be trying to
get the message across that he is miserable and it's time.


You sound anything BUT heartless and cruel. It is obvious that you have the
cats interests at heart. I know how hard this is. I know my thoughts will be
with you.

Gregory Bailey wrote:
snip

Plus I'm getting the sense ... and of course I don't know
for sure, I'd love to know what's going on inside his head but I
don't speak
"feline," this is just a feeling I have based on knowing this cat and
his
actions, etc., for 14 years ... from what he's doing when he
defecates
outside the box, defecating specifically on things, and just from the
way he
acts and looks at us, especially when I hold him, that he may be
trying to
get the message across that he is miserable and it's time.
Very likely so. Best of luck to you in your decision,
-L.

SNIP

Tough decision. Just make it with love.

--
Mathew
Butler to 2 kittens: Chablis & Muscat
En Vino Veritas

On Sun, 09 Jan 2005 06:35:56 GMT, "Gregory Bailey"
wrote:

------ snip ----------

I basically want to find out ... and if there are any vets out there, maybe
you can chime in ... how much I can sedate the cat for this 80-mile trip,

I'm not a vet, but I do know that vets will prescribe valium for
feline patients. I also know of breeders who show cats who have used
valium to get a cat over "show fright". Depending on the size of your
cat (and I believe he is on the small size), it can be 1/4 to 1/2 mg.
Try the low dosage first and see how he does on it.

Again, I'm not a vet, but I've used this a couple times on one of my
boys who doesn't like to travel either.

May you have peace in your heart when it comes time to make the
decision.

Bill

Hi Gregory,

You also must prepare yourself for the situation where the ultrasound does
not show any outward abnormalities (i.e. a mass), but this does still not
rule out lymphoma.

When my kitty had his exploratory surgery, all the vet found inside was a
very *slight* thickening of one part of the intestine. Upon submitting
biopsies of the thickened part, a normal area of the intestine, and of a
lymph node... ALL areas were cancerous, indicating the cancer had undergone
metastasis (had spread and was not localized to one area).

Kelly

"Gregory Bailey" wrote in message
nk.net...
... on my post about our 14-year-old cat who is basically wasting away to
skin and bones before our eyes, even though he eats enormous amounts of
food, and is unable to control his defecation, and showed the enormously
high liver enzymes on the bloodwork and lymphoma is suspected..

I am going to call the internist Monday morning and at least discuss the
situation with him. I am inclined to have the ultrasound done, at least
then
if it is lymphoma, we'll know without any shadow of a doubt that
euthanizing
him will be the right course of action. Because as I said in my other
post,
if it is lymphoma, then we will go ahead and have him put to sleep because
we're not going to subject him, at his age, having had 14 years of life
and
love that he probably wouldn't have gotten if my wife's sister hadn't
rescued him from the side of the road, to treatment that from all I've
been
able to gather will only buy him a few months at best.

I basically want to find out ... and if there are any vets out there,
maybe
you can chime in ... how much I can sedate the cat for this 80-mile trip,
because again, it's hard for me to put into words just how badly this cat
travels, and it's not anything recent, it's something that's manifested
himself since he was a kitten. I'm not overstating or exaggerating this
situation. We've tried covering the carrier, we've tried positioning the
carrier where he can only see me or my wife, we've tried when traveling
with
both cats to position the carriers where they can see each other and none
of
that has worked. The only thing that works is sedation and at times it's
taking double Valium to calm him down enough to travel. Quite frankly, and
I'm not exaggerating this either, I fear that in his present debilitated
state, he may very well not live through this trip unless he is sedated.

The thing is, he'll apparently have to be sedated for the ultrasound as
well, and I need to make sure that he doesn't get so much sedation that it
puts him to sleep that way.

Anyway, thanks again for the input. This is a difficult situation. I don't
want this to sound heartless or cruel, because we love the cat and have
been
praying that something miraculous will happen and he'll get better, but
I've
found myself at times wishing that he'd just slip away peacefully while
he's
asleep, take the decision out of our hands and put it in God's. But it's
most likely going to be our call and we are not going to let the cat
suffer.
My wife is concerned that he is suffering, and while he doesn't appear
outwardly to be in any pain, a life of nothing but eating and defecating
can't be much fun. Plus I'm getting the sense ... and of course I don't
know
for sure, I'd love to know what's going on inside his head but I don't
speak
"feline," this is just a feeling I have based on knowing this cat and his
actions, etc., for 14 years ... from what he's doing when he defecates
outside the box, defecating specifically on things, and just from the way
he
acts and looks at us, especially when I hold him, that he may be trying to
get the message across that he is miserable and it's time.

"Gregory Bailey" wrote in message
nk.net...
snipped
The thing is, he'll apparently have to be sedated for the ultrasound as
well, and I need to make sure that he doesn't get so much sedation that it
puts him to sleep that way.

In this case, I think I'd ask the internist for his/her opinion. If your
regular vet makes the appt. for you, then ask for the internist's phone
number & explain the situation, the ride to his/her office. If you make
the appt. yourself, then you're all set to ask the question.

Good luck. I personally agree that I'd want to have a diagnosis &
prognosis; would make the decision - either way - easier, IMO.

Cathy