I know have 2 cats with IC

[MaryS]

i read your post and cried. It brought back a flood of memories of all the dogs i have lost. Losing a pet is just horrible. A piece of my heart died with each pet i lost. i also had pets die unexpectedly.

i had a beagle and a cat. i went to work one day and found the german shepherd pup. I asked the security guard to hold it for me while i ran to my office. I asked my boss for the day off and explained that i found a pup and was going to bring it directly to the vet for an exam and shots. I did not want to being it home until I knew it was ok and not having something that could transfer to my other pets. My boss had a farm and LOTS of animals so of course she said save the pup and let me go to the vet and then home.

My beagle was 10 and was having bladder issues so I brought her to the vet for a check up and when he did testing he found she had bladder cancer and would not live much longer. I was with my mom and was 9 months pregnant. He told me the best thing to do was to put her down otherwise she would be uncomfortable and then might die at home. I was crying so bad and my mom said let her go Mary. I said my goodbyes to her and we all cried including the vet. He then put her down. Just god awful because it was so unexpected.

I still had my cat and shepherd so they were very comforting to have at such a sad time.

My shepherd developed a tumor and it grew overnight. We took her to the vet and he operated immediately. It was cancer but he said it seemed contained and that he took the entire tumor out. A few years later she got another tumor so we said no big deal the vet will fix her again. Wrong!!! He called from the operating room while she was opened up and sedated. He said the cancer had spread all over her body and he couldnt save her. She was just 10 and was a very healthy and active dog with no health issues until the tumors came along. I started to cry and my husband took the phone away from me and talked to the vet. Again, he told us to let her go. He said she had a week or two and would have pain and we could wake up one day and find her dead. We didn't want her to die alone at night while we slept or when we were at work. We both felt since she was sedated, not in pain and unaware of what was happening it would be best to let her go rather then let her come out of sedation only to sedate her again and put her down. It would have been selfish of me to make her wake up in pain just to say good bye and then put her out again.

I cried for 6 weeks after this and I couldn't take going out and coming home to an empty house. I was so used to my dogs greeting me at the door . I then did research and met a women who bred labradors for showing, agility and field work. She bred them and kept them and would only sell a pup or two from the litter to someone she knew. She had ten labs that were her pets and all of them lived inside the house,,amazing. Well she had a show dog that did not enjoy the show world. she was a bit quiet and timid and did not like alot of activity around her so the breeder felt she would be happier in a home as a family pet verses being a show dog. She was a bit leary about selling her to me but agreed to meet us. We loved the dog and we hit it off with the woman instantly. I guess she felt our love of dogs when she talked to us. But, she insisted on bringing the dog to my home to meet the kids and see our home and yard. She wanted this dog to have a fenced in yard to play in. Once she saw our home, met our kids and saw we did have a fenced in yard she agreed to sell us the dog. She made us sign a contract stating we would spay her immediately. She did not want her dog lines bred by someone else. She also stated if for some reason we could not keep the dog that we had to bring her back to her and not give her to anyone else. She also stated in the contract that she had a right to check on her dog and remove it from our home if she felt it was not happy. We agreed with all her conditions because we felt she was being very responsible with her dogs and truly cared about their well being. she was not breeding for money as most people do. WE LOVED this dog. She had a great disposition and good health which reflected good breeding so we went back to her a few years later and bought a pup so that our other dog would have a companion. So we had two labs and then my friend called and begged me to give a home to a dog she rescued. Her dog was dog aggressive so she could not keep it. So then two turned to 3 dogs .

The first lab passed at 13 years old. Her back legs gave out on her and she could not walk. We had to carry her to the car and at the vet they were waiting with a stretcher. We knew that she knew her time was up because she layed her head down on the stretcher with a sigh. She was not anxious and didnot struggle or act agitated. Again we all cried our brains out but we still had two dogs at home that needed us so it was painful but the wo dogs gave us comfort.

So this is where it kinda gets weird. Two years ago our female lab at similar symptoms as puddin. Her back legs collapsed and she fell on the floor right in front of us. Her eyes rolled back into her head then came back down but she could not focus them and they just shifted from let to right. we totally freaked and thought she had a stroke and this was it for her. she was 13. My husband scooped her up and rushed her to the vet. We said our goodbyes and kissed and hugged her thinking that she was going to be put down. We were all crying hysterically. 2 hours later our car pulls in thr driveway and then my husband gets out holding a leash and low and behold at the end of the leash was our dog WALKING slowly with a stick like walk. We could not believe it. The vet said she had some kind of virus/seizure that hits older dogs in the winter/cold weather. He gave her several injections (cant remember what they were). And he aid she could recover totally, recover a little or not recover at all. Only time would answer that. We didnt care we were glad to have her back. She was not in pain at all. Her back legs were stiff like sticks but she got around ok but if she was laying down she could NOT get up. We were fine with that and basically nursed her for 2 more years. This June she was laying next to me in the kitchen and my husband came in to take her out for her last potty run. When he went to lift her she fell back down. So he thought her legs fell asleep so he massauged them and lifted her again and she fell down. All her legs were lifeless, limp like a wet over cooked noodle,,I strarted to cry because I knew she was at the end now.My daughter was screaminf and crying. She kept sayong mom you lift her up. She will get up for you mom she always does. I lifted her and she fell and my daughter kept yelling keep trying. i said she is not going to get better this time. Her eyes were unfocused. My husband called my son and he rushed home very upset because he was very bonded with this dog. She slept in his bed with him. We all sat with her for two hours petting her and kissing her she would be soon visiting her other doggie friend. It was my son who carried her to the car and him and my husband took the dog to the vet. My son took it hard because our dog was fighting him trying to move, trying to get down using her body by wiggling. She was confused and didn't know why her legs weren't working. This was very hard on my son to watch the dog fight to live even though she couldnt . This dog loved us so much she didnt want to leave us and even struggled when the vet was injecting her with sedation meds. We never experienced this before. The other dogs just let go but she didnt want to. That was god awful.

So I know just how you feel. It doesnt matter how many dogs you have put down it still hurts each time you do it. I cried for 2 months and STILL cry missing her.

I saved this new pup but she saved me,my family and our other dog. We all grieved for this little angel that left us. But our dog was depressed. He kept walking around the house and yard looking for her and then he just stayed on his bed ALL the time. So this pup brought him back to life and is making us smile and laugh as opposed to sad and crying. My son took it the hardest so he has tried to ease his pain by putting so much love and attention into the new pup.

When the time is right you will find a new fur baby. Ihave always had multiple dogs so the house always had a dog when one passed except for that one time when both the beagle and shepherd died one after the other

I am so sorry for your loss. I cant say time will heal your pain from losing your beloved pet because I still grieve for all that i lost. I just try to refocus and love the ones i have now.

you can honor her memory by saving a dog...have you considered rescuing a dog from a kill shelter. I wanted to do that but I felt my older dog would not accept an adult dog in his home and that he would allow a baby dog in which he did .

Take care and know though she left far to early she is in a better palce and pain free.

mary

[jen74]

Hi mary.

Our Puddin passed away this past Arpil. He would have been 9. I did not have to put him down, he passed away. It was devastating and unexpected. My hubby and I were watching TV and puddin started acting odd like he could not catch his breath. He wanted to jump off the couch, but we picked him up and tried to put him on the floor but his back legs had went limp. At first we thought it was his back, but then we noticed his eyes were starting to dialate. That was in a matter of 3 minutes. We then scooped him up and rushed him to the animal hospital. It took about 7 minutes to get to the hospital. When we got there, he had lost his bowels in the car. They whisked him in to do xrays. The doctor then came in and was telling us that it looked like he may have a tumor that ruptured in his heart. She was telling me I was going to have to make a decision. But at that moment, the nurse rushed in and said his heart was failing. My hubby and I ran into the room and the doctor asked us if we wanted them to revive him. She looked me in the eye and said there was no hope, that he would likely die. So we let him go. It was hardest thing I ever had to do, gosh I am crying as I write this. He was my everything. I held him for over an hour after he died. I did not want to leave him. I even asked the doctor to leave him out for four hours just in case. I called the hospital two hours after I got home just to make sure he was really gone. I could not accept it at that point. I am thankful that I did not have to make the choice to put him down though, I think that would have been worse for me. But it was awful. The vet said that she see's this tumor thing in alot of different animals, that they can form anywhere in the body. She said the animal will usually have no symptoms until the tumor ruptures and by then it is too late. Where puddins tumor was it would not have been operable anyhow. An operation would have been risky.

So that is what happened. As for getting another one, maybe in the future. Right now, I am just not ready. I have kind of adopted this squirrel in my back yard. He will come up tp me or my hubby and even my dad and stand up and put out his paw like he wants a treat. We think someone esle must have been feeding him. We give him walnuts and almonds. He loves them. He is really cute. He is always waiting outside in the morning for his nuts I am not sure where he lives, meaning which tree he lives in, but he sure likes our back yard. We of course never hand feed him, but we put the nuts in a safe place out of the way. He always goes and gets them.

I would never crate my dog. I think it is horrible to leave a dog in a cage for that many hours. It is abusive. I am glad you saved your doggy and now she is in a good place. I am sorry you lost your other doggies. That is so hard. But you saved the pup you have now, and that is wonderful. Maybe we will eventually get another one, but I guess I have to get over the grieving of losing puddin. It is still so fresh.

Jen

[MaryS]

Jen

I can't tell you how many times I have read about people bringing in an old dog to the shelter and while walking out are saying how they are going to pick up a puppy. Seems once a dog gets to old to play and be frisky out they go and in comes a pup.

Well I seriously was thinking of telling that man to give me his dog if he was going to put her down but he was kind of odd and his wife was sad. I think she wanted to keep the old dog while he was saying he wanted her gone. That he was tired of cleaning up her mess.

My male lab was given to me by my friend. She talked the owner of the dog to give it to her. She told him that the dog deserves a better life with a family who will let it be an indoor dog. He gave her the dog and she conned me into taking him. I had two dogs at the time and he made 3 . This dog was tied up to the back porch all day and then in the basement all night and he was just 8 months old at the time. Why bother having a dog if it is gonna be outside alone all the time???

The pup I have now was 6 months old when I got her. She is now 9 months old. She was crated 18 hours a day by her previous family. The previous owners worked full time and had young children so the dog was just kept in the crate like a bird in a cage. They bought her as a baby and then the novelty wore off and they soon realized that a lab pup was to much work. She is HIGH ENERGY dog that needs lots of exersize and playtime to keep her calm. So she is now with me.. i had a german shepherd (passed on now). i found her in a parking lot wandering alone. Dumped ..ahe was 6 weeks old.


How old was your dog when you put her down.Why did you have to do it?? was she failing??..so sorry for your loss...i know how it feels......i still grieve for the dog I put down in June...best dog ever.I have put down 4 dogs due to old age and/or cancer. Yeah the carrying up and down is hard especially as my dog weighed 78 pounds...

Are you going to get another dog?? It doesn't replace your lost pet but brings new life to a sad home..

[jen74]

That man is so selfish that he would put his dog down just for that. What the heck is wrong with people! I would have went to the ends of the world for my baby had I had to. He meant everything to me. It has been over 6 months since he died and I am still heart broken. a few months before our puddin passed he had hurt his back jumping off of a chair ( we had a dahcshund). So he had a sore back and we would not let him jump on or off furniture anymore afraid he would really hurt himself. We also carried him up and down the stairs so he would not have to climb. I even puddin-proofed the whole house so he would not be able to jump onto furniture as we were so scared he would really hurt his back. Dachshunds are known for back issues. I just cannot grasp how that man you saw at your vet Mary would think that just because his dog had a little incontinence that the dog did not deserve to live. It makes me sick just thinking about it. Too bad that poor dog couldn'd find a better owner.

Jen

[MaryS]

I also agree with you 100% Waterflow. My 15 year old lab was just put down in June. I put her down because her body failed her she had a stroke and lost 100% use of all her legs. Prior to that she had a minor stroke which made her two back legs stiff and we had to bring her up and down stairs to go potty outside. she was unable to get up when laying down so she would bark to let us know when she wanted to get up and we would lift her up to standing position. She walked slow but did fine. She did this all day and night. She would lay down and then want to get up. She also lost some muscle control and would drop small stools. But through all of this I refused to put her down because she was happy, wagging her tail, eating and had NO PAIN. People said to me wow you go above and beyond. My vet told me it might be time to put her down because of her stiff legs. I said as long as she is happy she stays. I stayed up all night with her and slept in the morning while other family members watched over her. She was our angel dog...absolutely perfect in every way. I had a hard time taking care of her and was so tired but I would NOT give up until her body was ready to go.she was on all kinds of meds for stomach and bladder issues and ate special prescription dog food...very expensive dog to care for but well worth every penny...my male lab had a tumor and it was cancer and we paid for the surgery...we still have him and we adopted a 6 month chocolate lab. We seem to take on all dogs that others toss away. Both my labs I have now were given up because they had issues. While at the vets office with my dog there was a man saying he was gonna put his 13 year old dog down because she to was dropping little bit of stools but otherwise she was healthy, happy and wagging her tail. Hell, when we get older and lose control of our bowels or bladder are they gonna put us down. I was so angry. I told him my dog did that for two years and all you need is a bottle of lysol, rubber gloves and paper towels...sad world ,,seems like dogs are considered disposable when they have health issues.

[jen74]

I agree with you 100% waterflow. I loved my puddin more than anything and there wasn't anything I wouldn't do for him. I had a neighbor who had a dog and the dog was only like 9 years old.Well for a week I hadn't seen Her dog. When I saw my neighbor again, I asked where her dog was. She told me the dog had gotten a tumor that was operable. My neighbor told me that since the surgery was $1000, she put the dog down. I could not believe that she could do that. I lost all respect for this woman and was so glad when she moved. I truely believe ALL animals big and small deserve to live their lives to the fullest just as people do.

Jen

[waterflow]

No one should be allowed to throw a pet away because they become ill or don't act the way the owner wants them to. Or should they be allowed to kill them for them same reasons. Animals get sick just like people do and how many would kill their kids for peeing on the floor? I do a lot of cleaning due to the 2 cats I have with IC and it isn't an easy job but I took on the responsiblilty to keep them and therefore I am responsible for them. It is my job to give them the best life I can give them and they come first. I come last and that is how I see it. I have had people tell me I treat the cats like they were my kids. (They say that just to make a "dig" at the fact I never had kids.) I tell them yes I do. They deserve to be treated the same and why not? I have seen so many mistreated animals it just makes me sick. I say do to the people what they do to the animals and see how they like it. I used to watch Animal Cops but I can't watch the show anymore. I get so upset and end up crying. I just don't understand people who can throw animals away because they get sick or not what they wanted in a pet. I can't stand it when people say they flushed their goldfish because they got tired of it.

[krs72]

If you search "cats and IC" on the Internet many articles will appear.

[Sprockets]

Our lives revolve around our four cats, and I've dealt with my share of cat urinary issues over the years. We have one cat who often pees on a towel just outside the litter box, and we can't track down a medical cause after hundreds of dollars of tests. We just wash the towel when that happens.

This has been the situation for years, and we cope. I hope she never starts peeing elsewhere, because if she did we'd have a very difficult decision to make.

I posted this on another thread but thought I'd share here too. My cat was just diagnosed with IC too Obviously we all have quite a bit of sympathy for our animals, what I want to share most was the link. It's crazy how someone could just give up on something they're meant to love and treasure.

My poor kitty Nox. I had noticed one night she made frequent trips to the litter box and was squatting on her favorite blanket. They associate the litter box with pain so they begin urinating elsewhere. I took her to the vet the next morning right when they opened, assuming it was just a UTI. She went through courses of medications and pain relievers for several weeks and UAs were done. Just thinking of her being catheterized is painful to me, I know how awful it is. Most of my IC pain is my bladder stem and urethra. I can deal with spasms and cramps. Her UAs were clean but her symptoms still sporadically appear which led to her diagnosis. Upon researching this disease in cats, I came across something awful. It made me think of how much I overcome with just a little pain medication and my symptoms don't ruin my life. Someone simply euthanized their cat at three years old just because it didn't respond to three weeks of treatment and was peeing on the carpet. I can't imagine IC being a life or death situation.

http://www.petfinder.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=176271

I now have a greater attachment to my cat knowing she knows what I'm going through because she has to go through it too. Mine also started with a UTI almost six years ago. No amount of money she could cost me would ever justify killing her for something she didn't ask for. I love my special needs kitty.

[waterflow]

I had all tests that could be done (including driving to a big specialist vet hospital) and no stones or any kind or anything else that could be causing it. Other then the fact of IC. The first cat was finally doing better this summer. Just still needing her meds and even the 2nd one who came down with it this summer was starting to do better but add in company coming to often and the wonderful holidays and it just upset the two of them to often. Vet has told me from the first start of IC upset a cat and they get sick and it could just be from moving their furniture around and that can make them sick. I moved their furniture thinking they would like a change and bingo...they got worse. I have 6 cats so chances I guess of me having a cat with it increases. Often wondered if by keeping all 6 I made them sick and then I think if I had given them away would they still have gotten IC and if that person who took them would have taken care of them? Either way, they have IC and it can't be changed. I did have to fight in the beginnig with the vet when the first cat got IC about her having pain meds. She kept saying it was curable. I told her no it wasn't (told her I have it too. Infact, I was the one who called and asked if it was IC since all tests showed nothing wrong) and if the pain wasn't under control she would never get "better". She said ok it was my choice. I did refuse to give her Prosac. Was to dangerous for her. Vet said she could die and I told her no. If she gets to the point where it is that or she would die maybe then but it's just to calm her down and I use the Feliway and since she has gotten better her little tazmainian side doesn't show anymore. Cats I have noticed have this thing of hiding their sickness and pain very well and you can't see if until they are in very bad shape. They will act normal until they can't anymore and I've often thought why didn't I see they were sick? The vet did tell me it could turn into cancer later on in life and I hope it never does. I hope they don't get worse like me. I hope and hope theirs would finally be cured but I know it can't. Hopefully after the wonder holidays are done things can get quiet again and they will get to feeling better. I do have to take the one cat for a shot this afternoon. It's for inflamation. Can't pronouce but it works the same as the cosequin but stronger and faster. She does better after the shot.
I still think it is wrong to put an animal to sleep but I can't let them just lie in pain either. I still feel guilty and cry to this day about my first dog I had put to sleep Dec. 13, 1981. I do feel like I killed all 5 dogs (and someone even told me that) and I cry but I coudln't let them lay there in pee.

[SandyRN]

Sprockets--there are lots of articles out there that talk about cats having IC. It's not all that uncommon. My cat had the same bladder symptoms that I did, well, of course, from what I could see, and the vet suggested IC. Eventually it did turn into bladder cancer and we had to let him go.......was one of the hardest things I'd ever done.

This cat was my husband's favorite, and he (the cat) was so jealous of me...like if I snuggled up to my hubby, he'd come get right in between us.

I've got pictures of him in my lap, cradled like a baby a day or two before we had to put him to sleep...I almost felt like he was telling me he loved me, too...just loved his daddy more...lol....

The only bad part of loving an animal with all your heart is knowing that the time has come to let them go in peace instead of leaving them to suffer. We should treat humans this well...but that's a whole 'nuther subject.

[Sprockets]

I think genuine addicts are pretty easy to spot, as is drug-seeking behavior. When a person has a painful condition for which there is no cure, withhholding pain medication amounts to abuse. The "all those addicts out there" excuse is utterly bogus to the point of ridiculousness, and the next time I get even the merest whiff of it from a medical professional I might have to resort to mayhem.

We have a right to be pain-free.

[brwneyedgrl]

Just to clarify what I was trying to say, vets historically have not been more liberal about dispensing pain meds. But newer younger vets are. So I too agree w/ you in that remark. It just has not always been that way. So if you come across an older vet, this may not be the case. We are currently taught to assume that if we think we would be in pain in such a situation, then to provide pain relief. There are also behavioral cues to look for to determine if an animal is in pain. It is hard, b/c most animals hide their pain. So often, if you see signs of pain, the animals is probably in more pain than you think. Also, it is very different in large animal and small animal medicine. Small animal medicine is much more liberal about handing out pain meds. And perhaps an even stricter area of the profession in pain management is laboratory animal medicine.

I can only talk about the US, as I do not have experience in Europe w/ vets. However, we have many international professors at our school and they have made remarks about it from time to time as being very similar.

But yes, there is not risk of abuse w/ animals unless the owners are not following the dosage. So that is not often considered when dispensing pain meds. There are instances of humans taking their pets pain meds or seeking pain meds from vets.

And yes, it is much harder for me to get pain meds than it is to get them for my dog. My family's dog is severely arthritic and it only takes a phone call to get strong narcotics. I have to be doubled over in pain at my doctors office for him to even consider giving me vicodin.

Like I said before, I truly feel my dog gets better medical care than I do. But part of the problem is that there are so many people w/ addictions that have abused the system and ruined it for the rest of us that are truly in pain.

[jen74]

I agree, I think vets are more likely to dispense pain meds opposed to doctors. Animals are not going to abuse them unless the owners give them to much. when my puddin hurt his back he was on pain meds, and thank goodness because he was in pain. After he hurt his back we would carry him up and down the stairs and not let him jump onto furniture. It was rough, out house was upside down, pillows on chairs and we bought one of those big springy tubes and put it on the couch so he could not jump up there. Puddin was a Dachshund so have to be very careful since they tend to get back issues. Hey, but I did not mind turning my house upside down, I would have done anything that my little guy if it meant making him better .

And yes Sprokets, I agree that his little soul is right here with me in my heart. He will always be my favorite little angel. I call him my angel from God because he helped me go on throughout this whole time from when I first became sick. There were times when I was ready to throw in the towel. I seriously wanted to die. He kept me going. Myabe that is why I am so devastated without him. But, I realize this is life and we all are going to make that journey one of these days. You know the saying " there are no "but waits" when god comes a calling for you. " but wait, I'm not ready to go" or but wait, I have a family to care for" . No, when it is your time, it is your time. That is what I believe. So I guess we have to go on and make the best of what we have. I do not look at death as a horrible thing at all. I look at it as a way out and another chance. I mean think about it, would you seriously want to live forever? Death gives us a way out. Think about how sick some people are, or ones that are paralyzed. If we lived forever, that would suck for them. I think that is why we die. It gives us a way out. even the little animals that are sick or suffering. Just a thought

Jen