I Think my Cat is Dying :(

My nine year old kitty Kotick is my baby. He was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism about a month ago and was started on medication. The first week I saw improvements and was very hopeful. The past few days though he started eating less and yesterday refused any food so I went to the store and bought him a baked chicken and some wheat grass to munch on (after trying every single flavor of canned cat food we had so there's like seven opened cans in the fridge). He ate some of the chicken and grass so I was hopeful again that we were getting somewhere but today (keep in mind that today to me is still Sunday cause I go to bed really late in the morning) he had his head constantly turned to the side and was very wobbly. He's gotten a lot worse in a short amount of time. Maybe his medication was never working. I highly doubt that it's an inner ear issue since he has an underlying condition that can cause that.

I'm calling the vet when they open in the morning at 8am to see if they can see him later today. I feel like I'm prepared for the worst but I still want to try my best to keep him alive if I can. I've been force feeding him but it's probably not enough and he does hate it a lot.

I went on a cat forum a little while back but I hate posting on there because everyone judges you horribly if you don't immediately take your pet to the vet. We're very poor living off of disability and I've been using the Care Credit card to pay his vet bills. I don't think I can afford to hospitalize him and I definitely can't afford to take him to the pet ER that's a few towns away. It's not that I don't want to. I feel horrible. I've already had my mom and mother in law say that we should probably just let him go, as in stop taking him to the vet and just slowly watch him die. I could never do that.

I don't think I'll be able to sleep before I call the vet. I'm constantly checking on him to make sure that he's still breathing. All he wants to do is lay under my old computer desk near the front door. I've set up a litter box and some water near him. I hate that vets aren't open on the weekends.

Edit: He passed away on Monday.

No judgment here, just hugs. :ghug:

There are emergency vets who are open 24/7 (at least here there are) but they are insanely pricey. I don't know if that'd be an option for you or not. My dog always seems to get sick/injured on weekends and it's at least 3x the cost to go to the ER vet vs the regular vet. So I'm hesitant to recommend that especially if your regular vet opens in a few hours.

Prayers said

Thyroid meds are super tricky, even in people, 0.01 of a mg can make a difference. I hope a dose adjustment is all that's needed....

Prayers for health for Kotick and peace for you.

Vet had an opening today at 10:40am. I'll update later.

It's the worst time ever for pet lovers.I've been through it so I know.
The stress and fear is horrible.It's the main reason I've decided NOT to replace Alfie after 50yrs of owning dogs.
But Kotick is still relatively young,so don't despair.It may only take a change in meds.to pull him 'round.Sending hope and hugs to you both.

Let's hope it just needs an adjustment in the thyroid medication.
My heart goes out to you I know what you are going through having suffered through it twice.
No more pets for me it's far too stressful.
Prayers and hopes are with you

Trysha

Sending all the love n hugs i can and praying your kitty can be helped to be better. God bless you both. :hug: :hug:

Hugs sent... My parents have a cat who had thyroid problems, he would hide and not eat or drink. Lost a lot of fur. He eventually bounced back, so there may be hope. Cats seeking seclusion is a sign they are very sick.

Had to put down my buddy over the holidays in 2014. Nothing could be done with his kidney failure. Right up to the end, he never refused food or water. It is a tough thing to do, but there was some consolation that he is no longer in pain.

I live on the other left coast in a rural area and my vet does have Saturday hours.

Jennifer, I hope the vet had some good news for you.

:ghug:

Hi Jennifer,
I have had cats too and do understand how you feel. They become part of the family and you naturally get upset when they become ill. It is important that your cat drinks as Hypothyroidism does make you very thirsty. I know, as I had it a number of years ago and had surgery to my throat eventually. I hope you get some help from your vet and your cat feels better soon. Thinking of you. Best wishes.
:rosette1::well::rosette1:

Oh, Jennifer, I feel for you. It is hard enough having your own health issues, but when one of our "babies" is suffering the stress can seem unbearable. Having a tight budget doesn't help either. Is your cat doing any better? Did you get any answers at the vet? Hugs and prayers. :hug::rosette2:

Sending hugs... So hard! I hope you get positive news from vet! :ghug:

I'm so sorry. Have you tried calling around? I know there are charities that help pay vet bills.

I contacted many agencies, even ones out of state that offered help with vet bills. They either didn't respond, their number disconnected or were too full with requests and were only accepting donations.

I haven't come back on the forum because the worst happened when we took him to the vet on Monday. We had to put him to sleep. Apparently his kidneys had shut down and that put a lot of strain on his heart so he had a stroke Sunday morning. The vet said that we could try giving him fluids under his skin but the prognosis wasn't good. I asked her if she felt that he was suffering or in pain and after that everything happened so fast.

He was more than a pet or service animal. He was family. My husband and I miss him dearly. We should be getting his ashes next Friday.

Thank you everyone for your kind words and support. It means a lot to me.

Jennifer...you did the kindest thing although it is also the hardest action to take.
My heart goes out to you.
Prayers and good wishes
Trysha

I'm so sorry Jennifer! Doug and I never had children of our own and we very much understand how pets can be like surrogate children. You really did do the best thing, tho it leaves a hole in the heart. Best wishes and hugs and we'll all be thinking of you.

I am sorry for your loss.

Lauren

Oh Jen im so so sorry hun. I know how heart breaking it is. Sending loads of love n hugs :hug: :hug:

Jennifer, so sorry you have lost your little companion. Thinking of you and sending you my love and prayers,
Best wishes.:sorry:

Jennifer,I won't give you advice on how to cope with your grief,we all do it differently.
When we get pups or kittens,we think we're going to have them forever,but before we know it we have to say our final goodbyes.After a while,the sad part will fade and the good times,the laughter and the love you shared will make you smile.

Be kind to yourselves.:hang::ghug:

I'm very sorry.

I'm so sorry, Jenn. There's been so much loss this year. Take care of yourself, I know things are really difficult right now. Hugs!

So sorry Jenn. Please take care.

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
- Dr. Seuss

“Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim.”
- Vicki Harrison

“The risk of love is loss, and the price of loss is grief. But the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love.” – Hilary Stanton Zunin