Should I put my cat down?
My cat is a neutered, male, 2 year old Siamese cat. In the past year he started to produce crystals in his bladder. He was catheterized 3 times so far. He is on a prescription diet, Science Diet c/d to keep the crystals from forming. He also suffered from urethral strictures from being catheterized and was on medication to relax his urethra. My Veterinarian suggests to surgically fix this problem. I forget what the surgery is called but his penis will be surgically removed to make the hole bigger in order for crystals to pass without blocking him. I researched this surgery and found that the crystals will continue to form but he will be able to pass them. The surgery is pretty serious and he may continue to get infections for the rest of his life. He may also continue to strain in the litter box and may urinate throughout the house, which he already does because he is in so much discomfort. If there a crystal doesn’t break down and it continues to grow, it will need to be surgically removed which is another surgery to pay for and he will need to recover from. I don’t want him to suffer and I’m not sure if the surgery is the best thing for him. My family members who suffered from stones said that the surgery isn’t worth it if the cat will continue to form crystals that he must pass because the journey of the crystal from the bladder to the exit is still painful. This problem is very common in male cats. I want to know if anyone else out there has gone through the same thing and if they went through with the surgery. If so, was it worth it? My Veterinarian’s estimate was a little over ,000.
PLEASE HELP!!!
I have already seen a different vet and both vets gave me the same opinion. This has been going on for a year now. He is very uncomfortable and painful. I love my pet very much and have already spent a few thousand dollars on this issue alone. He was hospitalized for this at one point. I don’t want to be greedy and keep him alive if that means he will be in pain. I need better advice from someone who has experienced this specific situation. Not an old dog’s broken leg. This is a life threatening medical condition not an accident that can be easily mended.
I already tried the rotation of c/d and s/d exactly how you mentioned. He has struvite crystals I believe. I understand everything about this issue and he has been going through this for a year now! That is why I am so concerned. He was catheterized 2 days ago and already straining in the litter box again! I will most likely be making an appointment to put him down on Tuesday. I don’t want to see him in pain anymore. I don’t get visitors in my home and he is strictly indoors so he doesn’t get treats or anything else besides his prescription diet. I at one point thought the tap water was the issue so I even bought a filter for him, he only drinks filtered water.
I spoke to the Vet and he said that my cat’s urethra is abnormally small and even with the surgery he may develop scar tissue which can block up the hole again and the surgery would be in vein. So we both decided it’s best to put him down.
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This may sound ridiculous at first, but hear me out please.
The first thing you have to do is take him off the prescription diet food ASAP! His condition will only continue to worsen if you don’t! Science Diet plus many other commercial foods are made of "Pet Grade" ingredients. These consist of hooves, beaks, feathers, rendered body parts, roadkill, and euthanized pets just to name a few. These ingredients are labeled as unfit for human consumption and made into pet food. The problem is that none of this is healthy, nutritious, or even digestible (same as us). Until your cat is on a "Human Grade" high quality diet he won’t be able to get stronger and fight for his health.
The second thing, which relates to the first, is that your kitty desperately needs high amounts of meat protein and moisture. Both will be found in canned or raw food. Try any of these for your cat: Weruva, Tiki Cat, Nature’s Variety, Merrick, Evo, Innova, Wellness, Avoderm, Evanger’s, Precise, Pet Guard, Solid Gold. Cat’s with urinary problems need wet food more than anything else. Cats are insufficient water drinkers and hydrate themselves through their prey and not as much though water. Dry food leaves no moisture for the body to hydrate itself leaving the body dehydrated. Which is very bad for this type of cat and creates more pain and discomfort. And as far as needing high amounts of meat protein: cats are obligate carnivores and will only thrive on this type of a diet. Foods containing grains such as Science Diet, Purina, Iams, Whiskas, Beneful, 9Lives, Fancy Feast, etc are not easily digested. Besides the pet grade ingredients, there’s also wheat, corn, and soy which cats cannot digest.
Lastly please see a Holistic vet, these’s types of vets are the only few that aren’t being paid by these big commercial brands to push their products. For more information you can look at this website http://www.allthebestpetcare.com in the information library.
I truly believe that your cat can be well again. At least give him a chance. I PROMISE you, you won’t regret it.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:26 pmive put down 2 cats , older, had too and 1 dog , with cancer, put i always spent a lot of money , my toy poodle right now is 15 yrs. old,, weighs 6 lbs. and is in kidney failure beginning , i had to change diet , will i put her to sleep , dif not . she broke her leg at 8 months and that surgery was was 1000.00, and more money for 15 yrs, if u love him do not put him to sleep, they dont wake up , things will work out .
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:26 pmget a 2nd vets opinion too
Its a tough choice to make, but ultimately its your choice.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:26 pmBefore having any of my pets euthanased I look at what their quality of life is.
Is my pet going to improve after the surgery? what effect is the surgery going to have? how long will the improvements last for? etc.
If your pet is going to have a long life but suffer regular bouts of excessive pain I would probably have it put to sleep.
If it was going to have a year or two without too many problems I would probably pay for the surgery for the few good years where there is quality of life.
I had a neutered male who had a problem with crystals too. How long has he been on the Science Diet C/D? When he is on that diet, he cannot have anything other than that…NO TREATS. Make sure you tell everyone who gets near your cat NO TREATS or it will kill him. That is a little dramatic, but there is always somebody who will think you are just being fussy and sneak the cat a treat when your back is turned…that is why you say a treat will kill him. Science Diet C/D works by making the ph of his urine more acidic. Treats upset that balance. Do you know what kind of crystals he has? There is another prescription food that dissolves a certain type of crystal. The food is called Science Diet S/D. Ask your vet about putting your cat on a rotation diet. C/D for so long, then S/D for so long. They cannot eat S/D exclusively because it isn’t nutritionally balanced. Funny-Face ate C/D for 2-3 months, then a month of S/D. At two years old, euthanasia should be a last resort.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:26 pmThat estimate probably doesn’t include all of the additional products you would need to care for it as well as the time necessary.
I was told by my father that if anything medical needed to keep a pet alive costs more than the pet itself, then don’t do it. It seems rather heartless, but when in consideration of the possibly painful existence your cat will live in AFTER you get through all of the surgery, and the fact that there are millions of other pets out there (including cats), it may be a good idea to put it down. Other animals are neglected and homeless all over the world, and while the case of your cat is unfortunate, it may be better to move on, allow it to go (die) painlessly, save yourself from some stress, and get another cat. I know for sure it would be cheaper, and it would be less of a loss than to have to witness your cat in constant pain, and then to later have it die (and losing the $1000). By the way I have never had a cat, but I have a dog who needed surgery; it was painless and cheap so we did it for him.
Hope this helps,
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:26 pmJONNy-G.
I know someone who had this problem with her cat. The cat had surgery to have his penis removed and now he has little control over his bladder. He does get infections from time to time but they’ve been cleared up with antibiotics. It’s a tough call. All I can ask is if the underlying reasons for the crystals have been investigated. I’ve heard they can be caused by bladder infections or diabetes. I would check into everything possible before having your cat put down. If he were elderly, I would suggest considering having him put down but since your cat is young, perhaps you can find something that can be done to help him.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:26 pmHello,
I have been through this very same issue and still go through it every single day with one of my cats. I don’t really believe in putting your cat down. There is hope. It just takes time, effort and patience. Yes, it may not seem like it will happen, but believe me, I know all about this, and it will. My cat had to be put on the same diets as yours, and still to this day eats the cd so he can stay healthy. My cat is also on a very strict food regimen along with this diet. He also only eats a natural cat food, that is very low in ash and magnesium. Low ash and magnesium are very crucial when dealing with these issues within a cat. My cat thank heavens didn’t have to have surgery, but came very close, and I almost thought I would lose him at a few times or another, but I prayed and did the diet food, along with low stress in the house, made a special place for him so he could relax, and made sure he got his low ash and magnesium food along with the diet cd and sd foods. I am not saying that you haven’t given your all, because it sounds like you have done well, but it sounds like your cat needs to have this surgery, and that you can’t afford it, or don’t want to pay that much. I am not trying to be rude, but your cat deserves to be here. He has an issue right now, but that doesn’t mean to give up. However, I see your concerns with his condition, and that’s more than others do when it comes to their pets. Try and do what you can to save your little one. And if you need help with the funds, set up a fund in his name at the vets. There are people out there who would help. I would! I hate to see this little one get put down, because of an issue that is not his fault. Also, crystals can be caused from so many different reasons, and so before putting him down or that, investigate everything as if this was your child. Animals to me are like children, and so I do whatever I can to help them. Putting your cat down in the midst of his problems, seems a little selfish to me to be honest. Food has a huge role in it along with stress in the house. That’s what I was told, and since I have changed almost everything around, my cat is here and healthy! Clean litter also play a huge role as well! It may not seem like it, but your cat can continue to get infections and then develop crystals if his litter isn’t always kept the best cleanliness it can! Also, has your vet put your cat on antibiotics? My cat was on them for almost three months, and the sd wet for about 3 months, and now he’s on cd! It was a long and hard road, but we fought like hell and made it! Please consider all of your options and investigate this issue. It could be something so simple and small to fix, and without realizing it, the problems could ly within the world around him. Give him a chance, and if after you’ve done all you could and been told there’s nothing else left to do, then consider the surgery and that. It’s not fair to just jump to conclusions. Also, if it does come to the surgery, I’m sure if you talk to your vet about the bill, they could hook you up with a payment plan or something, and if you are upset about losing that much money, think about this if it was your child. Would you be upset then? Animals are just as important! The dogs meow has natural foods, and one in particular is called Felidae! It’s especially for cats with this problem. They have it in wet and dry. Cats with this problem need the extra care when it comes to foods. It’s crucial they have a low magnesium and ash diet. I wish you the best, and I hope your cats lives for a long time. He deserves to be here! Thanks!
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:26 pmI agree with Julihc82 in terms of getting the cat OFF the Hills prescription food and trying a more holistic approach to his nutrition. Unfortunately, vets are given little education on nutrition to begin with and what they get, well, they’re given materials FROM THE MANUFACTURER aka Hills, so of course, they end up pushing the product.
I would try to find a holistic vet in your area to help you. But there are also good resources for information on line, such as the following article, http://www.healthypetjournal.com/default.aspx?tabid=20622
An appropriate canned food is a good place to start as that will help him get more fluid in.
I had very good results using Wysong Biotic pH- http://www.wysong.net/page/WOTTPWS/PROD/BIOTIC_pH- in a cat who started getting chronic struvite crystals as well.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:26 pmMy cat had the same exact problem when she was about one or two years old. She was peeing blood all over the place all the time. We took her to the vet to see what was wrong, and she had the crystals in her bladder. They told us that we could do the operation, but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t get them back. Pretty much the same exact situation as you. She is strictly an indoor cat, and we decided to go ahead and do the operation. She is fourteen years old now. And she’s very happy and healthy. We just got kittens and because they eat regular food, she’s not too fond of the diet food anymore. We were scared that if she ate it she would form the crystals, but nothing yet. We just mix a little of the regular food in with her dietary stuff. Although the operation is expensive, I find it well worth it. I hope that I helped you with a little insight from someone who has experienced the same thing! Good luck!
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:26 pm