The good news is that for all but a couple of weeks during the year, I know he was happy and feeling ok. 6 weeks before he left us, we took him to the vet as we could see he was declining. We were still doing the full treatment with alumium hydroxide and the SQ Fluids of 100mls every 2 days. The vet said he was in end stage CRF and to leave him there for a few days on a constant drip of fluids to see if that would help, though chances were low. We decided to take him home so he could live his last days with his family - he hated staying at the vets. So with the vet's guidance we upped his aluminium hydroxide to over 1500 mls a day and his fluids to 300mls a day in bi-daily doses of 150mls. This got him ok again, though we knew we were running out time. Eventually the time came and we had to make that dreaded decision. My ex drove the car and I sat in the back scritching him.
Meridith, I am so sorry about your beautiful baby. He is still here and never belive a diagnosis of a certain time. Milo was diagnosed in January with 2 weeks to 2 months to live and he lived until mid October. Others have lived for 5+ years, even when diagnosed at 12 years or older. This is a fact. Go to the yahoo groups. Find them and they will help you. As for the holiday, many would disagree with me but I think you should go. Get a treatment plan going and find someone to look after things for you. There are pet sitters available. Find them using google, ask your vet. Know where the 24 hour vet is (They are amazing clinics), know how to get there and always have money with you for it. I send you hugs.
Jessica, when they stop eating, try everything. Milo had red meat most of the time. When he would stop eating I got a syringe and fed him watered down whiskers - squirting it directly down his throat. After 2 days he would be fine again. Without nutrition they have no stength. I did this three times over the year and each time it pulled him through. Try everything. If you are giving aluminium hydroxide try lightly poaching chicken and chopping it into little peices. We used to give Milo alot of fillet steak cut thinkly. It got to the point he would not eat from his plate and only when we dropped little stacks of meat on the kitchen floor (lots of papertowels came in handy to help clean the floor. The things we do for our sick cats! But we wouldn;t have it any other way. The important thing to remember is that we do our best and we have to accept that one day they will go to the rainbow bridge and we have to let them go and not suffer, but until then, that we give them love and smiles.
Here is my post on the cat forum the next day;
My beautiful aby Milo is now and angel at the Rainbow Bridge. He was the most sweetest boy and I loved him with all my heart and always will. He lived only 5 years and 9 months, and I know that every day was an absolute joy for him. Everybody loved him. Cats, dogs and people. He had the sweetest voice, just like an angel would and he talked and played and snuggled. I loved how when he was in deep sleep his head would turn upside down between his front paws.
I looked a long time for Milo, traveled about a thousand miles by car to different places. At that time I had a feeling about the cat I wanted to bring home. he was at a cattery in the beautiful Yarra Valley where there are lots of vineyards. I chose him by how he felt against my heart when I held this gorgeous kitten. In January when he was diagnosed with CRF it broke my heart so badly. I cried a thousand tears think I would lose him so soon. Thank you so much to all of you for your support during this year, your posts of links and information were great. The yahoo groups were amazing too. No-one I know uses the formula I put together to help Milo. Using your advice I got a lot of help too and found Richard Gown and Amy who run The Cat Clinic in Prahan (Melbourne). Richard was the only vet in my state who had experience with kidney transplants. When he saw Milo he knew what he was doing. He was familiar with all the terms I had, all the mediations and possibilities I flagged. He was amazed at the knowledge I had gained in just 4 days since Milo's diagnosis with our local vet - how could I not learn everything I could?
My ex and I took Milo to the vet because he gotten so weak we did not want to wait for a vet to come out. I made his carrier really soft for his bony frame and doused it in catnip spray. And he was content all the way there. My ex drive the car and I sat in the back seat with the carrier, with the door of the carried open so I could scritch him all the way there. Both Richard and Amy came and said goodbye to Milo and both said was a wonderful boy he was, and what an absolute pleasure he was for them to get to know. They also said we the most amazing and dedicated cat parents. These guys called us frequently, they gave me repeated scripts for his mediation and liaised with the pharmeceutical company about the dose and strength of the aluminium hydroxide. They gave me different syringe sized for feeding him when he would not eat and were constantly a source of support. During the year we used aluminium hydroxide, SQ Fuids, appetite enhancers, antacids and more. If anyone wants what I know about how treated Milo...especially how you can give your CRF Cat protein, let me know.
Milo was at home there at The Cat Clinic and they laid him on a towel and they sat with us, and gave us lots of time alone with our baby, and then when we said we were ready...Milo was relaxed and laying on the towel, they helped him to the Rainbow Bridge. It was not stressful at all for him and we know the time was right. It broke our hearts and we were just in pieces. Life will never the same again. I love you baby, I always will. Come visit me lots.
I looked a long time for Milo, traveled about a thousand miles by car to different places. At that time I had a feeling about the cat I wanted to bring home. he was at a cattery in the beautiful Yarra Valley where there are lots of vineyards. I chose him by how he felt against my heart when I held this gorgeous kitten. In January when he was diagnosed with CRF it broke my heart so badly. I cried a thousand tears think I would lose him so soon. Thank you so much to all of you for your support during this year, your posts of links and information were great. The yahoo groups were amazing too. No-one I know uses the formula I put together to help Milo. Using your advice I got a lot of help too and found Richard Gown and Amy who run The Cat Clinic in Prahan (Melbourne). Richard was the only vet in my state who had experience with kidney transplants. When he saw Milo he knew what he was doing. He was familiar with all the terms I had, all the mediations and possibilities I flagged. He was amazed at the knowledge I had gained in just 4 days since Milo's diagnosis with our local vet - how could I not learn everything I could?
My ex and I took Milo to the vet because he gotten so weak we did not want to wait for a vet to come out. I made his carrier really soft for his bony frame and doused it in catnip spray. And he was content all the way there. My ex drive the car and I sat in the back seat with the carrier, with the door of the carried open so I could scritch him all the way there. Both Richard and Amy came and said goodbye to Milo and both said was a wonderful boy he was, and what an absolute pleasure he was for them to get to know. They also said we the most amazing and dedicated cat parents. These guys called us frequently, they gave me repeated scripts for his mediation and liaised with the pharmeceutical company about the dose and strength of the aluminium hydroxide. They gave me different syringe sized for feeding him when he would not eat and were constantly a source of support. During the year we used aluminium hydroxide, SQ Fuids, appetite enhancers, antacids and more. If anyone wants what I know about how treated Milo...especially how you can give your CRF Cat protein, let me know.
Milo was at home there at The Cat Clinic and they laid him on a towel and they sat with us, and gave us lots of time alone with our baby, and then when we said we were ready...Milo was relaxed and laying on the towel, they helped him to the Rainbow Bridge. It was not stressful at all for him and we know the time was right. It broke our hearts and we were just in pieces. Life will never the same again. I love you baby, I always will. Come visit me lots.
