I'm trying to decide if it's time to euthanize my pet, and there are complicated circumstances because she's not old, and her treatments have gone beyond what I can easily afford. I'll put it all under the fold.
So, my cat is only 6 or 7, and yet a phrase I have heard, in association with her, more times than I can count, is: "She's not very old, but..." She's basically a genetic dud, and has had health problems for years.
One big illness a few years ago: took weeks to resolve, many stressful vet visits, months of stressful medication dosing, and a solid month of unpleasant daily home treatment which she never tolerated well and which caused her pain. Cost us above $2500.
One incurable chronic illness which will be lifelong. She's uncomfortable when she has an outbreak, but tolerates being dosed with meds. Yearly costs of vet visits associated with it + meds around $700 for each of the last few years, and will continue indefinitely.
Now, a new, different illness, one part of which is that she's peeing everywhere. She is in pain (though we are trying to minimize this with meds). The curative meds so far have not worked, so the vet has been trying different combos. She's had two stressful visits to the vet office. She's had a barrage of tests. In the last ten days we've spent more than our mortgage bill. More than our weekly take-home pay.
Today we found out that the second round of testing still did not provide any clues as to what's happening. The vet's next option is another round of testing with a specialist. A lot of money. The vet thinks there are three possible outcomes. Two involve major illness -- think: cancer -- and the third would be an illness involving lifelong meds. This is another $600 and the specialist isn't even available until next week.
In her daily life right now, she is sad. We have isolated her the only way possible, given the setup of our home: she is in our living room, kitchen and dining room, while our 3 other cats are confined in smaller areas. All the cats are miserable about this. Most of our furniture in these areas has been pushed aside or made inaccessible to her (so she won't pee on it). I have litter boxes throughout the area. I have wee-wee pads all over the place. I am living in a litter box.
I have been able to pay for all of this, but just barely. I am not wealthy. I have a kid who will be going to college shortly. Like so many, I have inadequate retirement funds. I could go on forever -- basically, it makes me feel shitty to say so but: why am I spending this money on a cat, even though it's a cat I love?
So, what do I do next? Do that test and see what it says, knowing I really, really can't spend money on more advanced treatments? Hope the outcome is the lifelong problem that can be handled with daily meds, and then pay for those for another, who knows -- six or seven or more years? Knowing she'll still have the normal chronic problem she has?
A week ago I was sure that we could spend no more, and if she didn't get better we'd have her euthanized. Part of me wants to do that. Part of me thinks this is just too cruel of me. She's an absolutely delightful cat. She's super friendly and purry and wants company all the time and cuddles and is the perfect pet. Except for all of this.
Please offer thoughts on what we should do and how to think through this. Please do not offer advice like "see another vet." I can't start over with someone else, subjecting her to more testing just to get another vet up to speed.
Thank you. |
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