The Vent and Rant Thread

[Sirtel]

One of my cats, 17-year-old Muhv, who's been on constant medication for the past 1,5 years with pancreas problems, has taken a definite turn for the worse today. She hasn't eaten or drunk and sleeps all the time. I'm afraid we'll have to go to the vet with her tomorrow, and who knows what we're going to hear there...

[Martinoptic]

Very sorry to hear that. Thinking of you.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Martinoptic

Very sorry to hear that. Thinking of you.

Thank you. Muhv is in the clinic at the moment, they'll phone me when they've done the check-up.

[neil_swann80]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

One of my cats, 17-year-old Muhv, who's been on constant medication for the past 1,5 years with pancreas problems, has taken a definite turn for the worse today. She hasn't eaten or drunk and sleeps all the time. I'm afraid we'll have to go to the vet with her tomorrow, and who knows what we're going to hear there...

17... she has obviously been well loved and cared for.

It's always hard in the final years of a beloved pet's life. Every infection, every upset tummy, every time they reject food can be a door to a whole load of anxiety.

Hoping Muhv feels better soon.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by neil_swann80

17... she has obviously been well loved and cared for.

It's always hard in the final years of a beloved pet's life. Every infection, every upset tummy, every time they reject food can be a door to a whole load of anxiety.

Hoping Muhv feels better soon.

Thank you. Yes, it's always hard. I've lost 4 cats before to various illnesses (most were old/elderly), but that doesn't make it any easier, just as with human loved ones.

Muhv has actually been with me only 3 years. She was abandoned by her previous family when they moved and spent a few years as a stray (so her neighbors told me - they sought help for her). Still, it feels like a lifetime now...

[Sirtel]

Muhv has acute pancreatitis, probably a complication of her earlier problems. She is home now and seems a bit better and more alert, but she still doesn't eat. I fed her some pate by putting it in her mouth with my finger; I'm going to give her some more later on. She also has lots of meds. We'll see if she gets better in a couple of days; at her age, and given her health issues, it's by no means certain.

(btw, Muhv means "muff" as in a hand warmer made of fur; it's also the name of a beloved character in a well-known children's book. The name and its variants are often given to long-haired cats, both male and female. Muhv was named by her previous family.)

[neil_swann80]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Muhv has acute pancreatitis, probably a complication of her earlier problems. She is home now and seems a bit better and more alert, but she still doesn't eat.

Any new meds needed for her? If so, I hope they were not too expensive. Vets in the UK are very expensive (at least my local one was), perhaps Estonian vets are more reasonable.

I'm glad "muff" is home where she's comfy and happiest.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by neil_swann80

Any new meds needed for her? If so, I hope they were not too expensive. Vets in the UK are very expensive (at least my local one was), perhaps Estonian vets are more reasonable.

I'm glad "muff" is home wear she's comfy and happiest.

Vets and their procedures are pretty expensive here too (but cheaper than in the UK, I expect), but meds are usually not (except for some of them). The only really expensive medication prescribed to Muhv is an opioid painkiller.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

(btw, Muhv means "muff" as in a hand warmer made of fur; it's also the name of a beloved character in a well-known children's book. The name and its variants are often given to long-haired cats, both male and female. Muhv was named by her previous family.)

“Muhv” to me evoked what the Mitford children (Nancy, Jessica et al.) called their mother, “Muv”. So I went with it. Glad to know its real meaning! Good health and long life to your Muhv.

[Sirtel]

Unfortunately Muhv is worse again and basically unable to eat (immediately starts to drool and growl when I try to feed her, clearly she feels sick/nauseous when eating). Sadly this inability to eat is common with acute pancreatitis; humans are fed intravenously, but with animals there are few options. We'll try the fluid therapy once more at the clinic tomorrow, as she felt better after the first time; but if it doesn't help, I'll probably have to let her go.

My other elderly lady Helle (an Estonian girl name without any particular meaning), who was diagnosed with a tumor in her small intestine last summer and who was pretty stable (with hormone therapy) until now, has also gotten worse this month - she eats less and her weight has decreased. We'll visit the clinic with her next week. It's pretty obvious what ails her, of course - the tumor has probably gotten worse. We'll see what her doctor thinks about her chances. Helle is younger than Muhv; I don't know her true age, as she was a stray, but presumably about 12-13 by now. She's been with me over 6 years.

If worse comes to worst and the time for both ladies in this world is up, I'll still have my third kitty, the blind Vallu (officially the name is Valev, meaning "bright, light, whitish"), who will be 6 years old in the summer. He has been with me since November 2018. Although blind from an early age (feline herpes, a common disease of stray kittens), he's a friendly, lively, cheerful boy.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Ah, a springtime migraine. Rainy weather and pollen are a lovely combination. And an arthritic neck just adds to the joy. Walking barometer, I swear.

And now the ownedbycats weather blog for the local area.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Unfortunately Muhv is worse again and basically unable to eat (immediately starts to drool and growl when I try to feed her, clearly she feels sick/nauseous when eating). Sadly this inability to eat is common with acute pancreatitis; humans are fed intravenously, but with animals there are few options. We'll try the fluid therapy once more at the clinic tomorrow, as she felt better after the first time; but if it doesn't help, I'll probably have to let her go.

My other elderly lady Helle (an Estonian girl name without any particular meaning), who was diagnosed with a tumor in her small intestine last summer and who was pretty stable (with hormone therapy) until now, has also gotten worse this month - she eats less and her weight has decreased. We'll visit the clinic with her next week. It's pretty obvious what ails her, of course - the tumor has probably gotten worse. We'll see what her doctor thinks about her chances. Helle is younger than Muhv; I don't know her true age, as she was a stray, but presumably about 12-13 by now. She's been with me over 6 years.

If worse comes to worst and the time for both ladies in this world is up, I'll still have my third kitty, the blind Vallu (officially the name is Valev, meaning "bright, light, whitish"), who will be 6 years old in the summer. He has been with me since November 2018. Although blind from an early age (feline herpes, a common disease of stray kittens), he's a friendly, lively, cheerful boy.

I feel for you. We have a pug and I know how I'll feel when it's his time.

[Hemmi]

Sorry to hear your cats aren't doing well Sartell.

It's hard to let them go when it's time. With Hemmi, I could barely say out loud (or type) that she was gone. 4+ years later, I still tear up thinking about it.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Hemmi

Sorry to hear your cats aren't doing well Sartell.

It's hard to let them go when it's time. With Hemmi, I could barely say out loud (or type) that she was gone. 4+ years later, I still tear up thinking about it.

Thank you. Yes, it's sad. I've cried several times over it already. But there's nothing to be done - most pets have far shorter lifespans than humans and you either accept this fact or you never adopt any pets (I know a couple of folks who don't have any for just this reason; they don't want to go through this wringer several times in their life).

I've sometimes gotten tears in my eyes thinking about the pet hamster we had 30 years ago. She only lived about 1,5 years before she succumbed to cancer (hamsters have very short lifespans), but I still remember her clearly.

[DNSB]

I have several older friends who no longer own a pet. Too many have seen news stories where a beloved pet has been shipped off to animal shelter or other alternative since none of the heirs are interested in keeping the pet.