Guilty about cat euthanasia due to urinary blockage and vet costs?

First off, I'm so sorry you lost Capser recently! How hard for you lose your beloved pet. I understand feeing guilty about it, and I recommend that you stop beating yourself up over it. Cats can be very stoic when they are ill, and oftentimes you don't notice they are ill until they are very ill. Beating yourself up over it will not change what has happened nor will it bring him back, so be kind to yourself. Mourn him and remember the good times that you had with Casper. Again, I'm sorry for your loss :-(

You have just lost your companion of 5 years and you have ever right to question the decision. All too often as pet parents, we struggle with the question of whether or not we made the right decision to euthanize. In a younger pet with a treatable disease, the guilt seems multiplied because you will inevitably ponder the unknown. The unknown being the outcome of treating for a few more days or even the outcome of a surgery. While it is imbedded in our DNA to contemplate what could have been, the answer of the unknown remains unknown. Ultimately, this is not a question or right or wrong. All too commonly more heartache and suffering are endured down the road of unknows. In this case, it was more likely than not your cat with a history of crystals would encounter future complications especially if stones were present. Take comfort in knowing you eliminated pain and suffering in the present and the future. I hope the joy of his memory will comfort you through this difficult time.

A urinary blockag, or urtheral obstruction, is a problem almost exclusively reserved for male cats. Compared to female cats, males have a much thinner and narrower urethra - the tube that drains urine from the bladder through the penis (in male cats). This predisposes the urethra to blockages when plugs of inflammatory material (such as white blood cells and mucus), as well as crystals or small bladder stones, become lodged in the urethra preventing the passage of urine. When the urethra is blocked and the cat has filled its bladder to capacity, the kidneys will stop producing more urine because there is no where for it to go. With "kidney shut down" the body is no longer able to remove toxins from the blood or maintain proper fluid balances and electrolytes. The leads to kidney failure and eventually death of the cat. Urinary blockages must be treated aggressively in order for the cat to survive. Typically, a catheter is passed into the bladder, through the urethra, in order to flush out the urinary blockage or force the plug back into the bladder. Then the cat's bladder is drained and flushed through the catheter. Cats with urinary blockages are hospitatlized for up to 72+ hours to receive intravenous fluids, pain medications, and medications to reduce inflammation and address infection. Prognosis is very good for cats that are treated appropriately and in a timely manner, but treatment can be expensive, especially for cats that have already gone into kidney failure. If you cannot afford the cost of emergency care or the cat is already moribund, then euthanasia may be the kindest option.

This is very difficult to determine. Sometmes cats have a blockage that cannot be loosened because the nerves feeding the urethra make the urethra cramp and then there is no way for the blockage to loosen. When your kitty was dead, the whole body relaxed completely and this also relaxed the urethra holding on to the blockage and might have released the blockage. But this is only theory. Without having seen your kitty when he was blocked and afterwards, there is no way I can determine that they were wrong. Under normal circumstances we ansthesize the cat, and insert a catheter with a special technique that pushes the obstruction back into the bladder and so frees the urethra. This does not always work. I am so sorry for your loss.

Hi, sorry to hear about your loss. I totally understand how lost you feel, I have been through the same a few times and recently I have lost my mum who was extremely precious to me.. I stayed by her side 21 days and when I left for one night she died in hospital on her own. I wonder if she was scared and frightened and I wasn’t there.. I would have never left her alone So imagine all this occurred 6 months ago and I still suffer a lot. I also feel bad for trying to make her move, as they advised me to do, because she was in pain and since she passed away probably didn’t need the extra aggravation. Remember we are only human, we do the best that we can, we live, love and die. Please visit https://www.theralphsite.com a fantastic pet bereavement support web-site set up by a great, sensible vet in the name of his cat Ralph. Hope this helps

This unfortunately is very concerning and is quite possibly a medical emergency situation for your pet Nacho. Nacho cannot be helped st home because it is possible he may have a urinary blockage and in need or a urinary catheter to provide him relief. Urinary tract infections are 1) not common in male cats and 2) Dont cause a lot of vocalization in the cat, therefore I suspect a urinary blockage is the actual culprit. I am hopeful that you can find someone to help you with Nacho so that you can take him in for life saving procedures. Poor guy. : ( Here are some financial assistance websites also that may be able to help as well: Carecredit.com Redrover.org Please take him in right away. Even if cost is a concern. At least you can get him seen and then go from there with the financial aspect of it. Best of luck!

Oh wow, I am so sorry. That is so hard. Don't feel guilty, based on his symptoms, I don't think Dustin would have survived surgery. Letting him go was the best option for him, the kindest thing for him. You let him pass without any further pain or suffering. I hope this helps.