My cat has kidney disease & seizures. When is it time to say goodbye?

I am very sorry that Toby is not feeling well. It is always hard to make that tough decision. I would recommend taking a hard look at his quality of life. I feel that a patient not being in pain, eating well, maintaining body weight and being happy is how I judge quality of life. If you feel that his quality is low it most likely is time to make that tough decision. I hope that helps.

Hi and thanks for posting! 3 years old is very young to develop kidney disease. I am very sorry. Kidney disease can be acute or chronic (progressive). Acute can get better with hospitalization, chronic does not get better but there are medications and fluids that can help depending on what your vet has recommended. If nothing more can be done as told by your veterinarian for her kidney disease, then you may want to take about end of life care with your veterinarian, especially if she is having more bad days than good and she is uncomfortable. Best wishes to you and Zoe.

I am sorry to hear about Ernie's conditions. It certainly sounds like he has been through an awful lot and isn't feeling to well. Obviously without seeing Ernie in front of me, I can't give you my fully official opinion. However, if you feel that Ernie is no longer able to do the things he enjoys, can't eat a meal without being in pain, and is spending more time sleeping and hiding, it may be time to start seriously considering his quality of life. I know that this is a very personal and difficult decision, but sometimes it is the kindest and most humane decision you can make for your pet. All of the conditions you have named are incurable and are likely to progress. When in concert with one another, they may progress even faster. No one can make this decision for you, but I think you should do whatever you feel is right in your heart.

Hello, sorry to hear about Oscar. When cats have severe kidney disease they may develop something called uremic encephalopathy. This can cause seizures. However, given your cats age, other causes should be explored as well. Please have Oscar seen by his veterinarian if he continues to have seizures. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I am so sorry to hear about Sunny. I know how difficult this decision is. It sounds like Sunny may have chronic rhinitis - which is notoriously difficult to treat. He also has some other “old kitty” problems like kidney disease. When I discuss quality of life with my clients, I remind them that no one knows their pet better and therefore you are the only person qualified to make that decision. We talk about “measuring” quality of life with markers such as: is he still eating and drinking? Is he comfortable? Is he pain free? Can he walk? Does he interact with his humans? Or, we use the good day/bad day system. When Sunny is having more bad days than good, it is time to think seriously about humane euthanasia. Finally, it is never wrong to seek a “quality of life” exam with your vet to talk about any end of life treatments meant to buy comfort and the best quality time you can have with Sunny. I hope that you can find peace and clarity for yourself and Sunny. I wish you all the best in the time ahead- no matter what you choose.

Poor Oscar, I suspect he might be suffering with kidney disease. This is a common cause for increase thirst and urination in elderly cars. In order to stop progression of kidney disease you should not give him metacam anymore and opt to have a different form of pain relief. It is hard to answer your question, in a way his body is shutting down but it might take a week to get worse and another 3-5days for him to go. During those 5 days he will not eat, he will probably vomit and be in pain as not allowed to have/not taking his medications. My suggestion is to try to do something with your vet to help him feel better and if he should continue to deteriorate, not eat /drink a lot then let him go peacefully. Hope this makes sense, sending you positive thoughts

Hi there, Weight loss, hair pulling, and teeth grinding are all signs of serious disease and/or pain. I would be suspicious of something metabolic (like hyperthyroid disease) or cancerous with the weight loss and continued eating. I would expect this to continue to worsen without treatment and it already sounds like his quality of life is already in decline. Euthanasia would be a very kind option to prevent suffering. This website is helpful to many people making this decision: https://journeyspet.com/pet-quality-of-life-scale-calculator/ I'm so sorry you're making this decision right now. My thoughts will be with you and Hodges.