Aging Pets & Medical Cost

[myrdale]

I've got a house cat. He is pushing 13 years old.

Over the past year or so, I've noticed a few changes in his behavior that is leading me to believe he is going / is blind.

If I leave a shirt in the middle of the floor he may trip on it.
If I feed him then move his bowl over a couple of feet he seems to struggle to find it.
His eyes seem more dilated than I remember.
He'd constantly leaves his toys in a water bowl, but over the last few months seems to have stopped that habit and actually ignores them for the most part.
If I wave something he'll crouch down, but when I toss it over his head he just ignores it.
Sometimes if I go to scratch his head, he tenses up like he is surprised even if he is looking at me.
What really clued me in this week that it might be a real problem is when I patted my bed for him to jump up, he jumped up but two feet over to the side and just landed on the floor.

I've got an appointment next week to see a vet.

At this point I am guessing (based on google), it's high blood pressure which causes blindness in cats, and if not caught immediately is irreversible. But then again, it may be nothing at all.

Growing up on a farm, between inside / outside cats, and barn cats old age was never much of an issue as eventually a coyote or the road would get them. And the concept of putting an animal on medication is completely foreign to us, as we've always let nature take it's course, and took care of things at the end when it was necessary. Hearing stories of people who'd spend hundreds of dollars per month for insulin is something that just doesn't seem to make sense to me.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? What's a reasonable amount to spend?

[kork13]

I'd suggest that you always consider quality of life above all else -- for the animal, not for you. If treatment can fix the problem and provide years more of a healthy & active life for the cat, then yeah, spending a few hundred dollars is likely worth it. $1000+ might be hard to swallow though. And if no viable treatment (excluding major surgery, costly/extensive drug regimens, etc) is likely to meaningfully improve his life (he'll remain blind, lost/confused in the world around him), I expect that the most humane choice would be to let him go & put him down. It's a conversation to have with your vet.

I'll admit that I'm not a pet person so I'm looking at this more clinically/unemotionally ... But my general advice would be to not drag on a miserable pet's life for your own personal needs/issues (especially being a fairly old cat), unless the problem can be readily & successfully be resolved.

[disneysteve]

Also not a pet person but I agree with kork 100%.

I would add that I also feel the same way about people. Just because we can prolong lives doesn't mean we should or that it's the right thing to do, regardless of the costs involved, human or animal.

[bjl584]

Never keep a pet around for you.
Consider their quality of life above and beyond all else.
It's hard to say goodbye, but sometimes it's the right thing to do.

[myrdale]

Thanks for the feedback.

I wouldn't put the potential blindness aspect into the category of quality of life yet. He is otherwise healthy, active, and happy.

[Like2Plan]

Maybe it is something simple - making your trip to the vet very worthwhile.
Hoping for the best.

[ua_guy]

I have a very long story about our last little terrier, Petey. Quality of life was the objective, saving money wasn't. In the end we figured we added about 30% of his lifespan back between two relatively minor surgeries. One was a parathyroidectomy and the second was the implant of a pacemaker. Neither were cheap, but both surgeries accomplished providing him with meaningful quality of life and the fairness and chance we believed he deserved. We were able to from a money perspective, and if he was able to be lively and happy, well, that also meant a lot to us.

Having a senior pet around is often a heartbreaking experience...definitely not for the weak. Good luck at the vet visit and fingers crossed it's something easily treatable.

[Fishindude77]

This will probably sound pretty crude to some but I've personally euthanized a few aging sick pets via .22 rifle rather than extend their poor quality of life or put them through the trauma of loading them into an automobile and hauling them to a vet to do the same.
It's quick and painless as any vet trip and costs nearly nothing.

[ua_guy]

I guess that's fair as long as you treat family members the same way. Sorry grandma, you're gettin too old. Or it's a thing poor people have convinced themselves is benevolent because it doesn't cost money. It really doesn't cost that much to have a vet perform euthanasia on-site

[Fishindude77]

I guess that's fair as long as you treat family members the same way. Sorry grandma, you're gettin too old. Or it's a thing poor people have convinced themselves is benevolent because it doesn't cost money. It really doesn't cost that much to have a vet perform euthanasia on-site

Figured someone would get bent about this.
Didn't realize we were discussing people?

Has little to do with money, more that it is hugely uncomfortable and painful to load up a sore tired old dog and put them through the stress of loading, hauling and unloading at vet, taking them to a strange place, strange people, etc. rather than just dealing with it quick and painless at home. Either way you are killing the animal.

[myrdale]

This will probably sound pretty crude to some but I've personally euthanized a few aging sick pets via .22 rifle rather than extend their poor quality of life or put them through the trauma of loading them into an automobile and hauling them to a vet to do the same.
It's quick and painless as any vet trip and costs nearly nothing.

This has been the case at least half a dozen times for us. At point blank range to the head, it's a tiny wound and as Fishindude stated, it's instant. Give them a can of food as you're preparing and they are in bliss at the moment it occurs.

In my case and I'd assume Fishindude as well, for pets at least there is a modest grave being prepared, with as much dignity as can be given in the situation. And I understand people who live in a city might not have that option, but I think it holds another level of respect and love for the animal than being sealed in a biohazard bag and shipped to a landfill.

There is a really interesting guy on YouTube, Dime Store Adventures, who does historical documentaries on cemeteries, and random forgotten sites. He has a couple of videos on animal cemeteries. That level of extravagance is outside the scope of what I'd ever consider, but for some it is a option.

[ua_guy]

Figured someone would get bent about this.
Didn't realize we were discussing people?

Has little to do with money, more that it is hugely uncomfortable and painful to load up a sore tired old dog and put them through the stress of loading, hauling and unloading at vet, taking them to a strange place, strange people, etc. rather than just dealing with it quick and painless at home. Either way you are killing the animal.

Not bent. There are less traumatic ways for the animal to end life. I stand by my words and fully acknowledge I've ended life for my own pets. You are present, helping, and holding your pet while it all happens. It begins with a sedative, basically an awesome high for the animal, and then the second drug is administered and that ends life. The vet confirms the heart has fully stopped and most people choose to remain there for a while as brain activity ceases.

[ua_guy]

In my case and I'd assume Fishindude as well, for pets at least there is a modest grave being prepared, with as much dignity as can be given in the situation. And I understand people who live in a city might not have that option, but I think it holds another level of respect and love for the animal than being sealed in a biohazard bag and shipped to a landfill.

Most people would choose cremation for their animals in that situation, in fact I believe most vets in the "city" do as a matter of course.

[myrdale]

Most people would choose cremation for their animals in that situation, in fact I believe most vets in the "city" do as a matter of course.

Cremation is a method I'd never consider. Its not exactly common around here, or at least I don't know of anyone first hand who was cremated, save one friend from college.

[VanessaKruze]

I'm sorry to hear about your cat's changes. Good move on booking that vet appointment. When it comes to costs, it's always a tough spot, but our pets deserve the best care possible, right? Your vet can give you the lowdown on what needs to be done and what it might set you back.