UK Newbie with poorly cat....

[TempestsMum]

May he run free, over the other side knowing his people did the very very best for him and sent him with so much love. I'm so sorry for you and your family.

 

[Monica & Josie]

Hello to all you dear loving people. My poor Yossie didn't make it. His kidneys failed late this afternoon and we chose to end it for him as there was little hope. The vet said he was a very difficult case as most newly diagnosed cats go on to be regulated and that his kidneys possibly caused him problems from first diabetes diagnosis . My lovely brother brought him home and honestly he looks better than he did when he was suffering last night, it was like a release. He has gone to the rainbow bridge he loved me the best in our family, was always on my lap, he was such a clean, well behaved very vocal sweet little boy and would follow our other cat Punk around in utter hero worship as he loved Punk. Punk and Yoss have been together for 14 years with us both from 3 and 6 months old. It is heart wrenching and we are all inconsolable.

Oh no Sarah I am so very sorry and absolutely gutted to hear your heartbreaking news.
Yossel is at peace now poor sweetheart, he will be happy and waiting for you at the rainbow bridge..
I'm so sorry, rest in peace beautiful boy
Big hugs to you and the family xxx

 

[Tuxedo Mom]

((Sarah))

I have silently been following you and Yossel and am so so saddened to hear that Yossel has crossed the bridge. He is no longer in pain and no longer suffering but it is so devastating to lose a beloved furbaby. My heart goes out to you and your family. Hold close in your heart all the special memories to give you peace and strength at this sad time.

 

[Diana&Tom]

I am so terribly sorry, Sarah. There are no words any of us can say to make this hurt any less, but we do know what you are feeling and we are surrounding you with love and compassion.
May little Yossel rest in peace.

 

[Red & Rover (GA)]

I'm so, so very sorry. I send my condolences.

 

[Sarah Lyle]

May he run free, over the other side knowing his people did the very very best for him and sent him with so much love. I'm so sorry for you and your family. View attachment 30806

Tara what a beautiful photo. It's bizarre as that was the very pose yossel would sit by candles fascinated it must be a sign. I appreciate all your time and advise in helping us. Xxxxxxx

 

[Sarah Lyle]

Oh no Sarah I am so very sorry and absolutely gutted to hear your heartbreaking news.
Yossel is at peace now poor sweetheart, he will be happy and waiting for you at the rainbow bridge..
I'm so sorry, rest in peace beautiful boy
Big hugs to you and the family xxx

Thank you Monica for spending so much time advising me. I appreciate your kindness and empathy xxxxx

 

[Sarah Lyle]

((Sarah))

I have silently been following you and Yossel and am so so saddened to hear that Yossel has crossed the bridge. He is no longer in pain and no longer suffering but it is so devastating to lose a beloved furbaby. My heart goes out to you and your family. Hold close in your heart all the special memories to give you peace and strength at this sad time.

Thank you Mary Ann, means a lot you are thinking of us xxxxx

 

[Sarah Lyle]

I am so terribly sorry, Sarah. There are no words any of us can say to make this hurt any less, but we do know what you are feeling and we are surrounding you with love and compassion.
May little Yossel rest in peace.

Thank you Diana, you're a lovely lady as are all of the amazing people here. I am so heartened by the fellow feeling and time spent over these past days dispensing advice I know it takes a great chunk of time to respond to a distress signal xxxxxx

 

[Sarah Lyle]

I'm so, so very sorry. I send my condolences.

Thank you Red and Rover xxxxxx

 

[Sarah Lyle]

It's been a horrible horrible night and day, but my heart is light in the knowledge such good wonderful people such as yourselves are in this world xxxxxx

 

[vbc2000]

I'm so sorry Sarah

 

[Sarah Lyle]

Diana, in hindsight you were correct with high blood glucose. Basically he was crying out for insulin that terrible Monday night and if only I had tested his urine for ketones instead of thinking he was on a blood sugar low when he hadn't had insulin since Sunday morning. I would have asked for help here with a high reading and you would have said "give him a small shot of insulin" and he wouldn't have suffered so he might have stood a chance. The veterinary nurse on duty was stupid and told me to rub honey on his gums. Well we rubbed the gluco gel on his gums and just made his suffering ten times worse. It's terrible to know when logically he was actually showing symptoms of not enough insulin.

 

[Diana&Tom]

(((Sarah))) I really am so sorry about the way things panned out for you and dear Yossel. It's always awful to lose a kitty, and in circumstances like this when you realise that perhaps the vets weren't on the ball enough, it's even worse because you're adding another issue to the already complex set of emotions you feel. But the thing is - you weren't to know. We are human, we're not multi-skilled and experienced, we rely on professionals to tell us what to do... and unfortunately sometimes they let us down. I must admit I was surprised at the instruction you were given to rub honey on Yossel's gums, but in a situation like yours you followed advice, like most people would.

I completely understand how heart breaking this is for you. This board is full of people who have been through similar situations, or even more straightforward situations... whichever way we lose a dearly loved pet, it is never easy to come to terms with. There is a Grief forum here and you are more than welcome to post there and share your experiences and memories... it helps to "talk" about things and this is a gentle and safe place where you will get nothing but support, no criticism or judgement (as we do sometimes when talking to real life friends who aren't cat people).

The other thing I would say is this (and forgive me, this isn't any help right now, but you may see what I mean in the future)... we live and learn. Very few of us joined this board with any knowledge of feline diabetes, so when our cats are dx is a steep learning curve. We have to learn about diet, home testing, giving insulin, monitoring the "whole cat" - and it's a very intense experience. Some people more or less live on the board, devouring all the information they can to help their own cats, and gradually learning enough to be able to support and advise others. We know what it's like to have a diabetic cat and we empathise and want the best for others in the same boat. So, maybe if you feel up to it in the future, you could stay around here, post on Grief as much as you like, start to recognise a few names and situations, and start to make an input yourself. Again, I apologise because I know now is not the time, but you are obviously a very caring and sensitive person and in a way, if you were to do something like that, it could be Yossel's legacy to help other kitties...

Anyway, try not to dwell too much on the "what ifs" - ok, it's human nature to do so, and you will, we all would. But try also to remember Yossel at his best, all the good things. That's what he would like you to do. Over on Grief people may share lines of poetry which are very moving and may help you to feel that he is still close by you.

Wishing you comfort as you start this grief journey... we are all here for you.

Hugs,
Diana

 

[TempestsMum]

@Diana&Tom thank you for posting that, you put into words what I was feeling and thinking.

Sarah, God Bless you and your family. I can't type enough hugs for you all. Just know they are sent.

 

[Sarah Lyle]

(((Sarah))) I really am so sorry about the way things panned out for you and dear Yossel. It's always awful to lose a kitty, and in circumstances like this when you realise that perhaps the vets weren't on the ball enough, it's even worse because you're adding another issue to the already complex set of emotions you feel. But the thing is - you weren't to know. We are human, we're not multi-skilled and experienced, we rely on professionals to tell us what to do... and unfortunately sometimes they let us down. I must admit I was surprised at the instruction you were given to rub honey on Yossel's gums, but in a situation like yours you followed advice, like most people would.

I completely understand how heart breaking this is for you. This board is full of people who have been through similar situations, or even more straightforward situations... whichever way we lose a dearly loved pet, it is never easy to come to terms with. There is a Grief forum here and you are more than welcome to post there and share your experiences and memories... it helps to "talk" about things and this is a gentle and safe place where you will get nothing but support, no criticism or judgement (as we do sometimes when talking to real life friends who aren't cat people).

The other thing I would say is this (and forgive me, this isn't any help right now, but you may see what I mean in the future)... we live and learn. Very few of us joined this board with any knowledge of feline diabetes, so when our cats are dx is a steep learning curve. We have to learn about diet, home testing, giving insulin, monitoring the "whole cat" - and it's a very intense experience. Some people more or less live on the board, devouring all the information they can to help their own cats, and gradually learning enough to be able to support and advise others. We know what it's like to have a diabetic cat and we empathise and want the best for others in the same boat. So, maybe if you feel up to it in the future, you could stay around here, post on Grief as much as you like, start to recognise a few names and situations, and start to make an input yourself. Again, I apologise because I know now is not the time, but you are obviously a very caring and sensitive person and in a way, if you were to do something like that, it could be Yossel's legacy to help other kitties...

Anyway, try not to dwell too much on the "what ifs" - ok, it's human nature to do so, and you will, we all would. But try also to remember Yossel at his best, all the good things. That's what he would like you to do. Over on Grief people may share lines of poetry which are very moving and may help you to feel that he is still close by you.

Wishing you comfort as you start this grief journey... we are all here for you.

Hugs,
Diana

I am very moved and am deeply grateful for your kindness and care Diana. Your words are very comforting. I have just got home from work and seen them. It's been a very depressing, stressful 2 weeks and most of that time Yossel's been poorly so it's a relief he is now out of it. The only positive is the discovery of an angel army of you and Monica and Tara and all the other incredible people on this board that give their time and emotion to the newly diagnosed and bewildered. I wish you and Tom, Tara and Tempest, Monica and Josie and of course all the other mums and kitties good robust health, love and peace - something which isn't easy to obtain with FD! God bless you all hugs and love from Sarah xxxxxxxx I will come back soon xxxxxxx

 

[Diana&Tom]

It's what we do, Sarah... we are one big family of people here who care about each other.
We'll be here whenever you need us.

(((((((Here's a big group hug from all of us to you!)))))))

 

[Monica & Josie]

Diana, in hindsight you were correct with high blood glucose. Basically he was crying out for insulin that terrible Monday night and if only I had tested his urine for ketones instead of thinking he was on a blood sugar low when he hadn't had insulin since Sunday morning. I would have asked for help here with a high reading and you would have said "give him a small shot of insulin" and he wouldn't have suffered so he might have stood a chance. The veterinary nurse on duty was stupid and told me to rub honey on his gums. Well we rubbed the gluco gel on his gums and just made his suffering ten times worse. It's terrible to know when logically he was actually showing symptoms of not enough insulin.

Oh dear Sarah,
I read your post with such a heavy heart. I guess you will never stop wondering about these 'what if' questions and it probably won't be easy to find a closure for such a complex case with so many questions unanswered.
But please don't blame yourself for anything, you did all you could for Yossel without having any experience in diabetes, other illnesses or emergency treatments.
You put Yossel and your trust ( as we probably all would do ) into the hands of the professionals to help him get better.
Unfortunately as Diana put it so well they do let us down sometimes.
I nearly lost my Josie because of an ignorant emergency vet who let her suffer throughout the night at home because her symptoms didn't sound serious enough for him to bring her in to check and treat her. I knew something was very wrong with her but I trusted the vet and I spent the entire night by her side laying on the carpet with worry hoping she'll make it.
Luckily Josie pulled through the worst part and was treated first thing the next morning by our regular vet who admitted that the emergency vet made the wrong call by not asking us to bring Josie in with those symptoms, especially in her diabetic condition.
What I learned from this was that I have to trust my gut feeling and if something doesn't feel right I have to be more adamant about making myself heard.
Since this incident I've been advising people here to do the same, if something doesn't feel right don't let things go, just keep going back to the vet until they take them seriously.
And if this advice can save at least one kitty's life then something good came out of our horrible experience and it wasn't all for nothing.
We got lucky and Josie pulled through but sadly not every kitty does.
I am so very sorry from the bottom of my heart that your precious kitty couldn't be saved. I truly am.
But he is at peace now running free happily on the lush green meadows by the Rainbow Bridge.
I truly hope that in time you will find peace in your heart as well. Yossel was very much loved and cared for by such a wonderful and caring person.
I wish you and Punk good health, peace, love and light with this poem that is very close to my heart...
Take care Sarah, I hope we will hear from you again one day
Monica

xxx

 

[Sarah Lyle]

Oh dear Sarah,
I read your post with such a heavy heart. I guess you will never stop wondering about these 'what if' questions and it probably won't be easy to find a closure for such a complex case with so many questions unanswered.
But please don't blame yourself for anything, you did all you could for Yossel without having any experience in diabetes, other illnesses or emergency treatments.
You put Yossel and your trust ( as we probably all would do ) into the hands of the professionals to help him get better.
Unfortunately as Diana put it so well they do let us down sometimes.
I nearly lost my Josie because of an ignorant emergency vet who let her suffer throughout the night at home because her symptoms didn't sound serious enough for him to bring her in to check and treat her. I knew something was very wrong with her but I trusted the vet and I spent the entire night by her side laying on the carpet with worry hoping she'll make it.
Luckily Josie pulled through the worst part and was treated first thing the next morning by our regular vet who admitted that the emergency vet made the wrong call by not asking us to bring Josie in with those symptoms, especially in her diabetic condition.
What I learned from this was that I have to trust my gut feeling and if something doesn't feel right I have to be more adamant about making myself heard.
Since this incident I've been advising people here to do the same, if something doesn't feel right don't let things go, just keep going back to the vet until they take them seriously.
And if this advice can save at least one kitty's life then something good came out of our horrible experience and it wasn't all for nothing.
We got lucky and Josie pulled through but sadly not every kitty does.
I am so very sorry from the bottom of my heart that your precious kitty couldn't be saved. I truly am.
But he is at peace now running free happily on the lush green meadows by the Rainbow Bridge.
I truly hope that in time you will find peace in your heart as well. Yossel was very much loved and cared for by such a wonderful and caring person.
I wish you and Punk good health, peace, love and light with this poem that is very close to my heart...
Take care Sarah, I hope we will hear from you again one day
Monica View attachment 30828 xxx

Hi Monica your poem was lovely and made me cry. The situation you had that night with Josie was exactly the same as with Yossel despite two calls throughout the early hours of the morning I was advised to wait till it opened. Like you my mum and I were up most of the night with a dying cat. It was absolutely horrendous. I agree with your advice to err on the side of caution and take the cat in despite what the person on the phone is telling you. I am very glad that Josie pulled through was it DKA?
Lots of love Sarah xxxx

 

[Monica & Josie]

Hi Monica your poem was lovely and made me cry. The situation you had that night with Josie was exactly the same as with Yossel despite two calls throughout the early hours of the morning I was advised to wait till it opened. Like you my mum and I were up most of the night with a dying cat. It was absolutely horrendous. I agree with your advice to err on the side of caution and take the cat in despite what the person on the phone is telling you. I am very glad that Josie pulled through was it DKA?
Lots of love Sarah xxxx

Hi Sarah,
glad you liked the poem, in a way I think crying helps us to let things go.
I do feel your pain and breaks my heart knowing what you and Yossel had to go through.
That night the way Josie was behaving and the things she did I've never seen her like that in the past 13 years, that's why I knew that something was seriously wrong.
Apparently she had a very bad and painful pancreatitis flare-up and it took 3 rounds of triple shot pain relief/antibiotics/nausea injections to get her better. She could've had her first treatment asap at night and probably that would've saved her from all that agony. I'm just glad and very grateful that she's recovered and doing ok now. Thank you very much for your kind words.
I've been thinking about you and really hope that you're doing ok.
Maybe in time you will feel that it would help you to process things and find closure if you wrote a letter to the relevant veterinary hospital and told them all what happened. Writing all these emotions 'out of you' might help you to move on and able to start healing..
Or maybe you just want to put it all behind you and focus on the lovely memories you shared with Yossel to warm your heart.
Whatever feels right.
Sending you big hugs and love,
Monica xx

 

[JanetNJ]

So sorry for your loss