GA Advice please re uti?

[Ann & Liz]

Lila has been struggling with this urine issue for over 36 hours now. She is constantly in and it of the tray often just passing drops of urine. If she does manage to sleep for 30 mins or so we get a small amount of urine. She is exhausted as are we! We are using the d mannose and she had antibiotic injection 36 hours ago. Is this still normal for a uti or could there be another issue going on.? Any thoughts gratefully received. Lila is eating well and bgs are still high. Increased insulin this am. We are awaiting urine test results still from vets. Have just tested for ketones - negative still.

 

[Ann & Liz]

Lila has been struggling with this urine issue for over 36 hours now. She is constantly in and it of the tray often just passing drops of urine. If she does manage to sleep for 30 mins or so we get a small amount of urine. She is exhausted as are we! We are using the d mannose and she had antibiotic injection 36 hours ago. Is this still normal for a uti or could there be another issue going on.? Any thoughts gratefully received. Lila is eating well and bgs are still high. Increased insulin this am. We are awaiting urine test results still from vets. Have just tested for ketones - negative still.

Update, we have seen the vet today and urine results seem to point to kidney failure. The vet said that they could admit for her to have fluids to flush infection through but it is likely that we would only gain a few days before she needed more intervention. With her age and how frail she has become we feel that this is not an option. We have Lila at home with us at present and will request a home visit quite soon probably to release her from her discomfort.

 

[JanetNJ]

Update, we have seen the vet today and urine results seem to point to kidney failure. The vet said that they could admit for her to have fluids to flush infection through but it is likely that we would only gain a few days before she needed more intervention. With her age and how frail she has become we feel that this is not an option. We have Lila at home with us at present and will request a home visit quite soon probably to release her from her discomfort.

I'm sorry she's doing poorly. Can you post her lab results? Kidney failure usually worsens gradually and can be slowed.... Unless it's like my cat Nikki who crashed from kidney cancer.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Sorry Ann, sorry Liz. I do not have any medical advice but have had cats progress beyond physical discomfort with UTI. (they're still with us). At some point there's nothing like a dose of BUPE and a sunbeam that will take the misery out of things. Bear in mind this is coming from someone who once let a cat go on for too long. A very painful lesson to learn. If she still knows who you are and you can keep her away from the stairs it might not be a selfish thing to do.
I know this is beyond hard for you, just wanted to give you an option.

 

[JanetNJ]

Are they giving her anything for pain?

 

[Ann & Liz]

Are they giving her anything for pain?

No apparantly with the kidney/diabetes they can't give most things. However vet said it's OK for us to use Gabapentin (previously used for her facial pain syndrome). So she has had that a few hours ago. Has slept for about 30 mins. The rest of the time she is in the litter tray and everywhere else peeing small amounts. Lila is moving around constantly and trying to pee. She has even taken to lying down in litter tray when it all gets too much. Her back legs are extremely weak. No lab results as she would not tolerate bloods being taken. But urine results - specific gravity is 1.021 and too much blood to measure as well as sugar of course and some protein.

 

[Ann & Liz]

Sorry Ann, sorry Liz. I do not have any medical advice but have had cats progress beyond physical discomfort with UTI. (they're still with us). At some point there's nothing like a dose of BUPE and a sunbeam that will take the misery out of things. Bear in mind this is coming from someone who once let a cat go on for too long. A very painful lesson to learn. If she still knows who you are and you can keep her away from the stairs it might not be a selfish thing to do.
I know this is beyond hard for you, just wanted to give you an option.

Yes very difficult decision. We have waited too long with other animals too in the past.

 

[Becky & Baby Girl GA]

Sorry that this is happening for you! I’ve had a few who’ve been taken by this organ failure! All too soon! We tried the IV therapy but to no avail! It was just time....I waited too long for one & I have also regretted that! My children lived out of town & I made the decision to keep him until they got there! I told them that this will never happen again!
Lila looks like she’s had a wonderful long life. It’s sad when things just wear out in the body. Just hugs & I’m thinking of you today.

 

[Ann & Liz]

I'm sorry she's doing poorly. Can you post her lab results? Kidney failure usually worsens gradually and can be slowed.... Unless it's like my cat Nikki who crashed from kidney cancer.[/QUOTE

I'm sorry she's doing poorly. Can you post her lab results? Kidney failure usually worsens gradually and can be slowed.... Unless it's like my cat Nikki who crashed from kidney cancer.

Replied further down in thread

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

I'm sorry Ann, this is pure emotion. The vet has put the thought in your mind that this is the end and gives you Gabapentin. Personally if I was facing the end of my life, in pain, I'd like something a little stronger. If something like BUPE will cause a horrible reaction that's one thing but my kidneys be damned if I won't see Monday. I hope that sounds right and you understand where I'm coming from Ann.
@JanetNJ I know UTI can come on suddenly but being so frail after just 36 hours, something doesn't right. Something's missing.

 

[Callie & Patches]

With her going just a few drops and then going again and again, I am wondering if she has a blockage and just can't go more than a few drops at a time. Is her bladder hard or painful to the touch? You would think that the vet would have caught that, but sometimes they miss things.

 

[Ann & Liz]

With her going just a few drops and then going again and again, I am wondering if she has a blockage and just can't go more than a few drops at a time. Is her bladder hard or painful to the touch? You would think that the vet would have caught that, but sometimes they miss things.

No vet didn't think bladder was full/ hard this morning. Seems she just has constant urgency.

 

[JanetNJ]

Maybe take her for a second opinion before deciding it's time?

 

[Ann & Liz]

We have sadly had the vet to visit, discussed all options and have had Lila put to sleep. Lila was suffering in the last few hours and we feel that it was the right decision. Although never the right time. Very difficult decision. We will miss her forever.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Bye Lila. She knows you loved her and did your very best Ann.
Lila, Nigel is waiting for you across the bridge. Sweet dreams baby.

 

[Critter Mom]

(((Ann & Liz)))

My heart goes out to you. There's never a right time. I'm so sorry ...




Mogs
.

 

[Sharon14]

I’m so very sorry
Fly Free Sweet Lila, Land Softly

 

[Squeaky and KT (GA)]

Oh Ann and Liz - I'm SO sorry.

Soar high on your new angel wings sweet Lila....landing softly back in your family's broken hearts...

HUGS and thoughts and prayers....

 

[JanetNJ]

Rest in peace. Sorry for the loss of your beautiful friend.

 

[Kris & Teasel]

I'm so sorry you've lost your kitty.

 

[Sandi and Toby]

Such a beautiful little girl, taken far too soon and too quickly.

I am very very sorry. It is so hard to see our babies suffer, but now she is pain free. Having to make The Decision seriously sucks, but it is the most loving and selfless thing that we can do for our babies...

 

[nmveasey]

Sending love to you. Rest In Peace sweet Lila.

 

[Callie & Patches]

I am so sorry. She will be waiting at the rainbow bridge with all her new friends.

 

[JeffJ]

These are always the hardest decisions. I'm sorry for your loss of your beloved kitteh Lila. May she have a safe flight to the bridge and wait for you there.

 

[Ann & Liz]

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and kind words. It is so very painful right now but it helps to know that there are so many like minded carers of fur babies across the globe. For us the passing of Lila means that we are now without any fur babies (the first time in over 30 years). In the past 18 months we have lost our beloved Oliver (Blue Burmese Cat 13y) on the road. Maisie our very special 11y old Boxer Dog in November this year. And yesterday our beautiful Brown Burmese Lila at 17.5y who amongst many other things has given us the priveledge of caring for a sugar baby. For the past 15 months we have prioritised her needs as much as humanly possible. We the help and support from this forum we have learnt much about the complexities of feline diabetes and shared other people's experiences and compassion and for that we and Lila will be forever appreciative of. Over the years we have seen many veterinary specialists and vets and used veterinary homeopathy and complimentary therapies with our fur babies as we always seek to make sure we go to the same lengths as we would do for our human family. We have at times been disillusioned with the veterinary profession and of course how the subject of diabetes is not dealt with as fully as it should be by vets. We have seen big changes where we live on the Isle of Wight as regards an exceptional old style vet practice that started with the standard 2 partners be taken over and run as part of a bigger chain of practices and standards and continuity of care to drop in the name of progress as vets come and go with alarming regularity. Thankfully yesterday we had the support of vet who we trusted and whose compassion was palpable. Heather took the time to explain as much as possible about where Lila was on her journey and it was this along with how we have witnessed Lila to be slowly declining over the past months that enabled us to make what we believe to be the right decision at the right time for Lila as an individual. We now are left with all the "what ifs" and "did we do enough" and piecing together of events that you try to do at a time like this and to begin coping with life without Lila and indeed without any other fur babies to care for right now. We don't know what will happen next in life, but at present for however many weeks or months that follow we need some recovery time for healing. It seems impossible to live without a single fur baby but equally impossible to generate what is needed to begin again, no doubt we will but only when the time is right and fate decrees. Sorry for long post. Had to get up at the same time as usual as the alarm has been set for Lilas diabetic routine and there is a degree of comfort in being up early if that makes sense to anyone out there. The hole Lila has left is huge but we were so lucky to have her for 17.5 years and trying to focus on that. We have a wonderful Pet Crematorium on the island which is owned by Sue who equally prioritises the fur babies in her life and work. Over the years we have made many too many visits to her. We will make that call and journey again today. The sun is rising right now and it's incredibly hard to start the first day without our beautiful Lila. We have so many memories of her as she was one very special little girl, especially the time in October this year when we took Lila & Maisie on a short break locally and had quality time with both knowing that we may not ever have that opportunity again, so glad we managed that. All this certainly reaffirms the need to live every moment to the full and to focus on the here and now as much as possible.