I can only imagine. My brooder raised keets don't like to be handled AT ALL. I can't imagine trying to catch broody-raised keets.
Consolidated Kansas
- Thread starter ChooksChick
- Start date
Hi all! I know I haven't been on in a while, been crazy with school lately. I have this huge paper due and I'm not even past the outline and the research. It's been taking up most of my evenings. I can't wait till it's done - due next Sunday.
Also dealing with a cat that I feel needs to be put down, but I don't have the heart to do it yet. She's 15 years old and over the past few months she's been going down hill. She doesnt go pee in the litter box. She goes right outside of it. I know she can get in it, but don't understand why she's doing that - so it's now surrounded with puppy pads. That seems to be working ok for now - She's had this tumor in her belly for a couple years that doesn't allow you to touch her stomach at all. She used to self mutilate her stomach to the point of gaping holes and bleeding until we got her on meds and retrained the behavior with an elizabeth collar for about 6 months. Think it's weird having a dog wear one, imagine seeing a cat with one on! Today though, something new has popped up that has me in tears. She's not using one of her back legs at all - it just drags behind her. I've done the pinch test on her feet and I don't think that she has any feeling in the leg. This is making it hard for her to do anything, so she's just pooping in her cat bed. She'll get up to pee, eat, and drink and is still purring when I pick her up - it's the question of "Is she enjoying life anymore" that I'm struggling with. Part of me says that if she were in pain, she wouldn't be purring - but I just don't know. Here's a picture of her. I've had her since she was a few weeks old - got her from the shelter. I've had her longer than I've known my DH. She doesn't have a tail (wasn't born with one), so i named her Abigail No Tail.
Danz, I can't imagine what you've been going thru with Marshmellow. Both of my dogs love car rides so much that they'd jump in anyone's car if we'd let them.
Also dealing with a cat that I feel needs to be put down, but I don't have the heart to do it yet. She's 15 years old and over the past few months she's been going down hill. She doesnt go pee in the litter box. She goes right outside of it. I know she can get in it, but don't understand why she's doing that - so it's now surrounded with puppy pads. That seems to be working ok for now - She's had this tumor in her belly for a couple years that doesn't allow you to touch her stomach at all. She used to self mutilate her stomach to the point of gaping holes and bleeding until we got her on meds and retrained the behavior with an elizabeth collar for about 6 months. Think it's weird having a dog wear one, imagine seeing a cat with one on! Today though, something new has popped up that has me in tears. She's not using one of her back legs at all - it just drags behind her. I've done the pinch test on her feet and I don't think that she has any feeling in the leg. This is making it hard for her to do anything, so she's just pooping in her cat bed. She'll get up to pee, eat, and drink and is still purring when I pick her up - it's the question of "Is she enjoying life anymore" that I'm struggling with. Part of me says that if she were in pain, she wouldn't be purring - but I just don't know. Here's a picture of her. I've had her since she was a few weeks old - got her from the shelter. I've had her longer than I've known my DH. She doesn't have a tail (wasn't born with one), so i named her Abigail No Tail.
Danz, I can't imagine what you've been going thru with Marshmellow. Both of my dogs love car rides so much that they'd jump in anyone's car if we'd let them.
Tweety, I'm so sorry you're having to watch your old girl decline; it's never easy to watch our kids grow old. Her leg concerns me. At the very least, it sounds like she needs to be evaluated by your vet to see what's going on. And while her urinating outside the litterbox very well could be behavioral, you should first rule out a bladder infection. Also, while cats do purr when they are pleased, most people don't realize they will also purr to comfort themselves (when they don't feel good). You know your cat best, but as a tech for 20+ years, I really think she needs to see a vet on this one. Good luck!
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Tweety, hugs for the decisions you need to make for your cat. Kansaseq beat me to it - I was going to say the same thing about the purring - when they are stressed or scared they will often purr as a way of seeking comfort. She is a beautiful cat - I've always been partial to torties.
The comforter she is sitting on? I have the exact same one and it is my pet comforter too! Years ago I went to a thrift store to get a comforter just for the pets - one I wouldn't feel stressed about getting soiled by them - and found that one for $5. It has been used by scores of dogs, cats and kittens over the years, and is still in use by them today.
The comforter she is sitting on? I have the exact same one and it is my pet comforter too! Years ago I went to a thrift store to get a comforter just for the pets - one I wouldn't feel stressed about getting soiled by them - and found that one for $5. It has been used by scores of dogs, cats and kittens over the years, and is still in use by them today.
Tweety, I am so sorry. I did have a cat that my kids were raised with. He was the perfect cat. Never even had a cat box, never left the yard if he was outside, never got on anything or into anything. Never scratched the kids even if they were fighting over him.
His last 6 months alive his bahavior started to change. I had to get a cat box but he often just peed on the floor near it. Other little things he did that weren't typical to his behavior. He started throwing up one day so bad that he was throwing up blood. I was at work and the kids were calling me hysterically. It was super icy out and my oldest son had just gotten his driver's license but I asked him not to get out and drive the cat to the vet.
Anyway when I got home he had crawled down to the basement and then into a dark crawl space. The house looked like a war zone. We got him to the vet the next morning. They wouldn't see him that night. It wouldn't have made a difference. He had vomited so hard he detached his retinas and was blind. The vet put IV's in him and 2 days later said I could pick him up after work, although blind he would be ok as long as he was in his own home. That day his kidneys shut down and he passed away. Anyway, many of those same circumstances you described happened to him. Come to find out he had a brain tumor which was causing the strange behavior and all the other physical problems. I wonder if the tumor she has has grown into her spine causing the limp leg. It was like loosing one of the kids and to the kids it was like loosing a best friend.
I don't think I could have had him put down but then at the same time his last days were awful. I do wish I could have gotten him out of the vet clinic before he passed away. I still feel guilty that he died in a cage instead of at home.
I guess the decision has to be made if you can make her comfortable or if her quality of life is that that she is miserable.
I have three cats that are up in years. 15, 14, and 13 years old. I am lucky that we've not yet had any major health problems. The Middle one has a huge tumor on her back but it doesn't seem to bother her yet. It's been there about 3 years. She is actually the most healthy of the three. the 15 year old is in good shape but has terrible cataracts and his eyes are blurry. He sleeps most of the time but otherwise does just great. You can tell he has some arthritis cause he moves very slow when it is cold or the weather is wet.
The 13 year old has has always been grossly overweight. She eats and sleeps and insists on attention from everyone. She worries me the most because of her weight and lack of activity. She's had some kidney infections and such and that can be very hard on a cat.
Tweety my heart goes out to you. What an awful decision to be faced with. We love our pets like children.
His last 6 months alive his bahavior started to change. I had to get a cat box but he often just peed on the floor near it. Other little things he did that weren't typical to his behavior. He started throwing up one day so bad that he was throwing up blood. I was at work and the kids were calling me hysterically. It was super icy out and my oldest son had just gotten his driver's license but I asked him not to get out and drive the cat to the vet.
Anyway when I got home he had crawled down to the basement and then into a dark crawl space. The house looked like a war zone. We got him to the vet the next morning. They wouldn't see him that night. It wouldn't have made a difference. He had vomited so hard he detached his retinas and was blind. The vet put IV's in him and 2 days later said I could pick him up after work, although blind he would be ok as long as he was in his own home. That day his kidneys shut down and he passed away. Anyway, many of those same circumstances you described happened to him. Come to find out he had a brain tumor which was causing the strange behavior and all the other physical problems. I wonder if the tumor she has has grown into her spine causing the limp leg. It was like loosing one of the kids and to the kids it was like loosing a best friend.
I don't think I could have had him put down but then at the same time his last days were awful. I do wish I could have gotten him out of the vet clinic before he passed away. I still feel guilty that he died in a cage instead of at home.
I guess the decision has to be made if you can make her comfortable or if her quality of life is that that she is miserable.
I have three cats that are up in years. 15, 14, and 13 years old. I am lucky that we've not yet had any major health problems. The Middle one has a huge tumor on her back but it doesn't seem to bother her yet. It's been there about 3 years. She is actually the most healthy of the three. the 15 year old is in good shape but has terrible cataracts and his eyes are blurry. He sleeps most of the time but otherwise does just great. You can tell he has some arthritis cause he moves very slow when it is cold or the weather is wet.
The 13 year old has has always been grossly overweight. She eats and sleeps and insists on attention from everyone. She worries me the most because of her weight and lack of activity. She's had some kidney infections and such and that can be very hard on a cat.
Tweety my heart goes out to you. What an awful decision to be faced with. We love our pets like children.
I have the same guilty feelings about a cat who died 15 years ago. She was a Tortie, also, and I had taken her in because of urinary problems. She was getting better and then just died overnight one night. I'll always question if I should have picked her up a day sooner. Maybe she just gave up thinking she was abandoned. Sigh. Can't keep rethinking this stuff.
Sharol
Sharol
It has tortured my conscious for years. Did he think we "threw him away" because he was sick? It's strange how something like that keeps coming back over and over again.But had I gotten him home and his kidneys shut down would I have felt guilty about taking him home too soon?
Of course I've also felt guilty for not noticing a particular chicken was ill until it was too late as well. I guess I'm just an old softy when it comes to animals.
Of course I've also felt guilty for not noticing a particular chicken was ill until it was too late as well. I guess I'm just an old softy when it comes to animals.
Its hard not to feel guilty - we just have to do the best we can.
Personally, I am in the camp of I'd rather euthanize than watch them suffer IF the foregone conclusion is that their end is near anyway. In other words, rather than do some treatment that is going to be painful/uncomfortable and will maybe give them another few weeks/months, I'd rather put them to sleep.
Years ago the kids wanted a dog, so we adopted Rex, who was about 13 months old. We figured he was past the worst of the puppy stage, but still had a lot of life in him. Thinking we'd get a healthy dog if we got a mixed breed due to "hybrid vigor", we didn't worry about breed but instead focused on qualities like size, hair coat (didn't want a dog that needed to go to the groomers every few weeks) and temperament. We thought we had found all that in Rex, and as part of our adoptive process, we were allowed to take him to our vet for a once over. When we walked in, the vet said "Are you here about his hip dysplasia?" Think blank looks. "No, we're here for a general physical - we just adopted him". He took x-rays and pronounced it one of the worst cases of hip dysplasia he'd ever seen.
We did have the option of returning him to the rescue but....we were already fond of him so instead we told them the prognosis and determined to give him the best life we could until he was in too much pain to enjoy life any more. He was one of the happiest dogs I've ever known. His tail had a little white tip and I loved seeing that little white tip coming waving around the edge of the bed to visit me in the morning.
After 3 years we noticed he got up from a lying position more slowly and couldn't run as fast. After four years, that side of his rump had atrophied to the point there was no muscle left there and he was clearly in pain. We did do a course of anti-inflammatories and pain meds, that bought him another 3 happy months. But last September, when we'd had him 4 years, 4 months, and he was only about 5 1/2 years old, we realized - that little white tip rarely waved any more. He was no longer happy. We had already been carrying him up and down stairs for about a year, and lifting him in and out of the car. He wasn't a candidate for hip replacement surgery (we had considered it), and we decided we wanted to do it while he was still able to walk into the vet's office on his own, rather than be in so much pain we had to carry him in.
It was one of the hardest things I've done - not made easier by the fact that he rallied when we got to the clinic and was so excited to be there, he was actually straining against the leash to pull me in faster. They did a great job, giving him a blanket to lie on on the floor, and a sedative so he would be relaxed. I held his head and felt him go. His head was wet from my tears and I cried from there all the way to our barn where we had decided to bury him. I still look over and think of him every time we ride past his grave, but know he is no longer in pain, and that we gave him the best life we could for the time he was with us.
I do think that sometimes the best gift we can give them is to let them go peacefully.
Personally, I am in the camp of I'd rather euthanize than watch them suffer IF the foregone conclusion is that their end is near anyway. In other words, rather than do some treatment that is going to be painful/uncomfortable and will maybe give them another few weeks/months, I'd rather put them to sleep.
Years ago the kids wanted a dog, so we adopted Rex, who was about 13 months old. We figured he was past the worst of the puppy stage, but still had a lot of life in him. Thinking we'd get a healthy dog if we got a mixed breed due to "hybrid vigor", we didn't worry about breed but instead focused on qualities like size, hair coat (didn't want a dog that needed to go to the groomers every few weeks) and temperament. We thought we had found all that in Rex, and as part of our adoptive process, we were allowed to take him to our vet for a once over. When we walked in, the vet said "Are you here about his hip dysplasia?" Think blank looks. "No, we're here for a general physical - we just adopted him". He took x-rays and pronounced it one of the worst cases of hip dysplasia he'd ever seen.
We did have the option of returning him to the rescue but....we were already fond of him so instead we told them the prognosis and determined to give him the best life we could until he was in too much pain to enjoy life any more. He was one of the happiest dogs I've ever known. His tail had a little white tip and I loved seeing that little white tip coming waving around the edge of the bed to visit me in the morning.
After 3 years we noticed he got up from a lying position more slowly and couldn't run as fast. After four years, that side of his rump had atrophied to the point there was no muscle left there and he was clearly in pain. We did do a course of anti-inflammatories and pain meds, that bought him another 3 happy months. But last September, when we'd had him 4 years, 4 months, and he was only about 5 1/2 years old, we realized - that little white tip rarely waved any more. He was no longer happy. We had already been carrying him up and down stairs for about a year, and lifting him in and out of the car. He wasn't a candidate for hip replacement surgery (we had considered it), and we decided we wanted to do it while he was still able to walk into the vet's office on his own, rather than be in so much pain we had to carry him in.
It was one of the hardest things I've done - not made easier by the fact that he rallied when we got to the clinic and was so excited to be there, he was actually straining against the leash to pull me in faster. They did a great job, giving him a blanket to lie on on the floor, and a sedative so he would be relaxed. I held his head and felt him go. His head was wet from my tears and I cried from there all the way to our barn where we had decided to bury him. I still look over and think of him every time we ride past his grave, but know he is no longer in pain, and that we gave him the best life we could for the time he was with us.
I do think that sometimes the best gift we can give them is to let them go peacefully.
Oh Heather you just made me cry. I've often wondered why we can't do that for our own loved ones when they hurt so bad and are struggling so hard. It's not fair.
Speaking of suffering, I have little 2 day old chick that I think stayed in the shell too long. The top of the shell was off but he was stuck in it. I finally pulled him out after at least a day and had to clean off the dried goop. He wasn't able to stand or swallow or anything. He is a strong willed little guy. I finally got him to swallow a little by dropping just one tiny drop at a time in his mouth. I've been giving him vitamin E and sugar water. This morning I gave him some raw egg yolk cause he still can't seem to swallow anything solid. He can't stand up without support. I've spent a lot of time with him in my hand holding him up. If he would happen to live he would certainly be spoiled. I keep propping him up in a tea towel but he wiggles out of it and ends up laying on his side again. I kick myself every time I do this, because then it is so sad to see them die. Very rarely do one of these chicks survive.
It has sprinkled some here this morning. My Dad decided he didn't want to get out so I am home this morning. I need to get caught up on bills and tons of other paper work. I just hate doing that. It hurts my brain to have to use it!!
Speaking of suffering, I have little 2 day old chick that I think stayed in the shell too long. The top of the shell was off but he was stuck in it. I finally pulled him out after at least a day and had to clean off the dried goop. He wasn't able to stand or swallow or anything. He is a strong willed little guy. I finally got him to swallow a little by dropping just one tiny drop at a time in his mouth. I've been giving him vitamin E and sugar water. This morning I gave him some raw egg yolk cause he still can't seem to swallow anything solid. He can't stand up without support. I've spent a lot of time with him in my hand holding him up. If he would happen to live he would certainly be spoiled. I keep propping him up in a tea towel but he wiggles out of it and ends up laying on his side again. I kick myself every time I do this, because then it is so sad to see them die. Very rarely do one of these chicks survive.
It has sprinkled some here this morning. My Dad decided he didn't want to get out so I am home this morning. I need to get caught up on bills and tons of other paper work. I just hate doing that. It hurts my brain to have to use it!!
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