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Dilemma with Benson

He seems bright today @alexr and he weighed 605g this morn so holding steady. Unfortunately, he had a large mass of poop in his anal sac which i had to remove for him. I used to find doing that absolutely gag inducing the first time i had to do it, but now i take it in my stride and am used to the smell!

So he has had a full bum bath and is feeling better for that i think. I got benson from a breeder who i keep in touch with. She hasnt seen benson poorly but thinks, based on my description of him, the vet might advise i call it a day with him tomorrow. I'm very much 50:50. But i will listen to what the vet says and decide from there.

Hope Hamish has a happy day!
 
tabelmabel said:
He seems bright today @alexr and he weighed 605g this morn so holding steady. Unfortunately, he had a large mass of poop in his anal sac which i had to remove for him. I used to find doing that absolutely gag inducing the first time i had to do it, but now i take it in my stride and am used to the smell!

So he has had a full bum bath and is feeling better for that i think. I got benson from a breeder who i keep in touch with. She hasnt seen benson poorly but thinks, based on my description of him, the vet might advise i call it a day with him tomorrow. I'm very much 50:50. But i will listen to what the vet says and decide from there.

Hope Hamish has a happy day!
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Thank you 😀 I think if it were me, I’d be inclined to chat to the vet tomorrow and if the recommendation is to PTS, I’d want to think about it overnight to be absolutely sure unless Hamish was in immediate pain.
I have to clean Hamish’s bum every day. We’ve got it down to a fine art now. Disposable gloves on and pure water wet wipes. A couple of minutes and he’s done, clean and comfortable. I don’t think he likes the process but always seems more chirpy once it’s over! But yes, it does whiff!
 
You are both in that really difficult in between time, there is no right or wrong way and you are both amazing caring onwers who have already gone the extra mile. It's a really hard decision to make as to when to let them go and a good vet will guide you. When I let Bracken go he was still bright but in pain when pooping. His prognosis was bad and there was no more we could do for the pain, I kept in mind what @VickiA says, "better a day too early than a day too late". When I look back and wonder if, that still helps me know I made the right decision, constantly thinking of you both and sending you and your piggies hugs.
 
Well another good day here for benson. Steady anyway, much the same as yesterday. It is so difficult with the 'better a day too early' thing as i was all for taking him on tuesday when he passed the blood - and, thanks to the advice received on here, I'm really glad i didnt!

Ideally, i would like to hold on til he stops eating or is just sitting in a corner and then go for pts straight away then but i do know this is unlikely to happen at a convenient time during the day when the vet just happens to have a spare appt set aside just for such a situation!

Who knows what tomorrow will bring though.

I have devised a perfect little bathing chamber for benson. Not for bum baths, luckily he doesnt need those too often. For his feet and tummy which he seems to soak in pee. I pop just a couple of centimetres depth of warm water in a tupperware tub with sufficient width to pop a hand either side of him. The water just touches the underside of his belly and i can then use both hands to rub his belly fur whilst he stands securely on the tub base.

Then onto a puppy pad to pat dry. Works really well for a quick clean.
 
Benson at 615g this morn but had been nibbling corn. He is a bit quiet today but he might just be digesting! Here is the wee sweetie on the scale. He is so cute in the casserole dish. It is a perfect shape and size for him. Vet 5.40 today20190506_115857.webp
 
Benson is still with us:yahoo:however, he was quiet at the appt and has been all day so we think the end is near. His teeth are fine. Hes to go up to 0.25 ml loxicom which is the highest he can have at his low weight.hes got some fibreplex to stimulate his appetite and maybe get him eating hay again.

His temp was normal and sudocrem is fine for his feet, they dont look too bad.

Well he is home now and perked up nicely. Eating pellets.

Am really pleased:nod:
 
Sending hugs and thinking of you at this difficult time. Never any easy decision to let go, but as long as he is fighting and not in pain I would hang on.xx
 
tabelmabel said:
Benson is still with us:yahoo:however, he was quiet at the appt and has been all day so we think the end is near. His teeth are fine. Hes to go up to 0.25 ml loxicom which is the highest he can have at his low weight.hes got some fibreplex to stimulate his appetite and maybe get him eating hay again.

His temp was normal and sudocrem is fine for his feet, they dont look too bad.

Well he is home now and perked up nicely. Eating pellets.

Am really pleased:nod:
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That’s such lovely news. It sounds like the vet is really determined, like you, to support him as much as possible. I really hope some of the new ideas such as increasing his Loxicom and the fibre will help him. It sounds like you’re doing everything possible to make him comfortable and happy. 🤗
 
Thank you! He is still really poorly and i dont think he will see many more days but, whilst he still seems to want to battle on, we are happy to support him live them.
 
Well after a great day yesterday, benson's weight is up to 655g. Bearing in mind he has been as low as 575 and usually hovers around 610, this is a real gain and can only be a result of the fibreplex.
However, the fibreplex is playing havoc with his bowel. Before fibreplex, there were small pellets of poop, sometimes clumping in a sticky mass but he could pass them himself.

Now he has large very soft tan coloured poop , not watery like diarrhoea but more like a paste consistancy. The weird thing is it smells more akin to a human poop - like a human baby that is still milk only! So not nearly as unpleasant as previously. However, he is getting it sticking on his feet, his belly and its a mess.

He has eaten his veg today but is quiet again. He still wont eat hay but manages grass no bother. I think he will manage over the weekend, he really is very up and down.
 
Bless him, could you give him a bit of poo soup? That’s definitely helped my Rupert the last few days with his dodgy tummy (donated by his lady Jess). His was the same, quite ‘pastey’ in consistency but getting a bit better and more poo-shaped after having that this week, blooming hates it though!

Hope he perks up more throughout the day x
 
Mine has poo that is sometimes a paste-like consistency, smells more like human poo too all the time. It sometimes stinks the room out. Perhaps it’s more to do with the liver problem than the Fibreplex - I’m sure it’s a contributing factor but with my boys being similar & having a liver problem it could also have something to do with that somehow:hmm:
 
Thanks - that is interesting @Little Ones. It did seem to start the day following his first dose of fibreplex but it could be the liver maybe.
@alpacasqueak he has perked up. I think poo soup, critical care, even fibreplex are all posing an ethical dilemma for me. Ive been thinking hes in his final hours for 2 weeks now and i just want to keep him comfortable til the end rather than prolonging things.
So half of me is actually wanting him to refuse all food so i can take him to be pts. Its actually a bit concerning that his weight is on the up again. He can barely walk and the vet says his bladder is hard and sore ( though he is on loxicom for pain)
I know its a human interpretation but, to me, his little face looks hopeful which is why I'm so hesitant to take him to be pts yet. I know once he stops eating, very quickly his eyes will dull and i wont hesitate in getting him pts.
But he keeps having these perkier hours in which he is eating enough to keep on going!
Ive only enough fibreplex left to last til tues morning. I'm not giving CC at all. Hopefully, early next week he will show me some sign that he is ready to go. Its just so tricky.

And then my cat strolled in this morning with a tooth hanging out! Everything happens at once.
 
Oh no, sorry about your cat! Hope he/she’s ok x

Sorry just thought I’d mention the poo soup. It must be so hard, you’re in such a different situation it must be incredibly difficult to know what to do for the best when he’s eating and having these perky times! I definitely know what you mean with the face and eyes, you can just tell when they’re merry and not ready to give up.
Hope you’re ok too x
 
Aw thanks - i do appreciate the poo soup suggestion! Its just so difficult to know how to proceed. I am ok, thanks for asking but i can feel a mental shift happening from thinking ' i hope he manages another day or two' to ' how much longer can he go on?'
Mike has stopped talking to benson so the pair of them are very quiet. Mike has also stopped being horrible to benson, he sometimes sits with him but hes more gentle and not as pushy so i wonder if that is a sign that benson hasnt long to go. I think i am edging towards letting him go very soon now.

The cats tooth has come out! All seems well and she isnt bothered. Its never happened to my previous old cats but this is my first dry fed cat and i think dry cat food does rot teeth. She is 13 and has had bad breath so it must have been rotton.
 
Some cats are more prone to gum disease than others. I have a 3 year old rescue cat who has bad gum disease and the vet recommends brushing his teeth with pet tooth paste. Much easier said than done. Watched loads of you tube videos on how to do it and their cats definitely do co operate more than mine. I just get howling and lots of angry claws.:hb:
 
@rhymer I was told to try that with my two as well, they were having none of it as nearly 13 too, so was told to put the toothpaste on their paw instead so they’d lick it off and at least get a bit! Think it’s wet food that can cause trouble, the dry food sort of scrapes on the teeth better than wet. I give 2x dry food and 1 wet meal a day as being older you can have trouble with kidneys if not enough water (or too much!). Blooming confusing sometimes! Hope she’s ok minus the tooth! :)

Really don’t know what to say other than how sorry I am and that I’ll be thinking of you both in the next few days, hope you can do what’s best for him and you x
 
Thanks! He is perky again today which is a good thing over the weekend. i was having a look online and it seems as if his sore feet and crusty ears might be directly related to his liver problems. Theres a name for it which i have forgotton. The description seemed to fit. Also the lighter coloured poos as the liver cant excrete toxins but I'm not sure about that as he would surely feel and show greater signs of illness if his blood were full of toxins? And he definitely does have these times when he looks pretty good.:hmm:
 
It sounds as if you are giving him the best possible quality of life and making some lovely memories for when he does slip over the Rainbow Bridge
 
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