The worst

[greek_jester]

I know this doesn't sound very helpful, but you will just know. As long as she's eating, drinking and happy to be stroked she's doing OK, but there will come a time when she stops eating or drinking and just looks at you, and you'll know from the look in her eyes that she's had enough.

It's happened with each of our dogs that we had to have put to sleep, and the look is unmistakable. That's the moment when you know that her quality of life is no longer reasonable.

[Eireann]

When I came home tonight, she was waiting at the door. I had with me some more medication - antibiotics and painkillers. I mixed up her nightly dose (the painkillers are for mornings) and gave it to her in food. She ate it, then curled up on the little bed I've put together on the floor. I put it where I can keep an eye on her.

Not long ago, I heard an unusual sound. I looked over to see her eating her dry food. She hadn't been eating it, as far as I know, but when I looked over, I saw her hook a single piece of dry food onto the floor, then eat it carefully.

I thought it hurt her throat to eat dry food, which is one of the reasons I've been giving her wet food. But she's still eating a little of it, even with the wet food available.

After eating the dry food, she worked on her scratching post more energetically than I've seen her do in a few weeks, and she didn't start coughing. She's now curled up on the little bed again, breathing better.

I decided to give her Essiac; it doesn't make her sick, so I thought it couldn't hurt. Here's hoping that it really is the miracle worker some make it out to be.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

Been following your story for a little while... my heart goes out to your kitty.

[Eireann]

She's still eating the dry food occasionally, and scratching on her post. Oh, and grooming herself. My belief is that she's not ready to go yet.

[csquared]

I wonder if dislodging some of the mass has made kitty more comfortable.

[Eireann]

Maybe, but she still spent a lot of time under the bed after she came home. This morning, when I got up, she ran into the kitchen ahead of me. I'm not sure when she last did that.

I'm giving her the Essiac three times a day, and she's not happy about it, but she takes it (my other little girl, who left us almost seven years ago, would have given me one hell of a rodeo). She also gets antibiotics, which must be knocking out a secondary infection.

I'd love to believe that the Essiac is having the right effect.

[Pixelated]

She's still eating the dry food occasionally, and scratching on her post. Oh, and grooming herself. My belief is that she's not ready to go yet.

It certainly doesn't sound like it. She appears to be reasonably comfortable and still engaged with you and everything around her.

[Eireann]

She's still with it. Earlier, she sat on me and sniffed my face, then rubbed against me. When I'm sitting up in bed, she'll come over and spend some quality time with me.

I wonder how much she knows, or realizes.

[Kit-Ginevra]

*hugs*hugs*