[lucky18ea]

I can't remember exactly when this started without looking at my vet paperwork, but for the past month or so we've been treating Miss Prickly for what we hoped as an inner ear problem. It started out that she would fall over randomly, get herself up, and then keep on trucking. She was given antibiotics and tresaderm ear drops. Within 48 hours of being on the ear drops, she was much worse. Hence what made us think inner ear, and gave me hope. We gave her zithromax and prednisone, and she got better, only to plateau. So, we tried Clavamox. That didn't help at all, so then it was SMZ TMP, we still saw no improvement, so she's back on Zithromax again, and still no improvement. we had also tried another round of pred, it still didn't seem to work and my vet was leary to keep her on it because she doesn't know how they handle long term use of steroids.

We're syringe feeding her ensure, baby food, bene-bac, and wet cat food. We're also syringing her water and giving her sub-cu fluids at least twice a week.

I'm starting to notice a downward trend. At first, she was dragging her back left leg. Now it sticks out and she has more trouble moving it. Then it moved to her other back leg. Tonight (this is worse from even this morning), I noticed that her front left leg now seems more stationary (she can move it). When she's laying down, she used to contort her front legs and one back leg to flip herself over. Now she simply moves her muscles.

Does this sound like WHS? Or a tumor maybe?

I don't know how much longer I can let this go on, for her sake. She can't flip herself over, so when she has to do her business it stays on her until I get her up and bathe her. It just got that way within the past few days.

I need help...

I'm a wreck, it hurts so much. I held her close tonight sobbing and told her how sorry I was and asked her to let me know when it was time, told her I loved her and how good of a girl she was. She layed in my hand and just relaxed when I stroked the fur up her nose and between her eyes. She just gazed at me like she understood and didn't want me to hurt, but I can't help it. I don't want to take her too soon, but I don't want to prolong the inevitable...

 

[Nancy]

I am so sorry you are going through this and I can say from experience I know exactly what you are going through how tough a decision it is.

You have to ask yourself if she is having quality of life and is happy with her life. I had a girl with WHS and a boy with either a stroke or tumour and in hindsight, I will say I kept them far too long because they seemed content. I tell myself I won't let another go on as long but it's an easy thing to say until you have one in that position.

When you are holding her talk to her and tell her it is okay to let herself go and not to fight it. Tell her you will help her cross but it is alright for her to go at home in your arms.

I feel for you. I'm taking two in tomorrow for their final trip.

Hugs

 

[lucky18ea]

Thank you Nancy. I'm going in tomorrow afternoon, it's the soonest I can see my vet.

I'm preparing my decisions ahead of time, and most likely will let her go. Although she seems content, it can't be much of a life. She looks at me like she trusts me and knows I'm trying to help her, I don't want to let her down. I had a kitten with FIP that we kept around because he was happy and he let us know when he was ready, but I don't know that I'd do it over again to a kitten in the same situation--I'm trying to use the same logic for her. It's just so hard.

I'm going to talk it through with Amanda tonight and try to figure it all out. I'm thinking of donating her to WHS research although I think for that I need to have a necropsy done. It sounds morbid almost, but if she could help the breed and prevent other hedgies from facing the same illness or problems, it'd be worth it. But I'm still thinking about that and will need to do some more research.

Sigh... :'(