Anonymous says: Thank you soooo much for your help with my cat Kisa! We managed to keep her alive for 3,5 months after she was diagnosed with stage 4 CKD. We lost the battle:( Tons of tears:( The vet suggested blood transfusion. I read it worked for 3-4 weeks, but the cat was dying (ulcers in the mouth, hiding, sunken eyes, loss of appetite/weight, the appetite meds didn't help, fluids and Famotidine were given, too, and finally she stopped eating/drinking - then the vet said blood transfusion could keep her going). I couldn't torture the cat any more, she hated me, and I didn't believe the procedure would have helped. I still ask myself - what if it could? Did I ever have a chance to help her feel better and live longer? Was it going to be a torture for the cat to satisfy my selfish ego? The vet gave me 24 hrs to let her go in a humane way, and I had to do it. Here's the question: was blood transfusion worth a shot? Thank you!

Sometimes we win. It feels great doesn't it? When things work out. When they don’t leave us, and when they are still part of our journey in life. Everything feels just right and everything is in it’s right place.

And then things don’t, and at sometime in every single one of our lives, there is an accumulation of events that makes things not work out it. We gotta say goodbye. And it stings and hurts. For so many reasons. We’ve got to leave them behind as we move forward in life. And that is sad, not only because we have lost this innocent little thing in our lives, but it reminds us of losing people as well. For some of us, our losing our pet is the first major loss in our inner circle of family or friends. Or the first that the kids have to go through.

I perform euthanasia on almost a daily basis. I can tell you most people feel conflicted. There is something inside them that tells them its the right time, but there is always a part of them that says different. And even though we feel that conflict, as time goes on, we come to terms with it.

So it’s absolutely 100% normal to be curious about the blood transfusion. And it’s normal to feel conflicted by it. Could it have worked? I can tell you cat’s are a bit different in their response to transfusions as compared to people and dogs. It’s more complicated to do them. It would really depend on so many other factors I think. And sometimes those other factors are the ones that inform you that it is OK to let go. To say goodbye. And although I’ve never met you or Kisa before, there is something about the way you have worded your question that leads me to believe that you did the right thing.

P.S. You are also not the only one to feel like giving medications can feel like torture or something that frays at the relationship. It’s a real feeling with real reasons behind it. So thank you for being honest and saying that. It's one of the most important things I feel us veterinarians can help make better. So know that as I type this response, I’m in the midst of putting a guide/video together with the specific purpose of helping people find ways to provide treatment in a way that reduces frustration, helplessness or other negative feelings as much as possible!

Thanks,

Dr. Kris