Oh, Sherry - still holding on

Home home on the bathroom rug...

Little living room hideaway

The Look he gave me last night when I was crying.

Safe in the cat carrier with his blanky.

Mr Bones has been quite lethargic since his vet visit. Poor guy his belly was shaved for the sonogram. When Nombly had an ultrasound it was just his heart, so just a small patch under the armpit was shaved. But Sherry hates being touched on the belly, and he had the whole thing shaved! Oh la.

I was feeling discouraged, but when Fernando opened a can of chicken soup for himself Sherry emerged from his fave spot on the bathroom rug. He licked a little from a spoon, but then I had to give him a syringe feeding. I used to make sure he was taking a certain amount, but now I just leave him free to get up when he wants, usually after about 4 squirts.

He later came and sat on the couch between us, watched Burn Notice and had some cuddles. Coming out to see me used to always mean he wanted food (he likes to eat in small increments) so when he comes out, I give him a few syringe squirts.

And he came again when I opened the last can of tuna. (Those stupid cans of tuna!)

Here's a scale for deciding a pet's quality of life and whether to euthanize:


Quality of life scale
Pawspice care is not a substitute for euthanasia and it is up to the pet owners to make the difficult decision when the quality of life becomes unacceptable for their pet. Many pet owners feel conflicted about euthanizing their pet and almost all will struggle with the question "How do I know it's time?". The following quality of life scale may help you evaluate some of the issues that are difficult to face and objectively evaluate. Each issue can be graded from 0 to 10 (10 being best) and generally speaking, a score above 5 on most of these issues is typically acceptable for maintaining a pet on the Pawspice program.

Hurt (0-10)
Does your pet appear to be in significant pain despite pain management regimen? Adequate pain control is of utmost importance to maintain your pet's comfort, and pain medication can be administered orally, via skin patches or injections. For more information, please see the Cancer Pain Management section. Pet owners also need to be trained to monitor the pet's breathing patterns, as being able to breath is ranked at the top of the pain scale in human medicine.

Hunger (0-10)
Does your pet get adequate nutrition? Pets can develop malnutrition quickly if their care takers are not educated about the minimum caloric requirements. Before considering the placement of a feeding tube, pet owners are encouraged to hand feed their pets with special, tasty foods such hamburgers, turkey, chicken, sausages, cheeses, etc. You can also try to feed your pet small portions but more frequently or try to blend the food to make it soft and easier to swallow. You can also try to use a syringe to squirt the blended food to the side of the pet's mouth. For more information, please see the Nutritional Management section.

Hydration (0-10)
Does your pet get adequately hydrated? Every pet should consume certain amount of fluids per day (10mL of fluid per pound per day) and proper hydration can have a substantial effect on the quality of your pet's life. If your pet is not getting properly hydrated on its own, administration of subcutaneous fluids is an excellent way to supplement fluid intake. Pet owners can be trained on how to do this procedure properly at home without having to go to the hospital every time.

Hygiene (0-10)
Can your pet get properly cleaned and brushed? Some pets, especially those with oral cancer, can't keep themselves clean, and the owners need to take special care to clean their pets' face, paws, and legs with a soft sponge soaked with very dilute solution of lemon juice and hydrogen peroxide.

Happiness (0-10)
Can your pet still experience some moments of happiness and joy? Does your pet still interact with family members? Is (s) he responsive to surroundings and petting? Does (s)he respond to his/her favorite toy? Does (s)he have a fun routine activity to look forward to? Does (s)he show signs of depression and apathy? Pets communicate these feelings via their eyes, purring, wagging their tail, jumping, etc and pet owners are the only ones who can make these observations since they spend the most time with their pets.

Mobility (0-10)
Can your pet move around on his/her own? If not, is medication, a harness, a sling, or a cart helpful in improving the pet's mobility? If the pet is largely immobilized, is the bedding soft and is there a schedule in place to change the position of the pet at least as often as every 2 hours? The mobility scale seems to differ from one pet owner to another as well as from one pet to another. While this will be a largely personal decision, pet owners should keep in mind that their pet's comfort and pain-free life should always be the top priority.

More good days than bad days
Does your pet experience more good days than bad days? Have there recently been many bad days in a row? Are the bad days filled with experiences such as vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, falling down, seizures, progressive weakness? Does your pet show apathy to favorite activities and toys?