Worried about losing another pet and rash

[jadedreams]

Ok guys, been a bit since I've been on here. Have been working hard at doing better, changing my thinking around and was seeing some improvement. The past week or so has been rough though, so I am here looking for some support.

A couple of months ago I lost one of my cats to cancer and now my other cat is sick & it's looking like I might lose him very soon. My heart is breaking over this, that I might have to make another life/death decision for one of my beloved pets. It's just a lot to handle and it seems like every time I start to get ahead something happens. I know that happens as part of life, I would just like to get a better handle on this anxiety/depression before anything else comes up. Too much to ask I guess :(

The other thing is I've been really itching the past couple days, random places like my arms, my back, my legs, but especially on my feet. I do have a rash on my feet but not really anywhere else. Not sure what it is from, trying to rack my brain for any changes I might have made. No new meds or laundry soaps.. so not sure. But anyway it is stressing me out too as it is hard to get comfortable. Could anxiety causing itching? But what about the rash on my feet?

Anyway, thanks for listening - as always it is much appreciated and any advice or kind words would be wonderful to hear.

[lotusblossom]

I know how you feel I lost my beloved dogs a 10 year old who passed away while we were out shopping and that was such a shock and a 12 year old that we had to let go a month later she had cancer. I was in such a state that I had to ring a help line for bereaved animal owners and they helped me such a lot to come to terms with my loss. They arejust as much a part of the family as people and we feel the loss so much but with help and kind words I finally started to feel a little better bit by bit, and I now look back at the times we shared and smile at the things they got up to, their photos are in frames and hang on the wall and I still talk to them just as if they were still here I always have they may leave you physically but never leave your heart.

---------- Post added at 20:41 ---------- Previous post was at 20:39 ----------

I itch off and on and get heat lumps with it but they go in a couple of days till the next time, but don't get a rash

[Buster70]

Hi , it's heart breaking to lose a pet we take so much comfort from them but they have such short lives one minute you have pup or kitten the next they've gone and you are heart broken , I lost my dog earlier this year and I was in that position thinking if life could just give me a break for while I could get better , life can be cruel but it's how we deal with it , I didn't think I could go through losing another dog or getting another but we now have another dog she will never live up to our old boy but she needed a home and she fitting in great , it did help having a new distraction , we give them a home and they give us so much back I can't ever imagine my life without a pet of some sort in it , when the time comes you will do the best you can and you must be an animal lover so you will probably always find yourself homing another , can't help on the rash it's probably the only thing I haven't had related to anxiety but I know people who have had a rash from the stress of weddings and driving tests so it could be anxiety related .

[PunkyFish]

Ok guys, been a bit since I've been on here. Have been working hard at doing better, changing my thinking around and was seeing some improvement. The past week or so has been rough though, so I am here looking for some support.

A couple of months ago I lost one of my cats to cancer and now my other cat is sick & it's looking like I might lose him very soon. My heart is breaking over this, that I might have to make another life/death decision for one of my beloved pets. It's just a lot to handle and it seems like every time I start to get ahead something happens. I know that happens as part of life, I would just like to get a better handle on this anxiety/depression before anything else comes up. Too much to ask I guess :(

The other thing is I've been really itching the past couple days, random places like my arms, my back, my legs, but especially on my feet. I do have a rash on my feet but not really anywhere else. Not sure what it is from, trying to rack my brain for any changes I might have made. No new meds or laundry soaps.. so not sure. But anyway it is stressing me out too as it is hard to get comfortable. Could anxiety causing itching? But what about the rash on my feet?

Anyway, thanks for listening - as always it is much appreciated and any advice or kind words would be wonderful to hear.

Hi

Sorry to hear about your cats. Losing a pet is hard. I lost my dog a few years ago and it was horrible but it does get easier over time. I cried for a very long time but the pain never really has gone for me but you learn to live with it. We had to make a decision about putting my dog to sleep as there was nothing else that could be done for her and it would of been cruel to of kept her alive and put her through pain and suffering. It is a hard decision to make but what you've got to keep in mind is that your cat has hopefully had a wonderful life and the last thing you want is to put your cat through is any suffering if it comes down to that. We grow so attached to our pets that they are family members, so losing one is like losing a human being for some people.

Unfortunatly life throws us some horrible decisions or events that we have to deal with and we can't change which is rubbish! However it's clear that you've been doing well and you will get to a place again where you will be better and fine. Losing a pet or having a pet go through illness is going to throw your emotions and your anxiety around so try not to be to hard on yourself. I don't know if anxiety or stress can cause itching. If you're concerned you need to see a doctor for peace of mind.

I hope you feel better soon and that your cat is ok. :hugs:

[MyNameIsTerry]

Oh no, that's awful news, Jade. I hope they can do something to avoid you having to make that decision.

Vets always do what's best, they don't let animals suffer. If they believe it's best to put them down, they are telling us the most humane thing we can do. As pet lovers it's hard for us because we want them to live but above all we want them to be happy and pain free so when these hard decisions come, we know what we must do.

The loss will be hard, like it was for your other one. But I think you fully know in your heart what is the best thing to do here. You're not at that stage yet so lets live in hope. :flowers:

Itching can be all sorts of things but it certainly can be anxiety. Many antidepressants have tons of recorded skin irritations too. I can remember long before my anxiety I would some times have stress rashes and I know others who have had them too. I would resist the HA there trying to find something worrying to hint at because the likelihood is nothing or something minor. If it carries on, you could see your doctor about it but it doesn't mean it's anything that a quick treatment with something like a steroidal cream or antibiotic couldn't sort out in no time.

[Scaredlady]

Hi.

I lost my dog (He was only 8) slightly over a month ago to cancer. It was very sudden, he was off his food and having trouble urinating for about a week, I brought him to the vets, left him there for tests only then to receive a call a few hours later to say he had a large inoperable tumour. I was devastated but I had never considered the fact that he was seriously sick.

Perhaps because I am so overcome with my own worries and fears about going insane, I took my eye off the ball with my dog and didn't realise the gravity of him refusing to eat his dinner.

I'm really sorry about your cat, animals really do become family and we grow so attached to them. Of course you're worried about your other cat, I'd say that's normal in the circumstances but try to live in the moment as opposed to concentrating on what ifs. Although I have a cheek to be giving you advice on how to combat your anxious thoughts when I can't even combat my own.

I hope things work out for you, good luck.

[jadedreams]

Hey guys, thanks for all of your kinds words advice. I'm afraid I lost my cat, he quit eating for 3 days. I tried everything I could think of and he just wouldn't eat. Took him to vet and they thought he was going into kidney failure, so the kindest thing I could do for him was to let him go. I spent 2 days crying and with high anxiety. Now I'm feeling rather numb.. I hate the way anxiety seems to affect everything, even grieving..

[MyNameIsTerry]

Oh no, Jade. :hugs::flowers: What an awful shame for you cat & you. You did the right thing though, you are a pet lover and would never want to see them suffering. If only we could learn about how we treat human beings from how we treat our pets when they are like this.

It's a real double hit for you with losing the other cat not long ago. It's bound to mess your emotions up.

I hope the pain eases soon.

[pulisa]

Really sorry to hear this very sad news. It's even harder to bear after losing your other cat such a short time ago. Pet bereavement hits you very hard and can knock you for six xx

[jadedreams]

Thank you both for the kinds words, yes it's been hard - losing 2 cats within a couple months of each other. My emotions are here and there, not sure what to think or feel right now. Past couple days at work have been stressful as well, so I'm pretty tired and rather down at the moment. Going to work on taking care of myself, practice coping skills and lean on family/friends.

Thanks again.

[jadedreams]

Hey guys, now I'm feeling guilt over letting my cat go. I feel like I didn't wait long enough or something. I know he quit eating for 3 days and I tried all sorts of foods and even tried syringe feeding him but he just spit it out. When I took him to vet they said they could have given him fluids and force fed him but it would just be a temporary bandaid.

Just don't what to do with this guilt..:weep:

[MyNameIsTerry]

I think we would all feel like this in your situation. But what you need to remember is that the vet wouldn't ask you to make that decision if it wasn't the right thing to do. If they gave him fluids, how many days would it have bought him? And how much would he have suffered in those days?

Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is put them to sleep. I know it would hurt you more if you thought he was suffering.

You did the right thing. :hugs: Try to accept this and forgive yourself, what happened to him was only going to end his life but you had the choice of prolonging suffering or easing his pain - you chose the compassionate thing to do. He would love you for that just as he has loved you all his life.

[jadedreams]

Thanks Terry I appreciate it.