Lost My Leo Of 15 Years Options

[macgrl]

This just happened yesterday and my husband and I are just devastated, even though we knew his days were becoming numbered.

The past year he walked with a limp and we had him on cosquin for cats and that seemed to ease the arthritis in his hips. My daughter who was only six when he came home as a kitten noticed his decline when she last came to visit a week ago. He was much more frail, and not living with him day to day she noticed the difference between even Christmas and now.

Superbowl sunday he was his usual self, we ordered a family chicken dinner and was getting his usual expected share of chicken. Yesterday morning I gave him his usual can of soft food, then about a hour or two later he vomited it up, and by the looks of it the chicken from last night, undigested. He also had a dirrehea like drainage and was trying to pass a stool where he was laying but all he could do was just spasm in pain. Good god we tried to help, I got a warm washcloth to clean his hindquarters which clearly bothered him. I called the vet and made an appointment as soon as possible which would have been the next day. In the meanwhile Leo went to hide behind a desk and curl up, my daughter went to put him back by the towels in the bathroom and he had his mouth open for a moment in a pant. I had to call back and ask if I could bring him in immediately to put him down, so I got the car ready because it is frigid cold here in WI and my daughters brought him to the car. My husband could not bare to go with us because that was his baby.

I got half way and I was ready to turn the car around, but my daughter reminded me even though he was alert he was periodically spasming in pain. This was it. It hit us so fast we did not have time to brace ourselves. He calmly stayed still there for the vet when he got ready to get the shot and he went so peacefully. It was a mix of relief and grief for us, especially the girls I have at home who have grown up with him. After all was done the vet showed us his skin that had signs of liver failure. It is comforting to read the posts where everybody had their doubts and second guesses like I did. I am still going through the motions, I never had a pet for this long.

[macgrl]

I would also like to say thanks as well.. he makes it sound so dire but my birthday was not all too bad. We are both dealing with our grief in different ways, for me the ashes are of little or no comfort. I am glad to see him more involved with the other kids, and Nala has been more attentive and lovable than usual. We went out to a mobile pet adoption event at a pet store, a few older females but that was it, got our border collie a nice doggie coat on sale. It was good for him to get out a little bit and it did not hurt him physically too much but he was depressed when we left. I think he was hoping there would be some little guys available. I kind of did, just something wonderful to happen to fill his void.

Thanks for the birthday wishes, I did have a nice walk today with my dog Katie, the sun felt good.. it might have been twenty degrees out, a heatwave after the temps we had this week.

Al makes Leo sound like such a meanie, he did get in a scuffle with the neighbor tom on our porch but he was so sweet about sharing the house when we adopted kate this summer. The last couple of years there has not been any toms around so he had a happy retirement