We euthanized Sammy on Monday night this week and had no advance warning that anything was wrong, not even a hint of a problem.
Our son, DIL and grandkids were here, we had picked them up earlier at the airport. My dear DIL is a vet tech who works at an emergency vet hospital, thank goodness she was here to help and advise us.
Sam was fine one moment and in the next minute he had no feeling or sensation in his hind legs and tail. DIL correctly diagnosed it as a saddle thrombosis. It is sometimes the first sign of heart disease and a blood clot breaks off. We called our vet and then left for the ER clinic. On the way our vet called, listened to the symptoms and then said if it was as we described, the prognosis was not good. It is common to have another clot if the first one can be dissolved, the paralysis may or may not resolve fully, and it is very painful for the cat. He was sorry Sam had to go through this and asked that we let him know the outcome.
So now we knew what was probably going to happen when we got to the ER. Our DIL knew too, but she couldn't tell us herself, but made it clear it was a true emergency and we needed to take Sammy in right away.
The vet at the clinic was wonderful. She confirmed the diagnosis and said Sammy had had a good, long run at age 15 and it was best to say good-bye at this time. She had tears in her eyes, probably in sympathy with my crying and for a tough call to make.
There is treatment for this but the outcome is often dismal for the cat and we didn't want Sammy to go through it again. Such a hard decision to make, but it helped with two vets from different practices telling us the same thing.
We said our goodbyes to Sammy and stayed with him and held him through it all to the very end.
We came home and the kids had told our 5 year old granddaughter that Sammy was very sick and wouldn't be coming home with us. At first I thought what a terrible time for this to happen with them visiting, but it was for the best. Sammy suffered for a short time since our DIL knew what was happening. Afterwards we were distracted by the grandkids and activities and stayed upbeat for them, it helped get us through.
It was a short visit, we dropped them off at the airport yesterday after a wonderful few days, came home and decided to go for a sail on the river. Alone now, we talked about when we first adopted Sammy at the kennel where we took our pets years ago, our favorite stories of him and shed more tears with happier memories and at such a sudden, unexpected loss.
It was a cloudy day and a light rain shower with dark clouds passed over us as we were talking. I was looking at the sun that had come out behind the clouds when DH said "turn around and look at the rainbow behind you".
I turned and saw something I had never seen before: the beginning and end points of a rainbow at the same time and it kept getting more colors as I watched. We saw it from the start to the finish and it was the longest I have ever seen a rainbow last, it seemed to go on forever and wouldn't quit.
I know it was a rainbow for our Sammy, I'll never believe otherwise. I took picture after picture. He was my friend and always seemed to know when I needed him and was there for me. All he ever wanted was love and his ears rubbed. Sammy, we loved you so much and we will remember you always.
Our son, DIL and grandkids were here, we had picked them up earlier at the airport. My dear DIL is a vet tech who works at an emergency vet hospital, thank goodness she was here to help and advise us.
Sam was fine one moment and in the next minute he had no feeling or sensation in his hind legs and tail. DIL correctly diagnosed it as a saddle thrombosis. It is sometimes the first sign of heart disease and a blood clot breaks off. We called our vet and then left for the ER clinic. On the way our vet called, listened to the symptoms and then said if it was as we described, the prognosis was not good. It is common to have another clot if the first one can be dissolved, the paralysis may or may not resolve fully, and it is very painful for the cat. He was sorry Sam had to go through this and asked that we let him know the outcome.
So now we knew what was probably going to happen when we got to the ER. Our DIL knew too, but she couldn't tell us herself, but made it clear it was a true emergency and we needed to take Sammy in right away.
The vet at the clinic was wonderful. She confirmed the diagnosis and said Sammy had had a good, long run at age 15 and it was best to say good-bye at this time. She had tears in her eyes, probably in sympathy with my crying and for a tough call to make.
There is treatment for this but the outcome is often dismal for the cat and we didn't want Sammy to go through it again. Such a hard decision to make, but it helped with two vets from different practices telling us the same thing.
We said our goodbyes to Sammy and stayed with him and held him through it all to the very end.
We came home and the kids had told our 5 year old granddaughter that Sammy was very sick and wouldn't be coming home with us. At first I thought what a terrible time for this to happen with them visiting, but it was for the best. Sammy suffered for a short time since our DIL knew what was happening. Afterwards we were distracted by the grandkids and activities and stayed upbeat for them, it helped get us through.
It was a short visit, we dropped them off at the airport yesterday after a wonderful few days, came home and decided to go for a sail on the river. Alone now, we talked about when we first adopted Sammy at the kennel where we took our pets years ago, our favorite stories of him and shed more tears with happier memories and at such a sudden, unexpected loss.
It was a cloudy day and a light rain shower with dark clouds passed over us as we were talking. I was looking at the sun that had come out behind the clouds when DH said "turn around and look at the rainbow behind you".
I turned and saw something I had never seen before: the beginning and end points of a rainbow at the same time and it kept getting more colors as I watched. We saw it from the start to the finish and it was the longest I have ever seen a rainbow last, it seemed to go on forever and wouldn't quit.
I know it was a rainbow for our Sammy, I'll never believe otherwise. I took picture after picture. He was my friend and always seemed to know when I needed him and was there for me. All he ever wanted was love and his ears rubbed. Sammy, we loved you so much and we will remember you always.
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