Some sad news from the folks at Bookended by Cats. A week ago, we had to make the difficult and heart-rending, but ultimately correct, decision to let one of our beloved fur babies go.
The night of 12/30/2019, Dangrdafne (also referred to as Mrs. Brainwise in older blog entries) noticed some blood in a recent spot where Otis had leaked. Then the morning of 12/31/2019, as I prepared to feed both Otis and his brother, Milo, I saw Otis full on pee in his blanket and there was blood in that urine. Dangrdafne made arrangements to take him to our vet on her way to work.
Our vet ran some tests, and Otis' kidney numbers were "off the charts." So, we had to take him to an emergency vet (VSEC) for 24-hour fluids and observation.
A doctor at VSEC called Dangrdafne around 2pm on 1/1/2020. The update was that Otis had not really responded to 24 hours of medical intervention. Also, in addition to his kidney issues, they also discovered a mass in his small intestine, likely a lymphoma.
We drove down to VSEC that afternoon to see Otis, talk to the doctor, and discuss future moves. In speaking with the doctor, we were already leaning on the decision to let Otis go. But it was seeing him, and seeing how sick he really was, that convinced us we were making the best decision for him.
Our thanks to everyone who ever commented on or liked one of his many, many photos on FB, Twitter, or Instagram. And we send our love to everyone who has replied to our updates about our dear little furbaby.
We are still "Bookended by Cats," though these days it's more like we're bookending a cat, Milo. He seems to be handling the new reality fairly well ... except that he's getting extra hugs on occasion, whether he wants them or not.
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| A memory of Otis on his radiator perch: vet reminder card, patient collar, memorial paw prints |
So sorry to hear about your loss. It's tough to let go of our pets, but sometimes it's unavoidable.
ReplyDeleteI love your pics of Otis on Instagram. :( He'll be missed.