Beck and Philly
Member Since 2018
I can't believe I have to share this devastating news one day after you all supported us so wonderfully in our decision to keep moving forward with Grandpa. Let me say right off the bat that the messages and opinion from the person at my vet had no bearing on what happened today.
A couple days ago he filled with a bloody fluid that was infected. His sides were bulging. The diagnosis was peritonitis. I've lost another cat and my golden retriever to this condition and almost lost my mother to it.
My vet siphoned out what she could, but she told me she couldn't reach some pockets of fluid where the masses were big, so we had to try antibiotics. She said we would need a miracle and his time was coming soon. For her to say that, I knew it was serious. Since Grandpa seemed to specialize in miracles, I thought we might pull it off one more time.
He has also had horrible diarrhea all week, which we tried to treat and keep him hydrated with fluids. Yesterday his glucose numbers were lower than usual so we didn't give him any insulin. We were surprised when he hit 58 on the AT meter early this morning. He wouldn't eat anything so Amber had to syringe feed him to keep him from crashing.
Last night we noticed all the color had disappeared from his ears when they had been yellow for months. Then he started vomiting. He would stand and cry over and over before vomiting a ton of liquid and undigested food. He would drink water and repeat. As the day went on, his sides bulged more and more as he filled up with fluid again. It really made it obvious how thin he had become with his sides sunken in above the bulges.
We watched him deteriorate. He wouldn't open his eyes more than a squint and wouldn't pull his tongue into his mouth. Then he couldn't walk. After he tried and fell, we headed to the emergency vet. We knew the answer, but we requested a full exam before we made the final call. He took a step, hunched down, and fell on his side. When they took him back to put in a catheter, he vomited. After that he was too weak to open his eyes.
I am a wreck and in shock that we are here just a week after camping, but I have to be grateful that he didn't linger for days or longer.
He wasn't our pet. He was family. I have never met another cat like him and never will again. Thank you all for loving him, too. I feel like he belonged to all of us. He was very much loved.
A couple days ago he filled with a bloody fluid that was infected. His sides were bulging. The diagnosis was peritonitis. I've lost another cat and my golden retriever to this condition and almost lost my mother to it.
My vet siphoned out what she could, but she told me she couldn't reach some pockets of fluid where the masses were big, so we had to try antibiotics. She said we would need a miracle and his time was coming soon. For her to say that, I knew it was serious. Since Grandpa seemed to specialize in miracles, I thought we might pull it off one more time.
He has also had horrible diarrhea all week, which we tried to treat and keep him hydrated with fluids. Yesterday his glucose numbers were lower than usual so we didn't give him any insulin. We were surprised when he hit 58 on the AT meter early this morning. He wouldn't eat anything so Amber had to syringe feed him to keep him from crashing.
Last night we noticed all the color had disappeared from his ears when they had been yellow for months. Then he started vomiting. He would stand and cry over and over before vomiting a ton of liquid and undigested food. He would drink water and repeat. As the day went on, his sides bulged more and more as he filled up with fluid again. It really made it obvious how thin he had become with his sides sunken in above the bulges.
We watched him deteriorate. He wouldn't open his eyes more than a squint and wouldn't pull his tongue into his mouth. Then he couldn't walk. After he tried and fell, we headed to the emergency vet. We knew the answer, but we requested a full exam before we made the final call. He took a step, hunched down, and fell on his side. When they took him back to put in a catheter, he vomited. After that he was too weak to open his eyes.
I am a wreck and in shock that we are here just a week after camping, but I have to be grateful that he didn't linger for days or longer.
He wasn't our pet. He was family. I have never met another cat like him and never will again. Thank you all for loving him, too. I feel like he belonged to all of us. He was very much loved.
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I am so sorry he had to leave you. Grandpa was definitely an ol soul that brought many smiles to my face when days were hard. He brought hope. Just as you did. Thank you for sharing your darling furbaby with us. Fly free and land softly Grandpa. You will be missed by all who knew of you. 
