HWright
Member Since 2016
Dear FDMB family,
With tears I post the email that , @Cherie Hogan asked me to relay that Riley began his journey to Spirit early this morning.
With much love and heaps of vines for Riley's journey and vines of comfort and solace for his family in their sorrow and time of loss.
"Dear Sina,
I am broken-hearted. Riley died in my arms last night just before 1:25am. I really thought that I could get him through this also. You were right. He made the decision. He started going off his food and even refusing the liver drink about ten days ago. Slowly, he was eating less and less and we couldn't even get the potassium in him. I was giving him a third of a Pepcid tablet every other day and that seemed to really work for him. The Cerenia just didn't seem to do much. I had puppy pads down everywhere. It didn't matter to me so long as he lived. He quit having bowel movements about five days ago but was peeing although much less than he usually did. He still had good weight until about a week ago and he started dropping and we tried all kinds of things to get him to eat. I had to go out of town two days before he died and when I checked in my husband said that Riley was no longer able to walk. I was upset as I had made up some capsules with potassium but my husband felt that Riley wasn't eating or drinking and he was fearful of upsetting his stomach. My husband carried Riley around for two days to all his favorite hang-out spots in our yard and wouldn't leave him alone as Riley always was with us day or night. At night, Riley managed to somehow make it up the stairs to his favorite sleeping spot and my husband didn't know how he managed it but hadn't brought him up because of the peeing incidents and worry that I would have additional cleaning to do when I got home from my trip. My husband said he couldn't believe his ears when he heard Riley mew to get him up in the morning. The second night Riley was worse but, again, managed to get up the stairs, but this time didn't mew in the morning. Later that day in the early evening I finally got home and there he was, trying to get up to greet me. As soon as I unpacked, I never left Riley's side. He looked like a small version of my Riley-boy and you could tell he was uncomfortable. He would sleep, then wake up, try to turn over, restless, then sleep again. After my husband went to bed, I stayed with him for hours, watching him, holding him, kissing him, scratching his face and ears, soothing him and finally made the decision to give him about an eighth of the crushed pill in an eye-dropper of water. Within ten minutes he started to calm down. I could feel his little body relaxing until he rested his head on my arm. He had been having difficulty breathing the last couple of hours and I knew he was shutting down and I was glad that at least the last thirty minutes of his life his little body wasn't fighting anymore. He gave a soft sigh or moan and took one last gasp of air with his mouth open and then I gave him back to the Creator who had trusted me to take care of him for fifteen years.
We will bury him tonight. I cannot believe he is gone. A couple of times, my legs buckled thinking that I cannot accept that he is gone, although I willed him to go on and leave me because I couldn't stand to see him suffer. We were taking him this morning to the vet to be put to sleep. If I thought additional sub q's or IV's would have given us a few more months I would gladly have done it but he hated the sub q's and would fight me when I was giving them.
Oh Sina.....my life is SO EMPTY. Never did I have a pet like him and never will again. A cat that swims in the lake, gives kisses, takes showers, presses his cheek into yours, holds hands, wants to be carried, included, cuddled, purrs all the time, never leaves your side, ALWAYS greets you at the door with his beautiful orange tail straight up, sleeps with you, entertains you with all his comic actions. What grief!!! What loss!!! What anguish. Dear Sina...you all have helped me so much. All of you, and Marje in the beginning and right through Riley's diabetes into remission!!! How could he go into remission, stay there and yet still die so quickly of ckd? He was so healthy last year. All of his organs were perfect. I am beating myself up for not finding you sooner and following your instructions to a T.
Now I am signing off. I will post to the message board soon about Riley unless you want to copy and paste this if that's possible to do. I wouldn't mind it at all. I haven't been on the board in a long time. I am grateful for all of your love and support. I know Riley isn't suffering any more and in my mind he is free and healthy again and in a place where he will always remain so. ........ you all have suffered exactly as me but [i want each of you to] know that just knowing all of you wonderful people out there gave me an extra nine months with Riley and I am happy to know that you will be there for others as well. I did get your pictures and wish you only good health for you and your beautiful furbabies.
I am going to copy Marje [ @Marje and Gracie ] on this email. She deserves to know Riley's outcome and thanks again so very, very much!
I love all of you,
Cherie and Riley"
❤
❤❤
With tears I post the email that , @Cherie Hogan asked me to relay that Riley began his journey to Spirit early this morning.
With much love and heaps of vines for Riley's journey and vines of comfort and solace for his family in their sorrow and time of loss.
"Dear Sina,
I am broken-hearted. Riley died in my arms last night just before 1:25am. I really thought that I could get him through this also. You were right. He made the decision. He started going off his food and even refusing the liver drink about ten days ago. Slowly, he was eating less and less and we couldn't even get the potassium in him. I was giving him a third of a Pepcid tablet every other day and that seemed to really work for him. The Cerenia just didn't seem to do much. I had puppy pads down everywhere. It didn't matter to me so long as he lived. He quit having bowel movements about five days ago but was peeing although much less than he usually did. He still had good weight until about a week ago and he started dropping and we tried all kinds of things to get him to eat. I had to go out of town two days before he died and when I checked in my husband said that Riley was no longer able to walk. I was upset as I had made up some capsules with potassium but my husband felt that Riley wasn't eating or drinking and he was fearful of upsetting his stomach. My husband carried Riley around for two days to all his favorite hang-out spots in our yard and wouldn't leave him alone as Riley always was with us day or night. At night, Riley managed to somehow make it up the stairs to his favorite sleeping spot and my husband didn't know how he managed it but hadn't brought him up because of the peeing incidents and worry that I would have additional cleaning to do when I got home from my trip. My husband said he couldn't believe his ears when he heard Riley mew to get him up in the morning. The second night Riley was worse but, again, managed to get up the stairs, but this time didn't mew in the morning. Later that day in the early evening I finally got home and there he was, trying to get up to greet me. As soon as I unpacked, I never left Riley's side. He looked like a small version of my Riley-boy and you could tell he was uncomfortable. He would sleep, then wake up, try to turn over, restless, then sleep again. After my husband went to bed, I stayed with him for hours, watching him, holding him, kissing him, scratching his face and ears, soothing him and finally made the decision to give him about an eighth of the crushed pill in an eye-dropper of water. Within ten minutes he started to calm down. I could feel his little body relaxing until he rested his head on my arm. He had been having difficulty breathing the last couple of hours and I knew he was shutting down and I was glad that at least the last thirty minutes of his life his little body wasn't fighting anymore. He gave a soft sigh or moan and took one last gasp of air with his mouth open and then I gave him back to the Creator who had trusted me to take care of him for fifteen years.
We will bury him tonight. I cannot believe he is gone. A couple of times, my legs buckled thinking that I cannot accept that he is gone, although I willed him to go on and leave me because I couldn't stand to see him suffer. We were taking him this morning to the vet to be put to sleep. If I thought additional sub q's or IV's would have given us a few more months I would gladly have done it but he hated the sub q's and would fight me when I was giving them.
Oh Sina.....my life is SO EMPTY. Never did I have a pet like him and never will again. A cat that swims in the lake, gives kisses, takes showers, presses his cheek into yours, holds hands, wants to be carried, included, cuddled, purrs all the time, never leaves your side, ALWAYS greets you at the door with his beautiful orange tail straight up, sleeps with you, entertains you with all his comic actions. What grief!!! What loss!!! What anguish. Dear Sina...you all have helped me so much. All of you, and Marje in the beginning and right through Riley's diabetes into remission!!! How could he go into remission, stay there and yet still die so quickly of ckd? He was so healthy last year. All of his organs were perfect. I am beating myself up for not finding you sooner and following your instructions to a T.
Now I am signing off. I will post to the message board soon about Riley unless you want to copy and paste this if that's possible to do. I wouldn't mind it at all. I haven't been on the board in a long time. I am grateful for all of your love and support. I know Riley isn't suffering any more and in my mind he is free and healthy again and in a place where he will always remain so. ........ you all have suffered exactly as me but [i want each of you to] know that just knowing all of you wonderful people out there gave me an extra nine months with Riley and I am happy to know that you will be there for others as well. I did get your pictures and wish you only good health for you and your beautiful furbabies.
I am going to copy Marje [ @Marje and Gracie ] on this email. She deserves to know Riley's outcome and thanks again so very, very much!
I love all of you,
Cherie and Riley"
❤
❤❤
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