Kmot
Tyme Twister
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2015
- Messages
- 6,656
I know there are some dog lovers here, and some of you have seen my "Freckles" posing in the photos I have posted of my watches.
Freckles had to be rushed to the animal ER on Sunday, March 14 at 3AM. She had been coughing since Saturday afternoon and it kept getting worse.
At the hospital the doctor told us she was very, very ill with congestive heart failure and might not make it. The coughing was due to fluid in her lungs from the heart failure.
They managed to save her life. Part of the treatment was to put her on an aggressive dose of Lasix, a diuretic, to get rid of the fluids in her lungs and heart. It probably worked, but it also killed her kidneys. 3 days later Freckles had a kidney panel test and the doctor said she was in complete kidney failure. She said to take Freckles back to the hospital and have them flush her kidneys with IV, and also monitor her heart.
The doctor at the ER declined to do that. She said the IV would just cause another heart failure event. So I brought Freckles home.
Freckles had no appetite, refused all her favorite foods and treats. She never was a dog you can pop pills into her mouth. She would clamp her jaw shut like a vise. I always gave her the pills she needed in a piece of turkey hot dog, which she loved. But now, it was near impossible. I got her heart medicine made in a liquid form so I was able to squirt that into her mouth. That kept her going for a while. The Lasix was stopped of course, because it had damaged her kidneys so bad. I also got a liquid appetite stimulant. That would work sometimes, and when it did Freckles would eat some food. But often, she would later vomit it back up.
The toxins in her bloodstream were continuing to build up, since her kidneys were not functioning to get rid of the waste. Freckles mostly slept all day, no energy like normal. Her eyes often looked glassy and I knew she was feeling the sickness herself.
I did not want her to suffer. I did not want her to get to the point of feeling absolutely horrible. And I especially did not want her to get fluid in her lungs again, which I was told is like drowning.
So my wife and I decided that the best thing for Freckles, was to end her suffering with euthanasia. We were able to have it done at home.
Freckles ended her suffering at around 2PM today, in the comfort of her home, on her spot on our bed, with her Mom and Dad by her side.
We are heartbroken. She was only 10 years old. But she is in heaven now, running free and feeling strong and healthy again.
Freckles had to be rushed to the animal ER on Sunday, March 14 at 3AM. She had been coughing since Saturday afternoon and it kept getting worse.
At the hospital the doctor told us she was very, very ill with congestive heart failure and might not make it. The coughing was due to fluid in her lungs from the heart failure.
They managed to save her life. Part of the treatment was to put her on an aggressive dose of Lasix, a diuretic, to get rid of the fluids in her lungs and heart. It probably worked, but it also killed her kidneys. 3 days later Freckles had a kidney panel test and the doctor said she was in complete kidney failure. She said to take Freckles back to the hospital and have them flush her kidneys with IV, and also monitor her heart.
The doctor at the ER declined to do that. She said the IV would just cause another heart failure event. So I brought Freckles home.
Freckles had no appetite, refused all her favorite foods and treats. She never was a dog you can pop pills into her mouth. She would clamp her jaw shut like a vise. I always gave her the pills she needed in a piece of turkey hot dog, which she loved. But now, it was near impossible. I got her heart medicine made in a liquid form so I was able to squirt that into her mouth. That kept her going for a while. The Lasix was stopped of course, because it had damaged her kidneys so bad. I also got a liquid appetite stimulant. That would work sometimes, and when it did Freckles would eat some food. But often, she would later vomit it back up.
The toxins in her bloodstream were continuing to build up, since her kidneys were not functioning to get rid of the waste. Freckles mostly slept all day, no energy like normal. Her eyes often looked glassy and I knew she was feeling the sickness herself.
I did not want her to suffer. I did not want her to get to the point of feeling absolutely horrible. And I especially did not want her to get fluid in her lungs again, which I was told is like drowning.
So my wife and I decided that the best thing for Freckles, was to end her suffering with euthanasia. We were able to have it done at home.
Freckles ended her suffering at around 2PM today, in the comfort of her home, on her spot on our bed, with her Mom and Dad by her side.
We are heartbroken. She was only 10 years old. But she is in heaven now, running free and feeling strong and healthy again.