My lovely boy Sam was put to sleep on Friday evening.
I would like to try and understand what was happening to him at the end....has anyone had a similar situation please? I would particularly like to know why he was coughing up bright red blood.
Sam would have been 14 this year. Heart problems were identified by a cardiologist in 2007 and he ended up taking Vetmedin, Frusimide, Prilactone & Fortocur. He slowed down but seemed comfortable until about September 2011 when he started having bad diorrohea (forgive my spelling). One one occasion there was a lot of blood and mucus. We got through it and I fed him a more bland diet. The Vet said it was colitus, but I think maybe it was linked to his heart.
By September, I could hear his heart when he sat next to me. He was never one for heavily panting but I could tell his heart rate was fast.
There were more flare ups of the diorrhea and he was loosing weight. I could really feel his spine and his heart must have enlarged because the top half of his torso looked very big from above. He must have been in CHF and I think that the average expectancy is only 6 months from here. He stood with his front legs bowing right out. He stayed more in his bed but was still affectionate and loved a cuddle. He had some great days and some tired days. He started to sleep downstairs and there was an accident every night. He was pooing much more, like he just couldn't keep the food in. Was his digestive system closing down?:|
This Thursday just gone, the diorrehea returned and his appetite went. He was unstable on his feet. By Friday I couldn't even see that he was drinking much. I went into the Vets and she said that his tongue was blueish that meant lack of oxygen. She thought that I should put him to sleep. She gave him a pain relief injection. I took him home - I wanted to see if I could turn it round. I had before. He lay in his bed and looked more floppy than usual. Was this just through lack of food/water or was it the end?
He started to vomit a think white mucus foam. This was thicker than I'd ever seen before. A while later he coughed up bright red frothy blood that looked like it had bits of skin in it (more solid than mucus). This had never happened before and I felt I had to take him back the the Vets. I could see his body visably moving with his beating heart. I thought that the symptoms were more than not eating and drinking.
I felt I had to let him go and held him as my tears fell onto his fur. I miss him so so much. He is part of me.
Please can you tell me what the blood meant? Was he dying? I suppose what I am asking is, could I have done anything more? Could he have been here a few more weeks or does the coughing up of blood signify something else with CHF?
I know this is part of the grief process, but I would really like to understand what was going on. Thanks x x
I would like to try and understand what was happening to him at the end....has anyone had a similar situation please? I would particularly like to know why he was coughing up bright red blood.
Sam would have been 14 this year. Heart problems were identified by a cardiologist in 2007 and he ended up taking Vetmedin, Frusimide, Prilactone & Fortocur. He slowed down but seemed comfortable until about September 2011 when he started having bad diorrohea (forgive my spelling). One one occasion there was a lot of blood and mucus. We got through it and I fed him a more bland diet. The Vet said it was colitus, but I think maybe it was linked to his heart.
By September, I could hear his heart when he sat next to me. He was never one for heavily panting but I could tell his heart rate was fast.
There were more flare ups of the diorrhea and he was loosing weight. I could really feel his spine and his heart must have enlarged because the top half of his torso looked very big from above. He must have been in CHF and I think that the average expectancy is only 6 months from here. He stood with his front legs bowing right out. He stayed more in his bed but was still affectionate and loved a cuddle. He had some great days and some tired days. He started to sleep downstairs and there was an accident every night. He was pooing much more, like he just couldn't keep the food in. Was his digestive system closing down?:|
This Thursday just gone, the diorrehea returned and his appetite went. He was unstable on his feet. By Friday I couldn't even see that he was drinking much. I went into the Vets and she said that his tongue was blueish that meant lack of oxygen. She thought that I should put him to sleep. She gave him a pain relief injection. I took him home - I wanted to see if I could turn it round. I had before. He lay in his bed and looked more floppy than usual. Was this just through lack of food/water or was it the end?
He started to vomit a think white mucus foam. This was thicker than I'd ever seen before. A while later he coughed up bright red frothy blood that looked like it had bits of skin in it (more solid than mucus). This had never happened before and I felt I had to take him back the the Vets. I could see his body visably moving with his beating heart. I thought that the symptoms were more than not eating and drinking.
I felt I had to let him go and held him as my tears fell onto his fur. I miss him so so much. He is part of me.
Please can you tell me what the blood meant? Was he dying? I suppose what I am asking is, could I have done anything more? Could he have been here a few more weeks or does the coughing up of blood signify something else with CHF?
I know this is part of the grief process, but I would really like to understand what was going on. Thanks x x