Death in my family

**2 entries in one day, making up for lost time**

Friday night, I almost spent New Year's in the ER. One of my cats became sick.

My cat Suger has been laying around a lot since Christmas, this isn't normal for her...She usually hides. I came home from work about 8 am and found black, tarry stool. I also found out Suger had stopped eating and drinking. I had to try and get her to drink so I found a 1cc syringe and used some pliers to remove the needle. I filled the syringe with water and squirted some in the cat's mouth and she just didn't have the energy to drink it...she could hardly stand up and felt really skinny. Time to go see a vet.

Saturday morning I picked her up from the emergency pet clinic and took her to a local university that is known for having THE BEST animal clinic. They learned she had a disease called DIC, similar to what humans can get. She had pus in the pleural space (around her lungs) and was also in septic shock. When her blood work came back, the 2 clotting factors they look at were slow, one was twice the normal length of time and the other was so slow their machine couldn't even read it. Not to mention her white blood cells were low.

I tried everything possible to help her, she was given fluids and oxygen, kept warm, and monitored constantly. She even received 2 packs of platelets, but it was in vain. She wasn't stable enough to undergo the anesthesia needed to put in a chest tube...They were having to do a chest tap every 4-5 hours to help her breathe. DIC is nearly 100% fatal in cats. I went this morning when I got off work to say my goodbyes. I swore to continue fighting as long as she did, no matter the cost.

Seeing the condition she was in confirmed my decision from the day before when I was on the phone with the vet...I had to make the hardest decision I think I ever made in my life....euthenasia.

I got to spend a few minutes alone with her, she was so sick I know in my heart it was the right choice but it hurt. As the vet gave her the injection, I told her again how much I loved her as she stopped breathing. They put her in a little coffin and I brought her home. I said a few more goodbyes and buried her. I still keep crying because I wish I could have her back, I wish more could be done to fight the disease but there's nothing else I could have done. At least she isn't suffering any more.

I'll try to get apicture up here later if I can figure it out.

Take care