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donatella80 · 04-11-2008, 01:23 PM

Punkin wasn't a Yorkie, but our dear sweet kitty that we got the Monday after we were married 16 years ago. I nursed her through paralysis from a blood clot in her spine 2 years ago after the vet told me that she might never walk again. When our Yorkie, Basil, came last year, I gated the stairs and moved all of Punkin's stuff upstairs into the spare bedroom. She had the run of the upstairs, while Basil lived downstairs. I just didn't want him tormenting her--she couldn't move all that fast anymore and spent most of her time asleep. I'd go up a few times during the day and spend time brushing and petting her because I wanted her to know that she was still as special to me as she always was. We all slept on the bed together at night.

On Sunday night, her breathing became shallow and labored and she had a bad spell for about 15 minutes, panting with her mouth open and tongue halfway out. She calmed down, but on Monday morning, her sides began heaving in and out again. I was hoping for asthma, but I kind of knew otherwise.

I took her to the vet as soon as they could fit me in that morning and they took x-rays. She had fluid in her chest cavity and a tumor in her lung, along with heart arrythmia. The vet diagnosed congestive heart failure and possibly lung cancer. She said we could try to treat her, but there was a possibility that Punkin would be dead by the next morning. Even if she survived this bout, the vet said that we were only prolonging the inevitable--she would only have weeks or months.

I looked at my dear, sweet little kitty panting on the table with her tongue out and I asked the vet if she was suffering. She just nodded. I thought about taking her home and the possibility of her dying while gasping for breath in the middle of the night and wondering why no one was awake to hold her. I made the horrible decision to do the kindest thing. I held my old kitty while they put her to sleep and I haven't stopped crying since. I'm having her cremated and picking up the ashes when they call me next week. I'm just heartbroken...I miss you, little girl.

04-11-2008, 01:23 PM	#1
donatella80 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 109	Goodbye, My Sweet Punkin... Punkin wasn't a Yorkie, but our dear sweet kitty that we got the Monday after we were married 16 years ago. I nursed her through paralysis from a blood clot in her spine 2 years ago after the vet told me that she might never walk again. When our Yorkie, Basil, came last year, I gated the stairs and moved all of Punkin's stuff upstairs into the spare bedroom. She had the run of the upstairs, while Basil lived downstairs. I just didn't want him tormenting her--she couldn't move all that fast anymore and spent most of her time asleep. I'd go up a few times during the day and spend time brushing and petting her because I wanted her to know that she was still as special to me as she always was. We all slept on the bed together at night. On Sunday night, her breathing became shallow and labored and she had a bad spell for about 15 minutes, panting with her mouth open and tongue halfway out. She calmed down, but on Monday morning, her sides began heaving in and out again. I was hoping for asthma, but I kind of knew otherwise. I took her to the vet as soon as they could fit me in that morning and they took x-rays. She had fluid in her chest cavity and a tumor in her lung, along with heart arrythmia. The vet diagnosed congestive heart failure and possibly lung cancer. She said we could try to treat her, but there was a possibility that Punkin would be dead by the next morning. Even if she survived this bout, the vet said that we were only prolonging the inevitable--she would only have weeks or months. I looked at my dear, sweet little kitty panting on the table with her tongue out and I asked the vet if she was suffering. She just nodded. I thought about taking her home and the possibility of her dying while gasping for breath in the middle of the night and wondering why no one was awake to hold her. I made the horrible decision to do the kindest thing. I held my old kitty while they put her to sleep and I haven't stopped crying since. I'm having her cremated and picking up the ashes when they call me next week. I'm just heartbroken...I miss you, little girl.