Max just turned 10 years old on November 12th. He had health problems but they were under control with medication. He was diagnosed with a collapsed trachea in 2015 after he developed long periods of coughing spells. He had been on medication ever since. So coughing for him wasn't out of the ordinary. It's just heartbreaking sitting here writing about this because this time a week ago I had never heard of this site and the only reason I'm here today is because of his death. What happened to max started on Monday the 27th in the evening hours. Max became restless and started walking around the house. He'd try to lie down but then he'd get back up a few seconds later and walk around some more. Kept repeating the same routine. He was uncomfortable but never appeared to be in pain. He even stopped at his water bowl and got a few drinks as he was walking around. He used the restroom and showed no pain. He just could not get comfortable at all. He did wonder off in areas of the house he normally stays out of though. Like the spare bathroom. He never goes in there ever. But he did on that night. He just looked around and walked back out. His cough has always been present but that night it sounded like he was becoming congested a little. Couldn't tell it much until he coughed after drinking water then you could hear a little congestion. His cough sounded different. Right before he died he pawed at my wife's leg wanting in her lap in the recliner. She sat him there for about a minute and he wanted back down so she sat him back down. He then wanted on the couch with me so I put him up there. He tried to lay in my lap but couldn't he was just too restless. He got up and went to the edge of the couch and stood there. He started panting faster. I put him in the floor and he took two maybe three steps and collapsed. :'( his big ole eyes never shut again I heard his last breaths they were raspy. His little legs jerked a couple of times and that was the last movements he made. I picked him up but he was like a rag doll just very limber. There was a puddle of clear liquid mixed with blood under his head. My wife thinks it came from his eye but it could have came from his mouth. I rushed him to the university of Tennessee emergency veterinary hospital around midnight but he was gone when we got there. They did not diagnose what happened. Once they told me he was gone we walked out in tears. We got back home and I put him in a casket at 1 in the morning and sealed it up and buried him the next day. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I loved him more than life itself.
Mark |