12-02-09
Hogan is gone.
Last week the specialist put in a feeding tube that worked well but it wasn’t really secured. While the tube stayed in place, the feeding end drug on the floor. Not that big a deal except for the cat box.
So when I went back the 3rd time, they gave me a mesh ‘sweater’ to hold it in place. I was against it but didn’t fight hard enough against it.
Sure enough, his claws got stuck in it over night and the tube ended up getting pulled out.
They wanted nearly $700 to put another tube into the OTHER side of his neck. I took him home over the weekend and resumed feeding him orally. It was messy but he was eating. I got about 3/4 can in him the first day (They suggested a whole can of prescription food a day) I got about 1/2 in him the 2nd day. Monday morning he wasn’t interested at all.
That morning, I found a vet that would do it for less than half the price and took him in immediately.
He was weak from not eating and they thought that the cancer may have spread to his lungs. He woke up very weak and wasn’t breathing well at all.
Monday night he sounded just awful. When I tried to give him food through the new tube, about 30 seconds into it, he would jerk spasmodically as if I had just fed him acid. A couple minutes later, he would relax and fall asleep.
Tuesday I took him back in at 9am. The held him most of the day trying to figure out what was going on to no avail.
Today he showed no real improvement. His breathing was a tad better but he still couldn’t deal with food.
I called someone that Leon’s sister suggested to come over and help him pass.
Holy crap that was hard! I’ve never had to do this to one of my pets and Hogan was my favorite of all time. I had the purest childlike love for him.
It got dark before we could take him outside and bury him so it will have to wait until the morning.
My room mate quoted Carlin who said “When you get a pet, you put heartbreak on layaway”. True. This is eating me alive, but I’d do it all over again.