I know. That title's an awful way to start, but sadly, and suddenly, Goldie is gone.
As you know, Goldie was most recently seen tucked into the cervical collar in the bookcase. We thought that eating mice may have put him off his feed. I took him to the vet, and the vet verified that Goldie lost 1.5 of his 12 pounds.
Diagnosis: Goldie was not eating because he had a bad tooth. I saw the tooth. It was bad. Brown and mushy and bleeding. Not at all mouse-related.
Yesterday he went in for a tooth extraction. I signed the forms, and even said to the assistant, "Well, I won't worry about the anesthetic, because he had that when he was neutered."
The surgeon called at noon and said Goldie's heart failed under the anesthetic. They tried CPR for half an hour, but they still lost him. I said, "I will call you back," and then doubled over and screamed "No" for twenty minutes. Gary heard me, figured out what I was screaming about, and joined in.
Later, the vet said Goldie might have had a bad tooth plus Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). It has the same symptoms he'd been exhibiting: sleeping, not eating, withdrawing. It's fatal, and sudden too, so there's nothing we could have done right even if we'd known.
I've never experienced a sudden death before. Every pet has been put to sleep after an illness, every human has had hospice or died in a hospital. In those cases I was still surprised by the death, as if it was unexpected. Now that I've heard the actual "I'm afraid I have some bad news" speech, I can tell you, anything else is better.
It's just awful, especially when I woke up and realized the cat spent the last two nights sleeping with me, chin on my feet, and he won't again.
Oh I am so heartbroken for y’all. My husband is like wtf is wrong with you bc I’m so upset but I know this sudden loss and I know how much Goldie meant to you
Posted by: Jessica Fantastica | July 19, 2024 at 09:34 AM
Jessica Fantastica - Thank you so much. I am sorry you know what it's like. Also, I will give your husband a pass.
Posted by: theQueen | July 19, 2024 at 10:46 AM
I'm so sorry, I agree the sudden death is terrible and the more sudden the more terrible in my experience. Thinking of you.
Posted by: AH | July 19, 2024 at 11:51 AM
NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Oh, that just absolutely *sucks* in so many ways. Hugs to you.
Posted by: KC | July 19, 2024 at 12:05 PM
AH - Thank you. I never want a sudden death again.
KC - Thank you for the virtual hugs. It does suck.
Posted by: theQueen | July 19, 2024 at 01:07 PM
Oh, I am sorry. Poor Goldie, he should have had much longer with you as his minion. It’s shocking, being so fast and unexpected, and sad. Sympathies.
Posted by: Big Dot | July 22, 2024 at 04:18 PM
Big Dot - Thank you. I am comforted that he really did live his best life with us: the only cat in the house, limitless food, and evidently an unending supply of mice.
Posted by: theQueen | July 22, 2024 at 08:26 PM