memories of Racoon

This is very difficult for me to blog. I've been avoiding it but I know I must do it before my memories of him fade. His suffering ended on 25.8.11; Thursday at 6.30 pm after he vomitted and passed motion. When I returned from school, Lyn and I fed him Nestum twice. Infact the day before, I bathed him and blew dry his fur. It looked so shiny and clean. Am so glad I managed to bathe him and made him clean.

He staggered around the house looking for me before he left. I was looking for him to give him water to drink. He swayed as he stood in the garden and gathered all his strength to get onto the porch...I think he wanted to be in the kitchen or dining room...his favourite places. But once he touched the porch, he just collapsed. I thought he needed a rest, so I let him be.

A while later, Nelda called me and said, Maam...he sighed. I went out and saw him with his head and front legs on the sides (which had never happened before). I called him, he tried to respond twice; moving his head. He knew it was me calling him.

Very odd...an hour earlier, I told him, Coon, you've suffered so much. Tomorrow maybe I'll bring you to the vet to put you to sleep. I think my words released him. Yes, he has suffered very much in the last week. Not a whine through the suffering; just his eyes would be glazed and I could see pain in him. God has answered my prayer this way and I can only say thank you though it's painful and I don't understand why it has to happen to me again.

Memories of him is everywhere...the slippers that he bit.

His cone and collar....I removed it from him at the last moment when he swayed in the garden. I thought he wanted to vomit again. KC used to say he looked so elegant with the red collar against his white fur.

His food...he liked Alpo and not Pedigree.

I thought I could entice him with other types of food.

Chewy sticks...these are good for cleaning his teeth. I would give him whenever I had to leash him up. His teeth were very dirty towards the end.

He loved these multi vitamins.

Bones...he refused the red one. I thought it was the flavour which he disliked. I changed to the other one but he didn't even want to look at it.

Racoon's final position. Four months with me; 10 months old....lots of questions in my mind but I will just let go and be thankful that I had the chance to know him.

I look to the jungle opposite the house with pain because it's the grave of two of my dogs this year.

Another chapter has closed. This is my final blog for him. I will let him rest in peace and memories of him will fade eventually and the pain will not be so intensed. Life goes on...