Kinser - Kinser has passed on... August 1, 2016

[farrwf]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

Hey Holli, ... looks like JimBo pulled it off!!! What a pleasant surprise.

[momofdecker]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

Hey Holli, ... looks like JimBo pulled it off!!! What a pleasant surprise.

What a season so far - Can't wait till this weekend! Women's team has been fun to watch too.

[farrwf]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

Too much North Carolina. Great coaching only goes so far, ...

Maybe next year. No doubt, he wants another title before he retires.

[Rover]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

Hello it's been so long when this threads appear, how's your pup now? It's is doing good?

[k9diabetes]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

How is Kinser?

Natalie

[momofdecker]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

Thanks for checking in on our old guy. He's been struggling quite a bit with his rear feet knuckling and crossing. He doesn't like the hotter temps and lays on the floor (no traction) and struggles to get to a standing position on his own. He also struggles to balance enough to stay upright when he does get up.

He's drinking a lot more which is making the urinary incontinence worse. We cover most of the carpet / couches and have been using a diaper. The challenge we are facing is that he has a huge lump on his upper hip area which makes the diaper not fit as it should. He's also lost a lot of muscle mass in his rear end area so the diaper slides. A belly band won't stay put due to the lump. The additional challenge is that given the weakness in his rear legs, it's difficult to keep him standing long enough to get the diaper on him.

He actually had a scheduled vet appt today to review how to make him more comfortable. We talked through several options with his vet. Ultimately - we don't think he is on a long term plan at this point. Our winters can be brutal and I realistically don't see him surviving another winter. Honestly - if this past winter had not been as mild as it was I'm not sure he'd still be here with us.

What we know - he loves to go for his walks and his spirit lights right up when he is able to go hiking with us. His legs are not in a position where he can do that right now. We'd like to try to get him to the point where he can get out for short hikes again. We'd rather see him have two more months of doing things he really enjoys than six months of being limited to wandering the back yard only.

We decided to add gabapentin for pain control (he is already on tramadol). We also decided to try putting him on proin for urinary incontinence. The vets at his practice have been offering it for him for about a year now and we've been hesitant. But, assuming it helps, we feel he is at the point where the benefits of the medication may outweigh the risks. We also decided to switch him from NSAIDs to steroids.

He has to be off his NSAID medication for a week before we can begin the steroid. Keeping in mind all we learned from Decker's diabetic journey - we will only be adding one thing at a time. We'll start him on the gabapentin first - as he has to come off the NSAID and we want as much pain control as possible. We will add the proin next - to see if it helps at all with the urinary incontinence. Lastly we will add the steroid. The steroid will make him drink more and need to urinate more so we'll need to keep a close eye on whether or not the proin makes any difference at that point. The hope is that the steroid will provide enough inflammation relief that his rear legs will knuckle less and that he'll be able to get up on his own and go for more frequent walks. If we don't note improvement in time we will not keep him on the steroid.

He's given us 15 great years and we want any time he has left to be the best quality we can give him.

Here he is chilling out in the back yard:


A few weeks ago we had to say good-bye to our 20 year old cat. She'd been with us since I graduated from college and lived in six different homes with us. She'd been with us so long it felt like maybe she'd live forever (even though my mind knew that was not realistic). I still see here everywhere and swear I still hear her meow at times. It's hard to watch them get old - they leave such a hole in the heart when they leave.

[Judi]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

I'm sorry about your cat Holli. Your animals are so lucky they were part of your family. I hope this plan gives Kinser a few more hikes. Aging animals can break our hearts.

hugs, Judi

[jesse girl]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

its a testament to your care holli with your animals living a long happy life

[Abby's Mom]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

Holly,

Do you not wish they could live forever? I agree, I truly hate seeing them get old, it brings out in me the helicopter mom syndrome.

Kisner looks content, he is very lucky to have you as his advocate. Hoping you can ease his pain, and he gets a few more hikes in when the weather gets a bit cooler.

My deepest sympathy on your cat. I think they stay with us when they first leave, perhaps to help us ease our pain.

Barb

[k9diabetes]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

So sorry to hear about your kitty Holli... I think it's especially difficult when you "grew up" with them. I had a kitty like that.

Kinser looks so handsome. We were at a vet office today - not one we usually use as it was for the mobile cardiologist - and I think three quarters of the dogs in there were seniors. Each one had his or her troubles - lumps and bumps and stiff joints. Such sweet souls.

We may have talked about this before but have you tried booties on Kinser? If they will tolerate them, they can really help with traction getting up and down.

Sending Kinser a kiss,

Natalie

[Patty]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

Reading up on Kinser today, Holli. Hoping for more quality time. So very sorry to hear about your kitty.
Patty

[momofdecker]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

Thanks Natalie & Patty. We did get a little more quality time, however, it was short lived. It was one of those situations where your head knows that your pet is ready, but your heart is not ready to say good-bye.

We created a bucket list and spent a weekend checking off items on his list. Kinser went 'hiking' with all of us and only made it past the gate to a picnic table in the shade. John took Toby hiking the trails while Rebecca & I sat with Kinser, who played the role of Great Bear greeter for an hour or so. We'd stopped on the way to get him a dog ice cream sundae, complete with dog biscuits. He happily ate that and I got some great pictures of his ice cream covered face.



We couldn't get him to his favorite fishing spot so we improvised and fed him goldfish crackers. He had no complaints.

He was stubborn enough to manage to walk over to Papa's yard (we share a back yard) because he knew Papa always has treats in his pockets - and after eating all of the treats he laid down and took a nap with Papa (who had fallen asleep in his chair outside). Papa's dog, Abbott, came over to say his good-byes.

We took him to the softball field where I often walked him when he was a pup. When Decker joined our family I often took the two of them running at the softball field. John lifted him down from my vehicle and he sniffed around a bit. I couldn't help but hope that he had fond memories of his younger years.

Kinser lost his hearing around age 13 but he'd always loved Rebecca reading to him. We took a blanket and a book and she spent some time reading to him at the softball field. He snuggled close while she read. She also played a few games of "which hand is the treat in" with Kinser. We have a local fundraising event called "Woofstock" - part of the event includes a trick contest. Kinser won first place two years in a row (age 12 and age 13) for being able to sniff out the hand the treat was in and signal with his paw. He was still able to sniff the correct hand but couldn't lift his paw enough to signal the hand. He still got his treats despite not being able to signal the hand.

We are fortunate to have a drive-in movie theatre near by and they were showing "The Secret Life of Pets" - Kinser & Toby joined us for an evening at the drive-in. We put a blanket on the ground and he snuggled with me and enjoyed the movie and all the snacks that went with it.

At night he got a dinner fit for a King (Kinser is named after race car driver Steve Kinser, who is known as the 'King of the outlaws') - steak and eggs. He got the same meal for breakfast the next morning. Rebecca made him one more ice cream sundae - complete with chocolate sauce (it was his last day with us) and whipped topping and lots of dog bones. He was one happy old man eating that! We spent lots of time out in the yard just sitting with him and loving on him.
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John & I were getting ready to purchase our first home 15 years ago. We went to 'just look' at a pup one of his co-workers had. He was the last pup left in an accidental litter. One look and it went something like, "Oh, John...." and the rest was history. That pup sat with me on the way home that night and peed on my lap. We named him Kinser. He chased the cats (who were five at the time), welcomed a new pup (Decker) in 2003, and a human child in 2004. In 2013 he said good-bye to his Decker boy and his Rascal cat. October 2013 he welcomed Toby pup into our family. In June 2016 he said good-bye to his Bubby cat. He loved to go for walks and to beg for human food. We called him komodo Kinser because of the drool that would form on both sides of his mouth during dinner.

His last week of life he no longer wanted to go for walks and his last two days his tail had stopped wagging. On August 1st we said our final good-bye. My heart is broken but I take peace in imagining Decker standing at the bridge (barking w/ full body wiggles), with Rascal & Bubby cats by his side - all ready to welcome Kinser as he crossed the bridge.

[Judi]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

you are so eloquent and I love the pictures. Godspeed Kinser. xoxo

[jesse girl]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

i do so enjoy komodo kinser i can just imagine

what a life kinser had full and well lived because of you and your family holi

when you have young kids with your pets and as they reach that end and you look at your little ones who look so grown up and you wonder where did the time go

kinser completed your family and thats how it should be

[farrwf]

Re: Kinser - vestibular disease?

Oh Holli, I'm so sorry to hear what you are going through. No doubt, Kinser was much loved and very well cared for. He was a very fortunate little guy to have been a full fledged member of your family for his 15 years.

You give so much to these little ones and it hurts so much when they have to leave. Seems the more you give, the greater the hurt when they leave. You, and yours, have my deepest condolences - and, Godspeed to good boy Kinser.

Thanks for sharing everything.