Dale left for RB

15 months ago I took Dale in as a foster while Dad was away. Dad was called up when the National Guard went to Iraq. He is now in Germany.

Dale was very thin when I first saw her. She had been losing weight every year and was down to 6 lbs. She gained 3/4 of a pound in the first 6 months and then lost more. At her annual check up she weighed 5.3 lbs. All of her bloodwork was normal for a cat that was born in 1989.

Because she had bad back teeth, I fed her mostly canned food. Still, she often refused to eat. She would go for two or three days without more than a tablespoon of food. Then she would eat well for a couple of weeks. Because of her age and general frailty, the vet would not recommend dental work.

Dale did not eat Sunday or Monday. She ate a little breakfast on Tuesday. Tuesday night she began limping on her left front paw. I suspected she had broken it. Off to the whitecoats in the morning.

The diagnosis was not a broken paw. It was worse.

Dale had a Brachial Radial Extrusion. This is a torn nerve in the armpit that controls use of the paw. This usually happens when a cat jumps and catches themselves with one paw and jerks the arm, or if hit by a car. Left untreated the paw will drag and scrape until there is a continuous open wound. The only treatment is amputation.

Sweet Dale went to the Rainbow Bridge at 12:15 PM today

Godspeed, little girl.

Mary

I am so sorry for your loss of Dale. You did all you could for the poor girl. RIP Dale, you will surely be missed. :(

I am so terribly sorry to hear of Dale's passing. It sounds like she certainly lived a long and well-loved life with your Dad and finally with you! Rest peacefully, sweet kitty!

;) Kim

I'm so sorry to hear about sweet Dale. :( I know she's been having a rough time of it lately, and evidently this was the sign to you that it's time.

RIP sweet Dale.

I'm sorry to hear about Dale. It was her time and she's now playing very happily at the bridge.

RIP

RIP sweet Dale. Play hard at the RB knowing you were loved!

Yes, she will be missed. She was an exceptional sweet old gal, but didn't take any guff from my big dogs either.

(It was her Dad that went to Iraq & Germany. He's my neighbor.)

Mary

I'm very sorry to hear of Dale's passing. Play hard at the bridge Dale. You were loved very much and always will be.

I'm so sorry for you and for Dale's dad. Such a sad thing to lose such a wonderful girl. Be at peace and play on at RB Dale.

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of Dale.:(

Dale was an old gal. I'm sure she was happy spending the last year or so of her life with people who loved her.

Play hard, young and healthy, at the RB Dale! You'll be missed!

I'm so sorry that you have your Dale! :(

Kirsten

Frolick well at the Bridge, sweet Dale. I can tell you are sincerely missed here.

Sorry for your loss!:(

RIP and have fun at the bridge sweet Dale. Sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry that Dale has passed away. Dale will certainly have good company over the Rainbow Bridge.

:( so sorry for your loss. Play hard at the bridge Dale.

I'm sorry for your loss. :(

I am sorry for your loss. :(

I am sad and sorry to hear about your Dale:(

Oh Mary, I am terribly sorry about Dale. She was lucky that her dad had such a good friend in you, that she was able to have her final time in a loving, caring home. So many pets of military people haven't been so lucky. :(

Rest in peace, Dale, and you, Mary, "feel peace". It's exactly what you provided for this old lady. :)

I'm so sorry.

Rest in Peace sweet Dale.