I have been in regular contact with @heftysmurf outside the forum. He doesn't live far from me and it was much easier to maintain communication directly than thru a series of private messages.
After Smokey's last vet visit it was determined that he also had a serious infection, down at the bottom of his ear canal. It was never determined whether or not it had anything to do with his eye, but that seems a reasonable assumption considering it was the same side as is the nasal congestion.
Baytril was tried initially, a second prescription was acquired for this. It helped a bit but he never seemed to improve much and maintained difficulty eating. Another antibiotic was tried, this time chloramphenicol. That was started last Saturday. He always showed tremendous desire to eat and did manage to eat on his own, just not enough. His teeth WERE examined at his surgery and it was determined that his molar were fine.
Smokey's weight had continued to decline, at a slow but steady pace. Feeding with Critical Care was extremely difficult. Most times he would just let it run out of his mouth and wouldn't chew it. He had lost roughly 200 grams from the beginning of this thread up to and including last night.
He had declined to the point where as of this morning, he appeared to be losing the use of his hind legs.
It is my absolutely unhappy duty to inform everyone that Smokey was sent across the Rainbow Bridge at roughly 9am this morning. Believe me when I say that @heftysmurf did absolutely everything he could, and these last several weeks had many sleepless nights looking after Smokey in the hopes he would recover.
I would like to offer @heftysmurf my most sincere condolences on his loss. Smokey is now reunited at the Rainbow Bridge with his brother Zack who passed after an illness in November.
Enjoy your time with Zack at the Rainbow Bridge, sweet boy. You will be terribly missed.
