An update to my previous thread.
After a phone conversation with the surgeon at the specialty vet clinic who attempted to do the CT back in February, and talking to our regular vet, we've come to the conclusion that this is cancer and because of Albus's age and his prognosis even if we did do treatment, we are taking a palliative approach and not treating the cancer.
Our regular vet came to the house a couple weeks ago and gave Albus a shot of anti-inflammatories, just to reduce any inflammation he may have been experiencing, as well as a shot of antibiotics, the same he gave him back in December before we knew this was what was happening. It seemed to really help him then, and I figured it may make it better now.
This last week has been not great. It's getting harder for him to breathe. I'm not sure how much is congestion from the herpesvirus, how much is the mass in his lung, and how much is the mass in his face impeding his airway.
Since last Sunday or so, he's also stopped putting weight on one of his front legs. The first couple days, he would let me touch it and he didn't react to it being moved around. There seems to be a hard lump on the foreleg, just before the elbow. Could this be another cancerous mass? The last couple days, though, he doesn't want me touching any part of that leg or foot.
He's still eating and drinking and using the litterbox- he's just hobbling around to do it. When he's resting, his breathing sounds fine, but when he gets up and moves around, that's when it sounds bad. He still seems to be enjoying our company and attention. Right now he's in his nebulizer chamber- I'm hoping inhaling steam will make him feel a little better.
Our vet told us to call the office and they'll make up some syringes of buprenorphine for him. I'm wondering if it's time to do that, which leads to the question if it's time to put him to sleep.
This decision sucks.
After a phone conversation with the surgeon at the specialty vet clinic who attempted to do the CT back in February, and talking to our regular vet, we've come to the conclusion that this is cancer and because of Albus's age and his prognosis even if we did do treatment, we are taking a palliative approach and not treating the cancer.
Our regular vet came to the house a couple weeks ago and gave Albus a shot of anti-inflammatories, just to reduce any inflammation he may have been experiencing, as well as a shot of antibiotics, the same he gave him back in December before we knew this was what was happening. It seemed to really help him then, and I figured it may make it better now.
This last week has been not great. It's getting harder for him to breathe. I'm not sure how much is congestion from the herpesvirus, how much is the mass in his lung, and how much is the mass in his face impeding his airway.
Since last Sunday or so, he's also stopped putting weight on one of his front legs. The first couple days, he would let me touch it and he didn't react to it being moved around. There seems to be a hard lump on the foreleg, just before the elbow. Could this be another cancerous mass? The last couple days, though, he doesn't want me touching any part of that leg or foot.
He's still eating and drinking and using the litterbox- he's just hobbling around to do it. When he's resting, his breathing sounds fine, but when he gets up and moves around, that's when it sounds bad. He still seems to be enjoying our company and attention. Right now he's in his nebulizer chamber- I'm hoping inhaling steam will make him feel a little better.
Our vet told us to call the office and they'll make up some syringes of buprenorphine for him. I'm wondering if it's time to do that, which leads to the question if it's time to put him to sleep.
This decision sucks.
