We took our big furry boy to the vet this afternoon. In the last 24 hours, he has been having repeated coughing fits. We thought it might be asthma, made worse by the desert climate. The news we got was worse than that.
After doing chest X-rays, the vet showed us that Rufus has a large mass in his abdomen. It is creating fluid around his lungs. I have seen this sort of thing on an X-ray before... when we lost Molly. The vet is pretty sure it is cancer. Rufus's lung capacity is greatly diminished, and the mass is putting pressure on his colon and small intestine.
We are taking him to another vet in that practice who will do an ultrasound on his abdomen in the morning. The vet who saw Rufus today didn't have to tell us what to expect - the look on her face was apparent. Besides the ultrasound, they will be draining fluid off his lungs to make him more comfortable, and, if possible, do a biopsy on the mass. What I expect from all this: information. We will see what we are up against.
Rufus IS a good boy. He put up with all the poking, prodding, and blood-taking... and just wanted snuggles when they brought him back into the exam room. His breathing is labored. I told him how much we love him, and he gave us a slow blink (cat talk for: I love you).
I am hopeful, but realistic. I do not want my boy to suffer. I will be grateful if the vet can do something for him. I can't believe how sudden this all is. Our daily routine is built around Rufus... in the past, I have said to Joan, "This boy needs to outlive me..." The thought of losing him is unbearable.
When we got back home, Rufus wanted to go for a walk. Stephanie walked with us, slowly. Our sweet girl has been a rock for us through a lot. She has furry ones of her own, and is the most compassionate person I know. She understands.
Steph said, "He is showing his 'happy tail'." The light for that photo above came from this...
Later this evening, it is clear that Rufus is just worn out, but he still spreads the love around...
5 comments:
I am praying for Rufus and for you. I am hoping this is really not what you think it is and that it is curable.
OMG! Our good thoughts and prayers for Rufus and for you two. I missed reading your blog until this morning and I am stunned.
I was going to suggest the possibility of allergies, since I know someone in Pahrump, NV whose cat has terrible allergies to the desert, where there were none before. But reading about the x-ray and ultrasound mostly rules that out. I am SO sorry that such a good boy has to face this.
Thank you, Jeff and Earl. I explained what is going on in today's blog post. It is breaking our hearts, but the end is near. Taking the fluid off his lungs has made his breathing easier, but it will come back. The mass is inoperable. We get some time to love him up and say our good-byes.
He is such a big strong boy, I thought he had a lot of years left. He has brought great joy to our family and I know we have given him a good life. We will appreciate whatever time we get with him.
Jim, so sorry to hear about Rufus.
Cats that enjoy people can be such a joy, and I dread the day we have to make the decision that our big, old boy's time is up.
Jon
Thank you, Jon. As of right now, we've had almost a week extra with this big boy; we are grateful for any additional time we get. He is eating good, still wants to go for walks (I am keeping them shorter), and he wants to snuggle with his people. The coughing spells have not increased. Looking at his handsome face, he still has joy. He will let me know when it is time.
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