Penny has taken a turn for the worse. She is extremely uncomfortable as her tumor has become very sensitive to even the slightest pressure. This turn has happened in only about a week. The tumor has grown about a cm since last month (I think) and it is now quite deep. We saw Dr. S. on Friday and she didn't make any of her "surprised that it looks so good" noises, only "uh oh" type noises. She gave us a medicine (Metacam) that is actually "black labeled" for cats, but that she has used in her own cats with no ill effects. It's supposed to help inflammation and reduce associated pain. It also has some anti-cancer properties which may help slow the growth of the tumor. So far, I think it's making Penny nauseous and affecting her appetite. She didn't want to eat much today and she threw up this morning. I don't know. She is also having trouble breathing -- fast, heavy, labored breathing punctuated by deep sighs. I think I'll make an appointment for some x-rays to see if the cancer has spread to her lungs. Dr. S. said that the tumor will only get deeper and it will probably, eventually, affect her ability to walk.
So, she's not doing very well and I'm afraid I'm going to come home one day to find her curled up on the bed but no longer breathing. I fear we will have to make the dreaded decision within another week or two...maybe less.
She did spend the majority of the day lounging in the window sill soaking up the sun...so at least she had a nice day in that respect. If only she didn't have to endure the pain and huffing and puffing.
I am so very very sad. And to make everything worse, Dr. S. is leaving to go to a different practice. She saw Penny on her last day.
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