This weekend has not gone as planned. We spent today in the emergency vet clinic.
When Julia had her cancer removed in July 2009, we opted not to pursue radiation because all the trips to the dentist and oncologist were making her fearful that every time we came home, we were going to take her someplace. She is normally shy and prone to anxiety as it is, and our regular vet agreed that our choice was right for Julia. The oncologist said that there was likely some cancer left behind that would spread, and that we could expect about six more months, which would likely be painless for her.
It’s been almost nine months. The cancer seems to have spread to at least a lymph node, which has been enlarged for several months. Her appetite and energy remained as good as or even better than ever.
Normally Julia wakes us on weekends by meowing outside the bedroom until we acquiesce to her demands for breakfast. When she doesn’t wake us, it’s almost always because she has had an upset stomach and has left us a mess to clean, but even then she greets us as we come down the stairs.
On Friday night she cleaned her plate and seemed completely normal, but on Saturday she didn’t wake us. We came downstairs and she remained where she was. She soon crawled up onto my lap and spent the day there (except while I showered and she sat in Mark’s lap), breathing heavily. We really thought the cancer had finally caught up with her lungs and that this was the end.
Suddenly at 10:30 PM, she jumped out of my lap and headed to her litterbox. Then she began the back-and-forth familiar to anyone who knows anything about UTIs. We set out some extra milk and water and kept an eye on her. Today she seemed even weaker, so we took her to the clinic.
You meet some interesting people at the emergency pet clinic, like the homeless man who walked in with a dead or half-dead guinea pig. I don’t know where he got it, but apparently he is a regular. Then there was the woman who wouldn’t stop telling her two-sentence story about her dog who appeared to be suffering from little more than living with someone who needs a social outlet.
Anyway, Julia got some subcutaneous fluids, some antibiotics, and bloodwork. She was very dehydrated and needs to see her regular vet tomorrow to see if her kidney function has improved with the fluids. They sent us home with an appetite stimulant and we think she may have eaten just a little while we were out at dinner. She is a bit more alert but still pretty miserable, and has nearly worn a rut between her chair and her litterbox.
So that’s where we are tonight. If you have a pet, give it a big hug.
Love you all very much.