#RUFUS UPDATE:
Last night Rufus was clearly uncomfortable and I decided I would get him to the vet in the morning. Overnight he chewed a nasty wound onto his leg where he has a non-cancerous tumor. It is affecting his ability to walk because of discomfort. At the ER vet they cleaned his wound and gave him meds. They advised against surgery to remove the tumor because of his advanced age and comorbidities.
We got home and my wonderful neighbor TJ Nave and her sons helped me get him out of the car and he was able to get up and walk. He went inside and went to sleep. He woke up and walked on his own from my room to the office where I was working and went back to sleep. This is when I noticed he was breathing heavily in his sleep. Then he woke up and and was breathing very heavily [80 breaths per min]. Out of an abundance of caution we headed back to the ER vet.
The second exam showed all his vitals were good and he was not in distress. We suspect a possible reaction to the medication and we are altering and monitoring the meds to see how he does.
We're back home, and he is home and resting. We are hoping for mild improvement, but the conversation has shifted to quality of life. The vet believes the end is not imminent, but that this is the time to spoil him, keep him comfortable and happy.
Difficult days lie ahead.
@slider7420 Oh man, I can relate. My cat isn't the youngest anymore either and sometimes he's a zombie. I also wonder about quality of life here...
Hope for all the best, and yeah, just spoil him rotten. At that age this is basically the only thing you can do. I mean, what else can you do?
Give Rufus some extra cuddles from me!
@slider7420 I send my love.