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- Sep 20, 2020
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Our orange tabby, Tabasco, turned 20 last month. She's outlived her sister by more than 3 years now. But she has been low-weight for quite some time and a few weeks ago I discovered that she has a large tumor near her vulva. We know that we don't want to try to put her through any sort of procedure or chemotherapy, so we've been focused on quality of life. She has been taking a pain pill the vet prescribed.
I don't want to prolong her life if it is mainly suffering, but I'm still just not completely sure it is time. She has an appetite, grooms herself regularly, loves to come lay in her bed next to me at my computer while I am working. She isn't having accidents outside the litter box. Her eyes look okay. Other than the fact that she mostly sleeps and doesn't come out of the basement (because of other pets), she seems to be holding on quite well. She's very affectionate with me and with other family members when we spend time with her.
On the other hand... although she eventually rests comfortably, a lot of time she is curled up with her eyes closed and is breathing hard. She struggles sometimes to jump up onto things, her back legs aren't what she thinks they are. And this tumor is... ugh. Big and red/pink and nasty. I'm afraid it has grown in the last few weeks. I worry when she licks at it that she's going to rub it raw and get infected. I bought some spray antiseptic and have been trying to spray it every day.
Is the tumor the bottom line here? Or am I okay to keep looking at other factors and wait for something else to start to diminish? I've never had to put an animal down before, so I just don't feel like I have a good handle on it at all.
I don't want to prolong her life if it is mainly suffering, but I'm still just not completely sure it is time. She has an appetite, grooms herself regularly, loves to come lay in her bed next to me at my computer while I am working. She isn't having accidents outside the litter box. Her eyes look okay. Other than the fact that she mostly sleeps and doesn't come out of the basement (because of other pets), she seems to be holding on quite well. She's very affectionate with me and with other family members when we spend time with her.
On the other hand... although she eventually rests comfortably, a lot of time she is curled up with her eyes closed and is breathing hard. She struggles sometimes to jump up onto things, her back legs aren't what she thinks they are. And this tumor is... ugh. Big and red/pink and nasty. I'm afraid it has grown in the last few weeks. I worry when she licks at it that she's going to rub it raw and get infected. I bought some spray antiseptic and have been trying to spray it every day.
Is the tumor the bottom line here? Or am I okay to keep looking at other factors and wait for something else to start to diminish? I've never had to put an animal down before, so I just don't feel like I have a good handle on it at all.