Talis Update
Talis is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday.
We decided to go ahead with it despite his age for a few reasons. Yes, he's old. Yes, he can be grumpy and yes he's sore and achy. But. He still interacts with us. He still eats and drinks well (when he's not sick) and he still flings himself up onto the couch and bounds across the house to get to the bathroom faucet for water. He's perky, and he pays attention to us. All of these things tell me that his quality of life is still where it should be, even though he's an ancient old man.
He could still have a year or two or three in him, in all honesty. Or, he could only have a couple of weeks left - but either way, i have to give him the best chance that i can possibly manage and that means i have to at least -try- to get him better. When MK and i decided to get pets, we did our research. We made our commitment. Talis is a member of the family, and we have an obligation to do for him all that we can. The vet says that animals recover from abdominal surgery very well, and that it shouldn't affect him any more than any other pet younger than he is. Plus, his blood work showed that that part of his system is in pristine condition, so that's another point in his favor.
If the lump is associated with his spleen, this'll be cake in the terms of 'how sick he is.' They'll just take the spleen and the lump out and everyone will be on their merry way. However, if it is associated with his liver -- well. Let's just say that is the worst case scenario, and what i am hoping desperately to avoid.
He's still confined to the space near the back door. He hasn't gone in the house since yesterday afternoon, but he hasn't gone at -all- since yesterday afternoon except to pee outside. He's still not eating. I am still having a hell of a time convincing him to take the medication. Today it made a small blob of beef stew taste like crap enough for him to spit it out. Poor old man. If i can't convince him to eat it on his own, we are going to have to make him angry at us and shove it down his throat. I really don't want to have to do that.
Now, i just have to get him through to Tuesday.
We decided to go ahead with it despite his age for a few reasons. Yes, he's old. Yes, he can be grumpy and yes he's sore and achy. But. He still interacts with us. He still eats and drinks well (when he's not sick) and he still flings himself up onto the couch and bounds across the house to get to the bathroom faucet for water. He's perky, and he pays attention to us. All of these things tell me that his quality of life is still where it should be, even though he's an ancient old man.
He could still have a year or two or three in him, in all honesty. Or, he could only have a couple of weeks left - but either way, i have to give him the best chance that i can possibly manage and that means i have to at least -try- to get him better. When MK and i decided to get pets, we did our research. We made our commitment. Talis is a member of the family, and we have an obligation to do for him all that we can. The vet says that animals recover from abdominal surgery very well, and that it shouldn't affect him any more than any other pet younger than he is. Plus, his blood work showed that that part of his system is in pristine condition, so that's another point in his favor.
If the lump is associated with his spleen, this'll be cake in the terms of 'how sick he is.' They'll just take the spleen and the lump out and everyone will be on their merry way. However, if it is associated with his liver -- well. Let's just say that is the worst case scenario, and what i am hoping desperately to avoid.
He's still confined to the space near the back door. He hasn't gone in the house since yesterday afternoon, but he hasn't gone at -all- since yesterday afternoon except to pee outside. He's still not eating. I am still having a hell of a time convincing him to take the medication. Today it made a small blob of beef stew taste like crap enough for him to spit it out. Poor old man. If i can't convince him to eat it on his own, we are going to have to make him angry at us and shove it down his throat. I really don't want to have to do that.
Now, i just have to get him through to Tuesday.