[click to enlarge]
What’s so weird is that on Thursday afternoon (the day before the tumour burst!) I’d sent these two photos by email to Sledpress to show her just how damn BIG the thing had become, and express my worry about it. Then yesterday – blam! You can read the gory details here.
Since then Azar has been looking much perkier. The best thing being that he has regained the use of his one good front leg and can comfortably sit up again and even walk around much easier. I’m not exaggerating when I say the lump was the size of a baseball – poor Azar couldn’t even straighten out his leg anymore and was in a permanent crouched position. The reason he was sometimes peeing on the sofa was that, once there, he didn’t want to have to jump down to get to the box because it hurt too much. I had started carrying him to the box at regular intervals but couldn’t always be there, but when he was left overnight this week he had no problem as he stayed on a blanket under my bed with the litter box nearby.
The wound still looks messy, but Azar is a good healer. And he so intensely loves being alive. I am starting to wonder if his tumour is even malignant, because something that big should have killed him by now if it was. Could it just be a nasty cyst? Anyhow, he has been snatched back from the brink and is now happily snoozing away. I’ll be taking him to the vet’s this morning because I think the wound needs to be properly dressed and he may need to take antibiotics to stave off infection.
One thing is for sure. If this had happened while I was away in Córdoba, or even just away for the afternoon, he probably would have died. He was in such a panic and hyperventilating that without me there to clean him up and calm him down I don’t think he’d still be here. So lucky! But hey, that’s his name. Azar.
casa azahar 
Geez I would have been really freaking out. I’m glad he seems comfortable. Hopefully the vet visit will be helpful. Keep us posted please.
LikeLike
What a morning! You probably would have been freaking out even more at the vet’s, mister anchovy. We are so lucky this damn thing burst. Turns out that all the fluid and gacky stuff inside was due to the tumour eating away at the surrounding tissue. Apparently the tumour itself is still quite small, but a whole huge area around it was filled with dead tissue that had become infected. Eva the vet said Azar must have been in terrible pain (!!!).
Anyhow, then the gross part came. She started cleaning out the wound and squeezed out globs and globs of dead tissue and ickyness. It took ages and Azar was as good as gold, obviously suffering but letting her do the job. Then she basically filled up the rather large empty space left with an ointment called Furacín – 18 mls fit in there! – covered the opening in gauze and wrapped a rather jaunty pink stretchy bandage around Azar (in the photo it looks red but it’s a really bright pink). During the day the ointment and “other bits” will ooze out of the wound, cleaning it out, so I will have to change the dressing a couple of times a day, plus once a day I have to squirt in more Furacín, using a syringe. I was told that every day less and less ointment will fit as the area starts to heal and close up. Eva also gave Azar anti-inflammatory and anti-biotic injections that included a pain killer, and he’ll start with oral anti-biotics tomorrow for ten days.
Azar is understandably very out of sorts now. The bandage is restricting his movement, which I think is frightening him. Anyhow, he’s gone back to his corner under the tv table, and I’m on duty until I have to go out tonight. It’s a shame both Peter and I have tapas tours as Azar will be left on his own for about four hours, but if I leave him in my room hopefully he’ll just rest. I think that after today he’ll start feeling better, once he’s over the trauma and the healing process begins.
But I mean… fuck! I feel just awful for not taking him back to the vet’s before now. Yolanda had bascially told me that there was nothing more that could be done for him at his age and to let “nature take its course”. So when I saw the lump getting bigger and bigger I thought that was just “nature” and – stupidly! – didn’t think that a tumour that big would have killed him off ages ago. Anyhow, better late than never. Eva said the recuperation will be long and slow, but she doesn’t see why Azar shouldn’t be able to rebuild some of the tissue lost and be much more comfortable. I am so sorry he’s been suffering so long and I didn’t realise it, thinking “it’s the tumour and there’s nothing I can do”. Idiot.
LikeLike
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cat through old age without beating up on myself because of something I missed — but you know, you did take the good old guy in to have the tumor evaluated and you took the other vet’s advice to heart, about what to expect and how much medical fuckery was worth while.. Sometimes, unfortunately, you get a vet who is not so hot and don’t realize it till things have gotten serious. It sounds like Eva is on top of things for now, and that Azar knew she was helping him. I hope he is getting used to the bandage.
LikeLike
I’m glad he’s doing better. Clearly he’s a very strong kitty!
LikeLike
Poor Azar!!! We are all (Mom, my niece and I) awwwing over him and ackking over the size of the tumour!! When he is able to, snibbles all round. And a hug for you.
LikeLike
I’m sure he’s stressed out right now, but he must be feeling so much better. Take care of that boy, he sounds like such a character. And don’t forget to give yourself some tlc, too!
LikeLike
You’re certainly not an idiot for taking the expert’s advice! I don’t know you, I can only go by what I read here, and I know you love that cat above all things. You would certainly not have let him suffer if you’d known there was anything that could’ve been done for him. Give yourself a break.
LikeLike
Poor Azar looks so helpless all wrapped up. Hopefully the ointment and antibiotics help the healing and the pain-killers do their thing and he can get some comfortable sleep.
LikeLike
Although Eva the vet assured me she hadn’t wrapped Azar up too tight I felt like you – that he looked all helpless and unhappy. So I left the original dressing on for a few hours to absorb most of the gack oozing out and just now changed the gauze and put on a fresh pink wrap-around, quite a bit looser than the previous one. And he looks much more content. Before he could only roll around like a sausage and at least now he can walk (more or less).
He also had a good feed of wet food and has had a drink. I’ve got his little “towel-bed” set up in my room for when we go out (in about an hour) and he’ll have food, water and a clean litter box nearby.
Wish I could stay home with him, but I’m sure he’ll be fine for a few hours. And hey, gotta pay the vet!
LikeLike
Poor kitty. I hope he gets some solid, healing sleep, too. He’ll feel much better and so will you in a couple of days. Don’t beat yourself up. You love this cat and are taking amazing care of him.
LikeLike
So I got home around midnight (Peter was still out) and Azar started to panic when I tried to get him out from under the bed. Then he realised it was me (duh) and came willingly. Now he’s just had a snack of wet food, another drink. I’ve adjusted his bandage a bit. loosening it again every so slightly, and he’s comfortably sitting on the sofa taking in the nice cool evening breeze coming in through the balcony windows.
Azar really came through today. Eva kept calling him “campeon” and couldn’t believe he was letting her do what she was doing. But as a result I think he’s going to be feeling much better very soon. Thanks for all your support!
LikeLike
There will always be something you “could” or “should” have done – but the main thing that you have done, is your best for him.
LikeLike
What a fighter! Great to see him on the mend!
LikeLike
I’m getting really good at the bandaging, as you can see. Went out and bought a softer cotton stretch bandage which breathes better and is more flexible. Turns out Azar just needs it snug enough to keep the gauze pads from falling off the wound, which isn’t very snug at all. And he was totally calm when I inserted a new batch of the ointment into the wound this morning.
Anyhow, here is our boy enjoying some sofa time on clean towels (been doing laundry like crazy!) and I’m going to try him with some asparagus now. He hasn’t eaten much the past couple of days…
LikeLike
To me he is looking better all the time! Did he like the asparagus?
LikeLike
He looks very comfy. I’m so glad he’s doing better.
LikeLike
Oh, I’m just getting caught up. I’m so glad that Azar is doing better, and that you are figuring out the bandaging. You are taking such good care of him. And what a trooper Azar is! I hope he heals up as fast as possible. Hugs and snibbles to you both.
LikeLike
Back from the vet’s! Eva had wanted to see Azar again today to check up on his progress and she was astounded. Apparently his wound inside has almost totally closed up. The first day she pumped 18 mls of that Furacín ointment into it, yesterday only about 8 mls fit in, and today barely 6 mls. She honestly could not believe how quickly it’s healing and said to bring him in on Saturday for another check-up. But frankly, as long as he starts eating and once no more ointment fits in, then I reckon he’s done and doesn’t need any more vet trauma for the time being.
I brought along the anti-biotic pills thinking Eva would be better and getting them down the hatch than I am. Turns out we’re about the same. But then, once home again, Azar had a big drink of water and promptly threw up the pill. So I guess I should give him another one now? I remember Yolanda the vet giving Azar a different type of anti-biotic last time, saying she didn’t want to give him the usual stuff because of his kidneys, and that he should only take the extra mild stuff for two days. But Eva has prescribed Synulox for ten days. Not sure what to do about that.
I have to say that having a vet within walking distance is a nice change. Not only do I save about 20 euros on taxi fare, but it’s also less traumatic walking through little side streets for ten minutes (with Peter along to do the carrying…). The reason I stopped going to this vet a few years ago was because of an incident with Sunny. Begonia (the owner) had made such a botched job of trying to extract blood, poking Sunny at least half a dozen times, that my usually gentle boy finally lashed out and chomped down hard on my hand (I was acting as assistant as, well, they don’t have assistants there). So I kind of lost confidence and went elsewhere, which was probably a bad move as those were the vets who basically killed Sunny by giving him a saline drip to rehydrate him and overloaded his failing kidneys. And when I got Loki, Yolanda was the vet associated with the dodgy cat shelter people. But since she possibly caused Azar’s tumour by giving him the vaccination improperly, and THEN told me to just let “nature take its course” I lost confidence in her too.
I guess it’s the same as with doctors. You rely on their expert opinion and experience, but in the end there are good ones and bad ones (though mostly mediocre ones) so you also have to rely on your own good sense and also how well you know your pet.
But I am over the moon with today’s good news, even though he’s still not eating. Yesterday I fed him some wet food with a syringe. Today it will be the same. Stay tuned…
LikeLike
Same time, same place, same spot on the dial . .
LikeLike
He looks unbelievably improved. He’s a tough old guy, and you care for him so well.
LikeLike
you are such a good Mum :}
*waits for next update*
LikeLike
Not much change today, other than the wound only allowed 3 mls of the ointment and Azar ate a little bit on his own this morning. Things are looking good. 🙂
LikeLike
Chowing down is good!!!!
LikeLike
Well, I wouldn’t call it chowing down exactly, but he had a few licks on his own while I held up a spoon which was heartening as he hadn’t wanted to even try eating anything for two days… later I had to use the syringe again just to make sure he had some calories to use up, without overloading his system. Hoping tomorrow will be even better.
LikeLike
It’s great he’s showing some interest.
LikeLike
I think because we tend to assume that vets should know what they are doing, and we lack the expertise to be able to assess their work, we don’t realize how bad some of them truly are. Same with medical doctors. Actually, I always tend to be wary because of many of those people were once Bio students, just like the ones I taught in Utah. I am horrified to imagine that some of them are now vets and medical doctors, and they are probably are.
LikeLike
Pingback: enjoying a sunbeam « casa az