Update On Donald

After conferring with the vet, and doing research on the internet, I decided to give Donald the surgery he needs. He will have his left leg amputated at the hip. The cancer is lower down on the leg, around what I guess would be his knee joint. The vet wants to remove all of the bone that may possibly be affected.  The X-rays showed that his lungs were clear of cancer. However, there is no guarantee that the cancer won't spread to some other organ of his body.  Amputation isn't a cure for cancer, it is considered a palliative treatment. This means that it does not cure the underlying cause, it only reduces the pain and suffering of the individual.
     In Donald's case, he has probably been in some discomfort from the cancer in his leg bone since I picked him up from the SPCA a little over a year ago. One of the symptoms of cancer in animals is that they hide. It is a natural instinct to want to conceal their weaknesses. He always had a funny sideways gait which I attributed to having to navigate slippery laminated floors. There must always have been a weakness in his leg which hindered him from jumping up onto high places. He can jump up onto the bed or couch now, but it is after a concentrated ready-set-jump effort in which he has to take extra time to gauge distance and height.
     On the day after the diagnosis I decided I had to "do" something. So what did I do? I went shopping. I bought Donald a 2' x 6' runner carpet to put in front of the bed. This effectively enlarged his comfort zone by 12 square feet. He can now jump up and down from the bed easier, and lounge beside the bed, instead of under it all the time. Donald is pleased with his new rug.

    Well, the surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Donald has been fasting since I left for work, and now that I'm home from work he's concerned because there is still no food or water down for him, not even a treat. I feel bad because I can tell he thinks he has done something wrong, committed some horrible crime to deserve this withholding of food. He's chortling and asking ever so politely, "Please Sir, may I have a bit to eat?"

    It's time for us to get to bed and try to get some rest for tomorrow. He'll curl up next to my pillow and purr me to sleep. It's going to be hard to fall asleep when he's away in the hospital.