The Lump on Alex’s Rump Returned

He doesn’t hear you or see you…He’s in La La Land…what he’s seeing doesn’t even exist.

That’s what the veterinarian’s assistant said when I was talking with Alex this evening. He was in his deluxe cat carrier. He seemed awake. He seemed to be looking around. But his eyes seemed to be unfocused and he moved his head as if he was woozy.

And woozy he was! Caryl, Alex’s vet, told me he had not yet recovered from the anesthesia used in this afternoon’s surgery and probably would not until tomorrow. But let me begin last Saturday when all of this started.

As you may remember, not long ago Alex had a lump on his rump that he disposed of by intense licking even before we were able to keep his appointment with his vet. Caryl congratulated Alex for solving the problem, and prescribed a salve to speed along the healing process and antibiotics to treat the infection that had caused the lump.

All seemed well until Saturday night when I picked Alex up to cuddle him and he cried as if in pain. It was then that I noticed that he had another lump developing on his rump not far from where the first lump had been. Alex behaved OK over the weekend—eating, playing inside and out, napping. He did his normal stuff except if he happened to bump the lump on his rump, he cried.

Monday I called his veterinarian and made an appointment for her to see Alex today. I would have taken Alex yesterday, but I had an appointment that was made in early September to see my veterinarian (V.A. orthopedic clinic) on Monday about my leg .

So today I captured Alex twice and stuffed him in his deluxe cat carrier. The first attempt at stuffing failed when he made mince meat of my right hand. At the vet’s Caryl recommended that a shunt be inserted to fully drain this lump since evidently the first lump did not drain completely. I agreed, and when she told me the cost of the surgery, thanked God that I now have an income to cover it.

I returned about six hours later to pick up my little fellow. That’s when the veterinarian’s assistant told me that Alex was in La La Land, where’s he’ll probably remain until tomorrow morning. Following the after surgery instructions Caryl provided, Alex in now in a dark, quiet warm place still inside his deluxe cat carrier recovering from the anesthetic. He goes back to the vet on Thursday to have the shunt removed if all of the nasty stuff has drained out.

I’ll not be taking or posting any pictures of Alex tonight because the vet said that until the anesthetic wears off, he will be quite sensitive to light and sound. Perhaps I’ll snap a pic or to tomorrow, although the spot on his rump that once had the lump is far from attractive. Also Alex is going to be really mad at me because the home care instructions from the vet not only say to keep him inside, but I have one of those cone thingies to slip over his head when he awakens.

Please keep Alex in your thoughts. And me, too: one minced meat hand is enough this week.

Addendum 7:27 AM, Wednesday:

Alex is awake, out of his carrier, cone collar is on (after half dozen attempts), breakfast eaten, oral antibiotic received (after half dozen attempts). He is now trying his damnedest to escape the collar. I am exhausted! More later.