Potential Pumpkin Problem
Pumpkin has a fleshy lump on his chin, which he's had for many years. When I first showed it to the vet he/she (it's that long ago) delivered the usual lump advice and said not to worry about it unless it started to grow suddenly.
Pumpkin gets a lot of attention and smooches, so it's been easy to keep an eye on that lump, if only unconsciously. Today it suddenly seemed bigger, and it had gone bald. It's fleshy and nodular. I had a feel around his throat and found a lump under the skin where I suspect his lymph gland is, on the same side. According to vet advice I should begin to worry about now.
It must be said that my thoughts immediately leapt to the possibility of cancer. Other more sensible thoughts tried to suggest it could just be an abcess, although he's showing no signs of infection. I have done the most sensible thing I can think of and have made a vet appointment for tomorrow. I've had a lot of practice at deferring panic ahead of evidence, but way too much experience in getting bad news, particularly about the boys in my life.
Consulting my brain just now I think I've made the same error of logic re Pumpkin as I did with BB - that the oldest ones die first. I found a little packet of assumption in the back of my head that thinks while Cally and Princess are still here, Pumpkin--the baby--is somehow "safe". I'm not saying that I think anyone is dying any time soon, but I think it's useful to have uncovered that particular assumption.
Pumpkin gets a lot of attention and smooches, so it's been easy to keep an eye on that lump, if only unconsciously. Today it suddenly seemed bigger, and it had gone bald. It's fleshy and nodular. I had a feel around his throat and found a lump under the skin where I suspect his lymph gland is, on the same side. According to vet advice I should begin to worry about now.
It must be said that my thoughts immediately leapt to the possibility of cancer. Other more sensible thoughts tried to suggest it could just be an abcess, although he's showing no signs of infection. I have done the most sensible thing I can think of and have made a vet appointment for tomorrow. I've had a lot of practice at deferring panic ahead of evidence, but way too much experience in getting bad news, particularly about the boys in my life.
Consulting my brain just now I think I've made the same error of logic re Pumpkin as I did with BB - that the oldest ones die first. I found a little packet of assumption in the back of my head that thinks while Cally and Princess are still here, Pumpkin--the baby--is somehow "safe". I'm not saying that I think anyone is dying any time soon, but I think it's useful to have uncovered that particular assumption.