Maya Linn's sneezing problem

[moosmom]

I've posted before about Maya Linn's chronic sneezing. She was seen by several vets who ALL claimed she had a URI and she's been on every single antibiotic on the market to no avail.:(:( Her lungs are clear.

I took her to a holistic vet who treated her with Phosphorus, Silicea and then Sulphur. Nothing is helping. My suspicions tell me she has a polyp in either her left nostril or in her sinuses. She has this little "bump" on the left side of her nose that comes and goes. I just don't know what to do. The vet is stumped as well. Another holistic vet at the same hospital gave me nose drops to help with the congestion. The "goop" is only in the left nostril. Sometimes it's clear, sometimes it's yellow. A vaccination carcinoma was found on her back quarters. Don't know if there's any correlation between the two.

I SO want to have an x-ray of her sinuses done to see if there is a polyp. But my funds are VERY limited. I think I'm going to see if they can do a culture to see if there are cancerous cells in the mucus. If there are, I guess all I can do is keep her happy, comfortable and loved. The vet says she's not in any pain. But her eyes tell me she's miserable. She is the third kitty who has had this problem. I just don't know what to do.

She's my little 13 year old Puerto Rican Dumpster Kitty who I've had since she was 12 weeks old. I am absolutely over the moon for this little girl, who won AACE's 3rd Best Household Pet Nationally!!!!

If you guys can spare prayers for my little girl, I'd appreciate it.

[phesina]

Prayers and healing energies are being sent for dear sweet beloved Maya Linn. Be well, little girl!

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Freedom]

Donna, my Sugar has a nasal polyp. An xray will not show this, xrays show bone, not soft tissue. The way to see it is with a procedure where the pet is anesthetized, and a small scope is inserted, either up the nostril or via the back of the throat. For Sugar, the darn thing is in a place they can't reach,* so they can't remove it, cauterize the spot and be done. Instead, Sugar has a "lavage" where they flush water through the passage to remove as much of the polyp as possible. They biopsy the largest bit to come out, to determine if it is cancerous or not. Most polyps are not cancerous, and Sugar's is not. Sugar has had this lavage 3 times in 5 years and is scheduled again for next week. I worry as now she is age 14.5 years, and that darn anesthesia becomes a risk in itself!

Picture the nasal passage as an upside down "J". Sugar's polyp is on the bottom of the upper curve == the curve is at the top, remember. So they would need an instrument which can turn 180 degrees in a VERY small space; no such thing exists at this point. It would have to be strong enough to remove the polyp and all its roots. Then a similar instrument to cauterize, again no such thing exists. The only thing they "could" do is break the facial bone to get in there - NOT doing that!

So, in between procedures, we use prednisone and nasal spray (Afrin or the store brand) to control the inflammation and swelling of the surrounding tissues. I think they told me the pred also slows the growth of the polyp. When we get to the point that this is no longer working, have to do the lavage again.

We went as long as 2 years once. Sugar had the lavage last May 2011, and is now having to go again next week, not even a year this time. Sigh.

Hope this info helps. Not sure how much of it "translates" from a dog to a cat, and of course, do not give any meds without a vet's OK, as many things dogs can take are toxic to cats.

[moosmom]

I think that little "spot" on the outside of her left nostril is a polyp. It seems to get more prominent when she has flare ups. I'm waiting for the vet to call me.

Thanks for the explanation, Sandie. That explains a lot. Poor Sugar. I hope she feels better.