LESSONS LEARNED
There are several things I learned during Woodrow’s illness – some by default – which I will pass along for those who are interested.
For any illness with your cat: If you’re not sure about the treatment recommended for your cat, get a second opinion. Or a third. Or whatever it takes until you are sure. Learn as much as you can about the illness and the options for treating it. Decide what you want for your pet, and also what you don’t want. Be clear about this with the vet and techs – without being rude, of course. The same is true if you’re not happy about the way you or your pet is being treated by your vet and/or staff. Try talking it out first, but if they can’t or won’t do what you want, find someone who will.
For cancer: I think the best thing I did was to get a second opinion with a board certified veterinary oncologist. If there isn’t any near you, try a board certified veterinary internist. Even if you are happy with your primary vet, as I was, veterinary oncology is changing so quickly that it’s extremely difficult for a general practice vet to keep up.
Ask for copies of all notes and tests on your pet as they are done. And keep your own notes (on what you notice about your pet after each treatment, response to medications, about what the vets tell you, etc.). These can help your vet in making treatment decisions, and help you avoid confusion later on. With Woodrow’s care, the medications were so numerous, and the amounts and timing changed so often that – even though I have a fairly good memory – I couldn’t have kept it all straight.
For feline cancer, maintaining good nutritional status is very important. Make certain your cat is weighed on the same scale each time it goes in to the clinic. If it starts to lose weight, ask if either Hills a/d or Clinicare are advisable. These are nutritionally complete cat foods that also are nutritionally dense: that is, they contain everything your cat needs for long-run good nutritional status, but in smaller portions. This way, cats that can’t or won’t eat enough to maintain their weight can be fed smaller portions and still not lose weight.
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