Positive thoughts for Haggis:hyperthyroid+tongue lesion

I was doing research and came around your site. A nice place for moral support! *sigh*

We took our kitties (Haggis & Hamish, 10 years old, half brothers, indoor only grey/black white spotted) to the vet on Friday to get their teeth cleaned. We found out that they both have hyper-thyroidism. So, they have to be on meds for the rest of the lives. Haggis had a lesion removed under his tongue and we won't know till Wed. if it is benign or malignant-although the vet didn't think it looked good because it was spreading. It was operable and he is 99% sure he got it all with the warning that he doesn't know what is going on in a micro level-so Haggis has to be watched closely.

Anyway, stressful and sad. Thankfully, Hamish is finally over his "Haggis amnesia" and no longer hisses and growls at his brother.

Anyone have any experience with hyper-thyroidism? Tongue lesions?

I'm feeling a bit panicked. They are the best kitties.:(
Thank you for listening.

Aww, no experience with it, but your boy will be in our prayers.

Welcome to Pet Talk! I've not had experience w/these things either but just wanted to lend you my support and assure you that prayers are going up right now for your furkids and that all will be well. Pix would be nice when you get the chance. :)

Attachment 40717

Here is photo...I think it's attached.:confused: I'm not very good with these message board things. I don't have a photobucket account or anything.

Thank you for all the positive thoughts. I grew up with kitties all who lived to be 17 and 18 years old. I am hopeful this will turn out okay.:(

(Oh! Haggis is in the foreground, grey & white and Hamish is in the back, black & white. They love to lay on the stairs when it's a sunny day!)

Aw, what pretty kitty kats. I have one, Boo, who is 17 and another Pigeon, who is 18 1/2, so I'm w/ya on that one. I'm used to cats living a long time, too. My Puddy went to the Bridge last month at age 14 and my Peeka before her at the same age, both from renal failure but I'm hopeful that the rest of my Fur Posse of 6 will live a looooong time. Hopefully, we'll hear more about your two that everything is just fine. And don't feel bad about posting photos, etc. I'm w/ya on that one, too. LOL :)

Last night and this morning so far Haggis doesn't act like his jolly self. He has 6 stitches under his tongue, maybe they are bothering him, I don't know. He seemed to be doing better the day after his surgery than now. He gags a little and is staying away from his food. I fed him some food from a spoon and then he walked away...oh kitties! He has me worried.:(

Poor guy, I am sure the stitches are bothering him. I think hand-feeding him - and making sure he gets fluids - is all you can do right now. Poor guy! Oh, and which kitty is which in the photo? Their markings are remarkably similar!

Yes, it does sound like perhaps his stitches are bothering him. If you can continue to hand feed him, I'm sure he'll improve w/time. Keep your vet informed, though, just in case there may be something else going on. Prayers still continuing......

:) Welcome to Pet Talk & enjoy all the talks & pics..

:love: Your babies are so Adorable.. I would bet its the stitches that is bothering him.. Hope your babies Get Well Soon.. No I have never heard of what they have.. Sending Lots of Prayers

Haggis is the kitty on the front step, he is gray and white. Hamish is in the back and he is black and white. They are half brothers but I don't know if it's the same mom or the same dad. I got them at a no kill cat rescue shelter 10 years ago.

Poor Haggis always seems to have the bad luck. When he was a kitten he had a bump removed from his paw that the vet couldn't determine what it was. It wasn't benign and it wasn't entirely malignant- it had all kinds of different bad cells in it and hadn't decided what it was yet. About 3 years ago he had bladder crystals and had to have emergency surgery. So, now, poor kitty has stitches in his mouth!

Thank you all for your good thoughts!

Sorry no experience with this. but Welcome to pet talk and the CREW's prayers are with your babies and you.

Welcome!! I have a 17 yr old with hyperthyroidism, byt never had a cat with a mouth lesion. Sending prayers for your boy....

We got the worst possible news. Haggis has squalimous cell carcinoma. The vet said we have the option to treat it aggressively and go to an oncologist. I just don't know what to do. :(

Do go and talk to the oncologist. They have made huge advancements in treating cancer in pets. Ask for a second opinion if you are not sure of the answer from the first vet, okay?

I'm really sorry to hear this but, as Karen said, they've made huge strides in treating cancer in pets. Your PT friends will be here to encourage you and you and Haggis will be in our prayers. We pray w/out ceasing here in Ohio. Keep the faythe.

Thank you everyone. We have an appointment on Friday morning to determine what, if any, options we have. They will do x-rays and blood work and more...my hubby talked to them because I was too upset. We are willing to do all we can if we can help him. Our vet said the specialists will give us straight talk and not false hope. So, we'll see. I can tell he doesn't feel well at all. Is it more than the stitches? Not eating and feeling weak?

I just feel so bad. What a terrible day. *sigh*

Hi there. I'm so sorry to hear about your cat Haggis. I went through a similar thing with my cat Tiger who had Squamous Cell Carcinoma as well. He had a tumour in his nasal passage. I learned about Transfer Factor (a super immune booster) through Catty1 and emailed back and forth with a woman who had given it to her cat who also had S.C.C. Her cat was in very bad condition and she didn't want to put him through surgery. She scheduled his euthanasia but just couldn't go through with it. She started him on Transfer Factor and within months he was greatly improved until he was in remission. Her vet was very surprised and her cat is still with her today, years later.
I bought some and was able to give it sporadically to my cat Tiger but he was so fussy that he just wouldn't eat it if mixed in with other food. My other cats couldn't even tell it was in there because they would come up and try and eat his food but Tiger wasn't having any of it. I didn't want to force it on him because whenever I did that it was very stressful for him. I ultimately had to let him go to the Bridge after a year but I really think that if I had been able to get the Transfer Factor in him, he would have had a much better chance.
I have half a bottle left over and a whole bottle that has been compounded into a thick chicken flavoured suspension by the compounding pharmacy if you are interested. I would have to check with them first to see if it is still okay to use as it was compounded a few months ago. I have also offered this to KittyKatherine, whose cat is also fighting cancer. If she would like some too, I could send one of you the bottle and one of you the suspension. :)

Whatever you decide, my thoughts are with you.

Well, we have to come to terms that Haggis will be here maybe for another 2 months. Based on the size of the lesion removed they couldn't do any more surgery or if they did it would be radical with removing part of his jaw because it's likely already into his bone-plus radiation-plus a feeding tube and then he would only get another 6 months. What a miserable 6 months.

So, for as long as we have him he can eat all the cheese and sour cream he wants and the high carb kitty food. We have antibiotics to help the stitches heal from the biopsy which will ease the pain too plus pain killers for when that no longer works and high protein food that he can eat when he doesn't feel up to it so-less is actually more. Very sad. My husband said this is the first time he's had a pet where he knew that they wouldn't be around much longer and had to plan for-that day.

Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions and offers. One day at a time I guess...:(

I am sorry to hear about Haggis. They are both beautiful kitties.
Did you read the post above yours from Emeraldgreen? She suggests something that might help Haggis, if you are interested, or think it would work.
I'm with your husband. I've never had to deal with that either. Knowing that your animal is only going to be around for a while. I can only imagine how tough it is. I'm sure I will experience it someday, hopefully not too soon.

Anyway, welcome to Pet Talk and I will keep you and Haggis in my thoughts.

I'm just so sorry to read about Haggis. I would like to suggest that you take Emeraldgreen up on her offer. She's been through the same thing w/her cat Tiger and it may give you some hope of keeping Haggis w/you a little while longer. I do know how tough it is when your vet tells you that one of your furkids doesn't have much time left. It's heartbreaking. Give that boy some gentle pets from me and (((HUGS))) to you.

I am so sorry.

Do try the Transfer Factor. It certainly can't hurt.

{{{{hugs}}}}

I was so miserable about yesterdays diagnosis I glazed over about the Transfer Factor. I looked at their website but couldn't find the link to order it. I guess I'll look again. Anything is worth trying at this point.

EmeraldGreen- the chicken flavored suspension would probably be best. If you can point to the link where you bought it I can see if I can get it so as to not trouble you with shipping etc...

So far Haggis is doing okay. He is eating a lot but doesn't have his usual energy. Poor kitty. :(

Fingers and paws crossed that this will help.
Thank you again for all your prayers and online hugs. We really appreciate it so much. I'll keep you posted on how Haggis is doing...:love:

Emeraldgreen has some left over she can ship to you...so you needn't worry too much about the website (it can be a bit much to navigate even a simple site when you are upset.)

Even though EG's kitty Tiger refused the TF in ANY form whatsoever, he had taken it between a couple of surgeries, though not very much. However, the vets were surprised at how long and well he lasted.

So - ya never know.

HUGS!:love:

Yes, I would be more than happy to ship the already compounded chicken flavoured Transfer Factor to you if you'd like. However, I completely understand that you don't know me and you may be uncomfortable with receiving meds like this. But if you decide to, please PM me and I will send it off to you.
If you decide to just order right from the company, here is a link:
Transfer Factorhttp://www.transferfactor-us.com/.
And here is a video about the product. It's an infomercial but it does have some good info. :0)
The product is called Transfer Factor Plus. They do have one for pets but the success stories that I have learned about with regard to cancer have used Transfer Factor Plus.
Another woman Shelley, gave her cat, who was in grave condition, 3 or 4 capsules per day for a few months. She opened the caps and mixed it with butter and smeared it on her cats paw and then he cleaned it up. My cat would never go for that so I mixed it in with his food but then he got finicky after awhile and was very suspicious when he saw me mixing his wet food. That is when I took the bottle of Transfer Factor to my local compounding pharmacy and asked them to mix it with a chicken flavoured suspension which they have on hand for pet meds. Unfortunately he wouldn't eat anything with the suspension in it and I didn't want to force it. But as mentioned before, my other cats didn't even seem to notice it was mixed in the food, even when I just opened the capsules and mixed it in so it was just my Tiger that was such a stubborn boy. :rolleyes:

I do hope you'll try the T.F. because this other woman has had such amazing success with it and her cat is still alive and this is years later after he was diagnosed with cancer. He had a tumour in the beginning but the vets cannot find any evidence of it.

And as Catty1 mentioned, the vets were amazed that Tiger lived as long as he did (1 year after his diagnoses). He did have 4 surgeries to remove the tumours that kept growing back but they were surprised at the slow growth of the tumours and I do attribute that to the T.F. even though I was only able to get about 1.5 caps every other day in him.

Anyway, I'm so sorry about the diagnosis. I know exactly how you are feeling. Tiger was with me for 12+ years and it was devastating to learn such news. My thoughts are with you.

hopes and prayers are with you. I also know of success stories with Transfer Factor. It would be worth a try.The time you have left is the most important of all,make both of you never regret it.Good luck katslady

I ordered more Transfer Factor- the type you recommended. My mother-in-law takes her pets to a naturopath (sp.?) vet so I will consult him about any interactions I may have to worry about.

I also came across this:
http://www.petwellbeing.com/cat-cancer-p28.cfm

Has anyone tried this?

Haggis is very aware of things that don't belong his food so he may not be too cooperative. I'll do what I can. So far he is behaving normal. I think the stitches in his mouth have healed and he feels better. He is eating a lot and played "whack an iphone" when I was taking close up pix of him laying on the dining room table (!) last night. :)

Would Haggis like Pill Pockets?

They are a bit soft treat that pills go into, and many cats like them. Or - you may have to put the powder into them instead.

Emeraldgreen used salmon cream cheese! Later on, it caused too much 'gunkiness' in Tiger's throat. You could try really cheap stinky cat food - salmon flavour - which may mask the taste. As EG said, most of her cats didn't notice, so maybe Haggis won't either.

PT Prayers for Haggis!

Yes, I've tried Pill Pockets. He picks them up in his mouth and then drops them and looks at me like I'm crazy to think he'd eat such a thing.;)

I've been feeding them both plain ol tuna with their hyper thyroid meds mixed in. It works in the morning when they are super hungry but not so much at the end of the day. I find that Hamish eats all his but Haggis sometime leaves the crushed pills behind- little white parts go un-eaten. Next try is the pills pushed into cheddar cheese.

Thanks again everyone. Btween you and my BFF who has many pets and gone through this sort of thing before- I have some good shoulders to lean on.:love:

I'm sorry for all the bad news you've had recently, but enjoyed seeing the photo of Haggis & Hamish (love the names!) -- they look just like my cat Zorro!

Good luck with the hyperthyroid meds -- I remember what a pain they were when we had to give them to our cat Murphy. We eventually gave up on it, but he still lived to be nearly 19. I hope Hamish's hyperthyroidism doesn't cause many long-term problems for you.

I had a similar experience with the Pill Pockets with all three of my current cats; even Einstein, who basically eats anything that will stand still long enough, won't eat them. Go figure...!

I'll be sending lots of positive thoughts your way that Haggis is himself again soon, and that both your guys do as well as possible!

All the best,
Diana

Hi everyone-
Haggis is still his old self and seems happy and content doing all the stuff he did before his diagnosis. I finally received in the mail the ES for Cat Cancer and the Transfer Factor. Tomorrow, I have to take Hamish to the vet because he has a huge bald sore under his neck and has developed one under his eye. When it rains it pours I guess! Anyway, I am taking the 2 products with me to see what the vet says before giving one of them to Haggis. I am afraid to try something that might have a negative effect on an organ or something-which I was warned about by my mother-in-law (long story there). I also will be talking to a naturopath vet at the end of the week.

Hope everyone is doing well with you and in your household.
Best wishes...
:)

Hello, sorry I didn't see this thread earlier.

Hyperthyroidism is fairly common in cats. I've had 2 cats develop this. the first one, I didn't realize there was a problem until he'd had it for some time. He was on the pills for about 4 years before he died. The second cat was much older when she developed it. She was on the pills for about a year and died of something totally unrelated. It CAN be controlled with the pills.

So sorry to read about Hagrid's cancer. I remember Emeraldgreen's Tiger, and yes the Transfer Factor would be a great thing to try.

Let us know about these bald spots that Hamish has developed.

I love that photo of your boys on the stairs, in the dappled sunshine. :D

I'm so glad to hear that Haggis is doing better but sorry to hear about Hamish. My Creamsicle had a bald spot right on the top of her head and another under her chin, too, and it turned out to be allergies, so maybe that's what's going on w/Hamish. She's on Prednisolone for it and, as a matter of fact, is due for her check-up on Wednesday because she's having a bit of a relapse. Do keep us posted about your kitties. :)

Well,looks like Hamish is having an allergic reaction to something-most likely his hyper thyroid medicine. The vet said those kind of reactions usually manifest around the face and neck. So, he got a shot of cortisone which lasts up to 3 weeks in his system and some topical cream. He said also it could be the Fancy Feast food that we gave them as a treat but that was over a week ago. So,he said to continue with the meds and if he doesn't improve we'll have to find another way to treat him. The options there are a gel or getting it made into a suspension at a people pharmacy...

For Haggis-ES Clear for Cat Cancer got a thumbs down because of the possible negative reactions to several components *BUT* Transfer Factor got a thumbs up! So, I am starting Haggis on that today. If he doesn't like it I'll get a suspension made. Thank you EmeraldGreen! We'll see how it goes. Fingers and paws crossed for luck!

Yes, good luck! Thank you for keeping us updated, and your Hammish and Haggis will remain in our prayers.

Hi everyone-
Hamish is healed up from his awful looking bald spots and seems to be putting weight back on and behaving like his old self.

Haggis is so far (knock wood) not symptomatic. The vets gave him 2 months to live basically (from the 10/31 when the lesion was discovered) and if you would see him you wouldn't even know he has cancer. He is eating well and playing. I am so thankful that he still doing well. He is taking Transfer Factor with no problem. I mix it up in Fancy Feast Minced Turkey and Cheese Souffle and he loves it. Hubby says to not get my hopes up but to appreciate every day he is here. :love:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you so much for the well wishes and prayers. They are very much appreciated. :)

I'm SO glad to hear Hamish is all healed.

as for Haggis - quality of life is what's it's all about. I'd say if he DOESN'T show any symptoms in 2 months, you better phone the vets and get him a checkup right away! ;)

PT Prayers for both boys!:love::love:

Well, that's a pretty good report, I'd say. I'm glad to read that Hamish is healed. As for Haggish, the way my vet expressed it to me is "Expect the best but prepare for the worst" so I know exactly what your husband meant. Enjoy the good times and hold that good thought. It's apparently working. :love:

I was trying to find some information on the specific cancer Haggis has, and I found a website where several owners are asking this specific vet about treatment for squamous cell carcinoma. I would look over it, because depending where the cancer is located seemed to indicate different treatements (i.e. chemotherapy, radiation therpy, and Photodynamic therapy). My cat just finished 6months of chemotherapy (she has nasal lymphoma) and she had a high quality of life throughtout the whole procedure. Here is the website:

http://www.vetinfo4cats.com/csqucell.html


I hope this helps some, and you are in my heart. I know exactly how a cancer diagnosis feels. PT is a wonderful place to get information and to talk with others who know what you are going through. You guys are in my prayers!:love::love::love:

I'm so happy to hear about the good report on both your boys, Haggis and Hamish! Fancy Feast must be tasty because it's the one thing I can sneak stuff into for my cats as well! Is cheese souffle/minced turkey a Fancy Feast flavour or do you mix cheese souffle with the turkey Fancy Feast? If it is a flavour, we don't have that here in B.C.

I'm glad that Haggis is eating the Transfer Factor without a problem. I began giving it to my foster cat Barney who was diagnosed with cancer less than a month ago. It didn't agree with him though so he is on another product called Immunocal. It's a natural whey protein and has cancer fighting properties. Here is the website if you're interested. It may be something that you could give in conjuction with with the Transfer Factor, I'm not sure but your vet could let you know. It is derived from milk, though the final product has no milk in it so it is safe for those with lactose intolerance. It's a powder that you can mix right into the wet food and doesn't seem to affect the flavour of the food at all.