fibrosarcoma in cats...2nd update!

[kb2yjx]

First, welcome! How old is your cat?? We just lost our 14yr cat in June to intestinal lymphoma. Ralph was not doing well, so we weighed out the options and went with the least invasive for a cat of Ralph's age and personality. You will make the best decision for your cat...

[LittleOrangeKitten]

First of all, welcome to this wonderful site. There are so many wonderful people; all willing to offer advice or condolences when needed. I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying for your precious furbaby.

I lost my precous Gideon to Fibrosarcoma 2.5 years ago. I did everything I could to save his life; even took him to Auburn University for a six-week radiation treatment. I drove down from Huntsville (8 hr round trip) every Friday. I would check him out for the weekend and we would stay at the hotel near the campus that catered to pets and their owners. All in all, Gideon had three tumors removed (two surgeries). Even now I question could I have done anything else; although I know I couldn't have. I spent just over $4,000, but I feel he was worth every dollar because of the unconditional love and happiness he gave me.

Fibrosarcoma is an extremely agressive cancer and is believed to grow from vaccination sites on your animal. The tumors have microscopic "fingers" that extend into the muscle, making removal of a tumor almost impossible since you need microscopic surgery to "get everything". When even a tiny tendril is missed, the cancer grows back quicker and larger than before. I truly could not believe what I was seeing.

There is so much I want to write/say. This is the first time I've been able to write anything about Gideon and his cancer, so everything is literally tumbling out of my brain/emotions/feelings. Please research your area and see if you have any homeopathic vets in your area. Agressive cancers aside, there are several successful treatments for cancer in animals AND humans that aren't dangerous like radiation and chemo are. Shirley's Wellness Cafe has a very expansive search and offers great information.

My two cats I have now DO NOT get any vaccinations except for rabies. Shortly after Gideon went to the RB, my mother discovered a fibrosarcoma on her cat, Samantha Ann. Very fortunately for her, the vet removed the tumor, making sure he went as deep as possible into her leg muscle. She was left with the tiniest of limps, but compared with the alternative an occassional limp wasn't a problem.

If you want to ask me questions or just talk, please email me at [email protected] - and I will be glad to help any way I can.

[TopCat3]

Little OrangeKitten - that sounds like exactly what happened to my Sapphire. Except it was not treatable. I actually had a feeling it might have been fibrosarcoma but didn't want to say so straight off because of the aggressive nature and dismal prognosis. I didn't want to upset fragrancehound and then find out I was wrong.

Gosh I hope everything works out for you fragrancehound.

p.s. I don't vax my cats now either. Rabies is not an issue here in Oz and there are no compulsory vax like you have.

[LittleOrangeKitten]

Hello again everyone,

I wish we didn't have compulsory vaccinations here in the states; seems like we are so drug happy here. Got to have a vaccination or a drug for everything.

I truly wish I had had someone to talk to when Gideon was diagnosed. I didn't find this site until December after he went to the RB in May 2004. I spoke at length with my vet about Fibrosarcoma and even ask her if legal action was possible against the companies that had developed the vax. Unfortunately, being able to prove the case would have been difficult. First of all because of the number of distributors and also because the manufacturers had since changed their formulas and gaining access to evidence would have been near impossible.

Evidently, the ingredient that causes the cancer to form at the vax site is aluminum. The drug companies use that as a "encapsulator" to carry the medicine. They have since stopped using it. I honestly cannot believe why they would have ever used it in the first place. Aluminum is bad for humans; why wouldn't it have the same ill effects on animals?!

One other option some vets employ is giving vaccinations in the tail. That way if the cancer develops the tail can be removed without the animal having any recurrence of the tumors. I still believe the best way is no vaccinations at all, unless you need to board your animals frequently or the animals are outdoor.

Gosh, please forgive me for rambling on so. It seems once I started talking about this the words won't stop. I left work yesterday and went home and had a meltdown. I cried the entire time I was taking care of my kitties and while I cooked dinner. I still feel incredible guilt: #1 for allowing all those vaccinations when I thought they were good for him; and #2 for . . . I don't know...maybe for not being able to take away his pain or suffer it myself. I really need to get to the point where I can forgive myself.

*sigh* Guess I'd better get to work here. I hope everyone has a wonderful day and FragranceHound PLEASE keep us updated on your baby.

[Kirsten]

I'm very sorry! First of all, let me welcome you to this place, you'll find a lot of support and advice here!

I hope the lump will turn out to be something else. Believe me, I know exactly what you're going through right now. Three months ago, I detected a lump between my Luna's shoulder blades, and immediately thought of a vaccine-related fibrosarcoma. It scared me to death and I cried for days. Luna was almost ready for surgery, but then we decided to watch the lump for a little while. It got smaller, so it's very unlikely that it's a fibrosarcoma! My vet thinks it's a harmless reaction to an antibiotic shot.

Best wishes to you and your cat, please keep us updated!

Kirsten