Tiger's Home! 'The butter incident!'

[Emeraldgreen]

Thank you so much everybody.

[QUOTE=Catty1]emeraldgreen - if this is the last kick at the can - why not go for the cryogenic surgery?QUOTE

I sent an email to my vet (it's the best way to get a message to him) on Saturday and he is out of town until tomorrow. I told him about all the meds that my local vet has prescribed etc.. and that I wanted to go ahead with another surgery. I asked him to get back to me with a quote for the cryosurgery and with info regarding healing time etc... I'm hoping to speak with him tomorrow. Another thing is the timing, I had him originally booked for Mar. 24th but by Sunday he was doing so badly and I panicked and called them asking them if they could bump up the surgery which they did to the 17th. The last time I was considering the cryosurgery, my vet was trying to get ahold of cryo equipment from the human hospital but it was going to take weeks to line up. I'm thinking it will be much the same now. Of course, I wish I had planned this better but I honestly didn't think my husband would let me take him for a third surgery anyway. But, when he started suffering, I became fairly determined and knew I was going to get him in to get it done.
I will speak with my vet about the cryo surgery and see what the cost would be. I appreciate your thought of raising funds via PT but Tiger is around 12/13 and this cancer is very aggressive and his time may not be that long on this earth no matter what route we take. And, I know there are so many other cats and dogs on PT that need help that are young animals. But I will get all the details and let you know what I find out.
Also, I'm not sure if IMOM would be able to help because, thankfully, my vet is charging me as if Iam on his staff because I made their website for them and maintain it. It's still around 6-700.00 for the tumor removal but it's about half the cost it would normally be. But I will check into IMOM and see.
Thanks for all the prayers!

[Catty1]

I might have sounded like I was being negative about your decision, and I am sorry if I came off that way.

Just that Tiger has become so special to me here on PT (and many others, I am sure) - and I just want the best and a miracle for him!

HUGS!

[Emeraldgreen]

Thanks Catty1, I really appreciate that. I didn't take what you wrote in a negative way at all. I know that you are trying to help me help Tiger.
I have found so much support here ever since I first found PT in July when Tiger first became ill and it has and continues to be so helpful to me. Thanks for the advice. I'll let you know what my vet says and what route we decided to take.
I should add that while Tiger is in good shape, he is changing with the cancer. His excellent appetite is likely from the cancer. This is what my local vet told me. She said that pets often become ravenous and no matter how much they eat, they will eventually just keep losing weight. He has lost some weight but not too much.
He is 'off balance' here and there which is ever increasing and difficult to watch when he tries to jump up on stuff unsuccessfully. It breaks my heart to see a cat who has always been 'king' fall and look embarrased. If I'm in the room when it happens, I scoop him up before he can even have a seconds thought about it and tell him how wonderful he is and cover him with kisses and then I help him get up onto whatever it was that he was trying to hop up to.
He is less tolerant now with some of the cats and gets 'angry' with them. But, I can certainly understand his frustration when he is having a hard time breathing. But, all in all, he is in good condition for what he has been diagnosed with and I don't think he's ready to go and I know I'm not ready to let him go. So, we'll get the tumor removed for sure and possibly the cryosurgery. I'm just not 100% about the cryo because my vet has never done it before and it scares me a bit. And I don't want Tiger to go downhill if the pain makes him stop eating and he starts losing weight etc.. But as you mentioned, your mom's cat had it done and the healing sounds like it wasn't too bad. Anyway, I'll know more in a few days.

[jennielynn1970]

It just sounds so aggressive, it's so sad! Poor little guy, he has no idea what is going on and why he is in so much distress. Ugh. I just makes you wish that these types of burdens could be on those who can understand, talk to the doctors and bear the burdens easier, you know?? At least that is how I usually feel. I hate to think of any one or any creature suffering.

Our one good guidance counselor at school has an aggressive tumor that is growing on the meninges of his brain and in the bone. It grows outward, so you can see the spread over his skull and his face. It's so heartbreaking. The doctors said this is something he'll have for life, and the surgeries to remove it (he's had it once already, and the tumor then was the size of an orange) will not make it stop, and chemo and all that can't kill it. It's sad. He's such a wonderful guy, just got remarried, has a 5 yr old daughter. Sigh. Always the sweet and innocent that have to suffer.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear this. He'll remain in my thoughts and prayers. Please take care. (((HUGS)))

[Emeraldgreen]

Hi guys, well here's the scoop. I have been on the phone and emailing back and forth with my vet and the hospital staff and we finally came to a decision.
A few days ago I spoke with the clinic and they told me that they had heard of a tool called the Cryo Pen and they were going to see if they could get it shipped to Canada. During that time I looked into it on the internet and found a company in Florida that makes a similar device called the Cryoprobe. I called them for more info and the woman on the phone told me that one of the company's owners was a retired veterinarian and she had him call me. He was very helpful and after hearing Tiger's whole story he said that the cryoprobe would not work well going in through the nose because the vet wouldn't be able to see clearly enough and Tiger's nasal turbinates could be damaged. He said that if the vet went through Tiger's palate which was the plan anyway, he might as well just remove the tumor in it's entirety and skip the cryosurgery. I was really surprised to hear him say this since this guy sells these instruments. But he said that removing the tumor should be sufficient enough.
It was going to take about 2 weeks for my clinic to get the Cryoprobe in and Tiger isn't doing that well and I have to do something now. So, I'm keeping the St. Patty's appointment and instead of removing 'part' of the tumor through his nose just as they have two times before, they are instead going to split his palate and remove as much of the tumor as they can, hopefully all of it. This will be a big deal so I'm really nervous but if it's successful, it should buy him much more time than the 2 months that the last surgery gave him.
My vet said that it was going to be painful but doing cryosurgery in conjunction with removing the tumor would be even more painful. They will be keeping him overnight and possibly two days to make sure they have lots of pain meds on board for him. I'm going to ask them to give him the Convenia antibiotic injection so I don't have to try and pill him or sneak meds into his food. My biggest mission is going to be to get him eating after this thing. I'm so relieved that we are going to do more than the 'debulking' of the tumor but actual tumor removal itself. I'm praying this gives him many months with us.

[Catty1]

{{{{HUGS}}}} My mom and I have been in your shoes. I really hope this gives Tiger much more time with you - and with some of the preventatives you have on hand, you have a chance of being able to work against a recurrence.

I think there is an amino acid - lysine? Arginine? that is supposed to help as well.

He will need pain meds...my mom's cat was on a pain patch - Phentonol or something? - and her cat didn't bother it.

Maybe the patch would work for the pain; I wonder if antbiotics can be compounded?

Deep and heartfelt prayers going out to all, and especially to Tiger!