PT Prayers for Tiger...

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear that he's getting worse. I sure hope that your vet will be able to help him in some way so that he'll be able to breathe easier. I'll continue to keep him in my thoughts and prayers. Please take care.

[jennielynn1970]

Oh gosh... you know, there are just some things that I wish I could take on for my kitties, and when they're sick, that's one of them. Poor guy having to suffer through this, and even though he has a great attitude, it's just so much on his little body.

I know the nose drops are not fun to administer. Calvin, in our shelter, was known for taking a few hands and fingers off in his day, and medicating him was always a dare... "Jenn.. you feeling brave? Wanna give Calvin his meds tonight??" My partner at the shelter knew I adored Calvin, and he'd actually let me pet him without attacking me. He even licked my hand one time, and the shelter owner said "OH JENNIE! Calvin loves you! He never does that with anyone! You should take him home to foster!" My partner at the shelter just snorted and said "He just wants to get a taste of his dinner before it's served." It made me laugh, made the shelter owner frustrated with us, but it really was the more likely cause for the "affection".

Anyway... it just took some maneuvering to get the drops in. Either hold kitty close to your body and hook your hand around the front so you can tilt his head up, and then lightly drop in one drop in each nostril; or if you can do it without him backing away and running, stand in front of him and tilt up his chin and put the drops in like that. Whatever gives you the most stability and lets Tiger know that you are trying to take special care of it.

I wish I could send pics of what Calvin in the shelter looked like 2 years ago, and what he looks like now. It's just an amazing difference, and I know they've basically been giving him nose drops every day or every other day of those 2 years. I think they had to switch nostril in between drops (mornings left side, eves right side, or something like that).

I really wish you good luck with this, and I hope that something will be able to give Tiger relief and for the tumor to stop growing back at such an unbelievable rate. Gosh. It's like he doesn't get a break!

Take care, and big hugs going out to you all and Tiger.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Prayers for my friend Tiger (it might help you to know that you are feeling worse than he is)

[Medusa]

Emeraldgreen, for what it's worth, I would do exactly the same thing as you're doing. As you say, it's the less invasive surgery and you want to give the Transfer Factor time to work. Your husband will come around and we just have to pray that your vet will be able to get Tiger in there as soon as possible, without delay! I'm rooting for you and sweet Tiger and I pray that you see the outcome that you desire and, especially, that Tiger can breathe freely and feels so much better. (((HUGS))) and handholds to you.....

[Catty1]

I had forgotten about the delay in the TF...oh gosh, I hope your vet can get you in soon, if there is a cancellation...three more weeks is a lot to ask of the wee guy.

I am glad his spirits are good.

When you steam him - have you thought of using Tea Tree oil in the meantime? If a flame will stay lit in the bathroom, use a diffuser for the TTO. It will sure clear whatever is clearable (non-solid).

Or - I can't recall if you had a vaporizer - but just put the oil where the eucaplytus would go.

Hugs to Tiger...

[Emeraldgreen]

Emeraldgreen, for what it's worth, I would do exactly the same thing as you're doing. As you say, it's the less invasive surgery and you want to give the Transfer Factor time to work. Your husband will come around and we just have to pray that your vet will be able to get Tiger in there as soon as possible, without delay! I'm rooting for you and sweet Tiger and I pray that you see the outcome that you desire and, especially, that Tiger can breathe freely and feels so much better. (((HUGS))) and handholds to you.....

It's worth alot. Thank you for posting that.
This situation with Tiger is unlike one I've ever had to deal with in 20+ years of having animals. Usually my cats and dogs live into old age and then come down with diseases (i.e. kidney failure) that I treat as best as I can until the time comes to send them to Rainbow Bridge. But this has never happened before, a cat that has an issue that is serious but for whatever reason has remained localized in one area of his body. This is an aggressive cancer and the vets all told me that at some point, it will most likely metastisize and at that point there will be nothing to do. The thing is, it just hasn't happened and I think that the recent treatment of Transfer Factor may have played a role in this. However, the tumor keeps growing back in the one spot, his nasal passage and other than his not being able to breathe well, he seems otherwise in pretty good shape. It's because of this that I am having such a difficult time. Because I love him, I cannot continue to let him struggle like this. He's counting on me to protect him from suffering. I've tried just about everything there is to try and nothing is giving him the relief that he needs. And while I think that another month or two of Transfer Factor could potentially cure him, I'm not prepared to let him go on like this in this condition.
So, I'm left with two decisions, see if the vet will do the nasal surgery or make him comfortable for another week or however long I can stand to seem him like this and then make the appointment to put him down. This decision will haunt me if I have to make it because he is alert and relatively normal except for struggling to get air in through his nose. It makes me sick to know that there is something that I could do for him and could possibly not choose it because it's expensive or too much for Tiger to go through. I think it beats the alternative and as mentioned, he recovers so well the following day and is like a brand new cat getting all that oxygen through his nose.
I haven't heard back from the vet yet but the receptionist emailed me and said that she had printed out my email and would make sure that he read it. I expect to hear back by tomorrow. And who knows, maybe once we get Tiger into the vet and he is under sedation, the rhonoscopic camera might show that his nasal area is just full of material that hopefully the vet could flush out.
I've talked with my husband about it and while he isn't thrilled with any of this, he also loves Tiger and thinks trying to treat him with all these meds (convenia, Baytril etc..) is also expensive and tough on Tiger. I think he sees that going to the source of the problem one more time and then going full scale with the Transfer Factor is an option that makes sense.
Tiger is in his spa right now and curled up in his furry donut bed. For now he seems comfortable.

Thanks everybody for your posts.

[Medusa]

It's so tough, even reading your post, just tugs at the heartstrings. It's so sad to think that money has to enter into our decisions where our dear furkids are concerned but this is the real world and nothing is free; nothing of value anyhow, except for one thing: the air we breathe. And Tiger just isn't getting his fair share of it. Whatever decision that you, your husband and vet come to, it will be the right decision. I know that money isn't the only factor, to be sure, and that the primary concern is that you want what's best for Tiger and his longevity and also his comfort and quality of life. We'll keep the prayers going for your sweet boy and for you, your husband and your vet. We'll do our best to prop you up and support you in any way that we can. More (((HUGS))) and hand holds coming your way....

[Emeraldgreen]

It's so sad to think that money has to enter into our decisions where our dear furkids are concerned but this is the real world and nothing is free; nothing of value anyhow, except for one thing: the air we breathe. And Tiger just isn't getting his fair share of it. Whatever decision that you, your husband and vet come to, it will be the right decision. I know that money isn't the only factor, to be sure, and that the primary concern is that you want what's best for Tiger and his longevity and also his comfort and quality of life.

I should have also written in my last post that I'm very grateful that I will receive a staff discount for the surgery so it's not nearly as bad as it could be. As well, they will allow me to make payments each month until it's paid. So it's definitely something we can manage but I know there are alot people who think it's complete madness, the amount spent and continued to be spent on a single cat. I've stopped telling people other than PT'rs! LOL Most people just shake their heads. But, I don't think this kind of thing is going to happen with my other cats so while we might spend more on Tiger, the others will hopefully not need so much care. But... if they do, they'll get it!