Barney is an Angel Now.

[Purr-tender]

My heart sunk when you said the side of his head is more swollen. That doesn't sound good at all. Are his tumors cancerous or is his cancer in his lymph glands? Since he does have cancer I guess surgery to remove some of the tumors, when he is stronger, is not an option, right? Do his ears still bleed since the vet cleaned them?

I can just picture you with a dolly load of cat carriers that is funny, but it works! Do you treat the grassy area with any kind of flea and tick repellent before you put the cats out there, or do you just use Frontline or something like that on them? I want my enclosure to attach to their cottage so I can put a doggy door in so they can go out whenever they want to. I would probably lock the door at night to be safe. I have an acquaintance whose husband built an incredible enclosure attached to one of those sheds that look like a little house. It has hollow logs and dead trees cemented in place. She insulated the shed and had electric run to it. In fact they are in the process of building a second "cattery". I don't have that kind of money but I took some photos of it this Summer for when I finally get mine we'll have some kind of an idea what to do. Thanks for sharing the video of yours, it looks like cat heaven.

Mary

[kb2yjx]

I am so glad that the note arrived!!!! Anything to help out that sweet fellow!!!

[Catty1]

Oh I hope that immune stuff Angela uses will help...if there was only some way to reduce the tumours, if just for his comfort.

I know most tumours are solid - but if these are lymph tumours, could they be aspirated and drained?

DEAR little boy! Kisses to him!

[momtomany]

How wonderful to see Barney outside and enjoying himself. I am so grateful that Barney has you in his life. I know my soul is up lifted to know that his final days will be spent with love and that he will not suffer like he was and would be if his circumstances hadn't changed. God gave him an angel and that angel's name is Lara. I know God will bless you for what you are doing for Barney. Thank you.

[Purr-tender]

how wonderful to see barney outside and enjoying himself. I am so grateful that barney has you in his life. I know my soul is up lifted to know that his final days will be spent with love and that he will not suffer like he was and would be if his circumstances hadn't changed. God gave him an angel and that angel's name is lara. I know god will bless you for what you are doing for barney. Thank you.

amen!!

[Medusa]

amen!!

Mary, you and I think so much alike sometimes. That's what I was going to post. So I'll say "Amen, sister!" to your "Amen". LOL

[Emeraldgreen]

How wonderful to see Barney outside and enjoying himself. I am so grateful that Barney has you in his life. I know my soul is up lifted to know that his final days will be spent with love and that he will not suffer like he was and would be if his circumstances hadn't changed. God gave him an angel and that angel's name is Lara. I know God will bless you for what you are doing for Barney. Thank you.

Purr_Tender wrote:

amen!!

Medusa wrote:

Mary, you and I think so much alike sometimes. That's what I was going to post. So I'll say "Amen, sister!" to your "Amen". LOL
Today 06:45 PM

Thanks guys! These posts made me think of something. Since everyone here has been so helpful in every kind of way to make Barney's life a better one, we can call ourselves 'BARNEY'S ANGELS' instead of Charlie's Angels. lol

Purr_Tender wrote:

My heart sunk when you said the side of his head is more swollen. That doesn't sound good at all. Are his tumors cancerous or is his cancer in his lymph glands? Since he does have cancer I guess surgery to remove some of the tumors, when he is stronger, is not an option, right? Do his ears still bleed since the vet cleaned them?

The tumors in his ears and the scabby nose have never been biopsied but the area on the right side of his neck that Robin originally thought was an enlarged thyroid was tested with a fine needle aspiration and the sample was sent to the lab and that came back as cancer. I still have to talk with her to find out if this tumor is 'in' the thyroid or a lymph node or just a tumor by itself. I will definitely get an answer about that soon.
Robin feels very sure that the ear tumors and the nose problem are also cancer as it just makes sense and she thinks that it could be Squamous Cell Carncinoma. His liver is also more than twice the normal size which she feels could now be related to the cancer. I could have the tumors and nose biopsied but each one costs about 125.00 to biopsy and surgery to remove them would be very costly. My old vet (the one I was trying to trade the website work for surgery with) never did get back to me until recently when I sent him an email saying to forget it because he has cancer. He wrote back and apologized for the delay and said he had just sold his practice the same week and was really overwhelmed. He still works there though but I don't think he would be able to do the surgery for trade.

Robin doesn't feel he would survive the anesthesia with his diabetes. I'm not sure why and should do some research on it. But it does seem that he is such an old guy with multiple tumors that would require multiple surgeries and his recovery, if he survived, could be very difficult for him. I don't know how much time he has but I would feel so terrible if the last month he had was filled with wounds and sutures and drugs.

But I am hoping that the Immunocal will help him. Here is a link to the website about the product. When Angela first brought Barney in from outdoors she said that his eyes were so cloudy that she thought he might be blind. She immediately started giving him Immunocal mixed in with his wet food and within less than a week his eyes had cleared up. They were still old man eyes with brown blotches but the cloudiness went away. I'm going to make sure he gets some everyday and hopefully it will make him feel stronger.

Catty1 wrote:

Oh I hope that immune stuff Angela uses will help...if there was only some way to reduce the tumours, if just for his comfort.
I know most tumours are solid - but if these are lymph tumours, could they be aspirated and drained?
DEAR little boy! Kisses to him!

He is on a steroid (pred) right now that is supposed to help shrink the tumors. Even though it feels like the tumors on the right side have become one larger one, I think it's really helping with the one in his left ear. The scratching has reduced by 70-80% which is great. He isn't tilting his head as much (the way he was in the outdoor video) and the bleeding in his left ear seems to have stopped. So it is helping which is great.

That is a good question about the tumor being drained if it is in the lymph node. I will ask Robin about that as well.

Purr_Tender wrote:

Do you treat the grassy area with any kind of flea and tick repellent before you put the cats out there, or do you just use Frontline or something like that on them? I want my enclosure to attach to their cottage so I can put a doggy door in so they can go out whenever they want to.

A cat door is a GREAT idea! If we move and build another one, I would like this feature too. It would be awesome if they could let themselves out during the day.
We don't use stuff for fleas, on the grass or on them. I have used Revolution sporadically but it has always been for ear mites. And I bought a can of Siphotrol and learned from the clinic how and where to spray it when we first moved here because I thought the house might have fleas from the previous owners pets but no one started scratching so I never used it. I have no idea how we've escaped the curse of fleas and ticks but I'm so thankful. When I lived in Arizona, we definitely had ticks in the area and it was awful but thankfully they haven't bothered the pets here. My husband's friend got one on him when he was riding his mountain bike on the northern part of the island. It was stuck to his side.


I just filmed the dogs getting their bones from Jenn and though this is Barney's thread, I'll post it here because the bones came in Barney's parcel.
Plus, there is a cat in the video. Sneakers can be heard in the background meowing her disapproval of the attention being given the canines and how it should be lavished on her, the feline queen of the house. lol

[Purr-tender]

OMG your dogs are so great! What a treat to watch them enjoying their Jenn treats!! Poor Sneakers, where's my treat Mom?! I love your living room! It looks sooo comfortable and cozy!

I was hoping that the tumor that's on the side of his neck/head area wasn't cancerous and could be removed/drained and maybe give him a little relief. But, if Robin doesn't think he would survive the anesthesia I would probably trust her judgement. I just so desperately want him to really get well. I'm sitting here with tears starting. I need to just focus on a day at a time like you've said. He is doing well right now and that is a good thing. He is warm and safe and very loved. Now how can I be sad about that?!

Barney's Angel

Mary

[Medusa]

I wasn't able to view the video but I've been having problems even loading PT, not sure why. Anyhow, just wanted to comment that I'm proud to be one of Barney's Angels. What a privilege and an honor. He could be the poster boy for love and hope. As for the surgery, if Robin says he wouldn't survive the anesthesia, then it's best not to do it and just make him as comfortable as possible, which is what you've been doing all along. More gentle pets to Barn-Barn and the usual (((HUGS))) to you, Lara.

[pomtzu]

Thanks so much for all the shots of Barney that you are sending. The video of him outside was so sweet, and of course the one by the fire was absolutely precious. He seemed to be watching the fire so intently - all wrapped up and snuggly warm in his angel's arms.
It's difficult - knowing what his ultimate fate is - but seeing how well he is being cared for and loved - makes it a little easier to accept I suppose. I don't know how you do it - I am just reduced to tears when I read some of your posts! As my mother used to say when someone did a good deed - "There's another star in their crown!" I think your crown will need to be "super-sized"!