Latest Update 12-9-09 Storm's Been Diagnosed & Sunny's Biopsy Results

[krazyaboutkatz]

Well today was a very long day and not a very good Monday for me at work either. I have some good news and some potentially very bad news. I'll give you the good news first.

Storm's ultrasound was normal. My vet did say that he has a small cyst on one of his kidneys but she's not concerned about it and she did another blood test to check his kidney levels and they're fine. She also said that his gall bladder was enlarged but this could be due to fasting or just from old age. Part of his pancreas was also a bit enlarged and this could also be from old age. He already had a test for pancreatitis and this came back normal.

The blood tests that she did on him which were a Vitamin B12 test and a Cobalamin, Folate, TLI were also normal. He also acted normal throughout the day. When I gave him his pred with the 5mg of pepcid last night, he was able to eat without vomiting. He also slept well all night. My vet thinks that just like people, that Storm may be getting a sour stomach at night or maybe even acid refux which is helping to cause his vomiting. For now I'm going to give him 5mg of pepcid at night and his 5mg of pred in the morning. Hopefully this new formula of meds will finally do the trick.

I forgot to mention earlier that Storm only weighs 12.9lbs so he hasn't gained as much weight back as I had thought. he should be closer to 14 lbs. I'm sure the pred will help with that but hopefully he won't gain as much weight as my poor RB Starr did. So far he's doing well tonight although he's been hissing at everyone and growling too.

Now for the potentially bad news. My Sunny had to have 2 of his upper molars extracted and he's now on pain meds and antibiotics once a day for 10 days. He also has to eat soft food for 7-10 days which shouldn't be a problem because he loves canned food. My vet didn't see any roots left from where Sunny's lower molar was missing so now she's very concerned about what's causing his lower jaw to be swollen. She doesn't think it's being caused by an abscess or an infection. She told me that she fears that he may have cancer.

She took a biopsy from his swollen jaw and now there's a suture there that will dissolve or fall out in the next several weeks. She told me that I should know the results on Wed. but the post op instruction paper says that my vet will call me with the results within 3-5 days. My vet called me at work around 4pm and told me this news. It was very hard not to burst into tears. When my co-worker came to help me I told her the potentially bad news and then I started crying. She's also my roommate and she's known Sunny for years and he's her buddy. She also took it hard so work today was difficult for both of us.

My vet also mentioned that if Sunny's biopsy does come back as cancer then there's a surgery that might be able to be performed where she'd cut his jaw bone in half so he'd only have half a jaw left. She said that cats do very well afterwards but there may be a problem with drooling. The more I think about this the more I don't think that I'd want to put him through something like this. For one I don't think that I could afford the surgery and he just wouldn't be the same. I think that if he does have cancer that I'll just try to make him as comfortable as possible and hopefully he'll be able to be with me for quite a while. Please send some prayers and positive thoughts Sunny's way. Thanks.

[Queen of Poop]

Prayers for both your kitties.

[Killearn Kitties]

Oh Tracey, you have had such a lot to deal with.
Prayers for you and all your babies. Take care.

[Moesha]

Oh no! I hate hearing that "C" word, especially in regard to a cat's mouth. If it is any consolation, like your vet told you, cancer on the lower jaw has a better chance of treatment than in other places in the mouth. Morgan's was on the top jaw. But sadly, the surgery to remove the jaw is part of the treatment. I couldn't have done that to Morgan either, even though it wasn't an option for him. I'm glad to hear the good news for Storm but will be anxiously waiting to hear an update on Sunny.

[cassiesmom]

Big Prayers for Sunny and Storm.

[Medusa]

Well today was a very long day and not a very good Monday for me at work either. I have some good news and some potentially very bad news. I'll give you the good news first.

Storm's ultrasound was normal. My vet did say that he has a small cyst on one of his kidneys but she's not concerned about it and she did another blood test to check his kidney levels and they're fine. She also said that his gall bladder was enlarged but this could be due to fasting or just from old age. Part of his pancreas was also a bit enlarged and this could also be from old age. He already had a test for pancreatitis and this came back normal.

The blood tests that she did on him which were a Vitamin B12 test and a Cobalamin, Folate, TLI were also normal. He also acted normal throughout the day. When I gave him his pred with the 5mg of pepcid last night, he was able to eat without vomiting. He also slept well all night. My vet thinks that just like people, that Storm may be getting a sour stomach at night or maybe even acid refux which is helping to cause his vomiting. For now I'm going to give him 5mg of pepcid at night and his 5mg of pred in the morning. Hopefully this new formula of meds will finally do the trick.

I forgot to mention earlier that Storm only weighs 12.9lbs so he hasn't gained as much weight back as I had thought. he should be closer to 14 lbs. I'm sure the pred will help with that but hopefully he won't gain as much weight as my poor RB Starr did. So far he's doing well tonight although he's been hissing at everyone and growling too.

Now for the potentially bad news. My Sunny had to have 2 of his upper molars extracted and he's now on pain meds and antibiotics once a day for 10 days. He also has to eat soft food for 7-10 days which shouldn't be a problem because he loves canned food. My vet didn't see any roots left from where Sunny's lower molar was missing so now she's very concerned about what's causing his lower jaw to be swollen. She doesn't think it's being caused by an abscess or an infection. She told me that she fears that he may have cancer.

She took a biopsy from his swollen jaw and now there's a suture there that will dissolve or fall out in the next several weeks. She told me that I should know the results on Wed. but the post op instruction paper says that my vet will call me with the results within 3-5 days. My vet called me at work around 4pm and told me this news. It was very hard not to burst into tears. When my co-worker came to help me I told her the potentially bad news and then I started crying. She's also my roommate and she's known Sunny for years and he's her buddy. She also took it hard so work today was difficult for both of us.

My vet also mentioned that if Sunny's biopsy does come back as cancer then there's a surgery that might be able to be performed where she'd cut his jaw bone in half so he'd only have half a jaw left. She said that cats do very well afterwards but there may be a problem with drooling. The more I think about this the more I don't think that I'd want to put him through something like this. For one I don't think that I could afford the surgery and he just wouldn't be the same. I think that if he does have cancer that I'll just try to make him as comfortable as possible and hopefully he'll be able to be with me for quite a while. Please send some prayers and positive thoughts Sunny's way. Thanks.

Boy, that's a lot to swallow all in one gulp, Tracey. You're dealing w/an awful lot, aren't ya? For the vomiting, have you tried gel caps? This has helped tremendously w/Pidge. She isn't on Pred but her heart meds are very bitter and b/c they're to be halved or quartered, it makes it even worse. So I put them in gel caps and then squirt a little water in her mouth immediately after and she hasn't vomited since. The gel caps dissolve right away. If that doesn't help, there's an anti-nausea med called Metoclopramide syrup that really works.

The possibility of cancer is a tough call. I'd have a tendency to take the route you're thinking of should you get bad news but, of course, I wouldn't want to influence you in any way, just give you the support that you need. Our precious furkids have no voice and we have to make these monumental decisions for them and it just is not easy.

My prayers are continuing for you, Tracey, and your beloved Storm and Sunny. Keep the faythe.

[Catty1]

Here is a thread about Haggis, a kitty who was diagnosed with cancer (the lesion was under his tongue). illustr8tr checked re: Transfer Factor with her vet...Haggis was given only 2 months to live at the time.

July 29, he and his brother Hamish (who sadly passed away not long ago) were at the vet for heatstroke, and Hamish showed no signs of the lesion, and no signs of cancer turned up in his bloodwork.

Have a read, just in case. Prayers that Sunny does not have cancer and that his swollen jaw can be successfully treated for something else. Perhaps the two teeth that needed to be pulled caused some inflammation elsewhere.

HUGS AND PRAYERS. Good news on Storm.


November 3 2008
http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...ghlight=Haggis

July 29, 2009
http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...=Haggis&page=8