|
My cat just had two teeth removed today, an infected upper tooth and broken lower tooth on the same side. During the process, the vet found a "mass" in his mouth and took a sample. She hasn't sent it to a lab or anything yet, but she did check it herself quickly under a microscope and said she's afraid it might be squamous cell carcinoma. My initial reading on this has not been terribly encouraging. I'll definitely be calling the vet back this week to see what can be done, but I was hoping some of you have experience dealing with this and can let me know what to expect in case this is the diagnosis. skaboomizzy fucked around with this message at 03:36 on Oct 8, 2014 |
#
?
Oct 8, 2014 03:32
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 26, 2024 15:58 |
|
|
Jeeze, that sucks. I know nothing about it, but good luck buddy.
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2014 19:44
|
|
|
The article you linked is pretty complete - a little technical for people who don't work with it all the time, but covers all the bases. What matters in terms of what happens next is the staging - how locally aggressive is it, where is it, how big is it? That's when you can make decisions for further treatment.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2014 03:33
|
|
|
Reggie is about 14 years old now and he's been slowing down lately. He's very comfortable and happy here at home but he gets so upset going to the vet that he'll just crouch down and pant open-mouthed; I'm almost worried he'll have a heart attack there. My understanding from that article is that surgery is the only remotely effective treatment and there's a solid chance it'll heal wrong and affect his quality of life without extending it significantly (especially considering his age). I'll swing by the vet's office this week and see if I can find out more about the size of the mass and see what else she has to say, but I'm currently leaning toward just feeding him all the turkey he can stand for as long as he's around and spoiling the hell out of him. Here is Reggie a few hours after his tooth removal, sporting a very punk-rock look. 
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2014 05:04
|
|
|
Did the vet run any blood work?
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2014 20:18
|
|
|
Echeveria posted:Did the vet run any blood work? She did some basic blood work Monday to make sure he was okay to be put under: kidneys were fine, liver enzyme was a little high but she suspected that was due to his infected tooth. I'm not sure what else she looked for there. She took a sample of the growth that she can send to the lab but I have to wait a few days for that due to money. And honestly, I'm a little scared to find out. 
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2014 23:08
|
|
|
skaboomizzy posted:Reggie is about 14 years old now and he's been slowing down lately. He's very comfortable and happy here at home but he gets so upset going to the vet that he'll just crouch down and pant open-mouthed; I'm almost worried he'll have a heart attack there. Yeah, even surgery combined with chemo or radiation still isn't all that good. It is a nasty cancer to have to treat.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2014 01:41
|
|
|
I had a cat die of that a few years ago. I don't want to be a downer, just realistic. Her diagnosis was later than it probably could have been so the tumor had time to grow (we'd removed some teeth about a year before she got what looked like an abscess, which we took her to the e-vet for and they discovered the cancer; edit: just to be clear I don't blame the original vet who removed her teeth), so this may or may not be applicable. We wound up taking her home from the e-vet with just minimal treatment for the abscess, then got our regular vet to confirm the diagnosis. After discussing options with her, though, I decided to euthanize my cat rather than subject her to treatment. My vet is normally very optimistic and wants to proceed with treatment if there's any real chance of recovery, and even she was telling me it was probably going to result in a lot of pain for a very poor prognosis. My cat was only 6 too, so not very old. That said, like I mentioned we did catch it late because the vet that did the original dental extraction didn't catch it (for what it's worth, my cat's bloodwork was always within normal levels, which is probably why the original vet missed it...the only reason the e-vet caught it was that she was looking for a cause for the abscess). Since it sounds like you've caught yours much earlier, the prognosis is probably better. From everything I remember, though, it's a notoriously difficult cancer to treat. I'm sorry, and I hope things work out better for you and your lovely kitty.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2014 20:49
|
|
|
Reggie is old enough (14-ish years) that I don't want to risk him going through a surgery that might leave him unable to eat, drink, or groom himself. I don't want to see him that way after I've seen him so active and healthy these past six years after getting him from a shelter. He's still hitting the box several times a day, yowling for butt-scratches while drinking from the bathroom faucet, delivering morning wake-up calls, demanding to talk to anyone who calls me, and being a generally gregarious orange/white cat. I feel like I should just spoil the hell out of him, look at palliative care, and get a house call when "the day" comes because he just HATES being transported anywhere. I hope this doesn't make me a cowardly pet owner.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2014 08:35
|
|
|
Why do you think it makes you cowardly? I don't think there's anything cowardly about ensuring your pet has the best life possible, and being willing to peacefully conclude it without extended pain.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2014 13:09
|
|
|
That is probably the most selfless choice you could make, honestly. I wish more people made that decision for terminally ill people, too.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2014 18:40
|
|
|
Echeveria posted:That is probably the most selfless choice you could make, honestly. I wish more people made that decision for terminally ill people, too. Seconded. 14 is a good run for a cat. If the animal can no longer eat, elimiate, or is causing you bodily harm on a weekly basis, it's time. We never want them to leave, but you have to either let go, or convince yourself you will see them again when you go on your next great adventure.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2014 22:46
|
|
|
Thanks, everyone. Like I said, he's fine now and even looks to be filling out a little now that his two bad teeth are out. We always had a cat around as I growing up, but this is the first one that's "mine" so I'm a little freaked out. If you'll excuse me, his majesty is demanding more turkey and a butt-scratch.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2014 23:36
|
|
|
I'm just throwing this out here, so don't laugh me off the forums, but since you aren't doing surgery or anything it wouldn't hurt to try it. I read a recent health study from the NIH about frankincense essential oil helping with cancer cells. Could you maybe apply frank oil to the area daily just to maybe minimize it or even see if it helps? I would try it if it was me. It definitely wouldn't hurt his quality of life. But I am weird, so there's that. I am so sorry you're going through this and sorry for your pet too. :hugs:
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2014 04:56
|
|
|
I can't even see the mass as it's not visible outside his mouth so it'd be pretty tough for me to get a finger or swab in there to apply it. Thank you very much for the suggestion, though; I'm not "on the ledge" anymore over this and just trying to spoil him rotten. He stresses out pretty easily about people poking around him when he's not in the mood for it, the two weeks of clavimox we tried for his infected tooth before surgery were an adventure. He sure knew he'd be getting a small dollop of whipped cream afterward, though. Here is Reggie enjoying one of his very favorite activities: drinking from a dripping bathroom faucet. The dark coloration is his natural skin color on that side of his mouth; he's had that since I got him almost six years ago. Good boy, Reggie. Good boy. 
skaboomizzy fucked around with this message at 05:50 on Oct 14, 2014 |
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2014 05:38
|
|
|
It's been a few days and I wanted to give an update on Reggie. He's doing wonderfully. He feels like he's put on at least a pound since getting those two bad teeth removed. He's eating nearly a bowl of dry food along with a torn-up slice of turkey 3-4 times a day. He's back to loudly demanding that I pet him while he drinks from the bathroom faucet and expects turkey to materalize in his his dish any time I go to the kitchen. My parents are visiting starting next week, so Reggie can harass them as well. Pictured: Reggie learns that no, cats do not drink bourbon. 
|
|
#
?
Oct 19, 2014 05:36
|
|
|
skaboomizzy posted:It's been a few days and I wanted to give an update on Reggie. You're right, mine only drinks 
|
|
#
?
Oct 19, 2014 05:47
|
|
|
I must have that Panther Piss, just for the bottle. On a more serious note, thank you to everyone who posted and sent positive thoughts toward my big loud-mouthed buddy. He's like a brand new cat since his bad teeth were removed. He's still camping out in the bathroom all day because that's where his "fountain" is (as well as a cool tile floor and an A/C vent), but comes out for daily house inspection and a 30-minute head/neck scratching session while I'm on the couch. He's been shedding like crazy to get his winter coat in, even in Florida. He's also going through his semi-annual allergies, where he's somehow managed to sneeze on my leg despite facing away from me. He's as "normal" as he's ever been, and I'm just going to enjoy that for as long as I can.
|
|
#
?
Oct 19, 2014 06:29
|
|
|
He looks so much better.
|
|
#
?
Oct 20, 2014 04:57
|
|
|
Yeah, he really does look better. It feels like he's put on at least a pound. He's probably still too skinny, but he's not a bag of bones anymore. He's being much more vocal, too. I'm just going to spoil him rotten as much as I can.
|
|
#
?
Oct 20, 2014 07:20
|
|
|
I remember when my sister finally realized her cat needed dental work and he had half a dozen rotten teeth pulled. After he recovered, he was like a different cat. More social, more chatty, more cuddly. He now has one canine left and he has diabetes, but he's the sweetest cat. Having that source of pain and infection removed makes a huge difference. I'm glad your guy is putting on weight.
|
|
#
?
Oct 20, 2014 17:29
|
|
|
Reggie update: He's positively thriving right now. My parents were down to visit for two weeks so he got all kinds of good dinner scraps: steak, turkey breast, a little bit of ham. It's getting close to "winter" here in Florida, and his winter coat has been coming in with the typical hairball issue despite brushing. We had our first "cold" day this past weekend and that usually sends him into hyperactivity for some reason. It's a little more subdued than past years, but he's very lively and constantly peeking out the front window. He is indoors-only because there are a lot of cats loose on the block as well as several blue jays and a roving "gang" of ibises (ibii? ibix?). Anyway, here's Reggie in tail-thumping mode. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2014 08:34
|
|
|
skaboomizzy posted:
 I'd be pretty thrilled if those started roaming around my pond. But two ibis at the same time are rare enough 
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2014 14:34
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 26, 2024 15:58 |
|
|
Update time for Reggie! He's extremely lively, vocal, mischievous and as social as he ever gets. He's gotten through one heck of a shedding and his usual winter allergies. He very loudly demanded a brushing last night and his appetite is healthy. It's been two months since he's been to the vet and there's no negative change at all in him. Here he is threatening violence against my guitar if he doesn't get turkey in his dish RIGHT NOW. 
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2014 03:59
|
|