We are very anxious because over the last 4 days we have felt the lump on the left side of her throat get noticeably larger and the lump on the right side of her throat is growing.  We put a warning note on her carrier that she should be kept in a flat cage because she will get a bit wobbly from the drugs.

Dr. Chretin called around 10:30 am.  Sadie gained a bit of weight over the past two weeks but that was the only good news.  The doctor said that the lymph nodes are a bit bigger.  The tablet chemo can be given safely every 3 weeks only because to do so at two weeks is too dangerous; she would be at risk for infections which are life threatening.  The chemo is not holding the cancer at bay fast enough to hold tumors down; this chemo not cutting it for her; the further you get along in chemo protocol lower the chances for cure and the more resistance causes the cancer to become harder to get under control and it becomes less likely that anything else will work.  At best we have a 25% chance of chemo working at all.

We decided to give her one additional dose of pill chemo and to change the steroids.  I am to call the doctor in two weeks to report progress.  If Sadie is stable, then in 3 weeks will do chemo again.  If the tumors are worse in 3 weeks will not do anything further.  I picked up Sadie at the doctor’s office and brought her home.  She has an appetite and we hope she will take a nap and sleep off the effects of the drugs.

Unfortunately we are resigned that we do not have much time left with Sadie, perhaps two to eight weeks only.  This is very difficult to process and we try not to cry.  Yeah, right.

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A Cat with Cancer Part 10

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Sadie

It’s been a while since we posted anything about Sadie’s progress but we though it was a good time for an update.  Things are not looking good and here’s what’s been happening since our last update.

Friday, March 5.  Dr. Chretin, the oncologist, called this afternoon to suggest that since Sadie will only have CBC next Wednesday, that we give her pill sedative at home prior to the trip to his office.  He said he does not like to “give her gas” unless necessary and the sedative will hopefully quiet her down enough so they will not have to sedate her.  He realizes that Sadie is scared while at his office and is fighting their attempts to treat her and thus the need for sedation.  He said we could cut pill in half and give to Sadie prior to office visit to see how zonked out she gets.  If half pill is not enough, we can give her entire pill which should cause enough drowsiness that she will not fight them at the office.  We do not like to sedate our cats unnecessarily and will give her full pill one hour before appointment next Wednesday.  Went to drug store and picked up the prescription.

Wednesday, March 10.  At 10 am we gave Sadie a xanax “chill pill” so the doctor would not have to sedate her today during her 11:15 am appointment.  She gobbled up the pill in the pill pocket but was still pretty vocal during the car ride to the vet.  We arrived a bit early and waited for our appointment.  The doctor talked to us following the CBC; he said she was still pretty active.  Sadie just does not like being “handled”.  I had to laugh at his description of Sadie; that’s my girl.  We are two of a kind, absolutely.
Told Dr. Chretin we are unable to find the tumor on the right side of her throat and the one on her shoulder; he said “good” which means they are too small to feel.

The bloods look good; tumor in her throat a bit smaller but the doctor had a challenge measuring it because Sadie was not allowing it.  We are to return in two weeks for another pill dose of chemo; he feels we are making progress.  Dr. Chretin suggested we give Sadie 1-1/2 chill pills or even two chill pills prior to her next appointment.  We loaded our girl in her carrier and drove home; Sadie got a bit quieter each mile we drove.

Shikker, Yiddish for drunk.  Yep, that’s our Sadie, a shikker.  Got home from doctor, she staggered out of the carrier.  At first we thought it was the bandage on her back paw where the blood was drawn.  Nope, the kid was walking on jello legs and wanted to eat everything in sight. She following me around, missed jumps onto chairs, staggered and stumbled and finally, after more than an hour home I put her on our bed and suggested she “sleep it off”.  That didn’t work; kid has a stoner’s appetite for munchies.  We really do have to watch her because she can’t jump.

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A Cat with Cancer Part 9

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Sadie

We dropped Sadie off this morning at 7:30 am with Dr. Chretin.  Dr. called with her blood results (poor Sadie needs a light bit of sedation just so they can take blood); they don’t know how to deal with Her Majesty.  White count normal but while sedated doctor felt her body.  The tumor on the left side of her throat is a bit smaller but there is a small lump on the right side of her throat and a lump in her shoulder.  We elected to go with “rescue chemo” a pill called CCNU (lomustine) which is an anticancer drug that is used to treat some types of cancers, especially lymphomas, brain tumors and mast cell tumors.

In talking with Dr. Chretin after the blood work and prior to the administration of this pill, we decided that since Sadie has not had success with shot-based chemo the last several times, we are afraid she again will not respond well to another round of shot-based chemo.  To give her another chemo shot at this time and have her not respond well would be a waste of valuable treatment time.  Giving her the “rescue pill” now will hopefully  give us a bit of a head start.  The pill if successful is administered once a month for a specified length of time.

She is to see Dr. Chretin next Wednesday for bloods and an exam and then hopefully will not have to go back for another three weeks after that.  We are to examine the lumps daily to be sure they are not growing.

Sadie was very happy to be home this afternoon.  I fed her canned food right away, then she had a drink of water and then the dry food.  She is beautiful, chatty and seems happy to be home.  We are happy to have our girl home and pray she will be happy and well at home for a long time.

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A Cat with Cancer Part 8

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A Cat with Cancer Part 7

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Sadie Coquette

We picked Sadie up late this morning (Monday); she seemed a bit dazed from her ordeal – she has never been away from home since we adopted her.  Sadie was chattering almost the whole time home in the car, but seemed to quiet down when either of us talked to her.  But, once inside the house she seemed at ease and found a few of her happy places. Our Vet called upon his receipt of the report from the radiologist, still no definitive answer as to what is going on.  He agreed that we need to contact the oncologist and perhaps start light doses of chemo; we have a call in to the oncologist.

We spoke to the oncologist this evening; he has not received report from radiologist and expects to receive same tomorrow.  We told him what the radiation specialist  told us, that it is not thyroid, and the oncologist recommended a biopsy so we can confirm or rule out lymphoma or confirm or rule out another type of cancer.  We will take Sadie in tomorrow morning and she will return home in the afternoon.  We should then have the biopsy report in 2 to 3 days and can discuss what, if anything, further to do.

We took Sadie to the oncologist early this morning (Tuesday) for the biopsy; he called us at 9:00 am to tell us Sadie looks good, the tumor has shrunk almost in half during the past week (probably due to the first dose of chemo), that based on the second lab report, it is early-stage  lymphoma and he does not feel that a biopsy is necessary.

We will continue the chemo protocol, which is once a week for six weeks (today is week 2) and then once every three weeks for the next 21 weeks.  The oncologist believes that since we caught this so early, Sadie has a good chance for the tumor should go away.  He does caution that 50% of cats in this condition experience remission after nine months but because this was caught early, he has given us a good prognosis for Sadie.  We’ll be picking her up later this mornig.

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A Cat with Cancer. Part 5

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Sadie

We got up early Sunday morning, fed our cats and then packed Sadie for her big adventure with the veterinary radiologist, a 60 mile trip from home.  We brought along canned and dry food for a week, a toy and towels with the scent of home.  Little traffic and we arrived shortly before our scheduled 9:30 a.m. appointment.

The doctor looked at the x-rays, read the medical reports and examined Sadie.  He said they would scan Sadie and keep her at least overnight and that we would hear from him Sunday evening.  We did and it was not good news.  While Sadie does have some small tumors on her thyroid they are not the mass that has been our concern.  These small tumors do not require any treatment at this time.

The doctor feels that the large mass in her throat is some other form of cancer but he can not tell what is involved.  He does not feel it is a lymphoma but it could be a cancer of one of the many other tissues in Sadie’s throat.  He also told us that other cancers are harder to diagnose and more difficult to treat. He will be forwarding the test results back to our oncologist and regular vet.

It seems we are back to square one and things do not look good.  We will be picking Sadie up from the radiation specialist Monday morning and will contact our oncologist.  I do not think we have too many options but we will know more tomorrow.

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A Cat with Cancer. Part 4

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Sadie Coquette

We spoke to our vet Tuesday morning, December 19.  Bad news is that it is not an infection, which implies that it may be something more serious.  He does not have lab report back yet and will call us later today when he receives it.  I am devastated and scared.  Ira is also upset, but he handles things differently.

At 5:45 p.m. on January 19, our vet called.  It wasn’t good news.  It’s lymphoma and he gave us the names of two doctors who are veterinarian oncologists.  He also cautioned us that we either had to treat Sadie immediately or have her euthanized.  We made an appointment for the next day to see one of the two oncologists recommended by our Vet.

After reviewing the x-rays and the test results we brought from our vet, the oncologist layed out various scenarios.  We agreed to a sonogram and further testing.  The oncologist said that due to an emergency surgery, there would be a delay processing Sadie and she would not be able to go home until about 5:00 p.m.  We elected to stay and wait.  We also elected for a first dose of chemo, “just in case”.  We told the oncologist that Sadie did not like being poked, prodded and handled; he said okay.  A short while later the doctor found us in the waiting room and asked if they could give Sadie a small dose of sedative, called her “quite a pistol”.  We told the doctor “I told you so”.

The oncologist called Thursday evening.  Sadie has a tumor but he does not know if it is malignant or not; it is difficult to determine.  He told us that he also consulted with another doctor.  He did a sonogram of the spleen and while it was slightly enlarged, the spleen was not abnormal and not indicative of lymphoma.  A needle biopsy of the spleen also confirmed that.  They did an ultrasound of Sadie’s throat which did not help further diagnose her, but whatever it is, it is not consistent with lymphoma.  The oncologist feels that it is more likely a tumor on the thyroid.  He has never seen this type of tumor before in a cat, only with dogs.  He wants to do further research and will call us Friday.

We still don’t know what type of cancer it might be and we really don’t know  if it is cancer at all.

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A Cat with Cancer? Part 2

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Sadie

It’s been a really hard week. We learned early this week that Sadie our number one cat may have some form of cancer. What kind of cancer, if any cancer exists, is still unknown and that is a part of the story.

We noticed that Sadie had been breathing hard, wheezing and finally felt it was time to take her to the doctor.

Our Vet expressed immediate concern regarding Sadie. He took an x-ray of her throat area and it showed a mass around her esophagus. She had a regular exam and blood work in November and there were no signs of trouble. She lost one pound since November. Our vet also took a needle biopsy of the mass area and his viewing appeared to indicate an infection of the esophagus; he sent the biopsy to an outside lab for confirmation and diagnosis. Sadie was hydrated and given shot of antibiotic.

We were given amoxicillin to give Sadie at home and she ate almost one can of cat food last night. Good sign, we hope.

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A Cat with Cancer? Part 1

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One of the most interesting thing that is happening is that the other three cats seem to be aware that something is wrong and are being very gentle with her.  We’ve even spotted Bobbie grooming her when in the past they were almost mortal enemies.

Sophie also had a thyroid problem and we have to give her a pill every day. We find using Pill Pockets is the most effective way to give her the pill each morning.

We are still hydrating her three days on and one day off.  I do not enjoy the process but I know it is necessary.  We know it’s still day to day but we do the best we can for her and are thankful we still have her.

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A Cat with Kidney Disease Part 4

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Chapter 1

Bobby Boop

On Friday morning, October 27, 2000, I thought I heard a bird in the backyard; sound was a bit odd, but we do get wonderful and strange sounding birds.  Also heard the bird for the short time that we were home Saturday.  Woke up very early Sunday morning, fed the cats (we have three), cleaned their box, made a pot of coffee and brought in the newspaper.  Read the funnies and a terrific article in one of the magazines.  Bird still there, odd I thought, so clad in my nightgown and light jacket, I went into the backyard to find the bird.  Thought it might be injured and was not sure what or how I would care for it, but anyway, tracked the noise to the pool equipment area and climbed around in there (not easy) and found, on top of a pile of wet leaves, a kitten.

By then Ira woke up.  He said the mother cat would be around for the creature, so we put it in a box and tried to keep it warm and out of the drizzle.  Four hours later Ira decided that even if the mother did return, what chance did the creature have outside.  Besides, we think creature had been there for several days (I am sure Mom was around).  Ira went to the pet store and bought kitten formula and bottles.  The kitten now lives in a large box in our bathroom where it is warm.  While Ira was at the pet store I downloaded instructions on the care of orphaned kittens.  Have not seen Mom, whoever she may be.

I took the creature to the vet on Monday, October 30.  He is about 10 to 14 days old and has a bit of a cold.  Doctor did not want to give him mediation, but creature sneezed one time too many, so we have amoxicillan – 3 drops every 12 hours.  Creature goes back in 2 weeks.  In the meantime, I mix up kitty formula, bottle feed it, burp it and potty it.  All the while, of course, mindful that it could have feline leukemia.  (Feline leukemia is similar to Aids in humans.  It is highly contagious to cats and there is no cure.)

Our three cats did not get their feline leukemia booster shots this year because the current thinking on the subject is that the boosters could cause skin cancer.  Not often, but with indoor cats, why chance it.  So after I brought the creature home I loaded our 3 cats in carriers and took them for their boosters since the Doctor said it would be a very good idea to get this done ASAP.

Anyway, creature’s name is Bobby Boop.  He still has several challenges ahead of him.  He has to survive the trauma of kittenhood, he has to get over the cold and hopefully he will test clean for feline leukemia.  Please say a prayer for him.  He cannot be tested until he is at least 6 weeks old.

For the next month I have to keep him isolated and use plenty of disinfectant, etc.  We pray for Bobby Boop.  Oh yes, he is not exactly black, but almost black and you can see tiger stripes of gold-orange down his back and just a touch of white under his chin.

We are going to Las Vegas from December 1 to 5 and I have to find a  home for him for those 5 days.  He cannot be boarded because he has not had shots, etc. and he needs special care because he is so young.  He will be old enough to be tested for feline leukemia when we return; we hope he will test clean so we can add this creature to our family.  He weighed 8 ounces when I found him.

(to be continued)

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A Lesson in Kitten Health, How We Met Bobby Boop Part 1

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We really started getting concerned and brought her to the vet. The vet checked her out and said she was in critical condition due to failure of her kidneys that may have been exacerbated by an urinary tract infection. He took bloods and started her on IV and made her comfortable and opted to keep her at his clinic overnight.

The blood results were not good and he told us that she maybe had a 25% chance of stabilizing. He wouldn’t know for several days. We decided to wait until the end of the week and see her progress. He also said that even if she did stabilize she probably wouldn’t have more than several month in any event.

As of yesterday she was beginning to rally and things are starting to look a little hopeful. This morning the vet told us that she was eating and grooming herself. They’ll be taking bloods tonight and if all is well they’ll keep her over the weekend. the big test will be how she holds up with out the constant hydration with the IV. If all is well we can bring her home on Monday. If things are not good we have some serious decisions to make.

As long time pet care giver we are very aware of the downside of that responsibility. We know that one day they will leave us. But that doesn’t make it any easier.

We brought Sophie home on Monday. She is weak but getting around. It’s almost as though she doesn’t know she is sick but can’t understand why things aren’t working right. She is eating well and able to jump up on the bed. We know it’s one day at a time but it’s great having her home.

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A Cat with Kidney Disease Part 2

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