feline vaccine-caused cancer, hope wanted

[latelatebloomer]

Oh crap. Looks like the tumor is back and we'll soon be nursing a 3-leggity boy back to health. I'm still glad we tried the herbs and diet change, I think we all gathered our strength for the next event. And if all goes well, the cancer will now be gone, gone, gone and we'll have Dayhunter for a long time yet.

thanks always for your prayers and kind thoughts

[Blueberry]

So sorry it's back

Sending healing, cancer free vibes....

CA

[jesvetmed]

Late: I'm so sorry. Believe me, amputation will much harder on you than on your kitty... they really do amazingly well with stuff like this after the first initial "get used to it" phase. They really are amazing creatures.

As for future vaccinations: if they are indoor kitties, you really can limit exposure to vaccinations by not having FELV vaccine (is passed cat-to-cat in close range -- just be aware to test any incoming kitties before exposure to your current ones); adult cats only really need FVRCP every 3 yrs. Rabies is up to the state, but most are every 3 yrs after initial kitten and one yr boosters.

We have been vaccinating in the limbs for just this reason -- if something horrible happens, and the only alternative is amputation, at least is has only exposed a limb, and not the middle of the back where you cannot get good margins to get rid of it.

It sounds like you have found some wonderful vets to consult with.
I wish your boy all the luck in the world, and great healing vibes for surgery. He will be tougher than you think.

Ask for (no... demand) excellent pain meds -- fentanyl patch placed the day before will work wonderfully for him (takes 6 to 12 hours to kick in). Buprenorphine can be added to this mix in addiition for added pain control. It is so important b/c kitties hide their pain.

Good luck to you and him with everything.

[ilima]

Healing vibes for your kitty DH. I hope that your vet did, indeed, get all the cancerous cells during the surgery.

I wouldn't make any sudden decisions regarding amputation.

My Tioga (chow mix) was diagnosed with oral melanoma 4 years ago when she was 10. Everything I read on the internet said she'd be dead in a year. Luckily, I caught it when it was very small and the vet had managed to remove the whole damn thing. It's never been an issue since.

About two years ago I noticed a weird (almost certainly non-cancerous) gum growth on her canine. Vet referred me to a specialist who was ready to remove a chunk of her upper mandible (and relieve me of $4K) right then and there. I never went back to that vet & just took a wait and see approach and the weird growth hasn't gotten any bigger.

I did switch Tioga to a limited ingredient diet (Wellness Simple Food Solutions) on the recommendation of my vet.