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Hi Barb! Glad to hear Toby is doing so well. I know how much love and care you've been giving him!
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Toby vomiting and losing weight, fine otherwise
- Thread starter barbb
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- #302
Here is my Toby update, I haven't been on here in a while because things have gotten busy with my consulting work and my adoption center stuff. Plus Toby was doing really well and he has only been getting his chemo every two weeks these days.
Well- he was doing very well, but in the last few weeks he just doesn't look that good and he is eating less. His weight when I last posted was good, but then it went down, and at this last visit it was up again but not to where it was in the past.I wouldn't say he is reverting- he has not thrown up or anything- but he just doesn't have the same energy level.
I learned this past visit that some of his chemo is administered orally, including the chemo he had this last Tuesday and that was why he was drooling on the way home. It is written on his discharge instructions but I did not read that part (because it is on page two, the last sentences before the signature - my bad!)
Anyhow, I called and after they told me it is on the paper and I should have read the paper, I yelled at the people who are caring for him. I told them that discharge instructions should not be a substitute for dialogue and for more than ten thousand dollars that we are spending with them for his treatment, I do expect to have his treatment and the highlights reviewed with me in person for whatever a few minutes at each visit, and I don't expect to be lectured about how it is written on the paper because that is not the point. And that IMO we should have meaningful conversation so both sides can be doing their job, especially so I know what to do at my end and not just wonder why he acts x or y way after he comes home. Like what happened this time after he went behind the door? What should I look for? Why is he drooling (the tech did tell me this time, it was the oral chemo).
I said every time he has come back he has a little colored bandage and this time he doesn't, so that was why I called. And why was I supposed to divine that he was given oral chemo, since the drugs are written as PO (medical term for PO) by the drug name. Oh, I was supposed to go to page two and read that last part. Nobody should have talked to me at any length, certainly not more than the 10 seconds that was spent with me handing me his carrier and paper in the lobby. My bad.
I know it is my responsibility to read the entire discharge paper- but I stopped doing that because it is a template and it says the same thing and they stick in whatever info has changed. Also it states facts and does not tell you what to do with the information that is given to you.
Anybody who will make a decision to take their terminally ill pet - cat or dog- with cancer for chemotherapy, surgery, treatment, I urge you to interview practices ahead of time and find out how much one-on-one time you will get with the medical staff, the oncologist in particular as well as who will sit down with you and tell you what is happening, be willing to discuss your pet’s care in the context of other animals who have gone through this, or even just common reactions and what to expect. My experience in this has been a disaster.
I have been trying not to post anything bad about this place but I am just so ticked off. I even waited before posting this because I was so mad. This is the second conversation I have had with them about communication. And sadly for everyone, by the time I have a conversation like this, it is extremely unpleasant because I just lose my temper and tear into them, especially when I start to hear YOU statements.
I am so worried about my Toby and it is just incomprehensible to me that there is no, I repeat NO bedside manner or communication. Oh yeah unless your discharge paper counts somehow, which was touted to me again and again as if it was the holy grail after I complained. And frankly if it was that important, a true SUBSTITUTE FOR CONVERSATION OR DIALOGUE I should have been told "read your discharge paper sweetie because that is the only way you will know what is going on - we aren't going to actually EVER talk to you, face to face, or by phone, or at all, because we are just too special for that. You will never be taken into an exam room, you will never get as much as one minute of our time in the patient waiting area, and even if you telephone us, we will only have a true conversation when you start yelling at us.
I told them their customer service is horrible, and that if they think it is ok and good to not talk to the clients at all, if they think it is acceptable for them to just pick up the cat carrier and then 20-30 minutes later come out to the waiting room and hand back a cat in a carrier and a paper and expensive bill-for 16 weeks straight with no conversation in between- then they need to look at process improvement. And I said if they want people to read the discharge instructions, they should NOT use a template from the week before and if they plan on using a template they should think about putting the new information in bold or in a different color because after the first few times all you see is the same exact information and you stop reading it. I'm just so depressed. This is our little fur child. I wish I had gone to a different place. Not because he may die, but just because of all the blank spaces over the last 14 treatments.
I'm sorry to vent, I really am. I just feel such despair. Even if Toby does not have a period of remission, I just wish the time and money our family has spent treating him had more substance and quality. If he does not make it and has to be PTS I will not go to this place.
Well- he was doing very well, but in the last few weeks he just doesn't look that good and he is eating less. His weight when I last posted was good, but then it went down, and at this last visit it was up again but not to where it was in the past.I wouldn't say he is reverting- he has not thrown up or anything- but he just doesn't have the same energy level.
I learned this past visit that some of his chemo is administered orally, including the chemo he had this last Tuesday and that was why he was drooling on the way home. It is written on his discharge instructions but I did not read that part (because it is on page two, the last sentences before the signature - my bad!)
Anyhow, I called and after they told me it is on the paper and I should have read the paper, I yelled at the people who are caring for him. I told them that discharge instructions should not be a substitute for dialogue and for more than ten thousand dollars that we are spending with them for his treatment, I do expect to have his treatment and the highlights reviewed with me in person for whatever a few minutes at each visit, and I don't expect to be lectured about how it is written on the paper because that is not the point. And that IMO we should have meaningful conversation so both sides can be doing their job, especially so I know what to do at my end and not just wonder why he acts x or y way after he comes home. Like what happened this time after he went behind the door? What should I look for? Why is he drooling (the tech did tell me this time, it was the oral chemo).
I said every time he has come back he has a little colored bandage and this time he doesn't, so that was why I called. And why was I supposed to divine that he was given oral chemo, since the drugs are written as PO (medical term for PO) by the drug name. Oh, I was supposed to go to page two and read that last part. Nobody should have talked to me at any length, certainly not more than the 10 seconds that was spent with me handing me his carrier and paper in the lobby. My bad.
I know it is my responsibility to read the entire discharge paper- but I stopped doing that because it is a template and it says the same thing and they stick in whatever info has changed. Also it states facts and does not tell you what to do with the information that is given to you.
Anybody who will make a decision to take their terminally ill pet - cat or dog- with cancer for chemotherapy, surgery, treatment, I urge you to interview practices ahead of time and find out how much one-on-one time you will get with the medical staff, the oncologist in particular as well as who will sit down with you and tell you what is happening, be willing to discuss your pet’s care in the context of other animals who have gone through this, or even just common reactions and what to expect. My experience in this has been a disaster.
I have been trying not to post anything bad about this place but I am just so ticked off. I even waited before posting this because I was so mad. This is the second conversation I have had with them about communication. And sadly for everyone, by the time I have a conversation like this, it is extremely unpleasant because I just lose my temper and tear into them, especially when I start to hear YOU statements.
I am so worried about my Toby and it is just incomprehensible to me that there is no, I repeat NO bedside manner or communication. Oh yeah unless your discharge paper counts somehow, which was touted to me again and again as if it was the holy grail after I complained. And frankly if it was that important, a true SUBSTITUTE FOR CONVERSATION OR DIALOGUE I should have been told "read your discharge paper sweetie because that is the only way you will know what is going on - we aren't going to actually EVER talk to you, face to face, or by phone, or at all, because we are just too special for that. You will never be taken into an exam room, you will never get as much as one minute of our time in the patient waiting area, and even if you telephone us, we will only have a true conversation when you start yelling at us.
I told them their customer service is horrible, and that if they think it is ok and good to not talk to the clients at all, if they think it is acceptable for them to just pick up the cat carrier and then 20-30 minutes later come out to the waiting room and hand back a cat in a carrier and a paper and expensive bill-for 16 weeks straight with no conversation in between- then they need to look at process improvement. And I said if they want people to read the discharge instructions, they should NOT use a template from the week before and if they plan on using a template they should think about putting the new information in bold or in a different color because after the first few times all you see is the same exact information and you stop reading it. I'm just so depressed. This is our little fur child. I wish I had gone to a different place. Not because he may die, but just because of all the blank spaces over the last 14 treatments.
I'm sorry to vent, I really am. I just feel such despair. Even if Toby does not have a period of remission, I just wish the time and money our family has spent treating him had more substance and quality. If he does not make it and has to be PTS I will not go to this place.
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Oh Barb. I can read the frustration in your post. I am so sorry that you had this experience. I am sorry Toby is not doing as well as he has been. Maybe it is just a temporary thing. Is there a director of this treatment place that you could get an audience with.
Oh Barb! 
I am SO sorry this has been such a frustrating experience!!!!!
BUT.... how they handle communication won't affect Toby's outcome. :heart2: And through this process, you DID find a wonderful vet - no? Isn't where he's getting the treatments a specialist practice, not his vet practice?
And if he seems under the weather, maybe give her a ring. :heart2: We had a kind of "cat flu" thing roll through the kitties. Lazlo went off his appetite for about two weeks. It took another one or two, actually, before he was back to feeling himself again. So maybe it's something like this? :dk:
BTW - our drive to the specialist was (without traffic) 1 1/2 hours. We found out late into the treatment that we could have the chemo done at our local vet. All that had to be done was have the specialist fax over the protocol. The small adjustments made, depending on how Lazlo felt and reacted to each treatment, could be made by our vet here. And that's what we did. We did give him one of the meds orally rather than via injection, because the cost for the local vet to provide it would have been prohibitive. But even though it was only the last 3 or maybe 4 treatments, we did it, because it saved the loooooooooong drive. I know you're almost done with the treatments, but it's something to ask about!
And, of course,
for Toby! (And you! :heart2: ).
I am SO sorry this has been such a frustrating experience!!!!!BUT.... how they handle communication won't affect Toby's outcome. :heart2: And through this process, you DID find a wonderful vet - no? Isn't where he's getting the treatments a specialist practice, not his vet practice?
And if he seems under the weather, maybe give her a ring. :heart2: We had a kind of "cat flu" thing roll through the kitties. Lazlo went off his appetite for about two weeks. It took another one or two, actually, before he was back to feeling himself again. So maybe it's something like this? :dk:
BTW - our drive to the specialist was (without traffic) 1 1/2 hours. We found out late into the treatment that we could have the chemo done at our local vet. All that had to be done was have the specialist fax over the protocol. The small adjustments made, depending on how Lazlo felt and reacted to each treatment, could be made by our vet here. And that's what we did. We did give him one of the meds orally rather than via injection, because the cost for the local vet to provide it would have been prohibitive. But even though it was only the last 3 or maybe 4 treatments, we did it, because it saved the loooooooooong drive. I know you're almost done with the treatments, but it's something to ask about!
And, of course,
for Toby! (And you! :heart2: ).- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #305
Thank you for your support, it means a lot.
Yes the regular vet we found is different from the Chicago Veterinary Specialty Center and that vet/practice (Dr. Barbara Royal) has the communication skills and bedside manner that the the place we are taking Toby does not. The regular vet's practice calls us after each treatment to see how Toby is doing and they always ask me to call back if there is anything I want to talk about. I want to take him back there after his chemo is over. The only reason I have not taken him in between is because it too is a long distance away and he is still having the chemo and battling his cancer. He has two more treatments, so one more month. The Royal Treatment Veterinary Center doesn't do chemotherapy, they told me at some point but I don't remember when.
The thing with the chemo vet is that you walk in and the receptionist asks you if anything has changed since the last visit. You tell them and they type it into the computer. Then they call and tell the specialist you are there and they say ok, and then they send you to the third floor. There you sit in a waiting area along with cats, dogs, and other owners waiting for internists, cardiologists, oncologists, and other specialists. Someone comes and takes your pet to the back and presumably that is when they read whatever you told the person downstairs. They administer the chemo while you read a magazine and then a tech comes back out and hands you your pet in a carrier along with your bill, the discharge paperwork, and a bottle with 4 doses of cerenia. If you are lucky you might get 15 seconds where somebody might say he's doing fine, or we love him he almost fell asleep, or like this past Tuesday: "he's a little drooly, those oral chemo pills are awfully large for him to swallow and it's probably why he's nauseated too". WHAAAA WHAT WAS THAT I HEARD?
The last time I talked to the oncologist was about halfway thru and she said she would meet with me after each treatment, but the last time I saw her was 3 visits/6 weeks ago.
Yes the regular vet we found is different from the Chicago Veterinary Specialty Center and that vet/practice (Dr. Barbara Royal) has the communication skills and bedside manner that the the place we are taking Toby does not. The regular vet's practice calls us after each treatment to see how Toby is doing and they always ask me to call back if there is anything I want to talk about. I want to take him back there after his chemo is over. The only reason I have not taken him in between is because it too is a long distance away and he is still having the chemo and battling his cancer. He has two more treatments, so one more month. The Royal Treatment Veterinary Center doesn't do chemotherapy, they told me at some point but I don't remember when.
The thing with the chemo vet is that you walk in and the receptionist asks you if anything has changed since the last visit. You tell them and they type it into the computer. Then they call and tell the specialist you are there and they say ok, and then they send you to the third floor. There you sit in a waiting area along with cats, dogs, and other owners waiting for internists, cardiologists, oncologists, and other specialists. Someone comes and takes your pet to the back and presumably that is when they read whatever you told the person downstairs. They administer the chemo while you read a magazine and then a tech comes back out and hands you your pet in a carrier along with your bill, the discharge paperwork, and a bottle with 4 doses of cerenia. If you are lucky you might get 15 seconds where somebody might say he's doing fine, or we love him he almost fell asleep, or like this past Tuesday: "he's a little drooly, those oral chemo pills are awfully large for him to swallow and it's probably why he's nauseated too". WHAAAA WHAT WAS THAT I HEARD?
The last time I talked to the oncologist was about halfway thru and she said she would meet with me after each treatment, but the last time I saw her was 3 visits/6 weeks ago.
Oh Barb, that's just SO AWFUL! Truly. I know you're busy, but I hope you can find the time to put it in print, too. I know he's getting what he needs - but you're not, and for the commitment given you AND the cost of treatment... it's just not OK. Any one of us would be yelling too.
In fact, if you want to give me their number....
In all seriousness, I'd put it in writing, and I wouldn't leave next time without seeing the oncologist.
Why are specialists - human and animal alike, so disrespectful of our feelings and time? :dk: We've had this same experience with Gary and doctors over and over and over again. It really is infuriating.
Truly. I know you're busy, but I hope you can find the time to put it in print, too. I know he's getting what he needs - but you're not, and for the commitment given you AND the cost of treatment... it's just not OK. Any one of us would be yelling too. In fact, if you want to give me their number....
In all seriousness, I'd put it in writing, and I wouldn't leave next time without seeing the oncologist.
Why are specialists - human and animal alike, so disrespectful of our feelings and time? :dk: We've had this same experience with Gary and doctors over and over and over again. It really is infuriating.
i have a cat that sounds just like yours never did pepcid thou does your cat also loose his hair? or seems like he has anxity? or howls randomly like he is dying but he isn't? because my cats does that and my cat used to weigh over 16lbs now he is 10 lbs
yes i see how late you posted this
Barb, I cannot believe how this clinic is treating it's patients (well, not the patients, but the "owners" of the patients, if you will). I would be rip roaring mad too, just like you!
All I have to say is, thank goodness you're almost done with them.
that Toby is just having an "off" couple of days and will perk up very soon. Hang in there.
All I have to say is, thank goodness you're almost done with them.
So has your cat received any kind of diagnosis? Has cancer been ruled out? :cross:
everytime i do a blood work its a major battle to get his results i'm going to try again with a new vet that my other cats seen not long ago as soon i get his appointment i will ask to do a blood work
the new vet is so far away so im going to try to get him in with in a month wen i get Michael nuetared <don't have a app set yet
the new vet is so far away so im going to try to get him in with in a month wen i get Michael nuetared <don't have a app set yet
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Well, cancer can't be diagnosed from blood work. If a kitty is anemic, that can point to cancer, but to detect cancer requires imaging and biopsy.
Brandon doesn't seem anemic but mewlittle was anemic about amonth ago my vet said it was the food so i changed she seems better i have no idea thou but she does have a lump on her breast the reason why i didn,t mention it because Dr seemed mad at every one so and brandon hasnt seen the new Dr like mewlittle did the thing is the Dr wasn't mad when i seen him before i think a rich snob made him mad haha any who next time Brandon goes to the vet SOON i will have his blood tested i think he might have Hyperthyroidism i don't see any tumors on him any were nest time Mewlittle goes to the vet i'm going to have her blood done to and the breast tumor tested she reacintly had URI thats when the dr was made and all he was worried about was her lungs i couldn't talk about anything else to him so i'll try again
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #313
Thank you everyone for the support, it really means a lot. You know how it is, you wonder if it is you who is unreasonable. I am just kicking myself because I feel as tho it has taken me this long to figure out their process and how it is designed to minimize interaction with the client. To them it is normal and I am the crazy one. To me it is the other way around :-( especially since we were never given an overview of what would happen unless you count the email with an attachment that was a photocopy of another cat's 16 cycles of chemo listed in medical terms and associated pricing. I call that a cost estimate.
Mewlittle, the weight loss and vomiting with your cat, that should be cause for you to be concerned. You should get at least an x-ray which might show if there is an intestinal blockage. And it is better still if you can get an ultrasound, but at least get the x-ray. My kitty was diagnosed with cancer, and it took 5 visits and finally I asked for the x-ray. You could save a lot of time by just telling the vet you want an x ray. As LDG says, bloodwork won't detect cancer. I am sorry to hear that your vet has attitude too :-(. Keep us posted and let us know what is happening. I will send vibes your way too!
Mewlittle, the weight loss and vomiting with your cat, that should be cause for you to be concerned. You should get at least an x-ray which might show if there is an intestinal blockage. And it is better still if you can get an ultrasound, but at least get the x-ray. My kitty was diagnosed with cancer, and it took 5 visits and finally I asked for the x-ray. You could save a lot of time by just telling the vet you want an x ray. As LDG says, bloodwork won't detect cancer. I am sorry to hear that your vet has attitude too :-(. Keep us posted and let us know what is happening. I will send vibes your way too!
I will keep posted i think the soonest i can get both in is in the middle of nov or dec i will do test fo both of them they both seem doing better on the new food i been feeding and the last time i was there also he was wanting me to feed hills and i said NOO because most of hills contains weaght and both of them are allergic to it and both cats go poo allot we have car issues alsoThank you everyone for the support, it really means a lot. You know how it is, you wonder if it is you who is unreasonable. I am just kicking myself because I feel as tho it has taken me this long to figure out their process and how it is designed to minimize interaction with the client. To them it is normal and I am the crazy one. To me it is the other way around :-( especially since we were never given an overview of what would happen unless you count the email with an attachment that was a photocopy of another cat's 16 cycles of chemo listed in medical terms and associated pricing. I call that a cost estimate.
Mewlittle, the weight loss and vomiting with your cat, that should be cause for you to be concerned. You should get at least an x-ray which might show if there is an intestinal blockage. And it is better still if you can get an ultrasound, but at least get the x-ray. My kitty was diagnosed with cancer, and it took 5 visits and finally I asked for the x-ray. You could save a lot of time by just telling the vet you want an x ray. As LDG says, bloodwork won't detect cancer. I am sorry to hear that your vet has attitude too :-(. Keep us posted and let us know what is happening. I will send vibes your way too!
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Did your Veterinarian do Blood work ? If not then you should ask for blood work to be done and a test for your kitties T4 level.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #316
Thank you for caring, that was my first post and this is a long thread lol, he was diagnosed with large cell lymphosarcoma and has had 14 chemotherapy treatments now, with two left. He is hanging in there. I have learned that lymphosarcoma can be very had to diagnose in cats depending on where it is and what kind. I urge anyone with a cat who has these symptoms to follow up a normal blood panel with x-rays and even an ultrasound if symptoms do not improve.
Ooooo, just two more treatments left! 
How's he feeling?
How are YOU feeling?
Did you contact them again - write a note to their customer relations person?
:heart2:
How's he feeling? How are YOU feeling?
Did you contact them again - write a note to their customer relations person?
:heart2:
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #318
Awww thank you for asking! He is doing pretty well, he was not eating much but it seems like he is eating more again. I found some crunches that were thrown up today and I don't know which cat did it, augh. And Toby has thrown up some foam a few times, which tells me he is nauseated somewhat.
The vet had said to increase his prednisolone which I did for one day, but he started to eat a bit more so I cut it back to 1/2 again rather than him being so hyper. I don't know if this ever happened to you, but I find that, with so much trying to get him to eat, it is hard to establish normal meal times and I end up feeding all the kitties whenever I can get Toby to eat something. Our routine is definitely off. It is very much like feeding a person on chemo, one day they like x thing and eat a ton of it, the next day they won't look at x but they want y. And they may eat x too if it is hand fed to them upstairs instead of their regular place lol.
Toby has two more chemo appointments, the next one is the day after tomorrow and my husband is coming along this time because communication was so bad last time. We don't know what happens after chemo is over, do we just stop, do we do another ultrasound? They are such poor communicators we really have no idea what we should look for etc. I will make an appointment with the regular vet like I said. And I do hope my husband can get more info from them. I have never experienced anyplace that does not go over discharge instructions with the client, let alone use the instructions as an excuse for why I should know something that they have not told me.
As for me, I tripped over our bolted down hose coil on the back porch Friday while we were putting the enormous solar pool cover over our gazebo to make Ace and William's winter home. I fell directly on my right kneem and had to cancel a vet appointment I had for two of the three FIV+ foster kitties in the foster room- they have ongoing URI/rhinitis which makes them sound like tuberculosis victims or something, horrible goopy eyes and coughs, but they still eat like pigs- I've been giving them the 2 docs pet wellness allergy pills to help their symptoms and also they contain a lot of vitamin C, more actually then the 2 docs immune support pills. Back to me lol, I've been icing my knee since then and by this evening I am up and around and doing well. I knew i shouldn't have been out there on Friday, I felt dizzy and was telling my husband and his friend that too. It might have been bc his friend is heavy and was making the deck bounce lol. My hubby said next year we have to do something different, lol so I hope we figure it out by then.
Last but not least, my husband i.e. John wants to go to Hawaii in Dec 2 weeks and 2 days after Toby's final chemo treatment. I am reluctant to do that but I don't know. I'd be very interested to hear what anyone else has to say as far as their experience in this area. I know each situation is unique but let me know anyhow!
The vet had said to increase his prednisolone which I did for one day, but he started to eat a bit more so I cut it back to 1/2 again rather than him being so hyper. I don't know if this ever happened to you, but I find that, with so much trying to get him to eat, it is hard to establish normal meal times and I end up feeding all the kitties whenever I can get Toby to eat something. Our routine is definitely off. It is very much like feeding a person on chemo, one day they like x thing and eat a ton of it, the next day they won't look at x but they want y. And they may eat x too if it is hand fed to them upstairs instead of their regular place lol.
Toby has two more chemo appointments, the next one is the day after tomorrow and my husband is coming along this time because communication was so bad last time. We don't know what happens after chemo is over, do we just stop, do we do another ultrasound? They are such poor communicators we really have no idea what we should look for etc. I will make an appointment with the regular vet like I said. And I do hope my husband can get more info from them. I have never experienced anyplace that does not go over discharge instructions with the client, let alone use the instructions as an excuse for why I should know something that they have not told me.
As for me, I tripped over our bolted down hose coil on the back porch Friday while we were putting the enormous solar pool cover over our gazebo to make Ace and William's winter home. I fell directly on my right kneem and had to cancel a vet appointment I had for two of the three FIV+ foster kitties in the foster room- they have ongoing URI/rhinitis which makes them sound like tuberculosis victims or something, horrible goopy eyes and coughs, but they still eat like pigs- I've been giving them the 2 docs pet wellness allergy pills to help their symptoms and also they contain a lot of vitamin C, more actually then the 2 docs immune support pills. Back to me lol, I've been icing my knee since then and by this evening I am up and around and doing well. I knew i shouldn't have been out there on Friday, I felt dizzy and was telling my husband and his friend that too. It might have been bc his friend is heavy and was making the deck bounce lol. My hubby said next year we have to do something different, lol so I hope we figure it out by then.
Last but not least, my husband i.e. John wants to go to Hawaii in Dec 2 weeks and 2 days after Toby's final chemo treatment. I am reluctant to do that but I don't know. I'd be very interested to hear what anyone else has to say as far as their experience in this area. I know each situation is unique but let me know anyhow!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #319
I just wanted to do an update post about Toby. His last chemo treatment was on Friday. We did it a few days early because the oncologist is off work next week. The last treament was the doxyrubicin so he is not eating a whole lot right now, that tends to happen after this particular treatment. I really hope in the next several weeks that we see improvement. He still sits in his crouching position and is sleeping a lot. But he is not vomiting and his weight is holding steady at just under 14 lbs. He is a very large cat so for him that is a normal weight, actually it is skinny for him bc he was an overweight 18+ lbs before he became ill.
We did not do an ultrasound as a follow up because the oncologist did not mention it. I have him scheduled for a visit in one month with our regular vet, Dr. Royal, and I may ask them about doing one- understanding that when you do an ultrasound at a different place, it can't be compared to the ultrasound from the place before that. I probably should ask for one where he has been treated and where we did the last one. Frankly we are so exhausted by this whole process, we feel worn down, and I'm sure Toby feels even more worn down. We were not shown his last ultrasound results either, so we don't know how they will be measured. This is what happens when your practitioner is completely absent and shut down and never communicates with you and maybe that is what is intended- for you to just watchfully wait and they run everything with no dialogue, forcing you to initiate conversation and do all the research on your own. Advice to people with newly diagnosed kitties- if your practitioner is not forthcoming, it will only get worse, so run as fast as you can somewhere else.
I did find a good case study on this site, where a cat the same age as Toby was treated with the wisconsin protocol of chemo and they switched gears when the kitty's first ultrasound only showed a 20% shrinkage http://felinelymphoma.org/case/index.php?page=detail&get_id=26&category=10 of the tumor. It makes me wonder why we could not get something more definitive for Toby at his first ultrasound. When the oncologist talks to us it is very frustrating, I just want to slap her, because she keeps saying how we don't really know because cats are cats and the outcomes are unpredictable. This drives me crazy and I have no idea why a medical practitioner and scientist would have the nerve to say that to anyone.
Here is a good link also, to the various chemo protocols, I am going to keep this- not because we will necessarily do more, but just because I wish someone had given it to me in the first place and maybe this link will help someone else on this forum in a similar situation to ours.
http://www.justanswer.com/pet-cat/15x2k-16-year-old-cat-diagnosed-today.html
We did not do an ultrasound as a follow up because the oncologist did not mention it. I have him scheduled for a visit in one month with our regular vet, Dr. Royal, and I may ask them about doing one- understanding that when you do an ultrasound at a different place, it can't be compared to the ultrasound from the place before that. I probably should ask for one where he has been treated and where we did the last one. Frankly we are so exhausted by this whole process, we feel worn down, and I'm sure Toby feels even more worn down. We were not shown his last ultrasound results either, so we don't know how they will be measured. This is what happens when your practitioner is completely absent and shut down and never communicates with you and maybe that is what is intended- for you to just watchfully wait and they run everything with no dialogue, forcing you to initiate conversation and do all the research on your own. Advice to people with newly diagnosed kitties- if your practitioner is not forthcoming, it will only get worse, so run as fast as you can somewhere else.
I did find a good case study on this site, where a cat the same age as Toby was treated with the wisconsin protocol of chemo and they switched gears when the kitty's first ultrasound only showed a 20% shrinkage http://felinelymphoma.org/case/index.php?page=detail&get_id=26&category=10 of the tumor. It makes me wonder why we could not get something more definitive for Toby at his first ultrasound. When the oncologist talks to us it is very frustrating, I just want to slap her, because she keeps saying how we don't really know because cats are cats and the outcomes are unpredictable. This drives me crazy and I have no idea why a medical practitioner and scientist would have the nerve to say that to anyone.
Here is a good link also, to the various chemo protocols, I am going to keep this- not because we will necessarily do more, but just because I wish someone had given it to me in the first place and maybe this link will help someone else on this forum in a similar situation to ours.
http://www.justanswer.com/pet-cat/15x2k-16-year-old-cat-diagnosed-today.html
Oh Barb.... Sounds like they didn't talk to you at all after he finished the course of chemo?
Did you book the trip to Hawaii? :cross: Sounds like you could really use a lovely vacation!
We were able to take Lazlo off the cerenia a week or so after the chemo ended, if I remember correctly. We were able to take him off the appetite stimulant a few weeks BEFORE it ended. We've kept him on the pred (5mg daily) AND the pepcid a/c throughout and he's still on both. Lazlo was pretty much back to himself for a month or so before the chemo ended. Each chemo treatment affected him for a day or two. Like Toby, the last one was the worst, but once he got over that, he was fine. He was a very, very, very spoiled kitty, and it took a little while to get him back on schedule, and it was a fine line to walk, because we want him spoiled - but we wanted life to be somewhat normal.
We went ahead and got an ultrasound done 4 weeks after the last treatment (or thereabouts). We had it done at a different place (in fact, we had it done at the local vet, and not by a specialist) - BUT - he had a measurable mass in his stomach, and if I recall, Toby had the enlarged lymph node in his small intestine? For Lazlo, there was no mass to measure - so it didn't matter where it was done or who did it. I really, really, really hope that will be the same for Toby.
I also hope he perks up, and that his appetite returns to normal.... and that all you're dealing with soon is a spoiled kitty. :heart2:
Sounds like they didn't talk to you at all after he finished the course of chemo? Did you book the trip to Hawaii? :cross: Sounds like you could really use a lovely vacation!
We were able to take Lazlo off the cerenia a week or so after the chemo ended, if I remember correctly. We were able to take him off the appetite stimulant a few weeks BEFORE it ended. We've kept him on the pred (5mg daily) AND the pepcid a/c throughout and he's still on both. Lazlo was pretty much back to himself for a month or so before the chemo ended. Each chemo treatment affected him for a day or two. Like Toby, the last one was the worst, but once he got over that, he was fine. He was a very, very, very spoiled kitty, and it took a little while to get him back on schedule, and it was a fine line to walk, because we want him spoiled - but we wanted life to be somewhat normal.
We went ahead and got an ultrasound done 4 weeks after the last treatment (or thereabouts). We had it done at a different place (in fact, we had it done at the local vet, and not by a specialist) - BUT - he had a measurable mass in his stomach, and if I recall, Toby had the enlarged lymph node in his small intestine? For Lazlo, there was no mass to measure - so it didn't matter where it was done or who did it. I really, really, really hope that will be the same for Toby.
I also hope he perks up, and that his appetite returns to normal.... and that all you're dealing with soon is a spoiled kitty.
:heart2: - Status
