New Member Here...Spirit's Mouth and Jaw Tumors

Hello Everyone,

Our beloved Spirit, almost 18 years of age. has not been herself since early August. She was being finicky about her meals, but she ate. We had house-sitters stay while we went on a brief vacation. Upon our return, they told us that Spirit was not eating regularly, so we took her to the vet.

Our vet concluded, after a thorough exam that Spirit had a tumor in her jaw and one under her tongue. Spirit's exam just 6 months earlier was without any problems. How do these cancers get started and spread so quickly?

Anyway, as part of the treatment, we were given two meds: BUPRENORPHINE for the pain and PIROXICAM to shrink the tumors...hopefully. Each is administered via syringe.

Spirit eats occasionally, but the vet says that she has to eat and drink more in order to keep herself hydrated and maintain muscle tone. So the vet suggested a feeding tube.

That's the main point causing us such emotional agony at home right now. We just had to put or beloved Stinky down, less han 3 months ago...now Spirit's health challenge.

Spirit chose me, when we got her from a friend's farm cat in 1997, who just had kittens. She was so cute and adorable---she remains so.

The question: should we have the vet insert the feeding tube, knowing that the tumors may spread and that the meds may not work as hoped? No telling how long the tumors had been growing since early August.

We're thinking about Spirit's well being, or love which binds Spirit to us is secondary...we want to do what's best for her. She almost 85 in human years; should we put her though the feeding tube procedure AND the meds, not knowing how much, if any, of this is going to help her get well?

The vet said, even with the feeding tube and the meds, we're looking at "months"...no telling how many.

I try to type this through the blur of tears streaming down my face. My wife and I are heart-broken and so emotionally torn as to what to do for our beloved Spirit.

Any thoughts and ideas would be most welcomed and received.

Many thanks for taking the time to respond.

Lois and Alain

Forgot to mention that last week, Spirit has now begun to drool and hide so we can't find her. Sure, she used to do that before, but in a playful manner, now she knows that the "meds procedure" via syringe is coming whenever we approach her.

I'm so terribly sorry that you all are having to go through this.

Wow 18 years, what a blessing to have had you and your wife as Spirit's guardians all these years! It's obvious how much she is loved and I know what a tough decision you are having to make.

i have no words of advice, just want you to know that you have a lot of support here. Sending positive thoughts for your family.

-Tina

I would get a second opinion. We had a cat show up at our house with advanced cancer in the mouth. He drooled uncontrollably and couldn't eat much and was basically just a mess. We took him to the vet who gave us the bad news and was started on Prednisone, a steroid, to help with the tumor. It was a miracle, the drooling stopped, he started eating a lot, and he was like a kitten. He lived for another year on this, they backed it down to the minimum that would help, 1/2 tab every other day, which I put in a piece of pill pocket and 'cemented' to a treat. I think he would have lived even longer, but he broke his pelvis in a fall and we had to put him down, a sad day in our lives. The secretary at the clinic would always tell me when I would call, do you know long term steroids might give a cat kidney failure? and I would always answer, look, he is dieing, I think kidney failure was the last thing on his mind, and as long as it made him feel better and he was happy we were giving it. Your cat is 18 years old and has a terminal illness. Right now I think that a cure is not the way to go, it's not quantity of life right now but quality. I would try the Prednisone first, with a vets blessing,  before the feeding tube, I just can't see that being worth the pain it will bring both of you. I know the gut wrenching pain this all brings to a family, just remember, what Spirit wants from you now is love and comfort, she already has had a long loved filled life with the people she loves the most, and that is what she wants you to remember her by, not the sad, pain filled times. My heart goes out to you, I'll keep you both in my thoughts and prayers. 

Hi Lois & Alain.I am sorry.I hate that sentence as I have heard it so many times in my life.Although remember it is truly with sincerity.Yes your kitty is getting on and has a nasty diagnosis.What i can tell you are there are two types of tubes.And E tubes which is placed in the esophagus or one that goes right into the tummy.An e tube is not a big deal as per surgery & truly can give many months to a kitty in palliative care.Being in the mouth is so different then say cancer of the gut or something.Syringing is really not much of an option because of pain.I do belong to many cancer groups as well as assisted feeding groups.if your kitty does not get the adequate amount of calories per day he/she will become major dehydrated and then the liver will begin to shut down.HL Hepatic lipidosis & you can google & read about it is not pretty.They can become jaundice and it is truly very heart wrenching.It really depends on how you feel about tubes.Some people are dead against them.Others were horrified at the idea but once done thought back gee what a godsend this was.Truly  something you have to decide on your own.No one's really right decision.Your personal decision.What I can offer you is a group at Yahoo that is the assisted feeding group.Very compassionate group that can tell you all about tubes or any questions you will have if you decide you want to go that route.Also foods that are recommended High calorie & also the intro of Lysine.Lysine is an amino acid.You can talk to your vet about it.All cancer kitties on all the groups I belong to are Lysine.Because the immune system has been suppressed & is fighting like heck.Note**I am NOT a vet** I have seen & read many members testimonials on this type of cancer as well as many other forms & how they get calories into their babes.Trying to give them the best quality of Life & not letting the liver shut down as best they can.Very personal decision.I can totally relate to posting & crying at the same time...Sending you strength...

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Feline-Assisted-Feeding/info 

Hugs to all of you during this very trying time.C

Hello Everyone,

Time for an update to you wonderful and thoughtful people...

We had to have our beloved Spirit down on, of all days, my birthday early in November 2015. The tumor grew to the point that it was obstructing her breathing...there wasn't a dry eye in the vet's surgery. My wife and I waited more than 2 months before we felt the calling to bring 3 new kitties into our home.

We have "Turbo", "CeCe" and "Jade". Will post photos and another post to tell you what's going on with them...they are all shelter kitties and Turbo is experiencing an illness which he apparently was exposed to while in the shelter.

Turbo is so little and so cute, he really deserves better than this! We're heart-broken and yet very hopeful that through antibiotics and Interferon he will be our "miracle" baby boy. His diarrhea has cleared up almost completely! He had a sneezing attack his A.M., but that has since stopped.

He sleeps a lot, but has regained his very good appetite, still pees and poops each day. Sorry, hope I didn't gross you folks out with that!  He got his name, "Turbo", because the first week he was here, he would tear around the house, playing with the ping-pong balls we tossed his way; he'd bat them around and chase them all over. Now, he doesn't play much.

We hold him and love him when he's awake and, as I said, his appetite is v-e-r-y good, we place a good amount of water in his food and he eats the whole saucer.!

Jade and Turbo are about 5 months old, CeCe is about 2 years of age...Turbo is the only one with symptoms---so far.

Please keep our little Turbo in your thoughts and prayers, won't you?

A special thanks to the person responsible for this wonderful website. It is sooo helpful in times like this!

M

ny th

nks!

Lois and Alain

First of all, I am so sorry for the loss of your dear beloved Spirit- I lost my girl Tiger to pancreatic cancer last summer, so I know how much cancer sucks :-(

Bless your heart for taking in the 3 shelter kitties! I am sending all kinds of positive healing vibes for poor little guy Turbo. We here are not grossed out by good healthy poop reports, in fact, most of us cheer it! I am a longtime member of the Feline Diabetes membership Board, where we seriously cheer when a cat poops! We also love to hear that a kitty is eating and playing and purring.  Hope your little guy feels better soon.

RuthM, MomofMaxwell, Di and Bob, LotsofFur,

I wish there was an easier way to say this...we had to put our beloved TURBO down. As it turned out, the shelter disease he had contracted was FIPv. That beloved little boy fought until the end. I have photos which I took of his last day with us...he was touching noses with his two sisters! I believe that he was telling them, "Good-bye sisters, I have to go now!".

TURBO's body began to swell up, retaining a nasty, viscous fluid. There is no cure for FIPv. I was inconsolable at the vets; my wife turned to me with tears streaming down her cheeks and told me that we needed to bring TURBO into our little family---he needed to be with us, even for a few short weeks. Without us, the shelter would have immediately seen his condition and put him down.

With us, he had the ability to be with his family, no matter how brief the time, for a few weeks longer...to play and jump and eat and poop and love and be loved. Our lives would have been richer if TURBO would have been with us just a few days.

He added so much to our family and we all miss him so very much!

About 3 weeks later, we received a call from the veterinarian at the shelter where we got TURBO. She told us that a new baby boy, age 5 months, had just come into the shelter. he was given away because the family could not support him any longer. We went to see him and he captured our hearts...at last. A black and white kitten, kinda chunky with really cute markings. We've called him "BANDIT" because of the way the black fur cover his eyes. This is our new little black and white boy: BANDIT!

Below is a photo of TURBO...

BANDIT is not a replacement for TURBO...no kitty can replace another, but BANDIT needed a home, just as TURBO needed a home. We opened our hearts and this is the result.

Just goes to show that even in the worst of circumstances, good can be found if we look deep enough to find it.

Blessings to you all for your concern, your thoughts and prayers for SPIRIT and for TURBO!

Spirit's #1 Dad

Dear @Spirits 1 Dad   (((((Lois and Alain))))))

I am so sorry for the loss of sweet little Turbo...I cannot imagine the grief you must feel and I feel so badly that you lost your beautiful Spirit to recently, it's so unfair.  Those are wonderful pictures of Turbo and bless your heart for all you do for all of your kitties; most importantly bringing home the newbie Bandit.  No, Bandit will never be able to replace Spirit or Turbo, I just think you two are special to be able to open up your home to him after such tragedy.  You definitely have hearts of gold! 

I am sending my strongest good health vibes for  CeCe, Jade and little  Bandit!!!

Fly Free little Turbo and land softly- you were so loved!