Lola's fight with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (I'm going to say goodbye to my cat)

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2Cats4everLoved

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Hello Mia, hello everybody,

Yesterday Lola was in good shape and after her syringe meal at 7 pm she stayed with me all evening until I went to bed. Mainly she slept on my lap. Lola has her own bed on the couch and she loves to sleep there at night. At the other corner of the same couch there's the bed for her feline friend Pallina.

Lola peed on the pad on her bed around 10 pm, but I'm used to it... I laid a new pad for the night.

This morning she looked a bit tired and weak and wasn't too cooperative with her syringe. I took more time than usual to give her the whole meal.

No blood on the pad, thanks God, only wet with wee. There are days when she feels a bit down, then she recovers. Hopefully today is one of this.

Today at 6 pm I have an appointment with the vet for the acupuncture for Pallina. I will explain her what happened in these last days. We have a weekly appointment for the acupuncture, but last week she wasn't available so we skipped a week.

I look forward to listening what she will tell me about Lola's new condition, and I will let you know.

Thanks for following!
I'm very pleased to learn Lola ate well this morning.

Please let us know what the vet says.  Lot's of love to Lola.

Hang in there, you're doing a wonderful job taking care of your furry sweetheart.  Best to you, Hope
 
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Antonio65

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Thanks everybody for your kind and warm support!

Yesterday I had an appointment with the vet for the acupuncture to the other cat.

She asked me about Lola since she hadn't had news in the last two weeks and was astonished to learn that Lola is still with me. Her words have been something like "holy s***, she IS tough!"

Of course, given the situation that they had described as "extreme" before, she didn't have any tips. Apparently this is an unbeaten path for them and they have no experience in managing such a matter.

She said that as long as Lola wants to eat and acts as herself and doesn't show any pain or distress, the only thing I can do is enjoying her.

The vet gave me a syringe with a shot of Convenia. I will give it to Lola over the weekend. This is the fifth shot of this antibiotic since the beginning of February and so far it helped her control any infection in her mouth but eventually it won't have any more effect.

Lola has been a bit slow in the last hours. Both yesterday and today I had to push her food in her mouth a bit harder. Sometimes she's acting as she didn't want her food anymore or as she is going to give up. But later on she climbs the timber stairs (the one in the photo in this thread) to reach the window sill and bask in the sun. Or asks me to be let outside for a short walk or wants me to sit on the couch so that she can curl up on my lap. It seems that it's only the food that annoys her.

Lola's losing weight. Though she's getting a proper amount of food and calories she has lost 120 grams (4.23 oz) in the last three weeks. She now weighs 2.6 kg (5 lbs and 11.7 oz), that is 1 kg (2.2 lbs) less than in last August, and 2 kg (4.4 lbs) less than one year ago.

The doctor said that though Lola is eating more than she would need, the cancer is eating up most of her energy intake. So this would mean that no matter how much I am giving her she might die from starvation :(

Thanks for reading.

P.S.: We have a 6-9 hours gap in time zones between me in Central Europe and you in North America, so it might seem that I'm late at replying. Be patient
 
 
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2Cats4everLoved

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I'm pleased that Lola is enjoying her time with you.

Sadly enjoying each others company is all you can do.  And I suggest you do just that, Enjoy her every minute you can.

The vet told me my boy wouldn't live through the weekend, he was diagnosed on a Thursday and oh how wrong the vet was.  I got to enjoy my boy for 4 months.  It was no easy task taking care of a cat with mouth cancer, but he enjoyed himself except the last few or so when eating and drinking became an a labored task.

I believe Lola isn't ready to leave you.  Perhaps she feels you're not ready to deal with her loss, or it could be she simply isn't ready to leave you.  

What ever the reason, you have been given time to be together, and that my friend is the greatest gift you could have right now.

Please please keep us updated on her condition.  And feel free to post pictures, we love pictures.  I also found it therapeutic to post and talk about my babies.

Warmest regards to you and your sweet Lola. xoxohope
 

Mia6

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Antonio,

Lola a tough one!! I am happy to hear she enjoyed her walk and time in the sunshine.

Abracci e baci a Lola

Hugs,

Mia
 
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Antonio65

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The vet told me my boy wouldn't live through the weekend, he was diagnosed on a Thursday and oh how wrong the vet was.  I got to enjoy my boy for 4 months.  It was no easy task taking care of a cat with mouth cancer, but he enjoyed himself except the last few or so when eating and drinking became an a labored task.

I believe Lola isn't ready to leave you.  Perhaps she feels you're not ready to deal with her loss, or it could be she simply isn't ready to leave you.  

What ever the reason, you have been given time to be together, and that my friend is the greatest gift you could have right now.

Please please keep us updated on her condition.  And feel free to post pictures, we love pictures.  I also found it therapeutic to post and talk about my babies.

Warmest regards to you and your sweet Lola. xoxohope
Really they thought it was that quick?

Fortunately they were wrong!

 In the last days it seems that eating is becoming a huge effort to Lola, but this could be an interpretation of mine. A second veterinarian yesterday told me that Lola must be a brave cat to withstand to so much unluck and pain. And she truly is, I always told Lola that she is brave indeed. She went through so much stress and terrible experiences that only a brave one could bear.

With this attitude towards life she'll be clinging to this world with teeth and claws, she won't give up easily and I fear it will be a hard and long fight, a fight that could bring her lots of discomfort. I'm scared by this :(

Thanks so much!
 
Antonio,

Lola a tough one!! I am happy to hear she enjoyed her walk and time in the sunshine.

Abracci e baci a Lola

Hugs,

Mia
Thanks Mia, my compliments for your good Italian :)
 
She is a true warrior. She is not ready to leave the people she loves 
She is, Zed, she is a true warrior. I think I will miss her strength :(
 

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I just read this thread, well read parts, skimmed parts... I avoid sad and painful things.  I am glad you are hanging in there with Lola.  Our vet kept saying out little Alex was on her last days, maybe even her last hours, and she lingered for a year.  She lost a lot of weight, but she wanted to live... and she wanted to die in our arms.  I am not sorry I didn't put her down... she did very well despite her illness taking its toll.  She enjoyed us, and family time, and being pampered right up until the last couple days.  The last 36 hours were very difficult as the strength to use the box left her.  At fist she meowed for me to take her, but as she got weaker, I couldn't make myself take her to the box because she didn't have the strength to stand anymore and would fall over.  I just made her clean bed on my bed, and kept her clean... and we held paw.  She hung on until my daughter, who was her mommy since my daughter was just 7 years (19 years or so) got home from work.  We knew it was time because she lost interest in eating, and drinking, and while we offered, we didn't force... she died from CRF.
 

Mia6

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Molly.

So sorry about your little Alex.

Hugs,

Mia
 
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Antonio65

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I just read this thread, well read parts, skimmed parts... I avoid sad and painful things.  I am glad you are hanging in there with Lola.  Our vet kept saying out little Alex was on her last days, maybe even her last hours, and she lingered for a year.  She lost a lot of weight, but she wanted to live... and she wanted to die in our arms.  I am not sorry I didn't put her down... she did very well despite her illness taking its toll.  She enjoyed us, and family time, and being pampered right up until the last couple days.  The last 36 hours were very difficult as the strength to use the box left her.  At fist she meowed for me to take her, but as she got weaker, I couldn't make myself take her to the box because she didn't have the strength to stand anymore and would fall over.  I just made her clean bed on my bed, and kept her clean... and we held paw.  She hung on until my daughter, who was her mommy since my daughter was just 7 years (19 years or so) got home from work.  We knew it was time because she lost interest in eating, and drinking, and while we offered, we didn't force... she died from CRF.
Thanks MollyBlue for your story. I'm deeply sorry for your Alex, but by what you write she has fought to stay with you till you were all around her, a strong witness of will and love.

Our little friends show us what the real meaning of love is, always!

Hugs!
 
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Antonio65

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Hi all.

As I wrote yesterday, Lola is showing some difficulty at eating and it seems she gets annoyed by it quickly during her meal.

She still shows me that she would be hungry, but when it comes to the syringe it gets hard for both of us.

It seems to me that she can't (or doesn't want to) open her mouth wide enough to let the syringe in, so when I squeeze the food in her mouth it doesn't reach the end of her mouth and most of it runs out. I retrieve it and put it back in her mouth, but it takes longer than usual and Lola shows some stress from it.

As a result, while once week ago I was able to feed 40 grams of food in about 20-25 minutes, last night and this morning I took around 30-35 minutes to give her 20 grams. Much more time for much less food. This is not good, and it may lead to a lesser aount of daily food and energy which in turn it means a quicker worsening of her conditions.

This morning, by chance, I found a picture that I had shot on the day Lola had part of her tongue removed, and compared with the last ones of her mouth.

You know when you look at the same thing for days or weeks and can't see any change though some changes are there, just like when you look at yourselves in the mirror and don't realize of the aging?

Well, i hadn't realized of the changing in Lola's mouth!

Lola's tongue is very different from how it was four weeks ago, it got shorter, as it had worn along his length, and now it's just a tiny stump at the far end ofher mouth, and four weeks ago it was half of the original size!!!

This means that in a few days she won't have any tongue left, and this explains why she had more and more trouble with food :(

I also noticed that the gums of the lower incisors are a bit swollen and inflammated. It seems to me as the lower teeth have been included into her gums. Is it a sign of the cancer that is growing and taking over?

What am i going to do now?


She still enjoys all the rest in the house, she purrs at me and all... I am desperate!
 

2Cats4everLoved

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I'm so sorry to learn of this change.

My Simon's tongue changed daily yet I still kept it as a sign if he was willing to enjoy life I'd try my best.

Perhaps it's time to use a smaller syringe.  As I said in an earlier post I used a syringe I got from the vets that was from his meds.  I took his can of food, added a half can of hot water and used a hand blender to blend it smooth and used the smaller syringe.  I too had to make sure it reached the back of his throat ant it worked pretty well.  Add some gerber baby food to it and see if she still has any interest in eating at all or if it's just hard for her and she's getting turned off.

Please take a breath, step back for a moment.  Let Lola guide you to what is best for her.  She'll let you know.  

I'll be thinking of you and your sweet girl today.  Know that we are here to support you. xoxoxoxo

Try the smaller syringe, I tell you it will work.

below is a picture of my feeding set up when things got rough.

 
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Antonio65

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2Cats4everLoved,

your picture is fantastic, at first I thought it was taken from a veterinarian website.

I wish to thank you for the useful advice and I remember that you wrote that before. I have thought of you in the past two days when things were getting harder, but the nozzle of the syringe that I use is very long and is narrower than a small syringe and reaches the back of her mouth easily, if only Lola would open the mouth a little wider.

As a matter of fact today at lunch she was much more co-operative and I was able to give her whole syringe (40 grams) in about 35 minutes, a bit longer than usual, bt with less mess around.

A smaller syringe would force me to load it with food more times and I haven't that level of patience :)

My set up includes a large syringe with a very long nozzle. Food is already in the syringe when I begin. Then I have a small cup with fresh water, a smaller syringe (10 ml) for rinsing her mouth every two or three bites of food, some small wipes for cleansing her mouth.

Syringes are replaced as soon as they get too stiff to work. I have plenty of them at home, their cost is very low over here. Before I started using the syringes with the long nozzle  I would use the classic syringes with a nozzle fit for needles, but they would get useless in one day because Lola would bite and destroy the nozzle and the food wouldn't get out of it any longer.

Lola loves shaking her head during the meal to get rid of excess food around her lips, so you can imagine what happens around us during those 20-30 minutes...!

Does this Gerber food add anything to the meal? I need her to get as many calories as possible with the as less as possible food amount. That's why I stick with Recovery mixed with Nutriplus. Currently I am giving her 60 kcal each meal.

Can you please explain what you meant with "Simon's tongue changed daily" ? This sentence terrifies me!

Thanks a million!
 

Mia6

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Antonio,

Will she take water? Maybe it is painful for her to eat. I would ask the vet for a narcotic, something stronger than Metacam which

I think you mentioned she is taking. I think the smaller syringe is good advice.

Give Lola hugs and kisses from me,

Hugs,

Mia
 
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Antonio65

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Antonio,

Will she take water? Maybe it is painful for her to eat. I would ask the vet for a narcotic, something stronger than Metacam which

I think you mentioned she is taking. I think the smaller syringe is good advice.

Give Lola hugs and kisses from me,

Hugs,

Mia
Yes Mia, Lola takes water regularly during the day and even during her meals. One of the vets mentioned a different pain killer some weeks ago, but I can't remember its name.

If Lola has pain she's very clever at hiding it, because she doesn't moan even when I touch her around her mouth to check for painful spots.
 

2Cats4everLoved

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2Cats4everLoved,

your picture is fantastic, at first I thought it was taken from a veterinarian website.

I wish to thank you for the useful advice and I remember that you wrote that before. I have thought of you in the past two days when things were getting harder, but the nozzle of the syringe that I use is very long and is narrower than a small syringe and reaches the back of her mouth easily, if only Lola would open the mouth a little wider.

As a matter of fact today at lunch she was much more co-operative and I was able to give her whole syringe (40 grams) in about 35 minutes, a bit longer than usual, bt with less mess around.

A smaller syringe would force me to load it with food more times and I haven't that level of patience :)

My set up includes a large syringe with a very long nozzle. Food is already in the syringe when I begin. Then I have a small cup with fresh water, a smaller syringe (10 ml) for rinsing her mouth every two or three bites of food, some small wipes for cleansing her mouth.

Syringes are replaced as soon as they get too stiff to work. I have plenty of them at home, their cost is very low over here. Before I started using the syringes with the long nozzle  I would use the classic syringes with a nozzle fit for needles, but they would get useless in one day because Lola would bite and destroy the nozzle and the food wouldn't get out of it any longer.

Lola loves shaking her head during the meal to get rid of excess food around her lips, so you can imagine what happens around us during those 20-30 minutes...!

Does this Gerber food add anything to the meal? I need her to get as many calories as possible with the as less as possible food amount. That's why I stick with Recovery mixed with Nutriplus. Currently I am giving her 60 kcal each meal.

Can you please explain what you meant with "Simon's tongue changed daily" ? This sentence terrifies me!

Thanks a million!
Simon had SCC mouth cancer and when it spread, his tongue lifted eventually closing off his throat the very last 2 days.  While I think back, I thought he was getting more food than he actually did.  I was able to keep him hydrated but even that in the last 48 hours became a labored task for the both of us.

Below is the thread I created for him last year, feel free to poke around, you may get some ideas and tips that will help Sweet Lola.

Tumor  / SCC: Defying the Odds with Hospice Care - Living with a Terminally Ill Loved One, I share

Waking up to that sweet face must have made your heart skip a beat - I know it would have...

In Forum: Cat Health
  • Replies: 386   |  Started: Mar 16, 2016  |  Last Post: Jun 8, 2016 at 9:47 am
 

mollyblue

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Thanks MollyBlue for your story. I'm deeply sorry for your Alex, but by what you write she has fought to stay with you till you were all around her, a strong witness of will and love.

Our little friends show us what the real meaning of love is, always!

Hugs!
Yes, I agree... you learn what love is by loving... She was a fighter.  Loving her until the end, and watching her taught me so many things I can't even write here, but it did show me, or show me so much more deeply how much life matters, all life, not just the "great lives" or the strongest moments in our own lives, but every moment of every life. 

As I read about your struggles with Lola, it sounds like she is still wanting food, and water, and life, and bless you for doing all you can to do that for her... She will let you know when she is done, I am sure.  Its hard at that point for us to give up our own fight since by then we have so very much into it.  Praying for you and lola.  :)
 
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Antonio65

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I would like to post some photos of Lola taken in the last months. I hope you like them

August 3, 2016 - This was taken two days after returning home from the clinic where she had a very invasive and risky surgery. She looked great, though she had a very hard time! Her front leg had been shaved for fluids and other IVs during the surgery. Her belly had been shaved too. I was so happy that she made it that I could have hugged the whole world!


October 12, 2016 - This photo was taken at the clinic where she had the radiation therapy for her mouth cancer. This was the preliminary visit to set up the therapy plan. The photo was taken during a break between two visits. The clinic is 350 km (217 miles) from home, it's the only one in Italy. Lola was tired from the long drive.


December 29, 2016 - At the end of the last year, in the front yard. She was taking a short walk on a mild day of winter. She had stopped eating on her own two days before, I thought these were her last days!


December 30, 2016 - Taken on the following day. Because I was sure these were her last days I kept taking pictures of her.


December 30, 2016 - Basking in the mild sunlight of late December. I was shattered by the thought of losing her.


March 03, 2017 - On her favourite spot, the second to last step of her timber stair to the window sill. There's a difference from the photo I had posted a few days ago, I had added a handrail to prevent her from falling. Her pupils are completely dark, she's blind but she can still tell light from darkness, and her pupils respond to the light, see the photo above.
 
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