Cat Respiratory Problem and mass tumor on Forehead

[FloridaGal70]

Thank you for all you do. I will try to summarize April's (17 yr old) illness. Any comments or suggestions appreciated.
Oct 16 - April seemed to have some respiratory problems (never had before). Monitored her and steam showers for over a week.
Oct 25- It was getting pretty bad. Brought to vet. Gave Convenia Injection, Depo Medrol injection. Noticed a small mass on forehead of 5mm. It also looked like a bug bite brownish in color as well.
Blood Work = FeLV/FIV Negative - He said everything looked ok, except for the following:
TP 8.5 HIGH
MCH 18.2 and MCHC 42.8 HIGH.
PLT 4.9/MPV 11.9 LOW
Nov 4- Respiratory started getting worse again. Mass was larger. However, noticing more dimentia, cognitive issues. staring at blank walls. Lethargy. Tongue sticking out of mouth. Clear mucus in both eyes and stuffed up clogged nose. Not eating/drinking.
I honestly thought she wasn't going to make it.
Nov 4- Vet Visit showed mass on left forehead larger 3cm by 2cm (it is hard and does not move FYI). Prescribed week supply of Onsior (NSAID) and Cerenia (for nausea and help with appetite)
Nov 9- Ran out of meds. They really didnt seem to do much though. Within a few days, it was now worse. I desperately went to give her a pill
of 2mg Methylprednisolone. It worked. I have been giving her 2mg every day or other day since. (about a month). Vet also ok'ed it.
I also decided to give her Sweet Wormwood tincture in a size 3 gelatin capsule for 10 days.
Dec 8- April stopped eating out of the blue. Vet gave Mirataz. I waited 3 days for this stuff to kick in. Funny thing is, I put on a Bird Video for cats as she sat helplessly in my lap. Got up to reheat some meatloaf, and guess who jumped on the counter and started chowing down on my dinner? April! I am also dealing with cognitive issues, I really feel that Video may just have kicked it up a notch for her. And God.
Today- Its seems the Mirataz is a bit wearing off. (Its been 5 days since last ear treatment) I also have Mirtazapine in pill form. I am now giving her 2mg Methylprednisolone everyday/other day, and appetite stimulant as needed. Also another 10 day treatment of the wormwood, and now I also added Dandelion Tincture in a size 3 capsule as well (all alcohol free of course). Her poop looks normal FYI. On good days, she is not that bad, seems to still have wits about her, but when meds are taken off, its hard to watch like today. My dog died of hemangiosarcoma a while back. I studied turkey tail, holistic ect. However, never dealt with senior cat illness like this. FYI she also did have a mass surgically removed on her nose the size of a gumball 6 years ago. It never bothered her, it was also benign. This mass I now cannot remove, so any advice would be helpful. Also wanted to share my story for the next mom or dad. April's Photo attached. (Her hair never grew back on nose FYI, but she is still quite the trooper!)

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I don't know anything about the tinctures you are using, but if you have your Vet's blessing with them, then go for it. I do have a couple questions though. What does your Vet think that mass is on her forehead. Do they think it's similar to the one that was removed from her nose, ie benign? Or do they think it could be related to her respiratory issues, meaning a form of cancer that can cause both organ and skin tumors? AND, could this mass be the cause of her dementia? Of course, these are really questions for your Vet, but you may have asked them, and they may be helpful here.

I will say though, that I have a cat who often needs Mirataz transdermal gel, and I was told to give it daily for 14 days, THEN use it on an as needed basis. Don't know if you are doing it every day right now or not, but I asked my Vet if I could use it every day when the "as needed" basis was here, and she said yes, that was ok, but I do think used too much it doesn't have the same good results.

How is her breathing now? Better? Have they done an ultra sound or even an xray or CT scan to see if she has fluids in her chest or to see about what's happening in/on her head?

As far as reading the bloodwork, Vets are better at that than most of us here, since we are more "pet parents" than in the medical field. And one size doesn't fit all when it comes to reading labs. (I'm not even sure what TP)

It sounds like you are taking such wonderful care of your little old April. I'm hoping for the best for you, and I'm so sorry about your dog

 

[FloridaGal70]

What does your Vet think that mass is on her forehead. Do they think it's similar to the one that was removed from her nose, ie benign? The vet had no clue. honestly. I showed him the picture of the original mass on her nose. He had no idea. I brought her to 4 vets prior to the surgery, they had no clue. Finally the SPCA did the job. I decided not to do a biopsy due to her age. He did say at this stage say it cannot be removed regardless. I'm looking to shrink the size.

Don't know if you are doing it every day right.... it is as needed. I skipped a day yesterday, she did not eat. Gave1/2 pill at night, she started to eat. Today I started to use Marshmallow root/ Slippery Elm mouth syringe for congestion. I will do this for 4 days. Her tummy gurgled a lot on initial dose? maybe parasitic cleanse? hmm....

How is her breathing now? Better? Have they done an ultra sound or even an xray....I would say 70% better, but w/o the meds it tends to worsen. he did recommend an xray, due to money and costs, and her age, I initially refused. I do not have good experiences with vets, frankly. The Onsior was a waste of money in my opinion. Vet persona went toward a palliative care since the mass grew quite a bit, it has remained stable however. This vet is new, as I just moved to the area. maybe a second opinion? hmm...

I'm so sorry about your dog....Thank you. He did have a splenectomy. It was $3,000. He survived 90 days. Hemangiosarcoma comes out of nowhere. He collapsed on the floor one day. I learned a lot about holistic meds afterwards, but I also believe a lot is in God's hands as well. When I put him to rest on the front porch, the next day there were rainbows coming from a prism everywhere, which I never seen before. I made a video on YT about it actually, Hemangiosarcoma and Rainbow bridge it is called.

Thank you. I could spend thousands again. At this point, I am seeking a way to possible cleanse her system, not pump her with drugs. She does a 180 when given, lethargic and miserable when not. I appreciate the comment about the Xray. As vet did suggest that initially, again, my trust level in the medical world is a bit hesitant. So I came here, maybe someone else dealt with this. With hemangiosarcoma, nothing worked. But I did give him yunnan baiyao to stop the tumors from bleeding. The "red" pill worked.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I've known others who have used eastern "medicine" for their cats with pretty good results. Didn't realize any of the tinctures you mentioned in your first post were in that category since they didn't appear to have chinese names like the yunnan baiyao you mentioned most recently.

Gosh, I'd never heard of using Marshmallow Root and/or Slippery Elm Bark for congestion until I read your most recent post, but knew it was good for the digestive tract. I just learned something new! (Of course, I DID google it ) You know your stuff. So it is possible that she isn't eating because there is something going on in her gut as well, impossible for us to know. But if she is nauseated at all, that should help I would think. And if she does eat with either the Mirataz or the Mirtazapine, then I would continue to give it to her. As for shrinking that mass, the only thing I am aware of is the use of steroids, which can cause other issues, but as you said, at her age you are not thinking of doing much except prolong the inevitable for as long as possible.

 

[FloridaGal70]

They say you can add all the nutrients in the world to your body, but if you have parasites and bad gut, they will just eat them away. I actually god rid of my psoriasis this way. Pau Darco (4 days max) , water fast, betonite clay, ect. But am unsure what an animal (cat) can have. IMO, something is feeding off this sucker. Not sure where you are from, look up moringa tree. Its a great superfood tree you can easily grow in your backyard. 10x More vitamin c than an orange. I also have lemongrass (popular in Asia) for my fur babies. Helps to clean them out and settle an upset stomach. The kids chew on it sometimes. I make my slip elm/marsh using the cold method. 1-2 tbl spoon per mason jar, distilled water. Shake leave in fridge for 6 hours. Drink 1/2 cup for 4 days. The mucus that may (or may not) come out can be quite telling. (you should be blowing your nose ect, this is normal, it is working) Dont take with your regular meds as it absorbs them (just found that out myself, learning something new everyday) also never use metal spoon when measuring your herbs.