*Need advice* Senior cat has Oral cancer

[Furballsmom]

I’m thankful that she is still eating well for now and I can only hope that it continues for as long as possible.

From your fingertips to Gods ear

 

[louisstools]

My angel boy had SCC cancer back in 2021. I gave him hospice care for about 3 months until I had to put him to sleep. He had to be hand fed 6 times a day and it was a real pain b/c I couldn't go anywhere and work suffered.

The worst part is the change in the feeding routine did a number on our other cat. I'm STILL trying to dig out of that hole with her and after nearly two years, thousands of dollars in vet fees, exams, behaviorist fees, I'm about ready to give up on her. She just won't eat on her own. She will ONLY eat if I'm there with her, moving the bowl around, shaking it to keep her attention on it, petting her, etc...and that's assuming it's perfectly quiet outside as a bee buzzing in the neighbor's garden will distract her enough to not eat. She just has zero interest in food. Previously this cat was the most food motivated cat anyone had seen. Everything medical-wise checks out ok with her. The behaviorist is stumped because we've hit a wall with her that we just can't get past after five months. Cat just has a very low desire with food. And this is on an appetite stimulant too...it used to be worse before.

I only say this b/c if you have other pets you might accidentally introduce a behavior that you can't get rid of by giving the hospice care. Knowing what I know now, I can tell you I would not have given my boy as much time simply due to the trouble it's brought with the other cat. YMMV.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. Sorry, I didn’t read the replies.
Honestly you are doing all that can be done.
Radiation would be the treatment for SCC but I wouldn’t do that with my cat. I don’t think it is very successful anyway. Not to mention the trauma and stress to the cat. SCC is a horrible cancer.
I did know a cat where the specialist I worked for removed the mandible ( lower jaw) to remove the cancer. The cat also underwent chemotherapy and was scheduled for radiation treatment.A feeding tube had to be placed because the cat couldn’t eat. The cat did okay for a while ( maybe a month) then suffered a massive stroke or heart attack during recovery from anesthesia because they had to replace the feeding tube. I came in that day just as they started CPR. It was horrible. I was also with the cat for the recovery of the initial surgery and with allot of pain medications, I believe I kept the cat as comfortable as could be expected.
I feel the entire situation was very unfair to the cat. I don’t believe any of it should have been done. But I cannot judge the owners because I have never been in that situation and sometimes love blinds you.
Sorry for the bad story.
I think all you can do, or all I would is, what you are doing. Keep your cat comfortable. When things deteriorate, and sadly they will at some point, be sure to alert your vet immediately so you can either make whatever medication changes need to be made. Might be increasing steroids or adding additional pain relief.
The way I think of it is that you won’t really get improvement due to it being what it is, so that is why any dip in her health needs to be addressed right away. For some reason I am having trouble wording this correctly. I hope you understand what I mean.

As for the emotional part. Try your best not to think about the inevitable. Hard to do I know. But, energy as in what you put out to the universe is important and honestly keeping things as positive as you can around your cat is good for both of you. Remember, your doesn’t know they are sick, unless you tell them.

 

[LuluM]

My angel boy had SCC cancer back in 2021. I gave him hospice care for about 3 months until I had to put him to sleep. He had to be hand fed 6 times a day and it was a real pain b/c I couldn't go anywhere and work suffered.

The worst part is the change in the feeding routine did a number on our other cat. I'm STILL trying to dig out of that hole with her and after nearly two years, thousands of dollars in vet fees, exams, behaviorist fees, I'm about ready to give up on her. She just won't eat on her own. She will ONLY eat if I'm there with her, moving the bowl around, shaking it to keep her attention on it, petting her, etc...and that's assuming it's perfectly quiet outside as a bee buzzing in the neighbor's garden will distract her enough to not eat. She just has zero interest in food. Previously this cat was the most food motivated cat anyone had seen. Everything medical-wise checks out ok with her. The behaviorist is stumped because we've hit a wall with her that we just can't get past after five months. Cat just has a very low desire with food. And this is on an appetite stimulant too...it used to be worse before.

I only say this b/c if you have other pets you might accidentally introduce a behavior that you can't get rid of by giving the hospice care. Knowing what I know now, I can tell you I would not have given my boy as much time simply due to the trouble it's brought with the other cat. YMMV.

I’m so sorry to hear that it affected your other cat, I had no idea something like that would occur with other cats. My cat is our last living pet in the house so there’s no worry for that but I do understand how that could happen. My other fur baby passed away back in 2021 and he was disabled for 2 years so I had to give extra special attention while giving Momo the bare minimum. She did seem a bit jealous but since we have other family members in the house she wasn’t lonely. Now she gets everyone’s full attention everyday so that makes up for it.

 

[LuluM]

Hi. Sorry, I didn’t read the replies.
Honestly you are doing all that can be done.
Radiation would be the treatment for SCC but I wouldn’t do that with my cat. I don’t think it is very successful anyway. Not to mention the trauma and stress to the cat. SCC is a horrible cancer.
I did know a cat where the specialist I worked for removed the mandible ( lower jaw) to remove the cancer. The cat also underwent chemotherapy and was scheduled for radiation treatment.A feeding tube had to be placed because the cat couldn’t eat. The cat did okay for a while ( maybe a month) then suffered a massive stroke or heart attack during recovery from anesthesia because they had to replace the feeding tube. I came in that day just as they started CPR. It was horrible. I was also with the cat for the recovery of the initial surgery and with allot of pain medications, I believe I kept the cat as comfortable as could be expected.
I feel the entire situation was very unfair to the cat. I don’t believe any of it should have been done. But I cannot judge the owners because I have never been in that situation and sometimes love blinds you.
Sorry for the bad story.
I think all you can do, or all I would is, what you are doing. Keep your cat comfortable. When things deteriorate, and sadly they will at some point, be sure to alert your vet immediately so you can either make whatever medication changes need to be made. Might be increasing steroids or adding additional pain relief.
The way I think of it is that you won’t really get improvement due to it being what it is, so that is why any dip in her health needs to be addressed right away. For some reason I am having trouble wording this correctly. I hope you understand what I mean.

As for the emotional part. Try your best not to think about the inevitable. Hard to do I know. But, energy as in what you put out to the universe is important and honestly keeping things as positive as you can around your cat is good for both of you. Remember, your doesn’t know they are sick, unless you tell them.

Thank you so much for telling me this, I feel more at ease knowing I’m doing everything I can possibly do. I try my best not to think about the inevitable and so far my cat is doing pretty well. I’m not sure if it’s the steroid but her appetite is increasing and I notice the inside of her jaw isn’t as swollen as before. I do hope it continues this way and that deterioration doesn’t occur anytime soon. The medication she is on now is doing well for her, if I do see any change I will contact the vet although they did say there isn’t much we can do other than change up the medication.

 

[LuluM]

Update: Today Momo vomited for the first time after looking lethargic this afternoon. She had already ate this morning so she wasn’t on an empty stomach. This happened a few hours after giving her daily medication, she looked lethargic and slept in the closet for a while then she came out and jumped on the couch to sleep next to me. I noticed she kept tossing and turning in her sleep so I kept petting her to soothe her but after a while she started opening and closing her mouth like she was trying to chew something in her mouth then she vomited. Immediately after she vomited she jumped off the couch and ate a bit of her food, drank some water, went to the litter box, and went back to the closet. I’m not sure if it’s a side effect from the meds or if this is something that needs attention. I’m keeping a close eye on her today to see if she feels better but from how she looked when she ate some of her food after vomiting she still has a good appetite. She did eat a lot yesterday and drank plenty water. I’m hoping it’s just a one time occurrence from the meds but will call the vet if it happens again.

 

[daftcat75]

I don’t want to sell false hope. But this has come across my inbox this morning. Maybe you run it past your vet and see what s/he thinks.

Fenbendazole plus Ivermectin, the new anti-parasitic cancer protocol

It may not even be appropriate for SCC. But couldn’t hurt to have that discussion.

 

[Fostercatmom_358]

I'm so sorry. Enjoy your time with your cat as I know what it feels like to be clinging onto hope and then you lose them.

 

[marshmallow2013]

Update: Today Momo vomited for the first time after looking lethargic this afternoon. She had already ate this morning so she wasn’t on an empty stomach. This happened a few hours after giving her daily medication, she looked lethargic and slept in the closet for a while then she came out and jumped on the couch to sleep next to me. I noticed she kept tossing and turning in her sleep so I kept petting her to soothe her but after a while she started opening and closing her mouth like she was trying to chew something in her mouth then she vomited. Immediately after she vomited she jumped off the couch and ate a bit of her food, drank some water, went to the litter box, and went back to the closet. I’m not sure if it’s a side effect from the meds or if this is something that needs attention. I’m keeping a close eye on her today to see if she feels better but from how she looked when she ate some of her food after vomiting she still has a good appetite. She did eat a lot yesterday and drank plenty water. I’m hoping it’s just a one time occurrence from the meds but will call the vet if it happens again.

It’s good to hear she is still eating and using her litter box. Maybe she will get use to her new meds after a few days. The steroids made my cat really hungry.

 

[LuluM]

It’s good to hear she is still eating and using her litter box. Maybe she will get use to her new meds after a few days. The steroids made my cat really hungry.

It’s been about over a week since she started the meds, would side effects occur around that span? Right now she ate more food and drank water but vomited again. Seems like her stomach can’t hold in the food despite her cravings. She’s eating and drinking water again now but I’m on standby since I feel she may vomit again.

 

[daftcat75]

It’s been about over a week since she started the meds, would side effects occur around that span? Right now she ate more food and drank water but vomited again. Seems like her stomach can’t hold in the food despite her cravings. She’s eating and drinking water again now but I’m on standby since I feel she may vomit again.

Prednisilone definitely increases appetite. It does not increase stomach capacity. You may want to spread her meals out. If she's free-fed, you may want to consider transitioning to a schedule. If she's already on a schedule, you may need to add additional meals. When Betty and Krista (one at a time/separate lifetimes) were on high doses, I fed them six or more scheduled meals in a day. I was setting an alarm to make sure one or the other wasn't having a stomach acid barf because it had been too long since they last ate. But at the same time, I was making sure they weren't eating more than their stomach could handle (as judged by regurgitations.)

The other thing I was told when Betty would throw up is to withhold food and water for 8 to 12 hours. Often times whatever caused her to throw up in the first place, it would keep her tummy angry for hours and the best thing to do was to wait it out. If I left it to her, she would drink tons of water and if there was food, she might even eat some. But whatever I tried with her, it was all coming back up if I didn't give her half a day's of gut rest. When she would throw up (unless it was a simple regurgitation or an acid barf which is a different beast), I would turn off the fountain and pick up her plates.

 

[LuluM]

Prednisilone definitely increases appetite. It does not increase stomach capacity. You may want to spread her meals out. If she's free-fed, you may want to consider transitioning to a schedule. If she's already on a schedule, you may need to add additional meals. When Betty and Krista (one at a time/separate lifetimes) were on high doses, I fed them six or more scheduled meals in a day. I was setting an alarm to make sure one or the other wasn't having a stomach acid barf because it had been too long since they last ate. But at the same time, I was making sure they weren't eating more than their stomach could handle (as judged by regurgitations.)

The other thing I was told when Betty would throw up is to withhold food and water for 8 to 12 hours. Often times whatever caused her to throw up in the first place, it would keep her tummy angry for hours and the best thing to do was to wait it out. If I left it to her, she would drink tons of water and if there was food, she might even eat some. But whatever I tried with her, it was all coming back up if I didn't give her half a day's of gut rest.

This might be a possible reason since she did eat a lot yesterday. She has always been free-fed and at one point we did try to have a schedule but she would meow nonstop and won’t give up until we give her something. Even now whenever she is hungry she will refuse to leave or sleep until she gets something. There will be times when she sleeps for a good 5-7 hours so she isn’t eating during those times. As of now she eats at most 1 can of wet food, couple tablespoons of baby food, and half a pouch of liquid treat. She does eat them in intervals as she can’t eat in one sitting. My fear of her losing her appetite may have caused me to slightly over feed her I am going to call my vet tomorrow to see if we should change the medication or lower the dosage of the steroid. Since this just happened today I don’t want to make rash decisions but I hope she won’t keep vomiting.

 

[marshmallow2013]

It’s been about over a week since she started the meds, would side effects occur around that span? Right now she ate more food and drank water but vomited again. Seems like her stomach can’t hold in the food despite her cravings. She’s eating and drinking water again now but I’m on standby since I feel she may vomit again.

I really don’t know if the meds are making her vomit. Steroid shot and oral Zydaclin drops did not make my cat throw up, but he was on these meds for only two days before I had to put him to sleep because he couldn’t eat due to the tumor under his tongue. If Momo is acting lethargic, it’s good you’re getting in touch with the vet.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. I would think that she would have vomited sooner after starting the meds. A week is a long time.
Feed frequent small meals that total about a 5 1/2 oz size of cat food a day.

 

[silent meowlook]

He is adorable

 

[marshmallow2013]

Hi. I would think that she would have vomited sooner after starting the meds. A week is a long time.
Feed frequent small meals that total about a 5 1/2 oz size of cat food a day.

I agree, frequent small meals would be the best.

 

[LuluM]

Small update: Momo is doing fine, yesterday I was afraid she would continue to vomit but she hasn’t since then and she is eating and drinking just fine. She isn’t lethargic either and she seems to be feeling a lot better. This time I’m being careful not to overfeed her and do as what some of you guys suggested. I’m holding off on talking with the vet for now since she isn’t in a bad condition. I’ll continue with her medication and later down the road ask if any adjustments are necessary depending on her condition. I do think it was her stomach being upset from overeating since the symptoms are gone even after giving her the meds. Now I know not to give her whatever she wants even though my heart wants to give her everything.

 

[Fostercatmom_358]

Any other updates? Is Momo okay?

 

[LuluM]

Any other updates? Is Momo okay?

Yes! Momo is doing fine she’s been active and being her usual self. I’ve been adjusting her meals so that I’m giving her total 5-6 oz per day of food (1 3 oz. can wet food, 1 oz. pouch liquid treat, and baby food). I’ve spaced them out into 6 meals and I do leave a small amount of wet food at night so she can have something to lick if she can’t wait til morning since she would always meow nonstop to wake me up for food. She’s also drinking plenty water and regularly goes to the litter box. No bad signs so far which gives me a bit of relief since I’ve been stressing out ever since the diagnosis.

 

[LuluM]

Lately I’ve noticed Momo has been going to the litter box frequently, usually she would go about 2-3 times a day but today she already went 5 times. Since we have been managing her food she constantly asks us for food and when we don’t give it her she goes to drink water. In addition we add water to her food for extra hydration but today she has been drinking more water. Her bloodwork didn’t show any signs of diabetes or kidney failure either and it only started just today. I’m not sure what I should do since I don’t want to take away her water bowl and I’d rather she drink water than not at all. I’m hoping it doesn’t continue so I’m keeping an eye on her litter box. Maybe it’s a side effect from the steroid.