Tail Amputation?

[Susana]

I think my cat Mike has a fibrosarcoma tumor on his tail. I realize he needs to see a vet (I'm saving but have little income) but I wanted to know if anyone has had or knows someone who has had their senior cat undergo a major surgery like this and if their cat wad able to recooperate? Is it even humane? He's lost so much weight in the past 4 months but still has a very healthy appetite and he still waljs around, purrs, loves to cuddle... I love this little guy so much. It breaks my heart he has to go through it.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Mike does need to see a vet, and you are not the only person here who has wondered how to afford it. This article may help you. There are links at the bottom.

No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life

I'm so very glad you found us, although I'm sorry it is for such a hard reason. Welcome to TCS! I hope this helps you.

 

[Susana]

Thank you so much. Even though I've had the blessing of having healthy cats my entire life, I've learned a valuable lesson these past 2 years. In 2015 I lost my cat of 17yrs to diabetic ketoacidosis and now Mike is sick. I guess when your animals are healthy, it's easy to think they always will be. When Mike's time comes, I will at least have the insight enough to prepare myself for what may come. Thank you for the link.

 

[mewcatmew]

How old is the cat? With a senior cat, make sure you get blood work done before. If his organs are functioning normally, the benefit probably outweighs the risk.

I have a senior cat who had a laminectomy, which is major back/spinal column surgery. A tail removal would have been a walk in the park compared to that.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

You didn't say how old Mike is, however, it he needs a tail amputation to survive, then you won't really have much choice in the matter...amputate or euthanize when the time comes, IF it's as you suspect, and it looks pretty much as you said

Most cats adjust well to losing a body part. They probably adjust much better than WE do to them losing it .

I would check with the Vet and see if they take payments, also check with CareCredit.com (which is one option mentioned in the link above) They are great for things like this.

 

[Susana]

Mike will be 17 y/o in November. He lost his best friend Taz last year (see photo) My cat Ripple lived to 23yrs old and she was still pretty spry for her age. I tried Care Credit but student loans and my own medical bills have ruined my credit. I will keep saving, though, and keep taking suggestions.

 

[valentine319]

Here are some more options that might help you find reasonable care. There might be a low cost clinic. Worth checking every option possible.

Having trouble affording veterinary care? : The Humane Society of the United States

9 Ways to Get Cheap or Free Vet Care for Your Pet

Tree House Humane Society

Do a web search for low cost vet and add your location.

 

[maggiedemi]

Sorry you are going through this. Vet Clinics are often cheaper, have you called and asked for prices? I thought it was going to cost a fortune to treat my cat for UTI, but it was only $100 at a clinic.

 

[Susana]

Mike does need to see a vet, and you are not the only person here who has wondered how to afford it. This article may help you. There are links at the bottom.

No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life

I'm so very glad you found us, although I'm sorry it is for such a hard reason. Welcome to TCS! I hope this helps you.

Thank you so very much for the link. I believe Kobi's Fund may just be the help Mike needs. When I first moved to Phoenix in 2015, I had to board my cats until I found a place to live. I was able to do this through wonderful nonprofit called Lost Our Hpme in Tempe (lostourhome.org). However, in order to be accepted, both Mike and Taz had to be vaccinated for rabbies and FeLV. About 9 months ago, I felt a small, soft round bump and the rest
... well hete we are. The Kobi Fund pays specifically for vaccine-associated sarcoma so if that's what it is, maybe he has a chance.

 

[Susana]

Here are some more options that might help you find reasonable care. There might be a low cost clinic. Worth checking every option possible.

Having trouble affording veterinary care? : The Humane Society of the United States

9 Ways to Get Cheap or Free Vet Care for Your Pet

Tree House Humane Society

Do a web search for low cost vet and add your location.

Are you from Chicago by chance? That is my home towm and there is a no-kill shelter for cats called Tree House.

 

[fodder]

Damn, that looks nasty. Vets usually let you pay them off over a long period of time. Usually you will find that they are concerned firstly with your pets health and a very distant second being payment. Talk to them and see what you can arrange. Something really needs to be done about that and quite soon by the the looks of it.

On another note, one of my cats had his tail amputated to about half way and while it did take him a while to adjust balance wise it didn't seem to bother him much at all. The operation was quick and easy and i think it was probably one of the cheapest operations iv ever had to pay for.

 

[Susana]

Well so far, I've found three vets that would give me any sort of leeway and two of them are in Chicago where I usd to live. Both cats were already established patients. I have not been in Phoenix that long so have not had a chance (or the money) to establish a relationship with any vets. The vet here in Phoenix let me split a $50 payment in half but I doubt very highly if it was in the hundreds she would have done that.

I made an appt for Mike today at the Arizona Animal Welfare League. It's $35 for an office visit, $40 for a simple biopsy and $170 for a surgical biopsy. If the vet thinks he's a good candidate for surgery, I will need to find out if his tumor is vaccine associated sarcoma. If so, I can apply to the Kobi Fund which provides financial assistance specifically for this particular cancer. I have a terrible feeling Mike might be in renal failure, though. I'm hoping his weight loss is due to the sarcoma and not renal failure.

How old was your cat when his tail was amputated?

 

[Mamanyt1953]

This is good. We progress! And please, please, please keep us posted on how Mike is doing! Once you are a part of us, you are a part of us, and we'll worry and fret if we don't hear from you!

valentine319 , thanks for those links! I have them both bookmarked for future reference. SOMEONE will need that information here in the future, and ONE of us will find them!

 

[Susana]

I surely will and thank you for caring. AAWL is Phoenix's low-cost clinic and AZ's oldest no-kill shelter. Unfortunately, the earliest appt I could get for Mije is July 27th. That seems too long to wait but they said I could call to see if anyone has canceled.

 

[fodder]

Sounds good.
In my experiences with vets they really haven't cared so much about the money at all. I remember a time when my brothers cat needed over 3k worth of treatment and operations. He was hit by a car and needed a lot of work done to get him back to health. The vets let him pay that off over literally years. Don't be afraid to tell them your situation. They know how hard it can be and will do what ever they can to help out if they are a good vet.

As for my cats tail amputation. He was around 12 years old and it didn't bother him one bit.
My current cat is also 12 and he has been under anesthetic a number of times this past year with no problems what so ever. I guess only your vet can really say if it's a good idea to operate or not.
All you can do is your best to help him out anyway. If something should happen, unfortunate as it may be, at least you would know you did your best to get him healthy.

Best of luck for you and Mike. I hope the vet can help you out and that all goes well.
Keep us posted on how things are.
Positive vibes your way

 

[Susana]

I guess I'm still a little bitter about one experience I had with a vet about 8 months after I moved here. I noticed my cat Taz who I'd had since he was 10 weeks old and got me thru some tough times just by being there, was drinking a lot of water and peeing a lot. Having just moved from Chicago, I first thought it was the AZ heat. When it looked like he was starting to lose weight, I took him to the vet. He told me that Taz might possibly be diabetic but testing for it would cost $150 more than I had. This was on a Thursday. I told him I got paid on Tuesday and he told me to come back when I had the money. He sent me home with the advice to give Taz Pedialyte because he was dehydrated. The next day, he called and asked how my "dog" was doing. Over the next 4 days, I watched Taz who I call "the love of my life" deteriorate. He developed diabetic ketoacidosis and his body filled with toxins. I explained to the vet what was happening and he actually said, " If you get the money and bring him in the next 4 days, I won't charge you another office fee." I called around to other vets who said he would have to go to emergency svcs. They wanted money up front that I did not have. Taz did not sleep at all those 4 days and cried the entire time. He kept going from one spot to another, trying to eat and drink. By Monday he could do neither, his sides were sunken in and he could barely walk. When I got paid, I made the decision to end his suffering. I took him back to the same vet because I coyld only afford his euthanasia svcs and he gave Taz the shot to put him to sleep. He listened to his heart and told me Taz was gone. When he left the room, Taz sneezed. When I picked him up, I swear I could feel his little heart beating. The vet insisted he was gone. It was an agonizing, heart wrenching experience and I will never forgive myself for what happened. If I have to put Mike down, I've decided to use Happy Endings, an at-home euthanization service. I know there are compassionate vets out there but this one had no compassion and Taz did not deserve to spend his last few days on earth dying of thirst and hunger. He was 17 when he died... the same age as Mike. I adopted Mike from a rescue shelter in 2012 but really only bonded after Taz died. I disciveted how truly amazing and full of love Mike is. I wish I had appreciated him more sooner but he is going to be treated like a king til his last day on earth!

 

[fodder]

Shit. That is a heart wrenching story! Im so sorry you had to go through that.
One thing is for sure, i would never give that vet any more business. That whole ordeal must have been devastating. I can't believe that he wouldn't help Taz out just because of money.

The last days are often very hard regardless of how it goes down.
Often right after euthanizing animals will do strange things. It only takes a few seconds before they are gone so it was probably just one of those reactions happening. It is very hard to deal with as a pet lover but try not to beat yourself up about it. You should definitely forgive yourself for what happened. You did all you could and there is nothing more you could do. I bet you gave Taz an amazing 17 years and it sounds like you made the right decision in to let him go in the end.

As far as the vet having no compassion. I think they can often come across that way. Every day they have to see animals die and people be devastated over it. If they held on to all that pain it would be unbearable.
I once had a vet that seemed that way. He was just like a robot when explaining things. "Your cat needs this life threatening operation immediately" he might say without batting an eyelid. he was a great vet though and did a wonderful job with my animals, he just never showed a single emotion haha.

All you can do is your best

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Rest you gentle, Taz, dream you deep. You walk in someone's heart forever.

 

[Susana]

Rest you gentle, Taz, dream you deep. You walk in someone's heart forever.

Thank you.

 

[Geoffrey]

Susana , It will be interesting to have a veterinary diagnosis of your cat with the tumour on the tail. I am a human doctor, not a vet but I have doubts about your diagnosis of a fibrosarcoma. Fibrosarcomata are irregular in shape and rarely occur on the tail. They usually occur in areas that are used for vaccination - and nobody vaccinates on the tail!

It is difficult to make a diagnosis from a photograph and I shall not try but will await the veterinary diagnosis. However the prognosis may not be all bad....
With best wishes,
Geoffrey