Can gingival hyperplasia still be OSCC (oral squamous cell carcinoma) or osteomyelitis in a cat?? I'm running out of time. :(

Jenny22

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My cat just survived fatty liver/possibly triaditis, but before her liver enzymes were back to normal she started having dental pain again. I say again, because she has had severe dental issues for a while that I urged her last vet to address but he had me put off for 3 months to evaluate her kidneys. He didn't do either - long story that I don't have the emotional bandwidth to get into.

Just when I lost faith in that vet and decided to go through a dental specialist, my cat went into fatty liver. She almost didn't make it but began to thrive once we added prednisolone as a form of palliative care. It was 2 months before she really pulled herself through (week 3 was the turning point and when I definitely cancelled euthanasia). I knew her bottom left jaw was starting to bother her around the same time she pulled through and I urged her new vet - but I was told we could not assess while her liver levels were still elevated. A couple weeks passed and I noticed a lump the size of a blueberry forming where her pain was (this also happens to be where she lost several teeth to feline tooth resorption). Again, I was told we could not assess until her liver was better even though all her levels except for ALT were now back to normal and she was thriving. So again 2-3 weeks pass before the next follow up and I tell her vet I think it has grown?? She agrees and tells me she thinks is cancer (OSCC). :( I take her to a board certified dental specialist the very next morning who also thinks it is OSCC. I cannot afford the outrageously expensive diagnostics I was quoted and went home empty handed.

I thought I might give clindamycin a try just in case it is an infection but it made her so sick and the vets made me doubt the possibility so I gave up after 3 days. A week later, I found someone who could do a biopsy for a more affordable price. Well, what do you know - the biopsy came back for gingival hyperplasia! But I keep hearing that it could have missed the cancer or that it isn't enough to rule out cancer. So now I am back to square one.

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This is what I know:
  • Lulu's lump on her lower left jaw feels HARD. It's a hard lump that almost feels like bone actually.
  • It is growing FAST - in a matter of 3-4 weeks it has grown from a blueberry sized lump to extending all the way to the back of her jaw and under her chin.
  • It clearly bothers her and causes her pain but she will let me lightly examine and touch it to feel the size. I'm told an infection would make her scream - this does not unless I accidentally scratch it while petting her.
  • There are no lesions, no ulcers, no bleeding - it just appears to look like swollen gum
  • Today was the first time I noticed some drooling in the morning, but otherwise, she doesn't drool.
  • She has been lip smacking/excessive swallowing for months which increased when the lump developed (it is not nausea)
  • She sometimes loses her appetite, but for the most part, she is eating fine
  • I don't believe she has a fever? But she has had bloody diarrhea that started around the same time the lump developed
  • She hasn't been losing weight - in fact she has steadily been gaining weight week over week
  • Her WBC was elevated the last test but her vet said that could also be stress
  • For the most part, she looks comfortable, just tired - if I suspect pain, I give her prednisolone earlier incase it is from inflammation. After 30 minutes, if it persists, I will give her buprenorphine. Some days she looks excellent without either. Other days, it clearly helps.
  • Since adding probiotics and omega 3s back into her diet, she looks so much happier and at ease
  • The biopsy that was taken was taken just inside the gum on her jaw but it was a small amount - like the size of a hemp seed.

Can anyone tell me your experiences? Does this sound like a simple treatable case or could it still be cancer?
 

Caspers Human

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The "Reader's Digest" version of that report is that the pathologist believes that there may be something inside your cat's mouth that is irritating the tissue, causing a sore to form. She also believes that, if the sore is excised (cut out) and the source of the irritation is found and treated, your cat has a chance of healing but, as you know, nothing is written in stone.

"Hyperplasia" means "rapid growth of cells." Hyperplasia, by itself, is not cancer but should be considered "pre-cancerous."

If hyperplasia is left untreated, it can turn into something called "dysplasia" (abnormal cell growth) and then it can turn into cancer.

This is not something that you can just cross your fingers and hope it goes away by itself. You need to do something.

Antibiotics and pills are probably not the answer. This is not caused by a bacterial infection or a virus. This is a problem that starts down, inside the tissue and grows from there.

Herbal concoctions or alternative medicines won't work either. In fact, they can cause harm because these "quack cures" might make it seem like things are getting better when they are actually getting worse. This causes people to delay treatment, allowing the problem to get worse until, finally, it's too late to do anything.

This is exactly how Steve Jobs died. He went to a holistic practitioner who gave him all sorts of phony treatments. By the time he figured out what was actually wrong, it was too late. Shortly, thereafter, he died of cancer. He was quoted as saying that he wished that he would have gone to a real doctor, instead.

This is exactly my advice to you. Keep going to the doctor (vet) or your choice and listen to what they have to say. Make sound decisions based on evidence.

I'm not a doctor (and I didn't play one on TV ;) ) but I know enough to tell you that you need one.

Neither do I know everything about your cat's condition but I have read enough to form a (decidedly non-professional) opinion.

In my opinion, if you go to the vet and work with them, you do have a better than average chance of beating this thing but, the longer you put things off, the worse it is likely to get until, one day, it will be too late.

I'm sorry that your kitty isn't well. :(
Here's hoping that things go well so that you and your cat can be better as God wills.

Thoughts and prayers be with you! 🙏
Fingers crossed for you! :crossfingers:
Casper sends get well vibes! :whitecat::vibes:
 
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Jenny22

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The "Reader's Digest" version of that report is that the pathologist believes that there may be something inside your cat's mouth that is irritating the tissue, causing a sore to form. She also believes that, if the sore is excised (cut out) and the source of the irritation is found and treated, your cat has a chance of healing but, as you know, nothing is written in stone.

"Hyperplasia" means "rapid growth of cells." Hyperplasia, by itself, is not cancer but should be considered "pre-cancerous."

If hyperplasia is left untreated, it can turn into something called "dysplasia" (abnormal cell growth) and then it can turn into cancer.

This is not something that you can just cross your fingers and hope it goes away by itself. You need to do something.

Antibiotics and pills are probably not the answer. This is not caused by a bacterial infection or a virus. This is a problem that starts down, inside the tissue and grows from there.

Herbal concoctions or alternative medicines won't work either. In fact, they can cause harm because these "quack cures" might make it seem like things are getting better when they are actually getting worse. This causes people to delay treatment, allowing the problem to get worse until, finally, it's too late to do anything.

This is exactly how Steve Jobs died. He went to a holistic practitioner who gave him all sorts of phony treatments. By the time he figured out what was actually wrong, it was too late. Shortly, thereafter, he died of cancer. He was quoted as saying that he wished that he would have gone to a real doctor, instead.

This is exactly my advice to you. Keep going to the doctor (vet) or your choice and listen to what they have to say. Make sound decisions based on evidence.

I'm not a doctor (and I didn't play one on TV ;) ) but I know enough to tell you that you need one.

Neither do I know everything about your cat's condition but I have read enough to form a (decidedly non-professional) opinion.

In my opinion, if you go to the vet and work with them, you do have a better than average chance of beating this thing but, the longer you put things off, the worse it is likely to get until, one day, it will be too late.

I'm sorry that your kitty isn't well. :(
Here's hoping that things go well so that you and your cat can be better as God wills.

Thoughts and prayers be with you! 🙏
Fingers crossed for you! :crossfingers:
Casper sends get well vibes! :whitecat::vibes:
Thank you so much for your quick response. This has all been very trying for me. Lulu's medical trauma started 6-8 months ago with the onset of acute vomiting which was probably IBD undiagnosed (despite repeatedly telling multiple vets that she had chronic vomiting for years - was even told by one it was normal). I resolved her vomiting by switching to a commercial raw rabbit diet. It was like MAGIC. But once the line was discontinued and I naively thought I could reintroduce chicken, everything went to sh*t for lack of better words. She went downhill quickly with one cascading issue after another every week for over a month before I could get it all under control and put her on a home cooked diet. Thousands of dollars, ER vets, and still felt like I was left on my own to figure it all out. Through research and support groups, I finally had her IBD and now stage II CKD under control. Her mystery limp gone. No more herpes flare ups. Her nail bed infection healed (thank goodness I canceled her amputation the morning of having a bad feeling about it - two vets including a specialist were wrong thinking it needed to be amputated). But I digress...

The one thing left to address were her dental issues which I had also learned in that span of time was feline tooth resorption and possibly stomatitis. The area where the growth developed is exactly over an area where she lost several teeth to feline tooth resorption. This must have all happened within less than a year because no one mentioned these issues in her last annual exam. This side of her mouth has been bothering her for a while. I changed vets MULTIPLE times looking for someone who would help me manage my cat's new medical issues but I was either dismissed, gaslighted, couldn't get an appointment for weeks, or as per her last vet - completely put off addressing her teeth which he told me was because he wanted to assess her kidney levels first. It turns out he was just avoiding having to deal with her teeth - he made me wait 3 months just to ask me why I was there at the follow up. And then told me there was nothing I could do for her teeth (I still get angry thinking about it, why he wasted so much time and didn't just recommend a specialist from the get go). After doing some digging, I discovered a board certified dental specialist and was planning to move forward with them. Unfortunately, my cat developed fatty liver and I had to postpone and cancel the appointment - which again was dismissed when I repeatedly told her last vet she wasn't eating. For weeks, I urged that he prescribe anti nausea meds which he refused and kept mentioning she wasn't really eating. He repeatedly dismissed me until I demanded bloodwork which revealed the fatty liver. And even then, he was so lackadaisical about it and told me & cut me off on the phone because he was meeting someone - that phone call was 8 minutes long. She became jaundice that night and worsened after returning from the ER. I just barely saved her life.

Trust me when I tell you that I tried and tried and tried to do everything right for my cat and to get her the help she needed to improve her quality of life without wasting any time :( I am beyond frustrated and heart broken that despite all my pushing, I couldn't find a vet to work with me. This is the only cat I've ever had so I was completely out of my element when she became sick. I learned so much the last 6 months. A rescue center stepped in to help me and I am now with a vet that they recommended. But I am sad that she also kept putting off assessing the lump due to Lulu's liver. I understand why but I just knew this was bothering her and had been going on for way too long. I felt this sense of urgency to finally address it and here we are now, so much time lost.

I called and pushed for the results yesterday. And both her primary vet and dental specialist were out of the office. So today is day 2 of the results. I left emails for both. The dental specialist just replied that he did not believe the report and still thinks this is cancer based on what he saw. I'm not sure what he means "by not believe" - maybe not reliable? But if I am opting out of surgery, which I am - then palliative care it is unfortunately. 😔

Thank you so much for reading through and responding to me.
 

Caspers Human

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How old is Lulu? I skimmed around a bit but I didn't see anything.
I assume that she's getting up there in years. Right?

If that's true, considering all the other problems you report, it sounds like Lulu is coming to the end of her road.

I've seen this kind of thing before with both dogs and cats. They get old and start getting sick and it seems like it's just one thing after another.

I'm not telling you that this is true in your case. I'm just telling you from my own experience.

You talk about moving to palliative care. Maybe it is time for that. I don't know. Only you can decide that.

Here is what I can tell you. No matter what happens, there will come a time when your cat will have to go away. It's not happy but it's true. Switching to palliative care isn't giving up. It is an understanding that all living things must pass on. It is a change in the way you take care of your cat.

When your cat was young, it was fun and play. It was petting and cuddles and purring. She gave you her love.

Now, it's time for you to give back, to show her how much you love her and to thank her for all the good times you shared together.

You need to tell your cat, Lulu, that you will be there to take care of her and that she doesn't have to worry when her time comes. Tell her with your actions as much as your words.

Maybe you'll have to give her medicine so that she's not in pain. Maybe you'll have to take her to the vet for some issue or another.

When it comes to taking care of the pets we love, palliative care doesn't just mean waiting for the end.

It means paying your cat back for all the love she gave you. :itslove:
 
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Jenny22

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How old is Lulu? I skimmed around a bit but I didn't see anything.
I assume that she's getting up there in years. Right?

If that's true, considering all the other problems you report, it sounds like Lulu is coming to the end of her road.

I've seen this kind of thing before with both dogs and cats. They get old and start getting sick and it seems like it's just one thing after another.

I'm not telling you that this is true in your case. I'm just telling you from my own experience.

You talk about moving to palliative care. Maybe it is time for that. I don't know. Only you can decide that.

Here is what I can tell you. No matter what happens, there will come a time when your cat will have to go away. It's not happy but it's true. Switching to palliative care isn't giving up. It is an understanding that all living things must pass on. It is a change in the way you take care of your cat.

When your cat was young, it was fun and play. It was petting and cuddles and purring. She gave you her love.

Now, it's time for you to give back, to show her how much you love her and to thank her for all the good times you shared together.

You need to tell your cat, Lulu, that you will be there to take care of her and that she doesn't have to worry when her time comes. Tell her with your actions as much as your words.

Maybe you'll have to give her medicine so that she's not in pain. Maybe you'll have to take her to the vet for some issue or another.

When it comes to taking care of the pets we love, palliative care doesn't just mean waiting for the end.

It means paying your cat back for all the love she gave you. :itslove:
Thank you. ❤ Lulu is 14 years old. Pretty much zero problems (minus the chronic vomiting which has resolved) up until 8 months ago.

I would agree with you - I say my cat is like a Volkswagon. Once one thing goes wrong, everything falls apart. But I disagree that this is the end of the line for her specifically for a few reasons: I strongly feel that everything going on has been due to a compromised immune system that is mostly coming from her dental issues and not from age. After all, 14 is NOT old. It is not young, but you wouldn't tell a 50 year old that just had a heart attack - oh, well you're old and lived a good long life. It really irks me when people make that comment (not to say you have). The average life expectancy for a cat of her breed is around 17 years old and I've seen cats live to 25. She is not that old to be falling apart. Once the teeth were to be resolved, I feel most things would have fallen into place and given her at least another 2 years. I also think that once she went off the probiotics during fatty liver and was eating prescription food that was questionable in terms of how it was affecting her gut, I think part of her immune system there was weakening as a result - given that 70-80% of the immune system is within the gut. Of course this is all conjecture and based more on observation and intuition which obviously has no basis of validity anywhere other than how in tune I am with my pets. But the bigger reason, is that even the dental specialist remarked that she was a cat that looked so healthy and strong that he could not believe she had any of the medical issues on her report.

I had her scheduled for euthanasia 3 times for the fatty liver and her mobile vet also kept telling me that my cat did not look "that sick". I mean - she was VERY yellow and very sick. But the mobile vet said she had seen so much worse recover. Lulu did recover but it felt like a miracle the way it happened and the way it seemed to go against what the bloodwork was showing. She keeps beating the odds. And I think it's because overall she actually IS very healthy. But that one thing (or two) that was not being addressed just kept knocking her back down systemically.

Now - is it my cat's time? Maybe - I don't know. But I absolutely do not think it is because it simply is, rather because I was unable to stop the train of bad luck and dismissive vets that allowed preventable issues to snowball to the point of no return. And at some point, it is giving up. And not because I don't want to fight for her, but because I don't want her to have to keep fighting especially when the odds are no longer in her favor.

I am moving forward with palliative care, but I will continue to give her some herbal supplements that she tolerates and see if at the very least it makes her feel better. She's very easy to syringe. No pills for her and she actually enjoys baby food where I can mix some goodies in. As of right now, you would not be able to tell she was sick. She eats, uses the litterbox, purrs and rolls on her back for me to rub her belly. She hasn't really played since the fatty liver and that is the one thing that saddens me. But overall she looks pretty good. If I notice discomfort which she does have from time to time, she get narcotics for the pain or prednisolone for inflammation. At the rate that this is growing, my guess it that it would eventually affect her breathing or her ability to swallow and so that would be the sign to let her go.

The one thing that I do need to emphasize as it really does slight me when people make this assumption (not to say you are) - is that everything I do is NOT for me. It is for my cat. This is not about letting go. My life would drastically improve and be easier if it were that simple. I live alone and have no help in dealing with this. My life has been put on a hold as a result. The anxiety is crippling. I am in debt. I haven't been able to focus on work. I have put off responsibilities and my own health. Again, this is NOT about me. Why am I fighting so hard? Because I was letting her go with fatty liver and she pulled through. She dictated that she wanted to live. I had already stopped feeding her and had hospice scheduled the next day. I said my goodbyes and cried myself to sleep and she literally turned a corner overnight while I was sleeping - so much that I had to cancel the appointment. How could I possibly give up so quickly on her now after she literally just beat fatty liver? She deserves to have me to fight within reason.

Also - I look in her eyes, stroke her head, and tell her constantly how much I love her and that I will do whatever it is she wants me to. I look in her eyes daily to see if she is suffering, if she has given up. She hasn't. I already refused any further diagnostics and surgery. I made that decision out of love more than anything else. It looks like moving forward I will just continue to feed her food she loves, hold her close, pet her, kiss her, tell her I love her, and then add in the occasional supplements.

Thanks so much for your response during this difficult time.
 
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