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.
This is what I know:
Can anyone tell me your experiences? Does this sound like a simple treatable case or could it still be cancer?
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.
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?