Cheetah

silent meowlook

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I’ve written about Cheetah before. 12 y fs tabbicco dsh many generations feral mountain cat that I got when she was 4 months old after she fell 30 feet down a dried up water well when she was 4 months old.
She has asthma, IBD, now intestinal lymphoma is highly suspected although biopsy has not been done, ultrasound shows enlarge lymph nodes and a space occupying lesion since 3/21. Also hyperthyroid and severe dental disease that cannot be treated for the same reasons I can’t biopsy. She won’t survive anesthesia.
She is a wonderful cat. I have her on Methimazole, Prednisolone, Chlorambucil ( chemo), Vit b injections, SQ fluids, Odansetron, and a novel protein diet.

She used to love to sleep on my head. She would scream at me from the time I walked in the door till I sat down on the couch with her.

In 2017 I had to have her cat friend Rusty euthanized due to CKD. After that she would spend hours in the carrier I had taken him to the vet in the very last time. She did that for about a year.

There are days like today when I don’t want to leave her, but I have to to get the horse out, or work etc.

I guess I have no idea why I am writing this.

I work for a cat vet. I have done this type of work 30+ years. Why do I continue to keep cats that need homes, when I know that this is going to be the outcome.

Has anyone on here used Chinese medicine, herbs etc anything for a cat with intestinal lymphoma that has increased the cat’s quality of life? Cheetah prefers to be by herself most of the time now.

The “new” rescue I took home “ Omahpaw” the happy, dorky, playful, team player, I brought in a few months ago doesn’t understand any of it. He just news by the door to go outside. He is around 3 yrs.
I only have the 2.

If you made it this far, thank you. Now off to care for the dork of a rescue horse.
 

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mrsgreenjeens

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We actually have a very long thread here about a cat that had large cell lymphoma who was treated with both western and eastern medicine and far outlived the expectations given. Here is the thread: Mega massive vibes for Lazlo urgent I don't think he had all the other health issues your guy has, but still might be worth a read, if you have the time.

Best of luck to your Cheetah :vibes::vibes::vibes:Let us know how it goes.
 

Joelle and the kittens

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I would very strongly avoid anything TCM or ayurvedic; not only because the treatments are rationalized with medieval scientific thought (akin to humoral theory) and have not been proven safe or effective in controlled trials (if they were, major pharma companies would have swooped in immediately to capitalize on them); but also (and these are the main points) because a large percentage of the products may contain toxic contaminants, there is no standardized regulation on their manufacture, and with many the ingredients are secret so if your cat has an adverse reaction there is no way for the vet to know if there's an antidote. Please also see this analysis by a vet on a study that found DNA from carcinogenic plants and endangered animals in natural TCM formulations.
 

fionasmom

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That is a beautiful story and the part about Cheetah sleeping in her departed friend's carrier made me cry.

Personally, I am on the fence about the TCM and ayurvedic medicines, most for the reasons that were posted by Joelle and the kittens Joelle and the kittens . I do not use any myself; however, my previous GSD was treated at a hospital which had standard and alternative therapies...and I mean all the alternatives ones including a Reiki master. I was encouraged to use TCM for him, bought some, but never had the nerve to use them when I saw the crumbled pulverized mix of who knows what in the container.

Integrative Medicine

This is a website for humans from Memorial Sloan Kettering which has done some of the more exhaustive integrative research that I have found. It may help you in looking up certain therapies.

I think that this is your decision and either way I would understand what you were trying to do.
 
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silent meowlook

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Well, Cheetah must have somehow tagged the horse, so it is now his turn to worry me. Cheetah is feeling better and back to sleeping with me again since I increased her Prednisolone to 5 mg twice a day, a few days ago. The horse fell down while I was riding him yesterday. Like, all the way down on to his side. That’s a very bad thing for a horse to do and I can’t find a vet that will come out. At least Cheetah is feeling better.
 
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silent meowlook

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So, Cheetah seems to be feeling better since I increased (at her Veterinarians, my boss's) advice. So for the moment she seems ok.

The horse, (Diesel) is getting a full lameness evaluation with full radiographs of all of his feet, his hocks, and his knees. I contacted the original owner by e-mail and asked if anything like this had ever happened with her. Okay, I need to back track on Diesel's story a bit. So, the following will be horse related, not Cheetah related for anyone that wants to stop reading now.

Diesel was born in 2011. When he was 8 weeks old he wound up on a feedlot, orphaned, as his mother had already been sent to slaughter. He was in a group of other horses also marked for slaughter. There were foals there but none as young as him. From what I was told, the quarter horse breeder that had the horses had run out of money and sold the horses for the meat price or something like that. Diesel had strangles, which is a highly contagious, sometimes deadly virus. He wasn't getting enough food and was starving.

A rescue organization found out about him and the other foals that were going to be sent to slaughter and they stepped in. They were able to save him and some others but Diesel was very sick by then. They named him Diesel because that is what he sounded like when he took a breath. Through a ton of work on the rescue's part and a team of people pulling together, Diesel somehow survived.

It took till he was almost a year old to get him healthy enough to adopt out. In 2012 he was adopted out to a lady that was training under the dressage trainer that I worked at for about 5 years. I didn't start working for her until about 2014. So I knew nothing about him or his situation at that time. I kind of remember seeing his face book page but I didn't know who he was. Apparently, shortly after she adopted him he got sick again and had to be nursed back to health. But he survived and lived a great life for a horse, out in a pasture with his horse friends.

I do remember seeing Diesel sometimes stay in the barn where I worked at and I did ride him a few times.

In 2018 his owner put him up for sale. He had started bucking her off and I think she didn't want to deal with it, as she was getting hurt. She was always very kind to him. Everyone was always very kind to him after his rough start in life. And how could you not spoil a cute little foal that was near death. How could you not look at your 1,000 lb horse and still see that baby. But spoiling horses to that extent is dangerous to not only the person but the horse as well.

In 2019 I had to euthanize the most beautiful horse in the world. My mare that I still can't talk about or write about. So, I won't. I mention this only to explain that I wasn't of sound mind. I just desperately needed to do anything I could to not handle the reality of my grief.

I saw Diesel up for sale for $5,000. on a horse sale site. I worried about him winding up with a person that wouldn't take kindly to being bucked off and was concerned for his safety. He really had not been ridden much then and I offered to "put some miles" on him for the owner. That way it would ensure a better home if he could at least be a good trail horse, and not buck people off. Horses are pretty simple in terms of that they do what works for them. So, he tosses his owner, he gets a nice long vacation where he is in pasture hanging out with his friends.

He showed up with some unacceptable behaviors, like not walking on a lead, rearing in cross ties, kicking out and the list goes on. I spent every day working on him and doing a ton of ground work. After a month I finally started riding him. He gave me some problems but not bad. We started going on trail allot and he enjoyed it, I think. He did fall down to his knees once when I took him on a flat easy trail at the walk. He went down to the knees, I got off, he got back up and seemed okay. I had a vet check him to make sure and they didn't see anything wrong. Another time I was riding him at a canter and he fell to his knees and once again got up and seemed okay. I had another vet check done and all seemed okay then too.

After I had him for about 3 months the owner showed up and said she was moving and either I could have him for $1.00 or he would have to go to a rescue. So, I told her I didn't have a dollar, but she loaned me one and I had a horse. Honestly, I didn't really like him at that point but I didn't want him going to a rescue.

I have done allot of work with him and put allot of time into him. I do really like him now. But he fell not just onto his knees but all the way onto his side when I was riding him. There is nothing that I can think of that will be okay. Horses don't just fall over like that unless there is something very wrong. But I feel I need to get xrays done and whatever else I can do to figure out what it is that is going on with him. I spoke to his old owner and she told me he had fallen and tripped allot with her too. She never had the issue worked up. Just thought he was being a lazy goof.

Bottom line is a horse that falls is dangerous. I board him so its not like I can just turn him out on my property. I don't know if it would be right to keep him if he could fall and badly injure himself either. So, I don't know what information I will get on Saturday but I am very stressed about it because I don't see how it could be okay. I mean I will do whatever I can to help him, but if it is something neurological that will be bad and I will have to make a decision I don't want to make.

For now he is happy in a pasture with his best friend, a big black mare that is much larger than him and keeps him in line. His fence boarders a fence with other horses and he loves the company. I took him for a walk on the days I would have ridden him or had a lesson. He seemed to enjoy it. I will see him again tomorrow to make sure his knee is heeling since he cut it pretty bad this last fall.

If anyone has made it to the end of this novel, that is amazing.

Bet nobody will ever ask me about the horse again.
 

Kflowers

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No one may ask in respect for your pain, but a lot of us do want to know if anything can be done to help Diesel. Though clouded with his despair, it does seem that Diesel walked a straight road to you. We never know the path we are to take. We can only do everything within our power to ease the walk of those around us and accept the pain and joy the universe sends us.
 

fionasmom

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Definitely as K Kflowers says a lot of us would want to know what happens or what can be done for Diesel. I think that you are giving him a chance in going forward with the diagnostics, so at least you will know for sure, whatever the decision might be. Another story that made me cry. That is Diesel in the first post?
 

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Bet nobody will ever ask me about the horse again.
Wrong. We will want to know how he is doing. Has he ever been seen by a neurologist? I only ask because of the starvation as a foal. I wonder if he may have some neurological deficits caused by starvation. And, if worse comes to worst, I occasionally run across horse rescues and sanctuaries who may be of help. Haven't been saving the info on them, but will be glad to search again.
 
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silent meowlook

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1627467081969.png
This was Diesel when they first rescued him from the feedlot in 2011.
1627467361080.png

And more recently.

I have decided to cancel the vet on Saturday. I have been talking to the equine vet husband of the vet I work for. He wants me to get some blood work done on him to start out with. In other horse drama news, I got a text today from the ranch where I keep him and they have asked me to move him by the end of the month. They said they put a new horse into pasture with him and he was aggressive to the new horse. So that is a whole bunch of other horse stress to deal with as moving a horse is no easy task.

I appreciate everyone's concern with him. I will do whatever is best for him. It is just really difficult with horses. A horse seeing a neurologist means the horse has to be trailered to an equine hospital, where they can get exposed to ill horses even under the best of circumstances, usually it takes months to get in. He would have to be under anesthesia to have any of the neurologic tests done. All of these things are very expensive and I don't have him insured. I will spend what I have to in order to get a diagnosis. But usually when it is getting to that point, it isn't a good outcome. It may be a vitamin e deficiency or something called EPM. Equine protozoal myelitis. I will try to get blood from him tomorrow to test. I will keep everyone updated.
 

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Since your life and Diesel's are entwined, we trust you to know what is best. We all know that you will do what can be done, what is reasonable and what is most compassionate with what the universe has given you.
 
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silent meowlook

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For anyone interested. I moved Diesel on Sunday. When I got the text from the barn he was at telling me I had to move him by the end of the month, 3 days, I was obviously a bit stressed and overwhelmed. I showed the text to a wonderful woman I work with at the cat hospital, that has horses. She said, "OK, Move him to my place. I have a trailer and we can pick him up Sunday morning. Problem solved!" I exhaled, relaxed and we moved him Sunday. This woman I work with hasn't been there a year yet, but she is awesome. She runs the front desk by herself. She helps out where ever needed, she is never stressed or short with anyone. She doesn't get her upset if I sometimes snap a little. Or, okay maybe allot. But she isn't offended by me. Truth is, I can be a bear to work with. I care allot and always do the absolute best I can with what counts, the cats. I am also very high strung and get personally involved with all cats. I get frustrated and have a bit of a temper with computers that show the little hourglass symbol. I also have my own quirks about cleanliness, and how the cats should be cared for. I have been known to go through 4 blankets and 3 beds before having the "right" set up for a cat. But, I also will always go in if needed and will stay overnight with critical cats or cats that need to be watched over or want to be watched over. I have decades of experience and very good instincts. Anyway, that is me.

So, this wonderful never stressed out or offended reliable, competent experienced caring woman drove her trailer to get Diesel and took him, and me to her place and was awesome about the entire thing. 1 hour drive each way.

Diesel is enjoying the new place and her care of him when I am not around is excellent. She enjoys the fact that he whinnies like a baby foal. She says he is the best behaved horse on her property. And most important, Diesel is happy there. It is near my work so that is a bonus.

I can't get a blood sample from Diesel since I am not that great at horse blood draws. But as soon as I can get him out, I will get the vet to do it for me and now that Diesel is settled in, I can go forth with testing and getting to the bottom of why he fell down. For now I am not riding him. He isn't lame, but I don't want to chance it. I do see him and we go for walks on the property. He is a happy guy.
 

John Perram

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I’ve written about Cheetah before. 12 y fs tabbicco dsh many generations feral mountain cat that I got when she was 4 months old after she fell 30 feet down a dried up water well when she was 4 months old.
She has asthma, IBD, now intestinal lymphoma is highly suspected although biopsy has not been done, ultrasound shows enlarge lymph nodes and a space occupying lesion since 3/21. Also hyperthyroid and severe dental disease that cannot be treated for the same reasons I can’t biopsy. She won’t survive anesthesia.
She is a wonderful cat. I have her on Methimazole, Prednisolone, Chlorambucil ( chemo), Vit b injections, SQ fluids, Odansetron, and a novel protein diet.

She used to love to sleep on my head. She would scream at me from the time I walked in the door till I sat down on the couch with her.

In 2017 I had to have her cat friend Rusty euthanized due to CKD. After that she would spend hours in the carrier I had taken him to the vet in the very last time. She did that for about a year.

There are days like today when I don’t want to leave her, but I have to to get the horse out, or work etc.

I guess I have no idea why I am writing this.

I work for a cat vet. I have done this type of work 30+ years. Why do I continue to keep cats that need homes, when I know that this is going to be the outcome.

Has anyone on here used Chinese medicine, herbs etc anything for a cat with intestinal lymphoma that has increased the cat’s quality of life? Cheetah prefers to be by herself most of the time now.

The “new” rescue I took home “ Omahpaw” the happy, dorky, playful, team player, I brought in a few months ago doesn’t understand any of it. He just news by the door to go outside. He is around 3 yrs.
I only have the 2.

If you made it this far, thank you. Now off to care for the dork of a rescue horse.
I"ll give you a real response after the next x-ray about herbals on my cat Sammy he was diagnosed with lung cancer and is currently taking a Japanese mushroom herbal. My cat re-run has hyper thyroid and would not eat anything when dosed with the narcotic pills. She's on herbals and is now 16 years and 6 months, fur is back to normal and appetite. I also give her kidney and liver support herbals.
I use herbals for joint pain. Turmeric and Boswellia. Both help my life against rheumatoid arthritis.
I've read reviews where cats with lung cancer have survived for 2 years instead of the 6 months the vet projected.
Sammy is breathing better, a month ago he had constant nasal discharge and now that is gone.

I would do a consultation with this site HomeoAnimal.com - Natural and Homeopathic Remedies for Pets
 

Joelle and the kittens

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I"ll give you a real response after the next x-ray about herbals on my cat Sammy he was diagnosed with lung cancer and is currently taking a Japanese mushroom herbal. My cat re-run has hyper thyroid and would not eat anything when dosed with the narcotic pills. She's on herbals and is now 16 years and 6 months, fur is back to normal and appetite. I also give her kidney and liver support herbals.
I use herbals for joint pain. Turmeric and Boswellia. Both help my life against rheumatoid arthritis.
I've read reviews where cats with lung cancer have survived for 2 years instead of the 6 months the vet projected.
Sammy is breathing better, a month ago he had constant nasal discharge and now that is gone.
Always, always check with a vet before giving any OTC supplements to pets; many "herbal remedies" contain compounds that may interfere with prescription medications (or each other). I would urge everyone here to be wary of anything promoted by the multi-billion-dollar "natural" alt med industry, which is not subject to the strict testing requirements for specific efficacy, safety, mechanism, ingredient transparency, and quality control that science-based medicines are held to.

HomeoAnimal peddles homeopathy, which is not only worthless pseudoscience (this is not debatable) but is also known to be actively harmful to pets through encouraging delay of/abstention from proven standard treatments (which has also led to numerous deaths in humans) and via directly poisoning animals. This company should be blacklisted.
 

John Perram

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Always, always check with a vet before giving any OTC supplements to pets; many "herbal remedies" contain compounds that may interfere with prescription medications (or each other). I would urge everyone here to be wary of anything promoted by the multi-billion-dollar "natural" alt med industry, which is not subject to the strict testing requirements for specific efficacy, safety, mechanism, ingredient transparency, and quality control that science-based medicines are held to.



HomeoAnimal peddles homeopathy, which is not only worthless pseudoscience (this is not debatable) but is also known to be actively harmful to pets through encouraging delay of/abstention from proven standard treatments (which has also led to numerous deaths in humans) and via directly poisoning animals. This company should be blacklisted.
Like I said I'll give you a proper response once sam gets his chest xray this Saturday.
 

Kflowers

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S silent meowlook I'm so relieved to read your news and happy for both you and Diesel. What a wonderful woman your co-worker is and how much joy she has brought to Diesel and her own horses. It's almost as though they were meant to be together for awhile.
 

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I"ll give you a real response after the next x-ray about herbals on my cat Sammy he was diagnosed with lung cancer and is currently taking a Japanese mushroom herbal. My cat re-run has hyper thyroid and would not eat anything when dosed with the narcotic pills. She's on herbals and is now 16 years and 6 months, fur is back to normal and appetite. I also give her kidney and liver support herbals.
I use herbals for joint pain. Turmeric and Boswellia. Both help my life against rheumatoid arthritis.
I've read reviews where cats with lung cancer have survived for 2 years instead of the 6 months the vet projected.
Sammy is breathing better, a month ago he had constant nasal discharge and now that is gone.

I would do a consultation with this site HomeoAnimal.com - Natural and Homeopathic Remedies for Pets
John, would that be AHCC that you’re giving Sammy? Many, many excellent studies on it, I have used it for years. I believe in herbals and alternative meds. Stage 4 metastatic cancer survivor here. Given 18 months to live 20 years ago, still here, taking my wonderful supplements.
 
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