How Do I Care For A Cat With Broken Jaw?

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SweetiePie1

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Do things gradually. Try a small amount first if you are able and see if she is still interested. Then I would slowly increase. In the meantime, maybe there is another way to supplement the therapy and I am sure you are looking being the good mother that you are.
 
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NadiaRey

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I'm sorry to say this is the exact opposite to what I can do. Her throat might be getting progressively clogged with the tumor... and the food needs to be progressively more liquid...

I'm sorry. I'm not okay today. Yesterday she ate a lot. Today she's not eating. Because it's her third sugery and she has her jaw compromised, we decided not to do any more surgeries... but I'm afraid she's going to die from starvation. We are going to have to put her down, not because of pain, but because she won't be able to eat... this is horrible. She's well and ok and this is what gets her? It's just not fair. What the heck am I supposed to do.
 

Mamanyt1953

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I am so sorry that this is not improving. Just...love her, do the best you can for her, and when she tells you the time has come, somehow manage to let her go with your love as her guide.
 

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Have you tried Kitten Milk Replacement? AKA KMR. TCS members appear to have more success with the powdered form rather than the premixed form.

Has the vet checked her throat for obstructions in the past few days?

You. are making a tremendous effort in caring for your cat!

Please kee
p us updated.
 

SweetiePie1

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Hi NadiaRey,
I understand….we understand. Many of us have generally gone through something similar to what you are going through. Unfortunately we can empathize. You are a champion and continue to be a wonderful parent. I can only tell you what you already know. She has been fighting cancer for a while now. This latest surgery was even tough to read about so living through it is traumatic for both of you. She is with you now and this IS the gift. She has been supported and loved dearly through her illness and no animal on this planet could ask for anything more. Its OK to be NOT OK. Just be strong for her and continue doing what you need to do for her.
 
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NadiaRey

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I just had to drop by to tell you all: she's eating! She's eating and she's playing!

Apparently yesterday was a "bad day". She laid down a lot, wasn't eating -like I told you-, and was even trembling through the night... And today she's running around the garden like a maniac, playing with me, eating gladly! (I wanted to take a video of her running to share. But of course she stopped when I reached over with the cellphone... that little troll...)

Apparently, changing the food did the trick - because she's still rejecting chicken, and even the wet food. I gave her leftover (cow) meat and suddenly she's eating like crazy. (WTF, Sueño?)

I cannot tell you just how stupidly glad I am. So it was not the tumor clogging the throat, thanks god. And I know this might only be a "good day", just like yesterday was bad, but man I hope it lasts.

Anyways, I needed to tell you, because I know my last post was a downer, I just dropped my frustrations on you. And I wanted to say I'm sorry. I am pretty much using this place to vent now. I know you are not my theraphists. (You should start charging me honestly lol) and I'm pretty sure this is now what I'm supposed to do in the thread... On the other hand, it does feel like I can talk to you about this even better than with a therapist so... well, anyways. Sorry. And thank you.
 

Mamanyt1953

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DO NOT apologize! This is a community. That means we laugh together, we rejoice together (YAY, SHE'S EATING!), and when necessary, we are strong shoulders for each other to cry on. You will be there for someone else in the future. That's who we are.
 
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NadiaRey

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Well, you are all awesome. It would be one thing if we bonded over our love for cats and sharing minor inquiries, and then something like this strikes... But knowing I came to you in this state and I got this welcome, I just want to tell you again you have no idea how much I appreciate it.

Honestly, I come do updates here more than the GoFundme. Not that there's much of an update. She still has bad days and good days, every other day. Though last good day wasn't great, and today being a bad day it wasn't that gloomy. It's kind of a mixed bag, in general. For example, her mouth is a lot less swollen, but she needs even more help eating... and the ganglia seems to be swollen and I'm begging the universe it's not the metastasis returning...

I was going to let you know about other things that had worked. But what was working yesterday isn't now any more. She was eating pig (what we call 'solomillo') up until very early today. And just a few hours ago I managed to feed her cow meat and some wet food. I also offered chicken and fish but she rejected everything. I gave her mackarel... that lady eats better than I do, I swear. And she still rejected it...

She does eat a lot of yogurt, though... I know I'm not supposed to, because of additives and sugar, but it does help her go to the toilet. And really, I just want to give her whatever she wants... Anyways. I guess that's everything I can offer in terms of an update. Thanks for listening.
 
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NadiaRey

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Just wanted to let you know: 1-the tumor reappeared, 2-she has kidney problems now, and 3-despite everything, she's still eating. Weirdly enough, she hasn't been having "bad days", but apparently that's no indication of everything being better. The diet seemed to help, though, and I got too optimistic because of that... And her mood is good, or good enough. Next week I should be getting a batch of the immunotheraphy treatment... at this point I don't want to jinx it.

Dietwise... she had managed to eat on her own the last couple of days, that's why I was so happy. Now it's back to feeding her with a finger. Don't get me wrong, she eats and that's a lot. But experience tells, once the tumor reappears, it grows frickingly fast.

... I was going to give this advise for future cases like mine to do this fitotheraphy, you know. Bluberry, pomegranate, curcuma, coconut oil, green (and chamomile) tea, tomato, to be cooked along with meat (pork or chicken in my case, in slices). And wetfood and tuna (omega-3) as extras. I really thought I was on to something. And maybe I was (the swelling hasn't returned) and it's just that *her* cancer is just fricking horrible...

PS. I notice I didn't answer a couple of questions here. Sorry, I actually wrote something but I think it got lost due to a bad connection. I never heard of KMR. I'm gonna look it up. Thanks, ArchyCat. And yes, we did the feeding tube earlier, rubysmama, and we are considering it for the critical part of the tumor evolution. But she'd only be able to feed in liquids and that's not much in terms of nutrition. And if that's what's gonna take... Sorry, I'm in a bad place right now. I always seem to be when I come here, sorry about that.
 

Furballsmom

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KMR is Kitten Milk Replacer - and we understand, we're here to help and support you, no need to apologize.

Here are a couple of other things, have you tried goat milk? Cats can handle it better than cow milk and it has extra nutrition benefits.
Also, these two recipes could help as well;

http://kitten-rescue.com/what_to_feed.html
 

SweetiePie1

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Thank you for the update.

It is exactly a year ago that our family lost my namesake, Sweetie Pie. We all had a good cry today and really shared some great memories. Thank you for letting me remember her in this thread. It helps!!


We are with you and Sueño. Sending thoughts, prayers and love. :vibes:
 
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NadiaRey

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It's the fricking jaw. It's everything, but it's the jaw that's breaking her. She looks in pain. Something, I don't know if it's the tumor, it's making her hurt. She's on analgesics, and *even then* it hurts this much? And we can't give her too much of the thing because it hurts her already failing kidneys. On top of it all, she's not eating the supplements because of an upset stomach (probably my fault, either too much curcuma or too much broccoli, or both) so, the only thing that was keeping her good mood? now she won't take.

Every time she can, she eats like crazy. Then doesn't, and starts hitting her jaw in frustration... and, according to the vet and I now realize, pain. I'm afraid this is it, that there's no turning point now. She's struggling so much. It's breaking me and I don't know what to do. Even drinking makes her hurt, it's no longer about the kind of food.

How can I make her stop hurting...? I know I'm asking something ridiculous but I need to ask. I cannot make her go through another sugery, right? It's not like that solves the tumor... It's just going to be worse for her, right? I mean, the only good news, the shots are finally here and we started the fricking treatment now complete (they couldn't be more late !#%/@) Right now it's a threatment to keep her quality of life. But I'm afraid there's not much left to "keep"...! I need to at least have the tumor reduced. And not eff-up everything else. I need the jaw to stop hurting.

The other thing is, otherwise she's "fine"! She's fine in every other way. She still tries. She's "whole". I'm just between a rock and a hard place. The food I need to give her for the kidneys is exactly the contrary of what I need to give her for the cancer / keep her healthy. I had to suspend even the chamomile and green tea because of her upset stomach. I had to force the supplements last night, and I'm sure I upset her. I'm thinking about rosemary, and pumpkin, and ginger, and basil and beet juice, natural painkillers (I'm crossreferencing and it seems like cats can have them). And I'm thinking of applying ice to the tumor...?(?!) or jaw....?

I'm so mad at everything. I'm mad at the vets. I'm mad at myself. I had started getting distracted instead of paying attention because I didn't want to be reminded about where this is heading.
 

Leomc123

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if i was in your situation stop everything you are doing and start from scratch. Stop force feeding her as you may be pressing or pushing on nerves that you arent aware you are doing . Instead with her food if its meat , chicken etc pure it in a blender into a very liquid soup so she can drink it.

When you feed her give her a small amount and mix in the pain medication first and let her drink it up first then put more food pure food for her to eat. If you are saying she will eat like crazy when she is hungry wait till she is hungry to do this.

If possible get the pain meds in injection form that way she isnt using her mouth to receive it. Also with vitamins are there vitamin injections she can get or a vet visit to up her nutritional levels ?

If she is in too much pain then there may be preasure from the tumour forming and she may need another surgery to stop it from pressing on the jaws where the nerves is probably extremly sensitive, like in the tooth, jaw bones from the previous surgery. Maybe your vet can do a surgery to kill the nerves in the jaw to stop the pain.

How long has your cat been like this in pain ? If the pain meds are not working at all , maybe she can get a stronger med or a sedative to knock her out so she can sleep it off .

If she has been in pain for a long time then its time to consider her quality of life and if is humane to let her carry on with pain and suffering if there is no other solution to her pain levels.

If she is strong enough and you are financially able to and there is a solution by the vet to kill nerves in the jaw or to remove the tumour again then i would consider it. But if this surgery outcome will be to remove tumour and still receive no decent pain medications that can aleviate her nerve pain then i would consider quality of life.

:( I hope there is a solution for your cat, i really pray for her to get well.
 
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NadiaRey

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I did the pure in a blender thing. She doesn't eat that, for some reason. Really rejects it. (She rejects some things that really makes no sense, like tuna.)
I never force feed her... except for the molecules that are part of the immunotheraphy treatment, and that's recent. She had no problems drinking it (along with the food) before. Now, the moment she smells it in the food, she won't eat. So I need to give her food without the medication... and the medication, I need to shove it in her on its own. I know, it sounds awful. But I had this experience that, the day she doesn't drink the supplements, she has a "bad day". Almost every time. Today she was in a lot of pain at times, but she wasn't down or looking depressed...

Also, she's stubborn as heck. She eats like crazy ONLY if it's in her own terms. Like, right now: I kept offering the medication+food to her thinking she didn't eat because she wasn't hungry (or in pain), but the moment I switch to something she wants? She eats alright. I just offered to her over five different dishes (two types of wet food, unadultered; chicken, unadultered; chicken with the medication; chicken liver that she ate before; pork from a day ago with no salt; pork made today with salt...) and she rejected everything, except one variety of wetfood, and the pork with salt... even though her kidneys are bad and she shouldn't eat any salt... I took out most I could, but still.

If possible get the pain meds in injection form that way she isnt using her mouth to receive it.
No no, she isn't on oral pain medication. She receives shots. That isn't the issue. The problem with pain medication is that, even injected, it is bad for her kidneys... and they are starting to fail. We are giving them only when needed, and very small quantities.
As for vitamins, she doesn't seem to need them? She had an anemia, but that's kind of a normal thing with kidney problems AND with cancer. I'm giving her chicken liver exactly for this reason.

If she is in too much pain then there may be preasure from the tumour forming and she may need another surgery to stop it from pressing on the jaws where the nerves is probably extremly sensitive, like in the tooth, jaw bones from the previous surgery. Maybe your vet can do a surgery to kill the nerves in the jaw to stop the pain.
This is exactly what I'm afraid of. And no, we decided we won't do another surgery. The vets too, after losing this much of her jaw and the tumor being this horrible, it didn't feel like it was humane to try prolong her life if it was going to be in a poor state. It's exactly like you said, we are considering quality of life. That's why I keep repeating that, was it not for the jaw, she'd seem to be fine and she isn't looking "down", in regards to appetite, energy, weight, general mood. Obviously all the factors fluctuate when it hurts, but it's not a constant thing. It's just gotten a lot worse than how it started recently... but it's not clear where to draw the line.

I do wish I could drain the tumor somehow, though, some other less invasive way. Immunotheraphy is great in keeping her mood and capacities with little effect on her organism (even helping the kidneys), but the thing is already big again, I don't know how much it can help with how things are. If only the tumor was smaller. (I wished I could have something like that blushberry wood thing. Just to deal with the thing in the jaw. You know, one of those 'miracle cures'. It wouldn't do anything to metastasis, but it would take the effing thing from the mouth and aleviate all pain.)

But you have a point about starting from scratch. At the very least, I need to re-think my strategy. Heck, I don't mind giving her whatever she wants to eat. I just have a hard time figuring out what that is. And I maybe need to leave everything else to immunotheraphy to do its stuff (I still need to give her the molecules, though)... and hope for the best. Like the tumor suddenly deciding to commit suicide or something. I know, not much of a query about her jaw, more like me sharing context and my experience.
 

Furballsmom

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I don't know if you've seen this, or what in this thread would be acceptable by your vet/you, but...
 
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