Sudden swelling in cheek; vet says 95% sure it’s cancer. Help.

[AMITHIS]

So, I woke up this morning to find my 11 year old cat, Jett, with facial swelling on one side and his tongue hanging out. He was fine yesterday. I researched on the internet and was hopeful maybe it was an abscess ...although the area under the swelling was hard. We were able to get him in to see a different vet than our normal one at the same practice as an emergency this morning.

She called after examining him and told me she was 95% sure it was cancer. That there was a hole in the gum behind a tooth and ulceration....that it has the appearance of being cancer. She said dental abscesses don’t normally present like this in cats. Any hope I had of maybe her being a new vet and not knowing what she was talking about was dashed by my finding out she is actually the medical director of the practice and has many years of experience.

I spent the entire day crying and am just trying to wrap my head around this. How does this happen so suddenly???? They did chest X-rays to make sure it hadn’t spread (normal) and bloodwork (normal). Tomorrow I have him scheduled for her to go in and examine the area, possibly remove a tooth in the area to make sure it’s not related, do a biopsy and CT scan. I’m worried about putting him through all of this if it’s an aggressive cancer with no effective treatment like the vet seems to suspect. At the same time, I feel like I need to have an actual diagnosis. I mean she said 95% sure so what about the other 5 % chance it’s something else?

I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through this type of thing. I hope I’m making the right decisions for him.

Staci

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Welcome to a site full of loving caring cat people, many who have been through some very tough things.

Your vet sounds like a very good, thorough medical person. Talk to her more about your concerns - be with her as much as possible, as a team for your cat.

At the same time, I feel like I need to have an actual diagnosis.

On the flip side, you sound like someone who wouldn't make flippant or uncaring choices for him. You do need to know.

My thoughts and prayers are with you both

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I have no experience with anything like that, but wanted to say that if it were my cat I would want to go ahead and follow the vet's recommendations. There is a good chance that whatever this is - be that cancer or not - there is discomfort accompanying it. And, if they can alleviate any of the discomfort, then that alone makes it worth it.

Please keep us posted. We are rooting for Jett and you!

 

[fionasmom]

I am very sorry that you are facing this. A previous cat of mine years ago had oral squamous cell carcinoma. She was semi feral, so until there was noticeable swelling we were not able to diagnose her. I did do all the recommended screenings and tests as you do need to know what is going on, especially in case of discomfort which could be managed.

 

[AMITHIS]

Thanks all for your replies. I cooked some tuna for Jett last night and broke it into tiny pieces and he ate it all along with some canned food but I can see he is struggling to eat. We dropped him off this morning for his tests and I have nervously been waiting for a call all day. Hoping to hear from them any minute. We won’t get the biopsy and CT scan results until a week from now. I spent hours researching oral SCC today and everything seemed very grim. Assuming that is his diagnosis (which seems likely), I just don’t know where to go from here. I do have pet insurance and the finances to be able to treat him, but it seems like there is no effective treatment....just things that may extend his life by a very short amount of time at the expense of going through difficult procedures, side effects, the stress of traveling to vets frequently, etc. He has always been a super athletic cat who loves jumping up to the highest spots he can find. He is lightening fast. Honestly, I have 3 cats and 3 dogs right now of varying ages and I always pictured him as being around the longest because he seemed so amazingly healthy. I have gone through hospice situations with 3 of my cats during my life (all now deceased) and, out of all of them, it is super hard for me to think of him getting frail and lethargic. With my other cats, their conditions (stomach cancer, liver cancer and FIP) made them lose their appetites. Jett seems hungry. It’s just really hard for him to eat and that breaks my heart. Anyway, I’m sorry for rambling on.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hang in there until you get test results back. Those may help give you some answers on how to proceed. Whether or not he has a lot of time or a little time left, you can spend it with him - and if the vets do anything to help him be able to eat - as long as he wants to - all the better!

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[daftcat75]

My Cabbie (Cabernet), before Krista, she succumbed to oral SCC. It is frighteningly quick. And even the most aggressive treatment is going to come with huge quality of life hits. I would proceed with the biopsy, CT scan, and whatever they are able to remove. But I would also be prepared to hospice this guy and let him live out his best life until it's no life for him to live. There are many websites that talk about the feline quality of life scale. You can use one of those or just score him on your own 1 to 10 scale with 10 being the best quality of life. Decide your cut-off, and promise him that you won't let him live out his days with a poor quality of life. For better or worse, this will likely proceed very quickly. You very likely won't have the time to anguish over the possible treatments and outcomes. I'm so sorry he and you are going through this.

 

[AMITHIS]

Well, the news was not good. We won’t get the biopsy result and the expert analysis of the CT scan until next week, but the vet said she looked at the scan and saw bone degradation (I think that was the term) of the bone in his jaw. Basically, it’s in his bones. It’s in his upper jaw so that negates the ability to do anything surgically. It seems like the result of the biopsy will basically just pinpoint which of several aggressive cancers it is. I’m just crushed. The only treatment I can see that might slow things down (not cure) is radiation and that seems to require weekly vet visits putting him under sedation each time, the side effects, having to use a feeding tube etc. If it would add on substantial time to his life and make him feel great for that time, then maybe I could see it, but I don’t think I can put him through that only to (maybe) end up with an extra month or two. He also does not seem 100 percent right now so doing all of that just to suspend him where he is right now for longer seems like it would almost be more for me just trying to avoid the inevitable than it would be for him. Trying to spend as much time with him as I can while I sort through all of this.

 

[AMITHIS]

My Cabbie (Cabernet), before Krista, she succumbed to oral SCC. It is frighteningly quick. And even the most aggressive treatment is going to come with huge quality of life hits. I would proceed with the biopsy, CT scan, and whatever they are able to remove. But I would also be prepared to hospice this guy and let him live out his best life until it's no life for him to live. There are many websites that talk about the feline quality of life scale. You can use one of those or just score him on your own 1 to 10 scale with 10 being the best quality of life. Decide your cut-off, and promise him that you won't let him live out his days with a poor quality of life. For better or worse, this will likely proceed very quickly. You very likely won't have the time to anguish over the possible treatments and outcomes. I'm so sorry he and you are going through this.

Thanks. I’m so sorry you lost a cat to this. Yes, based on everything I’ve read (I feel like everything on the internet over the past day and half), you are right. I’ve seen people talking of having to wait for oncologist appts., tests etc. and there is just not that kind of time In most cases. And, like you said, the even the aggressive treatments fall short given the small expected extra lifespan vs. side effects, stress on the cat etc. It definitely feels like a no win situation with this disease.

 

[daftcat75]

Thanks. I’m so sorry you lost a cat to this. Yes, based on everything I’ve read (I feel like everything on the internet over the past day and half), you are right. I’ve seen people talking of having to wait for oncologist appts., tests etc. and there is just not that kind of time In most cases. And, like you said, the even the aggressive treatments fall short given the small expected extra lifespan vs. side effects, stress on the cat etc. It definitely feels like a no win situation with this disease.

We did not make it to the oncologist appointment. After a weekend that she would normally have spent sunning and eating, she did neither the entire weekend. She told me that the oncologist appointment should be changed to the other appointment. At this point, I think further tests are only for your benefit to convince you that the next heart-breaking decision to make will be the correct one. For now, hold him closer (if he'll allow it), and puree his favorite foods, if you need to, until he tells you it's time.

 

[fionasmom]

I was not going to bring it up if you have received better news, but my Matilde passed very quickly once we had the dx. Her quality of life was not good; however, I am factoring in that she was semi feral and not as easily handled or helped as you cat might be for the time being.

 

[dustydiamond1]

I am so sorry to hear about your beloved Jett. Even more heartbreaking to see the lump and have such devastating news happen with no warning. daftcat75 advice was excellent. Find out as much as you can, listen to what the Drs have to say and carry on from there. Quality of life over quantity. Sometimes the greatest gift of love we can give them is a painless release from suffering and fear. Sending good vibes and Prayers that your news improves.

 

[Jcatbird]

I am facing similar decisions but with a cat that has a tumor. At first I thought it an abscess. We still don’t have a 100% diagnosis because of the way the tumor is situated and the possibility of making an aggressive cancer become much more active. She is elderly and at first she was estimated to have only about 12 weeks. The plan was to re run all tests at four months if she was still doing well. We did and since the chance of the tumor being benign became a bit better, surgery was the next option. I researched and weighed options. Leaving a benign tumor meant it could grow out of hand or even become malignant. After many discussions, the vet agreed with our plan of action. We reached our four months and the tumor was larger but not overwhelming her lungs yet. Time to look closer. The surgery was not done because the vet called when my girl was under anesthesia. More tumors were found. She is a Blue Smoke with long fur and deep undercoat that had hidden the very small tumors until she was checked more closely. We are now past all expected time frames for quality of life. She is still eating, playing and loving. She is exhibiting less energy and small indications of what the future holds but I keep her comfortable and loved. Quality of life is all any living creature can hope for and you are giving that. I don’t know what will come. I hope for more but I give what I can. This cat has come through a near death illness once before. I guess I am just trying to say, Don’t give up unless your kitty needs you to give him wings and set him free. My heart is right there with you. Hold onto hope. Feeding might require soft and lickable things or syringe feeding for now. Maybe something will turn up as being a solution and it isn’t cancer. That is my greatest hope for you and Jett. For all of us, we just have to live in the moment with our kitties whether they are sick or healthy. You are giving your heart and that is what will always count most. Please do keep us updated.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ If he eats well and is still enjoying life keep your friend as long as it is comfortable. When the time comes do euthanize at home if possible.
He's leaving sooner than expected but on the same road as all of us .. .

 

[Furballsmom]

I’m just crushed.

I'm sending you both hugs love and prayers

 

[AMITHIS]

We did not make it to the oncologist appointment. After a weekend that she would normally have spent sunning and eating, she did neither the entire weekend. She told me that the oncologist appointment should be changed to the other appointment. At this point, I think further tests are only for your benefit to convince you that the next heart-breaking decision to make will be the correct one. For now, hold him closer (if he'll allow it), and puree his favorite foods, if you need to, until he tells you it's time.

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Jettt is an all black cat too and looks very similar. Things are going downhill very quickly. We just added prednisolone to his meds. He seemed to perk up a bit last night, but today has not been very good. He has gone over to the smorgasbord of foods I have laid out but has only taken two little lIcks of food. He spent last night and this morning snuggling with me and our other 2 cats that are his buddies. They both licked his face. I feel like they know. I keep feeling like I need to at least wait until I get the official test results telling the type of cancer (I know it probably doesn’t make a difference) and the expert interpretation of the CT scan.....to wait until Thursday so we can see the oncologist. I had this idea in my head maybe he could start this medication called palladia that might slow things down. Yet, even if the med just froze things where they are right now, that’s not very good.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Keep snuggling and hugging with Jett and his buddies. That is the best thing going for all of you right now.

 

[AMITHIS]

Thank you all for the support. Last week I tried to make an oncologist appt. at a pet cancer speciality center, but they didn’t have anything until April 1. I didn’t think he could keep going like this until then. I found a different oncologist that can get him in on Thurs. The official CT scan and biopsy results are supposed to come in early this week. Meanwhile, the Doctor’s preliminary look at it showed this was into the bones of his jaw and had eaten bone away. So, really, any hope of this being anything other than cancer is gone. It’s only a matter of what type of cancer. Yet, I think any type has the same deadly prognosis.

I just wish so badly I could rewind things. Was there a point in time he was telling me something was wrong and I didn’t listen? We have 3 cats and 3 dogs. I usually put the cats food down. They run to the dishes but I don’t stand there and watch them eat. I was putting dry food down at night and wet food in the morning. I am struggling to remember when I last say him eating the dry food. I know I saw him run to the bowl and start to eat but did he just eat one kibble? Obviously this couldn’t have just started on Sunday. It became completely visible on Sunday. They say early symptoms are drooling, finding bloody saliva ..... he didn’t have any of that. Ugh. I feel like I let him down somehow.

 

[FeebysOwner]

How many times do you hear of people who find out almost instantaneously that they have cancer - and, they were able to communicate their potential issues to other humans? A cat can't do that, so a lot of things go unattended, through no fault of their caretakers. All of us that have had to go through similar things wonder and wonder, but the bottom line is: you can't always know.

The one thing you DO know is that Jett has been cared for, and loved by you, all these years. He knows that too.