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- May 15, 2007
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My beloved kitty, age unknown (estimated to be about 12 or 13 years old) is potentially a sick kitty. I had his teeth cleaned last week and they pulled three teeth. However, he has a tumor above his eye that we've been watching for just over a year. While they were doing the dental work, they did a fine needle aspiration of the tumor to test it. It is something called a mast cell tumor. I guess that boils down to cancer. However, due to the location of the tumor, my vet didn't feel comfortable removing it. So, I went to a special hospital where a vet surgeon took look at it. She hasn't ever operated on one like this either. She recommends it be removed and that they follow up with chemotherapy! There are a lot of unknowns with the removal of the tumor as it is on his eyelid. It will be a surgery call for the surgeon as to how much tissue she'll have to take away. I might have an vet opthamologist look at it. Also, they can do an abdominal ultrasound to see if his liver and spleen have been affected. I just don't think I can put him through all of that though. He doesn't appear to be sick. My gut is telling me to let him live in peace until he gets sick and then deal with it at that point. He is eating,drinking, and using the litter box normally, so we don't think he feels bad or that it has spread...yet. And, the clincher of all this unknown is that the surgery could run me $1500-$2500 depending on how much reconstruction of his eyelid they have to do and then any charges for medicine, ultrasound, and chemotherapy, pain management, etc. And, on top of that, he's getting old. I could put out all that money and get him well, but something new could come along. That is why I believe that I will just love him and let him be happy until he actually gets sick. I don't want him to suffer and the surgery and chemo sounds like suffering too. This just all took place yesterday so I'm right in the middle of gathering info and making a decision.
Anyone else face putting an old kitty through chemo? I LOVE this cat like my child so it isn't the $ that is stopping me, it is all the "unknowns" the surgeon is telling me about.
Anyone else face putting an old kitty through chemo? I LOVE this cat like my child so it isn't the $ that is stopping me, it is all the "unknowns" the surgeon is telling me about.