I'm so sorry he's going through these periods of not feeling well. And it is stressful. 
:rub: Know I hold you both close in my heart and thoughts! :heart2: 
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Toby vomiting and losing weight, fine otherwise
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I'm so sorry he's going through these periods of not feeling well. And it is stressful. :rub: Know I hold you both close in my heart and thoughts! :heart2: - Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #382
Well we took Toby for what I think may be his 4th(?) rescue chemo today, and also we took Lulu to get her stitches out (yes, two different places lol).
The oncologist said Toby is doing very well! He has gained weight too! I had told them when I first came in that he seemed to do really well the first week after his treatment, then in week two he kind of dipped down, eating less and sleeping more, and in week three he perked back up again, eating and being active. The doc said week two is probably from chemo. She advised if it happens again to give him a b-12 shot and to give him sub-q fluids, and that should get him feeling fine again. She also added some donated Elspar to his treatment again this time, since that seems to be what is really helping him. He is losing his whiskers at this point and his fur looks horrible, but that is what happens. Also I increased his pepsid so he gets 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 at night, I noticed he was vomiting a little bit of clear fluid in the morning :-(.
I was going to do an ultrasound at the time of the next treatment, but she said the rescue chemo is six treatments, so two more to go- and after that we should let a month go by, as it will allow his internal tissue to recover from the chemo. And then do the ultrasound. That way it will be a comparison to the ultrasound after his normal chemo/before the rescue chemo.
We also talked a bit about his original pathology report, how perplexing it was and how difficult it has been to actually pin down what we are treating. I think the dr. shares our feelings i.e. where is it, what is it, and hopefully (this is my part) this rescue chemo being more broad-spectrum and therefore effective for him. Anyhow, for right now things are looking good. :-)!!
A side note on Lulu, her stitches are off now, she is jumping all over the place and seems fully recovered. And I have to tell you, we are going to continue using the tube jersey they put on her to keep her from biting at her stitches. I believe it is this product, a tube dressing where they cut front leg holes. It is like a jersey thundershirt, altho very lightweight, it hugs her body like a ribbed tshirt- not too loose, not too tight. We have found that she seems to really like it. Also, and more importantly, the other cats are very careful not to jump on her when they are rough-housing, and it makes a big difference because Lulu is a returned declawed pee cat, she is a little diva who likes to start mischief which always ends with her being chased, running into a corner and peeing. But not anymore! So in case anybody thinks the thundershirts are too heavy or bulky, I say, try these ribbed tubes that can be fashioned into tees. Be careful tho about strings from them, they CAN develop strings which need to be cut off. Also they are probably too small for very large cats. Maybe a onesie t shirt will work :-) for the fatties :-)
The oncologist said Toby is doing very well! He has gained weight too! I had told them when I first came in that he seemed to do really well the first week after his treatment, then in week two he kind of dipped down, eating less and sleeping more, and in week three he perked back up again, eating and being active. The doc said week two is probably from chemo. She advised if it happens again to give him a b-12 shot and to give him sub-q fluids, and that should get him feeling fine again. She also added some donated Elspar to his treatment again this time, since that seems to be what is really helping him. He is losing his whiskers at this point and his fur looks horrible, but that is what happens. Also I increased his pepsid so he gets 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 at night, I noticed he was vomiting a little bit of clear fluid in the morning :-(.
I was going to do an ultrasound at the time of the next treatment, but she said the rescue chemo is six treatments, so two more to go- and after that we should let a month go by, as it will allow his internal tissue to recover from the chemo. And then do the ultrasound. That way it will be a comparison to the ultrasound after his normal chemo/before the rescue chemo.
We also talked a bit about his original pathology report, how perplexing it was and how difficult it has been to actually pin down what we are treating. I think the dr. shares our feelings i.e. where is it, what is it, and hopefully (this is my part) this rescue chemo being more broad-spectrum and therefore effective for him. Anyhow, for right now things are looking good. :-)!!
A side note on Lulu, her stitches are off now, she is jumping all over the place and seems fully recovered. And I have to tell you, we are going to continue using the tube jersey they put on her to keep her from biting at her stitches. I believe it is this product, a tube dressing where they cut front leg holes. It is like a jersey thundershirt, altho very lightweight, it hugs her body like a ribbed tshirt- not too loose, not too tight. We have found that she seems to really like it. Also, and more importantly, the other cats are very careful not to jump on her when they are rough-housing, and it makes a big difference because Lulu is a returned declawed pee cat, she is a little diva who likes to start mischief which always ends with her being chased, running into a corner and peeing. But not anymore! So in case anybody thinks the thundershirts are too heavy or bulky, I say, try these ribbed tubes that can be fashioned into tees. Be careful tho about strings from them, they CAN develop strings which need to be cut off. Also they are probably too small for very large cats. Maybe a onesie t shirt will work :-) for the fatties :-)
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- #383
Toby's latest thing involves him throwing up again :-(. I took him to the regular doctor today. She did an xray and said he has a large gas bubble in his tummy in addition to his mass. She gave me chinese herb to help him. Has anybody else treated their cat for a gas bubble?
Also, he does still have a mass. I asked them to show me the xray and they said they would mail it to me but they did not do that. Ugh.
Also, he does still have a mass. I asked them to show me the xray and they said they would mail it to me but they did not do that. Ugh.
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Yes, kitties with intestinal issues can get frequent gas that can cause issues. Are they going to send the x-rays to the specialist or are you going to call the specialist yourself?
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- #385
Toby's oncologist resigned and moved to Phoenix, and the practice Chicago Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center, is not replacing her until this coming August. The people taking over in the interim are internists, so I went back to his regular vet, Dr. Barbara Royal for now.
This place- CVES- has been so poorly run. I was sent an evaluation form and told them honestly what I thought of them with specific suggestions for how they could improve. I received an immediate call from the internist currently in charge of Toby's area (internal medicine and oncology) "let us know if there is anything we can do to make things better". Less than 4 days later I called them in the early AM when Toby was vomiting into his food. I was told the doctor would call me back, but by 5PM when I hadn't heard anything I called them. The person told me that of the two internists on staff, one was on vacation and the other one (who had called me) was handling all the oncology patients and the other one's patients. Then I got a call about 20 minutes later from one of the oncology technicians. They said if i wanted to bring Toby in the next day he would have to be a drop off and wait to see someone. I said "to what end?" I did not want my boy, immune compromised and with lymphosarcoma, waiting among a bunch of other sick animals. They suggested I go to my vet, so here I am.
When we get back from vacation- we leave tomorrow- we will probably take Toby to VSC, it is a good facility. He went there for his surgery but we decided to treat him at CVES at the suggestion of his internist Dr. Royal, who saw good results from other animals treated there.
His oncologists's last day was March 15th and while we could have shifted gears faster, we did not expect him to show signs of relapse again so quickly. He had his last (final) rescue chemo treatment on that same day, March 15th. I had already told his oncologist that this particular chemo that he had received the last two times did not seem to do as well with him. She said it could be that he was feeling so well he was gobbling and it was making him sick. She did give us a course of action further to his treatment but right now none of it involves chemo as he has taken as much as is safe for now.
I just hope the other center is ok with taking his case at this late stage in his treatment. They do radiation there, so if he has lymphatic tissue masses again maybe they can do something about it. We have a lot to think about. It is almost a year since this all started. He is not in remission but has not gotten worse. It is all very confusing, actually.
This place- CVES- has been so poorly run. I was sent an evaluation form and told them honestly what I thought of them with specific suggestions for how they could improve. I received an immediate call from the internist currently in charge of Toby's area (internal medicine and oncology) "let us know if there is anything we can do to make things better". Less than 4 days later I called them in the early AM when Toby was vomiting into his food. I was told the doctor would call me back, but by 5PM when I hadn't heard anything I called them. The person told me that of the two internists on staff, one was on vacation and the other one (who had called me) was handling all the oncology patients and the other one's patients. Then I got a call about 20 minutes later from one of the oncology technicians. They said if i wanted to bring Toby in the next day he would have to be a drop off and wait to see someone. I said "to what end?" I did not want my boy, immune compromised and with lymphosarcoma, waiting among a bunch of other sick animals. They suggested I go to my vet, so here I am.
When we get back from vacation- we leave tomorrow- we will probably take Toby to VSC, it is a good facility. He went there for his surgery but we decided to treat him at CVES at the suggestion of his internist Dr. Royal, who saw good results from other animals treated there.
His oncologists's last day was March 15th and while we could have shifted gears faster, we did not expect him to show signs of relapse again so quickly. He had his last (final) rescue chemo treatment on that same day, March 15th. I had already told his oncologist that this particular chemo that he had received the last two times did not seem to do as well with him. She said it could be that he was feeling so well he was gobbling and it was making him sick. She did give us a course of action further to his treatment but right now none of it involves chemo as he has taken as much as is safe for now.
I just hope the other center is ok with taking his case at this late stage in his treatment. They do radiation there, so if he has lymphatic tissue masses again maybe they can do something about it. We have a lot to think about. It is almost a year since this all started. He is not in remission but has not gotten worse. It is all very confusing, actually.
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I remember how awfully mad you were awhile back with his treatments and the lack of knowledge coming out of there.
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Yes, and I should have heeded the warning signs and gotten him out of there, but at the time he was on a chemo protocol and I think I was hoping the chemo itself would be enough. It is not. You need a reasoning, thinking specialist who is up to date on your animal's case, who reviews the files before every visit (at $450 per visit every few weeks this is not unreasonable) and who takes time and does not just say things to get you out of there- or worse yet who doesn't even see you at all. Even when he had his first ultrasound after the first round of chemo, she had nothing to say except "cats will be cats", meaning it is hard to read their results. Everything has been sketchy with his case. We tried very hard to improve communication with little to no success.
The saddest part is that you would think we'd be furious to suddenly be without the specialist after investing so much time and money in his treatment, and to be treated like garbage. But we are so worn down, and have come to expect so little value, we are just past it and focused on how to help Toby.
We had to call there yesterday bc we needed a couple Cerenia for his nausea and Dr. Royal does not carry the small dose we need. She had us call CVES. The person answering - Lois- said "you can pick them up Monday afternoon as we require a business day to refill a prescription. Or go get them from your regular vet". No questions about why we needed them, or should he come in to see their internist, and she didn't know any background. This is their every day attitude, even if your cat is a cancer patient there. I said to her that we were at the regular vet, and that CVES had told us to go to them due to their own patient load being so heavy. She said is the doctor there now? I said I am sitting in the car outside their office with Toby beside me. She finally talked to the CVES internist who said to give it to us. She said we will call you when it is ready and I said we are coming over there now. They did have it ready. All that for two Cerenia.
The saddest part is that you would think we'd be furious to suddenly be without the specialist after investing so much time and money in his treatment, and to be treated like garbage. But we are so worn down, and have come to expect so little value, we are just past it and focused on how to help Toby.
We had to call there yesterday bc we needed a couple Cerenia for his nausea and Dr. Royal does not carry the small dose we need. She had us call CVES. The person answering - Lois- said "you can pick them up Monday afternoon as we require a business day to refill a prescription. Or go get them from your regular vet". No questions about why we needed them, or should he come in to see their internist, and she didn't know any background. This is their every day attitude, even if your cat is a cancer patient there. I said to her that we were at the regular vet, and that CVES had told us to go to them due to their own patient load being so heavy. She said is the doctor there now? I said I am sitting in the car outside their office with Toby beside me. She finally talked to the CVES internist who said to give it to us. She said we will call you when it is ready and I said we are coming over there now. They did have it ready. All that for two Cerenia.
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Oh Barb, that just isn't right! I feel so bad for you and for Toby. He's so lucky to have parents that go through "whatever it takes" to keep helping him. He knows that, I'm sure. You're the best parents to him. It's just too bad you have to go through so much stress to help him.
I'm sure VSC won't have an issue taking over his case, and I am sending mega vibes they provide a much better level of care and communication! :heart2:I am so sorry to hear you have had problems with your oncologist, it is frightening not just for our children but for us as well and lack of communication makes it so much worse.
My little girl needed constant changing of the protocol as she just couldn't cope with it. A good vet recognises the daily changes, calls to see how they are doing and treats each patient as an individual.
Here's hoping your new treatment centre is more caring and understanding and can get Toby on the right path.
Much love x
My little girl needed constant changing of the protocol as she just couldn't cope with it. A good vet recognises the daily changes, calls to see how they are doing and treats each patient as an individual.
Here's hoping your new treatment centre is more caring and understanding and can get Toby on the right path.
Much love x
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- #391
I wish CVES had changed his protocol, they were horrible about it and never even suggested that changing the protocol was an option.
This week Toby seems to be taking a turn for the worse. He was just at his regular vet on Saturday and they said he was fine. Since he came home from there he has not eaten hardly anything and he seems to be in pain or discomfort. His fur feels awful, very dry, and he keeps going into a closet to be by himself. This is not like our Toby who is extremely social.
I am calling the doctor tomorrow again, his regular vet. They did xrays but not bloodwork. They said the xrays were fine.
I am also going to schedule him at VSC for his ultrasound. I have not been able to do much since we got back as I got a detached retina and have to lie still with a gas bubble in my eye. This has been a total horrible time for all of us. Please pray for our boy.
John and I think he is stopped up because he is not vomiting, not eating, and this only happens when he has an opportunistic illness or bladder infection etc. But we are able to tempt him with tuna fish and lunch meat. He just doesn't eat very much. Fluids seemed to help him a little bit, but not a lot. I have not seen him poop or pee either but that doesn't mean much, as I am upstairs lying in bed and he is downstairs. Augh so frustrating bc normally I would just call the vet, hop in the car with him and I cannot.
This week Toby seems to be taking a turn for the worse. He was just at his regular vet on Saturday and they said he was fine. Since he came home from there he has not eaten hardly anything and he seems to be in pain or discomfort. His fur feels awful, very dry, and he keeps going into a closet to be by himself. This is not like our Toby who is extremely social.
I am calling the doctor tomorrow again, his regular vet. They did xrays but not bloodwork. They said the xrays were fine.
I am also going to schedule him at VSC for his ultrasound. I have not been able to do much since we got back as I got a detached retina and have to lie still with a gas bubble in my eye. This has been a total horrible time for all of us. Please pray for our boy.
John and I think he is stopped up because he is not vomiting, not eating, and this only happens when he has an opportunistic illness or bladder infection etc. But we are able to tempt him with tuna fish and lunch meat. He just doesn't eat very much. Fluids seemed to help him a little bit, but not a lot. I have not seen him poop or pee either but that doesn't mean much, as I am upstairs lying in bed and he is downstairs. Augh so frustrating bc normally I would just call the vet, hop in the car with him and I cannot.
Barb, my heart goes out to you and Toby. I'm so sorry this is happening when you're having trouble with your eye.
Just heaps of
for both you and Toby!
I'm so sorry for you both! Here's some more healing vibes.
Oh, no. or Toby!
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- #395
His regular vet told us to up his prednisolone to 5 mg. She said I might have to force feed him. I just gave my best syringe to my friend whose outdoor kitty was very ill. Isn't that the way it always goes :-(.
Well maybe it is better if he gets less in each feeding so he can swallow it. He is doing a lot of swallowing, sort of lip smacking. I have mirtazaprine but that really makes him frantic and crazy, I do not like its effect on him :-(.
Well maybe it is better if he gets less in each feeding so he can swallow it. He is doing a lot of swallowing, sort of lip smacking. I have mirtazaprine but that really makes him frantic and crazy, I do not like its effect on him :-(.
You have any cerenia on hand? Or they only gave you what you could use, I think. Whenever Laz was lip smacking, it was the cerenia that helped the most. :rub:
I hope upping the pred helps!
Whenever Laz was lip smacking, it was the cerenia that helped the most. :rub:I hope upping the pred helps!
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- #397
Yes I gave him the cerenia. John is with him downstairs now. I can only be around him a little bit or will cry and am afraid it will make my eye worse, I don't want physical surgery on it and even more recovery time where I can't do anything, back to worse than square one. We made an appt with a nearby vet for tomorrow just to check him superficially and rule out stuff, maybe do another X-ray, and make sure he isnt blocked entirely. His ultrasound is Friday morning at VSC. Dr. Royal said that is fine and she can't get anywhere with the other group any more than us. She has been very helpful.
It is just strange that he is not eating hardly at all. Throughout this, even when he was partially blocked, he ate and threw up. So we are extremely worried. It is not the chemo any longer. And he was never this sick from anything. I am just afraid the disease is taking over as his last chemo was march 15 and that was the stuff that didn't work on him anyway. The l-aspariganase was what worked and he hasn't had that for almost 3 mos.
It is just strange that he is not eating hardly at all. Throughout this, even when he was partially blocked, he ate and threw up. So we are extremely worried. It is not the chemo any longer. And he was never this sick from anything. I am just afraid the disease is taking over as his last chemo was march 15 and that was the stuff that didn't work on him anyway. The l-aspariganase was what worked and he hasn't had that for almost 3 mos.
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Barb, my heart is with you!
My thoughts are with you, Barb. Very hard on the heart. I do hope the increased dosage of Pred will help. :cross:
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