julie & punkin (ga)
Member since 2011
hi all,
I've avoided posting for punkin cuz we don't have good news. In November I noticed he had something in his mouth when he yawned, so when i took him in for his regular laser treatment for arthritis, i asked the vet to look. She took him out of the room to get a good look at it and when she returned, she said of all the things he's got going on, this was the most serious. that was on my birthday (yuck.)
It's likely he's got squamous cell carcinoma, a tumor that is growing in the cheek pocket in his back right side, between the jaw and the cheek. there are 3 lobes to it and it's kinda like a cauliflower shape. nothing that can be done about it. i researched online, just in case the vet didn't have the latest info, but the only successful treatment is a 7 day course of 2 radiation treatments daily, with a feeding tube for about 4 months. surgery options are out because the tumors have roots and the surgeon has to remove chunks of jaw. it's not on a stalk, but the entire area is raised and if removed, would leave a big hole. we decided that we couldn't do any of that to punkin.
we haven't gotten it biopsied because there is nothing to be gained by it. it is growing. he's getting food caught in it and spending time after he eats tipping his head trying to work it out. i don't know how long we'll let it go before we do the inevitable. in bad cases they can block off the throat entirely. i'm almost surprised that he's still with us at almost 2 months, because squamous cells seem to grow quickly.
he's declining some - no more kitty wrestling and he's spending the whole day downstairs pretty much sleeping. he does still come upstairs when it's time to eat. i'm mashing his food w/water to mush so it's easier to eat. we've dropped his dose partially because he needs less, partially because he isn't reliably eating, and we're no longer trying to go OTJ. we've also returned to giving him his beloved fancy feast because low phosphorus to protect his kidneys no longer matters.
in the meantime, we're just loving him up and treasuring whatever time he's got left. if he's not eating in the morning before we go to work, my husband comes home and checks him at +3 and i also come home at +4 if needed.
i'm sorry to be such a downer, but since many of you know him, have cheered him on through his acro journey and i thought would want to know, i thought i should post. it's been 25 months since we started this ride. we're hanging in there, although i don't want to talk about him because it makes me cry.
i know you understand.
I've avoided posting for punkin cuz we don't have good news. In November I noticed he had something in his mouth when he yawned, so when i took him in for his regular laser treatment for arthritis, i asked the vet to look. She took him out of the room to get a good look at it and when she returned, she said of all the things he's got going on, this was the most serious. that was on my birthday (yuck.)
It's likely he's got squamous cell carcinoma, a tumor that is growing in the cheek pocket in his back right side, between the jaw and the cheek. there are 3 lobes to it and it's kinda like a cauliflower shape. nothing that can be done about it. i researched online, just in case the vet didn't have the latest info, but the only successful treatment is a 7 day course of 2 radiation treatments daily, with a feeding tube for about 4 months. surgery options are out because the tumors have roots and the surgeon has to remove chunks of jaw. it's not on a stalk, but the entire area is raised and if removed, would leave a big hole. we decided that we couldn't do any of that to punkin.
we haven't gotten it biopsied because there is nothing to be gained by it. it is growing. he's getting food caught in it and spending time after he eats tipping his head trying to work it out. i don't know how long we'll let it go before we do the inevitable. in bad cases they can block off the throat entirely. i'm almost surprised that he's still with us at almost 2 months, because squamous cells seem to grow quickly.
he's declining some - no more kitty wrestling and he's spending the whole day downstairs pretty much sleeping. he does still come upstairs when it's time to eat. i'm mashing his food w/water to mush so it's easier to eat. we've dropped his dose partially because he needs less, partially because he isn't reliably eating, and we're no longer trying to go OTJ. we've also returned to giving him his beloved fancy feast because low phosphorus to protect his kidneys no longer matters.
in the meantime, we're just loving him up and treasuring whatever time he's got left. if he's not eating in the morning before we go to work, my husband comes home and checks him at +3 and i also come home at +4 if needed.
i'm sorry to be such a downer, but since many of you know him, have cheered him on through his acro journey and i thought would want to know, i thought i should post. it's been 25 months since we started this ride. we're hanging in there, although i don't want to talk about him because it makes me cry.
i know you understand.
