Laura and Harley (GA)
Member Since 2011
Some of you may have already seen the news on DCIN's Facebook page, others may have read my thread on Diabetic Cat Help but for some reason, to post here, which I consider to be "home" is the hardest of all. It makes things very real.
I've been fostering Bagheera for DCIN since Monday, March 5. I first learned about him in January when Celine, his DCIN Case Manager, contacted me because I lived close by and asked if I could visit Amy and Bagheera and show Amy how to hometest because she was having difficulties. It turned out that she was able to figure things out on her own, but since I knew there was a sugar cat out there so close by, I signed up for Diabetic Cat Help in order to follow their progress. In late February/early March DCIN sought for a foster home for Bagheera as his mom had family members with serious health issues that were preventing her from being able to care for Bagheera. The plan was for me to foster him until her family issues resolved and then we'd send him back home.
I'd last posted that Bagheera needed a dental and that he was starting to have episodes of coughing/gasping for air. I took a video of one of the episodes and sent it to my vet. Her first thought was asthma, lungworm or heartworm. He's an indoor only kitty and didn't come to me with fleas or ticks and my other cats don't have them either so I wasn't as worried about the last two possibilities but asthma was a very real possibility. But there was no pattern in his episodes and he'd do them for a couple of days and stop for a couple of days, even 2 weeks at one time, so I allowed myself to be lulled into a false sense that maybe there was nothing wrong after all. I blame myself for not being more proactive. Usually I'm the anal kitty mommy who runs to the vet at the first sign of trouble. I wish I'd taken him in sooner than last week.
I finally contacted DCIN to get him Bagheera to see the vet but it was last Wednesday after I came home from work to find him meatloafing, eyes closed, and non responsive to my touch. I ran for the testing kit and got a BG reading - 197 - but had to poke him 6 times to get any blood. He didn't flinch or open his eyes and his breathing sounded labored. I found some vomit close by and my first thought was a possible GI upset or even a pancreatitis attack. I called my vets office but they were closing and they told me to take him to an ER. I called Venita and she sent us to Veterinary Specialty Center. Upon arrival they took his vitals and told me he had a 105 degree fever. They ran bloodwork and took an x-ray. It was a 5 dog emergency night so I ended up waiting 4 hours before I was called back for the results. His bloodwork was normal except for slightly elevated WBCs (eosinophils and neutraphils). The X-ray showed a large white mass in his right lung. The doctor showed it to me and it was so big it looked like it was obscuring the heart. The ER vet recommended a thoracic ultrasound and fine needle aspiration to determine whether the mass was cancer. She did mention the possibility of it being pneumonia, or lungworm, but said that it was most likely cancerous. Bagheera spent the night and the procedure was performed on Thursday. He came through it with flying colors, his fever came down thanks to being on IVs and he came home on Thursday night. Venita and I got a hold of Amy on Thursday to give her the news. The histology report came through on Saturday and the results point to a primary bronchogenic anaplastic carcinoma. The tumor is 4.8 cm by 4.5 cm. According to the vets, he has 1-3 months as this is a very aggressive, fast growing cancer. It's growing so fast that it doesn't have enough of a blood supply to support itself so the center is dying and becoming infected which is causing inflamation and the fever. I can even feel a hot spot on his chest right behind his right front paw which must be the area where the lung and the tumor are located. If he sits down and puts pressure on that area, he starts to cough.
I called Amy Saturday night night with the news and asked her blessing to adopt Bagheera for the time he has left. She has given her consent and the papers were signed on Sunday. She will be coming by sometime this week to say her goodbyes to him while he is still himself. DCIN and I are working together on next steps for palliative care and end of life care. As the tumor grows, I can expect more of these coughing/gasping episodes and eventually it will start to press on the trachea and bronchus causing him to have trouble breathing. It's at that point that we need to release him from any further suffering. Pain medications are not an option because they depress breathing and he is already functioning with diminished breathing capabilities.
I talked to my regular vets office yesterday and we are putting Bagheera on ABx and Piroxicam to control the inflamation, infection and fever caused by the tumor. That's all we can do for him. I can do SubQ fluids if he appears to be dehydrated but only 50ccs and every other day as build up of fluid in the lungs are real concerns.
I won't be posting any more BG numbers for Bagheera although I'll still be treating his diabetes and maintaining his SS.
Please keep Amy, Bagheera and me in your prayers.
I've been fostering Bagheera for DCIN since Monday, March 5. I first learned about him in January when Celine, his DCIN Case Manager, contacted me because I lived close by and asked if I could visit Amy and Bagheera and show Amy how to hometest because she was having difficulties. It turned out that she was able to figure things out on her own, but since I knew there was a sugar cat out there so close by, I signed up for Diabetic Cat Help in order to follow their progress. In late February/early March DCIN sought for a foster home for Bagheera as his mom had family members with serious health issues that were preventing her from being able to care for Bagheera. The plan was for me to foster him until her family issues resolved and then we'd send him back home.
I'd last posted that Bagheera needed a dental and that he was starting to have episodes of coughing/gasping for air. I took a video of one of the episodes and sent it to my vet. Her first thought was asthma, lungworm or heartworm. He's an indoor only kitty and didn't come to me with fleas or ticks and my other cats don't have them either so I wasn't as worried about the last two possibilities but asthma was a very real possibility. But there was no pattern in his episodes and he'd do them for a couple of days and stop for a couple of days, even 2 weeks at one time, so I allowed myself to be lulled into a false sense that maybe there was nothing wrong after all. I blame myself for not being more proactive. Usually I'm the anal kitty mommy who runs to the vet at the first sign of trouble. I wish I'd taken him in sooner than last week.
I finally contacted DCIN to get him Bagheera to see the vet but it was last Wednesday after I came home from work to find him meatloafing, eyes closed, and non responsive to my touch. I ran for the testing kit and got a BG reading - 197 - but had to poke him 6 times to get any blood. He didn't flinch or open his eyes and his breathing sounded labored. I found some vomit close by and my first thought was a possible GI upset or even a pancreatitis attack. I called my vets office but they were closing and they told me to take him to an ER. I called Venita and she sent us to Veterinary Specialty Center. Upon arrival they took his vitals and told me he had a 105 degree fever. They ran bloodwork and took an x-ray. It was a 5 dog emergency night so I ended up waiting 4 hours before I was called back for the results. His bloodwork was normal except for slightly elevated WBCs (eosinophils and neutraphils). The X-ray showed a large white mass in his right lung. The doctor showed it to me and it was so big it looked like it was obscuring the heart. The ER vet recommended a thoracic ultrasound and fine needle aspiration to determine whether the mass was cancer. She did mention the possibility of it being pneumonia, or lungworm, but said that it was most likely cancerous. Bagheera spent the night and the procedure was performed on Thursday. He came through it with flying colors, his fever came down thanks to being on IVs and he came home on Thursday night. Venita and I got a hold of Amy on Thursday to give her the news. The histology report came through on Saturday and the results point to a primary bronchogenic anaplastic carcinoma. The tumor is 4.8 cm by 4.5 cm. According to the vets, he has 1-3 months as this is a very aggressive, fast growing cancer. It's growing so fast that it doesn't have enough of a blood supply to support itself so the center is dying and becoming infected which is causing inflamation and the fever. I can even feel a hot spot on his chest right behind his right front paw which must be the area where the lung and the tumor are located. If he sits down and puts pressure on that area, he starts to cough.
I called Amy Saturday night night with the news and asked her blessing to adopt Bagheera for the time he has left. She has given her consent and the papers were signed on Sunday. She will be coming by sometime this week to say her goodbyes to him while he is still himself. DCIN and I are working together on next steps for palliative care and end of life care. As the tumor grows, I can expect more of these coughing/gasping episodes and eventually it will start to press on the trachea and bronchus causing him to have trouble breathing. It's at that point that we need to release him from any further suffering. Pain medications are not an option because they depress breathing and he is already functioning with diminished breathing capabilities.
I talked to my regular vets office yesterday and we are putting Bagheera on ABx and Piroxicam to control the inflamation, infection and fever caused by the tumor. That's all we can do for him. I can do SubQ fluids if he appears to be dehydrated but only 50ccs and every other day as build up of fluid in the lungs are real concerns.
I won't be posting any more BG numbers for Bagheera although I'll still be treating his diabetes and maintaining his SS.
Please keep Amy, Bagheera and me in your prayers.
