Hi fellow fuzzy lovers,
You vets out there will have a better idea of what I'm talking about than I
do, but here goes!  Last week 3 1/2 yr old male, Oso, developed a huge tumor
in his abdomin.  3 days after first feeling it, I rushed him to the vet
because he was completely lathargic (trotted back INTO his bed when I took
him out) and his nose was a yellowish white color.  Prior to that he was
acting normal.  Anyway, the vet thinks it's a tumor called hemaniona
(spelling?), or something like that.  Upon exam, they found he was
dehydrated, eyes, lungs, urogential system, lymph glands etc & ears normal,
nose yellow, temp normal (101.7), abdomen - "firm 4 to 5 cm diameter cranial
rt. quadrant abnormal mass".  Test results (including a needle into the
tumor) show abnormal blood, "not much cancer", severe anemia (20 red cells,
normal 40-55), hi liver enzyme (she didn't know if he's got liver disease or
not), kidney's elevated (she said may be from dehydration or renal disease).
She said the tumor was a blood tumor but it was solid, and that it looked
like his body was trying to kill it (his red blood cells trying to kill off
the tumor's bad red blood cells).  His odds at this point with surgery are
50/50, going down if the tumor has fingers, or encases or involves organs
(it's hiding his liver and 1 kidney on exam and x-ray).
 
I put him on pedialyte, and made a slurry out of his Iam's kitten chow,
ferritone, raisins, and pedialyte.  He ate a little, but mainly all he would
eat is raisins, ferritone and pedialyte/water (he just devours the raisins).
Now that he's supposed to be dying, he's back to full energy, his nose color
is coming back and I think he's eating better (still wants his raisins
though).  The tumor is less pronounced today, I don't know if it's grown or
shrunk though.
 
Has anyone heard of this or have any idea what to do/less drastic cure?  Or
if there's a vet in Southern CaCa land who will operate for less (estimate
so far is $650)?  The vet says he's terminal without surgery, but his odds
don't sound that good with it, especially if he has cancer.  I don't know
what I'd be buying him by putting him under the knife.  He's not in any
pain, and he's doing better than he's supposed to be already - he was weazel
war dancing around the house today and attacking his stuffed lobster.  He
has 1 nasty habit that may shed lite on this situation - he loves to drink
his pee - but I haven't seem him doing it since he went to the vet.
 
Thanks for any insite you can provide :) Dede
[Posted in FML issue 2317]