posted 07-29-2002 11:41 PM           

In October, Ari developed vomiting and diarrhea for some reason and after a day of this he was very weak and would not eat. The vet took a blood sample from the left side of Ari's neck for a chemical panel, and said that the main problem was that he was dehydrated. He weighed 4 lbs at that visit. Vet gave Ari an injection to help him rehydrate. I brought Ari home and changed his diet -- began feeding him pureed cooked chicken, mixed with baby food vegetables and/or cooked mashed rice, all watered down a lot to a very soupy consistency. He liked it and I'm still feeding him that twice a day, plus he is back to eating his regular cat food also. He has rehydrated and weight went up to just over 5 lbs in a month. Also, since this diet change his "poo" has firmed up properly for the first time in well over a year.

The lump in his neck is the size of a hen's egg by now. The vet still says "thyroid cancer". Ari's white cell count is not up, though. And he has a lot of energy also and jumps up on the countertops regularly and with no trouble. A couple of nights ago, he saw that I had moved his cat grass to another window and climbed right up there to get at it.

This lump in his neck is now pressing his windpipe to the left a bit. Starting about a week ago, he had sneezing and sniffles and his breathing a bit labored, so I got some antibiotic from the vet but the vet did not see Ari. The sniffles are clearing up, his breathing is still a bit labored but that doesn't seem to be bothering him.

I want the vet to evaluate Ari and consider again the idea of operating to remove that lump in his neck. It is a very firm lump, well defined, I can't tell if it has grown actually into the tissue of his throat. The vet has not biopsied this, he seemed to think he would need to sedate Ari to do a biopsy and said that this would not be good for Ari -- this was his opinion, anyhow, back when he first examined the lump in August. I don't see why a needle biopsy can't be done without sedation, since the vet took blood from the other side of Ari's neck without sedation, and the lump is just under the skin, not hard to get to.

I am thinking the lump might not be cancer, given that Ari has gained weight back, seems to have his normal energy, certainly has a good appetite, etc. Still, cancer or not, if it continues to grow it will choke him. It may already be starting to do that, as I can't tell for sure if his slightly labored breathing this week is from pressure of the lump on his throat or is due to congestion in his nasal passages. If he seemed to be having actual trouble breathing, I'd take him in to the vet of course, but he breathes okay and just makes "noise" when he does it.

I'd like to hear opinions -- am I hoping for too much? Does it sound like cancer when he has gained weight and has good energy levels? Should I risk the operation if the vet is willing to do it? Or should I plan instead to have Ari put to sleep soon? Right now he seems as content as ever, he enjoys stretching and being petted, eating, prowling around the house and all his usual things.

Sorry for length but I need to make decisions soon. Thanks for any thoughts.

posted 04-12-2003 06:33 AM         

Ari has had this lump since August you say, and it is growing. It may not be cancerous, you are right. I'm inclined to agree that if it was and he's had it for 7 months he would be a lot sicker than he is. But like you I don't know for sure.

As he is putting on weight, and contented, there is absolutely no need to even think of putting him to sleep. You only do that if an animal is suffering, and Ari is not by the sound of it.

But you do need more advice about the lump if it definitely beginning to affect his breathing (and are you sure it's the lump, or not some respiratory infection?).

If it were me with my kitty, I would get another vet's opinion. There are many honest vets out there who are not out to just make a quick buck. Take a list of all the questions you have, and ask him/her.
As far as surgery goes it can be a risk with an animal of any age, though admittedly more so when older.

If the vet says surgery is the only way to go, I would ask first what the chances of recovery are,and be clear in your mind about that and then weigh it all up. It's a very hard decision for you, I understand that, and it's painful to go through this.

Please let us know how it goes?

posted 12-12-2003 01:54 PM         

I too am experiencing the same sort of lumps with my one cat. Charlie is twelve yrs old and was never sick a day in his life. He is NOT FIV positive however. He has never gotten out to roam about. We are a multi-cat family and none are ever allowed outside. None have FIV. Yet one day about 3 wks ago I saw him gagging on some dry food he was trying to eat. I rubbed his neck in case a piece of food had lodged. Then two days later he was gagging again, thats when I felt a huge lump on the side of his neck. It was not there two days prior. Our vet thought at that time a thyroid tumor and was willing to do surgery as soon as we got his thyroid levels down to normal. Cats have two thyroids, one on both sides and can live a normal life without one. So that was our plan, for Charlie to have surgery in a couple of weeks. I opted for liquid meds rather than pill form to make it easier on him to take. He was also put on liquid anti-biotics as well. Then in less than 3 days another one popped out on the other side of his neck. So another trip to the vets. Because of the quickness of these lumps the vet reassessed Charlie and gave him another exam. He shook his head and told me Charlie has Lymphosarcoma and not a thryoid tumor. He said Charlie's is a fast progressing cancer and gave him 2-3 months to live. He also said if he makes it to 6 mos that would be surprising, but maybe. Well here it's only been about a week since that last visit and two more lumps appeared below the others on both sides. I don't feel any other lumps elsewhere, only on the sides of his neck. Charlie too is pretty much back to his old self after losing nine pounds. He's gaining his weight back rapidly since I changed him over to a strictly soft diet. He doesn't seem to be in any pain yet he has some sinus or lung gurgling when he puts his head down or when he's being picked up. Now, according to the vet, he feels Charlie's cancer started in the lobe lining of his lungs and had spread into his lymph glands/nodes. If that is true then Charlie's lungs are already affected and his breathing sounds could be coming from there. Or it could be that he's already having problems with the lumps interfering with his trachea keeping fluids or nasal discharge from draining down into his esophagus. He has been sneezing up a storm since the lumps appeared. One of the new lumps, the one below his original first one has already attached to the other. And all of this happened in such a short time. I'm still in shock, I can't believe this is progressing so rapidly. Now I doubt that Charlie will be around for the beginning of the new year let alone a couple more months. So we must prepare however we can, to deal with such a "rush" of turning events. How does a lover of animals prepare to end their beloved pet's existance? Oh my, the best way we can. By putting the needs of the pet first before our own, by not letting the animal suffer, not for one day. We believe Charlie's lumps will interfere with his breathing and swallowing before he feels any pain from the cancer. So when we see he's having problems eating the soft food or having problems breathing at rest is when we'll make the right decision for Charlie. I'm sorry I don't have any good news for you but at least I hope you can understand that you must think of your cat first instead of your own feelings. Yes, we are the ones that know our pets best, not the vets or anyone else. We know when our pets aren't feeling well. But then again if you are not comfortable with what your vet told you then by all means get a second opinion, if only for your own personal satisfaction. Save yourself some money by taking a copy of the original tests results with you. It shouldn't cost that much for another check up and second opinion. You were willing to undergo the bill for the surgery so a second opinion sounds logical financially speaking. I too feel as you do. Wondering if it is truely cancer, or some sort of infection. However your cat has FIV and I would agree that the likelyhood of it NOT being cancer is small to nil. I too wondered about inserting a needle to see if there was pus instead but the vet told me that can become a whole new set of problems with bleeding and the thyroid. Hope this answered a few of your questions. And hope somehow that it will help you to think things out. Good luck.