I'm worried

[thevegantwins]

Felíne has had a black scab-like mark on her nose for a few weeks. I had first thought it was a booboo from her running into or falling off of furniture but it wasn't clearing up. I did a search today for cat cancers and it seems that skin cancer is more common in cats with white noses like Felíne and are almost always malignant. I've been calling and calling around and found a veterinarian who specializes in dermatology. I got an appointment for February 20th though they said I could call every afternoon to see if there any cancellations prior to that date. Felíne is eating and acting the same. I'm so worried. :(

[Enchantress]

Aww, poor Feline and TVT :(. I'm crossing my fingers for both of you.

[Gliondrach]

I'll be sending good thoughts to Feline. And you. Here is some information to read.


Lots of information here:

Link temporarily removed due to difficulties.


http://www.herbs2000.com/disorders/cancer_skin.htm


This site says that Goldenseal is used externally for skin cancer and '...as an elixir for pets with cancer....' Look near the bottom of the page:

http://lowchensaustralia.com/health/herbs.htm


This one recommends their capsules but it might be useful to you for the information it contains. Amongst the ingredients are echinacea and astragalus, milk thistle and cat's claw, which are easy to find:

http://www.nativeremedies.com/petalive/c-caps-natural-cancer-treatment-felines-dogs-cats.html

This is about treatment for humans but it also mentions cat's claw.

Reports on observatory trials with cancer patients taking Cats Claw in conjunction with traditional cancer therapies like chemotherapy and radiation, reported fewer side effects such as hair loss, weight loss, nausea, secondary infections and skin problems.


"many people now consider Cats Claw more effective than immune boosting herbs such as garlic, Echinacea, pau d’arco, golden seal and Siberian ginseng"
Now that Cats Claw is becoming available to regions outside Peru, people everywhere are discovering its effects for themselves. In the U.S., discussion about its properties has led to a surge in demand for the plant, and people are increasingly using it as an energizing health tonic.

In fact, many people now consider Cats Claw more effective than immune boosting herbs such as garlic, Echinacea, pau d’arco, golden seal and Siberian ginseng. In testimony to its popularity, a host of other names are now attributed to this plant, including paraguayo, garabato, garbato casha, samento, toroñ, tambor huasca, aun huasca, una de gavilan, and hawk's claw.

http://www.natural-health-from-the-rainforest.com/Cats-Claw.html

This one says that you should consult a vet who is familiar with these treatments before giving herbs to cats.

Nutritional Therapy, Nutritional Supplements, and Vitamins

Many medical problems can be helped with proper nutrition, nutritional supplements, and vitamins. Some holistic practitioners recommend a natural, balanced, homemade diet. Proper diet and natural supplements can support the immune system and help treat your cat’s food allergies, chronic renal disease, arthritis, chronic skin disease, chronic infections, heart disease, and more. Good nutrition and natural supplements can help support your cat while he’s undergoing treatment for cancer. The vitamins and supplements are numerous, but include vitamins A, E, and C; glucosamine; chondroitin; bioflavonoid antioxidants, and Coenzyme Q10, just to name a few. Certain minerals are also very helpful. Consult with your veterinarian or a holistic veterinarian to learn more about using these therapies properly.

Botanical Medicine (Herbal Medicine)

There are several concerns expressed about this modality including variability in herb quality and source, varying percentage of active ingredients, pesticide contamination, and drug interactions. Definitive dosages are not known for cats. Also, cats often have serious reactions to medications that other species routinely tolerate, and some herbs may be toxic in cats.

Herbsmay be helpful in the treatment of heart and circulatory problems, muscle, bone and joint conditions, behavior problems, digestive conditions, skin diseases, and immune system problems. Before using any herbal product on your cat, make sure to consult with a qualified holistic veterinarian, or a conventional veterinarian educated in botanical medicine.

Link temporarily removed due to difficulties.

[thevegantwins]

Thanks G for that info and thanks Minxy for the support.

I'll ask the vet when I see him. First, of course, is that we need to find out exactly what is on Felíne's nose. My hope is that it really is just a booboo that is taking awhile to heal. The profiles of cat skin cancer are that it is mainly found in outdoor cats (not Felíne), cats who lay in the sun (not Felíne) and cats who have white noses and ears (she has a white nose but multicolored ears).

[Keykeypie]

Sending you & Felne good thoughts.......I have a feeling it's going to be OK
& may even clear up before you get to go.

[Gliondrach]

An indoor cat? Skin cancer is unlikely.

[Fauxmage]

Maybe she's just scratched it a few times, which would keep it from healing quickly. I'll send good thoughts her way, and your way, too. :hug: :comfort: :psmooch:

[Potty]

If it is skin cancer, which my mum says she's sure it isn't, but my pal Gizmo had what Tigger says was a mast cell tumor last year.

That scary man with the green coat gave her a big injection and sent her to sleep and removed it and Tigger treated her afterwards holistically with herbal medicine and Ester-C and gave us a nutritious diet and she's been really healthy ever since, so Tiggs says take her to the vet to make sure, but she's sure she will be fine.

[Charmagne]

I'm also sending positive thoughts that it will be nothing serious:crossfingers: . I get so upset when the least little thing goes wrong with my companions. I once rushed Foxy to the vet for what turned out to be a crick in her neck!!:o

[Oracl]

I'm thinking positive thoughts, Felíne. :)

[Phoenix]

I'm sending love and positive vibes to you, (TVT) & Feline. :comfort:

[Gliondrach]

What's the new with Feline?

[thevegantwins]

I'm still trying to get her appointment moved up. Right now, it's still the 20th. Her nose is looking a bit worse :(. She's acting fine and eating. I took a photo of her nose last night and will try to post it here tonight. I'm not too computer-savvy.

I've started telling the kids that Felíne has a booboo on her nose and they shouldn't pet her there just in case she has surgery. I want them to learn now to avoid touching her there.

Thanks for asking.

[Charmagne]

I'm sorry to hear it looks worse - still sending positive thoughts to Feline.:agree:

[thevegantwins]

I called the vet's and there was a cancellation. Felíne has an appointment tomorrow at noon. I'll be driving her there in a blizzard but that's okay, my kitty is worth it.

[Charmagne]

I'm so glad they could get her in. Keep us posted please.:comfort:

[Fauxmage]

Oh I'm glad to hear that. It sucks having to wait such a long time before you can find out what it is. I'm hoping for good news! :hug:

[dreamer]

Me too:comfort:

[Gliondrach]

We're all sending love and healing thoughts to Feline.

[Soynut]

Poor little, Feline baby... hope it's just a little "scratchy".:smallheart:

[Gliondrach]

Can cats safely eat peppers? Although, as this is a skin condition, it could be rubbed on Feline's nose. Would it sting? Just a thought in case it is cancer. But, as she's an indoor cat, that is highly unlikely.

'Dr Bates said: "Capsaicin, for example, is already found in treatments for muscle strain and psoriasis - which raises the question of whether an adapted topical treatment could be used to treat certain types of skin cancer.'


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6244715.stm

Last Updated: Tuesday, 9 January 2007, 16:18 GMT

How spicy foods can kill cancers

Capsaicin in some peppers, attacks cancer cells' mitochondria
Scientists have discovered the key to the ability of spicy foods to kill cancer cells.
They found capsaicin, an ingredient of jalapeno peppers, triggers cancer cell death by attacking mitochondria - the cells' energy-generating boiler rooms.

The research raises the possibility that other cancer drugs could be developed to target mitochondria.

The Nottingham University study features in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.

The study showed that the family of molecules to which capsaicin belongs, the vanilloids, bind to proteins in the cancer cell mitochondria to trigger apoptosis, or cell death, without harming surrounding healthy cells.

Capsaicin was tested on cultures of human lung cancer cells and on pancreatic cancers.

Lead researcher Dr Timothy Bates said: "As these compounds attack the very heart of the tumour cells, we believe that we have in effect discovered a fundamental 'Achilles heel' for all cancers.

"The biochemistry of the mitochondria in cancer cells is very different from that in normal cells.

"This is an innate selective vulnerability of cancer cells."

He said a dose of capsaicin that could cause a cancer cell to enter apoptosis, would not have the same effect on a normal cell.

Potential Drugs

The fact that capsaicin and other vanilloids are already commonly found in the diet proves they are safe to eat.

This could make development of a drug containing them a much quicker and cheaper process.

Dr Bates said: "Capsaicin, for example, is already found in treatments for muscle strain and psoriasis - which raises the question of whether an adapted topical treatment could be used to treat certain types of skin cancer.

"It's also possible that cancer patients or those at risk of developing cancer could be advised to eat a diet which is richer in spicy foods to help treat or prevent the disease."

However, Josephine Querido, cancer information officer at Cancer Research UK, said:

"This research does not suggest that eating vast quantities of chilli pepper will help prevent or treat cancer.

"The experiments showed that pepper extracts killed cancer cells grown in the laboratory, but these have not yet been tested to see if they are safe and effective in humans."

Cancer Research UK recommends reducing the risk of cancer by eating a healthy, balanced diet, with plenty of vegetables and fruit.

Dr Bates added that the mitochondria in cancer cells could also be targeted by other compounds.

He said the investigation and development of anti-mitochondrial drugs for cancer chemotherapy was likely to be "extremely significant" in the fight against cancer.

[thevegantwins]

I'm a bit hesitant about trying anything until I get a definitive diagnosis which I hope the vet can give me tomorrow. Her skin blotch looks a bit bigger today. I'm pretty sure it is cancer as it looks identical to what I've seen on the web.

[Gliondrach]

As Fauxmage said, it could just be that she is scratching it and making it worse. Have you seen her scratching it?

[my3labs]

Positive thoughts from all of my canine and feline babies as well. :hug:
Keep us posted, TVT.

[Oracl]

I really hope it's nothing serious. :crossfingers:

[thevegantwins]

As Fauxmage said, it could just be that she is scratching it and making it worse. Have you seen her scratching it?
She doesn't touch it at all. It's even bigger today than yesterday. Mr. TVT wants me to cancel the appointment because of how bad the roads are, we are having an ice storm now but I'm still going. I couldn't live with myself if I keep ignoring it.

[Keykeypie]

She doesn't touch it at all. It's even bigger today than yesterday. Mr. TVT wants me to cancel the appointment because of how bad the roads are, we are having an ice storm now but I'm still going. I couldn't live with myself if I keep ignoring it.

But you're not ignoring it......and I've just come in. It's terrible out. I
would never take a chance on taking an animal out in a car in this weather....
your husband is right.....please keep her & yourself safe.

[1vegan]

She doesn't touch it at all. It's even bigger today than yesterday. Mr. TVT wants me to cancel the appointment because of how bad the roads are, we are having an ice storm now but I'm still going. I couldn't live with myself if I keep ignoring it.

Good luck on the road TVT, I hope it turns out to be not serious for Feline :)

[dreamer]

Yes, please be careful!

[Fauxmage]

Be safe, vegantwins. I don't think I could wait, either. :comfort:

[thevegantwins]

We're back from the vet, Feline is sleeping now. The vet's not 100% sure but his primary diagnosis is a bacterial infection cause most likely by herpes. I never knew this until today but herpes is relatively common in cats and for many cats, there are no symptoms while for other cats, they get occasional lesions and infections or symptoms might be latent for years. The vet is pretty confident that it is not cancer. :yea: Feline has to be on antibiotics for 2 weeks and take oral Lyseine for the infection/Herpes for a month. The vet is also doing a test to rule out ringworm.

$274 and a frightening drive :dark: to the vet's but I'm glad we went. I knew the roads were really bad when I saw a police car had slid off the road. :covereyes:

[Charmagne]

:hug: I'm so glad to hear that! I've never heard of that either. But did he do a biopsy or a scraping to rule out cancer just in case? I'm sure he's right but I always like to be positive about my animals companions. Give hugs to Feline!

[dreamer]

I'm glad to hear that--about it not being cancer and that you were safe--too:yea: I know that my kitty has some respiratory virus (I think herpes was mentioned) that she's had her whole life. She often has slight eye "boogers" and sneezes a little bit, but it generally doesn't affect her too much. When she's stressed it can come out more though. I hope your vet is right and the treatment works!

[paul]

all the best my thoughts are with you.all :crossfingers: :comfort:

[Gliondrach]

:yea: :yea: :yea: Very good news. TVT. What a relief.

[Fauxmage]

What he said! :agree: :agree: :agree:

[my3labs]

Any news?

[my3labs]

Oops...I must have missed the last page.
That's great news TVT! Wow...what a relief.
Hugs to all of the TVT family.

[Oracl]

Very good news! :agree: :yea:

[Phoenix]

$274 and a frightening drive :dark: to the vet's but I'm glad we went. I knew the roads were really bad when I saw a police car had slid off the road. :covereyes:
I'm glad it's good news and I'm very glad you all got home alive! :comfort:

[thevegantwins]

Mr. TVT just called me, Felíne lost 10 ounces in 1 week. :(

I hope this new antibiotic doesn't make her tummy upset.

[Charmagne]

Me too! That seems like a lot in one week! I know the medication made her vomit but did she still eat? Prissy lost one pound in three weeks after her knee surgery - thought I'd have a breakdown but I really overreact about my babies. Poor Feline! Fauxmage will know more about whether this is normal or not - where is she anyway?

Let us know if she can keep this medicine down.

[Gliondrach]

10 ounces! That's like an 11 stone human losing about 7 pounds.

[thevegantwins]

I know, that's why I'm so worried. We gave her the new antibiotic tonight and she hasn't eaten anything. I can't imagine its in her best interest to take antibiotics if she's going to lose so much weight.

[Gliondrach]

Perhaps you could stop them for a day so she will eat.

[thevegantwins]

We did, she didn't get any yesterday as per vet's instructions and didn't start them again until tonight so she went nearly 48 hours without any. STill won't eat.

[Gliondrach]

Will she eat any treats?

Perhaps her digestion is all upset. What about prebiotics and probiotics? I'm not sure which ones are for cats but there must be some.

[Fauxmage]

When Seymour got sick, and wouldn't eat, I got really worried, but I couldn't force him to eat no matter how worried I got about him. His appetite returned in a few days, and he was ok.
Sometimes animals refuse to eat in order to accelerate healing. But if you don't think this is the case, and the antibiotics are making her lose her appetite, see if you can get some of that concentrated sticky paste that's for animals who are recuperating from operations. I think its called Nutrical, or something like that. If you put some on her legs, she will want to clean it off, and will therefore end up ingesting it.
Or, if she eats canned food, you could smear a bit of that on her legs and hope she will clean it off.
I hope she gets her appetite back soon. Poor kitty. :kittypet:

[thevegantwins]

That's a good idea, Faux. I guess we can block her in the kitchen so that she doesn't carry that crap all over the apartment. I don't want the kids eating any of that crap. She seemed to eat a tiny bit more last night so maybe the sickening antibiotics are leaving her system.

[Gliondrach]

Good idea from Fauxmage. She obviously has a devious mind.

I was thinking, if Feline has lost so much weight in a week it can't all be fat. She might have lost a lot of fluid. Has she been drinking normally? She might be a bit dehydrated.

[thevegantwins]

She's bit drinking quite a bit actually. We now have to top up her water dish at night. I'm going to try your suggestion too, Gliondrach regarding the probiotic. I don't want her getting a yeast infection on top of everything else.

[Charmagne]

I had to get up to check on Feline. No better - no worse then? I hope Fauxmage's idea of getting her to eat something works.

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u144/Charmagne_2007/cathammock-1.gif

[thevegantwins]

Aww, you're a sweety, Charmagne. How's everything going with your furry gang?

[Charmagne]

Good so far - I'll probably post about Precious this afternoon as I sit here with my foot propped up - she's a great little baby! Thanks for asking.

[thevegantwins]

:professor: You're great, Faux! Mr. TVT gave Feline her Lysine this morning and she spit out a huge blob. I followed your suggestion and put the blob on her paw. She's licking the medicine off now. :yea:

The new antibiotics are much better, she's eating again. :eat:

[Charmagne]

That's great news! You can't keep a good Feline down!:colors:

[Gliondrach]

Hip hip!

[Fauxmage]

Aren't cats funny though? There's Feline, as finicky as can be when it comes to food, but she'll lick anything off her fur in order to stay clean. :rolleyes:
I'm glad it worked! :excited:

[Gliondrach]

You're sweaty, Charmagne.

Well, it's hot there.

[Charmagne]

Well, it's hot there.

:rofl: :laugh: :rofl: :laugh:

[Bowwowmeow]

This time I was worried! Daisy seems to have an infection or irritation of her inner eyelids in her right eye. She was fine this morning, but at about 2 this afternoon I saw they were swollen up and sticking out from underneath her regular eyelids. She kept rubbing at them too. I have some PrimaVu (http://www.primavu.com/) homeopathic eye drops, made from tinctures of eyebright, fennel, and yellow sweet clover, and I've been putting drops in her eye every two hours. I am not so worried anymore, as the swelling has gone down dramatically, much more quickly than I expected it to. :) She's experiencing quite a lot of discharge now, which is good. I hope she will be quite improved in the morning. :crossfingers:

[paul]

poor daisy, im glad the swelling gone down, yep discharge is good, get the bad out, all the best to daisy and you.:crossfingers:

[thevegantwins]

Poor Daisy. How's she doing now? Any idea as to what caused the infection?

We were noticing that Felíne's nose really isn't looking that good. She goes back next month for a follow-up appointment and is still on the antibiotics for another 2 weeks or so.

Oy, what is it with our beloved fur family, causing us such worry? :mdrama: :crying:

[Gliondrach]

Could Daisy's eyes have been irritated by something, such as dust?

It's good that she seems to be on the mend. The eyedrops could have washed out any dust that might have been in her eyes.

[Gliondrach]

We were noticing that Felíne's nose really isn't looking that good. She goes back next month for a follow-up appointment and is still on the antibiotics for another 2 weeks or so.


But is Feline's nose better than it was when you first took her to the vet?

[Charmagne]

I hope Daisy and Feline are both showing improvement.:agree:

[thevegantwins]

But is Feline's nose better than it was when you first took her to the vet?
:no: I don't think so. Looks the same. :(

[thevegantwins]

This was taken on the 12th of February.

[Charmagne]

Yes - that little nose isn't looking too good. Did the vet do a scraping to make sure it wasn't cancerous? I'm worried about it.:comfort:

[thevegantwins]

No, he didn't.

[Bowwowmeow]

Oh! Poor Feline! Have you got an aloe vera plant vegantwins? The fresh gel from a live plant will heal almost anything.
I think you need to start harassing your vet. Or maybe find another. :(

Daisy is fine, by the way. She's an allergic sort of dog (pit bulls are), getting hives and swellings about once a year or so. She's in pretty good health overall, which probably helps her to get over things quickly. But when I first saw it, I thought she'd had a stroke or an embolism or something. That can make the inner eyelids close over the eye.

[Oracl]

Poor Felíne, that nose looks quite sore. :sorry:

I'm so glad Daisy's eye has improved. :)

[Phoenix]

Poor Felíne, that nose looks quite sore. :sorry:

I'm so glad Daisy's eye has improved. :)
Ditto. :comfort:

[thevegantwins]

Feline and I went to the vet today. She's doing much better. Her nose has improved tremendously in the past 2-3 days. The doctor wanted to continue the antibiotics but she's been on them for a month already and I thought that was long enough. He said it would be okay to stop them. She needs to take the Lysine for life though.

The vet and I started talking, he, his wife and baby son are vegetarian and had plans to eat at Kaya's tomorrow night, where me, Mr.TVT and the kids are eating so we'll see them there.

[paul]

glad Feline better and have a good meal tommorow

[Gliondrach]

Great news about Feline.

[Charmagne]

I'm glad to hear about Feline TVT. I was hoping it wasn't anything serious - I guess animals are tougher than we think.

I wish we had a vegan restaurant.:( Enjoy your meal and your time out tomorrow.

[my3labs]

Yeah for Feline! I'm so glad to hear that she's better.

[Fauxmage]

What they said! :agree: :D

[Oracl]

Good news! :agree:

[thevegantwins]

This is Feline and her nose today. :nanakiss:

[Fauxmage]

Oh, that looks much better. :psing:
Though, from the look in her eyes, she doesn't seem too happy about you taking her picture when she's not looking her best, and then showing it to everyone. She must feel like a teenager with acne who doesn't want her picture taken. ;)

[Charmagne]

:blinkwave: Hi Feline. It does look much better - almost gone!:yea:

[Oracl]

Looking good! :agree:

[Gliondrach]

I knew my suggestion of a porridge poultice would help.

[thevegantwins]

Though, from the look in her eyes, she doesn't seem too happy about you taking her picture when she's not looking her best, and then showing it to everyone. She must feel like a teenager with acne who doesn't want her picture taken. ;)
:lol: She was looking out the window at the snow falling when I bothered her. You know how cats are, they'll come to you when they want attention. :whistle:

[Fauxmage]

I knew my suggestion of a porridge poultice would help.
You should have taken a picture of that, vegantwins! :D