It's official...my cat has tumors...

[bonocrazy88]

I noticed some lumps on the side of my white cat, Frisky earlier this week. They are hard to the touch, and they don't seem to bother her. We knew we had to take her to the vet.

Well, we just got back...
The vet said Frisky may or may not have cancer, but either way, she has to have her left back leg amputated. The infection is something called "Circoma" or something, I dunno.
I really wasn't that upset about it, because I would rather have a three legged cat than no cat...and I have seen cats and dogs that get along well without limbs...

But just pray for Frisk to get through her surgery alright...

 

[Sicy]

omg!! I'm so sorry It's "Sarcoma". You're very lucky actually that they only had to amputate the leg. If they get Sarcomas on the body there isnt much they can do but put the cat to sleep

Did the cat recently get shots? 1 out of approx. 5000 cats can develop a Sarcoma from vaccinations

I am sending good vibes that kitty will make it through the surgery ok!!! Cats can do very well with only 3 legs actually.

 

[bonocrazy88]

omg!! I'm so sorry It's "Sarcoma". You're very lucky actually that they only had to amputate the leg. If they get Sarcomas on the body there isnt much they can do but put the cat to sleep

Did the cat recently get shots? 1 out of approx. 5000 cats can develop a Sarcoma from vaccinations

I am sending good vibes that kitty will make it through the surgery ok!!! Cats can do very well with only 3 legs actually.

Sarcoma...LOL, yeah that's it...
Thanx
Yeah, the doctor talked about vaccinations causing that...
She said we were really lucky that the Sarcoma was on Frisky's leg instead of other places, like her head, or back... She said that if we can get all of it out, because it usually stems out, that she'll be okay...

 

[bonocrazy88]

Sicy, you like cats don't you?
Is that why you know so much about them?

 

[Sicy]

lol.. yes.. I'm a BIG cat lover.

I dont think that's a secret around here

 

[bonosloveslave]

I'm sorry to hear about your cat bc88 - but Sicy's right, the best place to get these is on a limb so the whole limb can be taken off. When they started linking these to vaccines a few years ago, they changed where the vaccines are given in case this happens. We used to give them in the skin on the neck over the shoulder blades, and the tumors that pop up there are pretty much impossible to cut out completely and they keep coming back.

Animals get around very well (even run) on 3 legs, I know she will adjust fine.

Since this was her back left leg, I'm assuming she's been vaccinated for Feline Leukemia? It's hard, when things like this come up you might say you wish you had never vaccinated her, but believe me, an amputation is better than dealing with a cat that is having complications from Fel. leukemia. The best bet for anyone with a cat is to keep them inside so they don't need the Felv vaccine (it can only be spread by cat to cat contact).

Let us know how she's doing

 

[Sicy]

I'm actually re-considering getting Zoey her vaccinations next time she's due because of crap like this And if I do I will make sure the vet does it in her leg.

I know Rabies is a law.. but the others I dont think she'd have any way of getting felv or distemper... I dunno. It's a lot to think about. If she were an outdoor cat I wouldnt hesitate.

 

[bonocrazy88]

Oh, well Frisky used to be an indoor/outdoor cat, but a year or two ago, Mom kicked her out because of her white fur all over the place...

 

[Sicy]

When is her surgery? Please keep us updated And I'd love to see a pic of her if you have one

 

[bonosloveslave]

Yes, rabies should be done, partly because of the legal issue - it's not required everywhere, but you are covered if someone comes to your place and gets bitten. Plus, depending on where you live, rabid animals can still get into a building (ie bats, skunks, raccoons). Pretty rare, yes, but you never know - and that would (for sure) be fatal.

There is debate in the veterinary community about vaccines in general, we have traditionally vaccinated once a year because that was the tradition, not because anyone did any testing to see if their immunity was low after a year. Some vets are now recommending vaccines every 3 years - but we still don't know for sure how long all the different vaccines last, and every animal's body is different for how long stuff sticks around anyway. The one problem with vaccines every 3 years is, will people still bring in their pets for a check-up on the years that they aren't getting vaccinated?

The jury is still out on alot of these issues. But I keep my cat inside and she has not been vaccinated for feline leukemia. I do vaccinate her for the distemper combo because of my work and the slight possibility that I might bring a bug home on my clothes or shoes. She is also vaccinated for rabies. You have to weigh the risks of getting the vaccine with getting a tumor or having a reaction to the vaccine, vs. coming down with the disease you are vaccinating for.

 

[martha]

Frisky will be ok with only three legs.

*resists temptation to make suggestion to change her name to Hoppy*

My dearest dog Julian had an eye removed. He was fine, once he recovered from the surgery.


On a side note, I need to take my kitty Jake in for shots in October. He's an indoor/outdoor kitty, so I think I'll get him the all the shots and hope for the 4999.

 

[bonosloveslave]

A friend of mine found a stray cat a few years ago, it's back leg was dangling. It looked like it had been that way for awhile, and it was getting sores on the paw from being dragged. They decided to keep the cat, got the amputation done, and named th cat Tripod

 

[Sicy]

Aww

Me being the worry wart that I am, would gladly bring Zoey in every year even if she wasnt getting shots. I want whats best for her.

I wonder if hissing cats through the screen can pass diseases Sometimes a stray will land on my back patio...

 

[bonosloveslave]

It is possible to pass some of the rhino viruses if the cats are touching noses through the screen, Felv isn't one of them, that takes more prolonged contact. But that is another reason to do the combo vaccine even for indoor cats...

 

[Laura M]

The cat who lives next door to us has 3 legs and a stumpy tail - shes really cute - she sits in our garden infront of the back door in the afternoons.

 

[ILuvLarryMullen]

aww that sucks , I'm glad she's going to be okay though. My dog had a toe amputated because of a tumor, but of course that's not nearly as bad as having a leg removed.

 

[bonocrazy88]

When is her surgery? Please keep us updated And I'd love to see a pic of her if you have one

Her surgery is on Tuesday...we wanted to get it done as soon as possible.

I don't have a scanner, and I have a camcorder, but I am still learning how to hook the thing up to the computer....it takes still shots...so I would be able to show you some pics of Frisky if I could work the thing...

 

[bonocrazy88]

Frisky will be ok with only three legs.

*resists temptation to make suggestion to change her name to Hoppy*

LMAO! Yeah, mom said, "We'll have to change her name to Gimp," Poor Frisk...

 

[verte76]

That sucks! I hope she's OK.

 

[AvsGirl41]

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

I am so sorry. I will be thinking of you both.

 

[bonocrazy88]

Well, we took Frisky Monday night, and on Tuesday morning was the scheduled operation. The (surgeons?) felt her lumps and were still convinced they were bad...so they cut into them. When they had exposed the muscle, they told Mom the lumps just peeled off. They checked the muscle thoroughly and found no other evidence of lumps in it. The lumps are being sent to have a biopsy to see if they are cancer. If so, we will have to watch her, but as of now, Frisky still has four legs!
We are going to visit her today when my mom gets home from work. I am praying that Frisky will get to keep her leg, and won't have cancer, but so far, so good!

 

[bonosloveslave]

Wow that's weird! Well, maybe this will be good news after all!

 

[martha]

Wonderful! (So far.)

 

[Sicy]

That IS weird!

I hope everything goes ok. Thanks for keeping us updated!

 

[Angela Harlem]

Sounds very hopeful!!

Hope nothing turns up that shouldn't

 

[zonelistener]

frisky gets to keep all four!

 

[bonocrazy88]

Frisky's home! She's sleeping on our back porch. She limps around a bit, and her leg drags, but only because she has some temporary muscle paralysis. She looks to be in pretty good shape and she'll need about 10 more days of recovery.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Aww, here's to a speedy recovery for Frisky.

 

[Sicy]

That's great news. Cant you keep her inside? At least until she heals.