We have a 12 year old cat who lost one of his canine teeth last week, so we took him to the vet. The vet saw significant decay and tartar on many of his teeth, so we scheduled a cleaning. She was reluctant to do a cleaning previously because of a minor heart issue that can make anesthesia risky, but it became urgent when the tooth fell out, so he had an echocardiogram first.
She wound up having to pull 11 teeth because they were rotten and some were abscessed. She also found what appears to be a tumor in his lower jaw. She biopsied it, but won’t have the results for several days.(It could also be osteomyelitis, which can be treated with oral antibiotics.)
If it is cancer, it is treatable, but may not be cured, with radiation treatment. The expense is significant, I’m sure, but I’m wondering if it’s worth it to put a cat through this just so we’ll have him around a little longer.
He has been the best cat I’ve ever had, even-tempered, with a great personality, and unlike his more high strung brother, he doesn’t shred the furniture or wallpaper! I don’t want him to suffer any more–and according to the vet, he has been in pain from his teeth for a while, though he gave no sign of it, and has had regular vet care his entire life. At the same time, I don’t want to put him down before it becomes really necessary.
My advice would be wait for the biopsy to come back. Then discuss with your vet the various treatment options that include risk vs benefit. Quality of life should be first and foremost.
I agree, wait and find out what the diagnosis is before making any decisions, but the best thing to do is what is best for your cat.
Last year, one of ours had one that had almost all of his teeth removed and was also diagnosed with the beginning stages of kidney disease. At the beginning of this year, within months of his teeth being removed, we took him back in due to weight loss and he was diagnosed with cancer. As much as we love(d) him, we knew the right thing to do was to let him go. We took him home for a week and spoiled and pampered him before taking him in. We still miss him lots, but it was the right thing to do.
We have another cat that has kidney disease (almost 4 years now), cystitis, and a heart murmur. You’d never know he was sick by the way he acts. But, if his kidney disease gets any worse that he has to have fluids more often, or if he needs to have any other stressful treatments, we have to be prepared to let him go, not because we don’t want to give him the treatments to keep him alive, but because he hates them. That is so hard to think about because he and I have always had a special bond and I’ll be lost without him, but we know there is a point that we have to let go of what we want and only think about the quality of life he has.
I hope that the results come back as not having cancer so you don’t have to make that decision!
Hugs, and fingers crossed that it is just an infection.
Now, if the results come back showing that it is cancer, do have a good discussion about risks and benefits. A 12 yr old cat who is generally in good health can live for another 4-6 years easily, so if the treatment is likely to be a success with minimal short-term suffering, I would give this cat a chance. Of course, $$ is an important consideration, too.
I just saw this and wanted to offer sympathy. I really hope that the biopsy comes back showing only an infection that can be treated with antibiotics. Given the extent of the dental disease, I’m going to hope that this is the more likely result.
If it’s cancer, I agree with everyone that you have to have an honest conversation with your vet about all options. We were told that much of this has to do with how easily the cat tolerates the treatments. If it’s stressful or the cat suffers from side effects from the treatment, you may choose not to go that route. But you’d want to know what you can do for the cat, even if it’s for the short term.
Hugs to you. I have been in this position and I know how hard it is. Please let us know what the answer is. I’ll be thinking of you.
Very similar story at our house (pm me if you like). Our elderly cat (12 at the time) who did have good dental cleanings was moving his mouth strangely and an osteosarcoma was found on his jaw and removed. Osteosarc is v bad in humans and dogs but in cats grows slowly and only locally (no metastases). We didn’t want to do radiation but did an IV bone strengthening treatment (basically Boniva used in cats) a couple of times but then stopped (super expensive; we weren’t sure it was doing anything). We decided to let him have soft food (he was ecstatic) and planned to euthanize if/when his jaw deteriorated to the point he couldn’t eat.
Well. Five years later and he’s running around (very thin, but he’s 17!), eating all the time, and shows no sign of dying of cancer; he’ll die of old age. The vet thinks the inital biopsy/shelling out of the tumor may have just been enough.
Thanks for your replies. It’s really encouraging to hear of positive outcomes, and I also appreciate the suggestion to minimize the cat’s suffering. That is what we hope to do. Right now, he’s home from the vet while we await the biopsy results.
