Buster
So Buster seems to be okay for now.
He has a nasal tumor. We are treating it with a steroid. Not doing chemo or radiation. Life expectancy is usually 2-7 months without treatment, and a year or so with radiation. Chemo is a little bit less. I'm not sure what the life expectancy is for treating with steroids. Buster started having the nasal discharge last August, so it has been 9 months!
He has a terrible nasal discharge. I clean his nose many times a day. He eats but he was losing weight last month. I do need to weigh him again.
So things were already not looking for Buster.....
Back in February, he blocked. He couldn't pee. When cats cannot pee, it means that something has obstructed his urethra. In young cats, this is usually stones or crystals, and you can put the cat on a wet food only or prescription food diet. Buster is 13 years old. It's very weird that he would suddenly develop a problem with stones or crystals. No stones or crystals were seen in the x-rays, urine samples, etc.
We got him through being blocked and it was hard. It took 5 days before Buster could pee on his own and it was really stressful for him. I questioned his quality of life, but he did get better. I cut out all dry food. He seemed okay, except for that nasal tumor.
Last week he blocked again. I had to take him to the emergency vet. This vet plus my regular vet thought it was strange that he blocked for the first time at 13, plus doubly weird that he blocked on his wet food only diet.
We got him an ultrasound, which showed something in the urethra. They flushed it back into his bladder (no way to get it out of his body). It could be a blot clot, a mucus plug or a something that I can't remember the name of but its kind of life blood becoming hard and forming a blood stone.
The only way to get this out is surgery. I decided not to do the surgery. It seems like too much to put him in. If he did not have the nasal tumor and this thing in his bladder was his only problem, then yes I wouldn't hesitate.
For now, this thing is in his bladder but if it does block him again, then I will put him to sleep. It could happen tonight, it could happen months from now. The nasal tumor may kill him first.
I'm keeping an eye on his quality of life. He seems happy now, eating, cuddling and what not.
He has a nasal tumor. We are treating it with a steroid. Not doing chemo or radiation. Life expectancy is usually 2-7 months without treatment, and a year or so with radiation. Chemo is a little bit less. I'm not sure what the life expectancy is for treating with steroids. Buster started having the nasal discharge last August, so it has been 9 months!
He has a terrible nasal discharge. I clean his nose many times a day. He eats but he was losing weight last month. I do need to weigh him again.
So things were already not looking for Buster.....
Back in February, he blocked. He couldn't pee. When cats cannot pee, it means that something has obstructed his urethra. In young cats, this is usually stones or crystals, and you can put the cat on a wet food only or prescription food diet. Buster is 13 years old. It's very weird that he would suddenly develop a problem with stones or crystals. No stones or crystals were seen in the x-rays, urine samples, etc.
We got him through being blocked and it was hard. It took 5 days before Buster could pee on his own and it was really stressful for him. I questioned his quality of life, but he did get better. I cut out all dry food. He seemed okay, except for that nasal tumor.
Last week he blocked again. I had to take him to the emergency vet. This vet plus my regular vet thought it was strange that he blocked for the first time at 13, plus doubly weird that he blocked on his wet food only diet.
We got him an ultrasound, which showed something in the urethra. They flushed it back into his bladder (no way to get it out of his body). It could be a blot clot, a mucus plug or a something that I can't remember the name of but its kind of life blood becoming hard and forming a blood stone.
The only way to get this out is surgery. I decided not to do the surgery. It seems like too much to put him in. If he did not have the nasal tumor and this thing in his bladder was his only problem, then yes I wouldn't hesitate.
For now, this thing is in his bladder but if it does block him again, then I will put him to sleep. It could happen tonight, it could happen months from now. The nasal tumor may kill him first.
I'm keeping an eye on his quality of life. He seems happy now, eating, cuddling and what not.