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Cat has skin Cancer

Hi I just found out last week due to a biopsy done on my cat's wound which is on her back that she unfortunately has skin Cancer; the good news is that it is not the type  that would spread to other parts of her body. The doctor saidf the treatment option for it would be surgery to have it removed and it may come back later on but then if it does that  surgery would be the option again. I just wanted to know if the surgery for this skin Cancer is a fairly safe surgery, I know ther are always risks when it comes to surgery but is this a common surgery for cat? I just have bad anxiety and I would just like some peace of mind before I go through with the surgery which will be in about a week or so.She is not a feral cat but acts like one so she is not much of a people person but I still love her lol She is a 10 yr old cat by the way Thanks for any advice and have a great day.
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1203956 tn?1266322258
P.S.  Also Myspace.com/amy_newburn in case you don't have a Facebook.  My profile on MySpace is public so even if you don't have an account you can see my pictures  ;-)
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1203956 tn?1266322258
  Hi!!  I had a pretty good Valentine's Day!!  We tried to go to one of our fav. restaurants but it had a big sign that they lost their lease so we ended up just getting some takeout.  My husband took me to pick out a new camera so I've been chasing the cats around with it all day LOL!!  I hope you had a good weekend also!  ;-)

  Sorry to hear about that lady at the grocery store.  Sometimes people are so insensitive.  I guess it was nice that she showed some concern but it probably would have been better if she just hadn't said anything.

  I agree with you about pets being a life long commitment.  I take that very seriously also and that's why I struggled a lot before really deciding about Spinks cause we already have the other two that are getting older but she just won us over .......although yeah it really didn't take much convincing for me to make up my mind lol

  It's hard nowadays with so many rental places not allowing pets.  But usually if you look hard enough you can find something.  Sometimes too you can get a prescription from a doctor saying that they feel you would benefit from having a pet and then the landlord by law has to let you have a pet.  But I think they may be able to impose a size/weight limit still........

  I understand how some people feel about wanting their cats to be able to be outside.  But there are definately a lot of negatives to that yeah.  Not just cars and wild animals but even other people's pets fighting with them.  I read an article that said the average lifespan of an outdoor cat is 5 years while the average lifespan of an indoor cat is 15 years.  Quite a difference!!   None of my cats mind being indoors.  Spinks does try to dart out once in a while but only if there is another cat in the yard.

  You asked about my experiences that tell me that our animals are in a better place.  I have had two different things happen with two different animals.

  First with my cat Tia when we had her put down I stayed with her and right as she passed she looked up like there was something there and she had such joy and peace in her face it helped me a lot.  After she passed on one night while I was in my bed I felt her jump up and walk on me and I felt her press her nose against my forehead just like she always did.  It only happened one time and I think it was her way of saying goodbye and that she was ok.

  Second I had a dog named Dandy years ago.  He was a standard size collie and we had to put him down due to old age back in the mid 90's.  Well after I moved away and got married I was living in a town where I really didn't know anyone other than my husband and I had a cancer scare and had to have surgery.  The night before my procedure I was nervous and I wasn't sleeping well.  I felt my dog Dandy come over to the side of my bed and lay his head down on my pillow next to me like he always used to back when he was alive.  Because he was a tall dog he was able to just walk up and kind of set his face down so he was just staring at you while you slept lol.  I felt the weight of his head push my pillow down and I felt his hot panting breath hitting my face just like always.  And I knew I wasn't alone and that I would be ok.  And I was.  ;-)  

  I hope that you can find some hope and peace from these stories.  

  If you have a Facebook account you should look me up.  Facebook.com/captainpeaches  I usually check that page a lot more often than this one.  Also I have pics of my Tia and my Dandy on my page.

  Hope you have a great day!!  ;-)
  
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Avatar universal
Hey hope you had a good Valentines:) I hear you  on there not being alot of people like us who love and care for their pets like we do. I hate that when people have that attitude that it is just a dog or a cat, they have life just like humans and deserve to be loved and tooken care of like humans are. I remember a time when I had to put my German Sheperd/ Labrador mix dog to sleep due to old age one day he just stopped walking and eating and had been losing weight for some time and I knew it was time but I had had him since I was around 9 or 10 yrs old and had to make the hard decision at 23 yrs old and the dog was 13 yrs old which is old for a dog, anyhow I was feeling really down and sad about him passing away and I was at a grocery store and the cashier asked me what's wrong you look sad and I told her about my dog passing on and she says well at least it was not a human being and it made me mad that she would say something like that, I didn't say this but was saying in my mind well I loved him like my kid and thought next time that lady should use some common sense and think about what she says before she says something so rude. I just don't understand how some people can be so uncaring towards animals. I love my pets very much and just want the best for them. Lol that's a nice story about how you got Spinks and how her and your husband are close now.  My former best friend made me a little mad because she has a 10 yr old Labrador dog and she she was moving to another house but the problem was they didn't accept dogs and she asked if I could take him in and unfortunately I couldn't because my male Pit Bull does not get along with other male dogs otherwise I would have. She told me she would have taken him to the animal shelter but was afraid they would end up having to put him to sleep due to his old age; because it is harder for dogs sometimes to find homes when they are older and it bothers me because they have alot of love to give but alot of people won't give them a chance. Anyhow it just made me mad that she would just give her dog away like it was no big deal and I told her why would you rent a house that didn't accept your dog just didn't make sense; if she really loved her dog she would have kept searching for a house until she found a landlord who did accept her dog; that's what I did. I didn't say this but wanted to say a pet is a lifetime commitment, you don't get rid of them just because a landlord won't accept them you keep looking until you find a home where your pets are welcome. I just thought it was really cold and cruel of her to give him away  at a old age considering he knew her as his owner and would probably wonder why he was being given away. I cried about that situtaion because there was nothing I could do to help him and it was so unfair to him. He was loyal to her for what just to end up being given away. I wanted to tell her maybe you shouldn't get no more pets because you obviously don't understand what a commitment to a pet means they become part of your family and I don't think it is right to give a pet away if you can help it. I would never give my pets away  just because a landlord didn't accept them I would just keep searching until I found a landlord that would accept them. The way I look at it is that I am my pets' mom and they depend on me for everything, lol I know it sounds a lttile weird but that's the way I feel. Yeah well you did all you could to find her owner and no response so she was meant to be your cat and your cats are also very lucky to have you as a owner:). Yeah vet bills are costly but you are right they are worth it for yout pets'  health. Thanks for the sympathy yeah it was very hard to put our 5 yr old dog to sleep but we basically had no choice. I'm very sorry about your cat Tia that's so sad, she was a young cat. When you get them as puppies or kittens you think you are gonna have them till they are old and sometimes it doesn't cross our mind that they could pass on young, at least that is what has happened to me so when it happens it feels bad emotionally because they didn't get to live their whole life and you were not expecting to lose them so young.  Yeah I agree sometimes you don't have any choice but to sadly have a very sick pet euthanized, I just pray and hope me and your pets live to be old and live a good life. IT never is easy when you have to make that hard decison of having a pet euthanized. Life is complicated and sometimes you don't know what to expect. Pets' health issues I would definitly consider a emergency, so that money you spent on your cats was worth it.  I'm just so happy I could meet someone like me when it comes to pets.It's also nice to be able to support each other emotionally considering weboth have cats with health issues, your support has really helped me feel better about going through with the surgery. I think we were meant to meet on here. That's cool that you also had a cat named Misty, what a coincidence. That's good you keep your cats inside I really feel that's the safest place for them that's why I keep my cats inside. One of my relatives didn't agree with my decision and said cats are meant to be outside and I said well not my cats I have lost too many because of them being outside and don't want to lose anymore of my pets I love them too much. Misty my cat at first had a hard time from being a outside cat to an indoor cat but I know that's what is best for her and her sister Felicia. Felicia does not mind being inside as long as she has her food and her favortie spot in the hosue she is happy. Misty is fine now with it I think she realized I'm keeping her inside because I love her and want what is best for her. Misty likes to hide in her favortie spot, so usually we don't know where she is in the house until it is time to feed her or she wants my dad's attention he is her favorite person. Lol my boyfriend use to get mad because he thought she didn't like him and she loves us all it is just that my dad and her have that special bond. She is starting to feel closer to me because a couple days ago she sat in the living room with me and lol I was surprised because she usually likes to keep her distance. Thanks for the sympathy about my cat Miracle I think I made the right decision about her by having her euthanized but her being young made it way harder to make that decision.That's neat that you have had some expiriences that show you there is a better place for them when they pass on. If you don't mind me asking what kind of expiriences have you had? You are welcome and it does not sound silly at all that you creid a little when I said you were a good owner, because people like me and you who have alot of love for your pets are not common so when I meet another pet owner like me it makes me feel very happy because there are too many pets suffering in this world beucase most people even some pet owners tend to think they are just cats and dogs when that is far from the truth. I don't think I could ever live without having a pet they are so loving and adorable. I can definitly tell you have alot of love and compassion for your pets they are truely blessed to have a owner like you, wish I could meet more people like me and you.Thanks I try my best to be a good owner to my pets. Thanks very much for your emotional support and God Bless you and have a good day:)
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1203956 tn?1266322258
  I wish everyone was like us with animals too.  I can't tell you how many times you hear the attitude "But it's JUST a cat.......or JUST a dog........etc"  I don't understand how people can say that.  But I guess some people have never spent enough time to really get close to an animal and know that bond.  So I guess I just end up feeling sorry for them cause people like us know they are missing out in a big way!!

  The kitty we found, Spinks (rhymes with drinks) we found her after our neighbor moved to another state and she must have escaped.  I wasn't planning on keeping her but hehehe!!  I put up notices and tried to track down previous owner and then I tried to take her to the humane society and they were full THANK GOODNESS LOL and I couldn't bring myself to take her to the pound.  She was pretty scared at first and would only relax in our one bathroom where I kept her seperated from the others.  Well my husband thought she hated him and it made him sad and he didn't want to keep her..........fast forward a year and every time he sits down she is purring in his lap LOL!!!!  He loves her now and she seems to prefer him over me.  Every now and then I ask her hey don't you remember he didn't want you LOL I guess she has a short memory  ;-)

  I know what you mean about vet bills.  We have run up around 2500 bucks since Sep.  The only way we paid it was almost maxing out my credit card.  But I told myself you have it for emergencies and this is an emergency!!  It is always worth doing as long as they are not suffering and in pain.

  I am so sorry to hear about your doggie that had bone cancer.  Sounds like he had one heck of a personality!!  It is always harder when you have to put them down and they are so young.  When I was in high school I had a Siamese named Tiara (Tia for short) and we had to put her down at only 5 years old due to a birth defect with her liver.  Sometimes there just isn't a choice when things get so bad and there's no hope of them getting better.  At that point to try to keep them going seems selfish to prolong their pain.  But it sure doesn't make it any easier.  I really feel for you there!!

  Also, this is weird but when I was younger we had a kitty also named Misty that got hit by a car.  But she was killed before we knew about it.  I keep all my meowers inside too for this reason.  That must have been very traumatic for you to find her that way.  I can't imagine how that would be.  I would try not to feel guilty about putting her down.  After all vets see tons of injuries and they are probably pretty fair judges as to how the cat will do.  If you had tried to save her and she still passed on you might feel bad about prolonging her suffering too.  Sometimes there are no easy answers you just have to make the best decision you can make at the time.  I'm sure your kitty knew that you cared for her.  I have had some experiences in the past where I truly believe that your pets are waiting for  us and they are in a much better place where they never have to worry about cold hearted people or drivers not paying attention or being out in the cold and hungry.  That sure doesn't mean we still don't grieve for them and miss them in our lives but it helps me to try to remember that.

  Thank you for your kind words.  I have been stressed lately and it may sound silly but when you said I was a good owner it made me tear up a bit.  You are a good owner too.  The way you put yourself in your pets' place and try to really decide what is best for them and not just what is easiest for you.  I think that is one of the top things that make a good owner and I can tell that you do that.  All your animals are lucky to have you.  

  Thanks also for the Valentine's wishes.  Enjoy your weekend and try not to worry too much although I know it's hard when you care so much.    ;-)

  
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the friend request:) I agree my pets are my kids I love them alot and know they depend on me to take care of them. I wish there was more people in this world like us, that's why I like coming to this forum cause I can see all the love people have for their pets. I don't have any children either. 1 of your cats is the same age as my girls because they are both 10 yrs old, the older they get the more I worry about their health. That was nice of you to take in a cat you found on your porch. I'm very sorry to hear about your last 5 months being stressful for you becuase of medical issues your cats have been having; it definitly is hard to deal with cause you love them so much and just want them to be well, I'm the same way.I'll pray for them. I sure hope all your cats get better soon, you are a good owner. I've been stressed out too with this whole skin cancer problem with my cat and the surgery costing five hundred dollars only stresses me out more, so I have to get some help from some relatives in order to come up with the money so hopefully I can make the appt. next week. That's one thing about vet bills they are usually very costly but worth it for my pets. I also have two dogs 1 is a pitbull male and the other is a pitbull/rottweiler mix female and they are 5 yrs old. My sister had my female dog's brother and we sadly lost him to bone cancer last summer and had to make a very hard decision to have him euthanized and it hurt so bad emotinally to put a dog who was only 5 yrs old to sleep; me and my sis and the whole family loved him like he was our kid. It is never easy to put any pet to sleep but it makes it harder when they didn't even get a chance to grow old. Lol he was such a clown he always had people laughing with his personallity. He is deeply missed even guy friends we had were crying when they found out he passed on.  I have had to put a couple pets to sleep most of them due to old age and medical conditions but the only young ones were my sis's dog and another cat I had who was actually the sister of my cats now she got hit by a car and she was still alive when I found her but couldn't walk and I took her to the vet and she said even with surgery her chances of recovery were slim and sadly I had to put her to sleep and to this day I still question should I have tried surgery at least given her a chance. I believe the vet recommended euthanization because in her opinion my cat's chances didn't look good, but  that decision still haunts me cause she didn't pass on from natual causes it was from a lady not obviously concentrating on her driving which cause my cat's life and when I confronted the lady about my cat and asked if she could help with the vet bill this is before we took her to the vet and the lady flat out said it's not my responsibility didn't seem to care at all, her husband is the only one who seemed to care and apologized about the situation and was even willing to give me their  phone # but she would not allow him to. I can't believe how cold some people can be sometimes. Just thinking about what happened to my cat brings tears to my eyes cause I feel like it would have never happened if I had kept her in the house and I question if I gave her a fair chance, that's one decision I'll always question. I wish sometimes I would have tried surgery to see what would have happened but I trusted the vet's opinion. The vet advised me that the best thing to do to prevent this from happening to my other cats is to keep them inside so I decided after I seen Misty's wound that keeping them inside is probably best for them. I also had their mother but one day she went outside and never came back so you can see why I keep my cats inside, I want to always know they are safe. I totally agree it definitly does help to meet other cat lovers and have support. Thanks you did help me feel better. I'm glad you sent me a friend request since we are both dealing with our cats having medical issues. God Bless you and have a wonderful Valentines and weekend.
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1203956 tn?1266322258
Hi Nanasluv.  Glad you are feeling better about your situation!!  I know how you feel about your animals being your kids.  My husband and I have no children but we have our 3 cats that are our kids ;-)  My male cat Jixxa will be 11 in June.  My one female will be 10 next month.  And our third kitty also female is somewhere between 2 and 4 years of age.  We found her on our porch last year the day after Christmas so we are not sure  ;-)  I kinda think she is more like 2 cause she has gotten much bigger boned since we've had her.  So I think she was still kitten-ish when she came to us.  I also know how you feel when  your animals get sick.  I totally freak out also!!  These past 5 months have been non-stop crazy for us.  In Sep. my male cat, Jixxa had his second anal gland abscess which needed surgery this time and he had to have his anal gland removed.  Recovered from that only to have to stay in kitty ER for a weekend due to pancreatitis in November.  During that episode they also diagnosed him with kidney problems.  And then I had to rush our older girl in one morning cause she was pawing and gagging at her mouth.  Thankfully it was just a loose tooth and that's when we asked the vet about her lump and then we did that this month.  Needless to say I have been a basket case!!  Jixxa was doing better with his kidney problem for a while but these past two weeks he has started drinking and peeing more again.  I got a urine sample which came back with no bacteria, so we are trying to switch his food now and hoping that helps.  He was on Prescription food for his pancreatitis which was high protein........well he needs low protein for the kidney problem so it definately feels like a balancing act.  It's nice to have found this forum and other cat lovers to share with.  It helps a lot to have the support.  Glad I could make you feel a bit better!!  ;-)
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Avatar universal
Hey well I'm very happy  for you that your cat is doing good now. Yeah you are right once I heard the word cancer everything just became a blurr but when the vet said all that was needed was surgery  I felt like a load had been taken off me cause I've been dealing with this skin issue for a while. I'm just glad there is hope for her and that most likely she will be better soon. She also has a sister so it's important to me that everything turns out well.Yeah having pets is great but unfortunately you have to deal with health issues sometimes but I believe it is well worth it because pets give alot of love in return for the good care you give them. I have two dogs and two cats. I know how you feel about not wanting to put her through the surgery that's the way I kinda feel now but know it is the right thing to do cause she shouldn't have to live with skin cancer on her back and it doesn't seem to bother her much if at all cause she sleeps, eats and drinks normal but I know it has got to be done. How old are your cats? That's what my cat's skin cancer looked like it started like a bump which I though was a abscess at first then began to open and would bleed off and on, I thought it was a bad infection cause that is what the first vet had said so I also bought her a skin disinfectent spray but it would never heal so I knew something else must be wrong so I'm glad I took her to the vet; now the next thing is surgery and all I can do is hope and pray everything goes well. My cat Misty is much like a feral cat even though she has had a home with me all her life, she only likes her owners most of the time and is one of those cats who always seem nervous and upset at the slightest noise that bothers her. Lol I was surprised she was actually good and calm with the vet when her temperature was being taken so I guess it just depends on the person. I love her so much though whenever any of my pets get sick I freak out cause I love them like they are my kids and know they depend on me for everything in their life. Thanks for your reply and for sharing with me how the surgery went for your  cat it really does help me feel better about calling and making that surgery appt. I will definitly keep all of you updated on how it turns out for my cat. It's really nice that I can come here for support. TTYL and have a good day:)
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1203956 tn?1266322258
Oh I totally understand how you would forget what type of skin cancer she has.  You just hear the word cancer and kinda freak out.  I know what you mean.  My cats unfortunately have had lots of troubles over the past few months.  I guess cause they are getting older.  My kitty also had her lump for a very long time before we got it taken off.  Mostly I didn't want to put her through the surgery cause she didn't seem to be in any pain and also it was a very tiny bump smaller than a pea for years.  Lately it started to grow and it had a bit of a scab on it that looked like it bled a bit off and on so we decided to get it done. My girl is quite hefty and I was concerned of her having pain with surgery on her foot.  And she is shy so she freaks whenever we take her outside even only as far as the porch she starts panting.  But she did extremely well and never even limped even on the same day of surgery.  She was allowed to come home the same day btw and had a nice bandage all the way up not quite to her hip so she couldn't get at the stitches!!  Also I liked that I didn't have to see the incision site as I am a bit squeamish ;-)  Hope all goes well for you and definately keep us updated!!  
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1203956 tn?1266322258
Yeah I have heard about that being a problem with white kitties.  Glad that your cat is well now!!  It is always stressful dealing with health problems and esp. suregeries until it is over and done with no matter how minor it turns out to be.  Just cause we care so much about them and want to do what's right by them.  I am glad your kitty's case turned out to be pretty simple and treatable.  Same with mine and hopefully it will be the same for nanasluv and her kitty too!!  ;-)
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Avatar universal
Thanks so much for the replies I appreciate it very much. IT makes me feel more peaceful and hopeful about the surgery since some of you have had to have surgery done on your cats and everything turned out well. I'm sorry but I forgot what kind of skin cancer it was when I was on the phone with the vet my mind was kinda a blurr cause I was just trying to soak all the info. in at once. I'm just thankful that it is treatable. MY cat has had this for some time because I was not able to get her treated properly due to a misdiagnosis of it being a skin infection when in fact it was skin cancer all along. It is very discouraging when some of these vets misdiagnose your pet. My sister's dog was also misdiagnosed for multilpe infections and one day he just stopped walking and we took him to another vet and come to find out because he was losing alot of weight and was barely eating  the vet said it was most likele bone cancer and that there was basically no hope for him and we had to have him sadly euthanized at only 5 yrs old. The vet we are taking our pets too now seems to be a great vet and always gives you the best and worse case scenerio so I do appreciate her professional opinion and for always giving us facts about the health status of our pets. Anyhow I will ask the vet what kind of skin cancer it is the next time I contact them to make the appt. for Misty's surgery. I will keep you all updated on my cat. Thanks so much for the info. and support and happy to hear that your cats are doing good now. God bless you all and have a great day:)
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242912 tn?1660619837
COMMUNITY LEADER
Happy to hear your kitty did so well!! :)    I hope it gives nanasluv some comfort to read of other successful surgeries.  I would assume, like with humans, there are many different types of skin cancer in animals.  I remembered what Jade had on her ears.  Squamous Cell Carcinoma.  Her ears have no pigment and she got it from the sun.  This is a common occurrence in white cats :(
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1203956 tn?1266322258
My 10 year old female just had surgery to have a lump removed from her foot on Feb. 1. It went well with no complications.  It was sent for biopsy and came back positive for cancer.  Basal cell skin cancer vet said.  Not sure if there are different kinds of skin cancer or not but hope this helps you. Vet said near 0% chance of recurrance also for this type.......  Good luck to you and your kitty!!  
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242912 tn?1660619837
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi there, I'm sorry to hear your kitty has skin cancer.  Mine did too.  Her eartips were removed.  

Now, your cat does have it in a different place and the surgery will be a little more invasive than just eartips, but I would imagine it's basically the same idea.  The cancer will be removed and as long as the vet gets it all and a biopsy of the margins is done to ensure all the cancer was removed, your kitty will be fine...just like your vet said.  

Do you know the name of the cancer?  I forget what Jade had off the top of my head.  

I think you're doing the right thing by going through with the surgery.  Please come back after and let us know how she's doing.  

Try not to worry.  Jade did really well after her surgery.  No complications at all.  I will be hopeful for the same for your girl.  

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Avatar universal
Hi,
I'm so sorry to hear about your cat's skin cancer.  I don't know too much about skin cancer in cats, but why don't you post in the Related Expert Forums where it says Cancer in Pets.  A Vet will answer your question.  I've posted in one of the forums when I had a question on diabetes in cats.  I can understand your apprehension with surgery.  Let us know how kitty is doing and good luck.
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