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Jasmine | 4 years ago
My 16 Year Old Cat Has Been Diagnosed With Some Kind Of Nasal Cancer. I Don’t …

My 16 year old cat has been diagnosed with some kind of nasal cancer. I don’t know which specifically because I didn’t want to pay for the tests that would specify which kind. Regardless, we are not treating the cancer; we are giving her supportive care. She is currently on steroids (prednisolone) and painkillers (gabapentin). With all of this, she has recently had a new symptom: a bulging of the bridge of her nose. At first, I thought it might be the cancer, but then one day, it popped open, and started leaking fluids (probably blood mixed with other things). I gave her first aid, and it healed. Now, it’s doing it again, but the fluid is building back up, even after leaking out. I called the vet after the first time this had happened, and was told that things like this would keep happening, and that she’s probably near the end of her life. Nothing about what it could be or how to handle it.

So my questions are, should I see a different vet? Does the pressure cause her pain? Is there some way to treat this? I haven’t euthanized her yet, because she still seems to enjoy life.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    These are all questions to ask your vet. Without knowing specifically what the diagnosis is (or specifically what type of cancer) and what kind of fluid this is it is hard to predict outcome abd treatment options. Also the steroid can influence patient response. Cancer is defined as aberrant cell growth so it is by definition abnormal activity and asking to know and understand anything acting abnormally is also hard to predict. You have decided to keep her comfortable while declining the work up so we have a hard time answering specific questions about what to expect and do bed sue we do t have enough information to be able to answer questions like these.
    Pain is impossibly to answer without seeing your pet in person and doing an exam to look for the signs that might indicate pain. Also we don’t have great long term options for treating pain in cats. Pred has some properties to help.
    It sounds like you are doing the best you can with limited ability to diagnose which is the huge majority of cases I see. Keep doing what you can and it’s ok to seek multiple opinions.

    Good luck.

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Michelle | 4 years ago
Hello To Everyone, I Have Three Cats (2 Boys & One Girl) And I Believe One Of …

Hello to everyone,

I have three cats (2 boys & one girl) and I believe one of them keeps throwing up their food. I have been feeding all of them with dry food since day one. I just started to notice a few months ago. Doesn’t happen A lot but it does happen often. I ordered cat grass to see if that would help which it did for a little bit. I also bought those new cat bowls which I feel that also helps but I just noticed he still vomiting his food. Not sure what to do.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    There are many reasons why pets might vomit. It’s best to figure who, or how many are vomiting and then talk to your vet about it. In some cases it can be intestinal parasites (diagnosed with a fecal sample sent to the lab) or eating too much too fast, or allergies or other diseases are also possible.

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Nina | 4 years ago
Hello Dr Magnifico I Watched Your Video On Beerus The Cat (Megacolon/ Obstipation) On YouTube! Currently …

Hello Dr Magnifico
I watched your video on Beerus the cat (Megacolon/ Obstipation) on YouTube! Currently my 8 year old English bulldog was diagnosed with megacolon. My dog is my life. The last week I’ve spent $4000 which included a deobstipation. The deobstipation wasn’t successful as there is a hard piece deep in the colon. They stated they removed a good amount but couldn’t reach the hard piece deeper in the colon and he will need two more procedures. I truly can’t afford to spend any more money and I don’t want anything to happen to my dog. Each procedure is about 2500 in the area and that only includes 24 hour care. Right now he is feeling much better but that piece is still in there. I’ve increased his exercise to 2-3 short walks. I’ve also changed his diet. Chicken, very little rice, raw liver, flaxseed, watermelon, blueberries, coconut oil, green beans, carrots and pumpkin. He’s feeling much better and is having diarrhea which I hope is chipping away from that hard piece. Can you recommend anything? Days ago he was vomiting, shaking, couldn’t walk, didn’t eat or drink and was lethargic. It was so scary! I literally would do anything for this dog. But I can’t keep shoveling out thousands of dollars and not get any results. Anything would help, I can’t have anything happen to my boy. You also mentioned to learn how to palpate the abdomen. Can you explain how that is done. Any help or recommendations would be much appreciated. Thank you!

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your pup. I think that diet and exercise are very important. I also think that monitoring daily for fecal output helps. I also think you need to find a vet who will help you manage this outside of the emergencies. Your dog is going to be very hard to palpate so although I don’t want to discourage trying it’s going to be hard to monitor that way. I would also ask about gi motility agents, laxatives and prescription diets. I am not a raw or homemade diet fan. I just see too many people missing hey ingredients. Also finding a bet who will allow X-rays to monitor might help. I think you also need to start a savings account for surgery down the road. JIC. At my clinic a sun total colectomy is about $3000 and we allow payment plans to pre existing clients.
    I hope this helps.
    Keep us posted.

    1. Nina Post author

      Thank you so much. I was hoping to try this for the next few days since he is having diarrhea where he couldn’t go to the bathroom at all even after the deobstipation. Do you think it’s chipping away at that piece? What is that surgery? Will that make this constipation issue go away?

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Kat | 4 years ago
My Cat Gave Birth To Her First Litter Last Night And Everything Seems To Be Fine …

My cat gave birth to her first litter last night and everything seems to be fine but she may have a slight fever. I’ve done a lot of research and I’ve given her wet food and added water to it while she eats, but she’s not drinking water directly from the bowl. What else can I do?

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  1. Sarah

    Hello- congrats on kittens. Has your cat improved????? If she still seems feverish, I think I would call the vet to be on the safe side.

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Teresa | 4 years ago
I Brought My 12-year-old Cat Into The Vet Today. He Hasn’t Been Eating Or Drinking …

I brought my 12-year-old cat into the vet today. He hasn’t been eating or drinking a lot so they decided to hydrate him. Since I brought him home, his breathing has been shallow and he is coughing a lot. I am seriously concerned. I don’t hear much air moving in his chest. I have no idea what may have caused this. What a bummer on the back of hydration caused him to not be able to breathe? The fluid is already disbursed throughout his body, so I thought he would be feeling better by now. I know that this has helped to park him up before. Please help

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  1. Teresa Post author

    Dr. Magnifico, if you read this message, can you please let me know if this is normal.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I think your cat needs to be seen as quickly as possible. I hope he is ok. If you are a Jvc client please call us first thing and we will help.

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Gerry | 4 years ago
1 Week Ago I Went To Pick Up My New Kitten.  Male, Neutered. He Is Now A 13 …

1 week ago I went to pick up my new Kitten.  Male, neutered. He is now a 13 week old pure bred ragdoll. I got him from a ragdoll breeder. They had him to the vet a few days before pickup with a clean bill of health and second distemper shot, along with all documentation of prior visits and past test results. He sneezed a few times during the pick up process and they told us this was normal during his new transition. He is still sneezing regularly each day with no change now 1 week later.  No coughing. He also has some very bad smelling gas daily but not constant or consistently.  I feel that his breath is a tad stinky too but my nose is very sensitive to smells and odors so it may just be my sniffer. I kept him on the same food diet as the breeder with no changes. His bathroom habits are normal, tootsie rolls, no diahrea or vomiting.  He eats normal. Plays hard like a kitten. Sleeps at intervals between eating and play but changes positions alot during sleep sessions. He is snuggly, purrs happily but during his full on purring seems to snort or stall his motor slightly. No discharge of nose, ears, mouth or eyes other than a spray from a sneeze occasionally and dark brown eye crusties that have been present occasionally since adoption. He seems very happy and not lethargic. No coughing. He has a vet appointment in 2 weeks the soonest they can get him in and they didn’t seem extremely concerned with the symptoms to arrange a sooner date. This is a single pet home.  I may just be overly paranoid but any bit of information is always appreciated to a new cat mom.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It is not uncommon for the stress of going to a new home and the changes in a kittens lifestyle once there to cause an upper respiratory infection. It is best to see a vet ASAP. Call your vet. Express your concerns and if they can’t get you in within a day or two call other vets. We are all busy right now but waiting until an infection becomes a life threatening illness is unethical. We always fit people in even though we are very busy. If all else fails go to the ER. Better safe than sorry.

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Vickie | 4 years ago
Allergies? My American Staffy Mix Just Turned 1 Year Old. Once We Started Cutting Our Grass This …

Allergies? My American Staffy mix just turned 1 year old. Once we started cutting our grass this season and flowers/trees started blooming he is sneezing while outside and he is getting eye boogers frequently (only in 1 eye). Are there dog allergy medications, or is benadryl a viable remedy for him? This wasn’t something we saw last year when we adopted him in early July.

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  1. Laura

    I’d talk to the vet – they may have some very specific suggestions. On a more general suggestion I know benadryl is safe for dogs, but I’d discuss that with your vet. They might have something more tailored to your dog’s specific allergy.

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megan | 4 years ago
My Cat Has Laryngeal Paralysis. The Surgery Is Far Too Expensive, Therefore I’m Looking Into …

My cat has laryngeal paralysis. The surgery is far too expensive, therefore i’m looking into alternatives to treating the laryngeal paralysis. I saw that some vets offer acupuncture and electro acupuncture, which is supposed to stimulate nerve movement and could cure paralysis. Is thing something that would really work? I don’t know much about it but it seems like possibly it could get the nerves around his larynx to work again, then it could move properly? If you could provide me with any information asap I’d appreciate it! 🙂

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    There may be anecdotal reports of this working but I have no experience. The only cat I ever had with this was given a tracheostomy tube placement for a few weeks while the nerves that were damaged and causing the paralysis recovered.

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Jessica | 4 years ago
I Have Two Cats – Vinny Born 2/2020 And Adopted 4/2020. In 3/2021, We Adopted Our Second Cat, Duke, …

I have two cats – Vinny born 2/2020 and adopted 4/2020. In 3/2021, we adopted our second cat, Duke, who was born 9/2020

Vinny has been very healthy until recently. Not long after adopting Duke, Vinny lost his voice, started coughing, deep breathing – we took him to the vet and they treated him for a URI.

He’s been off the antibiotics for about a week and his voice started becoming hoarse on 4/8, which slight coughing starting 4/9.

Duke has apparently always had a thing with sneezing. Usually 1-2 times daily, very random times. The foster care chalked it up to stress. His FELV came back negative when they tested him.

Both cats are set up with vet appointments – Vinny as a sick visit and Duke to get a general check up (new vet for us due to a recent move) and to address the sneezing concern. Both cats are completely up to date on all vaccinations and both neutered. 100% indoor cats.

I’m considering asking the vet to test them both for Feline Herpes Virus and do a retest for FELV.

Anything else that it could be?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    There are literally dozens if not more possible causes. I think it would be neat to contact your vet for help. It might be time to repeat diagnostics or add blood work or imaging. In some cases it is even appropriate to talk about obtaining samples for pathology or culture. It might also help to find a feline specialist. Good luck.

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Cathy | 4 years ago
Hello, My 8yr Old Anatolian Shepherd Had A Mass Removal Surgery Done About A Month Ago. …

Hello,

My 8yr old Anatolian Shepherd had a mass removal surgery done about a month ago. At the end of the second week of recovery he developed a large seroma (it was tested and not infected). The vet has since put 2 different drains in and although they work, the seroma re-develops after each time. He just had his most recent drain removed on Sunday and today (5 days later) I notice a small amount of liquid coming back. I really don’t want him to have to go into another surgery 🙁 will the seroma go away on its own? He doesn’t seem to be in any pain and the seroma is not warm to the touch, and it is much smaller this time around but I am worried it is going to just keep growing.

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning. In my personal experience, a seroma will go away on its own…. it just takes time. So unless it is on a spot where it will be likely to cause discomfort or irritation, perhaps just leaving it to give it time to clear up on its own, is a good option. You may want to confirm with your vet. Best of luck!☺️????