 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / January 2005UPDATE: Oscar
Oscar's regular vet is at a conference, so we saw another vet, who seems to be the "senior" guy in the office. Oscar didn't hiss or growl; she just shivered like crazy. She didn't even make a sound when he took her temp. Anyway, long story short, he thinks it's something called an "indolent ulcer," which can happen anywhere on a cat's body, but is particularly likely on the lip. Cause uncertain, but it may be related to irritation. He gave me the option of a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis or a steroid shot right away. It sounded like he was pretty confident of his diagnosis and that nothing awful would happen if he were wrong, so we went with the shot. Oscar will get another one in two weeks, too. I really liked this vet's style; he brought me a book so that I could see pictures of these ulcers and read a bit about them. Anyway, we should hopefully start to see a reduction in the lip in a few days. I am suspicious of the cat dancer, on which I've allowed Oscar to chew quite a bit recently. The vet seemed doubtful, but I'm still going to restrict her access until the lip looks more normal.  Signaturemonique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!* > Oscar's regular vet is at a conference, so we saw another vet, who seems to be > the "senior" guy in the office. Oscar didn't hiss or growl; she just shivered [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > bit recently. The vet seemed doubtful, but I'm still going to restrict her > access until the lip looks more normal. Purrs that the diagnoses is correct. He sounds like he knows his business. MLB > Purrs that the diagnoses is correct. He sounds like he knows his business. > MLB I hope so. I hate stuff like this, where you have to rely on someone else's expertise! Signaturemonique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!* > Oscar's regular vet is at a conference, so we saw another vet, who seems to be > the "senior" guy in the office. Oscar didn't hiss or growl; she just shivered [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > bit recently. The vet seemed doubtful, but I'm still going to restrict her > access until the lip looks more normal. I wondered about that too but I couldn't remember the name of the ulcer. Is that the same as a rodent ulcer? Anyway, I hope the shot works quickly. Gotta love a vet that will pull out a book to show you something. > I wondered about that too but I couldn't remember the name of the ulcer. Is > that the same as a rodent ulcer? Anyway, I hope the shot works quickly. > Gotta love a vet that will pull out a book to show you something. Yeah, that's the other name, rodent ulcer. Now that I've been reading on the web, though, it sounds like technically the rodent ulcer is on the upper lip, while what Oscar has is on her lower lip/chin. In any case, its a form of "eosinophilic granuloma." I found some info here (warning, medical/disturbing pictures of ulcers): http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_eosinophilic_granuloma.html The vet mentioned it has similarities to an allergic reaction, but when I asked if I should be looking for allergens, he said no. On the other hand, the websites pinpoint allergies as a likely culprit, particularly fleas (not the case with Oscar) or possibly food allergies. I switched her to wet foods about a month ago ... it sounds like food allergy related ulcers don't go away with the steroid shots, so if it doesn't go away I'll start looking in that direction. Some of the websites make it sound like a chronic problem; I hope that's not the case. On the other hand, thus far, Oscar seems to be in high spirits; she isn't favoring her lip at all. She does drool on me a lot when she licks me in the morning, though! Signaturemonique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!* >> I wondered about that too but I couldn't remember the name of the ulcer. Is >> that the same as a rodent ulcer? Anyway, I hope the shot works quickly. [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > isn't favoring her lip at all. She does drool on me a lot when she licks me > in the morning, though! I don't remember if the subject of plastic dishes has been brought up. From what I have read, stainless steel or china is best. I use Corelle for my cat. MLB > I don't remember if the subject of plastic dishes has been brought up. From > what I have read, stainless steel or china is best. I use Corelle for my > cat. MLB I'd never heard this before. Oscar ate dry food in plastic dishes for years, but in the last few months she's been eating wet food out of ceramic dishes. Why would plastic cause trouble, though? It's not like I'm microwaving it, which would cause outgassing. Signaturemonique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!* > > I don't remember if the subject of plastic dishes has been brought up. > > From [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > it, > which would cause outgassing. Ever noticed that cats often like to lick (clean) plastic bags? In some plastics manufacturing, the reactions are not absolutely complete. For some bag and other plastics, there may be a trace quantity of a chemical of the amine family. Amines smell fishy. With dish manufacture, there again might be residues. Medical plastics usually have extensive washing before sterilization, as well as great care in the production process. > Ever noticed that cats often like to lick (clean) plastic bags? In some > plastics manufacturing, the reactions are not absolutely complete. For some > bag and other plastics, there may be a trace quantity of a chemical of the > amine family. Amines smell fishy. Honestly, no. Oscar likes to lick and chew all sorts of things, including socks, metal, paper and cardboard, but she doesn't lick plastic bags. She'll crawl into them, of course, and then freak herself out ... subject for another discussion ... She will lick clear plastic candy wrappers (like from peppermints) if she can find them, but I always figured it had to do with the crinkly sounds. > With dish manufacture, there again might be residues. Medical plastics > usually have extensive washing before sterilization, as well as great care > in the production process. Well. Hrm. Oscar's been drinking from a plastic water bowl for years. Hrm. Signaturemonique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!* >> Ever noticed that cats often like to lick (clean) plastic bags? Nope :) > She will lick clear plastic candy wrappers (like from peppermints) if > she can find them, but I always figured it had to do with the crinkly > sounds. Persia likes to take wrapped Brachs butterscotch candies out of the bowl and play with them. She doesn't try to eat them, just tosses them by the twisty ends and bats them around. I find them in the strangest places :) I do think it's the crinkly sound, but I never figured out what made her notice them in the first place. The deep crystal dish is on a two-tiered table above her head, yet within a week of her being here she was up on her hind legs very gently taking one out of the dish to play with. It's a hoot to watch! Jill >Yeah, that's the other name, rodent ulcer. > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >isn't favoring her lip at all. She does drool on me a lot when she licks me >in the morning, though! I have one with this (Trill). It can be treated and disappear, never to return, or it can be tough to get rid of, as it is in Trill's case. Sometimes it takes two or three steroid shots to get rid of it. At any rate, from what I understand, EGC isn't in and of itself dangerous; it just looks weird! Ginger-lyn > I have one with this (Trill). It can be treated and disappear, never to > return, or it can be tough to get rid of, as it is in Trill's case. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Ginger-lyn Well, I hope Oscar's is the "never to return" kind! It does look weird. It doesn't seem to bother her at all; she's playful, cuddly, and generally seems to be in good spirits. I'm just worried that she might not want to eat with a big lump on her mouth. The only changes in the recent past have been her food and the presence of the cat dancer toy, and I'd be surprised if the cat dancer causes allergies ... Well, no, I take that back. I fed her chicken last week. She developed the start of the bump Friday evening, but she ate her old dry food all weekend, no wet food or treats at all. Hrm. The vet mentioned irritation as a likely cause and wondered if she'd been licking her lips a lot lately; apparently the rough tongue can even bother their own mouths! She has licked her lips a lot, but it always seems that she's licking her upper lip, not the lower. Hrm, can cats get allergy tests like people can? The vet didn't seem to think I should sweat the allergens link. I guess it's something I can think about if the shots don't help. Signaturemonique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!* > Hrm, can cats get allergy tests like people can? The vet didn't seem to > think > I should sweat the allergens link. I guess it's something I can think > about > if the shots don't help. Probably not. There are blood tests for allergies, but they are far less accurate than the skin tests. I can't picture a cat being willing to be made into a checkerboard of small injections. >> Hrm, can cats get allergy tests like people can? The vet didn't seem to >> think I should sweat the allergens link. I guess it's something I can [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > accurate than the skin tests. I can't picture a cat being willing to be made > into a checkerboard of small injections. Yeah, me neither. It was just a thought. Signaturemonique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!* >> Hrm, can cats get allergy tests like people can? The vet didn't seem to >> think [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >accurate than the skin tests. I can't picture a cat being willing to be >made into a checkerboard of small injections. Actually, my vet tells me there are, indeed, allergy tests for cats. I too can't imagine *how*, though! I went through it once (and did a *huge* happy dance when they told me I was *not* allergic to cats! Just dust, which is endemic to my apartment. Oh, well.). Anyway, apparently they *do* exist, although I have never had one of my cats go through one, so I have no idea how they do it. Ginger-lyn > I wondered about that too but I couldn't remember the name of the ulcer. Is > that the same as a rodent ulcer? Anyway, I hope the shot works quickly. > Gotta love a vet that will pull out a book to show you something. Yes, it is -- Rusty (RB) used to get these once a year or so, usually around allergy season. Our DV gave him a steroid shot and had me double his daily dose of OTC allergy meds for a while, so the allergy connection is a valid one. Our DV treats only cats, and he treats them in their own environment; he doesn't even have a physical office space, just a hospital. He has allergies himself, and between his allergies and his clients', he's become quite an expert on the subject! Nina in Texas, in service to: Snickelfritz (RB), Pixel (RB 12/03), Rusty (RB 9/9/04), Seth (RB 12/27/04), Skeeter, Kyle, and Jake -- and Lucas the Timid SignatureProfessional proofreading doesn’t cost – it pays! ninaproofs@earthlink.net www.ninaproofs.com Healing purrs for Oscar and calming hugs for her meowmie, SignaturePolonca & Soncek > Oscar's regular vet is at a conference, so we saw another vet, who seems to be > the "senior" guy in the office. Oscar didn't hiss or growl; she just shivered [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > which can happen anywhere on a cat's body, but is particularly likely on the > lip. <snip > I really liked this vet's style; he brought me a book so that I could > see pictures of these ulcers and read a bit about them. > > Anyway, we should hopefully start to see a reduction in the lip in a > few days. Good news! And purrs the shot takes care of the problem. Jill I'm glad it was something the vet recognized; I also like it when vets show you the info behind the diagnosis -- please give Oscar get well purrs from us. Christine > Oscar's regular vet is at a conference, so we saw another vet, who seems to be > the "senior" guy in the office. Oscar didn't hiss or growl; she just shivered [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > bit recently. The vet seemed doubtful, but I'm still going to restrict her > access until the lip looks more normal. > I'm glad it was something the vet recognized; I also like it when vets show > you the info behind the diagnosis -- please give Oscar get well purrs from > us. Done! Thank you. Signaturemonique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!* I hope he's right, Monique. But it sounds as if he knows his business. But a better vet visit than to have him look at Oscar's lip and say "Wow, that doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before! I think it's bad!" My cats have played with the cat dancer without any ill effects for years, so I'd be surprised if that was the cause. But better safe than sorry. How is your dad doing? Purrs for Pan, please. Later this morning, we go see Dr. McKenzie for another x-ray to see if his broken bone has healed. I so hope we can get rid of the splint--for both our sakes! Pan will be much more comfortable without it, and I could definitely live without the weekly trips to TED's office. Melissa > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!* [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Melissa Ooo. Major "good luck and hope it is healed" prayers!!! Keep us posted. > I hope he's right, Monique. But it sounds as if he knows his business. But > a better vet visit than to have him look at Oscar's lip and say "Wow, that > doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before! I think it's bad!" My cats > have played with the cat dancer without any ill effects for years, so I'd be > surprised if that was the cause. But better safe than sorry. Yeah. Before diagnosing Oscar's lip, the vet actually checked her pulse, her temperature, felt her tummy, etc. So I feel confident that he was ruling out other possibilities before choosing the obvious one, which I also think is a sign of a good doctor. Also that he gave me the option of the biopsy if I wanted to go that route. The only reason I mention the cat dancer is that she's never played with anything the way she does with this dancer. Nothing has ever held her attention for hours before. The vet mentioned these ulcers can be caused by abrasion, for example a cat licking her own lips too much. So I could imagine this could be the equivalent of a kitty callous/blister from too much of a good thing. > How is your dad doing? I called him this morning and he sounded better. He's had less morphine today than on previous days, so he was able to keep up his end of the conversation and was actually feeling well enough to ask how I'm doing. And he cracked a joke or two. It sounds like he's progressing well (I won't mention the details, which probably fall into the TMI category) and I hope he'll be able to go home in a few days. Of course, as long as he's on morphine, I'm just as happy that he's at the hospital where they can keep an eye on him. Eric's mom has given us some real scares when a mis-calibrated device allowed her to get too much morphine on drip. > Purrs for Pan, please. Later this morning, we go see Dr. McKenzie for > another x-ray to see if his broken bone has healed. I so hope we can get rid > of the splint--for both our sakes! Pan will be much more comfortable without > it, and I could definitely live without the weekly trips to TED's office. Oh, good luck! I hope his leg is healing well. Signaturemonique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!* |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.